Reflection on the Importance of Hand Hygiene

Reflection on the Importance of Hand Hygiene After collating evidence I established that, hand hygiene is regarded as the most effective way of preventing healthcare associated infections (Gould 2010). Healthcare associated infections are infections acquired in hospitals or as a result of healthcare interventions (DOH 2008). I felt that this is an important factor in contributing to the prevention and control of infection as Health care associated infections affects patients and their. I feel to provide the best possible care, it is important to within your role, assess and minimise the risks, acting to protect people in your care (NMC 2008). During my initial meeting with my mentor, we highlighted my learning needs and personal goals I wished to achieve during the placement. The NMC (2008) states that mentor are professionally accountable for students on placement and have a duty to help students develop nursing competencies. Therefore we explored ideas for the project and following completion of my action, I produced the evidence to my mentor. After discussing my rational for choice I was able to make the decision for the practice placement project. I explained that I didnt feel confident in speaking in groups and that I was anxious about the presentation. I felt a professional relationship had been built were I was in a position to discuss my thought and feeling and felt I was fully supported by my mentor. Learning opportunities were provided which included a spoke placement with the infection control nurse. Pellet (2006) states that the role of the mentor in clinical teaching is to facilitate learning experiences. During my spoke placement I had the opportunity to gain information on local and government policy in relation to infection control and was advised on how I could obtain the policies and infection control bacteraemia figures used in the original presentation which highlighted the increase. In the next action learning set I was able to share this information and create new actions to develop and increase my knowledge. I found out that the hospice devised a policy on infection control however it linked with the local trust and followed their policy and procedure in regards to infection control. Therefore, in order to collate the policies and bacteraemia figures I was advised to contact the infection control nurse at the local trust by telephone. The information I requested was then e-mailed to me. The policy provided me with relevant evidence to use within the presentation; therefore I had developed my evidence base to support my presentation. The evidence included government and local policy. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) launched the campaign clean hands safe care in 2006 which highlighted the need the effective hand hygiene and identified area for improvement. The World Health Organisation (2010) defines clean hands lead to safer health care. I decided that in order to produce the project I needed to explore information on learning styles, learning environments and how to create a PowerPoint presentation. I noticed how the hospices presentation incorporated the importance of hand hygiene however it did not demonstrate the hand washing procedures. Therefore, my action was to research and identify my own learning style developing an understanding of how the audience will respond and learn from the presentation. Kolb (1984) developed a learning theory which identifies four learning styles. The model provides individuals to understand their learning styles from experience to reflection observation. Kolb (1985) states that it is important for individuals to understand their learning styles, this then allow them to improve their effectiveness as learners. Honey and Mumford (1986, 1992) developed a variation on Kolbs model and devised their learning styles questionnaire. The four learning styles included activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist. The Honey and Mumford questionnaire was discussed in our action learning set and was set as a group action to complete the questionnaire. On completion of the questionnaire, I identified that was a reflection. Honey and Mumford (1992) describe a reflector as observers of experiences, who prefer to analyse them thoroughly before taking action. They are good listeners, cautious and tend to adopt a low profile. Following this description I can relate to this as my initial thoughts of the action learning sets were that I didnt feel confident talking within a group, therefore I tend to adopt a low profile. A demographic questionnaire and Honey and Mumfords (2000) learning styles questionnaire were administered to a sample of undergraduate nursing student. The results included a trend of reflector as a preferred learning style for undergraduate nurses. This information is also highlighted in previous studies (Alonso 1992, Cavanagh et al 1994 cited in Rasool et al 2007) Analysing the evidence provided me with a knowledge base which enabled me to understand the concept of learning styles, this contributed to my learning and development as I was able to utilise the information to focus on the how I would present the project to meet individuals different learning styles. After I had completed the proposed actions from the previous action learning set I was able to return and present my findings to the group. The action learning sets provided a point of contact with other and enabled us to share information we had gathered and provided an opportunity to ask questions and set actions to continue with the task. As I had previously identified, according to Honey and Mumford my preferred learning style was a reflector. This enabled me to reflect on my initial thoughts around action learning and emphasised that I do tend to adopt a low profile in situations however following observing and analysing the situation I tend to take action. Attending a study skills session on database searching within the university was a positive learning experience. I was able to learn new skills in order to development personally, which consequently provides professional development. I decided that utilising the resources within the clinical environment and the university I would continue to practise literature searching to increase and widen my knowledge of the topic and specifically the learning environment. Therefore, this contributed to my next action. Hand (2006) states that the learning is affected by the environment where it takes place. This