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MARKETING PLAN TEMPLATE (2)
Marketing Plan Template (Replace this line with your title)
Contents
Executive SummaryCompany ProfileMarket Segmentation & TargetingSituation and Company AnalysisEthics and Social ResponsibilityMarketing Information and ResearchCustomer Decision-Making ProfilePositioning and DifferentiationBrandingMarketing Mix (4Ps)Product StrategyPricing StrategyPlace: Distribution StrategyPromotion: Integrated Marketing Communications StrategyBudgetAction PlanRisk FactorsAttributions
Executive Summary
Do this section last. This short summary should provide a holistic overview of your marketing plan. All this information is covered in more detail in the rest of the marketing plan. For the Executive Summary, provide a clear, concise overview of the following points:
Company Description
Briefly describe the organization and offerings (products and/or services) your marketing plan focuses on, and the problem(s) they solve.
Target Segment
Identify and briefly describe your target segment.
Competitive Advantage
Explain your organization’s competitive advantage.
Positioning Statement
Provide the positioning statement your marketing plan will apply.
Marketing Plan Objectives
List the objectives of the marketing plan: What will it accomplish? Be as specific as possible: anticipated increase in sales, profits, market share, etc.
1—Company Profile
Buffalo Wild Wings
Restaurant Industry
Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN USA
Year founded: 1982
The number of employees: 3,400
Annual revenue (estimated): 2 billion
Major products and/or services: Wings, beer, sauces
Target customers: Sports fans, video gamers, trivia fans
Distribution channel(s): Local Buffalo Wild Wings distributors
Key competitors: Applebees, Olive Garden, Chili’s.
Link to website: https://www.buffalowildwings.com/
Link to Yahoo! Finance information page (for public companies): https://finance.yahoo.com/company/buffalo-wild-wings?h=eyJlIjoiYnVmZmFsby13aWxkLXdpbmdzIiwibiI6IkJ1ZmZhbG8gV2lsZCBXaW5ncyJ9&.tsrc=fin-srch
Market Segmentation & Targeting
What problem does your product or service solve?
Describe the total market for your solution: Who are potential customers?
What are the key segments within this market?
Identify and briefly describe 1-3 segments that this company serves.
Which segment does this marketing plan focus on, and why? Why do you believe this segment will offer growth and profit opportunities?
Situation and Company Analysis
Economic Environment
Discuss factors that affect your consumers’ purchasing power and spending patterns. What is the economic environment that you are operating in? Is it growth, recovery or recession? Will it be easy to find staff? What is the current interest rate i.e. is it increasing or decreasing? What is consumer confidence like?
Technical Environment
The technological environment changes rapidly. You need to make sure that you are aware of trends in your industry and other industries could affect your business. New technologies create new markets and can influence your consumers and competitors.
Industry Environment
What are the trends in your industry? Are there new entrants in the market? Has a substitute product been introduced? Are there changes in industry practices or new benchmarks to use?
Competitive Environment
How many competitors do you have? Who are the key competitors? What are the key selling points or competitive advantages of each one? What is your advantage over competitors? Is the market large enough to support you and competitors?
Political Environment
Consider the political environment for the areas that your business will trade and operate in. Is there a stable political system? Are there any licenses and regulations that you should be aware of? Do you need to win support to be able to operate?
SWOT Analysis
Instruction: Complete the table below with descriptive responses and explanation as you answer the questions below, remembering that Strengths and Weakness are INTERNAL to the organization and Opportunities and Threats are EXTERNAL (i.e., C-PEST <competitive, political, economic, social, technological> that are not in their direct control).
HELPFUL Ideas HARMFUL Concerns
Internal Strengths
Does the organization have a strong brand presence?
What resources are available for marketing activities?
Does the company have unique products or services that satisfy the needs of its target market?
What makes the company’s products or services unique?
What value is brought to customers? Weaknesses
Does the organization have a weak brand presence?
Are resources insufficient for marketing activities?
Does the company lack distinctive products or services?
Do current products or services fail to satisfy the needs of customers?
Do current products or services fail to bring value to customers?
External Opportunities
What C-PESTs could the company try to take advantage?
Does the target market have any unfulfilled needs that the company can satisfy?
Are there emerging target markets with needs that the company can satisfy?
Are there ways the company and its competitors can benefit from working together?
Are there opportunities for collaborating with customers to build brand presence?
