NCJ Number
131611
Date Published
1989
Length
41 pages
Annotation
This report presents the conclusions and recommendations of the first two years' work of a program created to design and initiate an integrated series of longitudinal studies of human development from birth to age 25 that focuses on conduct disorder, juvenile delinquency, criminality, and other antisocial behaviors and on the implications of the research for public policies to prevent violent and predatory crime.
Abstract
The program began in February 1988 and initially involved background research. The second phase, which is now in progress, involves the development of comprehensive design for longitudinal research and a plan for organization and administration. The research will focus on individual differences, family influences, school influences, peer influences, desistance from crime, the prediction of dangerousness, and community influences. The studies will integrate biological, behavioral, and sociological perspectives in studying seven cohorts, starting prenatally and at ages 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18. Each cohort will be followed for eight years and will yield nine years of data, based on an accelerated longitudinal design. Where feasible, experimental interventions will be included in the longitudinal studies. The third and fourth phase of the research will involve instrument development, pilot studies, site selection, and other tasks followed by fieldwork.