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This study examined the concurrent validity of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) in relation to the Depression (D) scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and addressed a gap in the literature with respect to diagnostic discrimination. The participants were persons on probation or parole. Although women were more depressed than men on the SDS, gender did not interact with SDS as a predictor in a logistic regression analysis. The SDS was found to be the primary discriminating variable in distinguishing depressed from nondepressed participants. In addition, the SDS contributed significant incremental validity over the D scale and showed greater accuracy in identifying nondepressed individuals.

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Objective: Despite the presence of law enforcement personnel in schools (i.e., school resource officers or SROs) and the increased recognition of the importance of developmentally appropriate questioning practices, the school context remains underexamined within the juvenile interrogation literature. In the present study, we sought to take an initial step in addressing this gap by conducting a national survey of SROs in the U.S. regarding their questioning practices with children and youth in schools and SROs’ associated developmental knowledge and training. Hypotheses: We made several predictions including that SROs would (1) report regular involvement in questioning students, particularly adolescents; (2) demonstrate accurate developmental knowledge in some respects, generally viewing children as more developmentally limited than adolescents; and (3a) consider age and the nature of the offense in their questioning of students while (3b) demonstrating some gaps in applying their developmental knowledge to interrogative contexts (e.g., endorsing some developmentally inappropriate questioning practices). Method: SROs across the United States (N = 287, 81% male, Mage = 42 years, 93% White) completed a survey examining their perceptions of child/youth development and interrogation practices and training as well as their responses to hypothetical scenarios. Results: SROs reported regular involvement in questioning students about criminal behavior. SROs demonstrated awareness of some important developmental limitations of children/youth but, at times, did not appear to apply this knowledge when questioning juveniles themselves. Approximately half of the sampled SROs had not received training regarding juvenile interrogation, and most indicated a need for more structured training on the topic. Conclusion: SROs serve as information gatherers within the school setting who may benefit from additional juvenile interviewing/interrogation training.