Question: I have decided to stick with the question, What are the current conditions of the immigrant detention facilities in the United States and how do these conditions influence the physical and mental health of detainees ?

Essay Model: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7348446/

Name of Publication: The Heartbreaking Effects Immigrant Facilities Have On Detainees

Throughout the course of my research essay I intend to keep my details and points clear and straight forward. I want to have an essay that covers all aspects of my leading question, and will have my audience broadening their ideas on the social issue. This question relates to the social issue of the thousands of immigrant people who are locked up in detention facilities treated under horrible conditions and the impact it has on their leading mental and physical wellnesses. I feel that this social issue needs to be projected more as it is not in the media. I plan to explore my topic question with articles that tackle the question head on and with broad ideas. Thousands of immigrants are being locked up with little to no explanation, with also no explanation on a way out. The current conditions of facilities are not the safest. In which many reports pertain to sexual abuse on children, mothers, ext. The conditions in which many immigrants are living through in the United States have impacted thousands of detainees mentally and physically. I decided to further my writing with this topic simply because innocent people should not be punished and treated like criminals. I feel that as that I connect with this topic question because of my families history and the continuing history being made of how my family made a life in the Unites States seeking a better life for themselves and the future generation of our family. What interest me the most about this topic is the fact that the government is really allowing the treatment of these immigrant people to occur with no intent to change and improve this system. This issue to me is an essential problem that needs to be dealt with, and a concern on how people can be treated in such manner when trying to seek a better life for themselves and their family. I will look for secondary sources when planning and organizing my research essay.I will also use and look for secondary sources to look more into the mental and physical impact the inhuman conditions have on immigrant detainees. This research focuses on the long lasting effects of immigrant detention facilities and the factual side of the social issue pertaining to the conditions immigrants are put under. I feel that the audience will be based on those who want to educate themselves on the social issue, and those who might want to also write an essay on this topic. Also an audience who finds a connection between my essay/social issue and themselves or past experiences.

Bibliography:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7348446/

How detention centers affect the health of immigrant children: A research roundup

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/the-inhumane-conditions-at-migrant-detention-camps.html

https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-018-1945-y

RESEARCH QUESTION: How do the laws and policies of the United States government contribute to the wealth gap between black and white Americans?

My initial research question combined the two topics of racism and poverty, which resulted in the topic question, “How does racial inequality and poverty correlate with one another?”. However, because this is too broad, I needed to decide whether or not I should analyze the economic, social, or political aspects of this question. Taking into consideration the number of sources that are available to me, I’ve decided to focus on the political aspect of this question. Therefore, my final research question is: “How do the laws and policies of the United States government contribute to the wealth gap between black and white Americans?”. I will be analyzing both historical and present policies that may influence the current racial wealth gap. There are many ways to examine wealth inequality, and by examining education and housing opportunities, and incomes, it is one of the many ways of approaching this topic question. The historical policies that will be in my research essay are the GI Bill and how it was not beneficial to African Americans because they had to accommodate to the Jim Crow Laws. Another is the New Deal, how it is discriminate against black Americans, the practice of Redlining. The current policies I will be examining is how the tax system is an indirect form of racism and how it promotes the racial wealth gap. One of my counter-arguments is going to be about how there are government programs such as Obamacare, which helps racial disparities in health coverage. Medical fees are expensive, and those in poverty and with low income (mainly Black Americans) are unable to afford it. Medical fees/debt prevent them from doing well and going up in socioeconomic status.

What interests me about this question is, I’ve always wanted to know more about the reason why there is a racial wealth gap and the root behind this social issue. This is relevant to social justice or social action because people of color’s opportunity are limited due to their identity. Since the beginning of America’s history, black people were enslaved, and when they were emancipated, they were still discriminated against because of their color. These prevented Black Americans to do financially well and to have the opportunity to seek education or a good career that will allow them to be well off. Furthermore, the American government also passed laws and policies such as the Jim Crow law, that limit their ability to grow and prosper in America. The struggle to be economically and socially equal is still a problem today. This topic doesn’t just discuss the wealth gap—as it is prevalent in almost every country, but this is about how racism and discrimination are related to the wealth gap in the United States.

