Self-Report Method for Measuring Delinquency and Crime

Self-reports are the most widely used measurement method in the study of delinquent and criminal behavior. Most of the current knowledge about the prevalence of delinquency, as well as about risk and protective factors for criminal onset, was developed through the use of self-report measures. Largely due to the concern that people would not accurately report their own delinquent practices, a large body of research was built over the past decades comparing offending data provided by self-reports and officially recorded crimes. This research has provided solid evidence that self-reports provide valid and reliable information about criminal conduct, which completely revolutionized the study of criminology.…