Describe and analyze if market demand is increasing?
Are there changes in the government regulations that will affect the company?
Describe any emerging global issues that will affect the company? Threats
What are the tactics that competitors use to pursue customers?
What are the strengths of the company’s biggest and or emerging competitors?
In what ways are the competitors’ products or services superior to the company’s offerings?
How are competitors likely to respond to any changes in the way the company markets?
Is the company behind in adopting new technologies for marketing?
Describe any ways in which international competitors are taking away market share?
What do customers dislike about the company?
Describe and analyze if market demand is decreasing?
Mission, Objectives & Goals
State the mission or business purpose: what the organization wants to achieve, in market-oriented terms. (Example: Disney’s mission could be, “We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages.)
List three (3) objectives that move the organization a step closer to achieving the mission. (Example: A Disney objective could be, “To be the most popular theme park for international visitors.”)
Convert objectives into specific marketing goals that are easy to measure and evaluate, e.g., SMART. (Example: The company’s goal is to increase market share of international theme park visitors by 10% within the next two years.”)
1—-Ethics and Social Responsibility
Current Status
It is no longer acceptable for businesses to disregard issues around ethics and social responsibility. Conduct research and briefly describe what your organization is currently doing regarding corporate social responsibility and pursuing sustainable business practices.
Recommendations
Based on your understanding of the organization’s goals, what recommendations do you have for how to create a more ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable business? What practices do you recommend the organization pursue?
2–Marketing Information and Research
Research Question
Describe an important question you need to answer or a problem you are trying to solve in order to help the organization meet its goals and objectives.
Information Needed
Describe the information your organization needs to make effective decisions about how to answer this question or solve this problem.
Research Recommendations
What research do you recommend in order to provide the information you need? What research method(s) would you use to get the information you need? Will it involve secondary data and research? Primary research such as interviews, focus groups and surveys? Why do you recommend this research approach?
Customer Decision-Making Profile
Identifying the Customer and Problem
Describe a primary decision maker in your target segment: who they are, what they like, how they make buying decisions. Describe the primary problem(s) your organization, product or service will help them solve.
Factors Influencing Customer Decisions
Provide a detailed profile of your target segment using at least three (3) of the following categories:
Geographic characteristics: e.g., location, region, population size or climate.
Personal and demographic characteristics: e.g., age, gender, family size, family life stage, income, personality.
Social and Psychological characteristics: e.g., culture, social class, lifestyle, motivation, attitudes, reference groups, beliefs.
Situational characteristics: e.g., buying situation, level of involvement, market offerings, the frequency of use, brand loyalty.
B2B/organizational buying considerations: e.g., individual factors, organizational factors, business environment factors, types of complexity
Reaching the Customer
Based on this profile, identify 2-3 marketing strategies or tactics you believe would be effective at reaching this target segment, and briefly explain why they are a good fit.
Positioning and Differentiation
Positioning and differentiation explain what you want to be known for in the market, and how you are different from competitors. Respond to the following questions.
Competitive Advantages
List the competitive advantages of the product, service or organization you’re focusing on: the things that make it different from competitors in positive ways.
Market Niche and Positioning Strategy
Describe the market niche you want to fill, along with the positioning strategy you recommend using. Why do you think this is the right approach?
Positioning Statement
Develop a positioning statement using this formula: “To [target audience], [product/service/organization name] is the only [category or frame of reference] that [points of differentiation/benefits delivered] because [reasons to believe].
Repositioning Considerations
Do you recommend a repositioning that improves on what the organization has been using up to this point? Why or why not?
Branding
Brand Description
What is the “brand” you are trying to build? What do people think about this brand today, and how do they experience it?
Brand Promise
What is the brand promise for this brand? If one hasn’t been defined yet, create one. If you believe the brand promise needs improvement, please suggest how you would refine it. Why is your recommended brand promise a good fit?
Brand Voice and Personality
Describe your brand voice and personality using the is/is never template:
[Brand] is:
[Brand] is never:
2–Brand Positioning and Strategy
Make a recommendation about brand positioning and/or branding strategy to help build the brand and contribute to align it with what your target segment wants. How will this contribute to the success of your product, service or organization?
Marketing Mix (4Ps)
Product Strategy
Briefly describe your product or service. Where is it in the product life cycle? What recommendations do you have for improving the offering to fit your target market’s needs? Be sure to consider:
What level of quality and consistency does the offering have?
