SLP - 1 Routine and Goodwill Emails Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SLP - 1 Routine and Goodwill Emails - Essay Example It will allow the different campus departments to understand their responsibility as well as cut back on costs immensely. Employees would have to empty their own trash baskets unlike what used to happen in the past. The recycling efforts shall pave the way for the overall development of the departments at the campus, and reduce the budget constraints which are being faced at the present. Also this shall help the employees to do a bit of exercise which is always a good step for their health and well-being. We believe that this step will help reduce the departmental custodial costs and go a long way in helping the employees deal with the recycling efforts. This will be a good step that shall save the campus a considerable amount of money as well as help the environment with efficient modes of recycling on a regular basis. The campus is delighted to announce that yet again its priorities are set on bringing new and novel methods to save on costs that are incurred every year. We have thought of a unique way to settle the costs that have been mounting for a considerable time period now. Since we have always valued the services, we do not believe in cutting them down at any cost. However, the 25 percent budget reduction is a figure that we meet this year and in order to sustain such a pressing concern, we have decided to go ahead with our recycling efforts which will not only save time but also money. Now the employees would be asked to empty their trash baskets themselves by taking a walk to the trash bins. It will not only refresh the employees since there will be exercise for them but would also contribute to the environment in one or the other way. We are confident that this small step in building confidence within the employees even further. We have always valued your work and look forward to positive contributions on your part in the future as well. Both the emails are direct and go ahead with the

The Curriculum for todays fifteen to eighteen year olds Essay Example for Free

The Curriculum for todays fifteen to eighteen year olds Essay The curriculum in todays schools has survived relatively unchanged for many years. It was created in a completely different world, one where computers were not used and jobs for the uneducated were easy to find. The world has changed significantly since then, but should the education system? The job market is a competitive one, and an extra qualification can make all the difference. One qualification that is needed for nearly every position is that of Information and Communication Technology, in other words, computers. Computers are used for many purposes in nearly every company, for example, spreadsheets in finance, databases in stock keeping and desktop publishing in advertising. The skill needed to control the software and hardware is highly desirable, but the current curriculum in high schools does not reflect this. ICT was only introduced into the curriculum several years ago, and has been taught as a minor subject, comparable to the likes of Art and Music. Throughout high school, each school only has to complete one hour of ICT per week, although it can be taken optionally as a GCSE subject, or as a GNVQ. A large number do not opt for the latter options, which leaves them with a qualification equal to half a single GCSE. I do not believe that the curriculums compulsory ICT lessons are sufficient now that more and more jobs are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. I personally think that ICT provision should be increased to three hours a week, making it on level with the main academic subjects of English, Maths and Science. This will enable pupils to study a wider range of software, and complete more theory work, which is an aspect currently neglected. These extra skills will be beneficial in the workplace. I am aware that to cope with the extra number of ICT lessons, more computers would be needed, and spaces to put them, but even with this extra expenditure, the benefits of having a full ICT qualification would be well worth it. There are quite a few things that are needed in later life that are not taught in school. These include money management, communication skills, stress management and form writing. If these skills were taught in schools, it would make later life a little easier to cope with. Many people struggle to look after their money, especially if they stay in education at university. People also struggle to understand the workings of finance, so an education in money management would be beneficial to all pupils. Quite a few pupils in schools lack the confidence to speak to people they do not know, or fail to get their point across clearly during a conversation. A course in communication would help people to speak more confidently, and to express them more clearly. It could also contain advice on how to deal with a job interview effectively. It is often mentioned in the media that our lives have become more stressful, and that we need to learn how to manage it. During exams, further education and our working lives, stress inevitably builds up, and if lessons were taken in high school on how to relieve that stress, people would not suffer from stress-related illness in later life, which can only be a good thing. Another skill that could be taught in schools is how to fill in forms. During adulthood, there are many, many forms that need to be filled in, such as application forms, benefit forms and census forms. Many people find this task daunting and confusing; they can fill the wrong boxes in, or write the incorrect information. Lessons in this skill would be beneficial and helpful to the pupils in the future. GCSEs are compulsory. Each Year 11 pupil has to take them by law, even if they havent got a chance of passing any. In my opinion, those pupils in lower groups could drop their GCSE courses and study for other qualifications. This would not solely be the students decision; parents and teachers would need to be consulted and involve in the decision swell. They would not be able to however, drop the academic subjects completely. English, Maths, Science and ICT would still need to be taken, although not at GCSE level and with no exam or qualification. By dropping many subjects, they would be able to take a vocational l course and get a vocational qualification at the end of it, like an NVQ. This would give then the skills to easily find a job, as they would already be trained for it, whilst if they had stayed on their GCSE course, they would have probably ended up with no qualifications, and would be stuck in a poorly paid job, if they got one at all. The curriculum that young people are taught today is flawed and is inappropriate for many young people. I feel that ICT should be made a subject comparable with the likes of Maths and English, essential skills needed for later life, like stress management and money management should be taught to pupils and the less-able pupils should be allowed to drop out of GCSEs and pursue a vocational qualification. These changes to the current curriculum would bring it up to date and make it more relevant for the youngsters of today.

