Adolescence is a period of considerable change for young people. This theme explores the nature and individual variations in youth behaviour and lifestyles, in particular the emergence of adolescent problem behaviour.

There are three main strands to this work.

• The first is primary descriptive and seeks to map out individual variations in adolescent behaviours (including alcohol use drug use and crime) and how they change and evolve over the course of the adolescent period.  
• The second strand relates to the study of the social and environmental factors that influence or shape observed behaviour patterns, and in the impact that problem behaviour itself may have on early adult outcomes. 
• Examination of the effectiveness of programmes and interventions aimed at reducing adolescent problems behaviour comprises the third strand of the theme.

COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS:

Parenting and school level effects: Secondary analysis examining alcohol use trajectories in the context of parental monitoring and school environment

Teenage drinking cultures

Cocaine use in Northern Ireland

Alcohol and the affluence paradox: A secondary analysis exploring the health disparities surrounding adolescent alcohol use and alcohol-related harm in adulthood

Investigating community gardening as a form of rehabilitation for people with alcohol misuse problems in Northern Ireland: A pilot study