Violence in Public School

Your Name Instructor/Professor’s Name Course Date Violence In Public Schools Perhaps, one of the most pressing concerns affecting not only the educational sector, but the entire society, is the rising violence in schools. Indeed, there’s no question that school-related violence is one of the gravest threats that any government will have to face. In fact, the U. S. is just one of the dozens of countries plagued by this social ill. With easy access on guns and knives, schools—students and teachers, specifically—have been placed at a more precarious condition.Thus, it is no longer surprising if shooting spree, sexual assault, and stabbing incidents continue to headline the newspapers around the world. Such is the alarming rate of violence in what was once considered the haven of safety and sanctuary of morality that parents, students, and policymakers have to brave. In general, violence in U. S. schools, plus the government’s failure to prevent— let alone eliminate—even in the presence of new initiatives specifically intended for this purpose, has turned out a huge cause for concern that needs to be addressed no sooner than later.No student or teacher for this matter should ever suffer from violence inside the classroom, playground, school cafeteria, or even while on his way to or from school. But the truth does not speak of the same. As the rate of school violence continues to escalate year by year, so does the disruption of the learning process, degradation of the students’ and teachers’ morale, and the spread of fear not only in the school but in the community in general.Aside from the immediate negative impact, school violence could also give birth to youth violence, which could stem to more diverse concerns in criminality, peace and order, and public health and safety. In this paper, we will try to delve the degree of school violence and how dangerous it is not only to wither the integrity of the U . S. school system, but also to rock society as well. In the present condition where the government seems too powerless enough to put this social crisis to an end, it is safe to say that school violence is indeed a force to reckon, a substantial shaker that will definitely cause the failure of schools in general.Data Reveal the Alarming Rate of School Violence Numerous studies have been conducted to assess the real impact and the degree in which school violence has really affected the school system. Data from the US Department of Education show disturbing figures. Between 2003 and 2004, it was revealed that 1 out of 10 teachers in urban schools admitted receiving threats from students. Between 2005 and 2006, almost 40 percent of public schools had at least one case of school violence. In 2007, 23 percent of students admitted that gangs existed in their schools.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (series 4) reveals that according to the results of a nationwide survey in 20 07 among students from grades 9 to 12 show that almost 6 percent of students did bring guns, knives and other types of dangerous weapons inside the school. Furthermore, almost 8 percent of students were threatened, harassed, or injured by these weapons. Meanwhile, 12 percent of the respondent-students admitted that they had been involved in physical fights inside the school.A more disturbing note revealed that most than 22 percent of students sold, used, and were offered and given illegal drugs right inside the school. Nonfatal assaults are also rampant inside the school. The Department of Education reveals that in 2006, on a national level, 3 out of 100 students are actively participating in school-based crimes, which included rape, assault, and theft. Bullying is even a more serious cause for alarm. More than one-third of the entire student population had been victims of bullying, 4 percent of them being bullied online or through text messages.This stems to a more violent personal ity as bullied students have more chances of getting engaged into fights, psychological trauma and dropping out of school. Likewise, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (33-36) reveals that school violence-related deaths continue to escalate on a yearly basis. Although on an average rate, 1 out of 100 students die due to violence inside the school, still, such cases are too much to ignore, since NO death, especially violence-related must ever occur inside the campus. Since 2003, more than 115 students have been killed in almost 110 incidents.On a yearly basis, that translates to 17 students dying from homicide. Anderson et al (2695) reveals that school-associated violence and deaths occur â€Å"before and after the school day and during lunch,† while cases of violence are more likely to occur at the onset of the semester (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Violent, 657). Half of recorded homicide cases show that perpetrators actually reveal some sort of war ning signal before they attack their victims. These include making a threat or leaving a note before the crime occurs (Anderson et al, 2695).Risk Factors Leading to Violence in Schools School violence does not exist simply because they have to exist. There are numerous underlying factors that trigger the occurrence of numerous conditions that give rise to this case. In fact, experts, researchers and lawmakers agree that there is a deeper root that that gives life to these occurence. According to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, among the risk factors affecting school violence include: â€Å"weapons, media violence, cyber abuse, the impact of school, community, and family environments, personal alienation,† (crf-usa. rg) among others. Access to Weapons. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the rapid increase in the rate of gun accessibility among teens in the United States. As more teenagers owned guns, thus, the rise of gun deaths and injuries (crf-usa. org). A study condu cted by Bergstein et al (794-8) in Boston and Milwaukee shows that that 42 percent of students who responded revealed that â€Å"they could get a gun if they wanted, 28 percent have handled a gun without adult knowledge or supervision, and 17 percent have carried a concealed gun†¦. This claim was backed by data provided by the University of Southern California School of Medicine, which reports that around 35% of U. S. households with children 18 years old and below are reported to have owned at least one firearm, which â€Å"translates to more than 11 million children living in homes with firearms† (crf-usa. org). Furthermore, teens can also acquire handguns in illegal sales, as â€Å"American gun shows continue to be a venue for illegal activity, including unlicensed sales to prohibited individuals† (Bergstein et al, 794). Violence Caused by Media. The Constitutional Rights Foundations (crf-usa. rg ) reveals that an average American child will have witness 8,000 murders and 100,000 violent acts by time he reaches 7th grade. That’s because of television. Time and again, claims have been made and studies have been conducted to really test the truth behind the impact of television in inculcating wrong values to a child. According to the Anderson et al (81), â€Å"violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts. Although certain characteristics exhibited by viewers, such as identification of aggressive characters), parental guidance and other social factors, as well as the content of the media could make or break the effect of media violence. These also count the the degree of aggression instilled in the viewer’s personality. Cyber Bullying. Anderson et al (83) write that high school students are more exposed to violence in video games, thus, they show â€Å"more pro-violent attitudes, had more hostile personalities, were less forgiving, believed violence to be more normal, and behaved more aggressively in their everyday lives. † However, Sherry (msu. du ) reasoned out that the â€Å"overall effect of these games on aggressiveness does not appear great† to warrant significant attention. School Environments. A survey conducted by the Children's Institute International revealed that more than half off teenage population living in rural, suburban, or urban areas all agree that schools are becoming more and more violent in the passing of time. School-based Gangs. The National Center for Educational Statistics, as quoted by the Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA (2), reveals that in 2005, â€Å"24 percent of students ages 12-18 reported that there were gangs at their schools. Nevertheless, no difference was observed with regards to reporting gang presence among rural and suburban students. Communities. Aside from the negligence in the school and in the home, communities also show neglect in children, which is another reason for hastened occurrence of school violence. Furthermore, a community’s unresponsive attitude â€Å"to the needs of families and their children [†¦could] develop into school violence [†¦given that] [a]fter-school and summer programs are not always available† (crf-usa. org). Family.The family, which should have been highly responsible in shaping a child’s mind to become upright and law-abiding, are also the one the blame of the deterioration of the values and attitudes among teenagers. As parents neglect their duty to rare their child with positive attitudes, â€Å"children may develop negative–and often violent–behavior patterns† (crf-usa. org). But more than providing room for negative values to grow, irresponsible and abusive households also impede a child’s growth and maturity. Thus, as observed, some of the most aggressive teenagers show signs of poor communication skills and low self-esteem.And since children have no parental role models to look up to, they would tend to focus their attention on popular culture, no matter how violent or aggressive it nature may be. The lack of support from the family and community therefore poses burden on schools, as it turns out that they are the only social institution left to â€Å"educate, shelter, and discipline children,† (crf-usa. org). Nevertheless, this task serves too tasking as â€Å"most schools have difficulty playing multiple roles as educators, surrogate parents, social service, or law-enforcement agencies†( crf-usa).Violence Is Becoming Widespread in Schools With all these research and information laid on the table, it is therefore too difficult to ignore the fact that school violence is bound to impair the country’s education system. Lack of