DOI: 10.3886/icpsr21021.v1
title: Trajectories of Violent Offending and Risk Status Across Adolescence and Early Adulthood, 1976-1986 [United States]
title: Version 1

description: This study investigated violent offending in adolescence
 and early adulthood with an aim of building practical knowledge to
 guide prevention programs and policies. The study examined risk
 factors that influence violent offending and described how offending
 and risk levels change over adolescence and into early adulthood. The
 study used data from Waves I to VII of the NATIONAL YOUTH SURVEY
 (NYS), conducted by Delbert Elliott between 1977 and 1987. Separate
 datasets for Waves I to VII were merged to create a single
 longitudinal dataset, using SAS system software. The NYS includes
 baseline information on youth and family background and demographic
 characteristics, as well as longitudinal data on the behaviors and
 attitudes of youths, and youths' perceptions of parent, neighborhood,
and peer group factors.
description: This study investigated violent offending in
 adolescence and early adulthood with an aim of building practical
 knowledge to guide prevention programs and policies. The study
 examined risk factors that influence violent offending and described
 how offending and risk levels change over adolescence and into early
 adulthood. Specifically, by using the NATIONAL YOUTH SURVEY, the
 researchers sought to (1) fit models that identify distinct
 developmental trajectories of violent offending over time, (2) fit
 models that identify distinct trajectories of risk levels over time,
and (3) fit dual trajectory models of risk and offending.
description: The study used data from Waves I to VII of the
 NATIONAL YOUTH SURVEY (NYS), conducted by Delbert Elliott between 1977
 and 1987. Wave I of the NYS occurred in 1977, when a national
 probability sample of youths and one parent or legal guardian were
 interviewed about events occurring in 1976 and about background and
 demographic information. Follow-up surveys of youths occurred annually
 from 1978 to 1981 (Waves II to V). Additional follow-up surveys of
 youths occurred in 1984 (Wave VI) and 1987 (Wave VII). Separate
 datasets for Waves I to VII were merged to create a single
 longitudinal dataset, using SAS system software. Observations across
 waves were linked by creating a common identifier based on household
 and youth ID numbers. The NYS includes baseline information on youth
 and family background and demographic characteristics, as well as
 longitudinal data on the behaviors and attitudes of youths, and
 youths' perceptions of parent, neighborhood, and peer group factors.
 The longitudinal dataset contained one observation per study
 participant and included measures of age at each wave, along with
 measures of fixed demographics and background characteristics. The
 dataset included measures of fixed risk factors (i.e., low SES and
 parent beliefs legitimizing aggression), and it also included
 wave-specific measures of violent offending and time-varying risk
 factors. The researchers examined three time-varying risk factors
 measured at Waves I to VII. Youths' beliefs legitimizing aggression
 (BLA) were measured by averaging responses to two items pertaining to
 the extent to which a respondent agreed that it is necessary (1) to
 beat up someone to gain peers' respect and (2) to play dirty in order
 to win. Bonding with delinquent peers (BDP) was calculated as the
 product of a peer involvement score and a delinquent peers deviation
 score, based on the work of Elliott and colleagues (1985). The
 researchers measured involvement in conventional activities (ICA) as
 the average of the standardized Family, School, and Community
 Involvement Scales described by Elliott and colleagues (1985), in
 Waves I to III, combined with a standardized aggregate measure of
 employment in Waves IV to VII. These variables were coded so that
higher scores consistently reflected higher levels of risk.
description: Self-reported violent offending was the dependent
 variable of interest. All models included demographic and background
variables as well as measures of violent offending and risk status.
description: none
description: Response Rates: Not applicable.
description: Presence of Common Scales: The Family, School, and Community Involvement scales
 described by Elliott and colleagues (1985) measured the amount of time
 a youth spent on specific normative activities per week (e.g.,
 homework, sports, and school activities). In this study, scores on the
 three scales were standardized and averaged to create an aggregate
measure of involvement in conventional activities.
description: The analysis sample included 1,227 respondents with
 complete data from Wave I through Wave VII of the National Youth
Survey on measures of violent offending.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Wave I SAS Syntax File
DS2: Wave II SAS Syntax File
DS3: Wave III SAS Syntax File
DS4: Wave IV SAS Syntax File
DS5: Wave V SAS Syntax File
DS6: Wave VI SAS Syntax File
DS7: Wave VII SAS Syntax File
DS8: All Wave SAS System File
description: inap. Smallest Geographic Unit: none
description: face-to-face interview; telephone interviewIn order to use the SAS system files provided in this
 collection, users must first obtain the NATIONAL YOUTH SURVEY [UNITED
 STATES]: WAVE I, 1976 (ICPSR 8375), WAVE II, 1977 (ICPSR 8424), WAVE
 III, 1978 (ICPSR 8506), WAVE IV, 1979 (ICPSR 8917), WAVE V, 1980
 (ICPSR 9112), WAVE VI, 1983 (ICPSR 9948), and WAVE VII, 1987 (ICPSR
6542) available from the ICPSR Web site (http://www.icpsr.umich.edu).