General Topic Area Specific Topic Area Topic Ideas Research Question Abuse Child abuse Child abandonement & neglect Abuse Child abuse Child Abuse Child discipline vs child Abuse Child abuse abuse (latino community) How are children and families affected by parental abandonment, and how can they be helped to cope with the consequences? What are the factors/conditions that lead to child abuse? How can kids be helped to tell about their abuse? What are the long-term effects of abuse? Where is the line between discipline and abuse in Latino families in the U.S.? Abuse Child abuse Effects of drug use around children Abuse Domestic abuse Domestic violence Domestic violence against Abuse Domestic Abuse men Abuse Domestic violence Domestic Violence Difficulty in prosecution of domestic abusers in homes due to regulations Abuse Domestic violence etc Abuse Elder abuse Elder Abuse Abuse Elder abuse Child abuse How are children affected when they are in the presence of drug use in the home or neighborhood, and what can be done to diminish these effects? What are the effects of domestic abuse on children as they grow up, and how can they be helped to heal from the trauma? What types of psychological problems come from witnessing domestic violence? What problems in law enforcement systems prevent victims of domestic violence from obtaining [help? justice? treatment?], and how can these problems be addressed? What are the conditions in elder care systems that lead to abuse of patients, and wnat are ways to prevent this abuse? What factors lead to higher rates of child abuse in lower income communities, and what strategies are being used to fight this problem?
Abuse Sexual abuse Sexual Abuse in Native American Communities Abuse Sexual abuse Sexual assault of males Animals Animal cruelty Animal cruelty Animals Animal cruelty Perceptions of Pitbulls Animals Animal testing Animal Testing Animals Animal treatment Life as a shelter animal Animals Animal treatment Animal abuse/puppy mills Economics College costs Rising costs of college Financial aid for undocumented Financial aid for Economics Students undocumented Students Economics Economics Low income issues Predatory lending Low Income communities are limited in fulfilling their potential Predatory Lending in Low Income Communities Why are rates of sexualt assault so high on Native American reservations, and why is prosecution of perpetrators so difficult? What are the effects of childhood sexual assault on boys as they grow, and why is it so difficult to identify or stop? What is the relationship between animal cruelty and violent behavior toward other people? Why do pitbull attacks appear to be so common, and what can be done to change the negative perception of these dogs? How is commercial product testing on animals a form of abuse? What are the ways to significantly lower the number of animals in shelters [in L.A.] without euthanasia? What kinds of problems come as a result of puppy mills, and should the practice be banned? Why is college becoming more & more unaffordable for so many Americans, and what will be the impact of this unchecked rise on the country? How will [certain qualified] undocumented immigrants access to financial aid & in-state tuition rates benefit communities & economies? Why is poverty such an inescapable cycle, and how can the cycle be broken for more families? How did predatory lending practices contribute to the housing crisis of 2008 and its impact on lowincome communities, and what is being done to prevent future crises?
Arts education Performing Arts in Schools Charters as a solution Cultural relevance Culturally relevant education Charter schools solving traditional school problems Decolonizing American education system Culturally Relevent How system is killing creativity Effects of poverty Effects of poverty on youth Inequalities in education inequalities in education Inequalities in Why don't minority boys finish high school? Relevant education Comics as tools for literacy Special education & tracking Tracking in public education What is the impact of cuts to arts programs on kids, and what can be done to raise public awareness about the importance of arts education? What are the benefits of successful charter schools, and how can these practices be implemented in traditional schools? What is the value of culturally relevant education for minority students, and how can CRE be integrated into schools? How does the currect system of public education stifle innovation, and how can the system be changed to foster creativity? What is the impact of poverty on academic achievement, and how can the effects of poverty be combatted in education? Why do marginalized groups face such significant barriers to educational equity in the U.S., and how will addressing these barriers benefit not just those marginalized, but the nationa as a whole? Why do young men of color struggle to graduate from high school, and what can be done to help more young men succeed? How can comic books be used to increase student engagement and understanding in school across disciplines? What is the impact of ability tracking in education, and how can public education push more students to achieve at grade level?
/Health Environmental Special Students Effects of educational stress Animals Children with disabilities Effects of educational stress in teens Shark fishing, misconceptions Environmental California drought Green architecture Environmental Environmental Environmental Environmental Environmental Deforestation Endangered species Green space Pollution Pollution Deforestation/carbon offsets Japanese Dolphin Slaughter Lack of green space in cities Effects of plastics on marine life Marine pollution & ocean runoff Environmental Pollution Gulf Oil Spill How are students with special needs treated by school communities, and what can be done for more inclusion & emotional support? How does standardized testing and school grading impact excessive student competition & stress in students? How will marine ecosystems & human lives be affected by the overfishing of sharks? What is the best way for California homeowners to best deal with the drought? What are the advantages & disadvantages of carbon offsets as a legitimate strategy to mitigate the effects of deforestation? What are the impacts, environmentally and socially, of the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan, and what can be done to stop or curtail the practice? How do green spaces benefit residents of lowincome communities, and what avenues are available to increase green spaces in cities like Lawndale, Gardena, & Inglewood? (or "South LA area") What are the direct and indirects effects of plastic particulates on different coastal organisms, and how can these particulates be prevented from reaching the ocean? How does urban runoff affect coastal ecosystems and what can be done to combat this problem? How did the 2010 Gulf Oil Disaster impact ecosystems and the economy in the Gulf regions, and who is to blame?