How many features does it have and can they be removed or added?
How well does your product or service deliver what the customer values? How can it improve?
What improvements would help your offering compete more effectively?
Pricing Strategy
How is your product or service priced today? How does this compare to competitors, assuming competitors are at or near break-even point with their pricing? Analyze pricing alternatives and make recommendations about pricing going forward based on the following:
How sensitive are your customers to changes in price?
What revenue do you need to break even and achieve profitability?
What does the price say about your product in terms of value, quality, prestige, etc.?
Place: Distribution Strategy
What is your current distribution strategy? What missed opportunities or disconnects are you seeing in this distribution approach? Make recommendations about your future distribution strategy based on the following:
What are the best distribution channels and methods for you to use, and why?
Will you have a retail outlet and if so, where will it be located?
In what geographic area(s) will your product/service be available?
Promotion: Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy
Use the template below to lay out your design for a marketing campaign aimed at your target segment.
Approach
How will you achieve your goal? What promotional or engagement strategies will you use? Think creatively about campaigns you’ve seen for companies or brands that have caught your attention, and how your campaign will make an impact on your target audience. Will your campaign influence? Engage? Educate? Nurture? Build awareness? Etc.
Example: Use email marketing, social media and a sales promotion (prize drawing at a conference) to encourage veteran attendees to post online about their experiences and plans for attending the user conference using the event hashtag. Use these testimonials to amplify dialogue about the conference (via social media), build awareness (via email marketing, website and targeted digital advertising) and convince peers they should attend.
Goal
In consideration of the of your previous analysis, you need to identify at least one goal for the campaign.
Describe the target segment for your campaign.
What is the goal you want to achieve with the campaign?
What is your call to action?
Make sure your goal is S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based.)
Example:
Audience: HR professionals who are casual and power-users of Chamber systems
Increase event registration by 20% by the start date of the annual user conference.
Call to action: Register online today.
Messages
Identify the primary message for your campaign, 2-3 message pillars, and proof points for each. Be sure to include a call to action that helps to achieve your goal. Remember that messages should align reinforce your positioning statement. Be sure to include a call to action that helps to achieve your goal.
Example:
Primary Message: The annual user conference provides phenomenal value for training, professional development, peer networking and learning how to get the most out of your investment.
Message Pillar: This conference welcomes you into a dynamic, well-connected and highly competent professional community.
Proof Point: Veteran attendees return year after year because it recharges their skills, knowledge and professional networks.
Call to Action: Register online today.
Promotional Mix and IMC Tools
Identify the key marketing communication methods and specific IMC tools you will use in your marketing campaign. How will you use each of these tools? Look for ways different methods and tools can build on each other: advertising, direct marketing, public relations, digital marketing, guerrilla marketing, personal selling, sales promotion.
Example:
Digital Marketing
Website: Add testimonials from prior attendees, event hashtag, rolling hashtag Tweets box, social media buttons to make registration easy to share via social media
Direct Marketing
Email marketing: Reach out to prior year’s attendees who are already registered. Ask them to post about plans to attend the upcoming conference. Conduct email campaign with target audience list to generate awareness, interest, desire to attend the conference.
Sales Promotion + Digital Marketing
Contest/giveaway: Offer giveaway where Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn posts trigger entries in a “conference evangelist” contest/giveaway to take place at conference opening session, one entry per social media tool per day
Sales Alignment
At what point(s) in the sales process (or sales funnel) does this campaign operate? Sales process stages are: 1) generate leads; 2) build relationships/discover needs; 3) present solution/resolve concerns; 4) close the sale; 5) monitor and follow up. How does your campaign support sales activity?
Measurement (KPIs – Key Performance Indicators)
How will you measure the success of the campaign? Select 3-6 KPIs (key performance indicators) that you will measure. Briefly explain why each KPI you select will be a good indicator of whether your campaign is successful.
Examples of KPIs:
Total sales/revenue
New/incremental sales
Number of qualified leads generated
Net Promoter Score
Website unique visitors
Number of registrations/sign-ups
Impressions – views of content
CTR – click-through rate
Engagement – comments, likes, shares, page views, video views
Followers – social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube)
Awareness
Etc.