funding and support from state and federal governments, plus neglect on the part of communities a nd families, eventually prove too much for educators to bear the task of educating, disciplining and imparting positive attitudes to students.Thus, it could be deduced that â€Å"violence and danger are constant companions for America's schoolchildren† (McClusky, cato. org) While state and federal documents reveal that school violence has been heading towards the slump since the advent of the 21st century, researchers believe that these information are misleading, as administrators and government officials are actually negligent and blind enough to make the problem known. Journalists are quick to point out the discrepancy of assessments. McClusky (cato. rg) revealed a Denver Post article that uncovered a widespread â€Å"under-reporting of violent incidents in Denver-area schools–under-reporting that occurred despite the presence of a state accountability system designed to identify dangerous schools. † What’s went wrong is the fact that in the entire Col orado, as well as well as in other states, a lot of schools tend to under-report violent incidents. Furthermore, Chicago Tribune in McClusky (cato. org) reported negligence on the part of law enforcers in Illinois to warn school districts whenever â€Å"convicted juvenile sex offenders enroll in their schools.Many failed to notify principals in the mistaken belief they were not permitted to alert them, when in fact they were required to do so† (cato. org). Another mistake on the part of the government is the poor process of collecting and gathering data, reveals Modzeleski in McClusky (cato. org). When the law regarding this issue was enacted in 2001, it was revealed that quite a good number of school districts have gathered sufficient data to provide accurate records regarding school violence, although there were also school districts who failed on this. Impact of Violence in Public SchoolsThere’s really no question that violence in schools have profound effect not ju st in the education system, but in the entire aspect of American life. As schools are disturbed by violence, the effect is felt by students through poor education, low self-esteem and other debilitating factors that could affect not only their professional career, but other facets of their lives, as well. â€Å"It is intuitively obvious and consistent with an ecological perspective that crime and violence in settings in which youth live and attend school pose a poor context for academic involvement and performance,† explains Bowen & Bowen (321).Indeed, violent and aggressive behavior displayed by students at school could mean poor academic performance, which could directly or indirectly hamper the teaching and learning process. Based on the observations made by Lochman, Lampron, Gemmer, & Harris (339), we can conclude therefore, that aggression and violence do not only hamper the individual’s academic performance, but the â€Å"negative impact [could also extend] on t he education of their classmates by diverting their teachers from teaching and reducing the amount of time students are engaged in learning† (339).In Garbarino & Abramowitz (17), we discovered that the â€Å"risks to development can come from both direct threats and the absence of opportunities for development. † Aside from classroom performance, the impact of school violence also reaches to the physical side. Pollack, in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc. gov), reveals that â€Å"a number of students seek medical care for nonfatal, violence-related injuries. Some of these injuries are relatively minor and include cuts, bruises, and broken bones.Other injuries, like gunshot wounds and head trauma, are more serious and can lead to permanent disability. † But injuries extend deeper, more than what the eye can see, actually. The Center for Disease Control (cdc. gov) reveals that constant exposure to violence not only in school, but also at home and in the neighborhood, could result to different negative health, psychological and even mental outcomes to a person. This could include depression and anxiety, which could trigger fear in going to school and other negative effects to an individual’s life.A 2007 survey by CDC (cdc. gov), shows that almost 6 percent of high school schools in the entire country nationwide did not go to school â€Å"on one or more of the 30 days before the survey† (cdc. gov) was conducted for fear of danger and harm â€Å"at school or on their way to or from school† (cdc. gov). Thus, for this reason, the rate of absences has risen from 1993 and 2005. Furthermore, Pollack (cdc. gov) revealed that around â€Å"160,000 students go home early on any given day because they are afraid of being bullied. † ConclusionAll the records are one and the same in revealing that violence in the school is indeed a cause for alarm for everyone. According to the Indiana State University (indiana. edu), the past fifteen years saw a distressing rate in the increasing of youth violence in schools. Worst, both the culprits and the victims are getting younger and younger. What is sad and disturbing about this situation is that school officials themselves show little interest in curbing the criminality within their campus. They either fail to record the incidence or are negligent nough to inform higher officials and law enforcers about this. Furthermore, law enforcers themselves seem half-hearted in waging an all-out campaign against school violence. Even state and federal governments seem not to care at all. That is why, it is pretty irritating to note that government officials are proud to hail that school violence has either stabilized or spiraled downwards, even if every day, televisions and new papers keep on trumpeting for what really is the truth—incidents of shooting, stabbing, robbery, or rape right within the school campus.Thus, we can really conclude that at thi s point, schools are not really safe. They are in fact, at their most dangerous—among the riskiest places, ever, for students and teachers be. As revealed by Indiana State University (indiana. edu): â€Å"National level data suggests that middle and high schools, especially larger schools, are more at-risk for serious violence. Moreover, students in urban schools serving predominantly lower SES minority children remain twice as likely to be victims of violence as students in suburban, town, or rural areas.In addressing the tragic incidents that have occurred recently in suburban and rural schools, it is critical that the more ongoing and severe problems of lower SES urban schools and students not be forgotten or ignored. † All these data, figures and studies have their significant effect on our schools and in society as a whole. Indeed â€Å"what we do in our schools on a day to day basis in terms of discipline may be related to serious crime and violence† (indi ana. edu). Thus, each of us is partly to blame for what is happening. And as we are part of the problem, so, too are we parts of the solution.And while comprehensive programs and tightened security are implemented to improve the atmosphere inside the school and reduce the violence, we may say that, really, only time could tell what the future holds for our country’s educational system. References Anderson, C. A. , Gentile, Douglas A. , Burkley, K. E. Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory Research and Public Policy. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007, 83. Anderson, Craig A. et al. The Influence Of Media Violence On Youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4 (3); 81.Anderson, M. , Kaufman J. , Simon T. R. , Barrios L, Paulozzi L, Ryan G, et al. School-associated violent deaths in the United States, 1994-1999. JAMA 2001; 286 (21):2695-702. Bergstein J. M. , Hemenway D. , Kennedy B. , Quaday S. , Ander R. Guns in young hands: a survey of urban teenagers' attitudes and behaviors related to handgun violence. Journal of Trauma. 1996 Nov; 41(5):794-8. Bowen, Natasha K. , Bowen, Gary L. Effects of Crime and Violence in Neighborhoods and Schools on the School Behavior and Performance of Adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, Vol. 14 No. , July 1999, 321-23. Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. Youth Gangs and Schools. Los Angeles, CA: 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School-associated student homicides-United States, 1992-2006. MMWR 2008;57(02):33-36. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Temporal variations in school-associated student homicide and suicide events – United States, 1992 -1999. MMWR 2001;50(31):657-60. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2007. Surveillance Summaries, June 6, 2008. MMWR 2008;57(SS-4).Constitutional Rights Foundation. Causes of School Violence, no date. Retrieved from http://www. crf-usa . org/school-violence/causes-of-school-violence. html. Department of Education. Indicators of school crime and safety: 2008. NCES 2009-022. Department of Education and Justice (US); 2009. Washington (DC): US Government Printing Office. Garbarino, J. , Abramowitz, R. H. (1992). The ecology of human development. In J. Garbarino (Ed. ), Children and families in the social environment (2nd ed. , pp. 11-33). New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Jamieson, A. , Curry, A. Martinez, G. School enrollment in the United States – social and economic characteristics of students. Department of Commerce (US), Census Bureau (US);1999. Washington (DC): US Government Printing Office. Kachur, S. P. , Stennies, G. M. , Powell, K. E. , Modzeleski, W. , Stephens, R. , Murphy, R. , et al. School-associated violent deaths in the United States, 1992 to 1994. JAMA 1996;275(22):1729-33. Lochman, J. E. , Lampron, L. B. , Gemmer, T. C. , & Harris, S. R. (1987). Anger coping intervention with aggressive children:A guide to implementation in school settings.In P. A. Keller& S. R. Heyman (Eds. ), Innovations in clinical practice: A source book (Vol. 6, pp. 339-356). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Exchange. McCluskey, N. Violence in Public Schools: A Dirty Secret. School Reform News: 2005, June 1. Retrieved from: http://www. cato. org/publications/commentary/violence-public-schools-dirty-secret Olweus, D. Bullying at school: what we know and what we can do. Malden (MA): Blackwell; 1993. Pollack, W. Real boys: rescuing our sons form the myths of boyhood. New York (NY): Henry Holt and Company, LLC; 1998.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 13

