Assessing the Validity of Parent-Reported Parental Incarceration with Official Records

• In Event: Comparative Analysis of Multi-Source Data

Abstract

Researchers have long acknowledged the limitations of self-reported data. Relevant to the current paper, criminologists have noted that, although common in surveys, parent/self-reported measures of parental incarceration are likely limited in their accuracy. Yet, some studies examining the validity of reports of parental incarceration in social case files have found such reports are accurate reflections of official records of parental incarceration. Using parent-reported incidences of parental incarceration from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (N = 1,321), and publicly available official records, we compared parent-reported and official data on parental incarceration. Results from the official records search reveal a significant number of incarceration experiences beyond those reported only via the self-report method. Our findings are discussed as they relate to the importance of supplementing self-reports of criminal justice contact with official records.

Authors

• Jessica Finkeldey, SUNY Oneonta

• Peggy Giordano, Bowling Green State University

• Monica Longmore, Bowling Green State University

• Wendy Manning, Bowling Green State University