Fear Of Crime Female Vs Male Criminology Essay

Fear Of Crime Female Vs Male Criminology Essay Introduction The level of fear of crime across different groups within the community is a major contributor to the Governments focus on the type of support communities require to maintain the feeling of safety. By understanding the dynamics of fear, we are able to predict areas of likely crime through understanding the psyche of the predator and alpha type crimes along with other illegal activities. Due to the generally accepted level of safety within the majority of Australias westernised communities, a common low level of continuous fear to immediate self is evident. Therefore, to qualify this assessment, the Fear of Crime between genders will be considered across multiple situations rather than localities. The analyses derived in this paper are borne from research surveys delivered across a general and random sample of the local community. This will provide an insight into the relationship between gender and vulnerability to crime; whether it is perceived or actual. The study is limited by num ber of people in one country and can be treated as base for developing further research. Previous Research We all must know and understand fear of crime which is explained as peoples emotional response to crime. It can be safely admitted from the surveys conducted that women has more fear of crime than other population groups. Fear of crime is associated with perceptions of local problems, derived mainly from a high incidence of physical and social incivility. Women have been observed to be amongst the most vulnerable groups. There are number of communities having large fear of crime amongst all the population. The problem can be classified as crime as it serious for any segment of population to live with fear of crime. The fear problem has emerged as serious concern since last three decades, and statistical figures of Australian women indicate that womens fear of crime is greater among those who have lower incomes, those in the older age groups, and those living with a partner. Women fear is characterised by dual nature namely: concrete and formless fear. Concrete fear is the fear associated with certain crimes. The implicit assumption here is that some criminal activities cause more fear than others. For example, rape fear is much more than fear than theft. Formless fear, however, is a more generic or less specific fear of crime. Younger generations have reported higher levels of both types of fear. Studies conclude that younger women reported highest results for concrete fear, or fear of specific crimes. Women consider fear of rape equivalent to fear of murder. Fear is stronger in single as compared to married women. Additionally, experiencing specific offences is better predictor of fear from specific happenings than others. The degree of fear may differ from low to high level. Studies are conducted by providing specific situations to the respondents about the degree of anxiety and fear from the situations. The situations are common in our general routin e e.g. a) walking in their neighborhood at night, b) taking public transport, c) using a parking garage, and d) being home. The response categories are segregated as level of fear as: not at all worried (0), and worried (1). Logistic regression was utilized to determine the effect of demographic, experiential, and behavioral variables on fear in four situations. Majority of women narrated having at least once incidence of violence in last 12 months, approximately two thirds (66.4%) of respondents reported receiving an obscene phone call, while three out of five reported receiving unwanted attention from a stranger. Almost one third (32.4%) reported being followed by a stranger in a way that frightened them. A large proportion of women reported being somewhat or very worried walking in their neighborhood at night (61.0%). Factor of personal income is not significant factor in predicting fear while using public transportation. Women with higher levels of education were 5.2 percent mor e likely to be worried while in the transportation situation, 5.1 percent more likely to report being worried while in a parking garage alone at night, but 3.2 percent less likely to report fear while home alone in the evening (Scott, 2003). Research studies also indicate that women who have already experienced violence, especially victims of domestic violence, become more fearful for crime as against other women. It was surprising to note from the revelations that 58 per cent of female homicide victims have assailants who are intimates/former intimates. These facts provide a strong argument for early intervention to prevent domestic violence and provide assistance to dysfunctional and violent families. In another survey from the sample of 6333 respondents, approximately 70% of the Women felt unsafe when walking alone in their area after dark, which is higher than the percentages reported by the 1996 British Crime Survey (47%) and the 1991 Queensland Crime Victims Survey (45.3%). However, these figures are much lower than the result obtained in a study carried out in Edinburgh in 1992 (Carcarh, Mukherjee, 1999). Fear of Crime in the Home Under the crimes at home, there is important contribution of domestic violence. Under this aspect though domestic violence can impact both genders but the history confirms that chances of crime against women are high. This is mainly due to reason that women may be exposed to domestic violence at home on regular basis. The domestic violence is a crime and involves sexual abuse (whether you are married to the other person or not); physical abuse or assault (for example, slapping, biting, kicking, and threats of physical violence); damage to property or anything you value; economic abuse, that is, when the other person keeps money to which you are legally entitled, emotional abuse (that is, degrading or humiliating behaviour, including repeated insults, belittling, cursing and threats), and any other controlling or abusive behaviour which poses