Causation is usually at the root of what the researcher wants to know.
In the summary that follows, I will review the researcher's specific questions, methodology, and final results. Further, I will discuss the study's relevance, review the testing procedures, and suggest possible future studies to be considered. In the journal article, the authors questions are primarily concerned with measuring the impact childhood maltreatment has on the child becoming a delinquent. The self-reports were done every six months over four and a half years in which youths and their primary caretakers were interviewed. Students in the sample began the interviews in seventh and eighth grade, in the Rochester, New York school system and the sample was stratified on two variables to compensate for gender and community bias.