The Relationship between Violent Acts and Knife-Carrying - Report Example

?This report is about knife crime, I will attach all researches we have done In the group work which we need to write the following report on it basically just need you to write them up. Do not write anything in section 1, 2, 3 as I have the answers for them. Start from section 4. The template for the research proposal for Part 2 of CW2 Report topic is: Is there a more effective way for the Metropolitan Police to reach youth with regards to knife carrying? 1. Title: leave empty 2. Aim(s) leave empty 3. Objectives leave empty Start from question 4. 4. Introduction to the Research Topic (300 words) Knife carrying In this section you should provide some background to the research topic and describe why you consider your research to be important. Knife carrying among American youth is a cause of concern for educators and civic administrators alike. Knife carrying, along with other weapons such as guns, are significant contributors to youth crime in the country. Recent episodes of youth crime and violence in our schools have prompted many school administrators and psychologists to seek explanations for violence committed by students. Even extensive research projects have been undertaken toward identifying risk factors and behaviors associated with knife-carrying by youth. As of now, the relationship between violent acts and knife-carrying is firmly established. Indeed, “carrying a weapon has been associated with physical violence), and in and of itself is a high-risk behavior that concerns stakeholders who are trying to keep schools safe.” (Malecki & Demaray, 2003, p.172) Moreover, exposure to knife-crime and gun violence profoundly affects the psychology of victims, even if it affects them only indirectly. For example, exposure to violence can desensitize young people to the use of violence as a means to conflict resolution. In the social sphere, carrying knifes and witnessing/participating in crimes can limit an individual’s ability to develop meaningful interpersonal relationships. There is also the danger of physical harm. Equally important is the fact that children who are exposed to violent crimes do poorly in school and hold little hope for a productive and fulfilling future for themselves. Further, such people can instigate the cycle of exposure to violence all over again when it comes to their own children. Hence, the subject of knife-carrying is of great sensitivity and relevance to politicians, parents and educators. Upon its successful resolution lie the prospects for a harmonious society. (Garbarino, et.al, 2002, p.73) The purpose of this research exercise is to learn more about the issue by studying published literature as well as gathering information through direct research. Upon analyzing the information assembled thus, constructive suggestions can be given to Metropolitan Police Departments, to the youth and to the advertisers, so that our society functions in a more peaceful manner. Special attention is also given to claims of 1.self-defense as the primary motivation behind knife-carrying, 2. the usefulness of stop-n-search operations and 3. the effectiveness of advertisements in curbing this behavior. There is a substantial body of scholarly literature published on the issue of weapon-carrying, although studies focusing exclusively on knife-carrying are few in number. This makes a case for this research project, which is intended to fill that void. 5. Literature Review (800 words) In this section you should discuss what academic research and debates have gone on in this area and what conclusions and comments were made by those. Please in this section reference everything and from literature review, (date. Page, year) 1. Find literature review on knife carrying why do youth carry weapon? 2. Find literature review on stop and search 3. Find literature review on advertisement regarding knife carrying At last reference everything you have done research and reference in Harvard Surveying broader literature on the subject, we understand that adolescents in the United States are carrying weapons to high school with alarming frequency. Research by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the year 2000 reveals that “7% of high school-age students reported carrying a weapon to school, and 8% reported being threatened or injured by a student using a weapon on school property. At the middle school level, studies have indicated a wide range of weapon-carrying rates, for example: 47% of boys carrying a knife and 25% carrying a gun to school in an inner-city, high-risk setting; 10% of middle school students carrying weapons as indicated by a national survey; and 14% of middle school students carrying a knife or club and 3% carrying a gun to school in a southern state.” (Malecki & Demaray, 2003, p.172) Young people carry weapons such as knifes with them for a range of reasons, and foremost among it is a perception of insecurity and fear. Hence, self-defense is the most frequently articulated reason for following this practice. But police department officials contend that rather than preventing crime, knife-carrying only adds fuel to the problem. Fashion and peer-pressure also play a part in inducing youth to carry knifes, especially if they believe that their status will be enhanced. But given the steady and frequent registrations of crimes-with-knifes in Met departments across the country, some practical measures are needed to alleviate the problem. One such is bringing proper awareness to the issue through advertisements and another is enforcing discipline through Metropolitan police department. These measures could possibly reduce youth crime rate. The Metropolitan