Min, Doug's saxophonist, rummaged through the array of liquor bottles on Wyatt's counter. â€Å"I don't think he has any,† he finally said. â€Å"Can you make a gimlet without lime juice?† â€Å"Um, no,† I replied. â€Å"That kind of defeats the whole purpose. â€Å" â€Å"Oh. Okay. Well, then, you just want a shot or something?† He held up a bottle of – God help me – Skyy vodka. â€Å"I think I'll pass.† I surveyed the humming, thumping party around me. Tons of people had showed up as usual; I doubted the band even knew half of them. The wages of fame, I guessed. Also as usual, there were drugs and drinks aplenty for those who wanted such things – as long as one's vices didn't stray to lime juice, apparently. I turned back to Min. â€Å"You seen Alec tonight?† â€Å"Nope. Said he'd be here. I hope he shows soon.† Min shifted restlessly, and I wondered just how many people Alec was stringing along. The whole band, after all, had displayed that crazy, uncaring behavior. I'd spent most of the day planning for tonight, trying to figure out what it would take to get information and possibly the drug itself from Alec. Finally, as the party drew nearer, I accepted that I was overthinking the matter. Alec was hardly a criminal mastermind. If I wanted something from him, it was a safe bet that the removal of clothing and an orifice would suffice. With that in mind, I'd dressed for the part in another little dress. Like the one I'd worn to the last concert, this too had a V-neck, straps, and short skirt. Unlike that one – which had been cotton and more like a sundress – this one was silk and looked kind of like a nightgown. Its rich, emerald green mirrored the green flecks in my eyes. I'd made sure of that, enhancing the color in both. â€Å"Finally,† I muttered to myself, catching sight of Alec's blue-streaked hair across the crowd. He saw me, and I waved, making him grin smugly at my acknowledgment. â€Å"Hey,† he said, looking me over. â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"About time you showed,† berated Min, handing over a beer. They greeted each other with some kind of weird, shoulder-punching guy thing. Then Min held up a bottle of Tropical Soiree Key Lime Schnapps. â€Å"Hey, look what I found. Will this work?† â€Å"Sure. Whatever,† I said. I wanted to start working Alec, putting him at ease. If it involved some unholy drink concoction, then I'd have to take that risk. Min handed me a plastic cup filled with bright green liquid, and Alec and I wandered off to mingle. â€Å"You're letting Min experiment on you?† he asked, pointing at the cup. Inspiration hit. â€Å"He's been experimenting on me all night.† I laughed, a bit too loudly and held on to his arm. Alec didn't need to know this was my first drink. â€Å"But none of the other stuff he made looked this bad.† He smiled and casually placed his arm around my waist. â€Å"Have I told you how great you look?† â€Å"Yeah, I kind of got the message,† I told him. Sniffing the cup, I detected nothing but sugar. Tentatively, I brought the cup to my lips and tasted. Bleh. It was like Kool-Aid and mouthwash. Fortunately, I don't have much of a gag reflex, so I managed to swallow without choking. Alec flattered me a little more, and then I steered him toward the one topic guaranteed to captivate him: himself. It worked. Within a few minutes, I discovered that subject area was even more limited than I'd suspected. He only wanted to talk about the band. â€Å"So yeah, we figure we should start expanding out of Seattle and hit some of the other big cities in the area. You know, like Portland and Vancouver. If we can start getting a following in the Northwest, we can hit the rest of the west coast, you know? And Corey's dad knows this guy who knows someone at a record company, and he's going to send him the review that was in the SeattleTimes†¦ â€Å" I let him go on, nodding my head and saying â€Å"uh-huh† a lot. I should point out that I really was interested in Nocturnal Admission's success. I believed in them and their talent. Just not tonight. Other things demanded my attention. â€Å"You know,† he suddenly said out of nowhere, â€Å"I didn't think you really liked me.† Yeah. Good observation. I smiled. â€Å"Sorry about that. There are so many jerks out there that I come off a little bitchy at first, until I know a guy. But the rest of the band swears by you, and I trust them. Besides† – I leaned closer, lowering my voice to a sultry purr – â€Å"I know you now, and I definitely like you now.† To my astonishment, Alec broke away from me. How unexpected was that? Weirder still was that I saw interest in his eyes but only his eyes. The rest of him was plainly distressed about something. My surprise must have been reflected in my expression, because a moment later, he laughed like nothing had happened and returned the hand to my waist. â€Å"I wouldn't really trust the guys on much, but hey, if they've convinced you, whatever.† I turned the smile back on, pretending I hadn't noticed the weird reaction. We started talking again, and I continued to let him dictate the parameters of our conversation. When he brought up skateboarding and the benefits of one board brand over another, I decided Doug didn't appreciate the extent of my love for him. Slightly bored, I leaned into Alec and drank from the cup without thinking about it. â€Å"Son of a bitch!† I swore, tasting that mess again. â€Å"What?† â€Å"This.† I set the cup down on a rickety coffee table, sloshing the green liquid. â€Å"It's terrible.† I realized this was my opening. â€Å"God, I've had such a fucked-up week.† I turned so that I stood even closer, resting a hand on his back, sliding it down to his waist. â€Å"I'm glad you had this party. You guys must need to get a little crazy too to handle all the stuff you've been doing.† He seemed happy about my proximity but didn't move his hand from my waist. â€Å"We know when to work, and we know when to play.† He spoke with a ridiculous swagger, again attempting to project a wisdom he was too young to have. I grinned at him. â€Å"I like to play too.† Like before, the look in his eyes said he did want to play – especially if we played doctor. But his body language didn't match it. He was holding himself back for some reason, which didn't fit with my image of him as a womanizing drug lord. But he kept smiling, even if the rest of him was stiff. â€Å"How do you like to play?† â€Å"Not with that.† I pointed at the jettisoned cup and looked back up at him with doe eyes, both innocent and provocative. I tried to recall the stupid expression he'd used at the first party. â€Å"You maybe got anything†¦harder?† A pleased and – unless I was mistaken – relieved smile danced on his face. â€Å"Maybe I do.† I punched him lightly, then snaked my arm around his neck. â€Å"I know you do. I saw you give it to Doug. You guys are in on something good, and you won't share. Whereas me†¦well, I always share†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He still didn't take the physical bait or go for my over-the-top vixen lines, but the rest had piqued his interest. â€Å"I've got something,† he said, glancing around carefully. â€Å"Let's go talk in the bedroom. â€Å" Ah. Now we were getting somewhere. I followed him back to Wyatt's small messy bedroom which miraculously wasn't occupied yet. I sat on the unmade bed, crossing my legs, keeping my body language as open and relaxed as possible. â€Å"Are we going to play now?† He answered with a question of his own: â€Å"You sure you can handle the hard stuff?† I arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Baby, I can take it as hard as you can give it. â€Å" Reaching into his coat pocket, he sat down on the bed beside me and held up a tiny plastic bag, much smaller than the bag Reese kept his pot in. In the poor lighting, I could discern tiny glittering crystals. Almost like red sugar. â€Å"This,† he said in a low voice, â€Å"is what you've been waiting for your whole life. This is the stuff that's going to change your world. Make you who you were born to be.† I was rendered speechless, but not from his melodramatic prologue. It was the crystals. This close to them, I†¦well, felt them. They had an aura, almost the same way an immortal has a signature. Only this wasn't exactly a pleasant aura. The crystals felt strange to me. They sent little Shockwaves into the air. They made my skin crawl. And weirdest of all, I'd felt them before. Once with Doug, once with the band. I hoped Alec would interpret my frown as cute confusion. â€Å"What is that?† A sly smile spread over his face. â€Å"A magic potion, Georgina.† I smiled back, not having to feign puzzlement. â€Å"I don't believe in magic.† â€Å"Oh, you will after this.† He pressed the bag into my palm, and I squelched a sharp cry. I didn't like touching the crystals. â€Å"Go grab something to drink and put them in it. Mix it all up and then drink – preferably as fast as you can. You'll get the effects sooner.† â€Å"What'll they do?† â€Å"Something good. Something you'll like.† He ran his hand through the strands of my hair. â€Å"Man, I can't wait to see how you react to them.† How I reacted? I didn't like the sound of that. Maybe I wasn't getting the same thing as Doug after all. Maybe I was getting the date-rape drug. Of course, with as inviting as I was trying to be, he had to realize those kinds of extremes weren't necessary. I pushed the unease out of my head. â€Å"What do I owe you for these?† The smoke in my voice clearly told him how I'd like him to extract payment. â€Å"Nothing. It's a gift.† â€Å"Nothing?† I trailed my hand across his leg. Believe me, I really didn't want to sleep with this guy, but I wanted to stay in his good graces to figure out what the hell this stuff was. And yeah, okay, I sort of wanted to see him suffer from the energy loss. â€Å"Are you sure?† I slid my body closer to his, gently pushing him back on the bed. His eyes widened as I lay down next to him, brushing my lips over his neck. Turning his face toward mine, I moved my lips closer to his, lightly kissing the area just by his mouth. â€Å"Are you really sure?† I asked, voice lower. His breathing grew heavy, and he stroked my side, tracing the shape of my hip and moving down to my bare leg. Looking half-terrified, he moistened his lips in anticipation. My tongue snaked up to them, dancing around their edges before gently probing inside. He stifled a moan and then pushed me aside. â€Å"No†¦I†¦no. No.† He sat up, shaking. â€Å"Not yet.† I sat up as well, moving in one fluid and graceful motion. Tossing my hair over one shoulder, I gave him a languid smile. â€Å"Come on, I want to.† â€Å"I can't†¦but maybe, well maybe later we can work something out.† Both longing and reluctance showed in his expression, which I found relieving. Nice to know my charms were still working and he wasn't all business after all. Maybe this was just a first-one's-free type of deal, and he'd be more thorough in his demands later. Fine by me. It wasn't the end of the world if I didn't sleep with him, and hopefully we wouldn't even need the second batch. â€Å"Here.† Having seized control of himself, Alec held out his beer to me. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Go ahead and try them. You can mix them in this.† I looked down at the sparkling red granules. They almost had a light of their own. That weird sensation pulsed out at me, grating my immortal senses. No way was I going to ingest the contents of this bag. I shook my head. â€Å"I can't right now. I've got to go to another party. I promised a friend. I'll try them later, okay?† He didn't look happy about that. â€Å"I wanted you to try it now.† â€Å"What's wrong with later?† â€Å"Nothing I guess†¦just, look, don't let anyone else know, okay? I don't have a lot of this stuff. If word gets out, everyone'll want some. Right now I'm only letting special people try it.† â€Å"Am I special?† I teased. Alec gave me a long, searching look, blatantly studying my face and the way the silk fit me. Again, the appreciation and attraction shone in his eyes, but he held himself back from my smile of invitation. â€Å"Very special.† I managed to extract myself from the party shortly thereafter but not before Alec had warned me again to keep the crystals to myself. He also urged me to let him know how I liked them. â€Å"The second dose is even better,† he promised. Finally escaping, I breathed a sigh of relief, alone in the cool night air. As I walked to my car, I shoved the crystals into my purse, still creeped out by how they felt. They were supernatural; that much was obvious. I knew I had to get them to someone who could identify them. That, however, would have to wait a little longer since I was already past when I'd said I'd call Seth. Happily, I discovered I could no longer sense the packet once it was encased in the fabric. That was something, at least. â€Å"Where are you at?† I asked Seth when he answered his cell phone. â€Å"Terry and Andrea's. You want to come over?† Spending the evening with his family sounded refreshingly ordinary after the sleaze and debauchery of Alec and that party. In fact, compared to everything else weird in my life at the moment, it sounded downright wonderful. Identical blonde faces greeted me at the door when I arrived, both sets of lips forming a perfect ‘o' when they saw me. A moment later, Brandy appeared behind her little twin sisters. â€Å"Oh, Georgina, that dress is so pretty.† She pushed Morgan and McKenna out of the way, both still starstruck. I stepped inside the Mortensen home and found complete chaos. Sheets of clear plastic lay everywhere. Masking tape covered the wall trim. Most of the furniture had been pushed out of the living room, shoved into a pile in the hallway beyond. Those items remaining were wrapped in thick cocoons of more plastic sheeting. Paint buckets, trays, and brushes littered most of the free space, and everything – the people included – was splattered with yellow paint. â€Å"Georgina!† squealed eight-year old Kendall, tearing toward me. Her mother, walking into the room, leapt out and tackled her daughter. â€Å"Don't touch her!† Andrea exclaimed, tumbling to the ground. â€Å"Not in that dress.† I laughed, wanting to sweep up each one of the girls in an enormous hug, the dress be damned. â€Å"Seth,† chastised Terry, standing on top of a ladder, â€Å"why didn't you tell her this was a war zone?