Aggravated Battery Crime Analysis Report

Part 1: Crime Analysis Report

Aggravated battery is a major problem globally. In the U.S, mainly in Indianapolis, Indiana, the cases of assault are significantly high. According to the records by the FBI, in 2016, Indianapolis registered 7,099 cases of aggravated assault, the highest among the cities (FBI, 2016). The cases are distributed between men and women, with both experiencing incidences of physical violence and rape. While these statistics represent other underlying factors that lead to the transformation of crimes from simple to aggravated ones, there are social and legal factors that influence how such crimes can be deterred. It means that the community has a role to play in curbing crime, creating an environment that discourages crime, and contributes to the laws that address the challenges. Despite the intent of aggravated battery being killing, robbing, and raping, the latter can be highly influenced by how the community responds to the crime.

A diagnostic approach is essential in determining if the offender will be entered into the justice system. While discretion has little to do with the way such offenders are treated, the analysis of the effects of subjecting them to prosecution and sentencing is essential. That is the role that the sentence will play in minimizing cases of aggravated battery. Such analysis aids in determining the predictive effects of the crimes (Hipple & Magee, 2017, pp. 987-992). When predictive results of reducing crimes do not lead to social transformation, the prescriptive component of criminal report analysis came into play. Here, the solution purely depends on the statistics. For example, suppose the methods used to curb aggravated battery cases do not result in lower cases than 7,099 (all other independent variables held constant). In that case, the approach should be revised. However, population variation and the number of crimes are factored in by depicting the crime rate as a percentage of the entire Indianapolis population.

Part 2: Applied Criminology Research

According to the 2017 Indiana Code on criminal law and procedure, a person who causes injury either intentionally or knowingly to the point that it causes the risk of death or leads to permanent disfigurement, impairment of bodily organs or other members, or fetus loss commits aggravated battery (FBI, 2016). These features form part of the diagnosis of the committed offense to determine if it fits within the definition of aggravated battery. According to Magee, 2020 (pp. A7-A8), the police rely on clinical data as part of the diagnostic procedure, which helps determine the level of crime. It is until this information is verified that the police proceed to classify a crime as so. Equally, this research paper borrows this definition and associated attributes to classify the data provided by the participants as constituting aggravated battery.

Research Question

Is informal social control in Indianapolis more effective in reducing aggravated battery than policing?

Survey Questions

1. What are the most common methods used to counter aggravated battery in Indianapolis? Explain

2. Have the existing measures led to the crime reduction?

3. What is your opinion about the contribution of the police in curbing crime? Do they handle this particular crime effectively?

4. How has social control contributed to crime reduction? If not, in what ways does social control lead to an increase in aggravated battery?

5. Compared to policing, is social control more beneficial? Explain

6. What methods would you recommend that, from your personal experience and observation in Indianapolis, would help in reducing the crime

7. Other comments

Research Design

This research will employ a mixed research design that integrates features of qualitative analysis and quantitative research. The quantitative method will be applied in gathering the actual statistics of the cases of aggravated battery that will be used to compare the benefits of employing different crime prevention methods. The qualitative design will be used to record data from the representative sample about the different methods used to counter the crime and what the existing methods have achieved. The research uses open-ended questions; hence the data provided is likely to vary in structuring.

The report desires to provide accurate statistics about rates of crime. Thus, it will borrow data from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Information from the police will be used only for comparison purposes to ascertain whether existing methods have been productive. It is vital to indicate that due to the nature of this research and the scheduled time, the report will not involve direct surveys from the police department but will only use existing and credible resources from the police department to gather quantitative values.

Study Population

The study population will involve 80 participants (40 male and 40 female). The gender balance will help eliminate bias cases, considering that aggravated battery toward women is more than male. All the study population will come from Indianapolis to enhance the credibility of shared information. The selection method will be randomized to minimize bias. Age variation age will be distributed between the youth and adults at an equal ratio. Besides, variation in race will be considered by ensuring the sample represents the population composition of Indianapolis.

Data Collection and Storage

Before data collection, the interviewer will seek informed consent from the respondents. The primary data collection method will involve surveys that will be shared both in-person and through emails. Considering that some respondents may choose anonymity, an online survey will help in promoting openness and cooperation. For physical engagement, the interviewer will guide the respondents and help them understand the purpose of the survey.

Since most of the data collected will be in prose, codes will be used to classify data, enhancing analysis. Data will be stored in both physical and digital forms. Data through emails will be stored digitally, and the physical one will be transferred into digital forms. The reason for this selection is to simplify the analysis methods, which will use SPSS program/

Information to the Stakeholders

According to the preliminary research on aggravated battery in Indianapolis, the primary method of curbing the crime has been policing. The crime analysis process that entailed descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive approaches reveals that despite the improved efforts to counter the crime, the cases continue to increase (Magee et al., 2020). It means that the existing methods do not produce the best results hence the need for better alternatives.

The research expects to engage the community, interact directly with the offenders, and design solutions that the society considers more effective (Corsaro & McGarrell, 2009, pp. 85-68). The report also desires to complement the existing methods by sharing the community’s areas that have not been effective. For example, how the police have responded to aggravated battery cases and how society perceives the methods. The police will get more information on how to improve service delivery. The report will provide information about the best approach to execute laws and determine the officers who contradict the set principles for mayors.

The overall expectation of the report is to assess the role played by social control methods in reducing aggravated battery.

Thesis Development and Purpose

This report aims to examine the contribution of informal social control in reducing aggravated battery in Indianapolis as compared to what policing offers. It is motivated by the increasing cases of crime despite the multiple efforts employed by the police department. Thus, the research will respond to various unanswered questions about what social control can offer in crime reduction. The approach used, especially the online surveys, will enable the police and community to adopt collaborative efforts that ensure that arrests and prosecution are not the only options. Instead, society has a paramount role to play in preventing crime. More specifically, in determining the methods that should be used to handle offenders even after they have served their sentences to avoid reoccurrence.