ABSTRACT

Violence is a research topic that is fraught with difficulties. A notoriously sensitive subject, and one that is presumed to be largely hidden, researchers have long struggled with the question of how to measure its impact and how to explore its incidence. Arising from the ESRC's Violence Research Programme, Researching Violence is a practical guide both to theses problems and to the obstacles encountered when negotiating this uneasy terrain. Comprising the reflections of researchers who have worked on diverse projects - from violence in the home to racial violence and homicide - this book demonstrates the ingenuity and at times courageous actions of researchers having to think on their feet. It also investigates the ethical and emotional issues arising from working with the victims and perpetrators of violence. This book will be indispensable for students and academics doing research projects on violence.

chapter |12 pages

Introduction

Methodological reflections

part I|54 pages

Documenting violence

chapter 1|15 pages

Researching violence in the past

Quantifiable and qualitative evidence

chapter 3|18 pages

Researching homicide

Methodological issues in the exploration of lethal violence

part II|88 pages

Enhancing data on violence

chapter 5|19 pages

Dilemmas of control

Methodological implications and reflections of foregrounding children's perspectives on violence

chapter 6|19 pages

Safety talk, violence and laughter

Methodological reflections on focus groups in violence research

chapter 7|11 pages

Researching violence

Power, social relations and the virtues of the experimental method

chapter 8|18 pages

The rising tide of female violence?

Researching girls' own understandings and experiences of violent behaviour

part III|77 pages

The impact of institutional contexts for the study of violence

chapter 9|20 pages

Fear of reprisal

Researching intra-communal violence in Northern Ireland and South Africa 1

chapter 10|15 pages

Veiling violence

The impacts of professional and personal identities on the disclosure of work-related violence

chapter 11|25 pages

Researching domestic violence in a maternity setting

Problems and pitfalls

chapter 12|15 pages

Racist violence from a probation service perspective

Now you see it, now you don't