THE number of young men convicted in Scotland has fallen by more than 70 per cent in the space of a generation, according to research.

A study by Edinburgh University has linked the dramatic decline to drops in property crimes, particularly house-breaking and ­vehicle theft, as the nation has become more security conscious.

Burglary and car thefts have often been cited as a gateway to chronic criminality.

The study looking at the changing trends of crime in Scotland reveals the majority of Scots are less likely than ever to become a victim of crime and fewer young people are now ­choosing a life of crime.

It revealed that there were 9,500 convictions per 100,000 men aged 16-20 for offences committed in 1989, which was the highest rate of any age group.

By 2012, this had declined to only about 2,700 convictions.

There were 1,100 young women convicted in every 100,000 of population in 1989. The number dropped by just more than half to about 500 in 2012.

The study, based on figures from the Scottish Offenders Index, showed that conviction rates for those over the age of 25 remained steady, meaning the average age at which people in Scotland are convicted of offending has risen.

The peak age of offending for men, which was 18 in the late 1980s, is now 23, according to the latest conviction figures. The peak age of offending for women has increased from 18 to 30.

Professor Susan McVie, director of the Applied Quantitative Methods Network (AQMeN), based at Edinburgh University's School of Law, which carried out the research, said better property security protection could be deterring youngsters from crime.

Data collected by the police reveals that the types of crime to have fallen most dramatically are property crimes, particularly house-breaking and vehicle theft, said the researchers.

Violent crime has also dropped, including serious assaults and homicide, the report said. Researchers believe the drop in property and violent crimes may be linked. Professor McVie said: "Household and property crimes are thought to act as 'debut' crimes into more ­serious acts of violence."

She added: "With fewer people committing these debut crimes, it is possible that there may be fewer people getting involved in violent crime as a result of that."

Changes in the way that the youth justice system operates in Scotland could also be responsible, with children kept out of the justice system for as long as possible, she added.

Last year it emerged that crime had fallen to a 39-year low with homicide, violence and possession of an ­offensive weapon all down in Scotland.

Police have previously stressed the changing patterns of house-breaking in recent decades, with fewer opportunistic raids by drug addicts in poorer areas but continued targeted attacks on homes with goods worth stealing, especially the keys to expensive cars.

The research, which was presented as part of the Economic and Social Research Council's Festival of Social Science on Tuesday, showed that the proportion of the population likely to escape being a victim of crime rose from 76 per cent in 1993 to 82 per cent in 2010/11.Edinburgh