Budget
Budget: List marketing budget and resources required to execute your marketing campaign, and estimate what it will cost. Include items such as labor, materials and other expenses such as: print materials, online media tools or development, public relations services, design services, content development services, space or equipment rental, etc. Also, estimate the increased sales or revenue the campaign will generate for the company.
Item Purpose Cost Estimate
Example: White paper authored by technical writer Layout the business case why recruiting managers need an easier tool for vetting resumes and reference checking in the technology industry $500.00
Item #1 Item #2 Item #3 Item #4 Add additional rows as needed.
Estimated campaign impact: [insert]
Action Plan
Outline the specific activities you must complete in order to execute your marketing campaign. Each element of your integrated marketing communications plan should be listed as a separate activity. List actions in the order they need to take place for the plan to be successful: first things first, later steps last. Follow-up activities and evaluation of campaign effectiveness also should be captured in this action plan. For the purposes of setting due dates in this action plan, you should assume you must complete the marketing campaign within 3-12 months.
Timing Activity Type Brief Description Audience Owner
Today’s Date Example:
Website Update Add new key messages that fit repositioning strategy and audience focus Tech company hiring managers Jim Hill
Date Date Date Date Date Launch Date Add additional rows as needed.
Risk Factors
Contingency plans and risk management: You should consider the possible risks to your business and make contingency plans to address them. You note some possible risks under the “weakness” and “threats” sections of your SWOT analysis. Identify steps you can take to either reduce risks or work around them if they occur.
Reminder to Student:
Remember to complete your Executive Summary at the beginning of this document. Also, be sure and remove all instructions, which are in italic typeface.
Attributions
CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY
Flinders Business School Marketing Plan Template. Authored by David Medlow-Smith. Located at: https://archive.org/details/FlindersBusinessSchoolMarketingPlan2. License: CC BY-SA.
ORIGINAL CONTENT
SWOT and Integrated Marketing Communications Templates. Authored by Melissa Barker. License: CC BY: Attribution.
Revision and adaptation. Authored by Lumen Learning. License: CC BY-SA.
Revision and adaptation. Authored by Waymon D. “Wade” Hyde, faculty, El Centro College/Dallas County Community College District. License: CC BY-SA.
Life Expectancy in the UK
Life Expectancy in the UK
Name:
Institution:
Date:
Abstract
Background: A randomized study was carried out on individuals who were comfortable talking about their income and their spending habits. The study also involved a random sample of all the citizens in order to ensure that the study was as representative as possible.
Methods: The period of study was from October 2013 to March 2014 and the follow up period for the study was after six months. The study involved the use of questionnaires on the employees who were selected. The questionnaires were also mailed to employees who could not be reached physically. The questions contained in the questionnaires included: Employees’ levels of income, age, sex, marital status, their anticipated action in case of increase in income, and their levels of education. The study involved a specific public corporation that is at the centre of public interest, and for that matter represents the interests and the spending habits of most employees. The study also involved the analysis of the company’s annual financial reports in order to get reliable information concerning the employees’ levels of income and levels of education, which is a great determinant of income levels (Kanji, 2006).
Results: A total of ten employees were recruited into the study, and nine out of the ten employees indicated that if their income was increase, they would also increase their expenditure but at a less proportionate rate. There was no response from one employee and the other one employee indicted that increased income would have no effect on his spending habit. Demographic factors such as sex, age, and marital status had great influence on how individuals spent their income but what was clear was that increased income increases people’s levels of expenditure. The spending habits of high income earners were also compared to those of the low income earners and the results showed that the high income earners had a tendency of going for the expensive commodities, which were not in the taste for the low income earners, for obvious reasons (Kanji, 2006).
Conclusion: Income level has great influence on how people spend and the kind of lifestyle they choose. Individuals generally live according to the level of income that they earn (Laband, & McClintock, 2001). The higher the in come, the higher the amount of money dedicated for consumption expenditure. It is noted that income differs across populations and as much as individuals would increase their expenditure with the increase in the incomes, it would only increase relatively to the income levels. That is, high income earners would comparatively dedicate high portions of income to expenditure as their income increases. As much as the low income earners would increase their expenditure, it can not be equal to that of the high income earners (Laband, & McClintock, 2001).
