DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37356
title: Pittsburgh Youth Study Peers Constructs, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1987-2001
title: Archival Version

description: The Pittsburgh Youth Study (PYS) is part of the larger "Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency" initiated by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in 1986. PYS aims to document the development of antisocial and delinquent behavior from childhood to early adulthood, the risk factors that impinge on that development, and help seeking and service provision of boys' behavior problems. The study also focuses on boys' development of alcohol and drug use, and internalizing problems.
PYS consists of three samples of boys who were in the first, fourth, and seventh grades in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania public schools during the 1987-1988 academic year (called the youngest, middle, and oldest sample, respectively). Using a screening risk score that measured each boy's antisocial behavior, boys identified at the top 30 percent within each grade sample on the screening risk measure (n=~250), as well as an equal number of boys randomly selected from the remainder (n=~250), were selected for follow-up. Consequently, the final sample for the study consisted of 1,517 total students selected for follow-up. 506 of these students were in the oldest sample, 508 were in the middle sample, and 503 were in the youngest sample.
Assessments were conducted semiannually and then annually using multiple informants (i.e., boys, parents, teachers) between 1987 and 2010. The youngest sample was assessed from ages 6-19 and again at ages 25 and 28. The middle sample was assessed from ages 9-13 and again at age 23. The oldest sample was assessed from ages 13-25, with an additional assessment at age 35. Information has been collected on a broad range of risk and protective factors across multiple domains (e.g., individual, family, peer, school, neighborhood). Measures of conduct problems, substance use/abuse, criminal behavior, mental health problems have been collected.
This collection contains data and syntax files for peers constructs. The datasets include constructs on community involvement, gang membership, peers' conventional activities, friends as a bad influence, peer delinquency, peer rejection, proportion of offenses committed alone, and victimization.
The peers constructs were created by using the PYS raw data. The raw data are available at ICPSR in the following studies:
Pittsburgh Youth Study Youngest Sample (1987 - 2001) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania],
Pittsburgh Youth Study Middle Sample (1987 - 1991) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania] , and
Pittsburgh Youth Study Oldest Sample (1987 - 2000) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania].
description: The Pittsburgh Youth Study (PYS) is a part of the Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency (Causes and Correlates), initiated in 1986 by the United States Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Causes and Correlates is designed to improve the understanding of serious delinquency, violence, and drug use by examining how youth develop within the context of family, school, peers, and community. Specifically, PYS aims to document the development of antisocial and delinquent behavior from childhood to early adulthood, the risk factors that impinge on that development, and help seeking and service provision of boys' behavior problems. It also focuses on boys' development of alcohol and drug use, and internalizing problems. Additionally, the study serves as a real-life laboratory for advancing and testing hypothesized developmental pathways.
description: Variables for datasets on Friends Are a Bad Influence (with dataset name ending with "CCBAD") describe how many friends are bad influences on a range from no to many bad influences.
Variables for datasets on Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone (with dataset name ending with "COFND") describe how offenses are committed on a range from always committed alone to always with others.
 Variables for datasets on Community Involvement (with dataset name ending with "COMMU") include participant voting registration and history, as well as number of times engaging in different types of activities (community activity involvement, religious committee or volunteer work, neighborhood improvement work, and political involvement beyond voting) .
 Variables for datasets on Conventional Activities of Peers (with dataset name ending with "CONVP") describe peers' activities on a range from very conventional to very unconventional.
 Variables for datasets on Gang Membership (with dataset name ending with "GANGS") include number of gangs and types of gang activities (vandalism, fighting, joyriding, substance use, selling drugs, and pro-social internal or community activities) involved in during the past year. In addition the data include variables on the level and seriousness of gang delinquency, the age of the youngest and oldest gang members, reason for joining the gang, type of gang initiation, gang protection of members, and opinion of gang membership benefits.
 Variables for datasets on Peer Delinquency (with dataset name ending with "PRDEL") describe types and combinations of peer delinquency, such as with conduct problems and/or substance use, delinquency without fighting or drug selling, violent delinquency, and theft.
