The Structure of Self-Reported Delinquency

An analysis of self-report delinquency data using four non-metric procedures for structural analysis revealed support for the existence of a general de linquency factor. However, offenses of low serious ness and victimless offenses (drinking and drug- taking items) were only weakly related to this gen eral factor. It is concluded that for almost all mea sures of self-reported delinquency in the literature, most of the variance is accounted for by those items which bear the weakest relationships to the general delinquency factor. The existence of specific factors representing "trivial delinquency," "drug use," "vehicle theft," and "vandalism" was indicated by all four procedures.

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