THIS IS A REWRITE ESSAY PLEASE READ INTRUCTIONS BEFORE COMPLETING THIS ASSIGNMENT THANKS…
CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATABASES
The criminal justice issue that I am choosing to look at is the increased number in K-12 school shootings. Looking at the database presented by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security and
FEMA, we can easily identify a steady increase in the number of school shootings over the past 50 years.
This research is a widely inclusive database that documents each where a gun is shown, fired, or
bullet hits a school building. As a parent, this issue is increasingly worrisome as my children near school
age. Therefore, I am interested in researching it more and using the available data to analyze patterns and
trends within this broad topic.
This database can be used to explore the identified issue in a number of ways. One way that this
issue can be explored further is through exploratory research. This is essentially research that is being
conducted for a problem or issue that needs to be studied more clearly. In this specific case, we can use
this database to look at K-12 shootings in relation to other criminal justice issues (such as gangs, bullying,
and drug related incidents) as there is a portion of the database that breaks the shootings down by
category. Another way that this issue can be is through explanatory research. This type of
research is used to identify the cause and how it can vary based on situation. For example, this database
may be used to explore the correlation between shootings and the shooters affiliation with the school (if
the shooter was a student being bullied or a disgruntled employee). Evaluation research is another option
here, as we can look to see if regions with higher risk for shootings have any type of programs in place to
prevent them from happening, or if they should look into adopting some kind of social program.
Research is important when identifying not only this problem, but any problem in the criminal
justice field. Without proper research, patterns and trends cannot be properly identified and many acts of
violence can occur unnecessarily. Proper research is also important so that communities and groups can
put action plans in place for specific events. Understanding cause and effect, in most cases, can help to
identify threats sooner and ultimately help to catch and identify red flags before a tragic
accident happens.
References:
CHDS. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://www.chds.us/ssdb/.
Bachman, R.D., & Schutt, R.K., (2019). The practice of research in criminology and criminal justice (7th
ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications
