Empirical Evidence of Multi-Facets of Delinquency in Pakistan: Revised Self-Reported Delinquency Scale

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency is a major societal issue of Pakistan, but measuring it through self-reported indigenously developed questionnaire is limited to a few progresses like Self-Reported Delinquency Scale (SRDS; Naqvi & Kamal, 2008). The purpose of the present study was to explore factor structure of SRDS through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and to address multi-facets of delinquency by modifying SRDS. Cross-sectional research design was used. Data were collected through purposive sampling from 508 respondents which included 232 juvenile delinquents and 276 students from Bahawalpur and Faisalabad. Study was aimed to explore and establish dimensionality, reliability, convergent, and discriminant validities along with usefulness of the Revised Self-Reported Delinquency Scale (R-SRDS). Findings of the study reported emergence of six internally-consistent factors including: (a) risk taking, (b) sex related, (c) stealing related, (d) police encountering, (e) drugs related, and (f) attention seeking delinquent tendencies. Convergent validity of these subscales was established through positive association of R-SRDS with Short version of Physical and Verbal Aggression Scale (Caprara & Pastorelli, 1993), and Lying Scale of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ; Eysenck & Eysenck, 1976). Discriminant validity was established by inverse relationship of R-SRDS with Prosocial Behavior Scale (Eisenerg, Eggum, & Di-Giunta, 2010) and Positivity Scale (Caprara et al., 2012). R-SRDS not only discriminated between juvenile delinquents and students, but also discriminated between delinquents committing different types of crimes, thus, providing more comprehensive picture of R-SDS measuring different levels of delinquent tendencies in Pakistan.