Inquiry Three Reflection

Research and Mapping

Starting this project was a little difficult for me and it had to be one of
my most difficult moments in the course. I was given the task of finding
sources for my inquiry around the world and mapping them out also
connecting them. The idea of mapping them was easy, but finding certain
sources that were direct to my topic were a little hassle.
I started with books/articles, I came across Joan McCord. Joan McCord
was one of the well-known and respected, criminologists of her time. McCord
was known for her work on the Cambridge-Somerville Youth Study, the
first large-scale, longitudinal experimental study in the field of criminology.
The study was among the first to demonstrate unintended harmful effects of
a well-meaning prevention program. Dr. McCord's most important essays
from this groundbreaking research project are among those included in this
volume. In discussing youth prevention, it is a very hard topic because you
have to ensure that it will help and not harm. These articles go through the
various forms of helping or hurting the youth that need the help within these
areas. This ties in with the other articles because it shows that there can be
harmful effects from helping out youth - especially the ones who absolutely
refuse to change. This is a prime example of research that shows that
prevention could lead to detention. Although Americans TRY to put certain

juveniles in programs to stop the madness, at times it does more bad than
good. They come out of the programs doing even more heinous crimes and
receiving tougher sentences. She pinpointed this idea that this approach is
not always the most efficient way to get the job done.
In the YouTube video, The social development model: An
Integrated Approach to Delinquency Prevention This piggy backs off
the research that Dr. McCord stating that prevention is not always the correct
step to help the juvenile, all programs are not successful. In order to make
this effective, major changes have to happen that extensive research is
being done to make a reality. The science coming from the research and
statistics of those juveniles who have had no type of prevention efforts made
show that the more programs allotted will help to eliminate some statistics
and eventually help turn around the lives of those headed to destruction. In
conclusion it has been clear that rigorous evaluation of the delinquency
prevention effects of these interventions is needed.
The last source I came across was a news article, Mid-Southerners
Team Up to Tackle Youth Crime. This is an example of an actual hands on
prevention program idea instead of research and opinions about Youth Crime
Prevention. In Olive Branch, Mississippi the community had a passion to help
and aid the youth that are in positions where the path they are along is
upsetting. Prevention, we need preventative programs and people who are
willing to go into communities and mentor people and care for people. To
teach them they don`t have to be victims of circumstance, said DeSoto

County Youth Court Judge Celeste Wilson. This is their reality and in this town
they will do their best to make sure the issue is resolved not only there but
also around the region. They know that youth crime is a national issue and it
needs to be resolved. This ties in with both articles because it contradicts
their research. Teen crime rates have dropped significantly in the area and
this program has shown that with the right tools and genuine help, change
will come.
All three of these sources review the ways that deal with Juvenile
Prevention. With research and the proper care, America can get to a point
where child crimes is not a huge factor, thus meaning that crime in
adulthood is low also. Being able to stop the problem saves lives and helps
avoid the costs it is to be a criminal. Thinking deeper into it not only does it
affect the actual juvenile, but society itself. With that being said it is
important to remain aware of the issues about juvenile delinquency to make
the world a better place.