Crime, Delinquency & Arrest Records

Crime & Substance Use
Crime, Delinquency & Arrest Records
The 1980 interview asked about delinquent or criminal activities during the previous twelve month period. Categories included:
- skipping school
- alcohol/marijuana use
- vandalism
- shoplifting
- drug dealing
- robbery
- assault
- gambling
The number of respondents reporting participation is summarized in Table 1 and Table 2 below.
Delinquency scales: Adapted from previously used self-report delinquency scales, this instrument was modified for the 1980 NLSY79 survey to accommodate the confidentiality issues raised by in-home administration. In addition, it used an expanded response scale to differentiate very highly delinquent youth from occasional participants. A second set of questions in the 1980 survey measured involvement with the criminal justice system by tallying the number of police contacts and recording the resulting criminal convictions and sentences (probation, incarceration) received.
Table 1. Number of Respondents Reporting Participation within the Past Year in Illegal Activities by Sex and Race or Ethnicity, 1980 (Unweighted)
Activity | Total | Male | Female | Hispanic | Black | Non-Black Non-Hispanic |
||
Respondents Aged 17 & Under1 | ||||||||
Runaway | 374 | 180 | 194 | 69 | 71 | 234 | ||
Truant | 1845 | 980 | 865 | 395 | 368 | 1082 | ||
Drinking | 2353 | 1273 | 1080 | 373 | 451 | 1529 | ||
All Respondents | ||||||||
Vandalism | 2131 | 1588 | 543 | 313 | 468 | 1350 | ||
Fighting | 3315 | 2390 | 925 | 531 | 1020 | 1764 | ||
Shoplifting | 3040 | 1716 | 1324 | 514 | 721 | 1805 | ||
Petty Theft | 2237 | 1498 | 739 | 297 | 444 | 1496 | ||
Grand Theft | 658 | 541 | 117 | 103 | 178 | 377 | ||
Robbery | 602 | 466 | 136 | 57 | 222 | 323 | ||
Assault | 4395 | 2812 | 1583 | 556 | 1152 | 2687 | ||
Aggravated Assault | 1245 | 880 | 365 | 155 | 389 | 701 | ||
Marijuana Use | 5493 | 2946 | 2547 | 745 | 1184 | 3564 | ||
Hard Drug Use | 2276 | 1251 | 1025 | 272 | 303 | 1701 | ||
Sold Marijuana | 1266 | 880 | 386 | 154 | 236 | 876 | ||
Sold Hard Drugs | 294 | 208 | 86 | 34 | 57 | 203 | ||
Fraud | 2581 | 1499 | 1082 | 335 | 792 | 1454 | ||
Auto Theft | 922 | 623 | 299 | 152 | 210 | 560 | ||
Breaking/Entering | 706 | 609 | 97 | 96 | 127 | 483 | ||
Fencing | 1343 | 1031 | 312 | 221 | 293 | 829 | ||
Gambling | 281 | 233 | 48 | 48 | 85 | 148 | ||
1 Age calculated as of date of interview. |
Table 2. Number of Respondents Reporting Contact with the Police and/or Criminal Justice System by Sex, Race/Ethnicity & 1979 Family Poverty Status: 1980 NLSY79 (Unweighted)
Sex | Race/Ethnicity | Poverty Status in 1979 | ||||||||||
Type of Contact | Total | Male | Female | Hispanic | Black | Non-Black Non-Hispanic |
Status NA1 | Not in Poverty | In Poverty | |||
Stopped by Police | 2248 | 1734 | 514 | 365 | 517 | 1366 | 145 | 1610 | 493 | |||
Booked or Charged | 1325 | 1056 | 269 | 207 | 269 | 849 | 93 | 913 | 319 | |||
As an Adult | 981 | 812 | 169 | 136 | 202 | 643 | 87 | 686 | 208 | |||
Convicted | 753 | 612 | 141 | 111 | 134 | 508 | 57 | 505 | 191 | |||
Assault | 90 | 77 | 13 | 11 | 25 | 54 | 7 | 62 | 21 | |||
Robbery | 49 | 46 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 20 | 5 | 26 | 18 | |||
Theft | 237 | 180 | 57 | 38 | 42 | 157 | 20 | 147 | 70 | |||
Fraud/Forgery | 17 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 11 | 5 | |||
Fencing | 17 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 6 | |||
Property Destruction | 62 | 56 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 49 | 7 | 45 | 10 | |||
Other Property Offense | 90 | 83 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 68 | 6 | 51 | 33 | |||
Gambling | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
Vice | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||
Drug Offense | 106 | 90 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 87 | 9 | 82 | 15 | |||
Major Traffic Offense | 118 | 104 | 14 | 24 | 8 | 86 | 6 | 91 | 21 | |||
