The Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime is programme of research that aims to address a range of fundamental questions about the causes of criminal and risky behaviours in young people. The core of the programme is a major longitudinal study of a single cohort of around 4,000 young people who started secondary school in Edinburgh in the autumn of 1998.

Aims of the Study To investigate and identify the factors which impact on young people’s involvement in offending behaviour and desistance from it. To examine the striking differences between males and females in terms of the extent and patterns of criminal offending. To explore these in the contexts of: Individual development Interactions with official agencies of social control and law enforcement The social and physical structures of neighbourhoods To develop new theories explaining offending behaviour and contribute to practical policies targeting young people. Design of the Study The cohort members Participation rates Consent and confidentiality Data Collection Information from young people Young people questionnaires Young people interviews Other questionnaires Teacher questionnaire Parent questionnaire Record data collection Social work records Children's hearing records Police records School records Neighbourhood information Next phase of data collection More detailed information on the planning, design and implementation of the Edinburgh Study can be found in the technical reports.