a threat to your safety, health or well-being. It was been amazing to observe that Women living with a partner are likely to experience greater fear of violence. The research shows that even the conclusion drawn by Madrizs (1997) indicated that women victims of domestic violence have to face violence at home and violence on the streets that other women face, which increase their level of fear of crime in the community. Women facing physical violence by males will report fear from crime double than the women who have not experience physical violence at all. These results support Madrizs (1997) finding that women victims of domestic violence have to face violence at home and violence on the streets that other women face, which would increase their level of fear of crime in the community (Carcach, Mukherjee, 1999). The Gender Difference in Fear of Crime Studies have indicated that though both genders are prone to crime but majority of the studies confirm the gender differential is the most consistent finding in the literature on fear of crime. There is reporting of fear of crime by women at levels that are three times that of men (Chan, 2008). Since last three decades, there has been lot of concern about women safety in the police communication in Australia, England, Canada and Wales. Police and local authorities issued safety advice to women. One of the research studies conducted (Grade 1989) focus on crime prevention indicating women as prime consumers of targeted advice about personal safety. However, review of data shows that young men are most at risk to personal violence in public. Despite this, women are considered the most important constituency for guidance about danger. Literature Review The effects of demographic variables on fear are mixed. There may be number of incidents of events which can create fear in the minds. One of such thinking is when people walk alone in ones neighborhood at night. Where many demographic variables increase fear while walking in ones neighborhood or being home alone at night (i.e. lower education levels, lower reported personal income, and living in an urban area). Majority of people understand fear of crime centered on findings using respondents feelings of fear or worry while walking in their neighborhood at night. There is another fear i.e fear of strangers which has been suitably referred to as stranger danger. During childhood, all of us are told to be wary of strangers. Women fear the danger posed by strange men even though statistics show that women are more likely to be victimized by individuals they know. It would appear that they are most afraid of the surprise sexual attack by the unknown assailant, despite the fact that stat istics and public service media campaigns are making women aware of dangers of dating and marital situations. Number of survey reports discuss about the fear of crime and indicate relatively small but statistically significant differences between fear rates expressed by men and women. Majority of women are believed to be fearful of crime; and all men fearless (Gilchrist, 1988). Studies are limited to explain why women might harbor anxiety about their personal safety. Skogan and Maxfield (1981) suggest that womens fear of crime is because of their physical and social openness. Womens fear of sexual assault i.e. fear of rape also causes lack of safety amongst the women. Research Questions This research is to assist with the targeting of safety programs and the determination of focus for future community groups and activities. This paper will address the problem of which gender within the local community fears crime, whether actual or perceived, and the times that they feel most unsafe. By understanding this, programs can be directed towards these groups and the understanding of safety and their options when confronted with a situation can be addressed. Based on collected statically data this paper will directly address the aspects of the genders influence of the fear of crime: Do the different genders fear crime differently? What affect does age have on females fear of crime? Do females feel safer at home during the day or evening? Due to the results of the above previous research and general perception within the Westernised Urban Australian culture, it is expected that females will report a higher level of fear of crime. Because of this the second and third questions within this report will focus on the different generations and locations in which females fear crime; including showing the amounts in which it various. If the results unexpectedly show that males are more fearful of crime, then the questions regarding the female generations and locations effects of their perceived fear are still warranted and are able to be used to target female related programs. Method This analysis utilises data collected by previous research groups over the past few years. This offers the advantage of including the indexing of generations over time allowing a slightly more average and round return compared to a frozen snapshot in time. The survey was conducted across all age groups from varying social-economic backgrounds and cultures. Also the location spread of the survey focuses on South East Queensland however reaches into other states and some samples are returned from overseas (Micronesia). Sampling was conducted via a take home survey with instructions included. There was a directed expectation of integrity of answers, which created minimal cross-contamination. Immediately upon completion, surveys were to be returned via either mail or in person allowing coalition and further reducing the possibility of corrupted samples. Fear of crime will be the dependent variable and will indicate the level of felt across the genders in varying situations. The gender of respondent is the independent variable which is being assessed as to whether it relates to the fear of crime and in addition to gender, age  [1]  and time of day will also be independent variables. All these variables will be determined by the survey responses and the dependent