Freiburg Cohort Study

The aim of this study is to investigate, via official data, the emergence and evolution of crime, judicial reactions towards crime, and criminal careers. The Freiburg Cohort Study is a long-term project, which, due to its specific cohort design and its extensive period of evaluation, is unique in Germany. The following issues are of central im­por­tance to the study: Which age-dependent courses and dependencies can be observed, based on officially regis­tered crime? To what extent does the fact that one has been entered into official records at an earlier period of life – especially in childhood – determine conflict with the law at a later period? To what extent is the emergence and development of officially registered crime subordinate to a change in society? To what extent are judicial sanc­tions influenced by the type of crime committed and/or biographical factors, and to what extent are such sanctions dependent on social changes? To what extent does law enforcement intervention influence the development of delinquency?