Ptsd And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - 1216 Words

PTSD or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a growing concern with our returning soldiers. As technology is advancing, battles are becoming more and more gruesome. The scars from defending your country are not only physical. Some scars may not be visible, but are even more dangerous. The trauma imbedded in these men and women’s heads will cause pain for them and their entire family. The dictionary definition of PTSD is a serious condition that can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic or terrifying event in which serious physical harm occurred or was threatened. It has also been called battle fatigue or shell shock. It may be everlasting and it is devastating to the person’s mental health. Some of the more†¦show more content†¦The events seen by these brave people are what cause the terrible side effects. PTSD can be directly correlated to what is viewed during battle. Fellow soldiers and friends are being brutally killed. It is expected with war, but it takes a toll on the fighters. Constantly seeing death and serious injury can leave one scared. The everyday sights for people who serve over seas in places like Iraq and Afghanistan greatly improve the chances of them having PTSD effects after returning home. A study was performed on Iraq/Afghanistan soldiers to see the effects of PTSD and how common it was in these certain employments. The three following questions were looked at as the main focal points in the research: â€Å"(1) How do the rates of PTSD among all active duty enlisted personnel differ by service and deployment location? (2) How do deployment location and length of deployment affect the probability of being diagnosed with PTSD? (3) Is there an interactive effect between a deployment s length and location?† (Shen, Arkes, Kwan, Tan, Williams, 2010). Previous studies have failed to see the comparison between PTSD rates and the different services of employment. The research focused on active solders and the duration of their specific enlistments. Two wars were the focal points of studies, which include Iraq and Afghanistan. Said by Shen et al. (2010) â€Å"Recent research suggests that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, also

Critical Analysis Of To Kill A Mockingbird - 1866 Words

To ‘Kill a Mockingbird’ is a fairly long, complex novel that encompasses a wide range of issues and universal themes. Accordingly, Harper Lee’s highly acknowledged ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ emphasises the importance of people in positions of privilege to stand up and resist systemic discrimination in order to protect the innocent. Lee has fictionalised the infinitesimal county of Maycomb, a town set in the plot of her Pulitzer prize winning book. This piece of golden fiction is narrated through Jean Louise â€Å"Scout† Finch, a girl whose naivety increasingly declines as the story progresses; furthermore, her sense of morality. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who upholds high moral standards. Atticus was given the position to defend Tom†¦show more content†¦Less significant character relationships include Miss Maudie, Mrs Dubose, Boo Radley etc. Atticus is a strong-willed believer in standing up for your own beliefs and distinguish ing the difference between right and wrong. His relationship with Scout impacts the audience significantly as readers are narrated the story through Scout’s naà ¯ve eyes, evoking a more emotional aspect between Scout and Atticus. Atticus simply wants the best for his kids and for them to cultivate accepting the different cultures that Maycomb has to offer. This is clearly demonstrated in Chapter 9. â€Å"’If you shouldn’t be defendin’ him, then why are you doin’ it?’ ‘For a number of reasons’...’The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again’...’every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally’† (page 81-82). Despite Atticus’ hesitation with the case, he accepts the indictment and the consequences tha t follows. Atticus is aware that if he didn’t take the case he would be perceived as heartless and ultimately racist, contrary to this, the characters in the novel felt sympathetic towards him for having to deal with this trial. â€Å"..do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fits down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for aShow MoreRelatedTo Kill A Mockingbird Critical Analysis1476 Words   |  6 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird is a popular literary title. It’s one of the most famous pieces of literature. George W. Bush says that the book is â€Å"a meditation on family, human complexity, and some of the great themes of American life. At a critical moment in our history, Mockingbird helped focus the nation on the turbulent struggle for equality.