To write this essay, my model essay will be The Washington Post article, “Why the racial wealth gap persists more than 150 years after emancipation” by Calvin Schermerhorn. Since I will be examining the political factors that contribute to the racial wealth gap between black and white Americans, the audience is to the American public who are specifically interested in the political and historical side of the racial wealth gap, that way those who are interested can educate themselves on what are the causes of the wealth gap and they can fight to make a change. As for my timeline, I hope that I would have completed my research for secondary sources right when I have completed this research proposal paper.

Model Essay URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/06/19/why-racial-wealth-gap-persists-more-than-years-after-emancipation/).

Popular media Sources: 

Schermerhorn, Calvin. “Why the Racial Wealth Gap Persists, More than 150 Years after Emancipation.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 June 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/06/19/why-racial-wealth-gap-persists-more-than-years-after-emancipation/.

“African Americans and the New Deal.” Digital History, www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2.

Blumberg, Yoni. “Obamacare Helps Save Low-Income People from Losing Their Homes, Study Shows.” CNBC, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/01/29/obamacare-helps-save-low-income-people-from-losing-homes-study-shows.html.

Austin, Algernon. “Obamacare Reduces Racial Disparities in Health Coverage.” Center for Global Policy Solutions, globalpolicysolutions.org/resources/obamacare-reduces-racial-disparities-in-health-coverage/.

Scholarly Sources:

Herbold, Hilary. “Never a Level Playing Field: Blacks and the GI Bill.” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, no. 6, 1994, pp. 104–108. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2962479. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020.

Scheper, Jeanne. “Mortgaged minds: faculty-in-debt and redlining higher education.” Radical Teacher, no. 107, Winter 2017, p. 32+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A496085867/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=e5f883c0. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020.

O’Connell, Heather A. “The impact of slavery on racial inequality in poverty in the contemporary U.S. South.” Social Forces, vol. 90, no. 3, 2012, p. 713+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A294505509/AONE u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=24b33315. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020.

 Palma Joy Strand and Nicholas A. Mirkay, Racialized Tax Inequity: Wealth, Racism, And The U.S. System of Taxation, 15 Nw. J. L. & Soc. Pol’y. 265 (2020). https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/njlsp/vol15/iss3/1

Question: How are psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and mdma used for therapeutic treatment in the medical community, and how are national and local governments lobbying for the legalization of these drugs around the world?

As someone who has practiced meditation for quite some time it is no secret that the mind is a wonderful labyrinth to get lost in. Psychedelics similarly have impacted a wide range of individuals to become more peaceful within their skin. I believe it is becoming imperative to familiarize ourselves with the growing age of psychedelics that have been seen as taboo for so long in academic culture. I think this is relevant to our society because certain states and countries have already begun the shift towards utilization of psychedelics in the medical facility (and some even recreationally) rather than complete abolition of them. MDMA has been designated as a “breakthrough therapy” by the FDA which in itself should sound the awareness towards curiosity at least in regards to MDMA. Psilocybin has been legalized medically in Canada and is on the ballot for medical legalization in Oregon, which should also steer one into curiosity regarding these substances. The average rate for a therapy success rate is 50% which is merely a coin flip. Not to mention this coin flip is thousands of dollars and once a week for at least 16 weeks. On the other hand MDMA assisted psychotherapy has had a 61% success rate with just 3 clinical sessions. This is one of the reasons why a large part of the medical world is very enthusiastic about MDMA and some of that enthusiasm falls into Psilocybin as well. 

Modal Essay: Roseman, Leor, et al. “The Effects of Psilocybin and MDMA on between-Network Resting State Functional Connectivity in Healthy Volunteers.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 23 Mar. 2014, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00204/full.

Name of Publication: MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) (Due to the nature of the subject various papers deemed reputable for publication have been conducted by non-for-profit organizations such as MAPS and then self-published) 

This research topic has been supremely interesting to me so a great deal of the research has been sitting in a folder on my computer. A good deal of refresher is necessary as there are a great number of interesting clinical trials going on currently but most have already been bookmarked by me because I like to keep updated on the various new research. However more information gathering has to be conducted on the various legislation that is taking place around the world regarding psychedelics. This will probably be completed in the next coming days. The essay chosen was a strong backbone for a lot of the interest garnered for psychedelics. 

