Four studies utilizing twelve sample groups culminated in a Depth of Delinquency Index, for use in evaluations of juvenile treatment programs. The comprehensive index established seriousness values for all common juvemle offenses. Seriousness values were expressed in standard score units ranging from 2 to 99, obtained by transforming the relative magnitude ratings made by over 500 subjects. Consistency of offense rankings across the four studies as well as earlier studies substantiated the theory of a cultural consensus about offense seriousness, which provides a stable basis for the DDIscores. The only major value shift over the past two decades occurred with drug offense ratings, AUTHORS' NOTE: Several individuals contributed to the earher surveys.A whole series of replications demonstrated that seriousness estimates remained remarkably stable over time, distance, and different types of raters (Normandeau, 1966;Wellford and Wiatrowski, 1975). University students were usually polled in these studies, but surveys of offender populations (Figlio, 1975) and law enforcement groups (Sellin and Wolfgang, 1964), yielded similar sets of offense values.The 141 magnitude scores published by Sellin and Wolfgang in 1964 ranged from 308 to .31 in a one-dimensional scale. However, several problems prevented the use of the scale as an index of values. The list of 141 offenses focused more on adult crimes and was incomplete for juvenile offenses. Other problems occurred with status offenses, drug
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