variable will be tested for statistical independence. Analytic Techniques Summary of analysis completed The data is presented in tabular format along with graphs and charts. All descriptive statistics is calculated for each variable on interval or ratio scale. Further, data is analysed using statistical techniques such as chi-square test, one- way ANOVA followed by POST HOC tests, Z-test for comparing mean etc. Level of significance is fixed at 5%. All p-value less than 0.05 will be treated as significant. Dealing with missing data Missing data is almost part of every research. In this study, missing data is limited to a small number of subjects. Hence we opted a list-wise deletion of subjects. Only the subjects with missing data will be eliminated from the study. That is if a subject is missing data on any of the variables used in the analysis, it is completed eliminated. Dealing with outliers, errors etc. Dealing with outliers and errors is very difficult. In this study, we found very less outliers and errors. All subjects with outliers or errors are excluded from the study. Since errors are at random, it makes no much effect on study, if we remove them from the study. Any other problems in completing the analysis (e.g. violations of requirements) Before conducting all parametric tests, all the necessary required conditions are checked and further analysis is done. For parametric tests, normality assumption is checked. All data is found to be approximated normally distributed. Age-wise distribution Gender Frequency Percent Male 162 45.6 Female 193 54.4 Total 355 100.0 Findings Question one or Hypothesis One: Does fear of crime differ by gender? Table gender * Afraid group Cross tabulation Afraid Score Total Afraid Score less than 4 Afraid score between 4-6 Afraid Score above 6 gender Male Count 83 61 16 160 % of Total 23.5% 17.3% 4.5% 45.3% Female Count 53 76 64 193 % of Total 15.0% 21.5% 18.1% 54.7% Total Count 136 137 80 353 % of Total 38.5% 38.8% 22.7% 100.0% Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square 34.275a 2 .000 Likelihood Ratio 36.068 2 .000 Linear-by-Linear Association 33.650 1 .000 N of Valid Cases 353 Conclusion: Parsons Chi-square is found to be 34.275 with p-value Respondents Perceived Level of Unsafety While at Home During the Day and Gender gender * safe day Cross tabulation safe day Total Very Unsafe Unsafe Neither safe nor unsafe Safe Very safe Never home alone during the day gender Male Count 1 3 4 35 111 1 155 % of Total .3% .9% 1.2% 10% 32.3% .3% 451% Female Count 3 7 24 72 83 0 189 % of Total .9% 2.0% 7.0% 20% 24.1% .0% 55% Total Count 4 10 28 107 194 1 344 % of Total 1.2% 2.9% 8.1% 31% 56.4% .3% 100% Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square 31.670a 5 .000 Likelihood Ratio 33.680 5 .000 Linear-by-Linear Association 24.327 1 .000 N of Valid Cases 344 Conclusion: Parsons Chi-square is found to be 31.670 with p-value Question Two or Hypothesis Two: Are older women more fearful than younger women? Graph age * Fear Group Cross tabulation Fear Group Total Fear Score less than 3 Fear Score between 4 -6 Fear Score above 6 age Age Group 18 -24 Count 12 14 14 40 % of Total 6.3% 7.3% 7.3% 20.8% Age Group 25-34 Count 15 30 13 58 % of Total 7.8% 15.6% 6.8% 30.2% Age Group 34-44 Count 13 14 11 38 % of Total 7.3% 5.7% 19.8% Age Group 45-54 Count 8 9 10 27 % of Total 4.7% 5.2% 14.1% Age Group 55-64 Count 6 6 4 16 % of Total 3.1% 6.8% 2.1% 8.3% Age group 65 and over Count 2 5 6 13 % of Total 1.0% 4.2% 3.1% 6.8% Total Count 56 78 6 192 % of Total 29.2% 40.6% 30.2% 100.0% Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square 7.544a 10 .673 Likelihood Ratio 7.512 10 .676 Linear-by-Linear Association .284 1 .594 N of Valid Cases 192 Conclusion: Parsons Chi-square is found to be 7.544 with p-value > 0.05; hence there is no significant association between fear and age group. Hence we can conclude that, age is not associated with fear. Average Score of Female Respondents Fear of Crime and Age e.g. Table or graph, ANOVA Test Descriptive (Fear) N Mean Std. Deviation 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound Age Group 18 -24 40 5.1162 2.44853 4.3332 5.8993 Age Group 25-34 58 4.3498 1.91327 3.8468 4.8529 Age Group 34-44 38 4.3447 2.24761 3.6060 5.0835 Age Group 45-54 27 4.8770 2.42666 3.9171 5.8370 Age Group 55-64 16 4.6325 2.57747 3.2591 6.0059 Age group 65 and over 13 6.0692 2.60333 4.4961 7.6424 Total 192 4.7226 2.29671 4.3957 5.0495 ANOVA fear2 Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 44.032 5 8.806 1.700 .137 Within Groups 963.469 186 5.180 Total 1007.500 191 Conclusion: there is no significant difference in fear score among various age groups. F= 1.70, p > 0.05, hence we can conclude that the fear score is almost same among persons of all age groups. Female Respondents Received Level of Unsafety While at Home During the Day and Age e.g. Table or graph, ANOVA Test Descriptive (safe day) N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound Age Group 18 -24 39 4.3846 .84652 .13555 4.1102 4.6590 Age Group 25-34 57 4.2456 .66227 .08772 4.0699 4.4213 Age Group 34-44 37 4.0000 1.20185 .19758 3.5993 4.4007 Age Group 45-54 26 4.3846 .75243 .14756 4.0807 4.6885 Age Group 55-64 16 4.0625 1.06262 .26566 3.4963 4.6287 Age group 65 and over 13 3.6923 1.03155 .28610 3.0689 4.3157 Total 188 4.1915 .91074 .06642 4.0605 4.3225 ANOVA safe day Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 7.454 5 1.491 1.838 .108 Within Groups 147.653 182 .811 Total 155.106 187 Conclusion: there is no significant difference in safe day score among various age groups. F= 7.454, p > 0.05, there is no significant difference between feeling safety during day score and age. Female Respondents Perceived Level of Unsafety While At Home Alone After Dark and Age e.g. Table or graph, ANOVA Test N Mean Std. Deviation 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound Age Group 18 -24 34 9.1765 2.25637 1.3036 17.0493 Age Group 25-34 46 7.9130 1.94569 2.1351 13.6910 Age Group 34-44 33 3.5758 1.25076 3.1323 4.0193 Age Group 45-54 25 1.1760 2.59700 1.0401 22.4799 