Daughters of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country where survival is a fight. Poverty, diseases, poor health care, and starvation is an everyday struggle in daily life. If you are an Afghan woman these issues are compounded by the fact that women are seen as being objects. Women are not worth as much as a man. Women in Afghanistan are seen as inferior. Women can be put to death for the slightest insinuation of an insult to a man. These are just a few of the issues that the women and girls of Afghanistan face every day. The sad fact of the matter is that a lot of the hate and violence comes from male family members. Honor killings are allowed in Afghanistan. A woman does not even have to do anything wrong to be killed. If there is any inclination that the woman has embarrassed her family, she can be killed. Women in Afghanistan are very rarely given medical treatment. There are so many obstacles that Afghan women face that the majority of women here in the United States cannot even imagine. I know I cannot imagine being set aside just because I could not bear a son or children. I do not want to even try to think of the violence that these women face if they show any sign of disrespect. Afghan women are seen as mindless broodmares. Not all men see them this way but the majority of the male population does. Many men say that their religion teaches that women are not as smart as men and those women should be meek and obey what their husbands and fathers tell them to do. In 2004 a Canadian journalist traveled to Afghanistan to learn about Afghan women’s rights. The trip ended up being the base for her movie, Daughters of Afghanistan. In the movie journalist Sally Armstrong talks too many women. She listens to their stories of their bravery and courage. In September of 1996, the Taliban took over Afghanistan. The Taliban forced women into their homes. The Taliban would not even allow women to have health care or schooling. An Afghan woman could not even think of asking about birth control. Women’s’ rights activists in Afghanistan look forward to the day that women can walk around outside without consequences. There are some places like in Kabul where this can be done. However, in the rural areas many of the old ways still have hold and women are not allowed to be out of their houses. In the rural areas animals are still seen to be worth more than a woman or girl. In Daughter of Afghanistan, one of the most important women in Afghanistan today are Dr. Sima Samar. Dr. Samar was born on February 4, 1957. After the fall of the Taliban, the Afghan government promised that life would get better for women and girls. Dr. Samar agreed to an arranged marriage so that she could go to college. In 1982, she received her degree from Kabul University. Shortly after Dr. Samar had started practicing, she she had to leave to save her life. She fled back to her home village. She practiced medicine there until 1984. In 1984 her husband and son were arrested. After the arrest Dr. Samar and her family fled to Pakistan. From 1984 until 2002 she lived as a refugee. In 2002 she decided to return to Afghanistan. Dr. Samar has built clinics and shelter for women and children in Afghanistan. She has also opened a school for women. Beside the schools and shelters Dr. Samar has also built clinics so that women and girls can receive medical treatment. After the fall of the Taliban, the government made a lot of empty promises. Dr Samir was made Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Women’s Affairs in the first government after the fall of the Taliban. Unfortunately, the Islamic fundamentalists came out. They made sure that she was seen as an enemy to the state, not someone that was trying to help . Because she was brave enough to question practices that had been taking place for many generations soon after the fundamentalists spoke up she started receiving death threats. Doctor Samar is just one of the million women and girls that suffer in Afghanistan each day. Another woman who has face issues is Hamida. Hamida is the principal of one of Dr. Samars high schools. Hamida also faces death threats for being brave enough to teach women how to do tasks like using a computer and how to drive, so that they can get jobs and support themselves. Women are treated like pawns in a game. A good example of this is a woman named Camellah. She is not allowed to say no to her husband when he wants sex. She is pregnant and doesn’t always feel like having sex. This baby will be her ninth baby. Camillah is afraid that she will not survive this childbirth. She is not allowed to even think of using birth control. Birth control in most of the culture is unthinkable. Dr. Samar is one of the women that is trying to change that view. Another girl in the movie is Lima. Lima is not even sure how old she is. She thinks that she is 13. She acts like a mother to her younger siblings. If it is hard for an older woman with children to survive, imagine how old it is for a child to try to raise other children under this type of repression. A fourth woman in the movie is Soghra. She is a widow and pregnant with her seventh child. She was brave enough to walk for nine nights to avoid the Taliban so that she could find shelter in Dr. Samar’s refuge. Her husband did turn out to be alive but they are very poor. Even though the Taliban has fallen, the Islamic fundamentalists have resurfaced in a bad way. If a woman walks on the street even wearing her burqah, she is insulted and given hateful, angry, looks. Some things have changed but a lot has not changed for women. Yes, now some women do go to school and receive medical care, for the majority of women and girls, unfortunately this is not the case. Women and girls are still forced to marry, they still have to obey their husbands, they cannot make their own decisions. They are still seen as less than human in their culture. Yes the Taliban has fallen and thanks to brave women like Dr. Samar some women and girls are getting an education. Unfortunately there are not enough shelters or safe places where women and girls may go in order to be safe. Safe from their own family. That is one of the most horrible things that I think goes on. Women cannot even feel safe with their husbands, fathers, uncles, or sometimes even brothers. The human rights disasters that took place under the Taliban were front page news. Now since the fall of the Taliban, the western world seems to have forgotten about these women and children of Afghanistan. They are the forgotten daughters of Afghanistan. Change may be slow to come to Afghanistan but as long as people like Dr. Samar and other women stand up, there is always hope. When a person has hope there always seems to be a way to make a better tomorrow. Change may be too late for some women but for Afghan daughters and granddaughters, they may be able to have a better life than what their mothers and grandmothers did.

Defence Mechanisms Essay

Defence mechanisms are psychological actions brought in by the unconscious mind to change, deny or become a twisted reality. Defence mechanisms are usually referred to as ego defence mechanisms. A defence mechanism forms when anxiety occurs, this then means that the defence mechanisms will be triggered off. All defence mechanisms share two common properties they appear unconsciously and they tend to disfigure, transform a person’s reality. Defence mechanisms occur in some level in every person. Many play important roles in socialization and allowing the way in which people function in society. Others are seen as problems and they show signs of clients developing a dangerous psychological issue. For example regression, this means you return to a childlike state, this defence mechanism can get very dangerous as it can lead to clinical issues. There are many different defence mechanisms such as: Projection- Suggesting that others share the negative beliefs and thoughts you have, making yourself think that everyone thinks like that so it is okay to think like that as well. This can lead to very irrational thoughts. Such as when someone is depressed they then start to believe thoughts that their mind has made up maybe leading them to become suicidal. Displacement- Turning emotion into physical action (aggression) May tend to lash out to get rid of the emotion that have inside. This could lead to putting themselves and others into very serious danger as they could get progressively aggressive. This often occurs in mental health as they don’t know how to deal with certain emotions and situations. Rationalization- Illogical thoughts and explanations for your behaviour. Making up excuses just to get away with it. Making up things that don’t make sense. This could lead to them believing their own thoughts and starting to think they are real, sending them mentally ill. This could be when a doctor/surgeon makes a mistake during a procedure and they try to cover up their mistakes by using excuse and lies. Isolation- Removal of all emotional reactions so they are in emotional denial. Can’t cope with all of the emotion. In a hospital a nurse/doctor could not like a patient because of different beliefs and maybe ersonalities so provides them with different treatment. If someone is in denial then they will force themselves to not believe what they have been told to be true and not accept it. For example a person is diagnosed with a terminal disease, they will not believe it and just block it out so they don’t have to deal with it as they don’t know how to. They are refusing to accept the situation they are in. Eventually that person will have forced it out of their head so much that they generally think it hasn’t happened and it was all just a lie. Regression this is when you return to a childlike state acting immature, for example in a family when a new sibling arrives the other sibling gets jealous so therefore they may start to wet the bed as they want attention as they feel as if the other sibling is getting all of their parents attentions (feeling left out. ) Some people may go to therapy to identify the defence mechanisms that benefit them and work in a good way and also to identify the defence mechanisms that are really dangerous and that they shouldn’t be using.

