METHODOLOGY Table 3.18 The qualitative study thematic framework

1. Where children seeaggression

1.1 'For real': home

1.2 ‘For real’: school & playground 1.3 ‘For real’: street

1.4 Television (TV) 1.5 Video games (VG) 1.6 Films (DVDs & other) 1.7 Internet

1.8 Books & magazines 1.7 Other

2. Feelings/views about seeing aggression

2.1 Feelings/views about seeing aggression ‘for real’

2.2 Feelings/views about seeing aggression in TV programmes & VG & films & internet

2.3 Difference real – not real

2.4 Difference realistic – non realistic

2.5 Feelings/views about seeing blood in TV programmes & VG & films & internet 2.6 What is aggression/what is violence

2.7 Why children like TV programmes & VG & films that include aggression 2.8 Other issues

3. Views about what causes/ does not cause aggression

3.1 Seeing aggression – cause of aggressive behaviour in some children 3.2 Seeing aggression does not make some children aggressive

3.3 Nature/ Predisposition/ Tendency 3.4 Family/ Upbringing

3.5 Peers/ Community/ Society 3.6 Other issues

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3.10.4.1.3 Indexing

The thematic framework was systematically applied to all interview transcripts using NVivo. This process involved indexing each transcript using the terms previously assigned to the index headings of the thematic framework, a process also called ‘coding’ by NVivo users (Bazeley, 2007). A single passage of text in a transcript was usually indexed under more than one theme.

3.10.4.1.4 Charting

Once all data was indexed, the original data was summarised and then used to create the charts. All data was rearranged according to the appropriate theme and sub-theme to which it related and it was charted in a spreadsheet format. The Microsoft Excel software was used to facilitate this process. The chart had a matrix format: the themes and sub-themes were displayed across the columns and each case (i.e. each participating child) is allocated a separate row. In order to compare and contrast child and carer’s views more easily, themes related to child and carer data were displayed across separate columns. For each case, data such as age, gender, ethnicity, family income level, scores on the

aggression measures were recorded under ‘case attributes’ (term used in NVivo to denominate data known about each case that is recorded separately from the text generated by that case). In this study, the attribute data were provided by the findings of the quantitative study component.

Researcher’s comments and interpretative observations were noted on a

separate column in order to facilitate later interpretation. A chart was created for each of the three main themes of the study thematic framework.

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3.10.4.1.5 Mapping and interpretation

The charts were used to find associations between themes and to identify patterns within the data as well as questions and explanations for the findings. Attribute data (provided by the quantitative study findings) such as age, gender, family income level and intensity of exhibited aggression were used to facilitate the identification of patterns in the qualitative data.

3.10.4.2 COUNTING ANALYSIS

Qualitative research does not generally seek to quantify data because the qualitative study sample is not selected to be numerically representative of the population and interviewees are not asked the same questions in the same

manner as in the case of a survey. However simple counts proved useful in some qualitative studies (Pope and Mays, 2006).

This study used simple counts (numbers) in order to provide a clear account of the reported sources of watching of aggression of participating children (e.g. how many children reported seeing aggression in TV programmes). Although not numerically representative of the target population, these accounts, together with the related themes that emerged from the data, contributed to answering the research questions of where children see aggression in their lives and what are the possible third variables for a future larger study.

3.10.5INTER-RATER RELIABILITY

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participant interviews – one child interview and the corresponding carer interview in order to check the inter-rater reliability. The child interview was selected from the qualitative study sample based on the ‘most frequent for the sample’ criterion with regard to age, gender, ethnicity and income level and where the Indexing stage of qualitative data analysis had already been applied to the interview transcript by the author of this thesis at the time of selecting the interview for inter-rater reliability check. There was agreement on eighty percent of the themes identified by the author of this thesis and the above-mentioned researcher.

3.11 SAFETY PROTOCOL

Approved safety measures for the researcher were followed in the case of

meetings taking place at the participant’s home in accordance with the University of Warwick’s policy on safety in fieldwork (The University of Warwick, 2006b) and the Social Research Association’s Code of Practice for the Safety of Social Researchers (The Social Research Association, 2001). The researcher checked in and out prior to and following meetings with an appointed person at CAMHS or Warwick Medical School. The researcher carried a mobile phone, always

switched on.

3.12 SUMMARY

This chapter set out an overview of this mixed methods study and how each of the study components was set up to answer the research questions of this thesis. It described the research population and setting, specified inclusion/exclusion criteria, discussed ethical considerations and provided detailed descriptions of the

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methodology of each of the study components, including study design, sampling strategy, measures and analysis.

The quantitative and qualitative study results are presented separately in the following two chapters. The results of each study and their contribution to answer the research questions will be collated within the Discussion chapter of this thesis.