Age Group 55-64 16 1.5125 3.23787 -2.1284 32.3784 Age group 65 and over 11 2.6364 .92442 2.0153 3.2574 Total 165 8.2364 2.035861 5.1069 11.3658 ANOVA safenite Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 2166.272 5 433.254 1.047 .392 Within Groups 65807.509 159 413.884 Total 67973.782 164 Conclusion: there is no significant difference in safe night score among various age groups. F= 1.047, p > 0.05, there is no significant difference between feeling safety during night score and age. Question Three or Hypothesis Three: Average Score of Female Respondents Fear of Crime and Live Alone E.g. Table or graph, z-test of mean differences Descriptive (Fear) N Mean Std. Deviation 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound Live Alone 121 4.6625 2.32150 4.2446 5.0803 Dont live alone 17 6.1000 2.13131 5.0042 7.1958 Total 138 4.8396 2.34008 4.4457 5.2335 ANOVA fear2 Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 30.802 1 30.802 5.823 .017 Within Groups 719.406 136 5.290 Total 750.208 137 Conclusion: there is significant difference in fear score women who live alone and dont live alone at home. F= 5.823, p Female Respondents Received Level of Unsafety While at Home Alone During the Day and Lives Alone E.g. Table or graph, z-test of mean differences Female Respondents Received Level of Unsafety While a Home Alone After Dark and Lives Alone E.g. Table or graph, z-test of mean differences N Mean Std. Deviation 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound safe day Live Alone 119 4.1176 .91296 3.9519 4.2834 Dont live alone 16 3.6875 1.07819 3.1130 4.2620 Total 135 4.0667 .93999 3.9067 4.2267 safenite Live Alone 102 5.5000 13.19747 2.9078 8.0922 Dont live alone 14 2.1429 .77033 1.6981 2.5876 Total 116 5.0948 12.41946 2.8107 7.3789 ANOVA Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. safe day Between Groups 2.610 1 2.610 2.997 .086 Within Groups 115.790 133 .871 Total 118.400 134 safenite Between Groups 138.743 1 138.743 .899 .345 Within Groups 17599.214 114 154.379 Total 17737.957 115 Conclusion: There is no significant difference in fear score of women who live alone and dont live alone at home during day. F= 2.997, p > 0.05, there is significant difference between feeling safety during day score and living alone status. There is no significant difference in fear score of women who live alone and dont live alone at home during day. F= 2.997, p > 0.05, there is significant difference between feeling safety during day score and living alone status. Discussion/Conclusion Summary of Results: how did you answer each question/hypothesis? Each hypothesis is tested for rejection with appropriate test of significance. The level of significance is set at 5%. All p-values greater than 0.05 will be treated as insignificant and the null hypothesis will be accepted. Implications of findings for theoretical explanations In this, out of 355 respondents, 162 (45.4%) are males and 193 (55.6%) are females. This study clearly shows that there is significant association between gender and fear of crime (p 0.05). The level of fear is almost equal among all age groups in women. No significant difference was found in the average score of fear between different age groups of women (p-value > 0.05). There is no significant difference in safe night score among various age groups in women (p-value > 0.05). There is significant difference in fear score among women who live alone and dont live alone at home (p Limitations of the Research There are limitations to this study. Firstly the sample size only pertains to only one country and considering all are local population, the data does not give diversity of opinion. Australia is a country where population has settled form wide range of countries and their cultural differences have not been considered. The survey is conducted only in English and non English speaking women must be unable to report their experiences of victimization. As a result, these indicators lack sufficient data regarding the prevalence of violence against immigrant women as well as some groups of Aboriginal women. Majority of countries are carving out funds for preventing violence against women. The real effect is yet to be seen. Future research is required to look into use of these funds and any improvement the funds could generate. Moreover, due to the different sources of data used in this document, comparisons over time and between jurisdictions have been done. Moreover, quantitative data may have serious limitations. They cannot portray the reality of violence in the lives of individual women the fear such violence instills and the trauma it causes. It is the answers of women themselves that is necessary to provide the context and texture of that reality. Quantitative data always need to be complemented by qualitative data to give an accurate and complete picture of violence against women. The sample sizes do not permit the disaggregation of data on violence against immigrant and refugee women, women of color, women with disabilities, teenage women and girls, older women, women living in poverty, homeless women, women in rural and remote communities and bisexual women. In the absence of sufficient data on women in all their diversity, these indicators cannot provide a complete profile of the experiences of all women in Australia or their experiences of violence through their lifecycles. It was also noted that there is a lack of national data on the individual economic costs of violence against women including costs of the loss of financial supports, legal services, housing, mental and physical health etc. The study has not assumed the percentage of people not reporting crime because of loss of their self reputation. In certain areas, such as violence against women, methodological shortcomings and lack of reporting, or under-reporting, led to inaccurate data collection, and such unreliable or mislea

My First Kiss :: Personal Narrative