Amputation Mishap

Amputation Mishap The Neighborhood News reports of a medical error at The Neighborhood Hospital. The report states a 62 year-old male patient underwent surgery to have his leg amputated only to discover the wrong leg was amputated during surgery. The newspaper article states the mishap is negligence. In the following paragraphs, negligence, gross negligence, and malpractice are discussed and determine if the newspaper’s statement of negligence is correct. Ethical principles in nursing and nursing documentation regarding such issues are also discussed. Negligence and malpractice fall under the tort laws definition.According to Guido (2010), â€Å"Torts are civil wrongs, not based on contracts, but on personal transgressions in that the responsible person performed an action incorrectly or omitted a necessary action† (p. 92). Tort laws are based on fault and in a health-care setting, tort laws are the most common. To determine if the above scenario results in negligence, gross negligence, or medical malpractice, one must understand the definition of each. According to Guido (2010), negligence is a general term and â€Å"equates with carelessness, a deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would use in a particular set of circumstances† (p. 2). According to Judson and Harrison (2006), four key elements (four D’s), must be present to prove negligence (p. 101): 1. Duty: The person charged has a duty to provide care to the patient. Neighborhood Hospital and staff have a duty to provide a standard of care that a reasonable person would use in a particular set of circumstances. 2. Dereliction: The person charged breaches the duty of care to the patient. The operating room team failed to identify the correct leg for amputation prior to proceeding with the operation; therefore a breach of duty has occurred. 3.Direct cause: The breach of duty is a direct cause of injury to the patient. The wrong leg is amputated as a direct result of failure to identify the correct leg for amputation. As a direct result, the patient will become a double amputee once the correct leg is amputated. 4. Damages: A recognizable injury to the patient is present. In this case, the wrong leg was amputated deeming a recognizable injury. Using the above criteria, negligence is present in this case scenario. Gross negligence occurs when medical practitioners perform an intentional act regardless of the negative, anticipated consequences.In this scenario, the patient must prove the medical staff at Neighborhood Hospital intentionally amputated the wrong leg. The medical staff at Neighborhood Hospital did not intentionally amputate the wrong leg, therefore ruling out gross negligence. According to Guido (2010), medical malpractice is â€Å"the failure of a professional person to act in accordance with the prevailing professional standards or failure to foresee consequences that a professional person, having the necessary skills and education, should foresee† (p. 93). Guido further states the difference between negligence and malpractice is licensure.If the act is by a non-professional person, it is negligence. If the act is by a professional person, it is malpractice. Six elements must be present to prove malpractice (Guido, 2010, p. 93): 1. Duty owed to the patient Neighborhood Hospital and staff have a duty to provide a standard of care that a reasonable person would use in a particular set of circumstances. 2. Breach of the duty owed to the patient. The operating room team failed to identify the correct leg for amputation prior to proceeding with the operation; therefore a breach of duty has occurred. 3. Foreseeability.The omission of identifying the correct leg for amputation prior to surgery. 4. Causation: breach of duty owed caused injury. The wrong leg is amputated as a direct result of failure to identify the correct leg for amputation. As a direct result, the patient will become a double ampute e once the correct leg is amputated. 5. Injury. In this case, the wrong leg was amputated deeming a recognizable injury. 6. Damages. The amputated leg cannot be replaced; therefore the patient is entitled to compensatory damages regarding pain and suffering, permanent disability, disfigurement, emotional damages as well as financial loss and medical expenses.In this scenario, all six elements to prove malpractice are present. The negligence is by licensed personnel in a hospital setting. Using the definitions and criteria above, the newspaper incorrectly defines the mishap as negligence. The correct term to use in this case is professional negligence or malpractice. Nursing documentation should be reflective of the patient’s hospital stay. This includes identifying and addressing patient needs, assessments, problems, limitations, and responses to nursing interventions.According to Guido (2010), â€Å"Documentation must show continuity of care, interventions that were impleme nted, and patient responses to the therapies implemented. Nurses’ notes are to be concise, clear, timely, and complete† (p. 197). Guido (2010) lists the following guidelines for nurses to use to ensure documentation is complete and accurate (p. 197-209): 1. Make an entry for every observation. If documentation is absent, it can be assumed an observation did not take place. 2. Follow-up as needed. Evaluation and observations require follow up to ensure appropriate patient responses and optimal outcomes. . Read nurses notes prior to giving care. Reading nurses notes enable the nurse to know and understand patient diagnosis, response to treatment, and steps necessary to carry out the plan of care. 4. Always make an entry (even if it is late). Document immediately after the observation to reduce the risk of losing valuable information. A late entry is acceptable although risks omitting valuable information. Never document an event before it happens. 5. Use clear and objecti ve language. Document using clear, objective, and definite terms to describe the observation.Vague terms lead to misinterpretation. 6. Be realistic and factual. It is important to document factual observations and assessments exactly as they happen. It is also recommended to document a realistic picture of the patient, especially if the patient is noncompliant with the plan of care. 7. Chart only one’s own observations. Charting observations of others is not accurate observations and can cause credibility of the nurse in question. 8. Chart all patient education 9. Correct chart errors. 10. Identify oneself after every entry. 11. Use standardized checklists or flow sheets. 2. Leave no room for liability. According to Guido (2010), â€Å"Understanding one’s ethics and values is the first step in understanding the ethics and values of others and in assuring the delivery of appropriate nursing care† (p. 4). Nurses and other healthcare providers face ethical issues d aily. Together, law and ethics guide nursing practice to provide safe, effective care keeping patients free from harm. â€Å"Ethics are concerned with standards of behavior and the concept of right and wrong, over and above that which is legal in a given situation† (Judson & Harrison, 2006, p. ). In addition, understanding law and ethics in nursing practice keeps nurses at their professional best and decreases the risk of legal litigation, such as the scenario described by the Neighborhood News. â€Å"Though malpractice is rare in the lives of individual healthcare professionals, the number of malpractice suits is on the rise† (Larson & Elliott, 2010, p. 153). The nursing profession has more professional responsibility and accountability than any other time in the history of nursing.According to Weld and Garmon Bibb (2009), â€Å"nurses must confront the fact that they now owe a higher duty of care to their patients, and by extension, are more exposed to civil claims for negligence than ever before† (p. 2). Understanding ethical principles in nursing, importance of nursing documentation and how it relates to medical malpractice and negligence is imperative. References: Guido, G. W. (2010). Legal & Ethical Issues in Nursing (5th ed. ). University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Judson, K. , & Harrison, C. (2006). Law & Ethics for Medical Careers (5th ed. ). University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.Larson, K. , & Elliott, R. (2010, March-April). The Emotional Impact of Malpractice. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 37(2), 153-156. Ebscohost. com. Prideaux, A. (2011). Issues in Nursing Documentation and Record Keeping Practice. British Journal of Nursing, 20(22), 1450-1454. Ebscohost. com The Neighborhood- Pearson Health Science. The Neighborhood News. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://pearsonneighborhood. ecollege. com/re/DotNextLaunch. asp? courseid=3609454 Weld, K. K. , & Garmon Bibb, S. C. (2009, January-March). Concept Analys is: Malpractice and Modern-Day Nursing Practice. Nursing Forum, 44(1), 2-10. Ebscohost. com.

Environmentalism Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Environmentalism Religion - Essay Example The answers to it, however, are difficult, complex, and complicated by a host of cultural, environmental, and religious variables. Lynn Whites argues that those Biblical precepts made Christianity, â€Å"especially in its Western form, â€Å"the most anthropocentric religion the world has seen, â€Å" In contrast to paganisms, Christianity posited â€Å"a dualism of man and nature† and â€Å"insisted that it is God’s will that man exploit nature for his proper ends.† Whereas ancient pagans’ creeds gave a cyclical account of time, Christianity assumes a teleogical way to history and with it the possibility of progress. The belief in progress was adopted in modern science, which, amounted to technology, and the results was the industrial revolution. Thus the power to control nature was achieved by a civilization that inherited the license to exploit it. According to White this was not a positive historical development, therefore, he believes that science technology could be the best ecological problems they had created. In my opinion science and religion may have a connection at some point, since civilization was inherited at some point from the belief of exploiting God’s creation. However, this connection is not clear because science and religion are at loggerheads and none accepts the theories brought forth by the other. In summary religion and environment maybe related in one way or another, but there is need for an extensive research to justify that. Researchers have indicated that environmentalism is close to religion. However, people argue that the two are different and science and technology is not only an advantage but an artificial problem. Finally, the subject is prone to further and extensive research that would come to a common ground regarding the

Advances in medicine and related technologies have given society the Research Paper

Advances in medicine and related technologies have given society the power to prolong life. However, the process of dying can also be prolonged. Discuss some of these end-of-life dilemmas - Research Paper Example For a number of patients, hospice care or good palliative can ease suffering, yet a minute but important percentage of dying patients suffer painfully. Nobody makes the choice of prolonging life or prolonging death, not unless the weight of living has so constantly, day in, day out, overshadowed all benefit (Corke, 2010). People who believe that they want to be capable of, for example, taking a lethal amount of drugs or any injection to end their life — they consider that that is the way they are going to feel, but they, in reality, do not know the way they are going to feel when they reach the level where their life’s quality is so reduced that they wish they were already dead that they would sleep and not see the following day (Paulson, 2013). However, to gain that step, to take that ultimate step to decide your own death in a dramatic act is extremely hard, and a majority of people cannot do that (Corke, 2010). This paper will discuss this dilemma (prolonging life or prolonging death) and conclude which is more significant than the other. The moral principles beneficence, autonomy and non-maleficence have changed the medicine practice from a mainly paternalistic loom towards a system of shared/mutual decision making (McDermid & Bagshaw, 2009). Idyllically, this takes place through mutual understanding, a wait-and-see method and thoughtful paternalism. In important matters, doctors should partake in this procedure with full honesty, recognizing their own biases and restrictions with regards to prognosticating (McDermid & Bagshaw, 2009). The Oregon Death with Dignity decree has been in existence for over a decade now, and the main grounds for patients requesting their doctor for this direction have remained the same over that period (McDermid & Bagshaw, 2009). It is not regarding pain because pain can even be

Are we too dependent on technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Are we too dependent on technology - Essay Example viduals who believe that it has taken over our daily routines, those who think that it only stands to benefit the world lives and some who have mixed views about technology’s effects. These arguments beget the seeds of controversy on this compelling argument. According to the Google search, Voltaire said it initially: â€Å"With great power comes more responsibility†. Normally one hears this quote from a title fighter, a Jedi, or a team that has successively won the Stanley Cup. I this papers the same quote may be aimed right at those who have themselves more dependent on technology. Many have been lost to technology and have lost the urge of an even developing societal skill as before. Most teenagers these days even lack the know how to use a dictionary since "Google fixes it all" so many of these teenagers dont see it as a required skill. Traditionally, children were supposed to take care of their parents at old age and through the advices they obtain better their lives. These are contrary to the modern teenage life. The modern teenager is those who sometimes 7 to 10 hours a day on the internet and other technological gadgets. They rarely find time even build their social life. This can be arguably be attributed to the dependenc y on technology. To further see how technology has to reap the world its treasures ,look around at the number of individuals who are engrossed in their personal computers, those with phones walking down the street, or while driving. No one can deny the fact that most accidents today are caused by individuals using or over-relying on various forms of technological devices such as their phones while driving, whether it is for GPS, to get on Tweeter, Facebook or anything else. Its insane and erroneous for individuals to fathom how anyone ever stays without texting, Google and GPS. In reality, Technology is a big assistance and a big problem. So how does one know when too much is too much? It can be clearly be traced to our daily routine