Alcohol Consumption (Minor) | 54 | 41 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 43 | 2 | 41 | 11 | |||
Sentenced Correctional Institution | 313 | 257 | 56 | 47 | 73 | 193 | 35 | 167 | 111 | |||
Youth Correctional | 183 | 139 | 44 | 27 | 41 | 115 | 22 | 83 | 78 | |||
Adult Correctional | 157 | 144 | 13 | 24 | 46 | 87 | 17 | 98 | 42 | |||
1 This refers to individuals for whom the income variable is missing. |
Related variables collected during this and other survey years include:
- Questions on school discipline problems, such as whether each NLSY79 respondent had ever been suspended or expelled from school and when/if the youth had returned to school (see the School Discipline section of this guide)
- The childhood residence section of the 1988 survey, which collected information on whether NLSY79 respondents had resided in a detention center/jail/prison during any of their first eighteen years of life (see the "Family Background" area of interest)
- A yearly created 'Type of Residence' variable that identifies those NLSY79 respondents who resided in jail at each interview date. Table 3 lists the number of respondents that were in jail or prison at time of interview for each round. Responses of "in jail" to questions within post-1988 Employer Supplements and the "Gaps Not Working" sections of the main questionnaires for the reason not looking for work when not employed can also be used to identify incarcerated respondents (see the "Between Job Gaps" and "Misc. "areas of interest).
Important Information About Using Crime, Delinquency, and Arrest Records Data
Incarceration dates are not asked directly. If a respondent is in jail or in prison at the time of interview, that information is recorded (see the 'Type of Residence' variables discussion in the Household Composition section of this guide).
Table 3. Number of NLSY79 Respondents in Jail or Prison at Survey Date
Survey Year | Respondents in Prison/Jail | Survey Year | Respondents in Prison/Jail | |
1979 | 26 | 1993 | 146 | |
1980 | 63 | 1994 | 153 | |
1981 | 68 | 1996 | 150 | |
1982 | 91 | 1998 | 137 | |
1983 | 104 | 2000 | 121 | |
1984 | 103 | 2002 | 110 | |
1985 | 105 | 20041 | 37 | |
1986 | 115 | 2006 | 73 | |
1987 | 128 | 2008 | 65 | |
1988 | 128 | 2010 | 47 | |
1989 | 139 | 2012 | 32 | |
1990 | 134 | 2014 | 26 | |
1991 | 121 | 2016 | 20 | |
1992 | 138 | |||
1Data was incomplete for 2004 due to confidentiality concerns regarding inmates' participation in the NLSY79. |
Comparison to Other NLS Cohorts: Beginning in 1988 two sets of questions were asked of NLSY79 children dealing with (1) the extent of each child's self-reported participation during the past year in various illegal activities such as vandalism, shoplifting, and assault and (2) the extent of use and age of first use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and drugs. Starting in 1994, young adults were also asked a series of questions closely resembling those in the 1980 main NLSY79.
The NLSY97 survey asks about participation in and the intensity of various criminal activities in the previous year (round 1). In subsequent rounds respondents were questioned about the number of times they participated in criminal activity since the date of last interview. NLSY97 data collected each year include charges, court decisions, and sentencing including dates of incarceration since the last interview.
The 1968 survey of schools attended by Young Men and Young Women respondents included two questions on whether school records indicated that the respondent had been committed to or was on probation from a correctional institution. Also as part of the 1968 school survey, school records were examined for an indication that the respondent had ever been expelled or suspended from school. For more precise details about the content of each survey, consult the appropriate cohort's User's Guide using the tabs above for more information.