† (Wayne, pg. 1) President Bush could not have been more right, To Kill a Mockingbird is a timeless classic, with themes that are still relevant in today’s worldRead MoreCritical Analysis Of To Kill A Mockingbird1761 Words   |  8 PagesTo Kill A Mockingbird is an acclaimed novel that provides a meritorious exploration on the subject of human nature and distinctively regards several themes with great importance. Discussed through recollections from a child’s perspective, the novel provides a variety of portrayals and wholehearted messages, creating an illustration with a consequential meaning once the indications are interpreted. It is also worthwhile to acknowledge the themes that coexist within the book that are introduced throughRead MoreRacism And Critical Disposition Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1415 Words   |  6 PagesAn Analysis of Racism and Critical Disposition in Maycomb County Racism was a tremendous issue in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. It was applied throughout the novel and was increasingly used to judge others in Maycomb’s society. Racism was revealed through the novel to characters Jem, Scout, and Dill who were young children that were learning about the good and evil in the small town they lived in. Racism was a constant and significant topic. There were many aspects that contributed to racismRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1290 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. This plot dives into the social issues faced by African-Americans in the south, like Tom Robinson. Lee felt that the unfair treatment towards blacks were persistent, not coming to an end any time in the foreseeable future. This dark movement drove her to publish this novel hopeful that it would encourage the society to realize that the harsh racism m ust stop. Lee effectivelyRead MoreThe Importance Of Communication And Parents Or Guardians By Making A Good Impression From The First Contact911 Words   |  4 Pagesmanner. 2. In my observation classroom, the teacher likes to use guided questions to facilitate class discussion. Currently, the 8th graders are reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Sometimes it is good to begin on the comprehension level to make sure that the students understand the plot of the story before asking them further questions about analysis. She will then ask them what conclusions they draw from the text and what makes them think that. Finally, they are asked to evaluate what they are readingRead MoreThe Loss of Innocence and Maturity in to Kill a Mockingbird2128 Words   |  9 PagesThe Loss of Innocence and Maturity in To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird details the life and experiences of two children in a small town of Alabama. It describes how a series of events shakes their innocence, shaping their character and teaching them about human nature. In her novel, Lee demonstrates how these children learn about the essentiality of good and evil and the existence of injustice and racism in the Deep South during the 1930sRead MoreHow Harper Lees life and childhood influenced her writing of To Kill A Mockingbird2417 Words   |  10 PagesHARPER LEES VIEW OF THE 1930S AS A CHILD Harper Lee is well known for her great contributions towards modern society through her astounding book, To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel is read world-wide, in high schools and colleges because of its in-depth look at the social classes in the south during the 1930s. The book was influenced by society, in particular the social order of the south during her childhood. Lee grew up during this time of controversy which is why she writes so passionately aboutRead MoreThe Curriculum And Expression Of A System Of Personal Values975 Words   |  4 Pageswithin stage four allow teachers to assess the needs for student’s interests and development. Stage five topics are more refined and associated with learning levels topics surround texts more than texts surrounding topics, however texts like To Kill a Mockingbird and Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet allow students to examine clearly the place of morality and ethical behaviours within the contexts of history and present day; encouraging o n a broader interests in higher order literature. Stage six units becomeRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost Essay2201 Words   |  9 Pagesdifferent bildungsromans from different eras and regions to fully determine the necessary characteristics of a bildungsroman, like The Odyssey, To Kill a Mockingbird, David Copperfield, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Catcher in the Rye. One of the most well-known bildungsromans and one of the most applicable to Eve’s development is To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout Finch goes through a process comparable to Eve’s, and will be especially useful in assessing Eve’s maturation since they are both heroinesRead MoreLiberalism and Realism Essay1249 Words   |  5 Pagesoutside the mind (Merriam Webster, 2012). A realist or the individuals that study realism affirms that they believe in the Correspondence Theory of Truth (Hilary Putnam, 1976). According to the teachings of Aristotle, this conjecture is the theore tical analysis to realize the truth without evidence to support the facts. This harmless clichà © is distinctive in holding the notion of perception according to ones’ belief system. The correspondence of truth is related to the world and how the world describes

Philosophy Behind the Leadership Position in a Learning Organization Free Essays

