Continuous versus Categorical Models of Delinquency Risk
Two groups of participants, one a nationally representative sample with roughly equal numbers of male and female participants ( N = 8,984) and the other a sample of mostly male adjudicated delinquents ( N = 1,354), were used to test whether risk factors for delinquency are organized continuously or...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2014
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| In: |
American journal of criminal justice
Year: 2014, Volume: 39, Issue: 3, Pages: 395-410 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
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| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Keywords: |
| Summary: | Two groups of participants, one a nationally representative sample with roughly equal numbers of male and female participants ( N = 8,984) and the other a sample of mostly male adjudicated delinquents ( N = 1,354), were used to test whether risk factors for delinquency are organized continuously or categorically. A continuous (variable-centered) model was created using factor scores from a one-factor confirmatory factor analysis and a categorical (person-centered) model was constructed using posterior probabilities from a two-class finite mixture modeling analysis. In both samples the continuous model correlated significantly better with subsequent offending than did the categorical model, a finding that was replicated in males from both samples and in females from the nationally representative sample. The current findings suggest that risk factors are better construed as points along a continuum rather than as properties of distinct groups or types. These results further suggest that the etiology of offending, in the form of risk factors, is general/additive rather than specific/selective. The implications of these results for theory development, clinical practice, and future research are discussed. |
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| ISSN: | 1936-1351 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12103-013-9235-1 |