What is America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is America - Essay Example Q. 1 There are varied ethical considerations discussed in the video and most of them tend to focus on the issues of promoting the public interests in the American society. It is significant to understand the behavior of people and possible reactions when attempting to make economic policies. Many economists seem to employ economic policy and the use this model in predicting the behavior of people in the society logically based on varied aspects such as price, interests, aggregate supply and demand. Friedman generally neither intends to promote the interests of the public and even does not know the way to promote it (Freidman, 2012). This is because by directing the business in such a way that its producers may be of the utmost value only intends to promote personal values. Another ethical considerations discussed is the business ethics and this would only be achieved through employing effective policies vital for conducting business. Ethical considerations attempts to focus on effective business decisions on both local and across the globe. The ethical priorities aims of offer effective distribution of economic goods and services among varied people who have freedom for choice of employment, right to work, equal pay, favorable working conditions and protection against unemployment. Lieberman and Hall (2005) argue that the principle of business ethics is to create wealth in a manner that makes one a better person and creates the world a better place. Q.2 The questions posed on the video are still applicable today in light of the current business settings. Freidman focused on the influences shaping business and competition in the contemporary business world, which are fueled by increasing technology in the global environment; thus a call for the government to take significant action to stay a head or sustain a competitive advantage in the business world. The message of Freidman is clear when he urges that the government should be prepared because this phenomenon waits for no one. Secondly, another issue is that of freedom where people should be left to make their own decisions but the government has taken much control of the citizens, and this is also experienced in the contemporary business world. Poor government policies, poor security and other aspects are among the problems that impact many business industries from achieving their business goals effectively. Lastly, in a well regulated market based economy, which is driven by a free trade and increased economic growth, the least-advantaged people in the society should benefit from the mechanisms of the system. However, higher level of inequality and poor resource distribution are among the common problems impacting many people in the contemporary business world; thus driving economy behind. Q. 3 The lecture of Freidman can help me to become a better business person because of varied reasons. First, Freidman talks about bad laws and the way they should be changed and make them flexible in order to enable business carry out their business successf ully. Some of the law such as laws protecting workers, employers, wage laws, free trade laws and many others are significant in an economy. The intervention of the government in the contemporary markets and promoting the practice of freely floating exchange rates and other governmental practices should be flexible

Management in context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management in context - Essay Example The Impact of E-Business on Pizza Hut The significant impact of the fast pace in technological development is seen in the way contemporary organizations operate and manage their business. Some business enterprises need to redesign their policies, systems and procedures to adapt to the demands of the times. The onset of the internet paved the way for changes in strategies in the marketing mix of companies in order to sustain the future requirements of the organization given their resources and competitive advantages. The proliferation of e-business, for example, required organizations to adjust and accommodate policies on information management systems consistent with organizational mission, goals, and plans. One of the organizations that actively accommodated e-business solutions and strategies in their management system is Pizza Hut. It is in this regard that the research is undertaken to analyze the key implications of e-business on some aspects or function of Pizza Hut and evaluat e how this has impacted on the way it is managed. ... being addressed within Pizza Hut and how this impacts on the way it is managed; and (4) a presentation of conclusions and recommendations, as deemed appropriate. E-Business at Pizza Hut Net essence defines e-business as â€Å"using the internet to connect with customers, partners, and suppliers. But the term also implies the transformation of existing business processes to make them more efficient† (Net essence, n.d., par. 1). For Pizza Hut, e-business through online ordering has significantly increased their volume of sales in various strategic locations worldwide. In the UK, for example, the official website of Pizza Hut revealed that â€Å"since we launched www.pizzahut.co.uk in March 2007, our online sales have increased at an average rate of 25% per month - and this month we celebrated our millionth order placed through the website!† (Pizza Hut UK, 2008, par. 1). In Australia, the online ordering option was implemented in 2001 and has been found to be successful es pecially in the 18 to 24 years old age ranges who are frequent users of the internet (IBM, n.d.). Aside from online ordering options provided by e-business, Pizza Hut, through Aladdin’s eToken, â€Å"a fully portable USB authentication device, provides remote Pizza Hut UK users with a simple, yet strong method of protecting their digital identity. Replacing the organization's previous RSA SecureID solution, eToken heightens security while also streamlining the authentication process for users when remotely accessing networked data† (Fox, n.d., 1). This system uses a USB devise to authorized business managers from remote locations to access crucial information using a personal identification number. The e-business applications and solutions for Pizza Hut provide them with opportunities for sales generation

Enterprise Resource Planning System Research Paper - 1

Enterprise Resource Planning System - Research Paper Example One must consider the scale the drive â€Å"Enterprise Resource Planning† (ERP) vendors in order to understand these vendors’ sales tactics. Millions of dollars are invested by big players such as Oracle/PeopleSoft, SAP, Microsoft, and SYSPRO --- to name some --- to develop ERP systems (Dowlatshahi, 2005, p.3745). For these vendors, CD copy of the system is just minimal capital; therefore closed deals for implementations of these systems gain them absolute profit. It should be of no surprise to see these vendors exhaust all means to close deals with potential clients, since there is a lot of profit at stake (Fulla, 2007, p.35). Some companies report being given trips to the vendor’s headquarters, luxurious meals and accommodations, and transport by stretch limos (Dowlatshahi, 2005, p.3747). These are all part of a vendor’s strategy in wooing clients to buy their ERP system. Basically, these ERP systems are similar in their fundamental functionalities in business processes management. Therefore, to sell a product, vendors must establish their product’s superiority over other ERP systems available in the market. The danger here is the vendor’s inclination to make outrageous claims regarding their ERP system. Some vendors publicize the advanced functionality of their system, some vouch for the ease of use, while others offer money-back guarantees of up to millions of dollars if their system fails to double other company’s ERP system performance (Fulla, 2007, p.36). ERP vendors even try to sell extra technical and consultation support aside from their software licenses. Final quotes may include consulting and programming assistance of up to thousands of hours. However, companies should be aware that there are usually fees for this consulting assistance, and it may be easier to find cheaper open market services (Fulla, 2007, p.38).   

Avoiding Overspend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Avoiding Overspend - Essay Example Whenever there is a deviation from the planned programme causing change, recovery, rework, panic that lowers the specifications for project to be completed in time, it invariably results in overrun and consequent overspend that may lead to penalties. M'pherson The control measures adopted in project management usually aim at mapping the deviation from the defined plan. There are hardly any measures to identify areas of cost saving. The urgency to save, therefore precipitates at a near final stage which is an inappropriate time for cost saving. Cost saving needs maximum consideration at the planning and design stage itself. Once implementation begins, changes only escalate costs and cause delays. he key lies in managing requirements in such a way that overspend can be avoided. Cost control is necessarily an important step towards avoiding overspend. Some strategies for cost control are discussed below: 1. Involvement of Executive Management: Project cost control manifests its effectiveness best, when the executive management is involved in the decisions at all major phases of the project. It helps if the executive management can "recognize the importance of project risk management for identifying and planning to head off at least the most obvious potential risk events" (Max). 2. Estimating Project Budget: The cost of the total work of the project needs to be estimated at the planning stage. Detailed estimating, bottom up estimating, order of magnitude, analogus or parametric estimates can be used to project the cost of all activities and the entire project. If planning is done well, overspending at a later stage can be avoided. The risk management approach to planning can also help evaluate the assumptions and environmental conditions that dominate the project plan, so that weaknesses can be identified and the effect of any risks thus identified, can be avoided. A contingency fund or reserves is usually then set aside to cope with such risks. The budget also needs to accommodate the inflation factor. For this, final estimates are arrived at and then inflation cost is added as a percentage or lump sum. The inflation allowance then gets allocated to each cost item in relation to the actual expected inflation over the period for which costs are expected to b e incurred. 3. Establish baseline cost for each activity: To establish a realistic baseline, communication and integration of various types of information is extremely important. This may require robust

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 4

Business Ethics - Essay Example Once the announcement took place, trading for the shares skyrocketed and price increased by more than 20 percent, thus, benefiting the people who had previously bought those shares for a premium. The case also reveals that the SEC and other regulators are willing to punish such actions as they are deemed to undermine market efficiency and investor confidence. In fact, they have even gone so far as to freeze Swiss bank accounts. Insider trading has been prevalent since the very inception of stock markets (Ferrell et al., 2012, pp. 83). In the recent past, several prominent names which include but are not limited to Rajat Gupta (Goldman Sachs), Raj Rajaratnam and Jason Goldfarb (Galleon Group), Donald Johnson (NASDAQ), Joseph Skowron and Yves Benhamou Matthew Kluger and Brett Bauer have been disgraced, fined, imprisoned due to insider trading. Although insider trading is one of the most widely discussed and debated issues within the field of business ethics, there is a serious disagree ment amongst experts regarding whether or not insider trading should be made ethical or unethical. This paper makes a brief attempt at exploring and analysing various dynamics of insider trading in light of the above mentioned article. ... e likely to possess information about the company that no individual on the outside knows such as a possible merger, acquisition (as in the case of Heinz), financial results, lawsuits, getting access to new distribution or communication channels, strategic alliances and others. The law does not restrict employees of any company and for that matter of fact even the top management, directors and large shareholders of the company from trading the shares of the company but it does not make it explicitly clear that they should not take any advantage of non-public information (Ferrell et al., 2012, p. 83). In fact, even if an insider reveals a piece of crucial inside information, the law restricts the ability of any outsider to use or act upon that information (Henn, 2011, p. 85). Important here to note is that the timing is crucial in the cases of insider trading. Insiders aware of non-public information can act on that information once that become public. Some companies restrict insiders to act on that information only after 24 hours had passed on that information becoming public in order to avoid any complications (George, 2006, p. 75). Ethical Issue The ethical issue which is under discussion here is that of insider trading. The insiders, clearly, used the information that did not belong to them and used it for their personal gain (Sharma & Bhal, 2004, p. 412). When an asset of any organization is used, without the permission of the owner, for personal gain, the gain belongs to the owner and in this case it belonged to Heinz who has been now been acquired by Buffet’s company. Insider trading is also an ethical issue because while other traders in the market had access to a certain level of information, these insiders used information that had yet not been made

