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This research took the form of a self-reporting questionnaire distributed among 1,000 young people (aged 14-18) in 12 Belfast schools, four Belfast-based youth and community organisations, and three schools in predominantly rural areas of Northern Ireland (to generate a comparison sample).¹

The study claimed to be the first ever undertaken in Northern Ireland to examine:

• young people's offending patterns;
• their levels of 'ordinary' criminal;
• sectarian victimisation;
• their experiences of, and attitudes to, the RUC (now PSNI);
• their levels of drug and alcohol consumption;
• their routine activities;
• their management of risk.

The main focus was on young people as offenders rather than victims. The core sample (n=815) came from the Belfast urban area.

Main findings

• Almost 90% (89.8%) of the total sample had taken alcohol on at least one occasion during the recall period.
• The results confirm Northern Ireland's status (along with England, Scotland and Wales) as having one of the highest levels of teenage alcohol consumption in Europe.
• Binge drinking appears to be widespread, with over 50% of young people who consume alcohol regularly having got so drunk that they have fallen over or vomited.
• The regular consumption of alcohol tends to increase with age. Slightly over half of 14 year old males consume alcohol regularly, a figure that rises to 70% of 16 year olds and 85.7% of 18 year olds. A similar tendency exists for young females, with 45.2% of 14 year olds, 75% of 16 year olds and 82.4% of 18 year olds saying they consume alcohol regularly.
• Young males are more likely to have tried alcohol at an earlier age than young females. However, by age 16, young females are slightly more likely to say that they consume alcohol regularly. Whatever differences exist between males and females disappear by age 17.
• A young person's age is a significant determinant of where alcohol is consumed. For instance, 14-16 year olds tend to drink in local parks, friends' houses (whenever parents are away) or any other location where adults are not around. By contrast, over 80% of 17-18 year olds consume alcohol in pubs.
• 40.7% of young people say their parents do not know they drink alcohol.
• High levels of regular alcohol consumption correlate strongly with offending patterns and the risk of victimisation.

Reference

1. Ellison G. Young people: Crime, policing and victimisation in Northern Ireland. Belfast: Queen's University Belfast, 2001.