Denver Youth Survey: Data Release and Policy Findings

OJJDP's Demonstration Programs Division Grants were established to provide grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance to organizations identified in the Conference Report to accompany the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117) -- H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 111-366.

Award funds will be used for the continuation of a long-term research project known as the Denver Youth Survey (DYS). The DYS is a 20+ year longitudinal study of problem and successful behavior over the life course that focuses on delinquency, drug use, victimization, and mental health. The project is studying developmental processes and life experiences that lead to involvement in delinquency and other problem behavior with a goal of suggesting the nature and timing of prevention and intervention programs. The project also focuses on precursors to and outcomes of juvenile justice system involvement. There are two main goals of this project: The first involves continuing the process of archiving the data files of the three projects of OJJDP's Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency, of which the DYS is a part. The second goal is the implementation of an initiative to disseminate policy relevant findings of the Program, including working with OJJDP to create a website dedicated to policy relevant and other important Program findings.

NCA/NCF

OJJDP's Demonstration Programs Division Grants were established to provide grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance to organizations. This program is authorized by the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, Pub. L. 112-110.

The Denver Youth Survey (DYS) is a longitudinal study of problem and successful behavior over the life course that focuses on delinquency, drug use, victimization, and mental health. The project is studying developmental processes and life experiences that lead to involvement in delinquency and other problem behavior with a goal of suggesting the nature and timing of prevention and intervention programs. The project also focuses on precursors to and outcomes of juvenile justice system involvement. The two main current goals include: (1) continuing the process of archiving data from the DYS and of the other two projects of OJJDP's Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency through the establishment of a secure enclave at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data, and (2) working with OJJDP to disseminate findings of the Program by developing new policy relevant research reports and creating a website dedicated to the totality of policy relevant and other important findings of the Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency.

NCA/NCF

This program furthers the Department's mission by providing grants and cooperative agreements for research and evaluation activities to organizations that OJJDP designates.

This application is for the continuation of a long-term research project known as the Denver Youth Survey (DYS). The DYS is a 25-plus year longitudinal study of problem and successful behavior over the life course that focuses on delinquency, drug use, victimization, and mental health. The project studies developmental processes and life experiences that lead to delinquency and other problem behavior with a goal of suggesting the nature and timing of prevention and intervention programs, and identifying precursors to and outcomes of juvenile justice system involvement.

There is one main goal of the work proposed in this application, the continuation and partial completion of the process of archiving the data of the three projects of OJJDP's Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency, of which the DYS is a part. This continuation will be focused exclusively on tasks related to archiving the data for the purposes of secondary analyses, including: (1) continued preparation of additional data waves and associated documentation for archiving; (2) continued coordination with the NACJD regarding procedures for the transfer of the data; and (3) establishment of protocols for data sharing with qualified researchers that would ensure the protection of human subjects and safeguard their privacy.

During this funding period, DYS will archive the original data from Waves 1 through 5 (1988-1992) that have previously been prepared for transfer, and continue the preparation efforts related to archiving Waves 6 through 11 (1995-2003).

NCA/NCF