Introduction
Income varies across the population depending on careers, academic achievements, profession, and nature of the enterprise that one runs. According to Ekelund, & Tollison (1997), the variations in the income and economic powers are measured by the differences in the uneven wealth distribution and income inequalities, which is a major economic concern today. The differences in income and economic parity have led to differences in the living standards and expenditure pattern. Given that income is the primary measure of consumption and expenditure power, it is therefore essential to analyze how changes in income power influence the expenditure pattern. It is on this account that this study aims at investigating the relationship between income and expenditure/consumption pattern. This study is important in enhancing our understanding on the economic concept of income-expenditure and the variables that are associated with income and expenditure pattern. This analysis will help the researchers deeply understand the differences in expenditure and consumption given a change in disposal income (Ekelund, & Tollison, 1997).
This analysis will enable us establish the nature of the relationship that exists between these economic measures as well as predict the future pattern of expenditure for economic purposes. The basic tenet of income is that individual consumers normally determine the fraction of their current income that will be devoted to consumption on the basis of absolute level of income. Consumption and expenditure are functions of disposable income and as such, as aggregate real disposable income increases, the marginal propensity to consume declines. According to Ekelund, & Tollison (1997), people’s spending habit depend on what is called “fundamental psychological law”, which simply means that households would spend more on goods and services as real disposable income increases, but would not consume all of this increase in real disposable income. Several studies have been carried out in the past to determine the relationship existing between the levels of income and expenditure habits. The findings show that the environment, income levels, and social affiliations were significant determinant of expenditure habits of individuals.
Subjects and Methods
The primary objective of this study is to analysing the relationship between income and expenditure, to investigate the change in consumer expenditure given a change in their disposal income, and to determine the reasons for the differences in the expenditure pattern among different divides. To achieve these objectives, the study involved the use of a specific number of employees, which was nine, from a public corporation. The study involved the use of employees of all ages, genders, and of any marital status. The study involved employees who were comfortable about talking about income and who were able to co-operate with the researchers. They were given questionnaires and given time to respond after which the questionnaires could be collected back. Those who were not available were mailed and all the responses were compiled for proper analysis.
The study relied on both primary and secondary sources of data. The use of questionnaires was part of collecting primary data. The secondary data was collected from the secondary journals, books, internet, and articles. Economic Quarterly Journal was however the rich source of the data. The data (secondary data) was processed using the measures of central tendency and measure of dispersion. The data was represented using tables and graphs. This is because of the fact that the use of these data presentation methods as simple and provides a good visual impression that makes the comparison more easy (Ekelund, & Tollison, 1997).
Results
A total of ten employees were recruited into the study, and nine out of the ten employees indicated that if their income was increase, they would also increase their expenditure but at a less proportionate rate. There was no response from one employee and the other one employee indicated that increased income would have no effect on his spending habit. Demographic factors such as sex, age, and marital status had great influence on how individuals spent their income but what was clear was that increased income is likely to increase people’s levels of expenditure. The spending habits of high income earners were also compared to those of the low income earners and the results showed that the high income earners had a tendency of going for the expensive commodities, which were not in the taste for the low income earners, for obvious reasons (Laband, & McClintock, 2001).
Figure 1:
Annual Income (‘000’) Annual Expenditure (‘000’)
1,000 700
5,000 3,600
10,000 7,200
20,000 14,000
50,000 34,500
100,000 72,000
200,000 72,000
500,000 70,000
1,000,000 65,300
Figure 2:
Discussion
In figure 1, it is observed that expenditure increases with increase in income. It however reaches a point whereby an increase in income only results into a fall in expenditure level. This fall is attributed to the concept of marginal efficiency of consumption (MEC) (Laband, & McClintock, 2001). In the figure 2, there is upward rise in the graph but it starts to move downwards when it reaches a certain point due to marginal efficiency of consumption. It is noted that there is a positive relationship between consumption and expenditure, thereby implying that expenditure is a positive function of income. The two diagrams clearly show how expenditure reacts to changes in income levels, which was the main objective of the study. However, there are so many factors that can influence people’s decisions on their spending habits in relation to changes in their income. The first and most important factor is the psychological-social environment. This is where individuals try to emulate the spending habits of those around them and will thus strive to spend as those whose incomes are slightly above them in order to attain a feeling of belonging (Ekelund, & Tollison, 1997).
