Scholar Spotlight: Frank Edwards
The public and the media have paid more attention to civilian deaths from police encounters, but solid statistics are hard to find because police agencies aren’t required to submit this data to the federal government. This week, our Scholar Spotlight highlights Frank Edwards, whose new research uses a more accurate set of data stemming from media coverage and public records collected by the organization Fatal Encounters. His new article shows that police kill 2.8 men per day, and risk levels differ by location and race of the civilian. The new study has garnered a lot of attention in outlets like Reuters, Mic, and The Boston Globe.
Frank Edwards
Postdoctoral Associate, Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University
SSN Key Findings: Why U.S. States Vary in Their Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect
Edwards examines why efforts at social control and social welfare provision vary across places. His current research focuses on how and why foster care, child abuse and neglect reporting, and racial inequalities in child welfare interventions vary dramatically across U.S. states and counties.
Edwards came to this research agenda after working with children and youth in the foster care system. After working closely with older youth in state care, he saw how the day-to-day implementation of child protection depends intimately on the interaction between a broad range of state agencies and actors including law enforcement, public health, and child welfare agencies.