Bibliography: 

1. Byock, Ira. “Taking Psychedelics Seriously.” Journal of Palliative Medicine, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Apr. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5867510/.
2. “MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy.” MAPS, maps.org/research/mdma (This has a large number of various studies that the MAPS organization is conducting and has conducted; roughly 6-8 will be used in my final paper) 
3. Sessa, Ben, et al. “A Review of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Assisted Psychotherapy.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, Frontiers Media S.A., 20 Mar. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6435835/.

Question: What kind of laws are legally relevant to school bullying? And what are the effects of school bullying? Influence in schools or in the community?

The name of the publication: American Medical Association

Essay Model: “Bullying, Psychosocial Adjustment, and Academic Performance in Elementary School” by Gwen M. Glew, MD; Ming-Yu Fan, PhD; Wayne Katon, MD; Frederick P. Rivara, MD; Mary A. Kernic, PhD, MPH.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/486162

The motivation behind why the research point on school bullying interests me is that it is a pervasive issue that is hidden in our general society. I am currently living on campus, so I can identify with the awful idea of school bullying. School bullying harms the victim physically, it additionally harms the mental agony that an individual feels. There are numerous variables that lead to school bullying, for example, looks, family background, race, or unimportant clashes that lead to school bullying all exist. In the student questionnaires, it is evident that in experiencing school bullying, the parents will not know anything about the bullying that happens to the student at school. In other words, students are overwhelmingly afraid to tell those around them about their bullying, and they are psychologically afraid to confront school bullying and create a protective state for themselves. The next thing is the fear of the bully inflicting the bullying on them. In addition, there is a kind of bystander role in school bullying, bystanders do not report or stop the bullying from happening because they are afraid of being implicated. Worse yet, those who experience school bullying over time will experience depression, doubt themselves, and even rise to suicide because of the psychological devastation.

Additionally, I found from the information I looked through that school bullying affects scholastics. As indicated by the information study report it was reasoned that kids who were bullying would play truant to avoid the bullying.” A study of 204 Midwestern American middle and high school students found that 90% said they had a drop in grades, an increase in anxiety, and a loss of friends or social life as a result of bullying.” In the United States, there are relatively few federal laws regarding school bullying. But all fifty states in the U.S. have anti-bullying laws, and they can document and investigate cases of bullying in schools. Furthermore, they can take action to stop the bullying. School bullying has even increased the rate of carrying guns to school, fighting, smoking, plagiarism, and a host of other social hazards. In summary, the sources of information on school bullying are largely based on the results of the bullying questionnaires derived from the academic and psychological harms that school bullying brings, not only to the school, but also to society.

The primary subject of my article is understudies who have encountered school bullying at school. I think more educators, understudies, and guardians will focus on the threats of school bullying.  Besides caution guardians that the manner in which they instruct and care needs to change and propose that the school education system be more exacting. More educators need to go to keep up education atmosphere to diminish the threat of school bullying.

Work Cited:

Gwen M. Glew, MD; Ming-Yu Fan, PhD; Wayne Katon, MD; Frederick P. Rivara, MD; Mary A. Kernic, PhD, MPH. “Bullying, Psychosocial Adjustment, and Academic Performance in Elementary School.” November 2005 Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159(11):1026-1031. doi:10.1001/archpedi.159.11.1026 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/486162

I have decided that my research question will be “What are the short and long-term effects of divorce on children in the United States?”

I chose to research divorce because of its prevalence in the United States. Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce, and this not only affects the adults involved but more so the children who have little to no say in the process. I was also interested in the United States specifically because we have a very individualistic culture. We tend to prioritize personal success, with the goal of adulthood being independence and personal achievement. I wanted to see if divorce could potentially have positive effects on children in the long-term because of our culture. However, I have realized with the research that I have done so far that the majority of the effects divorce has on children are negative. It tends to occupy their minds, preventing them from completing and understanding their schoolwork. It also tends to negatively affect their self-esteem and mental health. Though there are some parents that take their children to counsel after their divorce, the majority do not. This means the child will be grappling with the situation primarily on their own. I’ve also found so far in my research that the age of the child is also a big factor in how they will interpret the situation they are in. According to one of my sources, the worst ages to experience divorce are children from the ages of six to ten. During this time, these children are already in grade school and their environments will greatly affect how they will be able to cope with the situation they are dealing with at home. This topic is relevant to social action because, in order for the affected children to be successful later in their lives, the adults around them need to be aware and educated of their circumstances. Thus, the target audience for this essay will be parents and educational staff that play a part in the child’s development.