Police Department plays a major role in controlling knife-carrying, and the New York City Met Department sees most number of cases of youth-related crime annually, although their view of stop-n-search operations differs from the views of suspected youth. Perhaps, it is a reflection of the efficiency and thoroughness with which they perform this task that crime rates (especially violent crimes) have fallen in New York City since the mid 1990s. For example, “Since 1994, a debate has raged about why this happened. Putting our position up front, we believe the police played an important, even central, role in getting people to stop committing crime in New York City. Despite arguments to the contrary, no evidence exists that the substantial drops in crime in New York City, especially the initial ones when one of the authors of this paper, William Bratton, was commissioner, were the result of economic change, changes in drug use patterns, or demographic changes.” (Kelling & Bratton, 1998, p.1217) Despite tasting success through their preventative methods, Met Departments are unpopular among young people for their stop-n-search operations. Young people rounded up for these checks feel that they are unfairly treated or roughly handled. In the case of individuals from ethnic/racial minorities there is a sense of perceived discrimination. But despite these common complaints, the efficacy of stop-n-search is borne out by crime statistics of the last two decades. In the final analysis, what is witnessed in New York City is “what cities and communities have traditionally done when confronted by disorder, crime, and mayhem: it has moved to reassert control over disorderly behavior, fear, and crime.” (Kelling & Bratton, 1998, p.1217) And what is true of New York City is also valid in the rest of the country, albeit with a few exceptional local patterns. As for the role of advertisements in preventing or reducing knife-carrying behavior, research team of Swetnam and Jacqueline have conducted relevant studies. One way of gauging the effectiveness of advertisements is by measuring perceptions of knife-carrying among affected individuals and groups. Perceptions of gangs and their activities comprise the broader analytic framework, for knifes are most commonly carried by gang-members. They found that students' perceptions of advertisements were generally more positive than those of adults, with students being less likely to perceive existence of serious problems associated with knife-carrying. The students were more likely, however, to believe that the influence of gangs was widespread. A higher percentage of students than adults agreed that there were gangs present both in their neighborhoods and in other neighborhoods throughout the city and that gang members usually carry knifes and other weapons with them. (Swetnam & Jacqueline, 2001, p.197) While this research is not decisive in its inferences, it does show the potential for advertisements in creating and modifying youth perception and youth behavior when it comes to knife-carrying. 6. Research Design and Research Management (500 words) This section should include the following: a. Research methods you used and why you selected those particular method(s) b. Explain how you collected the data c. Ethical issues involved in the research For the research topic in question, the use of questionnaires is the best possible option. Broadly divided into three areas, the questions were framed in such as way that the participant’s views were captured accurately. Even in the list of possible answers they could choose from, care is taken to make available a range of options. It was also ensured that youth from the broad age-range of 12-21 years were included. The questionnaire was divided into three main sections. The first section pertains to whether knife-carrying for self-defense purposes is acceptable or permissible. The second section is about Metropolitan Police’ role and behavior during law-enforcement operations. The third and final section is about the role and potential for advertisements (in places such as school campuses, community centers, etc) in helping mitigate the problem. Questionnaires were distributed to willing participants from the 12-21 age range. Care was taken to ensure that participants fell into a diverse group of ethnicities, social classes, races, linguistic backgrounds, genders, etc. A sample size of 30 was thought to be sufficient in capturing the pulse of the youth in the matter of knife-carrying. Another consideration in preparing the questionnaire was ensuring its accessibility and length. There is a common tendency among researchers to construct lengthy questionnaires with numerous choices for answers which can tax the participant mentally and result in inaccurate or safe answers. Since the questions totaled eleven in number and the choices given are crisp and clear, the people we approached for the survey did not hesitate much before agreeing to participate. In a matter of few hours the exercise of collecting data from school and college going participants was completed. The next step was to compile the data in an excel sheet, which would then lend the numbers for statistical analysis. There were no major ethical issues we confronted in the process of this research. The participants were clearly instructed as to what is expected of them and were informed of possible publication of survey results in scholarly journals. Thus, the full consent of participants was acquired. Another area of ethics that I was wary of was ‘researcher bias’. To eliminate this flaw, I presented the questionnaire to a colleague of mine (from a different socio-economic and racial background) to review it. Upon receiving