 Variables for datasets on Peer Rejection (with dataset name ending with "REJCT") describe rejection on a range from no rejection to high rejection.
 Variables for datasets on Victimization (with dataset name ending with "VICT") include frequency of experiencing different types of victimization, such as violence, theft, crime, harassment, bullying and/or teasing, and fear of other people.
description: Response Rates: Participant retention for the Pittsburgh Youth Study has historically been high (mean=91 percent), with 82 percent of living participants completing the most recent interview conducted in 2010.
description: The initial sample for the Pittsburgh Youth Study (PYS) was selected with the assistance of the Pittsburgh Board of Education in 1987. PYS researchers started out with comprehensive public school lists of the enrollment of 1,631, 1,432, and 1,419 male students in grades 1, 4, and 7 during the 1987-1988 school year respectively. From these lists, researchers randomly selected about 1,100 boys in each of the three grades to be contacted (1,165, 1,146, and 1,125 in grades 1, 4, and 7, respectively). However, a number of the children had moved out of the school district, proved to be girls, or were of incorrect age and were therefore not eligible participants. Eventually, 1,006, 1,004, and 998 families with eligible boys in grades 1, 4, and 7, respectively, were contacted. Boys in grade 1 became the "youngest" sample, boys in grade 4 became the "middle" sample, and boys in grade 7 became the "oldest" sample. From this contact, 84.6 percent, 86.3 percent, and 83.9 percent of the eligible boys in the youngest, middle, and oldest samples respectively chose to participate in PYS. 
In order to increase the number of high-risk males in the sample, researchers used a screening assessment on a subset of the boys during the first phase of the study, Phase S. Risk scores from this screening assessment measured each boy's antisocial behavior using parent, teacher, and self-report instruments. Within each grade-based sample, boys identified at the top 30 percent on the screening risk measure (n=~250), as well as an equal number of boys randomly selected from the remaining 70 percent (n=~250), were selected for follow-up in subsequent phases (Phase A- Phase DD). This resulted in the final samples of 503, 508, and 506 boys in grades 1, 4, and 7, respectively, who together with their parent were to be followed up. 
The youngest sample (N=503) and the oldest sample (N=506) have been assessed continuously since 1987, while the middle sample (N=508) was only assessed seven times from ages 10-13. Assessments of each of the cohorts were carried out initially half-yearly, and later yearly. When the assessment periods switched from six months to one year, the youngest sample was interviewed every spring and the oldest sample every fall. Each phase letter still represents a six-month period. Thus, all the phases from H through AA have data for only one sample.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Phase A All Samples Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - A3XCCBAD
DS2: Phase A All Samples Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - A3XCOFND
DS3: Phase A All Samples Conventional Activities of Peers Constructs - A3XCONVP
DS4: Phase A All Samples Peer Delinquency Constructs - A3XPRDEL
DS5: Phase A All Samples Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - A3XREJCT
DS6: Phase AA Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - AAYCOFND
DS7: Phase AA Youngest Sample Community Involvement Constructs - AAYCOMMU
DS8: Phase AA Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - AAYGANGS
DS9: Phase AA Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - AAYPRDEL
DS10: Phase AA Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - AAYREJCT
DS11: Phase AA Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - AAYVICT
DS12: Phase B All Samples Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - B3XCCBAD
DS13: Phase B All Samples Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - B3XCOFND
DS14: Phase B All Samples Peer Delinquency Constructs - B3XPRDEL
DS15: Phase B All Samples Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - B3XREJCT
DS16: Phase C All Samples Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - C3XCCBAD
DS17: Phase C All Samples Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - C3XCOFND
DS18: Phase C All Samples Conventional Activities of Peers Constructs - C3XCONVP
DS19: Phase C All Samples Peer Delinquency Constructs - C3XPRDEL
DS20: Phase C All Samples Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - C3XREJCT
DS21: Phase D All Samples Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - D3XCCBAD
DS22: Phase D All Samples Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - D3XCOFND
DS23: Phase D All Samples Peer Delinquency Constructs - D3XPRDEL
DS24: Phase D All Samples Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - D3XREJCT
DS25: Phase E All Samples Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - E3XCCBAD
DS26: Phase E All Samples Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - E3XCOFND
DS27: Phase E All Samples Conventional Activities of Peers Constructs - E3XCONVP
DS28: Phase E All Samples Peer Delinquency Constructs - E3XPRDEL
