social psych

SECTION A: Investigators & Research Team

Name:

Degree(s):

Bachelors Psychology

Title/Position:

P. Investigator

Program:

Masters Psychology

Contact Numbers:

Physical Address:

MyCampus Email:

[email protected]

SECTION B: Research Information

Curtailing Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a crime according to US law. The criminal act can range from a misdemeanor to a felony offense depending on the action, intent, and severity. Domestic violence can be defined as abusive behavior in which one family member gains power over another family member. Domestic violence can be categorized into three main groups. The first group is intimate partner violence and it involves physical or sexual violence, stalking, and physical aggression by either current or former intimate partners. The second group is child abuse and it involves the neglect, emotional abuse, physical harming, and sexual assaulting of a child under the age of 18 by a custodian, parent, or family member. The third group is elder abuse and it involves the neglecting or intentional harming of an elder by a family member or a custodian.

Surprisingly, domestic violence has been on the rise despite sensitization against it and despite there being legislation against it. The rise in domestic violence has raised concerns as regards the justice system. In an attempt to understand why domestic violence is on the rise, a study will be conducted. The study’s thesis statement is that domestic violence stems from the desire of partners to gain power and control over their intimate powers.

In researching the topic of domestic violence in criminal justice, four main questions will guide the research.

RQ1: Who are the parties that are primarily involved in domestic violence; who are primarily the victims and who are the culprits?

RQ2: why does domestic violence happen?

The second question is interested in unearthing the factors that lead to domestic violence. The third question centers on the measures that can be taken to reduce domestic violence.

RQ3: How is the justice system ensuring that victims of domestic violence get justice?

RQ4: What are the measures in place from law enforcement and the criminal justice system to discourage domestic violence?

A literature review will be conducted. The literature review will help in the collection of data as regards domestic violence. The literature review will focus on studies and articles on domestic violence. Special emphasis will be placed on knowing the causes and effects of domestic violence and how the justice system works in discouraging domestic violence and ensuring that victims of the vice get justice.

The research will employ the use of the qualitative approach. The study will utilize two qualitative data collection methods. The first method that will be used is the interview method that will utilize open-ended questions. Open-ended interviews allow a researcher to seek for clarification in case there is a need. The second data collection method is the case study method. To collect information for the study a minimum of three cases on domestic violence will be reviewed. The cases that will be studied will contain medical reports of both the culprits and victims of domestic violence. Also, the case studies will detail the legal proceedings of the domestic violence cases from start to end.

The proposed research has the potential to reveal the causes of domestic violence as well as the measures in place to discourage and prevent the vice. Furthermore, the research might offer crucial information on the measures the criminal justice might employ to further prevent domestic violence. The proposed research offers a solution to a societal issue that needs to be done away with.

SECTION C: Review Type

SECTION D: Project Purpose/ Research Question/ Objectives

In non-technical language, address the following:

1)The rise in domestic violence has raised concerns as regards the justice system. In an attempt to understand, why domestic violence is on the rise, a study will be conducted. The study’s thesis statement is that domestic violence stems from the desire of partners to gain power and control over their intimate powers.

2)  In researching the topic of domestic violence in criminal justice, four main questions will guide the research.

RQ1: Who are the parties that are primarily involved in domestic violence; who are primarily the victims and who are the culprits?

RQ2: why does domestic violence happen?

The second question is interested in unearthing the factors that lead to domestic violence. The third question centers on the measures that can be taken to reduce domestic violence.

RQ3: How is the justice system ensuring that victims of domestic violence get justice?

RQ4: What are the measures in place from law enforcement and the criminal justice system to discourage domestic violence?

3)  The proposed research has the potential to reveal the causes of domestic violence as well as the measures in place to discourage and prevent the vice. Furthermore, the research might offer crucial information on the measures the criminal justice might employ to further prevent domestic violence. The proposed research offers a solution to a societal issue that needs to be done away with.

SECTION E: Participant Population and Recruitment

E1. In non-technical language, address the following:

1) Who will the participants be? How many participants? What ages will the participants be?

2) What is the inclusion/exclusion criteria for participants?

3) Where and how participants will be recruited?

1)  The research will employ the use of the qualitative approach. The study will utilize two qualitative data collection methods. The first method that will be used is the interview method that will utilize open-ended questions. Open-ended interviews allow a researcher to seek for clarification in case there is a need. Four groups of people will be interviewed; victims of domestic violence, family members, and friends of domestic violence and reformed perpetrators of domestic violence, and attorneys that have majored in family law.

2)  victims of domestic violence, family members, and friends of domestic violence and reformed perpetrators of domestic violence, and attorneys that have majored in family law.

The researcher will approach known victims of domestic violence, friends of domestic violence victims and reformed perpetrators of domestic violence, and attorneys that have majored in family law and enquire of their willingness to participate in the study.

3)  The researcher will approach known victims of domestic violence, friends of domestic violence victims and reformed perpetrators of domestic violence, and attorneys that have majored in family law and enquire of their willingness to participate in the study.

SECTION F: Research Design

In non-technical language, address the following:

1) State the study activities in chronological order. Describe both the activities conducted by members of the research team and the activities of research participants. (e.g., screening, survey, taking a test, answering questions in an interview, completing a specific task, tasks on a computer, running on a treadmill, debriefing, etc.) If videotaping, photographs, or audio-taping will take place, explain how and why recording will occur.

2) Explain how the data will be analyzed or studied; that is, indicate the quantitative or qualitative data analysis methods you will use.

3) Explain how the data will be reported in order to maintain the confidentiality or anonymity of participants (i.e. aggregated, anonymously, names used with consent, participants only identified by professional role, etc.).

1)  The research will employ the use of the qualitative approach. The study will utilize two qualitative data collection methods. The first method that will be used is the interview method that will utilize open-ended questions. Open-ended interviews allow a researcher to seek for clarification in case there is a need. Four groups of people will be interviewed; victims of domestic violence, family members, and friends of domestic violence and reformed perpetrators of domestic violence, and attorneys that have majored in family law.

The second data collection method is the case study method. To collect information for the study a minimum of three cases on domestic violence will be reviewed. The cases that will be studied will contain medical reports of both the culprits and victims of domestic violence. Also, the case studies will detail the legal proceedings of the domestic violence cases from start to end. Through the case study method, it will be possible to identify the effects and the causes of domestic violence. Furthermore, it will be possible to identify the measures in place by law enforcement and the criminal justice systems to prevent and discourage domestic violence.

2)  The collected data will be analyzed through a thematic analysis where common themes will be identified with the intent to provide information on the causes of domestic violence and the handling of domestic violence by the criminal justice system. Once themes have been identified, the findings will be reported via tables. The tables will group the identified themes and their impact on domestic violence. Based on the findings, a conclusion will be made in the study. The study will either confirm or dispel the study’s thesis statement; domestic violence stems from the desire of partners to gain power and control over their intimate powers.

3)  The data will be reported anonymously. All the participants will be assigned random letters that will be used to identify them to the research team only.

SECTION G: Data Collection