Survey Instruments and Documentation | Section 15 (of the 1980 questionnaire) on "Delinquency and Drugs," Section 16 on "Reported Police Contacts," and the accompanying confidential Form J contain the delinquency and police contact questions. |
Areas of Interest | The 71 variables collected during 1980 are found in the "Illegal" area of interest in the main NLSY79 data set. |
Cohorts
- NLSY97
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Asterisk Tables
- I. Employment, Unemployment, and Job Search (age restrictions as of interview date)
- II. Schooling (age restrictions as of 12/31/96)
- III. Training (age restrictions as of interview date)
- IV. Income, Assets, and Program Participation
- V. Family Formation (age restrictions as of end of previous calendar year--12/31/96 in rd 1, 12/31/97 in rd 2, and so on)
- VI. Family Background (age restrictions as of 12/31/1996)
- VII. Expectations
- VIII. Attitudes, Behaviors, and Time Use
- IX. Health (age restrictions as of 12/31/96)
- X. Political Participation
- XI. Environmental Variables (in main data set)
- Education
- Employment
- Household, Geography & Contextual Variables
- Family Background
- Marital History, Childcare & Fertility
- Income
- Health
- Attitudes
- Crime & Substance Use
- Asterisk Tables
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Introduction to the NLSY97 Created Variable Appendices
- Appendix 1: Education Variable Creation
- Enrollment Status and Highest Grade/Degree - Appendix 1
- Date Received Diploma or Degree - Appendix 1
- Number of Grades Repeated or Skipped - Appendix 1
- Number of Schools Attended - Appendix 1
- Credits Earned toward Bachelor's/Associate's Degree - Appendix 1
- Date Left High School and Highest High School Grade - Appendix 1
- Private or Parochial School - Appendix 1
- SAT/ACT Scores - Appendix 1
- Training: Receipt of Certificate or Vocational License - Appendix 1
- Appendix 2: Employment Variable Creation
- Appendix 3: Family Background and Formation
- Household Size as of Survey Date - Appendix 3
- Marital Status and Marital/Cohabitation History - Appendix 3
- Fertility and Child Status - Appendix 3
- Number of Residences since Age 12 - Appendix 3
- Current Citizenship Status - Appendix 3
- Mother's Age at First Birth/Respondent's Birth
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Round 1 Parent Interview) - Appendix 3
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Rounds 7-9 Childhood Retrospective) - Appendix 3
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Interview Date) - Appendix 3
- Appendix 4: Geographic Variable Creation
- Appendix 5: Income and Assets Variable Creation
- Appendix 6: Event History Creation and Documentation
- Appendix 7: Continuous Month Scheme and Crosswalk
- Appendix 8: Instrument Rosters
- Appendix 9: Family Process and Adolescent Outcome Measures
- Appendix 10: CAT-ASVAB Scores
- Appendix 11: Collection of the Transcript Data (High School)
- Appendix 12: Post-Secondary Transcript Study
- Appendix 13: Cross-Cohort NLSY79/97 Overview
- Attachment 1: Census Industrial & Occupational Classification Codes
- Geocode Codebook Supplement
- Introduction to NLSY97 Geocode Data
- Attachment 100: Census Bureau State and County Codes
- Attachment 101: Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)/Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) Codes
- Attachment 102: IPEDS Data and College Identification Codes
- Attachment 103: Migration Distance Variables for Respondent Locations
- Attachment 104: Codebook Pages for Geocode and Zipcode Variables
- Questionnaires
- Errata
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 17 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 16 Release
- Addendum: Additional NLSY97 Speech & Post-Secondary Variables Available
- Addendum: NLSY97 Post-Secondary Data and Transcript Data Files Now Available
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 15 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 14 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 13 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 12 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 11 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 10 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 9 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 8 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 7 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 6 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 5 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 4 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 3 Release
- Tutorials
- Technical Sampling Report
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- Topical Guide to the Data
- NLSY79
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- NLSY79 Attachment 3: Industrial and Occupational Classification Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 4: Fields of Study in College
- NLSY79 Attachment 5: Index of Labor Unions and Employee Associations
- NLSY79 Attachment 6: Other Kinds of Training Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 7: Other Certificate Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 8: Health Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 100: Geographic Regions
- NLSY79 Attachment 101: Country Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 102: Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)
- NLSY79 Attachment 103: Religion Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 106: Profiles of American Youth (ASVAB Data/AFQT Scores)
- NLSY79 Appendix 1: Employment Status Recode Variables (1979-1998 and 2006)
