At a moment when the country is facing one of the most controversial cases of violence against young black men and women in recent history—Trayvon Martin and his death being the most heated topic among several recent violent killings, including that of Rekia Boyd and the Tulsa shooting—scholars, social scientists, and the wider public find themselves grappling with complicated questions about the state of the criminal justice system and its relationship to youth delinquency, detention, violence, and justice.
The past two months have produced a slew of news reports, articles, Facebook statuses, tweets, and formal and informal conversations in which Trayvon Martin’s death has served as a symbol of outrage and vehemence concerning racism, racial profiling, and the criminal justice system. At this momentous juncture—a time when youth of color are repeatedly depicted on nightly crime reports as the perpetrators or victims of violence—I’m particularly interested in examining some of these issues with empirical research and hard data to expand the dialogue now engrossing many of us. In moments like this social scientists turn to sound empirical research to help frame the discussion, provide a more meaningful and nuanced understanding of the situation, ground arguments in substantiated claims, and take the opportunity to either mitigate or amplify this fervor—for justifiable reasons, of course. Continue reading “Today’s Youth: Race, Violence, Juvenile Justice, and Research”
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