Thomas Kuhn Vs Jacques Derrida Essay Example for Free

Thomas Kuhn Vs Jacques Derrida Essay Thomas Samuel Kuhn (1922-1996) name is remembered for his enduring work in the philosophy of Science. Born on 18th July 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, his thoughts on the History of Science became most influential doctrine for the scientists. In his most famous book â€Å"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions†, Kuhn brought about the main essence of Scientific Revolutions through the ages. As a graduate student in theoretical physics at Harvard, he conceptualized the evolution of scientific thoughts and studies as periodic revolutions since ages, which he named as â€Å"paradigm shifts†. (Kuhn 1996) Kuhn says that, â€Å"Science is not a steady, cumulative acquisition of knowledge. Instead, science is â€Å"a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions.† (Thomas Kuhn, Online Edition) This implies that aspiring Scientists tend to follow the accepted norms and patterns and act and are trained within these â€Å"Received Beliefs† (Kuhn 1996) but these accepted beliefs tend to undergo through transitional phases. One set of belief takes the place of another set of belief and then scientists come forward with their own assumptions through these set of beliefs. This trend takes the form of revolution, which carries the world forward periodically. In other words, we can see the revolution in the scientific world every now and then. Kuhn’s theory is all about the sociological presumptions of science as seen or perceived by humans. This Paradigm shift is not about just the theories but the perceived beliefs or thought processes that go along with the changes in theory. This paradigm shift or scientific discoveries make its appearance in three phases. The first one is in the pre-scientific phase, whereby scientists have never arrived on any one consensus on any propounded theory. There have been criticism and contradictions resulting in several contrary and incomplete theories, and this leads to second phase which is Normal Science and scientists undergoing discoveries in this phase set their own assumptions right by their own several theories which they call as paradigms and explain their discovery within that paradigm in detail. But here too criticism can crop up and so scientists now give space to their experiments and explain their theory or Paradigm with the help of their experimental evidence. And again if some one comes out with the whole new definition of the theory then new stage of beliefs start. In all the arena of the scientific world, when new takes the place of old bestowing among the aspiring scientist’s new waves of thoughts, this according to Kuhn is paradigm shift. In these complexities of the world we find our-self facing number of paradoxes and complexities of life. On one hand, scientific philosophy has given us new lease of life on other hand philosophers like Jacques Derrida shows us the mirror of the sociological aspects of our daily principles and experiences that we face. Jacques Derrida argues that all human beings have to pass through different experiences according to the time. In other words, time is a big factor for the life experiences that human beings have to face. The experiences that human beings face arise in present time only, which do not have any link to the past. These experiences are a type of events, which are totally different from the experiences felt in the past. But, these experiences do make us remember our past and enable us to make anticipation about the future. And this remembrance about the past due to our experiences in the present and our anticipation for our future take place in continuity and is repeated. In other words whatever sequence of events have taken place now though do not have any connection in the past but there are certain cords or threads that have shades in our past that make our present experiences link to our past. Jacques Derrida is a French philosopher of today who conceptualized the school of deconstruction with a vision that has been applied to literature and linguistic writing and is a historical continuous cultural process of writing leaving the old conventional paradigm and moving into new. Both the Jacques Derrida and Kuhn are contemporary philosophers, two sides of same coin. Both are the philosophers of genre capturing the essence of what makes the true meaning of our lives, and what is basic truth about life. Kuhn, by delving into the history of science gives us the theory of our existence. He believes that whatever in our life if not scientifically proved, then it has no existence and no value. We are caught in the web of the accepted paradigms which keep on changing periodically but whose roots are same. One paradigm gives the way to another paradigm, scientifically yet true and scientists make the discovery on the set paradigm. In Kuhn own words, â€Å"the historian of science may be tempted to exclaim that when paradigms change, the world itself changes with them. Led by a new paradigm, scientists adopt new instruments and look in new places. Even more important, during revolutions scientists see new and different things when looking with familiar instruments in places they have looked before. It is rather as if the professional community had been suddenly transported to another planet where familiar objects are seen in a different light and are joined by unfamiliar ones as well†. (Kuhn 1996) On the other hand, Jacques Derrida is a philosopher of different mood and artistic soul. He too says old paves the wave for new but roots of the new still lies in the old. There are some traces of old in new. According to Helen Cixus, he belongs to â€Å"The Incorruptible† (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 2006), the whole new generation of writers whose writings will always remain fresh and enticing for the readers. No other thinker in last 100 years has astounded and had an impact on philosophers, theologians, literary and art critics, psychologists, writers and artists than Jacques Derrida and it is also true about him that no other thinker than him has been greatly misunderstood. Kuhn’s vision was scientific and how science has constructed and deconstructed the world around us since centuries and Jacques Derrida interpreted writers, philosophers and sociologists to bring out the problem of current sociological interests. He gave us entirely new and hidden interpretations of writers from Plato to Joyce. He delves on the fact that from every structure like any literary, psychological, social, economic, political or religious device, which captures within our soul, our experiences of life makes us face the world through the process of â€Å"Exclusion.†(Direk Lawlor 2002) And it is absolutely sure that in the process of newly found creation, there is always something, which is left out. There is some missing cord or missing link, which we never able to make out but they make their appearance felt. Kuhn and Jacques Derrida were philosophers of different dimensions but gave us same reflection of life. Kuhn analyzed the works of scientists and Derrida analyzed the works for writers. He breathes and mourns through the eyes and souls of different writers whereas Kuhn breathes through the heart and soul of scientists and their discoveries that are giving our lives new directions. Derrida writes through the works of other writers that is his voice is a voice of other writers whereas Kuhn reflects the voice of scientific revolution through the ages. Reference List Direk Z. Lawlor L. 2002. Jacques Derrida: Critical Assessments of Leading. Published by Routledge. Kuhn, T. (1996). The structure of scientific revolutions (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Butler J. 2004. Jacques Derrida. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v26/n21/butl02_.html Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006. Jacques Derrida. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/derrida/#Inc Thomas Kuhn. Online Edition. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/Kuhnsnap.html

