NCJ Number
232633
Date Published
2010
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Based on examples of ethnographic research on Moroccan boys in Rotterdam (Netherlands), this chapter develops the argument that ethnographic validity for how and why offenders commit their crimes must be grounded in repeated measurement, triangulation to various sources, and continuous reflection by the researcher.
Abstract
In the Netherlands, the Moroccan boys have drawn attention because of their high crime rates. The author first describes the methods he used to find Moroccan boys and persuade them to talk with him. In the end, the reluctance of the boys to engage in face-to-face interviews with him limited the number of interviews that were conducted; therefore, if this had been the only method of data collection, the research would have been cut short. Other research methods were available, however; observations in particular were fruitful. This involved observing the nature and dynamics of the boys' public conflicts with citizens or shopkeepers. Situation-related interviews often emerged from these observations, as the boys were less reluctant to express their views when their emotions and attitudes were fresh and intense after an encounter. Such conversations usually ended when the boys just walked away. Learning about the environment, observable behaviors, and situation-related comments by the boys led step-by-step to an understanding of the targeted population. The methods and goals of the research evolved and changed in accordance with the practical possibilities of collecting usable data. The triangulation of various data sources gives the researcher the opportunity to contrast and compare data. Critical reflection at each stage of the research becomes the basis for pursuing the sources and direction of future data collection and research objectives. 26 references