"Pourquoi Pas?" Versus "Absolutely Not!" Cross-National Differences in Access to Schools and Pupils for Survey Research

• NCJ Number: 231506
• Journal: European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2010 Pages: 89-109
• Author(s): Ineke Haen Marshall
• Date Published: June 2010
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

Drawing on the experiences of the International Self-report Delinquency (ISRD) study, this article shows how countries differ on the important issue of cooperation for survey research and examines what kinds of cross-national variability exist, major obstacles encountered in different national contexts, and the issue of the participation of the selected schools.

Abstract

This article suggests that national and regional context has an important influence on whether and how school-based self-report delinquency can be done. The national variations within the clusters further reinforce the significance of national context on the implementation of a comparative project such as the International Self-report Delinquency (ISRD) study. In any national context, researchers' skills are important in shaping the quality and success of the research study. At the same time, the particular social, cultural, and political obstacles that need to be overcome vary significantly by national context, making strong argument for the importance of approaching a comparative study such as the ISRD as a truly collaborative effort. This article uses the ISRD to provide a view of how national cultural context plays a role in shaping what kind of research is possible in a given country. The ISRD is basically a school-based study, surveys collected in the school setting. Drawing on the experiences of the ISRD, this article shows how countries differ on the important issue of cooperation (of schools, of parents, of pupils). It examines what kinds of cross-national variability exist with regard to (1) ease of access to the schools, and (2) ease of gaining cooperation from the pupils and their parents if needed. Major obstacles encountered in different national contexts are identified, resulting in varying levels of adherence to the planned sampling design. Tables and references