What Is the Hidden Figure of Delinquency in Girls? Scaling Up From Police Charges to Self-Reports

• NCJ Number: 251827
• Journal: Victims & Offenders. Volume: 12 Issue: 5 Dated: 2017 Pages: 761-776
• Author(s): Lia Ahonen; Rolf Loeber; David P. Farrington; Alison E. Hipwell
• Date Published: 2017
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2013-JF-FX-0058
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined discrepancies (scaling up factors) from official records to self-reports in a large sample of girls between ages 12 and 17 (N = 2,450).

Abstract

Research on males shows discrepancies between official records and self-reports of delinquency, thus creating a scaling-up factor. Comparable information for girls is still needed. The current study found that on average there were three self-reported juvenile female offenders for every individual charged by the police, and for every police charge there were four offenses that were committed. The scaling-up factor was highest in early adolescence, indicating that female offenders at a young age were more likely to stay undetected by the police. The scaling-up factor was significantly lower for African-American girls than White girls; a higher proportion of African-American delinquent girls were charged by the police. Racial differences in scaling up were significant only for prevalence, not for frequency of offending. Knowledge about scaling-up factors is important for the design and implementation of intervention programs. This article discusses racial differences, implications for justice administration, and practical implications for intervention science. (Publisher abstract modified)