† The Mortensen Brothers always entertained me. Despite being younger, Terry always seemed exasperated by Seth's scattered behavior and often had to prod him into reality. Seth sat cross-legged on the floor with Kayla, youngest of the Mortensen daughters, on his lap. Like everyone else, he had paint all over him – including his Writers Do It at Their Desks shirt. Looking as serene as a Buddhist monk, he flashed me one of his distracted smiles. â€Å"Because it's always a war zone over here. â€Å" â€Å"Well, get her out of here and take her somewhere nice,† Terry said. â€Å"No need to drag her down into this.† This immediately triggered cries of outrage from the girls. â€Å"I don't mind staying,† I told them. â€Å"I'd like to help.† Andrea rose from her tackle, one arm still around Kendall. â€Å"We're going to have to cover you up then. Come on, let's see if I've got anything that'll fit.† She released Kendall. The little girl took a step toward me but didn't touch anything. â€Å"You look like one of the ladies in the Victoria's Secret catalog.† â€Å"My favorite reading material,† I told her solemnly. â€Å"Daddy's too.† Her mother groaned and led me to her bedroom, forcing us to squeeze through the furniture packed hallway. Being in Terry and Andrea's bedroom was a lot different than being in Dana's. It was messier for one thing, with an unmade bed and piles of laundry on the floor. The color scheme and decorating were a lot less coordinated too, suggesting it had all been pieced together over the years, not preplanned with a designer's cold eye. Pictures of the girls at various ages covered the walls and dressers, and free surfaces held odd pieces of jewelry, books, and change. And yet, despite that clutter, the whole room felt filled with love, like the people who occupied it were happy and cared about each other. It made the place warm and cozy, not sterile and sharp as Dana's had been. It made me feel good to be in here, jealous that I had nothing like it with another person, and almost intrusive to be in such an intimate setting. It was like eavesdropping. â€Å"Ah, here we are,† murmured Andrea, rummaging through drawers. She handed me some clothes. I slipped out of the dress and tried them on. While she had a fantastic body for having birthed five daughters, Andrea was still taller and bigger than me, so the clothes hung loose and long. Changing her mind, she handed me denim overalls instead of the jeans. They had to be rolled up at the cuffs, but the straps kept them on me. I tied my hair in a ponytail and was ready to go. Seth laughed when he saw me. â€Å"Hey,† I said, poking him with my foot, â€Å"be nice.† â€Å"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you look anything less than†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, playing with word choice. â€Å"Well-planned.† â€Å"Why, you silver-tongued romantic devil. That is the look I usually go for. Other women go for sexy or chic or beautiful. But me? Well-planned all the way.† â€Å"You know what I mean. Besides, unplanned isn't a bad look for you. Not bad at all.† His voice sounded deliciously low and dangerous, and something ignited between us as we held each other's eyes. â€Å"You guys can flirt on your own time,† said Terry briskly, handing me a roller and tray of paint. â€Å"Right now, you work for us. Think you can do this part of the wall?† â€Å"Sure.† I glanced over at Seth, whose main job still seemed to be restraining Kayla. â€Å"Why aren't you painting?† â€Å"Because he isn't allowed to,† answered Brandy, painting deftly around a doorway. â€Å"Uncle Seth's a libation,† explained Kendall. â€Å"Liability,† corrected her mother. She grinned at me. â€Å"The odds say you have to be a better painter than him. Correction: the laws of the universe say you have to be.† â€Å"Of course she is. She's good at everything.† Seth watched me apply a smooth, even coat. â€Å"See?† Painting with the Mortensens made for an utterly normal and utterly enjoyable evening. They were so funny and nice that it was hard not to love them. Working side by side, I could almost pretend I was really one of them. Like this could be my own family. They included me in everything and spoke as though Seth and I were a done deal, assuming I would be with them not only for Thanksgiving but also for Christmas and an assortment of other get-togethers. The simple, casually extended affection made me feel happy inside, and sad too. I would never be able to quite fit in with any mortal family, even if this wacky relationship with Seth did ever stabilize. I pushed aside a plastic-covered box and got a peek inside. Moving the sheet further, I smiled down at a framed picture of Terry and Andrea's wedding party – including a much younger Seth. â€Å"Look at you,† I teased. â€Å"You used to shave.† He rubbed the stubble on his lower face. â€Å"I still shave.† â€Å"So this is the infamous occasion Seth almost missed?† â€Å"Yup,† said Terry, a rueful tone in his voice. â€Å"Apparently finishing A Talented Heat was more important than witnessing my nuptials.† â€Å"Oh,† I said neutrally, â€Å"that's a really good one.† I wasn't sure if it was missing-a-wedding good, but it was still one of my favorites. It might have been worth the sacrifice. â€Å"Who's the other guy beside you?† â€Å"Our other brother. Ian.† â€Å"Another Mortensen? You guys are abundant.† â€Å"Tell me about it,† said Terry. â€Å"Ian's the black sheep.† â€Å"I thought I was the black sheep,† said Seth, sounding almost hurt. â€Å"No. You're the unfocused artistic one. I'm the responsible one. Ian's the wild, hedonistic one.† â€Å"What's hedonistic?† asked Kendall. Her father considered. â€Å"It means you run up a lot of credit card bills you can't pay, change jobs a lot, and have a lot of†¦lady friends.† Brandy rolled her eyes. â€Å"Good euphemism, Dad.† Only in the Mortensen family, I decided delightedly, would a fourteen-year old use a word like â€Å"euphemism.† Andrea walked over to the portrait and admired her younger self. In the picture, she wore a long-sleeved lace dress that left her shoulders bare. â€Å"Ah, those were the days,† she sighed. â€Å"Back before pregnancy ruined my body.† â€Å"Well, that wasn't entirely before pregnancy,† observed her husband in an undertone. She shot him a dangerous look. Brandy groaned. Seth tried to hide a smile and changed the subject. â€Å"That church had horrible carpet. Burgundy shag.† He shook his head. â€Å"I think I'm going to get married outdoors.† â€Å"Oh my God,† said Terry with mock horror, â€Å"I can't believe you just acknowledged you might get married. I thought you were married to your writing.† â€Å"Hey, I've never had a problem with polygamy.† Kendall's eyes widened. â€Å"What's polygamy?† Later, when we'd finished the living room, Seth and I offered to start cleaning up while Terry and Andrea put the brood to bed. The girls resisted, clinging to Seth and me, wanting us to talk and come back tomorrow. â€Å"My nieces think you're a rock star,† he observed as we washed brushes in the kitchen. â€Å"I think they like you better than me.† â€Å"I'm not the one they had to tear Kayla from. Hey, does she ever talk?† â€Å"Sometimes. Usually when there's bait involved – like candy or small objects she might choke on.† We washed the brushes in silence until I brought up the topic that had been on my mind ever since he'd mentioned it. â€Å"An outdoor wedding, huh?† The notion of Seth getting married held a perverse fascination for me. Fascinating because I was female and attracted to such things. Perverse because I knew I wouldn't be the bride at such an event. Succubus logistics obviously made that impossible. Then, of course, there was the fact that my mortal marriage had not gone so well. In addition to me cheating and pushing my husband into a debilitating depression, it had later resulted in me selling my soul and joining the ranks of hell. That didn't make for a good matrimonial track record. Seth cut me a look, eyes amused. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"I didn't know guys ever thought about that kind of stuff.† â€Å"Sometimes we do.† â€Å"You got any other details worked out? Or just the outside lovefest part?† He pondered this as we returned to the living room. He wore the intense expression that seized him when he was trying to write a certain line or think of something clever to say. â€Å"I want a good buffet,† he said. â€Å"Not one of those cheap ones with cold cuts. And no bows on the chairs or anything like that. Man, I hate those.† â€Å"Wow. I guess you've got it all figured out.† I began pulling masking tape off the trim while he knelt down to gather more brushes. He continued on, still considering. â€Å"And I want my bride to wear open-toed shoes.† â€Å"Why open-toed?† He looked up with astonishment. â€Å"Because toes are sexy.† I looked down at my own bare feet. They were small and cute, each toenail painted a pale lavender. Andrea hadn't had any shoes my size. I gave him a sly smile. â€Å"Like these toes?† He looked away and returned to his work. Forgetting my masking tape, I strolled over to him, trying not to laugh. â€Å"Why Seth Mortensen, do you have a fetish?† â€Å"It's not a fetish,† he replied evenly. â€Å"Just an appreciation.† This time I did laugh. â€Å"Oh yeah?† I moved my foot out to tickle his arm, wiggling the toes. â€Å"You appreciate these toes?† â€Å"I appreciate everything about you – even how mean you are.† I crouched beside him and slung an arm around him. â€Å"To think, all this time I've been prancing around you in low-cut shirts and no underwear, in awe of your stalwart resistance, when really it was my toes – â€Å" â€Å"No underwear?† he interrupted. â€Å"Wait. Are you wearing any now?† â€Å"My lips are sealed. You'll have to find out the old-fashioned way. I'm not going to talk. â€Å" â€Å"Oh,† he said in a warning voice, â€Å"we have ways of making you talk.† â€Å"Like what?† In one surprisingly quick motion, Seth sprang up and rolled me onto my back. One arm pinned me and the other held a paintbrush over me, wet with paint. â€Å"Hey!† I cried. â€Å"That's not sexy. That's not even cool.† Actually, being pinned to the floor by him was about as sexy as it got. He stabbed it toward me playfully, never actually making contact, but I flinched anyway. â€Å"What's the problem?† he teased. â€Å"You can just shape-shift it away.† â€Å"Oh! You're a twisted bastard.† His lips quirked into a wicked smile, and he dabbed the brush at my cheek, leaving a small streak of paint. A second later, he added a matching mark on the other cheek. â€Å"Ready for battle,† he declared. I yelped in dismay, then used his momentary satisfaction to break free and reverse the situation, rolling him over. Now I hovered on top of him, one hand on his chest, the other on his arm. â€Å"I'm learning more about you every day,† I observed, leaning my face toward his. My hair had come undone from its haphazard ponytail and now hung down, almost creating a curtain around him. â€Å"You've got a real dark side.† â€Å"Is that a problem?† â€Å"Actually I kind of like it.† I lowered my mouth and gave him what we had now dubbed a â€Å"stealth kiss† – the kind of semi-deep kiss perfected at the concert that just pushed the envelope of succubus absorption. I pulled up a moment later, my lips still tingling from where we'd touched. He shifted one hand to the small of my back while his other tangled itself up in my hair. A lazy and contented smile played on his face. â€Å"You want to go grab something to eat after this?† â€Å"What do you have in mind?† â€Å"Anything. So long as the company stays this good.† I smiled and leaned down to kiss him again, only this time I had trouble keeping the kiss as stealthy as it should have been. When I should have broken away, I kissed him a little harder instead, letting my tongue probe more boldly into his mouth. Surprisingly, what abruptly stopped this indiscretion was not the twinge of energy transfer, but Seth himself. â€Å"Thetis,† he warned, pushing me away – not harshly, but not gently either. I stared, my better judgment suddenly scrambled. I wanted to kiss him again. And again. To hell with the succubus thing. And it wasn't just because of the chemistry or the physical roughhousing, the comments about my toes and lack of underwear. It was about everything tonight. Pretending I was part of his family. Talking about weddings that could never happen. I was suddenly overcome with emotion. Joy and delight over the way just being around him felt. Knowing he loved me for both my inner and outer selves. A warm contentment that his presence naturally brought on. And, of course, the dark emotions were there too. Anger that our relationship could never be complete. Despair that he was not immortal. Jealousy that I could never be his bride. What had Jerome said? That being with me denied Seth all the normal things in life? Kissing him was a base, anxious reaction to all these emotions I couldn't otherwise deal with. â€Å"Thetis,† he repeated, studying my face and whatever crazy expression was on it. â€Å"Come on. You're stronger than this.† He sounded sad and sympathetic, yet stern and parental too. His words snapped me out of my emotional vortex, suddenly making me feel, well, inadequate compared to him. Terry walked back into the living room, looking rightfully startled to see me on top of his brother. â€Å"Do you guys need to go to bed too?† Seth and I exchanged bitter, amused smiles. â€Å"If only,† I said. Once everything was cleaned up, Seth and I left to find a very late dinner. We stayed quiet, neither of us bringing up what had happened earlier. I think he knew I was taking it harder than he had and wanted to say something to cheer me up. But nothing apparently came to mind, so silence reigned until we returned to Terry's house to get our respective cars. â€Å"Georgina,† he said suddenly, hesitantly, as we stood by my car. â€Å"I have to know something.† I looked at him wearily, not liking the seriousness in his voice. I really didn't want to deal with any more weighty issues tonight. I sighed. â€Å"What?† He studied me a moment, apparently assessing my emotional state. â€Å"So†¦ areyou wearing any underwear now?† I blinked in astonishment, taken aback. Then I saw how hard he fought to keep a straight expression. It was too funny. Seth was trying to make me feel better, very much in a goofy way I might have attempted. The tight coil of frustration inside of me unwound. â€Å"Yes,† I told him with a smile. â€Å"Oh,† he said, looking relieved to see me relax but disappointed by the answer. â€Å"But you know what the real beauty of shape-shafting is?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm not anymore.†