Imagine this. You have served for years as an assistant to the Principal at a local high school. Recently, the school has become plagued with administrative problems affecting the day to day operations of the school, the quality of education for students, and teacher development. We will write a custom essay sample on Philosophy Behind the Leadership Position in a Learning Organization or any similar topic only for you Order Now As someone with long-standing experience in that school, you have been promoted to the highest leadership position at that school. Part of your role in the leadership of a learning organization includes policy development, decision making, professional development, and the monitoring of organizational progress. This paper will identify and examine the relevant leadership skills and strategies necessary to develop a successful, thriving learning organization. The philosophy behind the leadership position in a learning organization has emerged in recent years as a concern for parents, teachers and policy-makers alike. Changes must be implemented in the current supervisory process, as the role of leadership in a school setting has progressed from the principal as an instructional leader, to the principal as a transactional leader and, most recently, to the role of transformational leader. High performing leaders have a personal vision for their school and the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to develop, articulate and implement a shared vision that is supported by the larger organization and the school community (Anonymous author, 2001). Numerous studies on the topic have revealed the importance of leadership skills and strategies of the school leader. These studies clearly indicate that improved education for students requires improved leadership and supervisory skills. The leader in a learning organization must develop and administer policies that provide a safe school environment and establish operational plans and processes to accomplish strategic goals. Research indicates that a necessary aspect of policy development is the intertwining of the daily operations of the school to school and student learning goals (Anonymous author, 2001). Additionally, the major sources of fiscal and nonphysical resources for the school including business and community resources must be analyzed and identified (Anonymous author, 2001). The financial and material assets must be managed, as well as capital goods and services, allocating resources according to district or school priorities (Anonymous author, 2001). Policy development includes an efficient budget planning process that is driven by district and school priorities and involves the staff and community. A strong leadership quality is the ability to identify and organize resources to achieve curricular and instructional goals (Anonymous author, 2001). Research indicates that the process of planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating a district budget must be analyzed, and techniques and organizational skills necessary to lead and manage a complex and diverse organization must be demonstrated (Anonymous author, 2001). Furthermore, policy development includes the planning and scheduling of one’s own and others’ work so that resources are used appropriately, and short- and long-term priorities and goals are met (Anonymous author, 2001). Policy development lies at the basis for a successful learning institution where the needs and goals of students, teachers and the community are met. Research indicates that the decision a leader in a learning organization makes has a strong influence on what will or will not occur in classrooms throughout the country. The leader must take a results oriented approach, and frame, analyze, and resolve problems using appropriate problem solving techniques and decision making skills (Anonymous author, 2001). In this way, good decisions can be made by viewing events and problems from multiple perspectives, and through the use of multiple sources of data to inform decisions. Additionally, decisions must be made based on the moral and ethical implications of policy options and political strategies (Anonymous author, 2001). Research indicates that the leader must recognize situations that require forcefulness and self-confidence in making decisions and delegate authority and responsibility clearly and appropriately to accomplish organization goals (Anonymous author, 2001). Finally, logical conclusions and making high quality, timely decisions must be based on the best available information. According to Marks and Printy (2003), the decision making tasks to be accomplished encompass those of supervision and evaluation of instruction, of staff development activities, of curriculum development knowledge and activities, of group development knowledge and activities, of action research, of development of a positive school climate, and of the creation of links between school and community. Technical skills include goal setting, assessment and planning, instructional observation, research and evaluation; whereas, interpersonal skills are those of communication, motivation, decision making, problem solving, and conflict management (Marks Printy, 2003). In order to meet the rapidly changing needs of our students, teachers must be given the authority to make appropriate instructional decisions. Therefore, the basis for school leadership must include teachers and parents, as well as the principal, in the role of problem finding and problem identification (Marks Printy, 2003). Youngs and King (2002) state that a prominent way in which leaders shape school conditions and teaching practices is through their beliefs and actions regarding teacher professional development. Individual teacher competence is necessary for effective classroom practice, and that teachers must be able to integrate knowledge