article highlighted key factors in promoting effective teaching focusing on characteristics of a good learning environment, the role of the practice placement and demonstrated the awareness of the role of the teacher. This enabled me to incorporate evidence based practise into my project presentation. The NMC (2008) states you must use evidence based practise to provide the best care, it also states the need for taking part in appropriate learning to ensure you develop your competencies. This links with the rationale of choice for my project presentation as the NMC (2008) states the need to provide a high standard and care at all times, delivering care on the best available evidence. Therefore the NPSA clean your hands campaign provides clear evidence based practise between hand hygiene and infection control. Throughout the placement I had several opportunities to discuss with my mentor the project presentation. Gray and Smith (2000) state that the mentors qualities provide an important part of the learning environment and I was able to be supported by being set goals and facilitate my own learning. I had developed my practise placement project using a variety of different resources such as literature searching, clinical experiences, action learning sets. The information I located enabled me to link theory to practise to develop a PowerPoint presentation which incorporated audio and visual effects, as a result ensuring a variety of the audiences learning styles were able to be met. Utilising the evidence I had obtained I was able to provide an evidence based presentation to facilitate learning and development for myself and others in the clinical area. I have learned a lot from this experience from both personal development of preparing and presenting a presentation, enabling me to person ally reflect, to reviewing evidence based literature applying this and using it for educational purposes within the clinical environment. This fulfilled my aim and rationale to highlight the importance of hand hygiene and demonstrate the correct procedures. Therefore, having a direct impact on patient care. Although I had previously expressed anxiety due to not being confident in speaking in groups, the action learning sets along with my mentor had impacted on my development in confidence. Stuart (2007) describes how placements can be stressful and Moscaritolo (2009) states how increased anxiety can reduce learning. However, the delivery of the presentation was successful. Pellatt (2006) states the mentors and responsible for the assessment of the students learning in practice. Throughout the placement the mentor provided opportunities were provide constructive feedback, Bennett (2003) states that assessment ensures the student is aware of strengths and weaknesses in practise, this is important so that the student is able enhance their practise. To ensure I received feedback on my presentation I devised a short questionnaire about the presentation and was able to reflect on the feed back I received. As I have identified throughout this learning experience, I feel I still need to build my confidence. Westwood (2010) states that people are more likely to achieve their goals if they focus on the future instead of their present problem. In order to overcome this barrier I have formulated a SMART goal. A SMART goal is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound. My SMART goal is specific to myself as it will provide me with the opportunity to develop my personal and professional learning and development.

New Century Financial Essay

1. Describe and evaluate New Century’s business model? New Century Financial Corporation, headed by founders Brad Morrice, Edward Gotschall, andRobert, was a firm which specialized in subprime mortgages. The company originated, sold, andserviced subprime home mortgage loans. New Century was structured as a real estate investment  trust (REIT) and was composed of two operating divisions. The Wholesale Loan Division,  known as New Century Mortgage Corporation, comprised 85% of the firm’s loan originations,  while the Retail Mortgage Loan Division operated under Home123 Corporation.  New Century Mortgage Corporation operated in 33 locations throughout 19 different states  and relied heavily on independent mortgage brokers to identify potential borrowers and assist  them through the loan process until the loans were closed by New Century. This division also  purchased funded loans from other lenders and expedited the loan underwriting process through  its web-based system known as FastQual. The Retail division was comp osed of 235 sales offices  throughout 35 states, a call center, and a web site. This division was aggressive in its approach to  seek out potential borrowers and close loans earning it the nickname â€Å"CloseMore University.†Ã‚  The company typically originated loans and used short-term loans to fund new mortgages  until they were sold within 30 to 90 days of origination. New Century’s income was generated  from the difference between the lending rate and rate at which the loans could be sold or  financed and from servicing loans. Loans were sold either as whole loan sales where mortgages  were pooled together and sold to investors or as securitizations structured as sales. The company  also carried securitizations structured as financing as assets on their books and used the bonds  to finance the securitized loans as liabilities, thereby generating income based on the difference  between interest received from borrowers and interest paid to bondhold ers. 2. What were the primary risks faced by New Century? New Century’s business model enabled the firm to grow rapidly from 2001 through 2006  as access to capital markets expanded and regulations were relaxed. Loan securitization  allowed lenders to spread credit risk over a larger number of investors creating an  environment where companies like New Century could lend to subprime borrowers at  higher rates while financing their operations with the lower interest rates provided by  the highly liquid mortgage-backed securities (MBS) markets. These factors fueled the  company’s growth, but caused the firm to be highly sensitive to risks of increasing interest  rates, declining home sales, and default by less creditworthy borrowers. New Century’s  aggressive strategies in pursuing subprime borrowers resulted in increased risk of asset  Additionally, the short-term credit the company obtained in order to finance loan  origination was contingent on New Century meeting