My First Kiss â€Å"Kissing a watermelon? No, I’ve never been THAT desperate.† My sister Amy went on to tell me about her friend who dared to do such a feat. â€Å"Did it help?† I asked. â€Å"We don’t know! She hasn’t kissed a real guy yet!† Amy and I burst into a fit of giggles, and I realized how being in the company of my younger sister regressed me to her awkward, girlish high school age. I had forgotten, until this bedside 2:00 a.m. conversation, how I used to be obsessed with popularity and sports cars, and how I daydreamed of my first kiss. But Amy had much more â€Å"experience† than I did at her age. She and her friends had passed their adolescent initiation of first kisses—at least the kind on the lips. â€Å"In the back of the CHURCH van? With everyone watching? Where did he kiss you?† â€Å"On the LIPS!† she squealed. Amy’s excitement and anxiety about kissing ignited a rush of memories. How I used to romanticize about first kissing someone! I thought that I would be in a long flowing gown, and the handsome young man would bring me flowers, and ask to court me. Our kiss would be done on the porch, under an encouraging moon and a harmony of stars. Or maybe I would be in a MacDonalds, and the most good-looking guy I’d ever seen would come to my table, buy me a hot fudge sundae, and he give me a kiss when he walked me to my car. Ah, the kiss was exciting to think about as well. I had no idea what it would be like, but I knew it would feel wonderful. This quick pucker and follow-through would be my initiation into womanhood, somehow setting me apart from other girls who could barely fill a bra or who, as rumors went, practiced kissing by mutilating fruit. A rite of passage, a first romance, yes. But my girlish head had set itself upon one quest: I would be truly in love with the young man I first

Reaction paper Blood of a mole

â€Å"Blood of a mole† tells the story of pity, self-sacrifice and trickery. You cannot always give people what they need, no matter how desperate they are. The character gives some of his own life which Is represented by blood because he felt such a compelling need to help the desperate woman. He pitied her and obviously TLD agree with her Ideas In moles' blood, or he wouldn't have tricked the women. During the story the character was going to tell her â€Å"l never had sold moles in the shop and I had never seen one in my life† but he knows that this woman anted to hear good news.The character said â€Å"l have no moles†, this reaction of the women made him feel guilty of himself and made it as if had no choice but to help her. Why do some people feel the need to be a hero? I don't believe he gave the woman his blood out of the goodness of his heart, but it was more of an attempt to console the woman in order to ease his own sense of guilt. After he concedes th at â€Å"Maybe I have some moles†, he states â€Å"l don't know why I acted like this†. The woman had no faith and no longer wanted any help.When he offers her his blood, â€Å"She did not reach for the glass bottle. She turned and quickly went toward the door†. You can see that he wants to help when he doesn't take the money she offers for his service, which he wouldn't have done If he were truly carrying mole's blood In his shop. â€Å"Then she took some money out of her pocket. ‘No. No,' I said†. This shows that he wants to help this woman even though he is not getting anything in return. â€Å"l wanted to accompany her to the corner. I offered her some water but she just ran off,† The story brings to mind the Dry. At overworks himself trying to save every patient, in the meantime his own health and life deteriorates. The story is told from first person point of view. In this way, we know exactly what the protagonist is thinking. This does limit the story in some ways, since no other opinions or observations are told , I wasn't sure what was going on with anyone else. The narrator Is the main character and the only person with a voice, other than some dialogue, throughout the story. The reader sees everything from the eyes of the rotating.There are many observations given, but when speaking of feelings, It gets scarce. There is mostly confusion or fear expressed, but through the observations, a lot of pity is conveyed. â€Å"l was scared. I could feel something evil lurking in the dark†. â€Å"L knew it by her eyes, by the timid stir of her fingers that reached out to touch me† The woman's need for moles' blood is the conflict of the story. The protagonist does not have a mole, let alone mole's blood, but he is compelled to help, comfort or insole the woman.The pity the guy has for her grows larger as he continues observe her. , â€Å"l felt bad because I couldn't help her†. The guy even gives he r his own blood as a substitute for mole blood and tricks her, â€Å"Here It Is,' I said. ‘Here's the blood of the mole. † The climax of this story Is when the woman returns from her Ill son, â€Å"He walks! ‘ the woman sobbed, holding a bittersweet smile behind her hands. ‘He walks! â€Å". But he cannot save everyone. We all have loved one's we do not want to leave us to the other side.The story is resolved when they all come for him â€Å"Everyone had a The narrative structure is clear-cut, direct and uncomplicated. Things occur in a chronological order of time. It starts from the beginning, there are no flashbacks, and everything proceeds in order. It does skip over a few seasons that are â€Å"uneventful†. The scenes are somewhat short, not overly elaborate, but ample detail is given. The author does not state such when months have passed, he uses another poetic technique. â€Å"Cold, uneventful days slipped by.The autumn leaves whirled hopel essly n the wind, giving the air a brown appearance. The early winter blizzards hurled snowflakes against the windows†¦ † He uses weather to foreshadow what is going to happen next Overall, I liked this story about a hero. It made me think a lot about being realistic on how any lives I try to touch in the future. This story really shows the best of humans. There are some people that are going to help even though they get nothing in return. This story is was well written. The dialogue was somewhat lacking, but I guess it fit's the story.