Electronic Medical Records vs. Paper Charting

Electronic Medical records vs. Paper Medical Charts By: Diedre Fitzgerald Rasmussen College Summer 2012 English Composition; Professor Pauley Electronic Medical records vs. Paper Medical Charts It is no secret that the medical profession deals with some of population’s most valuable records; their health information. Not so long ago there was only one method of keeping medical records and this was utilizing paper charts. These charts, although still used in many practices today, have slowly been replaced by a more advanced method; electronic medical records or EMR’s. The manner in which information is currently employed in healthcare is highly inefficient, which slows down communication and can, as a result, reduce the emergence and discovery of problems. Accelerating communication and the use of information creates new opportunities to improve healthcare, but also new opportunities for problems to occur† (Ethan, Norman, Prashila, Samuel, 2011, p. 3-4). Although t hey are very reliable, paper medical records are becoming a thing of the past while electronic medical records are among one of the new advancements in our technologically savvy world.Both paper charts and EMR’s ultimately give clinicians and patients the same result but the journey is far from similar; A paper free work environment was once something to only imagine but in our present day is this new age technology exactly what we imagined? Paper medical records are something that most anyone who has been in the medical field for more than a few years are familiar with. This method of patient charting is very cut and dry and keeps true to its form of being a reliable source of information on a patient.According to the Law and Contemporary Problems Journal, the main function of paper medical records is to serve as a container or storage device that is occasionally opened to add new information while at the same time, preserving an authoritative method of treatment (Ethan, Nor man, Prashila, Samuel, 2011). Another essential need when dealing with any kind of medical record is security. While paper charts only consist of ink and paper they provide a sufficient amount of security because they are hard copies of raw data that cannot be hacked into and/ or ccidentally viewed by the wrong eyes unless someone physically has the chart in their hands. On the other side of the spectrum is a relatively new concept; electronic medical records or EMR’s are booming in many areas of the medical field. EMR’s do much more than just keep records. Electronic health records (as they are sometimes referred to) or â€Å"EHR’s, have a wide range of information and communications technology (ICT) capabilities. EHRs do not simply provide the user with a larger and more convenient record; they provide a record that is continuously linked to other sources† (Ethan, Norman, Prashila, Samuel, 2011, p. 8). There are endless possibilities when it comes to EM R’s. According to many health care professionals, one feature about everything going electronic is the fact that any chart can be accessed at any time by anyone who is allowed access to it, therefore, eliminating the need to wait around on charts to be used by doctors, nurses, therapists etc. â€Å"EMR’s make my life so much easier, I do not have to wait for a doctor to finish dictating in the patients chart to start what I need to do with the insurance portion† (Olivia Widner Pre services coordinator, US Oncology, 2012).In the March issue of Massage Magazine, author Brandi Schlossberg (2012) discusses the enthusiasm about going â€Å"paperless† within different massage practices. â€Å"Going paperless is the best paper decision you can make, and it's something all of us can do to make a difference,† said Timonie Hood (2010), zero waste coordinator with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Pacific Southwest. â€Å"Going paperless elimi nates all the environmental costs and impacts associated with paper† (Schlossberg, 2012, p. 46).Not only are EMR’s the â€Å"green† option between the two but they also take up less space, require less staff to process paperwork, can be backed up on a hard drive to ensure an extra blanket of security and keep the files safe with protection. Just as with paper medical charts, security of the information is an issue to a lot of people and in its own way EMR’s take precaution in keeping people out of the charts that should not be there. Almost all EMR programs are equipped with password protection. Although EMR’s may be taking over the medical world, paper medical charts emain the most well recognized form for keeping medical records. There are however some things within paper charts that some medical personnel might argue make it a primitive aspect of the medical field. One argument in itself is that the abundance of paper that is utilized in paper ch arting doesn’t stand up to the â€Å"green† society we aspire to live in today. â€Å"Paper charting used to take so long, the papers would always get unorganized, they took up so much room in the nurses’ station and the worst was waiting for a doctor to finish with a chart so I could chart what I needed to† (Brittney Guggino LPN, 2012).Another acknowledged concern with paper medical charts is the illegible handwriting of clinicians, which is a common, longstanding problem. Being unable to read orders clearly creates an added risk when dealing with patients treatments, medications etc. Paper charts may be familiar but they come with many downfalls and it’s these downfalls which may sway a person’s decision in the opposite direction in regards to the keeping of medical records.Just as with any new advancement in our hi-tech world, EMR’s have some kinks that need to be worked out and in a lot of cases just dealt with. The cost of implem enting and maintaining an EMR system is significantly larger than that of a paper charting system. â€Å"The CBO recently conducted a study and reported that, on average, EHR implementation costs for hospitals amount to approximately $14,500 per bed for implementation. Annual operating costs amount to $2,700 per bed per year† (Dell, 2010).Some of the medical professionals that have been in the profession for a while may find it difficult to adjust to this completely new way of charting. The same populations of people who have trouble navigating a computer fall short of the typical learning curve when it comes to learning this new method of charting. According to the Health Information Management Journal â€Å"Going paperless is great, but going fully automated paperless is impressive† (Boo, Noh, Kim, Kim, 2011, p. 12). While this may be true, consider how this will affect the job market.There are thousands of people who are clerks, receptionists and medical assistants whose jobs are primarily filing, copying, assembling charts etc. Due to companies moving toward EMR systems, a lot of people are losing their jobs because there is no need for them because the computer is taking over their job, not to mention taking away the personable feel that is found in most offices and or hospitals. â€Å"I used to work at Tampa General Hospital as a clerk on one of the units but because we recently switched to a computer charting system I quit my job due to lack of hours.The only thing I stayed for in the end was scanning paper charts into the new electronic versions† (Justin Mukhalian, telemetry tech, 2012). Either way we view the evolution of medical charts we all know eventually paper products will dissipate so much to the point where they are hardly used in any aspect of our lives; this is just the nature of the beast. Electronic medical records were once a thing of the future, but the future is now and paper medical charts are becoming a practice o f the past.Both methods focus on providing the patient with quality healthcare while providing useful information for other clinicians reviewing patients’ charts to provide that same quality of care. With anything in life, you take the good with the bad and in regards to medical records it is ultimately about what is best for the practice, the patient and clinician. Paper charts are simple, familiar, and almost foolproof but EMR’s are modern, organized, and environmentally friendly.More than 20 years ago, businesses began anticipating a paperless workplace. Today, professionals continue to integrate the latest electronic systems into their business plans hoping to achieve a ‘paper-free’ environment. Is this the right move for our society? Only time will tell. References Cote, C. (2010, October). Going â€Å"paperless† or â€Å"fully automated paperless†? American Chiropractor, 32(10), 22-23. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. rasmussen. edu/? ehost/? detail? id=4;hid=104;sid=2b51330e-5843-4272-ba93-36c23c748071%40sessionmgr114;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=awh;AN=54575534 Dell inc. (2010). Electronic health record implementation: Costs and benefits. Retrieved from http://www. perotsystems. com/? MediaRoom/? library/? ServiceOverviews/? ServiceOverview_CostsAndBenefits. pdf Ethan, K. , Norman, S. , Prashila, D. , ; Samuel, S. (2011). Is there an app for that? Electronic health records and a new environment of conflict prevention and resolution. Law and Contemporary Problems, 74(3), 31-56. Retrieved from

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING - Essay Example a better comprehension of the risks it is exposed to as a result of climate change and can potentially reduce its costs of energy and other resources as at will gain a positive reputation in the currently competitive corporate sector. The following report explains the UK legal requirements currently upheld and the main voluntary guidance on environmental reporting. The Companies act of 2006 requires all quoted UK companies to accurately and truthfully pinpoint and report on GHCs (greenhouse gases) that they produce. Quoted companies hereby refer to all UK incorporated companies as well as those whose shares are traded in the NASDAQ, New York Stock Exchange, European Economic Area, or the London Stock Exchange (Global Reporting Initiative, 2006). As a legal framework, the company’s annual report must include the information on emissions to the extent that individuals and government agencies will be able to comprehensively understand the company’s business. This includes the use of KPIs (key performance indicators) such as utility bills if and when applicable in the report. Failure to include the GHCs emissions can be considered to be a violation of the law unless the accountant clearly indicates in the omissions sections that the GHCs emission information was omitted (Pahuja, 2009). The Institute of Chartered Accountants in cooperation with the Environment Agency in Wales and England has published direction on environmental reporting that has been helpful in reporting on environmental impacts and social impacts. When collecting data for and reporting on environmental impacts, the law requires that the following principles are upheld. Data collected and reported must properly portray the impacts that the organization has had on the environment. Being relevant will make the information helpful to internal and external users who might need to make various decisions based ion the report. Similarly, accuracy should be attained by reducing uncertainties in the