certain debt covenants and financia l  ratios. Increases in interest rates or regulations or the inability to move new loans off its  balance sheet could cause the company to be unable to obtain financing to continue funding  loans. Likewise, a decrease in the difference between the interest rate at which it could  borrow and the interest rate at which new loans could be closed, would affect income and  may result in noncompliance with net income requirements or debt-ratios imposed by New  Finally, the loans which New Century sold were pooled together. The investment banks  which purchased the loans would perform a due diligence review on only 25 percent of  the pool before negotiating the composition and price of the mortgage pool. A â€Å"kick-out†Ã‚  clause was included to allow for buyers to reject part of the loan pool for defects such as  faulty documentation, appraisals, or underwriting issues. The buyers could also require New  Century to repurchase loans which experienced early payment default (EPD). As such, the  company was exposed to risks related to internal controls in monitoring loan processing,  underwriting, and closing which could cause a substantial loss in income due to increased  kick-outs and repurchased loans. Further aggravating these risks were the company’s  aggressive tactics in pursuing and closing subprime borrowers such as offering loans  requiring only stated income and assets as opposed to full documentation loans. 3. What were New Century’s critical performance variables? How well was New  Century performing with respect to these critical performance variables?  New Century Financial had performance variables that critically affected its business  and led to it’s eventual bankruptcy filing. These included liquidity, default rate, and forms of  The overall rate of default is critical because of its compounding increase in liabilities with  a decrease in assets. A default rate higher than the historic rate would adversely affect the  valuation of many assets in the firm’s financial statements. It is also tied to the demand for  mortgage backed securities, increased default reduces the demand for subprime securitization,  thus reducing New Century Financial’s source of income at a time of increasing obligations. 4. What were the reporting errors identified by the bankruptcy examiner? The bankruptcy examiner noted several inconsistencies with US GAAP. These included  errors in calculating the loan repurchase reserve, the lower-of-cost-or-market (LCM) valuation  of loans held for sale, and the residual interest valuation. Additionally, the methodology used  for the allowance for loan losses (ALL) was known by management to be defective as the  company’s models used poor predictors of future performance to determine the level of reserve  needed. In calculating the repurchase reserve, New Century obtained historic averages and  applied those percentages to loans sold in the last three months as EPD was defined as payment  default occurring in the first three payments. However, since the repurchases were being  processed by several different departments within the company depending on the cause of the  repurchase, there was a backlog in obtaining the data in a timely manner. As loan repurchases  became more frequent, the company continued us ing stale data causing the reserve calculation to  In addition, the company was not properly applying LCM valuation as stated in its own  company policy. Instead of pooling similar loans to determine to conduct LCM analysis, the firm  was performing the analysis on the disaggregated loans and then grouping the loans together  to conduct valuation on the group as a whole. This method resulted in gains from one loan  group offsetting the losses in another causing the LCM valuation to be significantly flawed.  The residual interest valuation methods used were also flawed as the company was using  discount rates which were lower than those used by others in the industry to compute residual  interest. New Century disregarded numerous warnings from their auditors, KPMG, regarding  the low discount rates and failed to provide documentation to justify or support the valuation  methodology used. Furthermore, prepayment rates and loss rates were estimated using historical  data related to activity occurring years prior without adjusting for changing market conditions  which resulted in an overvaluation of residual interest.  While the examiner did not consider the issues in the ALL calculation to be material, this  issue merits attention because the company had been very aggressive in closing loans, many  of which were risky stated income and assets loans to subprime borrowers. New Century  management was aware that their ALL was flawed, although they believed that they were  over-reserved and not under-reserved. As with their other accounting estimates, the company  failed to provide adequate documentation to support assumptions and knowingly relied on poor  predictors, stale data, and defective models. 5. Why did New Century fail? New Century grew rapidly through the late 1990s and early 2000s, however its business  model was not sustainable for the long term. The company relied heavily on subprime borrowers  and offered them a range of risky loan options. Those subprime loans were pooled together and  securitized in effort to reduce the riskiness of the loan pools. However, as high risk borrowers  found themselves unable to make payments on their loans, a cooling real estate market and  increase in interest rates left subprime mortgagors without little options to get out their loans  Aside from those challenges which were shared by all competitors in the industry at the  time, New Century also had several internal weaknesses. The company was strongly focused  on sales and loan production, but failed to adequately monitor and control loan quality. Internal  controls were poor and the audit committee did not sufficiently perform its duties to oversee  the internal audit department and addres s operational risks. Internal auditors identified several  issues regarding loans quality, closings, and servicing, however internal controls over financial  reporting were overlooked. Adding to the company’s gross lack of controls, was the absence  of a stated company accounting policy. The examiner pointed out that merely having a policy  in place to address the accounting methodology and estimates would have greatly affected the  company’s ability to apply appropriate accounting treatment consistent US GAAP.