What Is Sugar Sweetened Beverages Health And Social Care Essay

What Is Sugar Sweetened Beverages Health And Social Care Essay Sugar sweetened beverage means any nonalcoholic beverage Carbonated or noncarbonated, which is intended for human consumption and contains any added caloric sweetener. [1] In addition, it contains more than 10 calories per 8 ounce. These beverages include: sweetened water, non diet soda, fruit or vegetable drinks containing less than 70 % natural fruit or vegetable juice, sports drinks, energy drinks and sweetened bottled coffee or tea. Sugar sweetened beverages provide little or no nutritional value, but contain huge amount of sugar. [2] Ø ªÃƒËœÃ‚ ¹ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾.. One 12-ounce can of sugar-sweetened soda contains 150 calories and 40 to 50 grams of sugar. If these calories are added to a typical US diet with no offsetting reduction in other caloric sources, one can of soda per day can lead to a 15-pound weight gain in a year. A better mechanism for weight gain could not have been developed than introducing a liquid carbohydrate with calories that are not fully compensated for by increasing satiety. Liquid calories are a relatively new addition to the human diet-perhaps the human satiety circuit has not yet adapted to register these calories for what they are. Dr. Caroline Apovian, Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drinks, Obesity, and Type 2 Diabetes, American Medical Association,2004; Emerging_ evidence_ also_ suggests_ that_ higher_ consumption_of_ sugar_sweetened_ soft_ drinks_ may_ raise_ the_risk_of_developing_type_2_diabetes_and_the_metabolic_syndrome._Soft_drinks_contain_large_amounts_ of_ simple_ sugars,_ which_ can_ induce_ higher_ glycemic_ and_ insulinemic_ responses._ Soft_ drinks_ are_ an_ important_source_of_glycemic_load_in_the_diet,_which_has_been_associated_with_the_risk_of_developing_ type_2_diabetes_and_cardiovascular_disease. Frank B. Hu MD, PhD, SUGAR_SWEETENED_SOFTDRINK__ CONSUMPTION_AND_RISK_OF_TYPE_2__ DIABETES_AND_CARDIOVASCULAR_RISK,CMR,2009;2,2,13-18 Health consequences of (SSB): In fact, sugar sweetened beverages cause health risks both because of what they include (mainly sugars, extra calories, and various additives) and what they replace in the diet (foods and beverages that provide minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients). SSB and Obesity: Obesity becomes the most prevalence public health problem that increases dramatically. The prevalence of overweight is tripled in children and adult. There are many environmental factors that associated with development of obesity due to change in food and beverage consumption. These factors that may influence children to consume soft drinks are different such as taste, preference, soft drink availability and television viewing. From the survey which was done for 560 American children, the researchers found that over 80% of respondent consume soda at least weekly, and 30% consume soda daily [3]. Also they found that these children who consume soft drinks, their parents and peers share them and they watched TV 3.5hday and have easily access to soft drinks in both home and school. Researchers also found that there is association between increased sweetened beverage and increase in BMI. Some studies show a clear relationship between consumption of sugar sweetened beverage, particularly soft drinks, and increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Knowing the factors that contribute to the consumption of soft drinks will aid in prevention and treatment of overweight in children and adolescent. Dietitian must increase parents awareness of unhealthy life style, behavior, help them to control familys eating habits, limit watching TV. For children who are at risk of overweight, limit access to soft drinks and decrease TV viewing [4]. In some point, families and their children may resist making life style changes, so addressing these factors may encourage them to make decision in their eating habits. Family can also develop a strategy to modify their life style and improve their health, so the results will be healthier children, families who can battle the epidemic of obesity [5]. Indeed a number of large scale epidemiological studies have found consistent positive associations between SSB consumption and long-term weight gain and risk of chronic diseases including metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), T2DM and CHD. SSB consumption is thought to lead to weight gain because of the high added sugars content and low satiety of these beverages and incomplete compensation for total energy at subsequent meals following intake of liquid calories. In addition, because of their high amounts of rapidly absorbable carbohydrates such as sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), coupled with the large quantities often consumed, SSBs may increase risk of T2DM independent of obesity as a potential contributor to a high dietary glycemic load (GL) which lead to inflammation , insulin resistance, and impaired beta-cell function. Hu FB, Malik VS, Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes: Epidemiologic evidence, Physiol Behav (2010), doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.0 1.036 Several recent studies suggest that increased abdominal adiposity and waist circumference (W_ C) is a strong predictor of all cause mortality [7]. The consumption of nonalcoholic carbonated beverages or soft drinks and sweetened juices by children has rapidly increased during short period displacing water and nutrient dense beverage such as dairy products. [8] As it stated before that obesity among children becomes a big health concern around the world. The prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst children in Qatar state has previously been reported between 37.5% and 41.6 % [9] males and females children respectively. In general, obesity presents an entirely new set of public health problem reported in Qatar, considering a major risk factor for non- communicable diseases. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease [10], Diabetes [11] and certain types of cancer [12]. It can also be associated with non- fatal but debilitating illnesses such as respiratory difficulties, infertility and musculoskeletal disorders [13]. According to data available in previous studies, overweight and obesity among Qatari adolescents from both sexes are 23.6% and 36.5% [14] females and males respectively. Childhood corpulence is a predictor for adult disease [15]. In particular recent studies have shown that increased BMI in childhood may predict the occurrence of obesity in adulthood [16, 17]. In children as apposed to adults, the BMI values vary with both age and gender, thus the proffered assessment is BMI- for- age, in which children with body mass index (BMI) for age between 85th and 95th percentile are classified as being overweight and those in the à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 95th percentile are considered obese [18]. Excessive calorie intake in the form of a number of macronutrients has been associated with weight gain. energy intake from sugar- sweetened beverage (SSB) now accounts for a significant fraction of the total caloric intake of young people[19], and consumption has been implicated in promoting obesity in several ,but not all studies[20]. The World Health Organization has implicated the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) as probable contributor to the obesity epidemic. The National Food Survey in the United Kingdom documented a five fold increase in household consumption of SSBs between 1974 and 1999, from 180 to 976 g/wk. A similar trend was observed in the United States, where the average daily consumption of SSBs by children (6 to 17 y of age) more than doubled between 1977 and 1998, from 150 to 350 g/d (5 to 12 oz/d) [21]. Sucrose, fructose and glucose -sweetened beverage intake has been associated with poor diet quality and fast food consumption [22]. In a study published in United State, they include desire to drink DD scale which measure difference in the quality and frequency with which children want to drink. Behavioral correlate of DD: High scoreÆ’Â   more frequent desire to have drink but indication of type of drink. DD relates to thirstÆ’Â   scores should be associated to or with all consumption of all drinks. DD relates to liking for sweet things in mouthÆ’Â   high score would be expected to consume higher quantities of sweetened beverage [23]. Consumption of SSB and obesity in childhood Studies reviewed Several studies have been published examining the potential contribution of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) to weight gain in children. There are many cross-sectional studies identified, some of these reported a positive association between the frequencies of intake sugar sweetened drinks and obesity while some found no association. Overall, there is extensive evidence that sugary drinks contribute to weight gain in children. Both baseline intake and changes in the intakes of these drinks are associated with an increase risk of weight gain in both children and adolescents Ludwig DS, Peterson KE, Gortmaker SL. Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective observational analysis. Lancet 2001; 357:505-508. A study conducted in United State on sample of 10,371 boys and girls aged 2-19 years from representative US sample. The results were positive linked that overweight children BMI > 95th consume a grater % of energy from soft drinks and total beverages than non-overweight children. Troiano RP, Briefel RR, Carroll MD, Bialostosky K. Energy and fat intakes of children and adolescents in the United States: data from the National Health and Examination Surveys. Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 72:1343S-1353S. Another study conducted on 185 Canadian children aged 4-16 years also indicated appositive association between high consumption of SSB and increase BMI and overweight. Gillis LJ, Bar-Or O. Food away from home, sugar-sweetened drink consumption and juvenile obesity. J Am Coll Nutr 2003; 22:539-545. The results of a study on 3048 multi- ethnic New Zealand children from both gender aged 5-14 years stated that children dinking soft drinks > 1 per day had higher mean BMI than those with intake Scragg R, Wilson N, Schaaf D, Fitzgerald E, Utter J. Risk factor for obesity in New Zealand children aged 5-14 years: results from the 2002 national Children.s Nutrition Survey. Australasian Epidemiologist 2004;11:23-24. Findings from small food consumption studies from various countries including South Africa, the Philippines and New Zealand are also indicative of high consumption levels of sugar sweetened beverages. A recent study was conducted in Saudi Arabia, a total study sample consisted of 9433 males and females aged 10- 19 years old participated in a designed Food Frequency Questionnaire. BMI and W_C measurements were obtained and correlated with dietary Intake. The results show that the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12.2% and 27.0% respectively, with boys having higher obesity rates than girls. W_C and BMI was positively correlated with sugar sweetened carbonated beverages (SSCB) intake in boys only. Kate S Collison, Marya Z Zaidi, Shazia N Subhani.al, Sugar- sweetened carbonated beverage consumption correlated with BMI, waist circumference, and poor dietary choices in school children, BMC Public Health, 2010;10: 234,2-12. Bones and osteoporosis People who prefer to drink soft drinks and or any type of sweetened beverages instead of milk or other daily products probable their intake of calcium will be low and this will lead to osteoporosis, which is a disease that cause bone fragile and broken . The risk factor of osteoporosis depends on how much bones mass is built up early in life. Girls build 92 percent of their bone mass by age 18, but if they dont consume sufficient calcium in their teenage years, they can not catch up later. Thats why experts recommend higher calcium intakes for youths aged 9 to 18 than for adults aged 19 to 50 [24]. Although osteoporosis takes decades to develop, preliminary research suggests that the lower calcium intake that may result for example from drinking soda pop instead of milk can contribute to broken bones in children [25]. Heart Disease Heart disease is the nations number- one killer. Some of the most important causes are diets high in saturated and trans fats and cholesterol. In many adults, a diet or beverage that is high in sugar may also be a modest contributor to heart disease [ 26]. A study of young adults (19 to 38 years old) in Louisiana found a strong association between consumption of sweetened beverages and risk factors for syndrome X [27]. Diabetes In fact, soft drinks are harmful for people with diabetes since one pack of them contain 33 grams of table sugars (sucrose) and this type of sugar is absorbed rapidly which will raise blood sugars quickly. This action impacts negatively on controlling diabetes [28]. Kidney stones Kidney stones consider as one of the most painful disorders to distress humans and one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. Researchers had subjects consume large volume of cola drinks for one or several days. The next day, the subjects urine contained higher levels of oxalate and lower levels of magnesium and citrate, changes that could contribute to kidney stone formation [29 ]. SSB and Tooth Decay Scientists have noticed a connection between soft drink consumption and dental health. Like obesity (or any issue involving human health), tooth decay is a complex subject. It is the result of many factors, including the types of foods that are consumed and frequency of eating occasions. Foods that are sticky and cling to the teeth are more likely to cause tooth decay. The amount of time that sugar remains in contact with teeth is another important variable. Soft drinks and other sugar-containing liquids pass over the teeth very quickly. A recent study examined dental caries and beverage consumption among 1- to 5-year-old children and found an association between soft drinks and increased caries. Marr Barr,Longmont, Colorado, Soft Drinks, Childhood Overweight, and the Role of Nutrition Educators, Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2004; 36:258-265. In addition, drinking soft drinks between meals was found to increase the number of dental decay and caries in a twenty-year longitudinal study. As a result of an increasing consumption of soft drinks and commercial fruit juices, over the past years, the prevalence of dental erosion and decay has increased dramatically. Acids from the soft drinks have been known to induce the dissolution or erosion of dental enamel as well as caries lesion due to the combined effect of bacteria and degradation of carbohydrates present in the drinks [30]. Nationally, there is great concern about the effects of carbonated- beverages consumption on obesity, osteoporosis, heart diseases, tooth decay, and other health problems. Sites in blue is Okay  Ã…  