Kinky and the Lost Tooth: A Book Review in Relation to Child Play

A Book Review in Relation to Child Play, Learning and Development Ask any child why they love to read, reread and sometimes even reenact their favorite book or story, and chances are you won’t get a response related to educational value. As expected, children will not see behind the magical characters and imaginary places they encounter with each story they choose to immerse themselves in. According to Whitebread and Jameson (2005, p.64), children are usually engrossed in what they are doing when they are at play. Of course, we adults know much better than that. We know that there is much more to fairy tales and children’s books than just their escapism or entertainment value. Research upon research has proven time and time again that children’s literature plays an important role in a child’s learning and holistic development. This is why authors of children’s books put much thought (and some, much research) into producing reading material that is educational without compromising its entertainment and marketing value. But what happens when the story is written or made up by a child? Does it accomplish more or less than what the average adult-written literature does? The main difference lies in how adults and children perceive stories, especially children’s literature. Children see stories as an extension of their play activities; almost everything is, for them. What exactly goes on when a child engages himself into a story? A very appropriate way to get a â€Å"behind-the-scenes† look at what happens when a child engages into literature is by studying a student-made story and its learning effectiveness. Just the fact that this came from a child all the more changes the dynamics in this research. The story chosen for this paper is Kinky and the Lost Tooth, written by V. Mansaray (2008): Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl called Kinky who lived in a town called Matotoka. One day she was playing with her friends Pikah, Krit and Kemzo, they decided to play a game called Koo-Koo! (hide and seek). As Kinky is running to hide under the Bao Bao tree, she fell down and lost her tooth. Kinky doesn’t realize that a new tooth would grow, she felt very, very sad because she had a party to go to and she cried all day and all night!! Suddenly she heard a loud voice calling her name. â€Å"Kinky, Kinky, K-i-n-k-y†¦ I am the tooth fairy. I am here to help you. Listen carefully. Stretch your hands, close your eyes.† Kinky did exactly what the tooth fairy asked her to do. †Now, can you open your eyes?† said the tooth fairy. When Kinky opened her eyes and looked in her hand she saw that she was holding a pink box. Guess what was inside the little box? When Kinky opened the tiny pink box she found her lost tooth. What do you think she will do with the tooth, now that she has found it? This story is a modern-day fairy tale, obviously because of the reference to the tooth fairy. The voice in the story is very simplistic and direct-to-the-point, making it clear and obvious that the words come from a child’s mouth (although this is a common approach and style that writers of children’s literature usually employ; more like stooping down to a child’s eye level to connect with them while communicating). The lines do not rhyme that much, but the proper names used are catchy & interestingly unique, for a kid (not much unlike Dr. Seuss’ famous characters). In addition, there is an evident pattern in how the proper names are coined; monosyllables repeated twice (Koo-Koo, Bao Bao, and even Kinky). This indicates that the author is of a young age. It is also noticeable that the most repeated word in the entire story is the protagonist’s name, Kinky. If one were to take this literary creation as an extension of the author’s playtime, then it would also be safe to assume that the protagonist could be the author’s actual self-projection. Tina Bruce (2001) has mentioned that in their play, children more often than not use the first hand experiences that they have in life. There weren’t that many descriptive words used to describe the plot settings, the protagonist, the fairy, even Kinky herself. This might imply that the child drew illustrations as he/she wrote this story, or even used his/her illustrations as his/her storyboard itself. Children are much more interested in visual and colorful images rather than in verbal imagery. A very visual book will be needed to pique the students’ interest, and there could be nothing more visual than a child’s active imagination. Considering the voice used, the language level employed, and the way the story flows in logical succession, this story would be best appropriate for children transitioning from the Concrete to the Formal Operational Stages. The question the author leaves for his readers at the end implies that the author is already capable of problem solving and inferencing, which are characteristics of a child around those stages (Piaget, 1954). Reading along the lines of Erik Erikson’s theory on psychosocial development, one can assume that the author/protagonist is at the School Age stage, since the protagonist shows that there is a basic conflict between Industry vs. Inferiority (Erikson, 1959). In this story, Kinky’s main problem was she had to go to a party but she couldn’t because she just lost a tooth. There was the social demand of going to a party (where it is assumed that everybody else is going), but then again missing a tooth (especially if it was a front tooth) would mean she would be somewhat inferior to the other kids. The eventual resolution of her problem, however, is still interestingly abstract; it took the tooth fairy’s magic to give Kinky a happy ending. The tooth fairy is one of the most popular characters children encounter in their young lives; and surprisingly, it can be a social tool in more ways than one. This story says a lot about how a child seems to cope with the stress and social repercussions losing a tooth brings in a child’s life. Kinky’s dilemma could or could not be reflective of the author’s real life struggles; but whatever the case may be, it is