Friends` Delinquent Behavior— Peer Deviancy Scale

Delinquency

The Friends’ Delinquent Behavior—Peer Deviancy Scale is a questionnaire designed to measure the extent to which adolescents engage in delinquent behaviors in the presence of their peers. The questionnaire assesses the frequency of a range of delinquent behaviors, including both minor and major offenses, such as shoplifting, vandalism, drug use, and violent behavior. The scale also measures the degree to which the respondent’s peers engage in the same behaviors. The scale is intended to provide a measure of peer influence on delinquent behavior and the potential for peer deviance to increase the likelihood of delinquency. The questionnaire consists of 10 items, each of which is rated on a five–point scale from “never” to “very often.” The scale has been found to be reliable and valid in measuring delinquent behavior among adolescents.

How many friends would you consider to be close friends? These are friends who you see more than once a week. These are friends who you spend time with and enjoy doing things with. _____(Record number offriends).
Now‚ in the last 3 months‚ how many of these friends have …
1. Skipped school without an excuse?
2. Stolen something worth less than $100?
3. Gone into or tried to go into a building to steal something?
4. Gone joyriding‚ that is‚ taken a motor vehicle such as a car or motorcycle for a ride or drive without the owner’s permission?
5. Hit someone with the idea of really hurting that person?
6. Attacked someone with a weapon or other thing to really hurt that person?
7. Use a weapon‚ force‚ or strong arm methods to get money or things from people?
8. Drank alcohol?
9. Been in a gang fight?
10. Hit or slapped a boyfriend/girlfriend?
(A corresponding scale can be administered to parents. All items are identical‚ but the lead-in statement is amended to read: How many friends of your child would you consider to be close friends? These are friends who your child sees more than once a week. These are friends who your child spends time with and enjoys doing things with. _________ (Record number of friends). Now‚ in the last 3 months‚ how many of these friends do you think have …”)
 
This instrument can be found on pages 214-215 of Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes‚ Behaviors‚ and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools‚ available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/YV_Compendium.pdf
 
None of them=0
Very few of them=1
Some of them=3
Most of them=4
All of them=5
Point values are assigned as indicated above. Point values for all responses are summed. Higher scores indicate higher levels of problem behaviors among peers.
 

Multisite Violence Prevention Project. Description of measures: cohort-wide student survey‚ 2004. Available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‚ National Center for Injury Prevention and Control‚ Atlanta‚ GA.

Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group (CPPRG). Things your friends have done (technicalreport). Raleigh‚ NC: Duke University‚ 2000. Available from the FastTrack Project Web site‚

http://www.fasttrackproject.org/techrept/.
 
 

Cite this article

mohammad looti (2026). Friends` Delinquent Behavior— Peer Deviancy Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/friends-delinquent-behavior-peer-deviancy-scale/

mohammad looti. "Friends` Delinquent Behavior— Peer Deviancy Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 19 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/friends-delinquent-behavior-peer-deviancy-scale/.

mohammad looti. "Friends` Delinquent Behavior— Peer Deviancy Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/friends-delinquent-behavior-peer-deviancy-scale/.

mohammad looti (2026) 'Friends` Delinquent Behavior— Peer Deviancy Scale', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/friends-delinquent-behavior-peer-deviancy-scale/.

[1] mohammad looti, "Friends` Delinquent Behavior— Peer Deviancy Scale," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.

mohammad looti. Friends` Delinquent Behavior— Peer Deviancy Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.

Related terms:

  1. Peer Deviancy scale
  2. Friends` Delinquent Behavior—Denver Youth Survey
  3. Delinquent Behavior—High Risk Behavioral Assessment
  4. Disciplinary and Delinquent Behavior—SAGE Baseline Survey
  5. Delinquent Peers—Rochester Youth Development Study
  6. Delinquent Activities Scale (DAS)
  7. Parent Report on Child’s Close Friends
  8. Social Support-Friends and Family Scale (PSS-Fr and PSS-Fa)
  9. Attitude Toward Interpersonal Peer Violence scale
  10. Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale
Slide Up
x
PDF
Scroll to Top