Bullying: Types, Effects and Government Initiatives

Bullying: Types, Effects and Government Initiatives Abstract The UK Government defines bullying as; Repetitive, wilful or persistent behaviour intended to cause harm, although one off incidents can in some cases also be defined as bullying; internationally harmful behaviour, carried out by an individual or a group and an imbalance of power leaving the person being bullied feeling defenceless. Bullying is emotionally or physically harmful behaviour and includes; name calling, taunting, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing, taking belongings, inappropriate text messaging and emailing, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet, gossiping, excluding people from groups and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours. (HOC 2007, Frederickson et al 2008). Contents (Jump to) Introduction Chapter 1: The Types and Effects of Bullying Chapter 2: Educational Provision within Secondary Schools Chapter 3: Government Initiatives and the Education of Children who are being bullied Conclusion References Introduction This dissertation is going to investigate the links between education and bullying within secondary schools. Chapter One will give an overview of what bullying is and why is such a serious issue within secondary education, the chapter will then focus on the different types of bullying that happens within schools and what effects bullying has on both the person who is doing the bullying and their victims. It will include statistics concerning how many children/young person who have reported getting bullied, as well as the types of bullying these children have had to deal with. The remainder of the chapter will focus on the bully or bullies experiences before their started bullying another child/young person, paying particular attention to their educational experiences and disadvantages, but also taking into account any additional contributing risk factors which can affect a childs/ young persons behaviour and their education. These risk factors include risk around the childs/young per sons family, along with wider risks associated with poverty and deprivation. Risk factors such as peer pressure, jealously and being bullied themselves, which relate to education more directly, will be discussed in more details. The following chapters discuss the educational provision available to those children/young people who are being bullied and also those who doing the bullying, analysing the types of bullying the effects of bullying and also the types of provision and factors related to the reasons of why bullying happens. Chapter Two focuses on the educational provisions for the children who have been bullied, but Chapter Three addresses issues around reintegration and wider Government policy. Both chapters critically analyse current provision, whereas the conclusion will draw this analysis together and consider the extent to which the current system can be seen to be working in the interests of all concerned. Chapter One: The Types and Effects of Bullying The UK Government defines bullying as; Repetitive, wilful or persistent behaviour intended to cause harm, although one off incidents can in some cases also be defined as bullying; internationally harmful behaviour, carried out by an individual or a group and an imbalance of power leaving the person being bullied feeling defenceless. Bullying is emotionally or physically harmful behaviour and includes; name calling, taunting, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing, taking belongings, inappropriate text messaging and emailing, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet, gossiping, excluding people from groups and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours. (HOC 2007:7-8, Frederickson et al 2008:176-177). Bullying takes many forms. It can be physical bullying, this is when a child is being pushed, beaten or thumped by bare hands. It can involve a weapon and threats. Bullying can also be verbal and emotional, racial or sexual. Elliott (1997a:2) it would seem that boys are more likely to be physical in bullying, while girls tend to be cruel verbally. Research by Olweus (1993:19) indicates that girls are more often exposed to harassment such as slandering, the spreading of rumours and exclusion from the group rather than physical attacks. Olweus (1993) continues it must be emphasised that these gender differences are general and that is some schools, girls are also expose to physical bullying. In more recent times there have been cases in the UK in which girls have violently and aggressively attacked other girls. An example of this was fourteen year old girl was cornered in the playground by a gang of ten boys and girls. She was stripped to the waist and had to beg on her knees to get he r clothes back. She was pushed, punched and had her hair pulled. Tell and youll get worse was the parting words from one of the girls. The victim did not tell until they did it again and took photographs. When her mother confronted the school, she was told it was only horseplay. The victim, who attempted suicide after the latest incident, was transferred to another school in which she is now thriving. (Elliott 1997b:1), this incident had a more positive ending, which is not always the case. There have also been deaths caused by bullying within schools, mainly in secondary schools. An example of this was in 2000 a 15 year old school girl committed suicide after being bombarded with anonymous calls on her mobile phone, the inquest into her found that she was being bullied through her mobile phone Mobile Phone Bullying/Cyber Bullying (The Independent, 2000). The incidence of girls being violent does seem to be increasing and is a trend that must be viewed with concern, as female bulli es, especially in groups or gangs are getting just as violent if not more violent then male bullies. Studies show that bullying takes place in every type of school. Studies on bullying within schools date back to the 1980s, were the first UK nationwide survey was conducted by Kidscape from 1984 to 1986 with 4000 children aged 5 to 16. The survey revealed that 68 per cent of the children had been bullied at least once; 38 per cent had been bullied as least twice or had experienced a particularly bad incident; 5 per cent of the children felt it had affected their lives to the point that they had tried suicide, had run away, refused to go to school or been chronically ill (Elliott and Kilpatrick 1996). Subsequent studies have found very similar results. Researchers at Exeter University questioned 5500 children aged 13 and found that 26 per cent of boys and 34 per cent of girls had been afraid of bullies sometime in their lives (Balding 1996). Bullying calls to ChildLine are growing at a rapid rate, ChildLine (2006) counselled 37,032 children about bullying between 1st April 2005 to 31s t March 2006. A further 4018 called ChildLine for other reasons but went on to talk about bullying. Every Month ChildLine counsels more than 3,000 young people about bullying, that is a quarter (23%) of all calls to the services. One area of growing concern is homophobic bullying. (ChildLine 2006). Bullying is not only a UK problem, it happens throughout the world. Olweus (1993:19) has been researching the problem of bullying in Norway since 1973; he estimated that one in seven pupils in Norwegian schools has been involved in bully/victim problems (Olweus 1993). Similar findings in other countries indicate that if adults are willing to listen and investigate, children will tell them that bullying is one of the major problems children face during their school years. There are different forms of bullying behaviour that has been identified, such as indirect and direct, as involving individuals or groups, verbal and physical. It is generally agreed that the most common form of bullying is verbal abuse is and name calling, followed by various forms of physical bullying. Within this type of behaviour/bullying, there are some important differences, based on age, gender, sexuality and ethnicity. The main types of bullying within school, especially within secondary schools, these are physical school bullying, emotional/verbal school bullying, electronic bullying or Cyber bullying and sexual/homophobic bullying. Physical bullying is when an individual bully or a group of bullies physical harm their victim, examples of this type of bullying are punching, shoving and slapping, and this can also be direct bullying. Emotional/Verbal school bullying is when a bully or bullies use poor and offensive language. Examples of emotional bullying includes the spreading of bad rumours about their victims, keeping their victims out of a group, teasing the victim in means ways and cussing them, getting other people/bullies to gang up on the victims, name calling, harassment, provocation, tormenting, whispering to another/others in front of the victim, walking in groups around school and keeping secrets away from a so called friend(s). Electronic bullying or cyber bullying is when bullying happens online or electronically. It occurs when the bully or bullies bully their victims through the internet, mobile phones or other electronic means and devices. Examples of this type of bullying are sending mean spirited text messages, emails and instant messages, posting inappropriate pictures, messages about their victims in blogs, on websites or social networking sites and using someone elses user name to spread rumours or lies about their victims. Sexual bullying/homophobic bullying is any of the above bullying behaviour, which is based on a victims sexuality or gender. It is when sexuality or gender is used as a weapon by boys or girls towards their victims, although it is more commonly directed at girls. This type of bullying can be carried out to the victims face, behind their back or through the use of technology (cyber bullying). However, it is also argued that sexist bullying or harassment in school is frequently dismissed as inoffensive or legitimised as part of the normal process of gender socialisation, and that it is a form of abuse engaged in by male teachers and male pupils alike (Stainton Rogers 1991). Furthermore, sexual harassment, of a physical as well as verbal kind, has been described as part of the hidden curriculum of many co educational schools (Drouet 1993). Indeed, Duncan (1999:128) presents a complex scenario in relation to what he terms gender abuse in schools. In deconstructs bullying as a manifestation of gender conflict in the pursuit of a desired sexual identity'. He concludes that both girls and boys can adopt a variety of active and passive roles in relation to bullying, but that sexualised nature of much gender abuse serves to remind girls that power is gendered. The threat of rape was identified as a potential sanction against girls who do not conform to male expectations: rape may be (comparatively) rare but physical and sexual assault are not and the lower range of conflictual sexualised gender practices keeps that threat alive on a daily basis. Some school girls have identified sexual assault and even rape within their understanding (and possibly experience) of bullying. Duncan (1999:128). The pervasive nature of homophobic abuse in schools has been widely commented upon, whether the intended target is known to be gay, or not. There is evidence to suggest that homophobic abuse serves to police gender identities, and establish norms of sexual behaviour and gender identity (Mac An Ghaill, 1989:273 286, Douglas et al, 1997) Rivers (1996:19) argues that a significant feature of homophobic bullying is the severity of the abuse. In a retrospective study of gay men and lesbians experience of bullying, one gay man reported having been raped by a teacher, others reported having their clothes set alight, and being burnt with cigarettes while being held down. One lesbian reported having been raped by a male pupil, and another of having been dragged around the playing field by her hair. Other types of bullying are gender bullying which could be linked directly to sexual and homophobic bullying and another type of bullying that is increasing is racist bullying or racial harassment, number of studies on the relationship between bullying and racism. However there appears to be some ambivalence concerning the conceptualisation of racist bullying. Tizard et al (1988:2), for example, report that name calling relating to physical appearance, personal hygiene and race represented the three most frequent forms of teasing reported among 7 year olds. Loach and Bloor (1995:18 20) and Siann (1994:123 134) argue that bullying can function as a cover for racism. A report by the Commission for Racial Equality (1988), describes various case studies of what is defined as racial harassment in schools. Regardless of the terminology used, Gillborn (1993) argues that racism in schools reflects a wider and racially structured society, and consequently, racist abuse carries extra weight . In terms of prevalence, Kelly and Cohns (1988) survey of first (year 7s) and Fourth Year (year 10s) pupils in school in Manchester found that two thirds of pupils said that they had been bullied. Racist name calling was recorded as the third most common form of bullying. In recent survey of Black and ethnic minority pupil in mainly white schools, 26% said that they had experienced racially abusive name calling during the previous week, while at school, or while travelling to and from school (Cline et al 2002:1). However, it is common with many surveys on bullying, that it is likely that racist bullying or harassment is under reported. There is some debate in the literature concerning both the value and validity of identifying typical victim or bully characteristics. Stainton Roger (1991) for example, argues that any child can be a bully or a victim, and that neither denotes an individual psychopathology: bullying is a reflective practice. Bullying creates victims, victims create bullies. On the other hand, Sharp et al (2002:139) claim that some children are more likely to fall into a bully role or victim role, and that is how children learn to manage aggression and assertion in interpersonal skills represents a key contributory factor. Olweus (1993:19) described bullies as physically stronger and victims as having characteristics that differed from the norm, for example in appearance sporting or academic ability. Boulton and Underwood (1992: 73 87) also found that children who perceived themselves to be different in some way, felt more vulnerable to bullying. Olweus (1984:58) found that approximately 20 per cent of bullies were also victims, and that they represented a particularly disturbed group. Others have claimed that some children fall neither into the victim nor bully category and that they therefore provide a useful normative contrast with which to analyses bullying and victim behaviour (Schwartz 1993 and Glover et al 1998). The effects that bullying has on both the bully and especially the victim can be life changing, in a negative way and have severe consequences not just short term, bullying can also have a long term effect on the victims. The effects of bullying have been said to be very serious, it has been reported that around ten children in the UK kill themselves each year because their lives have been made so miserable by being subjected to bullying (NSPCC 2009). There are many effects of bullying, these are include feeling depressed and sad most of the time, having sleeping problems such as insomnia or having nightmares, not wanting to go to school, not eating or over eating, suffering from stomach aches and headaches, feel less confident and also lose their self confidence and stop believing in themselves, feel unhappy and miserable which will result in enjoying life