still a real issue many children face at this stage. Kinky’s story can be used to teach children of an appropriate age how to cope with their self-identities and with seemingly stressful situations that need their own decision and action. We can further examine Kinky’s story by comparing and contrasting it with a published book (presumably written by an adult). Taking for example Selby Breeler’s 1998 book Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions All Over the World, this book takes the focus away from the child and focus more on other children around the world. By depicting how other children around the world cope with losing a tooth, Breeler introduces the child to world geography and being conscious of other nationalities and customs at the same time. Breeler does not take away the magic by refuting the validity of the tooth fairy, but instead affirms the child by showing that some children in other countries also believe in the tooth fairy, or an equivalent entity. The author also assures the child that he/she is not alone in losing his/her tooth, that it’s normal. Breeler ends the story with reassurance, leaving the child reader with hope for renewed confidence: â€Å"Teeth fall out every day, all over the world. What do you do with yours?† Moyles (2005, p.9) discusses that â€Å"play in educational settings should have learning consequences.† In this light, every piece of children’s literature should have some educational merit. Mansaray’s and Breeler’s stories could be used within the class curriculum to stress several learning points, especially those related to reinforcing the child’s self-confidence and social awareness. In that way, these resources can actually be used to support children’s learning and development. The authors may actually consider extending their work into other literature by expanding these stories into series that tackle different issues and conflicts children face from day to day. A good way to implement these resources in the classroom setting is to allow each student read, analyze and interpret these stories in their own ways. Bettelheim (1989) theorizes that when children get to read about the problems, victories and failures experienced by the heroes and heroines of fairy tales (and in this case, children’s books),   they are given the chance to get a greater sense of meaning and purpose, and in effect prepare them for their own conflicts in their own lives. Bandura (1977) reinforces this by his theory on social learning: â€Å"Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.† This just emphasizes the need to lead children of operational age to learn how to analyze situations, identify the conflict/s, and then come to their own conclusions and solutions. Children find it easier to do so when they have a model (in this case, a symbolic one, found in the literary protagonists) they can relate to and follow. Another way one might employ these sample resources is to let the students have a chance to be able to relate or connect their own personal experiences with those of the protagonists’. Bowlby’s Attachment Theory (1969) comes into play here, revealing that if the educator or parent lets the child use a literary protagonist as their own attachment figure, then one can promptly use that attachment to direct or lead the student to the learning point at hand. Children, especially those in the operational stage, need someone with whom they can identify. Johnson’s treatise on the interrelation of child development with learning and literature backs this up in quoting that â€Å"knowledge cannot be given directly from the teacher to the learner, but must be constructed by the learner and reconstructed as new information becomes available† (Ryan & Cooper, quoted in Johnson, 2003). Johnson later on concludes that â€Å"learning is not the result of development; rather, learning is development.† By looking through Bandura’s â€Å"sociocognitive glasses†, so to speak, this interaction between the child and the literary protagonist plays an important role in the child’s intellectual development. This means that what a child learns socially is related to what he/she learns cognitively, and vice versa. What a child learns by interacting with other people adds to his/her own schema and thus increases his/her understanding in some cognitive processes. (Bandura, 1977) Mansaray’s story about Kinky and the lost tooth in itself has little educational merit; but if one would look at it by using sociocognitive theories, then the educator/parent can certainly use such output from the child as clues and tools for further sociocognitive learning. Using a story that uses the child’s own language and vocabulary, and that is based on the child’s own personal conflicts and issues, proves to be a very important tool in child development. Not only does the child get to learn about certain subject matter, but the educator/parent can also use it to teach very important life lessons as well. Bibliography Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice Hall. Beeler, S. (1998) Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions All Over the World. New York, Houghton Mifflin. Bettelheim, B. (1989) The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. Vintage Books. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Attachment (Vol. 1). New York, Basic. Bruce, T. 2001, Learning through Play, Babies, Toddlers and the Foundation Years. Hodder and Stoughton. Erikson, E. H. (1959) Identity and the Life Cycle. New York, International Universities Press. Johnson, D.C. (2003) The Role of Child Development and Social Interaction in the Selection of Children's Literature to Promote Literacy Acquisition. Early Childhood Research ; Practice [Internet], Fall, 5 (2). Available from: ;http://www.ecrp.uiuc.edu/v5n2/johnson.html; [Accessed 9 April 2008] Mansaray, V. (2008) Kinky and the Lost Tooth [written by student]. Piaget, J. (1954) The Construction of Reality in the Child. New York, Basic Books. Whitebread, D. ; Jameson, H. (2005) Play, Storytelling and Creative Writing. In: Moyles, J. ed. The Excellence of Play. England, Open University Press, McGraw-Hill. ; ; ; ; ;