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Personal Statement Example Later my mother told me that she had a disease called dyslexia. That little incident of my childhood had a far reaching impact on my life. After that I knew what I was going to do in life. I wanted to help mentally retarded people and specially the children with dyslexia. In school, I had a clear mind about what I was going to be. So I excelled in my education step by step until I was in high school. There I got practically involved in pursuing my aim. While in High school, I won a social service organizing contest and then I was given a chance to join an exchange trip in Wuhan. In there, we visited governmental welfare organizations. That was a very useful experience as we learnt how a welfare organization runs, focusing on children and mentally handicapped services. Thus for the first time I practically saw how I could help special children. This experience of volunteering in high school to work with mentally handicapped people was very close to my heart and that was what I had alw ays dreamt of doing, but that was also the most difficult thing that I had ever done until that time. It literally made me test my limits because I always wanted to do that and was planning to do that work in future too, but that was the first time when I also saw its challenges. That was the time when I had to practically decide whether to take up that job for good or to just sympathize with the people who were suffering and move on. After a few initial days, I settled down and I knew that was the only thing that I had ever wanted to do. The mentally handicapped people, who seemed difficult to handle in the first few days, became so dear to me that I could not possibly think of a better thing than to keep them happy and to help them live a better life. So I decided to be an occupational therapist. I also did a lot of volunteer work other than that while being in the high school, for instance I worked as an all time project constructor and the biggest project we did was the one in w hich we helped new immigrants from south Asia or Mainland China to fit in Hong Kong’s environment and to help them fight against discrimination that unfortunately prevails all around Hong Kong. I mainly focused on the students and children by providing tutorial classes of English, Maths and Chinese to them and holding events for them to fit in easily in Hong Kong. But even during that I kept my goal in mind and I focused more on the special children and tried helping their families and tied to help them. So I was honored with awards by The Social welfare Department of Hong Kong for winning the social service contest and for 3 years of volunteer service because I had served more than 100 hours in a year. These awards were nothing to me in comparison with those bright smiling eyes of special children that I had worked with. So I decided to stick with my goal. Keeping that goal in mind, I decided to pursue higher education in the USA. During that volunteer work, I aw many people working with the mentally retarded children. There were the teachers that helped those children to learn new things and I was impressed with their hard work and dedication and the patience with which they efficiently dealt with the children. I saw their attendants who helped those children with everything they ever did day in and day out. But the ones who impressed me the most were the therapists who actually worked to change the lives of those children. They helped them in getting better day by day. So I decided to

The after effects of Bradford stadium fire Essay

The after effects of Bradford stadium fire - Essay Example The smoke also caused difficulties in breathing for the people in the stadium. A lot of supporters died in the fires, some died while trying to flee through the lavatories, and others were not able to flee and so died glued to their seat some funs tried to save the other funs from the fire but still many perished (Withgot & Brennan, 2011). Also the players were affected psychologically by the occurrence of the fire and its effect such that they were not able to play as expected during the rematch. The fire destroyed the stadium which is a medium of social environment. A stadium is a place where people socialize with each other as they watch a match. This environment is destroyed since after the fire the stadium is not fit for people to go and watch a match so it acts as a barrier for people to socialize. There is also the economic environment which was also affected by the occurrences of the fire. This economical environment was affected by the fact that people who worked in the stadium lost their jobs since the stadium could not continue offering its services. (Dudley 2006) Also after the fire, the income generation through the stadium was affected since people who came to watch a match and paid could not since the stadium could not serve its purpose for some time. The stadium also required to be renovated so a lot of funds were used to accomplish this and so the economic environment became largely affected. The environment is a system that is made up of multiple entities that are related and for this reason if one component is tamper with by a certain environmental hazard the whole system gets affected in a way. In the discussion above, fire at Bradford stadium was really a challenge to the various types of environment that surrounded the stadium. Fire can hazardous to the environment if not properly managed, by this it means that people should be cautious when using fire as a tool in their duties. We see from this scenario that just

Enviroment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Enviroment - Essay Example FDA failed to give apt evidence to stop BPA from being employed in the making of baby bottles. It claimed that it was unsafe and may cause harm to the surroundings and the wellbeing of kids. It is found that the research conducted was based on studies paid by the plastics industry. A recent report conducted showed that there was a link amid exposure to BPA and resistance to chemotherapy treatment. Environmental fallacies include formal and informal fallacies. Even though, ecological researches are significant to epidemiology particularly in environmental and societal epidemiology, community health practitioners appear to be scared of ecological researches. It is a frequent exercise to presume the involvement of ecological fallacy and low-ranked legitimacy when evaluating an ecological research. Majority of epidemiologists have a preference to a special peculiar approach, even though the significance of a multilevel fundamental advance is broadly acknowledged (Idrovo, 332). Scientific urging and opinions are succeeded or misled by the scientific mode. Either the data backs a point or fails to support it. From time to time, individuals fail to have data to sustain and back up their point of view will  intentionally make use of logical fallacies in an endeavour to encourage individuals that their argument is acceptable. Fallacies can also be by a chance used when an individual makes a blunder convincing rhetoric for a sound

Forum 5 criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Forum 5 criminology - Essay Example definition:- there is lack of a central repository for data on the actual number of corporate crimes in the state and all the federal courts of the United states. Secondly, the only source of data in the United States sentencing commission, this does not accurately reflect the problem as it only collects data on corporations that have been convicted of federal offenses ("White-Collar and Corporate Crime." Criminology & Public Policy 1.1 (2008). It leaves out the other firms who may be the actual offenders or committers of corporate crime. The other problem comes when it comes to the definition, this term is not a concisely defined term, and this leads to additional difficulty when it comes to the determination as to what types of behaviors would fall under the category of corporate criminal offenses. The problem of defining corporate law has happened over the years. This is because of the dynamic evolution that this form of crime takes. Corporate criminal laws take five forms ranging from the consideration of separate legality, followed by review of criminal cases by courts. Thirdly, we have the growth of the regulatory agencies and law to influence them, the next is the joining of forces is the corporations and the government to fight it and lastly a call for reform because of the rampancy of these crimes (HASNAS 2005). To curb these problems start by the clear identification of the problems. This is because a problem normally arise with the sanctions of the corporate crimes where if the guidelines significantly increase the sanctions, the substantial reductions in fines is allowed in the case with the evidence of an organizational due diligence. Another solution for corporate crimes is derived from the â€Å"Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002† which is characterized by mandated auditor independence and increased penalties for securities fraud and this makes corporate heads refrain from fraud of any form of their companies (Keane 1993). The acts has helped but with a

Erin Brockovich Movie Project Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Erin Brockovich Project - Movie Review Example Erin is a single mom, who is unemployed with three (3) kids to support. The lawyer of the defendant committed grave ethical misconduct by criticizing Erin for her current status in life. She was accused by lawyer of extorting money from his client who is a rich doctor because she was desperate to find a way to earn money to support her kids. According to the doctor, from the moment Erin saw the doctor’s expensive car, a Jaguar, she saw it as a â€Å"meal ticket† or an opportunity to earn money by ramming her car against his car in order to get compensated. This act of the doctor is conduct unbecoming because she misjudged the Erin based on her status in life because she was penniless and underprivileged, thus not giving her a fair trial. She was prejudged because of her profile, an unemployed mother with 3 kids to support, broke and $17,000 in debt. She was disfavored because of her status in life and not by the facts of the case, making the jury render a decision not i n her favor. Therefore, the lawyer of the doctor committed a violation of his duty as a lawyer by not giving Erin a fair trial which is prejudicial in the administration of justice. 2. ... The water was contaminated by a substance was known as hexavalent chromium or chromium 6, which is in a high level, which can be toxic and harmful to human beings. This toxic substance can cause serious bodily harm and diseases like chronic headaches and nosebleed, respiratory and liver disease, chronic heart failure/disease, reproductive organ failure, bone deterioration, and even the fatal cancer disease. It was evident that cheating was present when the people were made to believe that the water was good for consumption and the water where their kids swam was safe. It was later discovered by Erin and her companions that this problem has been present all along way back 1996. The doctors who treated the patients also committed violation of the Code of Medical Ethics when they committed dishonesty by cheating on their patients by making them believe that they were healthy and well and on their way to recovery, when in truth and in fact, they were not getting well. The doctors were pa id a hefty sum of money by PG&E to tell lies to their patients to convince the patients that they are safe and being taken care of. The employees of PG&E also committed bribery on the people by offering money to drop the charges against PG&E and for them to testify in court that their health problems were not in any way related to PG&E. PG&E corporation also committed violations on their duty to uphold the corporate social responsibility by violation of environmental laws and bringing danger and harm to the community. The corporation, through desperate measure also resorted to the use of threat and harassment on Erin to stop her from investigating the case. This manifests unethical behavior on the part of PG&E by employing force