DS29: Phase E All Samples Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - E3XREJCT
DS30: Phase F Middle Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - F3MGANGS
DS31: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - F3NCCBAD
DS32: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - F3NCOFND
DS33: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Peer Delinquency Constructs - F3NPRDEL
DS34: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - F3NREJCT
DS35: Phase G Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - G3OGANGS
DS36: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - G3WCCBAD
DS37: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - G3WCOFND
DS38: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Conventional Activities of Peers Constructs - G3WCONVP
DS39: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Peer Delinquency Constructs - G3WPRDEL
DS40: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - G3WREJCT
DS41: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Victimization Constructs - G3WVICT
DS42: Phase H Youngest Sample Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - H3YCCBAD
DS43: Phase H Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - H3YCOFND
DS44: Phase H Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - H3YGANGS
DS45: Phase H Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - H3YPRDEL
DS46: Phase H Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - H3YREJCT
DS47: Phase I Oldest Sample Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - I3OCCBAD
DS48: Phase I Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - I3OCOFND
DS49: Phase I Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - I3OGANGS
DS50: Phase I Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - I3OPRDEL
DS51: Phase I Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - I3OREJCT
DS52: Phase I Oldest Sample Victimization Constructs - I3OVICT
DS53: Phase J Youngest Sample Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - J3YCCBAD
DS54: Phase J Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - J3YCOFND
DS55: Phase J Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - J3YGANGS
DS56: Phase J Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - J3YPRDEL
DS57: Phase J Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - J3YREJCT
DS58: Phase J Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - J3YVICT
DS59: Phase K Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - K3OCOFND
DS60: Phase K Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - K3OGANGS
DS61: Phase K Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - K3OPRDEL
DS62: Phase K Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - K3OREJCT
DS63: Phase K Oldest Sample Victimization Constructs - K3OVICT
DS64: Phase L Youngest Sample Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - L3YCCBAD
DS65: Phase L Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - L3YCOFND
DS66: Phase L Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - L3YGANGS
DS67: Phase L Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - L3YPRDEL
DS68: Phase L Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - L3YREJCT
DS69: Phase L Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - L3YVICT
DS70: Phase M Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - M3OCOFND
DS71: Phase M Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - M3OGANGS
DS72: Phase M Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - M3OPRDEL
DS73: Phase M Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - M3OREJCT
DS74: Phase M Oldest Sample Victimization Constructs - M3OVICT
DS75: Phase N Youngest Sample Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - N3YCCBAD
DS76: Phase N Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - N3YCOFND
DS77: Phase N Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - N3YGANGS
DS78: Phase N Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - N3YPRDEL
DS79: Phase N Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - N3YREJCT
DS80: Phase N Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - N3YVICT
DS81: Phase O Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - O3OCOFND
DS82: Phase O Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - O3OGANGS
DS83: Phase O Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - O3OPRDEL
DS84: Phase O Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - O3OREJCT
DS85: Phase P Youngest Sample Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - P3YCCBAD
DS86: Phase P Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - P3YCOFND
DS87: Phase P Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - P3YGANGS
DS88: Phase P Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - P3YPRDEL
DS89: Phase P Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - P3YREJCT
DS90: Phase P Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - P3YVICT
DS91: Phase Q Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - Q3OCOFND
DS92: Phase Q Oldest Sample Community Involvement Constructs - Q3OCOMMU
DS93: Phase Q Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - Q3OGANGS
DS94: Phase Q Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - Q3OPRDEL
DS95: Phase Q Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - Q3OREJCT
DS96: Phase Q Oldest Sample Victimization Constructs - Q3OVICT