The essay that I will be modelling is: http://marripedia.org/effects_of_divorce_on_children_s_education

I chose to model this essay because it relates to my research topic about divorce and focuses on one of the effects I will be writing about. It is clearly organized in different sections and subsections, as well as includes a large array of sources and statistics to back up their claims. I also plan to include graphs in my research essay similar to this model essay. For my research paper, I have curated a few sources from general search engines, but I still need to consult databases and more trusted websites. By Wednesday, I plan to have the complete list of all my sources, and by the end of this week, I will hopefully be done annotating and analyzing all of my sources.

Bibliography;

Blakeslee, Sandra. “MAJOR STUDY ASSESSES THE CHILDREN OF DIVORCE.” The New 

          York Times, The New York Times, 10 Apr. 1984,

          www.nytimes.com/1984/04/10/science/major-study-assesses-the-children-of-divorce-by-s

          andra-blakeslee.html. 

“Divorce Statistics and Facts: What Affects Divorce Rates in the U.S.?” Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, 

          LLP, 12 Aug. 2020, www.wf-lawyers.com/divorce-statistics-and-facts/. 

“Effects of Divorce on Children’s Education.” Effects of Divorce on Children’s Education 

          [Marripedia], marripedia.org/effects_of_divorce_on_children_s_education. 

Morin, Amy. “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children.” Verywell Family, 6 Aug. 

          2019, www.verywellfamily.com/psychological-effects-of-divorce-on-kids-4140170. 

For this essay, my research question revolves around how does earning a college degree impact an individual’s quality of life in the United States? As a college student in the United States, I can relate to this subject as well as many others who are attending college or planning to attend college. This question relates to the growing debate about the value of a college education. Students are generally told to pursue a college education to become successful in their future by their family and teachers. For those who get a college education, they tend to earn higher salaries and are more marketable.. On the contrary, those who do not pursue a college education generally earn lower salaries and are less marketable. This has developed the ongoing debate of whether college is worth it. Student debt is a major social issue in the United States that correlates to college education as well. Many have argued whether the cost of getting a degree is worth the economic income they will receive with that degree. Although colleges offer a variety of undergraduate degrees, not all degrees lead to a successful career due to the demand in the workforce for specific degrees. S.T.E.M degrees are generally seen as the most successful in terms of the economic outcome they provide to an individual in comparison to other degrees. Many college students are graduating with other degrees and struggling to find a well paying job to pay their student loans. However, many people around the country have chosen not to pursue a college education and this has resulted in the absence of student debt in their lives. Many people without a college degree have had to take on lower salary jobs due to their lack of being marketable in the workforce. On the other hand, many people without a college degree have been able to become successful in life. Many people are naturally talented and skilled in certain areas that make them marketable without the need of a college degree.  Furthermore, there are other alternatives to college when seeking a career that can lead to a successful future.

The model essay that I have chosen for my research is “The value of a college education”, published by the Pew Research Center. This model essay relates to my research question through analyzing the different perspectives Americans have on the college education system. The model essay used the information gathered through the surveys conducted by the research center to compare the statistics pertaining to those with a college degree and those without a college degree This essay will help me structure my essay regarding this subject. By the end of this upcoming week, I will have gathered most of my secondary sources that I will be using throughout my essay as well as analyzing each source to gather the information I will use in my essay. As stated before, the targeted audience of the essay pertains to students who are close to finishing high school and thinking about continuing their education in college. Furthermore, there are also people out there who are thinking of pursuing a college education many years after getting their high school diploma. This research essay may help them better understand the different perspectives society has along with the statistical analysis on the college education system.

Model Essay: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/10/06/5-the-value-of-a-college-education/

Works Cited:

“The ROI of a Bachelor’s Degree.” Bachelor’s Degree Completion, www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-completion/news/is-a-bachelors-degree-worth-it/.

“Is a STEM Degree a Good Investment?” Value Colleges, www.valuecolleges.com/resources/faqs/is-a-stem-degree-a-good-investment/.