Nitrous Oxide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nitrous Oxide - Essay Example Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an atmospheric trace gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect. It is also involved in the catalytic destruction of ozone in the stratosphere and is increasing in concentration by about 0.25% per year. The increase is believed to result from fertilizer use, emissions from internal combustion engines, biomass burning, and industrial processes (Khalil 1995). It is naturally produced by nitrification and denitrification in soils and in the oceans, and is destroyed in the stratosphere via photolysis (90%) and reaction with excited atomic oxygen [O(1D)] (10%). Its atmospheric lifetime is between 100 and 150 years. Although the major sources and sinks of N2O are known, they are poorly quantified and inadequately balanced, both in terms of mass exchange and in their N and O isotopic composition. Stable isotopes have been used in the past to constrain sources and sinks of other atmospheric trace gases but have yet to be successfully applied to N2O. The isotopic approach to a global N2O budget is hindered by the wide range of observed isotopic values for each of the major natural sources, making it difficult to assign a unique value to each of the source terms. Soil flux samples have been shown to be variable but consistently depleted in both 15N and 18O relative to atmospheric N2O. Oceanic samples have exhibited a trend similar to typical nutrient profiles, with slightly depleted surface waters becoming progressively enriched along the nutricline and stabilizing with depth. Early analytical methods employed infrared absorption techniques (Wahlen 1985) or required decomposition of N2O with subsequent analyses of N2 and CO2. The use of direct injection techniques was introduced in 1993 when Kim and Craig reported heavy enrichment in both the N and O isotopes in two samples of stratospheric air. They proposed that a stratosphere to troposphere return flux of heavy N2O could balance the observed isotopically light source terms, although a simple mass-balance model showed that this led to a considerable overcorrection. Direct injection of N2O was subsequently shown to result in erroneous enrichment of 15N and Delta18O when contaminated by trace amounts of CO2. We present results for 15N and 18O of N2O obtained from samples collected in the lower stratosphere. Five samples were collected at midnorthern latitudes on board NASA's WB-57 aircraft, and two samples were collected at high northern latitude during the 1988 Juelich balloon campaign. We also measured, for comparison, the isotopic composition of tropospheric N2O sampled in La Jolla, California, under clean air conditions. Nitrous oxide mixing ratios decreased with height above the tropopause, whereas the heavy-isotope composition of the remnant N2O was found to be increasingly enriched. If the process responsible for this enrichment is an irreversible sink and if the fractionation factor remains constant, the data should obey what is known as a Rayleigh distillation, in which the resulting isotopic enrichment is related to the fraction remaining by the equation (1) R = R0 x fAlpha-1 where R and Ro are the residual (stratospheric) and initial (tropospheric) heavy-to-light isotope ratios, respectively; f is the fraction of N2O remaining (residual concentration divided by the initial concentration); and is the ratio of the heavy-to-light reaction or photolysis rates. This relationship

Greenhouse gas emissions and price elasticity of transport fuel demand Essay

Greenhouse gas emissions and price elasticity of transport fuel demand in Belgium - Essay Example The policy of increase in fuel tax by the Belgian government is taken into consideration in this article. The paper seeks to find the impact of an increase in fuel taxes on the consumption of fuels by estimating the price elasticity of fuel demand. Backdrop of the article The Kyoto protocol, named after the Japanese city, is an international agreement concluded in 1997, aimed at the reduction of the accumulated greenhouse gas emissions of the developed nations and lessening the intensity of global warming1. Since the start of negotiations on Kyoto Protocol, Belgian government adapted an ambitious position in the climate regime in the European as well as in the international level2.Belgium has also participated in the targets of reducing the greenhouse emission and has been successful overall in cutting down the intensity of emission by the importance of nuclear energy. But the intensity of emission is high in some sectors like heavy industry residential heating. But severe instances of emission are found to be generated in a rigorous basis from the road transport sector in Belgium which represents 20% of the all Green house gas emission3. Belgium is a small country in the respect that it is a price taker of the fuel prices in the international market as its demand has little or no effect on the international oil price. So the supply curve faced by Belgium can be thought to be infinitely elastic. Thus a change in the tax structure of the country is directly and fully gets reflected on the domestic prices and the quantity (fuel consumption) is directly related with the price elasticity of demand for fuels. Thus the prime parameter on which the quantity that is the fuel consumption depends in this case can be considered to be price elasticity of demand of fuels and thus we will analyze its impact with the help of theoretical understandings. Elasticity of demand Before moving into the realms of the topic in consideration it is necessary to clearly understand the co ncept of elasticity of demand. The elasticity of demand refers to the degree of responsiveness of quantity demanded of a commodity to a change in any of its determinants viz, price of the commodity, price of other commodities and income of the consumers. But in this paper we are only concerned with the price elasticity of demand4. Price elasticity of demand â€Å"The price elasticity of demand measures the sensitivity of the quantity demanded to changes in the price†5. In other words it is a measure of how much a quantity demanded of a commodity changes when its price changes. Mathematically the price elasticity of demand can be represented as the ratio of the percentage change in the quantity demanded of a commodity to a given change in price. Thus, Where, = Price elasticity of demand, = Change in quantity, =Change in quantity demanded6. Fig.1 In the above diagram the initial price was P0 and the quantity demanded was Q0. When price rose to P1 the quantity demanded falls to Q1 following the law of demand which states that for a normal commodity as price increases the quantity demanded falls as a result. In the diagram, the gap and the gap . Different types of price elasticity of demand The numerical value of price elasticity of demand varies from zero to infinity. In terms of its numerical value (i.e, degree of elasticity), there are generally five types kinds of price elasticity of demand. A. Perfectly Inelastic demand When the quantity demanded of a commodity does not respond to the change in its price, then the elasticity of demand is said to be perfectly inelastic demand. The numerical value of inelastic demand is zero7. Fig. 2 In the above diag

Nude Woman Essay Example for Free

Nude Woman Essay Nude woman, formally known as the Venus of Willendorf is a sculpture of a female figure. It’s only 11. 1cm tall and was made from a special oolitic limestone that isn’t commonly found in the Paleolithic archeological sites of Willendorf, Austria. Similar figurines have been collected from these sites. Archaeologists’ believe that it was created between 26000 and 20000 BCE and belongs to the Gravettian culture. It was first discovered in 1908 by archaeologist Josef Szombathy, after which many similar figurines were discovered which are collectively known as the Venus figurines. (Kohen, 1946) The Venus of Willendorf can be taken as a realistic representation of an overweight woman or a perhaps a pregnant one. The figurine shows a very fat belly and buttocks. Her vulva is also clearly pronounced and shows no public hair. Her breasts are also shown to be exaggerated but don’t show any nipples. She has no visible face and her tiny forearms are folded on the upper parts of her breasts. She seems to have braided hair, or might be wearing a headdress of some sort. She seems to suggest to be looking down and doesn’t have any feet. (Kohen, 1946) If we take a closer look at the features that are defined in the sculpture, we’ll find that she is a fertility idol. Her pronounced breasts and vulva are clear indication of the fertility. Furthermore, her huge belly (possibly due to pregnancy) also suggests a strong connection to fertility. There has been some confusion regarding her not having any feet. I believe that she was made to be held in the hand. If look at the image, we will see that the hands clearly rest on the best of Venus, making it a perhaps sensuous object of that time. Reference Kohen, M. (1946). The Venus of Willendorf. Am. Imago, 3:49-60.