When individuals in their everyday living come into frequent contact with superior goods, the result is a “demonstration effect”, which causes the individual to want to spend more as their income increases since they desire the superior goods for status (Laband, & McClintock, (2001). However, an individual’s habit of the desire to belong to some social class and the “demonstration effect” must be considered in the context of the neighbourhood in which one lives. For example, if an individual lived in a poor neighbourhood, say with an average income level of $500 and received $3,000 a year in income, he would consume less and save more since his income would be relatively high as compared to the average income of his neighbours. But if the individual received the same income ($3, 000) and lived in a rich neighbourhood (with an average income of $ 8,000), he would consume more and save less since his income would be relatively low as compared to the average income of his neighbours. This concept implies that the amount of individual’s income that is devoted to consumption expenditure depends on the level of his income relative to the income of other individuals with whom the individual identifies with rather than on the absolute level of his income (Ekelund, & Tollison, 1997).
The other important factor affecting consumption expenditure is that individuals form their habit and expectation on the basis of their previous peak income (highest income level attained so far). They then base their consumption pattern on this income and never want to give up. In case of a recession in the economy, there is likely to be a fall in the household income but the individual will want to maintain the same living standards as when income was at its peak. This would mean that the individual would reduce the level of savings in order to retain his level of expenditure. According to Mattos (2006), as income falls, expenditure will always fall but less proportionally with the fall in income.
References
Ekelund, R. B., & Tollison, R. D. (1997). Politicized economies: Monarchy, monopoly, and mercantilism. College Station: Texas Univ. Press.
Kanji, G. K. (2006). 100 statistical tests. London: SAGE Publications.
Laband, D. N., & McClintock, G. (2001). The transfer society: Economic expenditures on transfer activity. Washington, D.C: CATO.
Mattos, E. (2006). Three essays on fiscal policy and redistribution.
A gang is defined as an organized group of people to commit a crime
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1.
A gang is defined as an organized group of people to commit a crime. For many years, there has been a concern about the rising number of gangs across the country. Different gangs have different names by they are all bonded by their desire to cause harm and mayhem, and this makes them a threat to social order and public security. The history of gangs can be traced back to early civilizations, and they have evolved as they respond to the evolving society that we live. A gang is often comprised of people who have similar demographic similarities and the intention to cause social disorder. In the United States, data shows that up to there exists more than a million gangs who account for more than half of the reported criminal activities. Although gangs were previously known to exist in large inner-metropolis, in recent decades, gangs are manifesting themselves into smaller cities and towns, including rural areas of the country. Gangs have infiltrated into most aspects of our lives, including suburbs, rural areas, metropolis, and correctional institutions and, to some extent, schools.
Modern gangs are identified with a variety of characteristics that generally apply across the board. For instance, some of the activities that are standard for gangs include vandalism, swarming, stabbings, drug trafficking, intimidation and extortion, shootings, theft, and murder. Members of gangs often identify themselves with certain dress codes. Gangs in the country are also associated with certain body tattoos and signs that make it easy to identify themselves. It is a culture for gangs to develop certain signs to identify their territories and prevent the encroachment of others in the same neighborhood (Boyd, 2018). Law enforcers have identified certain signs, nicknames, and dress codes that gangs associate with, which makes it simpler to identify and bring them to book. Gang targets public places where their victims are likely to be accessed, including transit stops, parks, malls, streets, schools, public beaches.
In recent years, the brutality of law enforcers in the country has been on the rise, especially towards African American men. Police brutality can be defined as the use of excessive force when dealing with lawbreakers of perceived lawbreakers. Many African Americans have died in the country due to the bullets fired by law enforcers, although there was proof that they did not pose a significant danger to the officers (Ostertag, 2019). As police brutality gained attention in the country, many activists and citizens of goodwill raised concern about the racial profiling that was witnessed as most of those who were victims were of African origin. Many people were concerned that history was repeating itself when African Americans had to deal with racial profiling after many years of fighting for equal rights during the mid-twentieth century. In the 1950s and 1960s, many African Americans faced persecution for being black, and they became victims of racial profiling in the country.
Gangs have a set of informal rules that guide their operations. For instance, some acts by one member that are regarded as betrayal attract punishment that would lead to death. Many gangs operate in secrecy and have gang leaders who are in charge of the operations of the gang and can punish members or individuals considered as going against the set rules. Although gangs often have a code of conduct, there is also the risk of conflicts among members, most of them which are solved through violence. Gang members often do the enforcement of gang rules, and each has a responsibility of ensuring adherence to them. When there is a conflict of interest among gang members, there is a likelihood that other members will take sides and divide into two gangs with a lot of hostility between them.
