DEVELOPMENT OF THE DDI A Seriousness Scale for Delinquency

Four studies utilizing twelve sample groups culminated in a Depth of Delinquency Index, for use in evaluations of juvenile treatment programs. The comprehensive index estab-lished 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, especially for marijuana. It was also found that all kinds of repeat offenses werejudged to be more serious than the same offense committed by youths with no prior records. The Depth of Delinquency Index was deemed suitablefor trial use in program evaluations and research related to groups of juvenile delinquents, but not suitable for individual diagnostic purposes. In the last two decades, millions of dollars have been spent on J ~ projects to rehabilitate young offenders, with unclear results at best. One major difficulty encountered by evaluators has been the lack of a yardstick for measuring different degrees of delinquency. This lack AUTHORS ’ NOTE: Several individuals contributed to the earher surveys. Special appreciation goes to Johnny Kenehan, Hector Ayala, and Betty Kucerafor their work o