The research presented in this report is the product of a sixteen weeks consultancy that took place between September and December 1997. The report itself is the product of a slightly more extended period during which time the draft was revised and finalised. A summary version of this report has been prepared. In the sixteen weeks of the research consultancy the research team, building on the extensive work of its two full time project officers (Linda Gilmore and Marie Leech), was able to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the nature of 'developmental crime prevention', carry out a selected review of the international literature on human development and early intervention, audit several hundred 'early intervention' services and programs in Australia, and formulate a policy framework for planning developmental prevention initiatives.