Question:-Yet how many more incompetent girls have to lead measurable life, just for some cruel beasts of sexual intercourse without her willing? 

Publication Name:- Frontiers in psychology

Essay Model:- “Blaming the victim of Acquaintance  Rape: Individual, Situational, and Socio-Cultural factors” by Claire R. Gravelin, Monica Biernat, Caroline E. Bucher.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6348335/

Finally, I came up with a question about my research topic. I grew up in an area where I used to watch girls who were scared of getting raped to go alone from one place to another. They avoid some areas and modes of transportation, or they avoid wearing modern clothes that are provoking. When a girl gets raped, society always blames her dress, and this is why girls cannot travel the way they want, and they cannot dress the way they want. Society has bound them to certain compulsions. The parents are too concerned about their girls about going outside. They do not want their girls to face an ambiguous situation. Undergoing ambiguous situations seems likely to contribute significantly to women’s fear of sexual harassment, even if those situations are encountered more frequently than indisputable circumstances of danger. “Warr reported that women (under the age of 35) in the USA fear rape more than any other crime” (Hendrik Peter). If this is the case for a guy, whenever they want, they can go anywhere. Even with a short and sporty t-shirt, they could go outdoors. A dress does not matter to society at that point. Here is the point that we all have to worry about. Why do girls need to lead an observable life, just for some barbaric beasts of sexual intercourse? Rape is not a matter of particular concern that impacts a few people but is a social justice issue that affects all. Society and parents thought that girls cannot protect themselves. That is why they discriminate against girls from boys. This is the best time for girls to show their strength, and society needs to see that girls can defend themselves. “The first argues that women’s involvement in sexual assault prevention is empowering and effective, particularly in respect to self-defense training and avoidance of risky situations” (Nicole Bedera). The family needs to encourage their girls to learn boxing and karate to protect themselves. There is no point in having girls locked within four walls for this issue.  

For my secondary resource, at first, I researched how girls get raped in a different situation. How do they have to face ambiguous circumstances in schools, colleges, even in hospitals? How society bound them in certain compulsions and have to face discrimination almost everywhere. Then I found a resource that helped me improve my analysis and provide me with a strong understanding to prevent this from happening. In my final research, how girls should defend themselves from rape, pursue justice, help the family, more obligation. 

My article will attract an audience of people who are interested in the women’s rights movement. People feel concerns and excuses not to reveal their experiences of rape to the police and lay criminal charges. In my article, I am going to discuss the role of our police officers and support the victims’ families to get justice. Feminists, government officers including police officers, civil officers are also part of my audience.

                                                           Work Cited

Gravelin, Claire R, et al. “Blaming the Victim of Acquaintance Rape: Individual, Situational, and Sociocultural Factors.” Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers Media S.A., 21 Jan. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6348335/. 

Bedera, Nicole, and Kristjane Nordmeyer. “‘Never Go Out Alone’: An Analysis of College Rape Prevention Tips.” Sexuality and Culture, vol. 19, no. 3, 2015, p. 533+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A423856435/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=92c7a12e. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Aronfeld, Spencer Marc. “Sexual assault by a health care provider: it may seem impossible for a patient to be sexually assaulted in a hospital by a health care provider, but it happens. This type of case presents unique challenges. Be ready for them – and help your client hold the responsible parties accountable.” Trial, vol. 45, no. 12, Dec. 2009, p. 46+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A238558841/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=2251d3f6. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Peters, Jan Hendrik, and Michael Hock. “Memory for pictures of sexual assault: Sensitive maintenance of ambiguous stimuli.” PLoS ONE, vol. 15, no. 7, 2020, p. e0236873. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A630938579/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=96990fc9. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Mgolozeli, Siyabulela Eric, and Sinegugu Evidence Duma. “‘They all laughed and asked me if I enjoyed having sex with those guys’: Exploring men’s lived experiences when reporting rape to police in South Africa.” PLoS ONE, vol. 15, no. 8, 2020, p. e0235044. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A633157699/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=9ce25224. Accessed 18

Question: “What social and psychological factors influence rates of depression among college students in the United States, and how do institutions of higher education and individuals as themselves help to mitigate these risk factors?”