Bullying in Schools

James Smith Sociology Nancy Rosen Bullying In Schools Many problems in society need public attention, bullying is one of the top problems. The problem of bullying affects everyone in some aspect whether it is by being the victim, victimizer, and both the victim and the victimizer, friend, or family member of the victim or just a bystander that does nothing to prevent this problem. When you think of bullying you might picture a young child. While bullying is most common in elementary and high schools, it is important for education programs to be aware that associated bullying behaviors begin early even into the preschool years.When one thinks of a bully, the image of a movie villain may come into their minds; this isn’t always the case. In reality, a victimizer of bullying can be male or female, small or large, young or old. Bullying has no social, financial, or cultural boundaries. Bullying is most common in middle schools, with 6th graders on the receiving end the most and 8t h graders handing out the most bullying. In a study of 15,686 students in 6th through 10th grade in private and public schools, it was found that 13-23% of boys and 4-11% of girls experience some sort of bullying. (Nansel 2003).Nearly one in six children in that age range fall victim to bullying each year, which means about 3. 2 million children, were being bullied. Whereas, 3. 7 million children are acting as bullies (Kerlikowske 2003). Six out ten children witness some form of bullying on a daily basis. In schools, bullying most likely takes place on the playground, followed by the classroom, then the hallways (Drake 2003). For the students at Dunn Middle School, a lot of the bullying occurs out of school. If it occurs in school, most students said bullying occurs in the hallways or in the lunchroom.One student even mentioned a fight that took place during an assembly, which was initiated because one student was bullying another. Although anyone can be a bully, there are many comm on characteristics found in most bullies. Most bullies are male, popular, and often athletes (Espelage 2001). They have excellent social skills, with the ability to attract many followers, and easily manipulate others (â€Å"Bullies†¦ † 2001). Bullies are psychologically strong and very popular among their peers. This peer status is important in terms of boosting their well-being. It's disturbing to think that bullies are feeling really good about themselves.Bullying behavior is self-reinforcing: When kids find that putting others down earns them approval from their peers, they are likely to do it again and again. Many times they can easily butter up to adults, making them unsuspecting bullies (Espelage 2001). In general, a bully is someone who teases and intimidates other students, although there are many other ways to bully a fellow student. Many people feel the typical bully comes from a broken home, but this is not necessarily true. Yet, the less supervision a child gets at home, the more likely he is to be a bully.About 30 to 40% of bullies show some levels of depression, and their bullying is often a cry for help. (Espelage 2001). I asked my little brother what he thought caused students to bully one another and I was impressed with his response. He felt bullies exist because they probably can’t get their way at home. Many of the other students felt very similarly. One student even thought that maybe bullies were bullied as little kids, which turned them into bullies themselves. Most bullies look for a victim to be smaller, younger, and weaker. Most likely the victim will be both less confident and popular. â€Å"Bullies†¦ † 2001). Many victims react by becoming upset or crying as a way of dealing with their anger and fear. Victims have a tendency to be depressed, anxious, shy and lonely (Drake 2003). Luckily, as they grow older, victims are less likely to stay a victim because they learn to cope, while the bullies tend to remain that way (Drake 2003). Tonja Narsel, a psychologist at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, says that from previous research victims tend to have a lower self-esteem and have a higher level of depression (Rubin 2003).When people think of bullying they will most likely think of a boy getting shoved into a locker by older boys or getting pushed as they walk through the hallways. While this is the most common form of bullying, especially with males, many girls experience a different form of bullying. Although it is a more indirect form of bullying, social manipulation is very prevalent within females. Social manipulation can include many actions, including spreading gossip, telling lies, betraying trust, passing notes, ignoring the victim, or excluding the victim (Bullies 2001).Many of the girls said there was a lot of bullying between girls. They said many girls would get bullied if they get a lot of attention from the boys. It seemed as if the girls wo uld get jealous, and then in turn make that girl the object of their bullying. They said the bullying most often consisted of calling names, pulling hair, and occasionally fighting. There are many repercussions from bullying that are quite shocking: 1) Children who are bullied are more likely to be depressed – 26% of girls who were frequently bullied reported depression as opposed to 8% of girls who were not; the boys were 16% vs. %; 2) Victims are more likely to be suicidal, with 8% for girls and 4% for boys, compared to 1% overall for non-victims of bullying; 3) Bullies are more likely to carry weapons, with 43% carrying a weapon to school at least once a week, compared to 8%. 4) Bullies are more likely to be injured, 46% vs. 16%. (Kerlikowske 2003). The topic of bullying entered the spotlight due to the numerous school shootings. In two-thirds of the 37 school shooting that were examined, the shooters felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked or injured by others prio r to the incident (Drake 2003).It is very important for teachers to be involved and to keep their eyes out for bullies to help keep the incidence of bullying at a low. All future teachers need to acknowledge the need for anti-bullying programs, which can significantly reduce the occurrence of bullying. Bullying prevention programs are interventions for the reduction and prevention of bully/victim problems. The program targets students in elementary, middle, and junior high schools. All students within a school participate in most aspects of the program. Additional individual interventions are targeted at students who are identified as bullies or victims of bullying.The core components of the program are implemented at the school, class and the individual level. To make sure this program is a success the staff and students must work together cooperatively. For a safe classroom environment against bullying, there must be the establishment and enforcement of class rules against bullyin g. Teachers need to teach and develop