Assignment:
300 word minimum per topic (must answer all questions fully regardless of word count)
Topic 1: Scenario
The mayor of a mid-sized town is concerned about gun violence and has asked you to conduct a quantitative study to identify characteristics of youthful offenders who commit crimes with firearms. The mayor's goal is to reduce juvenile gun violence in the community.
Identify four quantitative tools that you could use to collect information to conduct this research. How do the four tools differ and how does the data collected address the overarching research question regarding juvenile gun violence in the community?
Which descriptive analyses might you use to examine the characteristics of youth who commit firearm offenses? Explain how the normal distribution (bell curve) can be used to analyze the quantitative data on the characteristics of the youthful offenders.
Topic 2: Quantitative Measures
Review the Table: Percentage of Boys Involved in Delinquency, by Gun Ownership Status and discuss your responses to the following questions:
- What is the unit of analysis?
- What types of quantitative measures are being presented in the table?
- What conclusions can you draw from the table about delinquent boys and gun ownership?
Reference: Lizotte, A., & Sheppard, D. (2001). Gun use by male juveniles: Research and prevention. OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice (p. 2).
Topic 3:
Consider the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri; Baltimore, Maryland; and related cities that have experienced protests surrounding law enforcement and the deadly use of force. From a criminological research perspective, suppose we wanted to conduct a study to identify strategies for addressing community members' distrust of the police. Given all that you have learned to this point, how would you design the research study? In responding to this question be sure to address the following items:
- Discuss the type of data (quantitative and/or qualitative) you would collect and explain your rationale for the choice;
- Explain the sampling strategy you would use, including the type of sampling you would use to select study participants;
- Identify the types of data collection tools you would use to collect data; and
- Explain the steps you would take to ensure that you consistently and accurately collect and analyze your data.]
Readings:
Gun Use by Male Juveniles: Research and Prevention
By Alan Lizotte and David Sheppard