Carole Gibbs and Jennifer Cobbina of the College of Social Science’s School of Criminal Justice, along with Psychology research associate Sean Hankins, are in the midst of conducting an ongoing research project with adolescents in the Lansing community. The project, titled “Putting Violence in Context: How Neighborhoods Shape Youth Decision Processes,” aims to investigate the ways that one’s neighborhood influences can shape their decision-making process, especially when it comes to engaging in crime and other forms of violence within their community.
“Our decisions in our everyday lives are shaped by where we live,” Gibbs said. “And a lot of studies of crime don't take that context into account, in terms of how people make decisions about getting involved in violence or selling drugs or anything else. Our question is, how does neighborhood context shape the decision process for engaging in crime, particularly among youth?”
Gibbs serves as the principal investigator, with Cobbina on board to co-lead the project and conduct interviews, while Hankins serves as a community liaison, connecting the research team with youth organizations in Lansing that he has built relationships with over the years through his Adolescent Diversion Program.
The project originally came from conversation and initial planning between Gibbs and several former Social Science faculty members in addition to Gibbs, Cobbina-Dungy and Hankins. Alaina de Biasi, now at Wayne State, and Louie Rivers III at North Carolina State, continue to collaborate on the research and are an integral part of the team.
To read the full story, visit the College of Social Science website.