of students, subject matter, and teaching context in planning out units and lessons and assessing student work (Youngs King, 2002). The studies discussed by Youngs and King examine the relationship of capacity to instructional quality and student achievement, finding that effective school leaders can sustain high levels of capacity by building trust, creating structures that promote teacher learning, assist in the implementation of general reforms. Their study results also suggest that during transitions in school leadership, incoming leaders must be cognizant of shared norms and values among their faculties before initiating new practices into the curriculum, instruction, or school organization (Youngs King, 2002). Other research on the topic indicates that speaking with teachers in and outside of instructional conferences was the cornerstone of effective leadership (Blase, 1999). Organizational leaders in a school setting use five primary talking strategies with teachers to promote reflection: 1) making suggestions; 2) giving feedback; 3) modeling; 4) using inquiry and soliciting advice and opinions; and 5) giving praise (Blase, 1999). Another important aspect of effective leadership is the promotion of teachers’ professional growth with respect to teaching methods and collegial interaction about teaching and learning (Blase, 1999). According the to Blase study, effective instructional leaders used six teacher development strategies: 1) emphasizing the study of teaching and learning; 2) supporting collaboration efforts among educators; 3) developing coaching relationships among educators; 4) encouraging and supporting redesign of programs; 5) applying the principles of adult learning, growth, and development to all phases of staff development; and 6) implementing action research to inform instructional decision making. The study results found that school leaders that were effective provided former staff development opportunities to address emergent instructional needs. These opportunities resulted in innovation and creativity, variety in teaching, risk taking and positive responses to student diversity as well as effects on motivation, efficacy and self-esteem (Blase, 1999). Monitoring of Organizational Progress Finally, a core leadership skill of a learning organization is the continual monitoring of the school’s progress. The studies discussed by Youngs and King (2002) reach the conclusion that school leaders can affect achievement indirectly by establishing a mission or set of goals and building school-wide commitment to them. As a result, higher student achievement can be associated with higher levels of school professional community and program coherence (Youngs King, 2002). Along with monitoring the school’s goals and mission, leaders must continue to facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision and strategic plan for the school that places student and faculty learning at the center (Anonymous author, 2001). The leader of a learning organization must align instructional objectives and curricular goals with the shared vision and articulate the district’s or school’s vision, mission and priorities to the community (Anonymous author, 2001). The learning organization must be understood as a political system, relating the vision, mission, and goals to the welfare of students, and its’ leader must articulate and reinforce that vision in written and spoken communications. In this way, a positive school culture for learning is created, along with conditions that enhance the staff’s desire and willingness to focus energy on achieving educational excellence (Anonymous author, 2001). Finally, the leader must model professionalism, collaboration and continuous learning in order to successfully monitor the organizations progress. Learning to become a leader of an learning organization is a complex, multidimensional task. If school leaders believe that growth in student learning is the primary goal of schooling, then it is a task worth learning. In today’s rapidly changing world that means becoming a leader of leaders by learning and working with teachers, students, and parents to improve instructional quality. Goal setting and problem solving become site-based, collective collaborative activities. The leadership of the principal is pivotal in ensuring that the process is informed of all school issues, especially those that relate to student instruction. As indicated by the literature available, policy development, decision making, professional development and progress monitoring are all key areas for leadership. If these areas are enhanced by strong leadership qualities, the future of the educational system will remain very bright. Additional studies on the leadership skills and strategies necessary to effectively lead a learning organization will assist in determining the next steps of our future leaders. How to cite Philosophy Behind the Leadership Position in a Learning Organization, Essay examples

Psychopathic Behavior free essay sample

