On the Potential Implications of Reports of Fictitious Drug Use for Survey Research on Juvenile Delinquency

Abstract

A variety of methodological issues have been raised over self-reports of delinquency and its correlates. In this study, we call attention to the provision of untruthful information and provide an investigation of this issue using a survey item that assesses a respondent's use of a fictitious drug in relation to reports of delinquency and traditional criminological correlates. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted based on data drawn from a probability sample of middle and high school students in Florida. Results show (a) there are important differences on key criminological variables between respondents who report use of a fictitious drug and those who do not; (b) the internal consistency of a variety index of delinquency is particularly sensitive to the inclusion of respondents reporting the use of a fictitious drug; and (c) the effect size of some criminological variables on delinquency may be sensitive to controlling for reports of fictitious drug use. Overall, the inclusion of fictitious drug use items within etiological models may serve as a useful approach to further establishing the reliability and validity of information provided by survey respondents.

Unstructured Socializing With Peers and Risk of Substance Use: Where Does the Risk Begin?

“…3 After removal of cases with missing data across each of the variables we describe below, all models are based on a sample size of 7,484 cases. Although underutilized by academics, FYSAS data have been used as the basis for a few published studies (e.g., Eitle, 2005; Meldrum & Piquero, 2015; Peleg-Oren, Cardenas, Comerford, & Galea, 2012; Peleg-Oren, Saint-Jean, Cardenas, Tammara, & Pierre, 2009). For additional information on the FYSAS survey and administration procedures, please refer to the website of the Florida Department of Children and Families and the 2017 FYSAS State Report.…”

The validity of self-reported convictions in a community sample: Findings from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development

“…Self-report surveys are also one of the most widely used methods of collecting information on illicit drug use and, like offending, these behaviours are also prohibited, so the validity of data generated by these surveys is also often examined (for reviews, see Harrison, 1997; Richter and Johnson, 2001), with the majority of studies concluding that drug use is fairly accurately reported in self-report surveys. Reviews have suggested that drug use may have an impact on whether individuals correctly self-report their offending, with those who are criminally involved being less likely to accurately self-report, possibly because they would face the heaviest penalties (Harrison, 1997; Meldrum and Piquero, 2014).…”