ITV News Story

http://www.itv.com/News/Articles/GuneOne-in-ten-teens-90688981.html

We must take into consideration the fact that this survey only interviewed 800 people under the age of 25 within a 6 month time period, thus because of this, the results are only represent a small selection.

This article higlights the main points:

1. 1/10 young people have been personally affected by gun and knife crime - this means that they dont have to have been personally attacked with a knife or a gun, but that they know someone whos been a victim of it.

2. Young children are aware of the growing gun crime rates, and many are often scared of living in their own neighbourhoods.

3. The following results show what the respondants felt were the reasons for their peers turning to gun andknife crime:

- 66% : drugs
- 63% : self protection
- 63% : image
- 63% : peer pressure
- 61% : revenge

4. 46% of interviewees said that music and violent computer games could also contribute to this, and 53% said that longer jail sentences could reduce crime rates.

5. Chief Executive Clare Tickell said that "We need to stop generalising and labelling young people as just the problem. They are a group that can take us to the solution.
"Instead of demonising youth, we need to engage and challenge, leaving children and young people with the emotional wellbeing and confidence to meet life's challenges."

6. Children's charity group NCH believe that children under 16 should be included in these interviews as it may help prove why so many young people are victims of crime.

7. The report also stated that young people should be more involved in community based programmes and structured activities.

Evaluating This Source of Research

This piece of research has proved useful, as it, to some extent, underpins what i believe in however due to the small number of people involved in this survey, it only represents a tiny selection of society.

It is true to say that music and violent video games encourage gun crime, as is the fact that the stats mentioned are key contributors to why young people turn to gun and knife crime.

http://news.aol.co.uk/brown-defends-gun-crime-penalties/article/20080324231609990005

Questionnaire Questions

How old are you?

Where do you live?

Have you ever been in trouble with the police?

Have you ever been involved with crime?

Have you got a criminal record?

Have you ever had a gun or a knife?

Have you ever been in possession of a gun?

Have you ever been in possession of a knife?

Meeting

Meeting with Miss B :)

Targets:

Research Methodology - record and analyse
Write up a questionnaire (end of the week) for next week...

Firearms Law

Here is the information from the Firearms certificate Act:

There is no minimum age for the issue of a shot gun certificate.

A firearm certificate may be granted to any person aged 17 years or older in their own name and they may then purchase any guns and ammunition specified on that certificate.

A firearm certificate may be granted to any person aged between 14 and 17 years of age, but they may not themselves purchase any guns or ammunition.

No person under 14 may be granted a firearm certificate, or use firearms other than on an approved range or shooting gallery, such as at a fairground (where the maximum calibre allowed is .23 inch).

The minimum age to purchase airguns and any ammunition for them, is 18.

It is an offence under section 21 of the Firearms Act of 1968 as amended, for anyone convicted of a criminal offence, to handle, possess, or shoot a firearm and ammunition (this includes Air Guns). If the sentence was for more than three years the prohibition is for life; if less than three years the prohibition is for 5 years (Note: it is the sentence, not the time served, which is the determining factor).

How Does The Media Represent Gun Crime? - My Own Personal Opinion

I believe that the media does the following things when representing gun crime:

* It puts emphasis on the minority, thus creating a bigger issue than neccessary.
* It stereotypes youths: black teenagers are the trouble-makers, they cause all crime, they are the ones who are always involved in criminal activity.
* The media don't tend to acknowledge that other races are involved in gun and knife crime - the media just brush under the carpet the fact that Asians and whites take part in these criminal activities, the numbers are just smaller.
* The media makes correct yet innaccurate statements about the statistics of young black men that turn to crime: they come from single parent homes, they are financially unstable, they dont do well at school in comparison to other races, they have low aspirations and they live in poor boroughs.
* The media focus on certain cases of gun crime - not all of them - and thus draw awareness to the fact that 'another teenager has been shot in Lambeth' - whereas they may not follow up a story when there was a white-on-white shooting in Enfield.
* The media control what stories they air and thus can carry reinforce the stereotype even further.

Detailed Proposal

1. Topic Area
Crime and the Media

2. Proposed title, question, hypothesis
How does the media represent gun crime?

3. Teacher approval granted, in principal?
Yep :)

4. Principle texts (if text based study)
Newspaper articles, TV, film (maybe)

5. Reason for choice
Im really interested in this sort of stuff and think that if you had an interest in a particular topic, then you'll enjoy the task more.

6. Academic context for this study (similar research, relevant theory, named theorists)


7. Institutional context for this study (industry focus, other texts for comparison, named practitioners, relevant theory, issues, questions)
Why are young black men at the centre of most crimanal activies...

8. Identify the audience context for this study (audience profile, access to audience, potential sample)
* Young male teeenagers aged 15-20
* Teachers and adults
* Young teenagers
* Victims of youth crime

9. How will the 4 key concepts be relevant to your study (audience, institution, forms and conventions, representation)?
I will draw upon these 4 concepts in order to create a solid argument - i will go into each one individually and see how they all contribute to youth crime as well as how they may encourage youths to behave inappropriately.

10. Potential research sources (secondary): secondary academic books and websites, secondary industry books and websites, secondary popular criticism. Please identify specific examples you have come across.
* Online newspaper sites which offer online articles
* Newspaper articles which are relevant to my study.

11. Potential research sources (primary): audience reception research, your own content/textual analysis etc
* Interviews with memebers of the public
* Online forums, where people can voice there opinions.

12. Modifications agreed with your lead teacher

13. Potential limits/obstacles/problems?

14. Teacher concerns

15. Teacher approval