good interpersonal skills and values with the children. The students also need to be taught non-violent values, non-racist values, conflict resolution, and problem solving skills.If a child in a class is identified as a bully there needs to be interventions and discussions with parents. The school must do its part to ensure effective communication between itself and parents. Parents need to be informed of any bullying incidents right away. School counselors or school psychologists can assist teachers in this process. Children can be taught habits to lessen the possibility of becoming the target of a bully. If a child starts looking people in the eye, speaking up and standing up straight they can begin to develop self-confidence.Kids need help developing strategies to deal with the intimidating behavior of their peers, like walking away or telling the bully to stop, but they also need to know that adults can and will come to their aid. A teacher' s openness about bullying can give them that assurance (Feldman, 2004). Unfortunately, most of the students at Dunn Middle School felt fighting back was the best solution. One student mentioned going to an adult for help, but another student quickly responded, you snitch, you’ll get beat up worse. One student offered the solution of fighting back and got a weapon.I feel that there has to be a strict punishment for the bullies so the victims can be reassured that the bully won’t continue such behavior. Cyber bulling is another form of teen violence that can do lasting harm to young people. Statistics show that cyber bullying is a serious problem among young teens. This problems comes in many forms, such as sending mean messages through email or through text messaging, posting harmful or threatening messages on social networks i. e. Facebook or twitter or pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person. The behavior of bystanders who see bullying happen is to o often overlooked or excused.Bystanders provide bullies with an audience and sometimes even encouragement. When witnesses do nothing to stop abusive behavior, they also give their implicit approval. It should be made very clear to students that failing to stop or report an act of bullying makes them responsible and they too can get into trouble. Yet, it is very difficult to speak up against the bully. Many of the students don’t want to get involved because they don’t want to be the next victim. Yet again, I feel that strict punishment needs to be enacted for such bullies so the other students can have a sense of security.If anti-bullying programs are implemented the right way, results can be amazing. Many programs that are used in schools nationwide have had these results with their interventions: 1. A substantial reduction in boys and girls reports of bullying and victimization. 2. A significant reduction in student’s actions such as vandalism, fighting, theft and truancy. 3. Significant improvements in the aspect of the class, such as students reports of improved order and discipline, more positive social relationships, and a more positive attitude toward schoolwork and school (Svoboda, 2004).Preventing bullying is just one important aspect of maintaining good discipline in school environments. Children who feel secure want to go to school, enjoy school, and therefore learn more. Teachers who are in classrooms that are safe, orderly, and free of bullies can accomplish many things. All children can benefit from lessons about treating each other with respect. Bullying is one childhood memory no youngster should have.Works Cited Bullies and their Victims. Harvard Mental Health Letter. 2001, 4-7. Drake, J. Teacher preparation and practices regarding school bullying. Journal of School Health. 2003, 347-356. Espelage, D. Schoolroom torment. People. 2/05/2001, 91-92. Feldman, S. Bullying prevention. Teaching PreK-8. 2004, 6. Kerlikowske, G. On e in six students fall prey to bullies. Inside School Safety. 2003,6-9. Nansel, T. Bullies found to be at risk for violent behavior. Inside School Safety. 2003, 1-4. Rubin, R. Study: Bullies and their victims ten to be more violent. USA Today. 4/15/03 Svoboda, E. Everyone loves a bully. Psychology Today. 2004, 1-20. Bullying in Schools James Smith Sociology Nancy Rosen Bullying In Schools Many problems in society need public attention, bullying is one of the top problems. The problem of bullying affects everyone in some aspect whether it is by being the victim, victimizer, and both the victim and the victimizer, friend, or family member of the victim or just a bystander that does nothing to prevent this problem. When you think of bullying you might picture a young child. While bullying is most common in elementary and high schools, it is important for education programs to be aware that associated bullying behaviors begin early even into the preschool years.When one thinks of a bully, the image of a movie villain may come into their minds; this isn’t always the case. In reality, a victimizer of bullying can be male or female, small or large, young or old. Bullying has no social, financial, or cultural boundaries. Bullying is most common in middle schools, with 6th graders on the receiving end the most and 8t h graders handing out the most bullying. In a study of 15,686 students in 6th through 10th grade in private and public schools, it was found that 13-23% of boys and 4-11% of girls experience some sort of bullying. (Nansel 2003).Nearly one in six children in that age range fall victim to bullying each year, which means about 3. 2 million children, were being bullied. Whereas, 3. 7 million children are acting as bullies (Kerlikowske 2003). Six out ten children witness some form of bullying on a daily basis. In schools, bullying most likely takes place on the playground, followed by the classroom, then the hallways (Drake 2003). For the students at Dunn Middle School, a lot of the bullying occurs out of school. If it occurs in school, most students said bullying occurs in the hallways or in the lunchroom.One student even mentioned a fight that took place during an assembly, which was initiated because one student was bullying another. Although anyone can be a bully, there are many comm on characteristics found in most bullies. Most bullies are male, popular, and often athletes (Espelage 2001). They have excellent social skills, with the ability to attract many followers, and easily manipulate others (â€Å"Bullies†¦ † 2001). Bullies are psychologically strong and very popular among their peers. This peer status is important in terms of boosting their well-being. It's disturbing to think that bullies are feeling really good about themselves.Bullying behavior is self-reinforcing: When kids find that putting others down earns them approval from their peers, they are likely to do it again and again. Many times they can easily butter up to adults, making them unsuspecting bullies (Espelage 2001). In general, a bully is someone