Health Health Disease treatment Food-related issues Lack of Health : Lupus The relationship between fast food and childhood obesity Health Food-related issues Food Deserts Health Food-related issues Food Deserts Health Health Health Gender issues Medical access Medical options Lack of gender-specific study in medicine Breast Cancer Risk in women of different socioeconomic statuses Western Medicine vs Eastern Medicine Health Teenage Stress Medical Field What groups are affected most by lupus and why, and why does there appear to be a lack of sufficient treatment for these groups that suffer with the disease? What is the relationship between fast food and childhood Undecided, obesity? but will consider: * What is a food desert? * Where are they most commonly found? (What people? Race/ethnicity? Socio-economic status?) * How are people affected by this condition? * What can be done to improve access to healthier foods in deserts? * What other factors compound the problems of food deserts? Why are poor people so addicted to fast food, what are the consequences of this addiction, and who is responsible? Why is there an apparent lack of gender-specific research in medicine [when it comes to genderneutral disease/physiology], and how are women affected by this lack of research? How/why is the health care system failing to care for women/families in poverty in the U.S.? Why have Eastern Medicine practices not been more integrated into Western Medicine, and what needs to be done to include more of these techniques? What factors to increased stress in teens, and how can they be equipped to deal with the effects of stress?
Homelessness Homelessness Homelessness Lack of medical attention for homeless with mental Homelessness Homelessness illnesses Homelessness Homelessness Homelessness Homelessness Immigration Homelessness LGBT Homeless LGBT Teens Immigration Immigration crisis of Central American refugee children at US/Mexico border Immigration Immigration Immigration and education Immigration Law Law Life as an immigrant Gangs Graffiti Living as an undocumented immigrant Gang violence/gang injunctions The Criminalization of Graffitti * What are the leading causes of homelessness in LA, and how can these be addressed to genuinely solve the issue? * What resources are available to help house the homeless, and why have they failed to help in a legitimate way? How can society successfully help the homeless who are mentally ill without obstructing their civil rights? What are the major cause of homelessness, and what is being done to end homelessness? What factors lead to homelessness among LGBT teens, and what can be done to stop this increasing problem? Taking into account the validity of multiple perspectives on the issue, what can the United States do to prevent future refugee crises as with the recent influx of Central American immigrant children? What are the common traits of successful immigrants [of the immigrant from poverty or other challenging conditions?] in the U.S. education system, and how can this be used as a model to help more immigrants succeed? What is life like for the undocumented farmworker in California, and what needs to be done to improve working & living conditions? What are the conditions that lead so many young men to join gangs, and how can this cycle be stopped? What is the value of graffiti, and how can Los Angeles find a balance between respect for property and art?
Law Guns Firearm Violence Impact of Mexican Drug Wars on Impact of Mexican Drug California Wars on California Law Communities Communities Law Police conduct Police brutality Law Police conduct Police brutality & race Law Police conduct Police Misconduct Law Police conduct Police brutality Law Police conduct Police brutality Law Police conduct Police brutality Law Police conduct Police brutality Law Prisons Effects of incarceration of parents on children What are the factors that lead an individual to commit a mass shooting [at a school such as Sandy Hook, Columbine, or UCSB], and how can these tragedies be prevented? How does the drug war in Mexico/Central America impact life in California? Why have American police forces become more militarized in communities of color, and what is the effect of this militarization on those communities? What circumstances increase the rates of police brutality against minorities? Why do police officers use excessive force, and what can communities do to decrease the incidences of violent policing? How real [serious] is the issue of police brutality in the United States? What causes police officers to use excessive or deadly force, and how does this affect the community and its relations with police? What causes police officers to use excessive or deadly force, and how does this affect the community and its relations with police? Why are local police forces becoming more militarized, and what is the impact of this process on communities served by these forces? How are children of parents in prison affected, and what can be done to help the kids cope & avoid following their parents' paths?
Law Prisons Recidivism & the monetization of prisoners Law Prisons Privitization of Prisons Law Prisons Recidivism Law Sex trafficking Sex Trafficking Cultural portrayals Cultural stereotyping Cultural stereotyping Ethnic portrayal Music business Mysogyny in Cosplay/Comic Conventions Portrayal of African Americans in African American stereotyping in media Asian stereotyping in media Portrayal of Latinas in Corruption in Music - Cheating bands out of money or changing musicians to fit the label's expectations etc Mysogyny in /Cosplay How does recidivism and the industrial prison complex affect inmates and their families, and how does it benefit corporations? What is the connection/relationship between The American Private Prison System and recidivism rates today? What makes re-entry programs for released prisoners so effective, and why have these programs not been more widely implemented? How do girls become victims of child sex trafficking in California, and how can they escape? What are the effects of the use of racial stereotypes in film & TV on African Americans, and what can be done to counteract those effects? What is the impact of negative representations of minorities in film & tv, & what are the best ways to minimize these representations & impacts? What are the effects of stereotyping of Asians in television & movies, and how can Asian Americans deal with these stereotypes? Why are Latinas so narrowly stereotyped in film & tv? What are the effects of this stereotyping on the audience? How can the negative effects of this stereotyping be minimized? How have record companies taken advantage of musicians and their work, and what effect has this had on the listening public? How can women be creative and independent with their physical appearance without fear of being objectified?