Behaviourist and Humanist Approaches to Learning

Behaviourist and Humanist Approaches to Learning The means and style by which material is delivered to a learner depends upon a number of factors, not least of which are the traditions of the environment in which they are being presented. The aim of this essay is to explore both behaviourist and humanist approaches to learning and whether there is a place for the latter in a military environment. The behaviourist approach to learning is traditionally used in both military and school environments: it was the main theory from the 1940s to the 1970s. The ideas that give it its foundation are the experiments that were conducted by Ivan Pavlov; these experiments enabled him to influence the behaviour of dogs with the use of external stimuli – an example of this is salivation at the sound of a bell in anticipation of the arrival of food. This was labelled ‘Classical Conditioning’. It was argued that this sort of conditioning plays a big part in human learning, particularly with regard to physiological functioning (i.e. salivation at the sound of a bell) or emotion (i.e. fears and phobias). James Watson embraced these ideas and was the first to use the term ‘behaviourism’. He believed that it was vital, in order to understand human behaviour and therefore learning, for one to adopt a scientifically measurable approach. He argued that all human behaviour is governed by conditioned responses and as such can be controlled and modified to suit any given purpose. He even went as far as to say that he could train any child to fulfil any job in society as long as he was healthy, as he believed that â€Å" there is nothing from within to develop† (1928). Both Watson and Pavlov thought â€Å"that the simultaneous occurrence of events is sufficient to bring about learning† and is â€Å"ordinarily referred to as the contiguity explanation† (Lefrancois 1994). In other words, the sound of a bell will induce salivation in dogs in anticipation of receiving food, once one is associated with the other; the salivation will occur at the sound of a bell after a while, even if there is no food given to the animal. Thorndike saw this in a different way believing that the effect of the response led learning to occur (termed the Law of Effect). He argued that a learner would repeat responses that brought positive results and that behaviour would be modified through a process of trial and error. This idea is what is known as the reinforcement approach which was further developed by B.F.Skinner. He stated that when reinforcement of any response occurs, it will be repeated and that this can enable control to be gained over people. These r einforcements can either be positive or negative – reward or punishment. He fully explored the relationship between responses and reinforcement and concluded that reinforcement brought about learning. This view is referred to as operant conditioning. Skinner contended that for learning to be effective it needed to be tackled in small stages, it needed to be logical/sequential, it needed to be based on prior knowledge, that the desired behaviour needed to be rewarded regularly in the initial stages and that reinforcement of the required or desired behaviour should happen immediately that it occurs. â€Å"†¦Skinner urges educators to focus on reinforcing student success rather than punishing student failure† and that â€Å"†¦reinforcement for appropriate responses is consistent and immediate, and learned behaviours are maintained by intermittent reinforcement schedules† (Ormrod 2004). As we can see, there is no place for feelings and individual thoughts in behaviourist theory. It is only concerned with what can be observed and it contends that evidence gathered through experiments indicates that there are a number of principles which can be applied to learning and that if these were adopted, the process would be made easier. They are the Law of Effect, the Law of Contiguity, the Law of Exercise (repeating an action or behaviour) and the Law of Reinforcement. The problem with this is that behaviourism provides only a very limited and mechanistic or mechanical way of looking at the process of learning, which is far too simple. It takes little to no account of the learner as an individual and assumes that the learner is passive and has no exercise of free will; it does not allow for differences in individuals and it can be manipulative if the provider wishes to use it in this way. By contrast, humanist thinkers such as Maslow and Rogers asked themselves what is it that makes us human. They approached their studies from a completely different angle and looked upon humanity as innately positive, as opposed to previous ideas which apparently painted life in a very dower and pessimistic manner. Rather than concentrating their studies on those who are suffering form illness, they looked at the behaviour of healthy people –â€Å"when you select out for careful study very fine and healthy people†¦you get a very different view of mankind† (Maslow 1971). The humanist approach encourages people to exercise free will in their lives, allowing them to be individuals in their own right and to highlight everything that is positive about them. This enables any given individual to have the opportunity to achieve their maximum possible potential in whatever they choose to do. They contend that purely scientific methods of studying behaviour are inadequate in assessing any human being (Chapter 6 The Humanistic Approach). Maslow presented his studies in the form of a ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ which indicates that all humans work towards satisfying or attaining their perceived needs â€Å"as a ladder of human achievement that must be climbed† (Trigg 2004). This is laid out in the form of a pyramid with each type of need building from the other while being closely interwoven with each other. At the base is the Physiological type which includes basic needs like air, food, water, shelter and sleep; the next type is Safety or Security which is concerned with stability and a feeling of being protected from harm; this leads on to the type which encompasses Belonging and Love which covers relationships with our family and our peers; the fourth level is that of Esteem which deals with issues of achievement, recognition and respect. Maslow separated these and grouped them together and termed them ‘deficiency needs’ or ‘D-motives’ stressing that a lack of fulfilment in an area will cause a person to act to remedy the problem. He felt that the pyramid was the best way to represent this system as people seemed to challenge themselves to achieve and work their way through the types to achieve their full potential; their motivation was to get better and reach their needs leading onto the next level, similar to the way in which a person who is learning a musical instrument will strive hard to achieve the next grade or a computer gamer will keep trying until he achieves the next level. The final type of needs are called ‘growth needs’, ‘being needs’ or ‘B-motives’ by Maslow. Once the initial needs described above are met, the need for the development within the individual becomes the prime driving force. This is described as Self Actualisation within the pyramid: subsequent versions of the hierarchy included more complex subdivisions within this type of need which serve to break down the areas of personal achievement into smaller categories. Maslow (1968) describes this growth as â€Å"†¦a rewarding and exciting process†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which continues to increase as the person develops throughout their life. Rogers holds similar views to Maslow when looking at the concept of self actualisation. He believes that humans are able to push themselves to achieve their full potential and that each and every person is unique in their ideas about themselves. They hold their own image of themselves in their minds in terms of how they see themselves, how much value they perceive themselves as having and how they would like to develop in the future. â€Å"Whether one calls it a growth tendency, a drive towards self-actualisation, or a forward-moving directional tendency, it is the mainspring of life†¦ it is the urge to expand, extend, become autonomous, develop, mature†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rogers 1961). He believed that every individual has the ability to solve their own problems and that his role as a therapist was one of being some kind of ‘facilitator’ to aid the individuals thought processes and progress towards resolving their issues. Each ‘facilitator’ needs to displa y honesty, empathy and respect towards those whom he is trying to help. This environment is controlled by the individual who is being helped and Rogers believed that this was the only environment in which genuine learning could take place. Rogers went on to apply these principles to education. ‘Student centred learning’ enables individuals to take responsibility for their learning; the way that the teacher interacts with their class is crucial in the development of an environment that will encourage learning to take place: â€Å"†¦the facilitation of learning rests upon certain attitudinal qualities which exist in the personal relationship between the facilitator and learner† (Rogers 1969). They need to ensure that there are sufficient resources in place to aid the students, that they themselves are prepared to be a living resource and that they are prepared to act as a learner themselves within the classroom. As an idea, this is an alien concept to many teachers, even today. The idea of not being at the head of the class, dictating the direction that the learning is taking is frightening to a good number of educators. The traditional approach to teaching is being firmly challenged here with me mbers of the profession being asked to look at their methods, critically appraise them and react accordingly. The focus in this environment is the student not the teacher and it is â€Å"a system of providing learning which has the student at its heart† (Brandes and Ginnis 1986). Rogers (1984) sums this supportive environment up by commenting that â€Å"person centred education is much like my rose garden – it needs a caring environment to sustain its beauty.† This sort of approach in the classroom can be very effective as long as both the staff and the pupils enter into the process wholeheartedly. There are many different activities that can focus on the student as an individual in order to allow them to develop and grow as individuals and learn from each other. Initially it is important for the group to set out ground rules so that every individual is aware of how the process works and to ensure that all of the group feel comfortable with the approach that is being taken. These ground rules can include things like not interrupting or talking over the top of someone when they are speaking, thus encouraging every individual to have respect for the others. Once the group have agreed to these ground rules, every activity can be approached with individuals having the same expectations of each other. It is important to note that if there are any new arrivals to the group, these need revisiting to ensure that the newcomer also feels a sense of ownership for them. Group activities where everyone has the opportunity to learn are extremely valuable; examples that I have used are mind mapping (brainstorming), problem solving, open discussion and the circle. The great strength of the circle is that everyone can see and hear everyone else; each person, including the facilitator is on the same level and can physically be regarded as being the same – a listener and a learner. The topic of discussion or the theme that is being addressed can then be opened up to the group; each person has the opportunity to speak if they wish to, with the way that this is organised being decided prior to the circle forming. Sometimes hands up can be used, at other times one person in the group can be placed as a chairperson or even a pencil case or ruler could be passed from the person who is speaking to the next person to speak. This way of organising the group allows each person to feel that they can contribute if they wish to and quieter people can also be in volved by the facilitator in order to broaden their horizons. It also encourages students to listen to and take notice of the views of others even if they ultimately reject them as not being for them. It encourages people to be open with each other without fear of being laughed at, shouted down or humiliated because of what they think or say. It does take a while to get used to this system of learning but it has huge benefits for all those who are open to it. It allows the student to appreciate and develop their own views through consideration of others, broadening their outlook in the process. I have heard the expression ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of it like that’ during circle time on many occasions. Circle time can also be used to feedback from small group discussions and research that has been undertaken outside the classroom. Role plays are another excellent way of finding out what a small group have understood about a particular topic, through the content of their offering to the rest of the class. Not only does this allow the students to express themselves in their own way but it also encourages different styles of learners to flourish in the classroom and further encourages students to learn from one another. Clearly the teacher or facilitator needs to be comfortable with this process as it is taking place and retain their authority within the classroom. This is a difficult balance to find and is one which some people find it almost impossible to do. Within the traditional school environment this sort of approach is unheard of due to the seemingly unstructured and undisciplined way of tackling any work. Military establishments may have the same views due to the highly disciplined nature of what the soldiers are trained to do. However, the question remains as to whether this sort of humanistic approach can work in that environment. It would seem that whether the approach would work would depend upon the nature of what the learner was attempting to learn and where he is attempting to learn it. The military have traditionally relied upon the behaviourist model as it best suits their purpose. The instructors can employ both positive and negative reinforcement to train the soldiers to do what they have to in the field of battle or ‘theatre of war’. Soldiers do not have time to think about how to reload a weapon or whether it is right to fire when they are in the middle of a battle zone. The way that they are taught reflects the arena in which they will have to perform their set tasks; reloading a weapon today is far easier than it was in the days of muskets, but soldiers still have to be disciplined and keep their heads in difficult pressurised situations. Being taught in a mechanised fashion will help them as tasks will become second nature due to the consistent repetition that has taken place on the training ground. My father could still tell me how to strip down, clean, oil and rebuild his weapon in every detail some 20 years after having left the armed forces. This can also be said of manoeuvres that are vital to the survival of a unit of men. They are ‘drummed’ into the minds of the soldiers so that they are become an automatic reaction to a given stimulus. This could ultimately save their lives and the lives of those around them. An example of this is the reaction to a very loud bang in a public house one day while I was enjoying a drink with my two brothers in law, both then in the Army; they had just returned from Northern Ireland when this incident happened. The loud bang went off and I looked around to find them both on the floor tight up against the skirting boards on opposite sides of the room. This was a conditioned response to the loud bang and was as a result of their extensive survival and battle training. Much of military training cannot afford to co ncern itself with the individual needs of each of the soldiers – it must simplify the learning so that the whole reacts (as far as possible) in a predicable way. In short, when an order is given it is obeyed immediately, without fail. There would however seem to be a place for the humanistic approach within the modern military environment too. Within the confines of a classroom, when conducting classes which are concerned with basic skills such as literacy, numeracy and IT there may well be an opportunity to utilise this type of learning strategy. Everyone likes their opinion to be taken notice of, to feel that they are contributing and to be listened to. Those who are undertaking officer training are required to problem solve – this can be done using this different approach and will allow the learner to express themselves as they are doing so. Individuals need to be given the opportunity to develop themselves to the best of their ability and this needs to be facilitated in all environments of learning, including the military. There is a place for freedom of expression, in the right place at the right time. It would seem that there would need to be strong leadership in order that these sorts of methods coul d be introduced and continue to be used in a military environment, as their implementation would involve a change in long held and established practises. There also needs to be an acknowledgement â€Å"that traditional training approaches, which place an emphasis on replication or imitative learning, are unsuited to fostering the longer term individual and organisational development outcomes required by a significantly changed operational environment† (Thomas 2006). Catering for the individual strengths and needs of individual soldiers can foster a greater sense of loyalty in them and an even greater motivation to succeed not only for themselves but their fellow men. This is particularly important in this rapidly changing modern technological world. In the modern military environment, there would seem to be a place for both the traditional behaviourist and the humanist approaches to learning. Given that all those involved understand that certain situations require different methods of teaching to be employed and accept that from the outset, there is no reason why both cannot be employed. All soldiers understand the need to obey orders and that certain tasks will need to be done like an automaton in order for them to be successful in what they do. It is essential that there is also an acknowledgement that there is a place for people to want to achieve the best that they can within their environment as an individual, as well as for the collective. As Rogers (1980) explains â€Å"the actualising tendency can be thwarted or warped, but cannot be destroyed without destroying the organism.† It is also important to note that â€Å"†¦with this self-actualisation, individuals can engender life long learning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ki el 1999). There are many differing ways that people learn and it is up to different organisations to adopt the method or methods that are best suited to bring them success in their field. That does not negate the need however, for all providers to reflect upon and modify their methods to best effect from time to time. The military have hundreds of years to tradition to fall back on, but need to ‘move with the times’ and accept that the humanist approach in certain areas of their educational provision can be of benefit to both individuals and the military as a whole. Bibliography Chapter 6 The Humanistic Approach Brandes, D. 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