who teases and intimidates other students, although there are many other ways to bully a fellow student. Many people feel the typical bully comes from a broken home, but this is not necessarily true. Yet, the less supervision a child gets at home, the more likely he is to be a bully.About 30 to 40% of bullies show some levels of depression, and their bullying is often a cry for help. (Espelage 2001). I asked my little brother what he thought caused students to bully one another and I was impressed with his response. He felt bullies exist because they probably can’t get their way at home. Many of the other students felt very similarly. One student even thought that maybe bullies were bullied as little kids, which turned them into bullies themselves. Most bullies look for a victim to be smaller, younger, and weaker. Most likely the victim will be both less confident and popular. â€Å"Bullies†¦ † 2001). Many victims react by becoming upset or crying as a way of dealing with their anger and fear. Victims have a tendency to be depressed, anxious, shy and lonely (Drake 2003). Luckily, as they grow older, victims are less likely to stay a victim because they learn to cope, while the bullies tend to remain that way (Drake 2003). Tonja Narsel, a psychologist at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, says that from previous research victims tend to have a lower self-esteem and have a higher level of depression (Rubin 2003).When people think of bullying they will most likely think of a boy getting shoved into a locker by older boys or getting pushed as they walk through the hallways. While this is the most common form of bullying, especially with males, many girls experience a different form of bullying. Although it is a more indirect form of bullying, social manipulation is very prevalent within females. Social manipulation can include many actions, including spreading gossip, telling lies, betraying trust, passing notes, ignoring the victim, or excluding the victim (Bullies 2001).Many of the girls said there was a lot of bullying between girls. They said many girls would get bullied if they get a lot of attention from the boys. It seemed as if the girls wo uld get jealous, and then in turn make that girl the object of their bullying. They said the bullying most often consisted of calling names, pulling hair, and occasionally fighting. There are many repercussions from bullying that are quite shocking: 1) Children who are bullied are more likely to be depressed – 26% of girls who were frequently bullied reported depression as opposed to 8% of girls who were not; the boys were 16% vs. %; 2) Victims are more likely to be suicidal, with 8% for girls and 4% for boys, compared to 1% overall for non-victims of bullying; 3) Bullies are more likely to carry weapons, with 43% carrying a weapon to school at least once a week, compared to 8%. 4) Bullies are more likely to be injured, 46% vs. 16%. (Kerlikowske 2003). The topic of bullying entered the spotlight due to the numerous school shootings. In two-thirds of the 37 school shooting that were examined, the shooters felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked or injured by others prio r to the incident (Drake 2003).It is very important for teachers to be involved and to keep their eyes out for bullies to help keep the incidence of bullying at a low. All future teachers need to acknowledge the need for anti-bullying programs, which can significantly reduce the occurrence of bullying. Bullying prevention programs are interventions for the reduction and prevention of bully/victim problems. The program targets students in elementary, middle, and junior high schools. All students within a school participate in most aspects of the program. Additional individual interventions are targeted at students who are identified as bullies or victims of bullying.The core components of the program are implemented at the school, class and the individual level. To make sure this program is a success the staff and students must work together cooperatively. For a safe classroom environment against bullying, there must be the establishment and enforcement of class rules against bullyin g. Teachers need to teach and develop good interpersonal skills and values with the children. The students also need to be taught non-violent values, non-racist values, conflict resolution, and problem solving skills.If a child in a class is identified as a bully there needs to be interventions and discussions with parents. The school must do its part to ensure effective communication between itself and parents. Parents need to be informed of any bullying incidents right away. School counselors or school psychologists can assist teachers in this process. Children can be taught habits to lessen the possibility of becoming the target of a bully. If a child starts looking people in the eye, speaking up and standing up straight they can begin to develop self-confidence.Kids need help developing strategies to deal with the intimidating behavior of their peers, like walking away or telling the bully to stop, but they also need to know that adults can and will come to their aid. A teacher' s openness about bullying can give them that assurance (Feldman, 2004). Unfortunately, most of the students at Dunn Middle School felt fighting back was the best solution. One student mentioned going to an adult for help, but another student quickly responded, you snitch, you’ll get beat up worse. One student offered the solution of fighting back and got a weapon.I feel that there has to be a strict punishment for the bullies so the victims can be reassured that the bully won’t continue such behavior. Cyber bulling is another form of teen violence that can do lasting harm to young people. Statistics show that cyber bullying is a serious problem among young teens. This problems comes in many forms, such as sending mean messages through email or through text messaging, posting harmful or threatening messages on social networks i. e. Facebook or twitter or pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person. The behavior of bystanders who see bullying happen is to o often overlooked or excused.Bystanders provide bullies with an audience and sometimes even encouragement. When witnesses do nothing to stop abusive behavior, they also give their implicit approval. It should be made very clear to students that failing to stop or report an act of bullying makes them responsible and they too can get into trouble. Yet, it is very difficult to speak up against the bully. Many of the students don’t want to get involved because they don’t want to be the next victim. Yet again, I feel that strict punishment needs to be enacted for such bullies so the other students can have a sense of security.If anti-bullying programs are implemented the right way, results can be amazing. Many programs that are used in schools nationwide have had these results with their interventions: 1. A substantial reduction in boys and girls reports of bullying and victimization. 