The Psychopath Understanding and Treatment Abstract Mental health disorders are among the most complex disorders to understand. Persons with these types of disorders are not commonly accepted into society. Psychopaths are among some of the most difficult disorders to treat. These persons most often come from a background lacking structure and continuity. Proper treatment is heavily debated. Report It is a popular belief that psychopaths are considered to be individuals that are as brilliantly charming as they are morally insane. However, the tendency to refer to the psychopathic behavior as â€Å"morally insane† is a misconception. Regardless of scientific discoveries, psychopathy is a disease which results in a physiological deficiency. The brain of psychopaths is believed to fail in generation of proper wave activity. Waves emitted are generally slower in individuals suffering from psychopathic behavior. This fundamental incompetence is responsible for a lower degree of arousal when these persons face a threatening situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychopathic Behavior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Their lack of anxiety and consequent careless behavior in any situation is commonly referred to as lack of conscience. These individuals lack the plethora of emotions that arise in the â€Å"normal† individual; that is, the ability to feel, to anticipate the breaking of the law, or to feel sorry when they break these laws. They are deprived of a conscience which organizes the moral notions of good and bad. In normal behavior, acts are constrained by external laws at work in society.The conscience of average individuals are able to anticipate any destructive action which could obstruct the law. Psychopaths don’t have such a capacity. They are leading a life which ignores external impediments. This fundamental unawareness is directly related to a slower activity of waves at work in the brain. This abnormality blocks the entire process of learning. The lower waves produce a decreased response of anxiety which causes the psychopaths to not be anxious or afraid of punishment when they perform a reprehensible action.According to Cleckley’ s definition of psychopathic behavior in the Mask of Sanity , (1988) when one of them breaks the law, he or she does not experience a sense of shame or guilt. When psychopaths are faced with any form of punishment – it could be physical pain or punishment regardless of the deliberate breaking of laws- they do not react with as much anticipation as the average individual. This is because they lack a part of the neurological process which allows them to avoid pain; that is, the adequate rise in palmar sweat gland activity which generates the adequate stimulus.Therefore, the psychopath will reproduce the same harmful actions again and again. In 1954, Ellington’ s experiments showed that between 31 % and 58 % of psychopaths showed some form of electroencephalogram abnormality lo cated in the temporal lobes of the cerebral hemispheres. Another experience regarding the lack of anxiety in psychopaths was lead in 1965 by Robert Hare. In that experience, psychopathic and non-psychopathic subjects were told that each time they would see the number eight in a series of number from one to twelve, they would receive an electric shock.Non-psychopathic individuals showed higher rates of anxiety when they knew the number eight was about to come. On the contrary, psychopathic individuals remain perfectly calm at the sight of the feared number. These results are important since they show that it is a physiological deficiency rather than deliberate insanity that is responsible for the psychopath’s criminal behavior. Another perception largely spread among the population concerns the traditional representation of the psychopath who is figured out as a habitual pleasure seeker, constantly searching for the next big thrill.In the movie the Silence of the Lambs, such a personality is embodied in Hannibal Lector, a frightening psychopath who, by his compelling need of strong experiences, breaks the boundaries of decency. The portrayal of this character embodies the collective myths referring to the mental scheme of the psychopath. The representation is romanticized in order to play with society’s fascination for the violation of laws. However, the popular myths have captured one of the most fundamental features of the psychopathic personality as described by Cleckley, cited in p. 479 of Abnormal Behavior. Most psychopaths become bored quickly with the humdrum of everyday life. They search constantly for new thrills and experiences daring robberies, impersonations, confidence games, new varieties of drugs and deviant sexual behavior†. The psychopath occasionally needs to receive a stimuli stronger than the average person in order to be aroused and, eventually, find â€Å"the game† exciting. Therefore, psychopath’s brain activity is not always below the average. Otherwise, this decreased activity would have it made difficult to explain the energy the psychopath shows in order to catch his victim.When an immediate reward is offered, impulsivity of the individual suffering from psychopathic disorder increases through an immediate responsiveness to the appealing stimulus. From a neurological point of view, the slow brainwaves are balanced by a peak of specific waves located in the temporal area and linked to the individual’s impulsivity; which, in that case, appears every time there is a promise of instantaneous reward. In 1993, Patterson and Newman conducted a test, the purpose of which was to analyze the reaction of psychopaths when they were confronted with instantaneous rewards.The results where puzzling. While the non-psychopathic individuals, conscious that they were losing their money, stopped to play, nine out of ten psychopaths continued to play even though they had