- NLSY79 Appendix 2: Total Net Family Income Variable Creation (1979-2014)
- NLSY79 Appendix 3: Job Satisfaction Measures
- NLSY79 Appendix 4: Job Characteristics Index 1979-1982
- NLSY79 Appendix 5: Supplemental Fertility and Relationship Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 6: Urban-Rural and SMSA-Central City Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 7: Unemployment Rate
- NLSY79 Appendix 8: Highest Grade Completed & Enrollment Status Variable Creation
- NLSY79 Appendix 9: Linking Employers Through Survey Years
- NLSY79 Appendix 11: Round 12 (1990) Survey Administration Methods
- NLSY79 Appendix 12: Most Important Job Learning Activities (1993-94)
- NLSY79 Appendix 13: Intro to CAPI Questionnaires and Codebooks
- NLSY79 Appendix 14: Instrument Rosters
- NLSY79 Appendix 15: Recipiency Event Histories
- NLSY79 Appendix 16: 1994 Recall Experiment
- NLSY79 Appendix 17: Interviewer Characteristics Data
- NLSY79 Appendix 18: Work History Data
- NLSY79 Appendix 19: SF-12 Health Scale Scoring
- NLSY79 Appendix 20: Round 20 (2002) Early Bird and Income Recall Experiments
- NLSY79 Appendix 21: Attitudinal Scales
- NLSY79 Appendix 22: Migration Distance Variables for Respondent Locations
- NLSY79 Appendix 23: Revised Asset and Debt Variables and Computed TOTAL Net Wealth Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 24: Reanalysis of the 1980 AFQT Data from the NLSY79
- NLSY79 Appendix 25: Attitudinal Scale Scoring
- NLSY79 Appendix 26: Non-Response to Financial Questions and Entry Points
- NLSY79 Appendix 27: IRT Item Parameter Estimates, Scores and Standard Errors
- NLSY79 Appendix 28: NLSY79 Employer History Roster
- NLSY79 Appendix 29: Date of Interview Current Status Variables
- NLSY79/97 Cross-Cohort Data
- Geocode Codebook Supplement
- Appendix 7: Unemployment Rates
- Appendix 10: Geocode Documentation
- Attachment 100: Geographic Regions
- Attachment 101: Country Codes
- Attachment 102: State FIPS Codes
- Attachment 104, Part A: 1981 Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part B: 1983 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part C: 1983 Consolidated MSAs and Associated Primary MSAs (CMSAs and PMSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part D: 1983 PMSAs and Associated CMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part E: 1988 MSAs, CMSAs, and Associated PMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part F: 2004 MSAs, CMSAs, and Associated PMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part G: 2006 Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs)
- Attachment 105: Addendum to FICE Codes
- Attachment 106: Codebook Pages for Geocode and Zipcode Variables
- Questionnaires
- Tutorials
- Errata
- Errata for 1979-2016 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2014 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2012 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2010 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2008 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2006 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2004 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2002 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2000 Data Release
- Technical Sampling Report
- School & Transcript Surveys Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- NLSY79 Child/YA
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Appendix A: HOME-SF Scales (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix B: Composition of the Temperament Scales (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix C: Motor & Social Development (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix D: Behavior Problems Index (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix D, Part 1: Composition of the BPI subscales
- Appendix D, Part 2a: BPI Anxious/Depressed Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2b: BPI Antisocial Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2c: BPI Dependent Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2d: BPI Headstrong Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2e: BPI Hyperactive Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2f: BPI Peer Conflicts/Withdrawn Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2g: BPI Full Scale
- Appendix D, Part 3a: BPI Internalizing Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 3b: BPI Externalizing Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 3c: BPI Total Scores
- Appendix E: Sample SPSSx Program for Merging NLSY79 Child/YA & Mother Files
- Appendix F: Sample SAS Program for Merging NLSY79 Child/YA & Mother Files
- Appendix G: NLSY79 Child Assessment Scores, Reference Numbers (2010-2014)
- Appendix H: Identification Codes in the Child and Young Adult Database
- Attachment 100: Codebook Pages for Young Adult Geocode Data
- Questionnaires
- Errata
- Errata for 2016 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2014 Child/Young Adult Release
- Data Addition: New Work and School Status Variables Created
- Errata for 2012 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2010 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2008 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2006 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2004 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2002 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2000 Child/Young Adult Release
- Research/Technical Reports
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- NLS Mature and Young Women
- NLS Older and Young Men