People have raised concerns about police brutality that is witnessed in the country is similar to gang violence that is being witnessed across different suburbs in the country. Although the argument is based on the recent conduct of law enforcers, there are aspects of truth and falsehood s that come with it. For a start, it is vital to acknowledge that law enforcers are legally established and are expected to adhere to the set code of conduct and the US Constitution. One would compare police officers with gangs based on their conduct, especially when the public feels that they are perpetuating injustices of marginalized groups. Recent actions of law enforcers shooting innocent people in different places across the country continue to give a reason for people to compare law enforcers to gangs. As legal bodies and people who are expected to protect the lives of every American, the police officers should be held in high regard. However, their actions have been disappointing in recent years.
In recent decades, there have been incidences where police officers have shot dead unarmed African American men under mysterious circumstances. When law enforcers appear to be rogue and act in total disregard for the rule of law, it creates a feeling that forces other people to compare them with gangs. Gangs like law enforcers who act in disregard to the provisions of law, cause mayhem to innocent people and often kill them without respecting their rights. A few years ago, activists who were concerned about the increased police brutality to innocent killing African Americans started the ‘black lives matters.’ It was aimed at ensuring that law enforcers were held accountable for their perceived racial discrimination against people of African descent. As the campaign gained publicity in the US and the globe, many people started comparing the police brutality to that of gangs. The actions of some rogue police officers significantly tainted the image of the law enforcers, and this offers insights into why some people compare them with the operations of criminal gangs.
Community policing is vital in helping to foster the relationship between African Americans and police officers. It seems as if there is bad blood between law enforcers and the people of African descent, and this should be addressed. It will start by developing a strategy that addresses the misconceptions that exist between the two factions of society and help create a new platform for their interactions. There is a need to create public awareness among the African American community that there is a need to be calm with police officers and do what they ask of them as long as it is within the law. This is because there is a perception that most youths from African descent are defiant, and they are unwilling to respond to law enforcer’s request because they are always armed. Making it clear to African Americans that the responsibility of law enforcers is to protect them and act in the interest of public goodwill. This would ensure that most of them do what is expected of them when interacting with police officers.
The use of body and dashboard cameras would help African Americans offer evidence when law enforcers are mistreating them, and in instances where one dies, they can offer alternative evidence to police accounts of events. They would also act as a deterrent against police brutality as law enforcers would realize that they are being watched. There have been instances where African Americans have been shot even when they surrender to law enforcers and proving that cases have always been difficult. Technology is the only alternative to providence proof of what transfers in instances where there is suspected police brutality. Encouraging the installing dashboard and body cameras would help gather evidence in instances of police brutality against African Americans.
White supremacy involves the advancement and support of ideas and beliefs that are based on the natural superiority of white races to other groups, especially against those of Hispanic and African descent (Lane, 2018). Other terms have been used to describe white supremacists, including fascist, ultranationalist, and racist. Most groups that are regarded as white supremacists employ violence in implementing and spreading their ideas. Although there are interventions that have been developed to address the issue of police brutality against African Americans, white supremacists are undermining them.
For instance, where people have the idea of white supremacists, they consider people from other races as inferior, and they are more likely to abuse or exercise extreme brutality towards them. This makes curbing the problem of law enforcers’ brutality to people of African descent difficult. White supremacist uses violence to spread their ideas, and this is likely to encourage law enforcers who are tolerating their ideas to use more force towards African Americans. If the white supremacists succeed in spreading their white supremacy in the country, there is a likelihood that the country will experience increased violence against people of African descent from not only law enforcers but also their sympathizers. There is a need for more research on the extent to which the training of police officers would be contributing to increased police brutality towards African Americans. Many law enforcers have developed a notion that people of African descent are more likely to commit a crime compared to white people hence the need for more research on the origin of this perception. It would be vital in explaining the police perception of African Americans and shape the interventions that may be needed to address the problem.