lost money on nineteen of the twenty trials. In that case, the immediate reward which was money functioning as a powerful stimulus, constituted the new thrill. Since psychopathic behavior violates the laws at work in society, the view commonly held among people is that, from an early age, environmental factors cause the psychopathic disorder.The characteristics underlying psychopathy are denial of the society’s rules or simply lack of concern for the other fellow men. It can be asserted that, at some point in their life, the maturation of a psychopath’s self has encountered several barriers which, in turn, have resulted in a distorted ego in the young adult. The psychopath is unable to avoid the satisfaction of his primary impulses as well as not feeling the guilt associated with the breaking of a given rule. All these processes were part of the values that, as a young child, the individual has internalized through particular schemes.These schemes referred to as cognitive schemes essentially lie in the emotional responses which are provided by the external world. Through these cognitive clues, an entire world of tenderness an d care provides the baby with identifiable marks necessary to his present and future well being. These cognitive schemes are mediation processes between the individual and the world in the sense that, through them, the child distinguishes the good from the bad. Little by little, he is able to build his consciousness of the surrounding world.But, because either the psychotic child has been stopped from doing so at some point of his life or that, generally, these signs have been distributed in spare quantity, the individual will develop psychopathic tendencies since he lacks the ability to relate himself to the world in a proper way. One quick look at the background of Charles Manson is enough to understand the role played by environmental factors in his rearing and the consequent deviant personality he developed through the years. In the book abnormal behavior on p. 488, it is showed that Manson’s mother â€Å"modeled a life of prostitution, irresponsibility and crime.She probably provided little in the way of cognitive structuring about rules, consequences, or values. † For the young boy there was little left to model his life on. What he became later has been certainly influenced by the poor education he received which, in turn, resulted in a subsequent failure to internalize society’s prohibitions. The biological approach provided the theory of environmental factors as shaping the future personality with a number of interesting clues. Franz Kallman found that a high percentage of children of psychopaths ended up themselves with psychopathic disorders.The main reason was that their parents were indeed institutionalized for psychopathic symptoms and once left alone, these children experienced the deprivation of external warnings consequent to the familial structure’s withdrawal. As a result of this lack of guidance, they ended up psychopaths. Moreover a study focusing on children who spend their early years in institutions where there is less love offered than in a family structure, revealed that they later showed an aggressiv e behavior toward both humans and animals. However, the assertions have to be manipulated cautiously in the sense that if those children later isplayed a criminal behavior though vandalism, truancy and antisocial activities, not all of them ended up psychopath. Seventy to 85 percent of individuals classified as criminals meet the criteria for anti- social personality disorder. By contrast only 15 to 25 percent of convicted criminals meet the criteria for psychopathy. All experiments stated above have shown how the characteristics of psychopathy as a disease are dramatically profound. Generally, the subjects’ clear lack of conscience diminishes dramatically their concrete chances of effective treatment.Nevertheless, science has built its success on an attempt to improve on common limitations, constantly challenging even the most irremediable cases. In that perspective, through the years, several approaches to the treatment of psychopathy have been designed. From a biological point of view, if we assume that psychopathy is a disease which has its physical causes in an abnormal brain activity, that physiological deficiency can be corrected by drug treatment. However, the implications of such treatments have to be considered carefully for whoever is aware of the ethical implications involved by such manipulations.For a long time, psychopaths have been treated with a variety of drugs such as dilantin, sodium, and amphetamine sulfate. Occasional recoveries have been reported. However, the lack of follow-up studies once the subject stopped taking the medications has called into question the overall efficiency of the treatment. Generally, patients do show improvement while taking their medications as prescribed. Moreover, if the drug treatment effectively alleviates the pain, it involves a passive approach to that disease. Indeed, to give a psychopath a pill for lack of real structures adapted to his particular disease represents an â€Å"easy way† to deal with the problem. One illustrative case concerns the use of such drugs treatments in the late 70’s. In that time, assuming that psychopathy was an incurable disease, certain institutions distributed those drugs â€Å"too generously†, which, in turn, led the patients suffering from psychopathic symptoms to experiencing a general apathy. This process raised an ethical question: 1. To what extent should the pain be alleviated? 