The name of the publication: Triggers and Strategies to Alleviate Depression Among College Students in the U.S.

Essay Model: “College Students: Mental Health Problems and Treatment Considerations” by Paola Pedrelli, Maren Nyer, Albert Yeung, Courtney Zulauf, and Timothy Wilens. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527955/)

This research question interests me because many people from different groups and demographics must have something they concern about, especially students that come from high school to college, since everything will change and they will face many distinct challenges, but also to form a part of their new experiences. Since then, as college students, they have symbolized as adults now. This response is a part of them becoming more independent and no longer relying on their parents as before. In other words, the university will create a sense of environmental change, while they also have to get used to certain things and adapt to a new whole place and its surroundings. Next, it connects to social action because all of these stresses and depression that each individual will face and has, such as any obstacles and troubles, might lead to some of them (college students) into committing suicide or other misconduct actions due to their impulse, or any other reasons.

This is an essential issue because it is a concern that many college students worry about because of their personal or social difficulties, which may lead to various serious results. Also, as for college students, they have to adapt to many things and at the same time being independent in an age where they couldn’t support all of them of a sudden. So, it is important that we get to know more about depression triggers and what we and other people from high institutions can do to help each other and the community in order to prevent any risk factors. By extension, with all of these in mind, I will look for secondary sources to help me answer the common social and psychological factor influences of depression, but also the importance of higher institutions and as individuals themselves to overcome this issue. As said, the sources will be primarily based on the causes of depression among college students in the USA and some of its treatments.

This research focuses on the audience as college students since they are the main characters for this topic (depression triggers), parents, and people from higher institutions such as instructors, advisors, counselors, and psychologists to help guide the students to overcome some struggles and to reduce the risk factors caused by depression. The audience will be based on them because this writing concentrates on depression amongst college students, but also the connection or relationships between them to their parents, and individuals from higher institutions to help them guide through their obstacles, and prevent any circumstances caused by this matter, also with the idea to get more understanding about this issue.

Bibliography：

https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Journals&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=MultiTab&hitCount=5&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=3&docId=GALE%7CA592073094&docType=Report&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZXAY-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA592073094&searchId=R5&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true

https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Journals&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=MultiTab&hitCount=5&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CA592073095&docType=Report&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZXAY-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA592073095&searchId=R5&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true

https://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-and-anxiety-among-college-students/

https://psychcentral.com/depression/depression-treatment/

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-16220-015

https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T002&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=24&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=4&docId=GALE%7CA160103827&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZONE-MOD1&prodId=AONE&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA160103827&searchId=R2&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true

https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T002&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=487&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=8&docId=GALE%7CA624880387&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZONE-MOD1&prodId=AONE&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA624880387&searchId=R7&userGroupName=cuny_ccny&inPS=true

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527955/

https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1027/0227-5910/a000226?journalCode=cri

For my research-based essay question I will be presenting: What are the primary contributing factors to rising U.S. crime rates during the Covid-19 Pandemic? The paper will model the article “Has Covid-19 Changed Crime? Crime Rates in the United States during the Pandemic.” written by J.H. Boman and O. Gallupe for the American Journal of Criminal Justice. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09551-3) My objective is the transference of fact-supported information compiled during my research to an equally inquisitive and concerned audience as I explore three factors that may or may not contribute to the recent rise in violent crime across the country. This question is significant to me as the current resident of a large metropolis where criminality impacts my daily activities and overall safety.  It is relevant to society as it represents possible consequences of our current social climate and choices that have been made amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Thus far I have collected the majority of my secondary source material, notwithstanding additional sources that may be sought out as I thoroughly investigate each subsection.

The first avenue of examination will be whether an increase in alcohol and substance use due to mandated stay-at-home orders nationwide has any effect on increased crime rates. I will parallel information gathered from researchers who studied the HIV/AIDS epidemic, any correlating substance abuse, and its impact on crime and violence at that time. The second consideration will be if the early release of incarcerated individuals, due to Covid-19 health concerns, generated more regional delinquency in the areas surrounding the penitentiaries from which they were discharged. And finally, I will research if BLM and De-fund the Police protesting has any influence on the uptick in criminal activity across the United States. Does the possibility exist that Law Enforcement agents are intentionally eschewing their responsibilities or is the opposite true; are more arrests being made due to the rise of community unrest and the call to action by outraged citizens.

