Research on Juvenile Attitudes towards Police and Authority
Leiber, Nalla, and Farnworth (1998) conducted a research to investigate what determines juvenile attitudes towards police and authority. The researchers hypothesized that juvenile attitudes could be altered by the juvenile's social environment, the impact of their obligation to criminal behaviors, and their personal interactions with the police. The study utilized 337 male participants who had been accused of delinquent behavior or arbitrated for delinquency in Iowa County. The study was conducted in counties with large numbers of minorities. Youths from detention centers, juvenile courts, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and state training schools were sampled for this study. Minority members of the juvenile justice system were oversampled to ensure that their views were fully researched because they make a small percentage of the Iowa County.
Utilization of Stratified Random Sampling Method
The study utilized the stratified random sampling method. The sample was divided into racial populations of identified felons. The sampling method includes dividing a population into subgroups and then applying random sampling method. A stratified random sampling method provides better accuracy. It ensures that one group of participants is not overrepresented or underrepresented. This type of sampling also helps the researcher obtain a sufficient sample that incorporates all the subgroups intended for the number intended. However, this type of sampling is tiresome and time-consuming. The researcher needs to use a lot of time determining the type of strata to include in the study. Further, determination of the exact strata to include in the study can pose a challenge because of the diversity of populations. Therefore, it is important for the researcher to ensure that they are aware of the population they want to include in the study to ensure full representation.
Reference
Leiber, M.J., Nalla M. K., " Farnworth, M. (1998). Explaining juveniles' attitudes toward the police, Justice Quarterly, 15(1), 151-174.
