Basis for Violent Crimes Committed by Teenage Offenders - Assignment Example

? Basis for Violent Crimes Committed by Teenage Offenders: A Research Paper Institute Criminal Justice This research paper proposed to determine the basis for why teenage criminal offenders are committing more violent crimes, including murder, than ever before. The objective of this research is to determine the surrounding environments of these young offenders that encourage violent crime. The criminal justice system, in sentencing young offenders, must also be looked at to determine if harsher sentences should be imposed on those who are younger than 18 years old. Basis for Violent Crimes Committed by Teenage Offenders Thesis Statement The statement for this thesis is to conduct research that presents why youthful offenders, aged 18 and under, commit the violent crimes they do, such as murders of old people and babies, and to determine what effective punishments will curb these crimes. The criminal justice system currently provides a certain leniency in punishments for youthful offenders in order to try and rehabilitate them, assuming they are, at a young age, not capable of making informed judgments for their actions. The impact of youthful offenders on the criminal justice system is that there are younger offenders committing more violent crimes than ever before, thus taxing the criminal court system as well. It would appear that current judgments made against young offenders, do not deter them enough so that they would move away from the environment that assists or encourages them to commit these crimes. Communities are also stressed because rehabilitative services operate on limited budgets and, with an overload of cases, care and attention will also be limited. In the community itself, people are more afraid because, with youthful offenders, one cannot always protect oneself against younger criminals because laws also protect the young against abuse. Hypothesis The statement of prediction for this issue is that “if you are a younger offender, bent on violent crimes, you will not be punished the same way, or as severely, as adult offenders.” This hypothesis will examine the causes of violent crime by youthful offenders, such as poor economic circumstances, negative friendships, lack of parental supervision, and lack of educational or sports activities outside of home and school. The effects of this hypothesis will be the impact on the criminal justice system in overcrowded juvenile courts, punishments without efficient rehabilitative services, and whether criminal sentences are severe enough for violent crimes, such as murder. An added effect is the impact on communities who are fearful of living in their homes because of these crimes, who will also take more advanced measures to protect their own, if the police cannot be relied on. Accordingly, the variables will be: causes-poor economic background, negative friends, no adult supervision, no outside activities, and for effects: overcrowded justice systems, inadequate rehabilitative services, too lenient sentences, and fearful communities. Measurement and Analysis Study Design – The study design is a quantitative literature review of cases and research studies, utilizing secondary data for descriptive analysis. The data searched for will be found in research studies, criminology reports and government databases. The data, reflecting the variables listed in the hypothesis, will be used in creating a new analysis of the problem which can identify solutions, based on results. All research studies and cases will be no older than 10 years. Sample – The sample will consist of youthful offenders from age 18 and under, found in secondary literature research. The review will also include, wherever possible, the judge’s decision in these case studies, and why the judge gave the decision for the offender. The descriptive in summary analysis will include gender, age, education, and head of household, i.e. mother or father, or both. The variables will be those listed in the hypothesis. The current ideal sample amount will run up to 100 persons in the initial overview, in order to give a representative picture. Data Collection – A database will be developed of offenders by age, race, partner (s), type of crime, victim (by age, race, friend or unknown), economic status, and education. The offender, by descriptive variables, such as poor economic circumstances, will be X (cause) and the crime committed, such as murder, will be Y (effect). The data will all be pulled from journal research studies and professional criminal justice statistical websites, and complied into a database for review and analysis. The analysis process will be completed in Microsoft Excel and IBM’s SPSS, using analysis tools. Applicable Sources The sources to be used for research are research journals such as the Journal for Criminal Justice, Journal of Criminal Justice Education, American Journal of Psychology, American Journal of Sociology, Behavioral Sciences and the Law, Journal of Behavioral Profiling, and others. Books by reputable authors in the field of criminal justice will also be reviewed as well. Some college textbooks will also be reviewed for case studies (Allen & Sawhney 2009; Muraskin & Roberts 2009; Peak 2012). The library, brick and mortar, as well as online, will also be researched for additional materials. Resources may also be gleaned from some of the research studies as well. A final resource will be the news articles of crime reports as they originally were posted. Current sources being used are the college textbooks of Allen & Sawhney (2009), Muraskin & Roberts (2009), and Peak (2012). Several preliminary journal studies in place are Steinberg et al. (2003) and Atella (2012). Much of the data will be compiled from research studies and case studies within the criminal justice system, along with psychological evaluations, and methods of treatment. News articles currently in place for background atmosphere are AP (2013), which concerns the recent shooting of an Australian baseball student by young offenders who were ‘bored’ and the story of the baby shot in the face by a 17-year old offender (Brumback 2013). These news stories are for setting the atmosphere for this research only and do not figure into statistical research. Ethical Considerations The plan is to submit immediately to the Institutional Review Board for permission to conduct this study. The research requires a great amount of work, first in vetting the studies for inclusion into the database, and second, for reviewing enough research studies, books and case studies for inclusion into the literature review. Confidentiality will be maintained in this study by not including names of youthful offenders. Each case will receive an ID number in the database, as variables are the most important aspect of the analysis. No emotional statements about specific crimes, or any vilification of the subjects, will be made within this research study. Names of judges and of any jurors who have gone public with their statements. Victims of crime will also not be identified by name so as to protect them from further emotional stress, should they ever read this paper. Resources Allen, J.M. & Sawhney, R. (2009). Administration and Management in Criminal Justice: A Service Quality Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. American Bar. (n.d.). The History of Juvenile Justice. American Bar Association Online. Retrieved from AP. (2013). 2 Teens Charged with Murdering Australian Baseball Player Just Because They Were ‘Bored’: Cops. New York Daily News Online. Retrieved from Atella, J. (2012). Insights: Juvenile Justice. The Minneapolis Foundation Online. Retrieved from Brumback, K. (2013). Teen Guilty of Murdering Georgia Baby in Stroller. ABC News Online. August 30 2013. Retrieved from Hitchcock, W.D. (2013). Zero Tolerance and Juvenile Justice: A View from the Bench. Alaska Justice Forum Online. Retrieved from LIC. (2013). Juvenile Programs. Legal Information Center (LIC) Online. Retrieved from Muraskin, R. & Roberts, A.R. (2009). Visions for Change: Crime and Justice in the Twenty-First Century, (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. NCWD. (2013). Project CRAFT. National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD) Online. Retrieved from Peak, K. J. (2012). Justice Administration: Police, Courts, and Corrections Management, (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Steinberg, A., Brooks, J., & Remtulla, T. (2003). Youth Hate Crimes: Identification, Prevention, and Intervention. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160: 979-989. Retrieved from Vito, G.F., Blankenship, M.B. & Kunselman, J.C. (2008). Statistical Analysis in Criminal Justice and Criminology: A User Guide, (2nd ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. Inc. Read More