Building and Validating Multidimensional Scale of Adolescent and Youth Juvenile Delinquency

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• S Sahami
• E HosseinZei ¹
• A Parvizzadeh ²

¹ teacher

² MA

Abstract

This study aimed at making a scale for assessing juvenile delinquency and determining its factor structure and validation. After examining the related tools and taking into account cultural conditions, social properties and sociological theories of Iran the multi-dimensional scale of juvenile delinquency was provided in 20 items. Survey research was applied and all students of the city of Abadan participated in this study. Two hundred students,from different districts of ministryof education,were selected through cluster sampling. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were administered to analyze data. Exploratory factor analysis as well as its major factors indicated a four-dimensional scale for juveniledelinquency (drug addiction, ethical criminals, petty offences, and outlaw). The test result was satisfactory, KMO equal to 0/75, and Bartlett’s test was significant statistically. In addition, those dimensions could define 40.05 percent of varianceof juvenile delinquency scale. Meanwhile, Cronbach Alpha of all major and minor scales were respectively equal to 0.85, 0.89, 0.82, 0.70 and 0.62. Thus, the reliability and validity of the scale were accurate so that they can be used in assessing juvenile delinquency.

Keywords

• juvenile delinquency
• adolescent
• Youth
• validation

20.1001.1.22285516.1396.8.29.4.3

Main Subjects

• Psychological Models and Methods

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