Mysogyny in Cosplay/Comic Conventions Mysogyny in Cosplay/Comic Conventions Race-related Video games Mysogyny in /Cosplay Mysogyny in /Cosplay Diversity in the modeling industry Effects of video game violence Video games Video game violence Military PTSD Veterans How to effectively treat PTSD - Military Military PTSD Veterans PTSD - Military Military Politics Treatment of Veterans (broad) Funding for emergency services Inadequate Military Aid for Veterans Lack of Funding for Emergency Services (Firefighters budgets cut) Why does society seem to accept that women bear some responsibility for sexual harassment and assault? How does the culture of "conventions" and "cosplay" highlight the larger societal issue of women's supposed culpability in mysogyny and sexual harassment and assault? What are the effects of violent video games on children, & how can parents help their kids avoid potential problems from these games? What are the negative effects of video game violence on teenage behavior, and what needs to be done to limit these effects? Why is it such a challenge for veterans with PTSD to receive proper treatment, and what can be done to ensure this does not continue? Why is it such a challenge for veterans with PTSD to receive proper treatment, and what can be done to ensure this does not continue? Why is it such a challenge for OEF and OIF veterans to receive adequate treatment, and what can be done to ensure this does not continue? Why do emergency services in CA face such shortages in funding, and what is being done to make up for the shortfall?
Politics Geopolitical The Israeli/Gaza Conflict Politics Nuclear power plants Nuclear Power Plants How has religion made peace impossible in Israel? How can Palestinians and Israelis coexist peacefully? What is the best way to work toward lasting peace in Israel? Based on the current events in Israel, should its government be removed? Why is nuclear power the wrong choice for global energy needs of today? Sexting Self-deprecation due to media standards of beauty (women, teens, and men) Eating Disorders and What impact does media imagery have on teen girls in the U.S., and how can teens deal with it? What role does media play in the development of eating disorders in young women, and how can girls be equipped to combat this influence? What are the consequences of girls sending sexually explicit photos to boys, and what can be done to stop this dangerous practice? influence on women & beauty standards influence on women & beauty standards influence on women & beauty standards influence on women & beauty standards What impact does media imagery have on teen girls in the U.S., and how can teens deal with it? What impact does sexualized media imagery have on teen girls in the U.S., and how can teens deal with it? Why do so many adolescent girls struggle to be happy with their appearance? Where does the modern standard of beauty for women in America come from, and how can the importance of this standard be diminished?
Factors that lead to eating disoders Cosmetic surgery addiction How has American [media culture] contributed to a rise in eating disorders in [teenage, adolescent?] girls, and what can be done to arrest the problem? What factors drive women to cosmetic surgery, what are the unintended consequences of the surgery, and how can women be helped to improve self-esteem? influence on women/standards of beauty Gender roles Gender roles Gender roles Feminism, gender roles Mental illness Marketing of mental illness What is the impact of media and products targeted at young girls on these girls, and what can be done to help girls understand that Barbie isn't real? How does cultural reinforcement of established gender norms affect children as they grow, and what can be done to help teens cope and help families find understanding? How does cultural reinforcement of established gender norms affect children as they grow, and what can be done to help teens cope and help families find understanding? What are the ways that mental illness is monetized by the psychiatric care system, and how does this practice affect the lives and care of those the system purports to serve? What are the conditions that lead to school shootings, and how can future incidents be prevented? Mental illness School Shootings Effects of disabled children How does having a child with a disability affect the Mental illness on siblings family? What mental health services are available in schools in low income communities, and how does Mental health services in this impact teens struggling with mental health Mental illness low-income communities issues?
Mental illness Arts used for healing / trauma / Misconceptions of Mental Illness Arts used for healing trauma Hypersexualization in / Rape culture Rape Culture Race Race categories Race Race categories Colorism Race Racism Race Categories on Standardized Tests (You have to choose 1) Racism/Contradictions of America How does the stigma and misconceptions of depression affect the overall understanding and treatment of this illness? How can art be used as a form of therapy for victims of trauma? What are the effects of an increasingly hypersexualized global mass media, and what must be done to counteract these effects? How is rape of women tacitly encouraged in American culture, and what needs to be done to change this? What is it like to live as a person of mixed racial heritage in the U.S., and what role does narrow categorization play in the lives of these individuals? What are the impacts of colorism and how has it shaped the African American community today, and how can all shades of ethnicity be celebrated? How does the ignorance or denial of the persistance of racism in America allow it to continue & thereby prevent the country from healing racial divides?