2. A significant reduction in student’s actions such as vandalism, fighting, theft and truancy. 3. Significant improvements in the aspect of the class, such as students reports of improved order and discipline, more positive social relationships, and a more positive attitude toward schoolwork and school (Svoboda, 2004).Preventing bullying is just one important aspect of maintaining good discipline in school environments. Children who feel secure want to go to school, enjoy school, and therefore learn more. Teachers who are in classrooms that are safe, orderly, and free of bullies can accomplish many things. All children can benefit from lessons about treating each other with respect. Bullying is one childhood memory no youngster should have.Works Cited Bullies and their Victims. Harvard Mental Health Letter. 2001, 4-7. Drake, J. Teacher preparation and practices regarding school bullying. Journal of School Health. 2003, 347-356. Espelage, D. Schoolroom torment. People. 2/05/2001, 91-92. Feldman, S. Bullying prevention. Teaching PreK-8. 2004, 6. Kerlikowske, G. On e in six students fall prey to bullies. Inside School Safety. 2003,6-9. Nansel, T. Bullies found to be at risk for violent behavior. Inside School Safety. 2003, 1-4. Rubin, R. Study: Bullies and their victims ten to be more violent. USA Today. 4/15/03 Svoboda, E. Everyone loves a bully. Psychology Today. 2004, 1-20. Bullying in Schools Bullying in schools: Bullying Paula Bergbreiter Com. 220 3/21/2010 Valerie Black Bullying and cyber-bullying have become an increasing problem in the schools Everyday there is more and more stories on the outcome of what can happen when a person becomes a victim of bullies. Suicide and violence has risen in schools because of children being bullied. Adolescent children are among the highest at risk for bullying. What are the risk factors for bullying? Is one type of person more likely to be bullied? What are the schools doing to protect children from becoming a victim? Bullying is a form of intimidation ( Baldry, 2010, Farrington, 2010 ): A bully may use force or coercion to gain what they want from a weaker person. This is their way to establish superiority over an individual. Bullying has been around for many years. Today, it has become a serious issue for children in schools and on the internet. According to ( Roberts,2010, Harlow, 2010 ) bullying was more common in children who were less physically attractive, overweight, and had disability problems such as sight, hearing, or speech deficits. There are different types of bullying verbal taunting, physical assaults and exclusion. Some signs That a teacher or parent can look for to identify a child who is a bully may be aggression towards other’s, has little empathy, easily frustrated, and views violence as a positive way to solve problems. Some signs that a child is a victim of bullying may be fear of going to school, signs of depression, withdrawn, and signs of physical altercations such as bruises, and or scrapes. According to the National Center for Education Statistics report shows that middle school and elementary school children are bullied more than high school children. According to the Table below done at a Baltimore City public school, shows the number of tudents who were bullied or know someone who is a bully. Table I Percentage of Students who are bullied daily |Students verbally assaulted daily |70% | |Students who are threatened daily |60% | |Students who know a bully |80% | |Students who are the bully |30% | Bullying has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Not only do schools need to tr y to find a way to stop bullying but, in recent years the schools are seeing an increase in cyber-bullying among adolescents. Cyber-bullying is, the modern communication technologies to embarrass, humiliate, threaten, or intimidate an individual to attempt gain power and control over them ( Stutzky, 2006 ). Cyber-bullying has become has become an increasing problem in schools today. I believe that this form of bullying is more severe and has much worse outcomes. Everyday the media writes stories of children who have become victims of cyber- bullying. In 2006 statistics showed that 75 to 80 percent of 12 to 14 year olds had been cyber bullied ( Meech, 2008 ). Because of the use of modern technology this type of bullying can be one without being face to face. The use of computers today by children to cyber-bully makes it harder for authorities to pinpoint who is posting negative messages toward another person. A person who bullies on-line can send text messages, and photos. Cyber-bulling can spread through the internet fast and damage a persons reputation. Most times children who are being cyber-bullied do no t report it to their parents or an adult. Children are taught that home is where you feel safe, when an individual is being cyber-bullied they don’t have that feeling of safety. Parents need to look for signs if they feel their child is being cyber-bullied. Some signs may be depression, becoming withdrawn, a decline in school activities, and how they may view themselves. One of the big problems that authorities have with cyber-bullying is, a bully can use the help of another person to do the bullying for them. This is called cyber-bullying by proxy. When this happens it makes it harder to identify the real bully. The different forms of cyber-bullying can range from embarrassing rumors to threats, harassment, or stalking. Young adults and tenagers are among the most common victims. In the schools today computer technology is part of a child’s curriculum. Some schools are implementing a internet usage contract ( waiver), this contract or waiver will make the schools exempt from liability. students will be liable for what they do on-line. If schools are using these types of contracts they are not addressing the problem of cyber-bullying. If the issue of cyber-bullying is not addressed children will make the decision to take matters into their own hands. When this happens children think that revenge is their only option to protect themselves. Revenge can then urn into violence. This is when children start bringing guns and other types of weapons into school. Studies show that each day 100,00 students carry a gun to school ( American Justice Department). The impact that bullying can have children in schools is overwhelming. Some of the children that are bullied will develop mental and emotional problems, which they will carry into adulthood. Some children wi ll become violent towards their peers. In most severe of cases children or youths begin to feel like the only way to protect themselves is to threaten the bully with a gun or weapon. This can lead to shootings in schools or off of school property. At times when this happens the victim will take their own life. It can also lead to suicide. The suicide rate among adolescent children