DS97: Phase R Youngest Sample Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - R3YCCBAD
DS98: Phase R Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - R3YCOFND
DS99: Phase R Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - R3YGANGS
DS100: Phase R Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - R3YPRDEL
DS101: Phase R Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - R3YREJCT
DS102: Phase R Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - R3YVICT
DS103: Phase S All Samples Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - S3XREJCT
DS104: Phase SS Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - SSOCOFND
DS105: Phase SS Oldest Sample Community Involvement Constructs - SSOCOMMU
DS106: Phase SS Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - SSOGANGS
DS107: Phase SS Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - SSOPRDEL
DS108: Phase SS Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - SSOREJCT
DS109: Phase SS Oldest Sample Victimization Constructs - SSOVICT
DS110: Phase T Youngest Sample Friends Are a Bad Influence (P), (C), and (PC) Constructs - T3YCCBAD
DS111: Phase T Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - T3YCOFND
DS112: Phase T Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - T3YGANGS
DS113: Phase T Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - T3YPRDEL
DS114: Phase T Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - T3YREJCT
DS115: Phase T Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - T3YVICT
DS116: Phase U Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - U3OCOFND
DS117: Phase U Oldest Sample Community Involvement Constructs - U3OCOMMU
DS118: Phase U Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - U3OGANGS
DS119: Phase U Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - U3OPRDEL
DS120: Phase U Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - U3OREJCT
DS121: Phase U Oldest Sample Victimization Constructs - U3OVICT
DS122: Phase V Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - V3YCOFND
DS123: Phase V Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - V3YGANGS
DS124: Phase V Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - V3YPRDEL
DS125: Phase V Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - V3YREJCT
DS126: Phase V Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - V3YVICT
DS127: Phase W Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - W3OCOFND
DS128: Phase W Oldest Sample Community Involvement Constructs - W3OCOMMU
DS129: Phase W Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - W3OGANGS
DS130: Phase W Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - W3OPRDEL
DS131: Phase W Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - W3OREJCT
DS132: Phase W Oldest Sample Victimization Constructs - W3OVICT
DS133: Phase Y Youngest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - Y3YCOFND
DS134: Phase Y Youngest Sample Community Involvement Constructs - Y3YCOMMU
DS135: Phase Y Youngest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - Y3YGANGS
DS136: Phase Y Youngest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - Y3YPRDEL
DS137: Phase Y Youngest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - Y3YREJCT
DS138: Phase ZZ Oldest Sample Proportion of Offenses Committed Alone Construct - ZZOCOFND
DS139: Phase ZZ Oldest Sample Community Involvement Constructs - ZZOCOMMU
DS140: Phase ZZ Oldest Sample Peer Delinquency Constructs - ZZOPRDEL
DS141: Phase ZZ Oldest Sample Peer Rejection Pardini Version (P), (T), (C), (PT), and (PTC) Constructs - ZZOREJCT
DS142: Phase ZZ Oldest Sample Victimization Constructs - ZZOVICT
DS143: Phase D Middle and Oldest Samples Constructs About Gang Membership - D2VGANGS
DS144: Phase E Middle and Oldest Samples Constructs About Gang Membership - E2VGANGS
DS145: Phase Y Youngest Sample Victimization Constructs - Y3YVICT
DS146: Phase ZZ Oldest Sample Constructs About Gang Membership - ZZOGANGS
description: This study collection contains those students, and their parents, who were in first, fourth, or seventh grade during the 1987-1988 school year.
description: face-to-face interview; mail questionnaire; paper and pencil interview (PAPI); self-enumerated questionnaire; on-site questionnaire; telephone interviewThe peer constructs were created by using the PYS raw data. The raw data are available at ICPSR in the following studies:
Pittsburgh Youth Study Youngest Sample (1987 - 2001) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania],
Pittsburgh Youth Study Middle Sample (1987 - 1991) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania] , and
Pittsburgh Youth Study Oldest Sample (1987 - 2000) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania].ICPSR incorporated the original file name into each dataset name to make it easier for the users to match each dataset with the appropriate syntax file.Approved users of the restricted data will gain access to a crosswalk to the raw data file names that can be used with the included syntax, as well as an Access database that allows users to look up construct items. An ICPSR crosswalk to the dataset names, P.I.'s deposited filenames, ICPSR filenames, and corresponding dataset numbers is also provided in the restricted access materials in the VDE.