minimal suggestions for change, the questionnaire was approved for use. 7. Outcome of the research and discussion (400 words – excluding tables and charts) In this section you should present a) your findings using tables and charts b) an analysis of the findings with reference to the literature review – compare and contrast your findings against what other studies have shown. c) all raw data (completed questionnaires, transcriptions of interviews etc.) I have attached all the charts and questioners The research exercise revealed several key insights into the psychology and perception of youth with regard to knife-carrying. The most striking aspect of the research, made obvious by data gathered from questionnaires, is the willingness of young people to create safe environments for themselves and society. Another key feature of the study is the openness shown by participants in talking about a sensitive subject. For example, to the question “Is it OK to carry knife?” 24 of 31 total participants answered ‘no’, which shows that they understand the problems created by this practice. And 14 of them said ‘self-defense’ is not a strong justification for carrying knifes, further showing their maturity in understanding the issue. As for the Met Department, the key statistic would have to be answers to the question “Are you treated fairly by the Met Department?” – to which a sweeping majority of 24 participants answered in the negative. This data is of salience, for it might hint one of the key problem areas in controlling knife-carrying - namely that of abuse of power and mistreatment of suspects by the police. What are not mentioned in the questionnaire, but nonetheless crucial to the discussion, are the race and class angles, whereby youth from minority communities and poor backgrounds are suspected and treated more unfairly than their white-skinned peers. Since a primary purpose for this research is to arrive at constructive suggestions for the Met department in tackling the issue, interpreting and acting upon this data is quite important. As much as awareness should be created for knife-carrying young people, awareness should also be created within the Metropolitan police department in maintain ethical and fair standards of law-enforcement. In this context, it will not be an exaggeration to say that police officers themselves might have added to the fears and insecurities felt by adolescents from low socio-economic/minority backgrounds, and indirectly prompted them into carrying-weapons. For example, while 25 of the 30 said carrying knife is not OK, 17 of the 30 said it is OK in the context of self-defense. Hence, there is no lack of positive intent from young people. It is only a matter of creating an environment of trust and security for them to express their peace-loving selves. It is also interesting to learn that the print media continues to be a source of information for youth of today. Ten of the total participants stated newspapers and another six stated magazines as the places where they saw awareness generating advertisements relating to knife-carrying. This data is contradictory to popular belief about young people losing reading habits and gravitating toward multimedia sources like the Internet. And reiterating the earnestness of youth in promoting the cause, a whopping 28 of the total 31 felt that there is need for more advertisements. This clearly illustrates the willingness of young people in accepting constructive messages and ideas from higher authorities. Their objections chiefly cantered on rough handling by the Met Department officials and other unfair practices. 8. Conclusion & Evaluation (100 words) Here you write the conclusion (the answer your research question(s)) and an evaluation of how the project went. In conclusion, the research exercise had come to a fruitful completion, by virtue of being able to contribute new insights into the issue of knife-carrying. As the student survey found out, the scope of advertisements in mitigating the problem has not been fully exploited. We also learnt that the perceived unfair conduct of Met Department officials has been undermining their own cause. This suggests that they should also improve the way in which stop-n-search operations are carried out. And finally, the potential of print media outlets to run awareness campaigns is revealed by the survey. What is now needed is a concerted effort by all concerned authorities to act upon these research inferences and help create a peaceful environment for young people to develop healthy personalities. 9. Bibliography Aspy, C. B., Oman, R. F., Vesely, S. K., Mcleroy, K., Rodine, S., & Marshall, L. (2004). Adolescent Violence: The Protective Effects of Youth Assets. Journal of Counseling and Development, 82(3), 268+. Garbarino, J., Bradshaw, C. P., & Vorrasi, J. A. (2002). Mitigating the Effects of Gun Violence on Children and Youth. The Future of Children, 12(2), 73+. Kelling, G. L., & Bratton, W. J. (1998). Declining Crime Rates: Insiders' Views of the New York City Story. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 88(4), 1217. Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2003). Carrying a Weapon to School and Perceptions of Social Support in an Urban Middle School. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 11(3), 169+. Swetnam, J., & Pope, J. (2001). Gangs and Gang Activity in a Non-metropolitan Community: the Perceptions of Students, Teachers, and Police Officers. Social Behavior and Personality, 29(2), 197+. Thomas, S. P., & Smith, H. (2004). School Connectedness, Anger Behaviors and Relationships of Violent and Nonviolent American Youth. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 40(4), 135+. Read More