By narrowing the potential causes from my preliminary list of possibilities to the most substantial three, I feel that I can better manage the direction and focus of my research question. My aim is to maintain command of my topic by eliminating redundant ideas that could potentially oversaturate my essay with unnecessary or confusing information making it difficult or tedious to read.

Works Cited

ACLU, “Decarceration and Crime During Covid-19.” American Civil Liberties Union, 27 Jul. 2020, https://www.aclu.org/news/smart-justice/decarceration-and-crime-during-covi19/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020

Ashby, Matthew P. J. “Initial evidence on the relationship between the coronavirus pandemic and crime in the United States.” Crime Science, vol. 9, no. 1, 2020, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A624351034/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=86a8b973. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

Boman, John H., and Owen Gallupe, “Has COVID-19 Changed Crime? Crime Rates in the United States during the Pandemic.” Am J Crim Just 45, 537–545 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09551-3. Accessed 18, Oct 2020.

Curtis, Richard. “The improbable transformation of inner-city neighborhoods: crime, violence, drugs, and youth in the 1990s.” Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, vol. 88, no. 4, Summer 1998, p. 1233. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A54700680/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=7d939bce. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Hobbs, Michael. “Don’t Blame BLM For The Rise In Violent Crime. The Real Reason Is Much More Interesting.” The Huffington Post, 19 Jul. 2020, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dont-blame-the-rise-in-violent-crime-on-protesters_n_5f122c8bc5b6cec246c294f3. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020

Loader, Ian. “To reduce the harm: On defunding the police.” TLS. Times Literary Supplement, no. 6124, 2020, p. 10+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A632770147/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=60d033b4. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

NIDA. “Research at the Intersection of HIV with Substance Use Disorders amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 28 Jul. 2020,   https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2020/07/research-intersection-hiv-substance-use-disorders-amidst-covid-19-pandemic. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Raphael, Steven, and Michael A. Stoll. “The effect of prison releases on regional crime rates.” Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs, Annual 2004, p. 207+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A303451041/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=1671c8ad. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Southall, Ashley, and Neil MacFarquhar. “Gun Violence Spikes in N.Y.C., Intensifying Debate Over Policing.” The New York Times, Published 23 Jun. 2020, Updated 24, Aug. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/nyregion/nyc-shootings-surge.html. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

Vitelli, Romeo. “How Are Substance Abuse and Violence Related.” Psychology Today, 08 Mar. 2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/media-spotlight/201803/how-are-substance-abuse-and-violence-related. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Zaveri, Mihir. “A Violent August in N.Y.C.: Shootings Double, and Murder is Up by 50%.” The New York Times. 02 Sept. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/nyregion/nyc-shootings-murders.html. Accessed 11, Oct. 2020.

I’ve decided that my research question will be “How does the United States make it difficult for Immigrants to move on with their lives and succeed?”. Based on some research I’ve looked into, these days the Trump administration has not only seen an increase of people wanting to enter the country legally, but they’ve made it harder for people to earn their citizenship the way they would want people to fill out the process. This question interests me because I am interested with learning about immigration and the upside and downsides that come from it. I found a model essay that I can reference in my essay, the title is “How Trump made it that much harder to become a US citizen”. This article posted on VOX.com goes in depth with what I’m looking for in my research because one section talks about how Trump caused a “naturalization backlog”. This naturalization backlog is basically what happens when someone applies for a citizenship but has to go through another screening process. The process is also more strict than usual and the fees for online naturalization have increased by $1,160 since October 2^nd of this year. Not to mention its already difficult to get much done because of covid-19. But nonetheless, this model essay can help guide my research so I can look more into why the government has made becoming a legal citizen much harder for immigrants these days. In this essay I hope to reach those who are as considered with the problems that have surrounded immigration and possibly educate and inform those who want to learn about the corrupt system and how it has constantly been against minorities. Since this essay is due on November 6^th, I plan to have my research done by next week Sunday, October 25^th. I’ll base my research off the model essay and look more into the subtopics of naturalization and what new laws the government has placed against immigration since 2016. This week I will start looking into the increase of people applying for their citizenship and how that number has increased.