What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess testing effects, panel conditioning, and the validity of prospective longitudinal self-report data for evaluating the relationship between age and criminal behavior.

September 1, 1998Social Forces

The Age-Crime Debate: Assessing the Limits of Longitudinal Self-Report Data

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Authors

JLJanet L. LauritsenUniversity of Missouri–St. Louis

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Implication

Longitudinal cohort analysis reveals substantial declines in self-reported crime regardless of baseline age, indicating significant panel conditioning biases in delinquency surveys.

Key Points

To assess testing effects, panel conditioning, and the validity of prospective longitudinal self-report data for evaluating the relationship between age and criminal behavior.
Analyzed self-reported involvement in delinquency, serious offending, and victimization across the first five waves of the National Youth Survey.
Conducted growth curve analyses to model trajectory changes across multiple age cohorts over time.
Evaluated external data sources to rule out macro-level period effects as the primary driver of observed crime trends.
Average self-reported involvement in crime declined substantially across successive interview waves regardless of participants' starting age.
External data confirmed that broader societal period effects did not account for the observed longitudinal declines.
Standard self-report measures maintained reliability for evaluating between-individual differences in crime, but lacked sufficient reliability for assessing between-individual changes over time.

Cite This Study

Janet L. Lauritsen (1998) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aaa0838663efc0f70844832 https://doi.org/10.2307/3006012

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Implication

Longitudinal cohort analysis reveals substantial declines in self-reported crime regardless of baseline age, indicating significant panel conditioning biases in delinquency surveys.

The Age-Crime Debate: Assessing the Limits of Longitudinal Self-Report Data

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

The Age-Crime Debate: Assessing the Limits of Longitudinal Self-Report Data

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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