Epidemiological surveys have provided key information about the prevalence and degree of seriousness at different ages of a wide array of child problem behaviours in such domains as delinquency, substance use, early sexual behaviour and mental health disorders. Knowledge of the extent and changes of these problem behaviours is important for several reasons. Interventions and health planning in general can be difficult when the extent of the problems and their course over time are unclear. Understanding which risk and protective factors apply to which problem behaviours, and whether particular risk and protective factors can best explain some but not other problem behaviours, is also essential for the formulation of theories that form the basis of interventions. Based on the results obtained in the Pittsburgh Youth Study complemented by follow-up tracking of juvenile court records for more than six years, this volume addresses the following questions: what is the prevalance and age of onset of delinquency, substance use and early sexual behaviour for three samples of boys at ages 8, 11 and 14? What are the average mental health problems for these ages?
How strong are the relationships among these problem behaviours in each of the samples?; Which variables best explain individual differences among the boys in their manifestations of delinquency, substance use, early sexual behaviour and mental health problems? To what extent do explanatory factors vary with age? How accurately can boys with different outcomes be identified by risk scores based on hierarchical multiple regressions? To what extent are explanatory factors associated with one outcome that are also associated with other outcomes? Are explanatory factors that are especially characteristic of a multi-problem group of boys - who display many different problem behaviours - different from explanatory factors associated with boys with few problems?; and do the results fit a general theory of juvenile problem behaviours, or is a differentiated theory more applicable?
How strong are the relationships among these problem behaviours in each of the samples?; Which variables best explain individual differences among the boys in their manifestations of delinquency, substance use, early sexual behaviour and mental health problems? To what extent do explanatory factors vary with age? How accurately can boys with different outcomes be identified by risk scores based on hierarchical multiple regressions? To what extent are explanatory factors associated with one outcome that are also associated with other outcomes? Are explanatory factors that are especially characteristic of a multi-problem group of boys - who display many different problem behaviours - different from explanatory factors associated with boys with few problems?; and do the results fit a general theory of juvenile problem behaviours, or is a differentiated theory more applicable?
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