less. The longer the victim is subjected to bullying will probably in turn become a bully themselves, it will take longer for th e victim to recover from it and may continue to destroy the self confidence of the victim, leading to possible suicide. In 1999 Kidscape conducted the first ever retrospective survey of adults to discover if bullying at school affected those who had been bullied in later life. The survey showed that being badly bullied as a child had a dramatic, negative, knock on effect throughout life. The extensive survey of over 1000 adults, showed that bullying affects not only your self esteem as an adult, but your ability to make friends, succeed in education, and in work and social relationships. Nearly half (46 per cent) of those who were bullied at secondary school contemplated suicide compared with only 7 per cent of those who were not bullied. The majority of the adults reported feeling angry and bitter now about the bullying they suffered at school as children. Most received no help at the time to stop the bullying and telling either made the bullying worse or had no effect. Of the 1044 adults who took part in the survey 828 were bullied at school and 216 were not and of those bullied 70 per cent were w omen and 30 per cent were men and of those who were not bullied, 49 per cent were women and 51 per cent were men (Kidscape 1999:1). However, problems may occur if the school fails to recognise and resolve bullying within school, whereby a child may become at risk of truanting and disengagement from education, which could then lead to the risk of self harming and possible suicide. Should a child not experience an educational experience supportive of building resilience against bullying, then those exposed to bullying can turn to someone before it is too late. The following chapter aims to discuss the educational provision available for children who are victims to bullies and the consequences of those who do the bullying. It focuses purely on those children who get bullied in secondary schools. Chapter 2: Educational Provision within Secondary Schools This chapter aims to discuss the educational provisions available for those children who have been bullied and are still getting bullied. It focuses first on the provisions available for children who have been bullied throughout secondary schools, before examining the experiences of those who are living through bullying and also those who are the bullies. The importance of education as a preventative measure against bullying will be discussed along with how education is delivered to those children who are suffering at the hands of bullies. The Government has made tackling bullying in schools a key priority and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has made it clear that no form of bullying should be tolerated. Bullying in schools should be taken very seriously, as it is not a normal part of growing up and it can and will ruin lives. It is compulsory for schools to have measures in place to encourage good behaviour and respect for others on the part of pupils, and to prevent all forms of bullying. The DCSF supports schools in designing their anti bullying policies and their strategies to tackle bullying, by providing comprehensive, practical guidance documents. Regional advisers with expertise in the field of bullying are also on hand to help schools implement the guidance and draw on best practices. Teachers can help to reduce bullying both by the way they teach and by what they teach. In terms of approaches to teaching, although it may seem obvious, it may be helpful to consider teaching approaches along a spectrum with, at one extreme approach which actively promote bullying and at the other ones which specifically seek to prevent bullying. An example of actively promoting bullying is whenever a teacher deliberately humiliates a pupil, then the teacher is quite simply engaging in bullying. It really does not matter to the pupil whether the intention is merely to exert control or gain personal gratification. It would be pleasant to assume that this kind of teacher bullying was something that only happened in the past. Unfortunately most secondary school pupils, at least, will tell you that in their school there are one or two teachers who regularly use intimidation, sarcasm, belittling or harassment towards pupils, and that most teachers, on occasions, will resort to this kind of behaviour (Lawson 1994), showing the pupils that it is acceptable to bully others. The contrast from actively promote bullying is bullying preventive teaching. This is an approach to teaching which is alert to and aware of the condition which makes some pupils vulnerable and avoids endorsing these. This is about treating all pupils with a level of respect and avoiding making jokes at the expense of the weakest. It is about not contributing to a pupils vulnerability, about not setting up victims. It is also about acting as a good role model, as somebody who does no misuse the power they have. More proactively bullying preventive teaching is about publicly acknowledging that bullying is not acceptable, putting it specifically on the agenda within the secondary school and in the classroom, and creating opportunities which will help staff and pupils to develop strategies to counteract bullying. Overall what is needed is to change the way that pupils behave towards each other. To do this the pupils themselves must want to change and they need strategies and they must know how to change. The 1996 Education Act placed responsibility on head teachers for discipline and behaviour in schools, and in 1994 the Department for Education encouraged head teachers, in consultations with their governing bodies, staff and parents, to develop whole school behaviour policies and approaches which are clearly understood by pupils, parents and the school staff. The guidance recommended that schools should also have an anti bullying policy; School staff must act and importantly be seen to act firmly against bullying whenever and wherever it appears. School behaviour policies and the associated rules of conduct should, therefore, make specific reference to bullying. Governing bodies should regularly review their schools policy in bullying. School prospectuses and other documents issued to parents and pupils should make it clear that bullying will not be tolerated. Prospectuses should also explain arrangements through which pupils troubled by bullying can draw their concerns to the att ention of staff in the confidence that these will be carefully investigated and, if substantiated, taken seriously and acted upon. Individual members of staff must be alert to signs of bullying and act promptly and firmly against it. Failure to report incident may be interpreted as condoning the behaviour (Elliott 1997c:118). In more recent times, when a secondary school uses SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning), if used effectively it contributes to the work secondary schools are doing to reduce bullying. When a school implements SEAL effectively across the whole school it establishes strong foundations to its work to prevent bullying. At the core of SEAL are the social and emotional skills, which are all important because high levels of these skills create social climate that does not tolerate bullying behaviour (DCSF 2007) The partnership between ChildLine and Schools is a recent initiative, called CHIPS which was established by ChildLine aiming to work directly in schools, youth clubs and other settings with children and young people across the UK. In 2007/2008 CHIPS worked with more than 66,000 children and young people across more than 700 primary schools and secondary schools and almost 100 special schools and youth groups, to endorse the view that children and young people can help each other, can play a part in making changes to improve their own lives, and have a right to be listened to and respected. CHIPS provides a range of services from awareness raising assemblies, workshops dealing with bullying issues, to setting up peer support schemes, that encourage children and young people to support each other (NSPCC 2008), all of those services are done within the schools. There are many implications when it comes to initiatives and provision, the first is less attention appears to have been paid to childrens support needs during periods of transition, for example between primary school and secondary school. Children often fear bullying at points of transition in their lives, or at particular turning points, for example, during the move from primary to secondary school. Children in their last year of primary school may be seen as the leaders of their school. Primary schools are generally smaller, both in the fabric of the building and in the size of the school population. Secondary schools are, by contrast, frequently viewed as fearfully large places, where newcomers represent the lowest rung of a long ladder. Children who change schools as a result of moving home may also feel vulnerable to bullying. It would therefore seem useful for more research to be conducted on the support needs of children as they learn the ropes of their new environment. Another implication is making sure that all schools have an anti bullying policy within school and that it is used effectively and at all staff knows how to use it. Some of these studies were prompted by the concerns raised by parents and pupils that anti bullying policies and strategies were having a limited effect). The evidence shows that adopting an anti bullying policy is not enough; policies need to be effectively implemented and sustained over the long term (Glover et al, 1998). Parents and teachers is another implication as they are not seen to be working together or not working together as much as they should. It is every childs democratic right to attend school in safely. As education is one of the very few compulsory activities that parents and the government impose onto children, it involves all adults, in whatever capacity, to ensure that this is possible. Parent and teachers, being the most closely involved have the most valuable role to play. Parents are often extremely anxious to have a bully situation speedily resolved and so will offer the highest level of commitment. Their level of distress can often be reduced by inviting them to become actively involved in any plan as feelings of helplessness may be increasing their concern (Besag 1992:155). It may be easier for the victim to confide in a teacher rather than in their parents who are often bewildered by the childs reluctance to discuss the matter and refusal of their offers of help. The situatio n in such cases remains shrouded in mystery, and parents rely heavily on teacher to support the child and communicate with them appropriately. Another implication is when a parent does not feel that the school of their bullied child has not dealt with the bullying in an effective way and stopped it, and they withdraw their child from the school where the child is getting bullied and either moving them to another school or even educating the child at home, this may have a negative effect on the victim, as if they attended a new school, they would have to make new friend and there in not certainty that they will not get bullied at the new school, it will also have an effect on the childs education because they may possible be at different stages in the curriculum at the new school compared to the school that they were previously at. If the parents of the bullied child decide to educate their child at home, they would have to sort out materials and resources themselves, and this could take time and money. Parents should be warned that if they decide to educate their child at home, they have opted out of the state education sys tem and should not expect any assistance in educating their child from the LEA (Local Education Authority). Under the Education Act 1996, parents have a legal duty to ensure that their child receives an efficient full time education suitable to the childs age, ability and aptitude, whether this be at school or otherwise in some kind of education. (Elliott 1997d:124). Chapter 3: Government Initiatives and the Education of Children who are being bullied The barriers to education both before and after the point at which a child is bullied set out above can be institutionally specific, but it is also clear that some barriers and some of the problems of provision difficulties around reintegration are dependent on government policies and the wider educational system. This chapter will analyse the effectiveness of Government policies, initiatives and how these influence educational systems and may both increase educational involvement or attainment and reduce bullying. However, because of the plethora of local initiatives the chapter will focus on the larger scale initiatives, which aim to tackle the main problems (as set out and evidenced in previous chapters), therefore the primary discussion will focus on how the current Government has tackled the issues as mentioned above since they came into power in 1997. For almost two decades, bullying in schools has attracted the interest and concern of governments and policy makers. In the late 1980s a public enquiry was launched into unruly behaviour in schools, the result of this enquiry was the Elton Report (1989). The Report highlighted the issue of bullying, and suggested that a positive school ethos provides the essential factor in facilitating academic success and positive pupil relations. A positive school ethos has, however, proven a difficult concept to define or quantify. Instead, research has tended to focus on the relative merits of different approaches or interventions designed to reduce or prevent bullying (Mackinnon et al 1995:43). In the 1990s an extensive research funded by the DfEE, indicated that bullying was far more prevalent in some schools than others, and that the reasons for this pattern could not always be attributed to single cause (such as social deprivation, or geographical location). Some schools were also shown to be more effective than others at introducing and sustaining anti bullying work. Despite these complexities, the research provided much needed evidence on what had up till now remained a largely hidden phenomenon, and provided the basis for the governments first major attempt to provide schools with evidence based research on effective anti bullying strategies (DfE 1994, DfEE 2000). Almost a decade later, bullying continues to represent an important issue for public policy, not least because of the links between bullying, academic underachievement and mental health problems Guidance issued to teacher and school governors highlights their duty to prevent all forms of bullying: the emotional distress caused by bullying in whatever form be it racial, or as a result of a childs appearance, behaviour or special educational needs, or related to sexual orientation, can prejudice school achievement, lead to lateness or truancy, and in extreme cases, end with suicide, low report rates should not themselves be taken as proof that bullying is not occurring' (DFEE, 1999:24- 25). The National Healthy School Standard (DfEE 1999) also recommended the development of anti bullying initiatives as part of a whole school approach to raising educational standards, improving the health of children and young people, and reducing social exclusion. The DfES has also recently announced that, as part of the governments national behaviour and attendance strategy, guidance and training will be offered to all secondary schools on tackling bullying from September 2003. However, while the whole school approach might be interpreted as echoing the notion of a school ethos, in other respects the issue of bullying appears to be beset by a numb

