History of Youth Research, Inc.
Youth Research, Inc.
RES/351
Youth Research, Inc.
In January of 2010, Tampa Bay Online published an article stating that Youth Research, Inc. had defrauded federal regulators in the company’s safety testing reports. The article claimed that Youth Research, Inc. had been hired by various lighter manufacturers between 1994 and 2005 to conduct child safety tests on the lighters (Silvestrini, 2010).
The Consumer Products Safety Commission noticed inconsistencies on reports submitted by Youth Research, Inc. on testing of lighters’ safety features. The reports submitted by the company used the same children with different dates of birth, genders and schools listed in different studies conducted by the company. The article further stated that the company’s president, Karen Forcade, admitted that in at least one test results were skewed so that the lighter would pass safety regulations. The Consumer Products Safety Commission requires that children be unable to ignite a lighter at least eighty-five percent of the time, which was not the case in the study although Youth Research, Inc. reported that the lighter met requirements (Silvestrini, 2010). Youth Research, Inc. exhibited a myriad of unethical behaviors in their execution of the business research entrusted in them by lighter manufacturers. In a test conducted by Youth Research in May of 1998, it was found that Ms. Forcade had fabricated data for ninety-six of the one hundred required testers. Youth Research altered the data for testers’ dates of birth, genders and schools because of The Consumer Products Safety Commission’s requirements that testers be of different ages, genders and the commission’s limits on the number of testers that can be from schools (Silvestrini, 2010). Youth Research managed to victimize countless people and companies during their descent into unethical research procedures. The Consumer Products Safety Commission reported that ninety-seven lighters had been approved for
RES/351
Youth Research, Inc.
In January of 2010, Tampa Bay Online published an article stating that Youth Research, Inc. had defrauded federal regulators in the company’s safety testing reports. The article claimed that Youth Research, Inc. had been hired by various lighter manufacturers between 1994 and 2005 to conduct child safety tests on the lighters (Silvestrini, 2010).
The Consumer Products Safety Commission noticed inconsistencies on reports submitted by Youth Research, Inc. on testing of lighters’ safety features. The reports submitted by the company used the same children with different dates of birth, genders and schools listed in different studies conducted by the company. The article further stated that the company’s president, Karen Forcade, admitted that in at least one test results were skewed so that the lighter would pass safety regulations. The Consumer Products Safety Commission requires that children be unable to ignite a lighter at least eighty-five percent of the time, which was not the case in the study although Youth Research, Inc. reported that the lighter met requirements (Silvestrini, 2010). Youth Research, Inc. exhibited a myriad of unethical behaviors in their execution of the business research entrusted in them by lighter manufacturers. In a test conducted by Youth Research in May of 1998, it was found that Ms. Forcade had fabricated data for ninety-six of the one hundred required testers. Youth Research altered the data for testers’ dates of birth, genders and schools because of The Consumer Products Safety Commission’s requirements that testers be of different ages, genders and the commission’s limits on the number of testers that can be from schools (Silvestrini, 2010). Youth Research managed to victimize countless people and companies during their descent into unethical research procedures. The Consumer Products Safety Commission reported that ninety-seven lighters had been approved for
References: Silvestrini, E. (2010, January 22). St. Pete company faked tests on kid-proof lighters. The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved from http://www2.tbo.com/business/breaking-news-business/2010/jan/22/st-pete-company-faked-tests-kid-proof-lighters-ar-52820/ U. S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. (2011). Four Convicted and Sentenced in Youth Research Lighter Testing Fraud Case [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/01/idUS238445+01-Aug-2011+PRN20110801