Citation

Pedersen W, Wichstrom L. Br. J. Criminol. 1995; 35(4): 543-562.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A nationwide, representative sample of about 10,000 Norwegian adolescents completed a self-report questionnaire on delinquency (response rate 97per cent). Factor analyses revealed three delinquency dimensions, labelled crime', school opposition', and covert behaviour'. Crime' reflects typical criminal behaviour (e.g. theft, major vandalism, and burglary). School opposition' reflects schoolrelated conduct problems of an overt aggressive character (e.g. cursed in front of a teacher, summoned to principal). Covert antisocial behaviour' includes minor conduct problems and acts on the fringe of ordinary crime (refrainedfrom paying on buses, stayed out at night without parents' permission), and seems to reflect a passive--aggressive tendency to avoid arenas under adult control. The patterns of involvement in the three dimensions were described according to age and sex, using the three measures: participation, frequency, and variety. In addition, self-reported police contacts were described according to age and sex, and the relationship between hidden' delinquency and police reports was investigated. The findings revealed heterogeneous age and sex patterns in the three dimensions, and the three measures helped to clarify the picture in more detail. In crime', the sex distribution was typical (male/female participation rate 4:1), whereas the age differences were surprisingly small. In covert behaviour', however, the sex differences were almost non-existent, whereas participation increased throughout all adolescence. There is much to indicate that, of the three measures, variety (diversity) is an important indicator of the seriousness of delinquent involvement.