Enlightenment Thinkers :: essays research papers

History Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do you agree with the Enlightenment thinkers such as Ben Franklin that humans are basically good?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Scientific Revolution had led people looking for laws governing human behavior. The ideas of the Scientific Revolution paved the way for a new period called the Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason. This period took place in the eighteenth- century. This was the philosophical movement that emphasized the pursuit of knowledge through reason and refused to accept ideas on the strength of religion or tradition alone. Thinkers and philosophers of the time included, Ben Franklin, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and many more. The belief that appealed to most political figures of the time, was deism. Deism was the belief that God created the universe in such a way that no divine intervention was necessary for its continued operation. Most thinkers of the time believed that humans were basically good. In today’s life it is noticeable that this believe does not apply to all, hardly to any. Although it is also not fair to say that all humans are sinners.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher of the 1600’s, tried to create a science of politics. After witnessing the horrors of the English Civil War, Hobbes decided that conflict was part of human nature. Without governments to keep order, Hobbes said, there would be â€Å"war of everyone against everyone†. In this state of nature life would be â€Å"nasty, brutish, and short.† In his book Leviathan, Hobbes argued that to escape such a bleak life, people gave up their rights to a strong ruler. In exchange, they gained law and order. Hobbes called this agreement, by which people created a government, the social contract. Hobbes basically saw people as naturally selfish and violent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Locke was another philosopher of the Enlightenment. He viewed human nature very differently from Hobbes. Locke said a person is not born good or evil. Rather he said, people’s characters are shaped by their experiences. Locke felt people could learn from experience and improve themselves, which led him to believe in self-governing. According to Locke, all people are born free and equal, with three natural rights- life, liberty and property. He believed that the purpose of a government of is to protect these rights and if they fail the people would have the power to overthrow them. This idea is still standing today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The key thinkers of the Enlightenment had very definite views on the ideal government.

Sexual Predators :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Sexual Predators Childhood is supposed to be a time of discovery and play, not abuse. Was there ever such a world? Sexual predators have been lurking this planet for decades; now they're being marked for life because of there actions. Neighbors and the home towns of sexual predators are being alerted of their crimes and whereabouts by local police. Such towns have responded by putting up signs in their town, "CHILD MOLESTER TWO DOORS DOWN" (Popkin, pg 73). Others responded by burning or flooding their new neighbors out (Popkin). What did these convicted criminals do to deserve such punishment? They violated the most precious living creature on this planet, a child. Communities definitely have a right to know that a dangerous child molester is moving to their town. Child molesters have been convicted, charged and sentenced for their crimes for many years. Maybe people already have one as their next door neighbor. Do people really know the people they live by so well, that they would leave their own child with them? Also, if they had a legal right to, would they check out their neighbor's history at the police office, or trust them? In the summer of 1994, seven-year-old Megan Kanka was kidnapped, raped, then killed by convicted child molester Jesse Timmendequas. Her story started many parents to question the safety of their own children. The outraged community was never informed that Timmendequas and two other convicted child abusers had moved in across the street from Megan (Megan Kanka). Megan's death lit her parents' fires to do something about notifying communities of convicted child molesters. They began to lobby for "Megan's Law", a law that would require immediate community notification of convicted child abusers, who were living in their area (Popkin). Some critics contend that the law is unconstitutional because it adds additional punishment to offenders (Megan's Unfinished Legacy). Other critics say that it would drive predators into hiding and away from seeking counsel. Child molester Scott Murphy said, "Without counseling, you're the same person when you go to jail as when you get out"(Popkin, pg.73). Before the passing of the law, a group of offenders appealed the judges' ruling that the notification was unconstitutional because it's intended to protect children, not further punish criminals (Megan's Unfinished Legacy). The law was passed. The biggest problem that police officers face is determining which released sex offenders are the most dangerous.

The Common Theme in the Songs of Good Charlotte :: Good Charlotte Music Bands Essays

The Common Theme in the Songs of Good Charlotte There are three specific songs sung by Good Charlotte that all have a common theme. The songs are called Wondering, Emotionless, and Predictable. In all of these songs the common theme of relationships is reoccurring. There are successful and failed relationships as well as relationships with family members and girlfriends. In the song Wondering, by Good Charlotte a boy is happy that he found somebody that he can trust and wants to be around. He tells her that he is willing to wait for her and wants to be with her forever. Emotionless, is about a boy who is writing to his father who abandoned his family during his childhood. He asks him why he was never around, how they struggled to survive and that he misses him. In the song Predictable, it’s about a boy’s relationship with a girl who he loved and she turned out to break his heart. This boy becomes broken because he knew the girl was so predictable. The main theme in the three songs is having or being in a relationship. Each song is talking about a relationship with either a family member or a girlfriend. Most songs these days are written about relationships and this usually makes the song more interesting to listen to. When people write songs they usually write about their feelings or personal experiences that they have had. All of these songs were written about things that had happened to certain people in the past. Songwriters find it easier to write songs about what may be going on in there life or what may have happened in the past. To them it’s a way of expressing themselves and maybe releasing stress. Two of the songs deal with relationships with a girlfriend. In Predictable, it’s more about a girl that left a boy (this isn’t the first time, that you left me waiting. Sad excuses and false hopes high, I saw this coming, still I don’t know why, I let you in).