2. What is child maltreatment, and what is the scope of this problem?
Child maltreatment is defined as any act of commission or omission that is likely to cause harm o people to consider being under the age of 18 years. It includes all forms of child abuse that may cause physical, emotional, psychological, and social harm. Some actions that are considered child maltreatment include child neglect, ill-treatment, negligence for children’s welfare, and any other form of exploitation of children. Child maltreatment is a global concern for many stakeholders, and there has been a concerted effort to address the issue, although the interventions have not been comprehensive and effective. Child abuse will threaten the health, development, survival, and dignity of children. In the United States, child maltreatment is a concern for many organizations that deal with the welfare of children as the trend has been increasing over the years.
According to statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO), about a quarter of adults globally report having undergone at least one form of physical abuse at childhood. According to reports from the Child Maltreatment Prevention statistics, more than five million children in the country have undergone one or more forms of child maltreatment. The most common form of child maltreatment in the country is physical, emotional, and sexual and neglect. They account for more than ninety percent of reported child maltreatment hence raising much concern on what interventions are necessary to address the problem (Branson et al. 2017).
Delinquency is a major concern in the United States as the numbers of juvenile crime continue to increase in the country. The numbers of children and teenagers who are being arrested and sent to the juvenile justice system have been rising. Stakeholders in the country are raising concerns about the trend. What is of more concern is that some of the juveniles are being involved in the armed crime that would attract large prison terms. According to sociological research, studies on delinquency reveal that socioeconomic status is the primary driver of juvenile crimes in the country, although other factors come into play. Generally, juveniles from poor backgrounds or neighborhoods regarded as low-income earners are more likely to engage in delinquency compared to those from more affluent families. This mentions that some of them engage in crimes due to pressure from socioeconomic factors they face. Other factors that affect criminal activities in juveniles include drug abuse, neglect, gang membership, and age (Crosby, 2016).
A trauma-informed practice in our juvenile systems is the practice that is based on the acknowledgment of the turmoil that juveniles undergo under certain circumstances, which would lead to the commitment of crimes. The aim of integrating trauma-informed practices into the juvenile system is to ensure that they are responsive to the traumatic events which teens who are convicted have undergone or are undergoing to offer a holistic approach to rehabilitation. It aims at addressing the cause of post-trauma stress disorders (PTSD) such as sexual abuse, poverty, violence, gender identity, neglect, racism, disability, and any form of discrimination that would be traumatizing to juveniles.
Trauma in juveniles results from socioeconomic factors that are linked with their source of income for families and access to basic essential services. Dealing with trauma in teenagers would require a holistic approach that would address the social-economic factors that are attributed to trauma. Research has shown that trauma is a significant contributor to juvenile crimes land addressing the causes would significantly reduce the upward trend of trauma in the country. The critical consideration in dealing with the issue of trauma is developing interventions that addressing the root cause. This makes it possible to minimize the risk of juveniles experiencing the trauma and limiting its severity when it happens. Interventions should be aimed at addressing socioeconomic factors that cause trauma.
Research assessing the different implementation processes that are adopted in family and juvenile court systems indicates that they are quite different from standard criminal justice systems. The juvenile and family court systems are designed to offer offenders a second shot at life without entirely condemning them. On the contrary, the standard criminal justice system adheres to strict laws and aims to ensure that people are held accountable for their actions as per the criminal justice system.
Although there is more desire and effort to promote the integration of trauma-informed practice within the juvenile court systems, there are numerous setbacks that make it difficult for full integration. The high numbers of juveniles who are sent to juvenile justice systems have overwhelmed the number of personnel involved in the provision of trauma-integrated hence compromising its effectiveness. There is also concern that there is a need for more interventions aimed at preventing trauma that would increase the number of teenagers sent to the juvenile justice system as a long term solution to the problem of trauma in delinquency. As time goes by, the effectiveness of trauma-informed practices in the juvenile court systems would be assessed, and more data generated would be used to make them more responsive to current trends.
References
Boyd, R. W. (2018). Police violence and the built harm of structural racism.
Branson, C. E., Baetz, C. L., Horwitz, S. M., & Hoagwood, K. E. (2017). Trauma-informed juvenile justice systems: A systematic review of definitions and core components. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 9(6), 635.
Crosby, S. D. (2016). Trauma‐informed approaches to juvenile justice: A critical race perspective. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 67(1), 5-18.
Lane, B. (2018). Racial Integration and White Supremacy in America: Can America Integrate its Power Structures and Liberate Them From White Supremacy.
Ostertag, S. (2019). Anti-Racism Movements and the US Civil Sphere: The Case of Black Lives Matter.