has gone up in recent years along with cyber-bullying. There have several reported cases of suicide in the last few years among teenage children due to cyber-bullying. The first steps that parents and teachers need to take when trying to stop a bully is to make sure to intervene when they see a child bullying another child. Watch for signs that a child is being bullied, or signs that the child is a bully. Most schools have a zero tolerance for bullying but, there needs to be more interventions put in place for children who are victims to feel safe at school. Parents need to talk to their children on a daily basis about what goes on at school. If a parent talks to their children on a regular basis they may know if something is wrong. I believe that bullying is something that is learned from an early age. Children who are subjected to violent situations daily it will show in the childs behavior. The child may not be the bully but aides the bully. All children in school need to be aware that bullying an happen to anyone and if they are a victim they should report it. Teachers and parents need to inform children that if they bully someone that they will have consequences. Children also need to be told that it’s not their fault, they did nothing wrong and that no child deserves to be bullied. My son was a victim of bullying in 4th. Grade, he reported it to the principle like we had taught him. It stopped for a while and then it started again, he reported again to the principle but, this time it didn’t stop. As parents we felt it was time to step in and try to find a way to intervene with the bully. The school informed us that they would address the situation and let us know what the outcome was. After some time we started to notice changes in our son, he was withdrawn, didn’t want to go to school, and his grades were dropping. The was notified and we set up a meeting with the principle. At the meeting we were told that our son needed to grow thicker skin because this is something that happens in school everyday. As parents we were shocked to be told this by people we trusted to keep our son safe. We removed him from the school and put him into a private school. His grades improved soon after e started he wasn’t withdrawn anymore and he wanted to go to school. My hope is that no child has to go through what our son went through. In conclusion, bullying in schools has become an increasing problem. It is our job as teachers and parents to make sure that our children feel safe at school. If children do not feel that the environment they are in is safe then, they will find ways to protect themselves. When this happens violence can occur. Teachers and parents are working to try to find a solution to stop children from being victims of bullying. As parents we should also work with our schools to elp find the solution. In the end the person that we are helping is our child. References: Farrington, D. P. & Baldry, A. C. (Jan. 2010). Individual risk factors for school bullying: Journal of Aggression, Conflict, and Peace Research. 2(1) 4-16. Ford, A. , (July 2009). Journal of Law & Education: School Liability: Holding Middle schools liable for Cyber-bullying despite their implementations of the Internet Usage Contracts. 38(3) 535-543 Harlow, Kirk C. , and Roberts, Roe ( Jan. 2010). An exploration of the relationship between Social and Psychological Factors and Being Bullied: Children & Schools; 32(1), 15-26. 2p. Hymel, Shelley and Swearer, Susan. Bullying Special Edition Contributor, education. com: Bullying: An Age Old Problem That Needs New Solutions . 1-6 Meech, Scott. (August 2008), Tech & Learning: Cyber Bullying: Worse Than Traditional Bullying, article7284 Stutzky,Glen. M. S. W, Clinical Instructor, ( 2006), School of Social Work, MSU, Cyber_bullying_information, 3p. Unnever, J. & Cornell, D. (2003). School of Education, University of Virginia, The culture of bullying in middle school. Journal of School and Violence, 2, 5-27.

Criminology Theories - 1286 Words

Criminology Theories Dealing with Characters from Boyz N the Hood Jamar Tyms Westwood College Criminology Ms. Peete Abstract This Paper will discuss what theories can explain the deviant behavior of the characters in the movie Boyz N the Hood. What Starts Criminal Behavior? History shows that through life violence is a cycle within itself. Criminology shows different views on how and why criminal behavior happens. By watching the movie â€Å"Boyz in The Hood† we see the crimes take place and show why these events happened. Based off the information from class and from past theories I formulate my own theories of why crime happens. The movie Boyz in the Hood is based off†¦show more content†¦That’s hurts Doughboy and it seems like he is into the streets because that’s the only thing that is giving him the attention that he wants and needs. Doughboy feeds on the attention that he gets from the streets of L.A. It helps him think he is wanted by people that love him. In his mind it’s a lost relationship with his mother because even if he tries to do stay out of jail, try and do right by her she still wouldn’t care or even notice that he is trying to build a mother-son bond between them. So it gets to the point where he seeks and gets revenge on the guys who killed his brother Ricky. And he doesn’t care if their guys come back in retaliation to kill him. There was a quote he said in the movie saying â€Å"either they don’t know, don’t show, or don’t care about what’s going on in the hood.† He has a good point because the people th at do care is either scared to say anything or has never lived in the ghetto before so they can only go by what other people say that’s happening in the streets. Most people get killed over what is known as the â€Å"Code of The Street.† In the movie it shows that their code of the street was revenge. They killed Ricky Doughboy and his friends killed them. It also shows that violence and crime happens all over something petty. In one scene in the movie they show Ferris walking into RickyShow MoreRelatedDisorganization Theory Of Criminology And Criminology Essay1789 Words   |  8 PagesDisorganization theory of criminology Name Institution Disorganization theory of criminology Borski, J., and Harold. (1995). Social disorganization theory: influence of society and environment to crime: New York: Lexington. The two researchers use data from the Lexington library to determine how the environment people live in can influence their behaviors. It means that the social organization theory focuses on the effect of society towards crime. When a society or the people in it do not holdRead MoreThe Theories And Theories Of Criminology1772 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Criminology has emerged as a science in the recent years, and various theories and perspectives have been developed by the social scientists and criminologists in this regard. 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