Development of a New Measure of Self-Reported Antisocial Behavior for Young Children: Prevalence and Reliability

Abstract

Delinquent careers, typically, have been thought to begin in adolescence (ages 12 to 16) rather than during late childhood (7 to 11). The commission of offenses by elementary school aged youngsters, however, has attracted more attention from criminologists in recent years, which has resulted in some new insights. First, offenders now are said to engage in delinquent acts at an earlier age than was previously thought. Second, an early onset of offending, according to some studies, is predictive not only of longer offending careers but also of higher rates of offending during the career. Third, surveys show that a surprising proportion of elementary school age children commit offenses that do not lead to criminal prosecution, and thus do not show up in crime statistics (Loeber, 1987).