General Information

The Firearms, Violence, and Youth in California, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey scale assesses firearms knowledge, acquisition and use, criminal behavior, victimization history, gang membership and gang activities, drug and alcohol use, and attitudes concerning guns, crime and violence in adolescents.

Number of Versions:	1
Version:	Firearms, Violence, and Youth in California, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey
Author(s):	Joseph F. Sheley, James D. Wright, M. Dwayne Smith
Date of Publication:	1991
Material(s) Needed for Test:	Instrument
Manual:	Available
Charge for one form or kit:	No

Purpose and Nature of Test

Construct(s) Measured:	Violence
Population for which designed:	Age Range: 12 through 21 years old
Method of Administration:	Group
Source of Information:	Self
Subtests and Scores:	Gun Possession and Carrying, Gang Organization, Criminal Behavior
Number of Items:	84
Type of Scale:	Likert

Technical Evaluation

Norms: 

Sample Size:	2,498
Population:	2 samples: 835 inmates incarcerated in correctional facilities and 1,663 students from 10 inner-city high schools in California, New Jersey, Illinois, and Louisiana.
Culture/ethnicity:	African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino
SES Level:	Not reported by author(s).

Reliability: 

Psychometric information:	Provided for Full Scales.
The range of Test-Retest Value:	Not assessed
The range of Inter-rater reliability:	Not assessed
The range of Internal consistency:	Not assessed

Validity: 

Criterion validity data has not been presented or published in study.

Practical Evaluation

Scoring Procedure:	Manual Scoring
Examiner Qualifications and Training Required:
Permission Required to Use Instrument:	Yes
If yes, by whom:	James D. Wright

Notes

Original Reference(s):	Sheley, J. F., & Wright, J. D. (1993). Motivations for gun possession and carrying among serious juvenile offenders. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 11, 375-388.
Other Reference(s):	Sheley, J. F., Zhang, J., Brody, C J., & Wright, J. D. (1995). Gang organization, gang criminal activity, and individual gang members' criminal behavior. Social Science Quarterly, 76 (1), 53-68.
Other:	Codebook is available for purchase through the University of Georgia - ICPSR (http://dataserv.libs.uga.edu/icpsr/6484/6484.html) A Spanish version is available.

Contact

Name:	Dr. James Wright
Organization:	University of Central Florida
Address:	403 Howard Phillips Hall 4000 Central Florida Blvd
City:	Orlando
State:	FL
Zip:	32816-1360
Phone:	(407) 823-5083
Fax:	(407) 823-3026
E-mail:	jwright@mail.ucf.edu

Last updated by Violence Institute of New Jersey:  February 2007