The proposed project involves the collection of additional data from an existing group of people involved in a longitudinal prospective study of delinquency. Dr. Bushway is currently working with the existing data in an attempt to model developmental trajectories of behavior from early adolescence (age 14) to young adulthood (age 23). These trajectories are graphs of offending levels over the age span in question. The method used allows the researcher to identify separate trajectories for different groups of individuals. He has been able to identify seven different groups or trajectories of offending over time, and is currently involved in trying to identify causal factors that can predict membership in these offending trajectories. Dr. Bushway's main role in the current proposal would be an expansion of his current effort to include the additional information up to age 30. Causal models will then be fit to these trajectories to attempt to explain these trajectories. He is particularly interested in exploring the role that romantic relationships and employment may play in causing desistance from crime during this time span.
