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/ethnicity, 1980 (unweighted)
Age Group	Activity	Total	Male	Female	Hispanic	Black	Non-Black Non-Hispanic
Respondents Aged 17 & Under Note 1.1	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
Note 1.1: 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 and 1979 family poverty status: 1980 (unweighted)
Type of Contact	Total	Male	Female	Hispanic	Black	Non-Black Non-Hispanic	Poverty Status in 1979
Type of Contact	Total	Male	Female	Hispanic	Black	Non-Black Non-Hispanic	Status NA Note 2.1	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
Note 2.1: 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 "Periods Not Working Within Job Tenure" areas of interest).

Important information: 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
1979	26
1980	63
1981	68
1982	91
1983	104
1984	103
1985	105
1986	115
1987	128
1988	128
1989	139
1990	134
1991	121
1992	138
1993	146
1994	153
1996	150
1998	137
2000	121
2002	110
2004 Note 3.1	37
2006	73
2008	65
2010	47
2012	32
2014	26
2016	20
2018	14
2020	10
2022	14
Note 3.1: Data was incomplete for 2004 due to confidentiality concerns regarding inmates' participation in the NLSY79.

Comparison to Other NLS Surveys	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 NLSY79 data. 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 & 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	"Illegal Activity & Arrest" contains the 71 variables collected in 1980.

Comparison to Other NLS Surveys

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 NLSY79 data.

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 & 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

"Illegal Activity & Arrest" contains the 71 variables collected in 1980.

A Program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Crime & Substance Use

Delinquency scales

Important information: Using crime, delinquency, and arrest records data