2. Were these drugs dministered in order to help the patients or simply to put them in a great situation of passivity, making sure they would not hurt anyone? Still, this passivity was believed to be better than the manifestation of psychopathic symptoms in which the patient could have an uncontrollable outburst of rage. However, drug treatment generally tries to stabilize the situation rather than look for dy namic solutions which involve an active participation both of the doctor and of his patient. In any case, the use of mediations has to be manipulated cautiously in order to avoid such excesses.Doctors should use them only when it has been established case per case that the violent behavior is clearly related to a brain dysfunction. From a psycho dynamic perspective, the treatment of psychopathic disorders through psychoanalysis is believed by many to be inadequate. Psychoanalysis tends to analyze the conflicts between the id, the ego and the superego. These internal conflicts are at the basis of the personality. On the contrary, a psychopath doesn’t experience these underlying conflicts. He has become psychopath precisely because he lacked a superego which could have provided him social standards . Whereas most of us are able to sit in an armchair and express our remorse, the psychopath is not likely to expand himself in sorrowful complaints about all the damages he caused to his surroundings. In fact, if his disease is a result of a poor internalization of moral values, he is not able to be lucid and clear about himself. This lack of clarity related to a lack of conscience is one of the reasons why Freud refused to cure a certain category of patients, precisely those who manifested a clear distortion of reality although they were fully aware.Among this category were the schizophrenics but also the psychopaths. Similarly, in Mask of Sanity, Cleckley concluded that psychotherapeutic treatments to treat psychopathy have been disappointing in the sense that they failed to provoke changes to the psychopath’s daily behavior. Therefore, the best approach to the treatment of psychopathy is that which takes into consideration the environmental factors and attacks the problem fro m its basis by providing the child with psychopathic tendencies a secure environment where he can learn to anticipate his negative instincts by developing a positive sense of the self.Some believe that the control of psychopathy lies in institutional programs. From January 1954 to February 1955, a study at the Wiltwyck School In New York was conducted. The institutional program at work in the school emphasized a loving permissive environment which gradually replaced permissiveness by efforts to teach social control and responsibility. As a result, the children developing psychopathic disorders responded positively to the treatment. They showed an increase in the internalization of social standards which allowed them to re- experience feelings of guilt and shame.In conclusion, considering the fact that there is no real treatment which has proven to be effective on a larger scale, it is dangerous to let the psychopaths operate in everyday life by lack of social structures. Hare notes the connection between psychopathy and domestic abuse. Psychopaths are generally intelligent and superficially charming enabling them to exploit others’ weaknesses. In a culture that promotes superficial values, the psychopath will thrive.

Pediatrics Essays (3593 words) - Pediatrics, Pediatric Nursing

Pediatrics Pediatric Experience 1 Kimberly Testi 205-68-4533 Foundations of Nursing Judy Tate November 30,1999 Pediatric Experience 2 The Primary Care Clinic located in Children's Hospital is dedicated to the care of children. It is a place where children can be examined for routine physicals and sick visits. It is convenient because it is open until 9:00pm so children can be seen in the evening. This experience demonstrates that there are many differences in treatment of children and adults. T.T., a three year old male, was seen first. He was visiting the clinic due to a high temperature, 39.6oF(Jarvis,1996). Despite his fever, T.T. was very energetic. He was talking and playing. On observation enlarged tonsils, a strawberry tongue, and a rash on his torso were evident. He was diagnosed as having strep throat and scarlet fever. Expected findings include small tonsils, a pink tongue with no bumps or lesions, and a smooth torso with no rashes evident(Jarvis,1996). The nurse had useful techniques when assessing T.T. For example, when assessing his lungs, she was having a difficult time getting him to take deep breaths. She tried holding up her finger and telling him to pretend it was a birthday candle and to blow it out. When this did not work, she ripped up little pieces of paper and asked him to Pediatric Experience 3 blow them away. This technique not only worked for the assessment, but also in keeping T.T. happy. The next child, M.M., was a 10 year old male. He was visiting the clinic for a routine physical. The nurse began the assessment by asking questions. She started with history, asking if he'd been in the hospital before, if he was on any medications, and if he had any current complaints. The only concern he and his mother had was the fact that his right heel would get sore after physical activity. The nurse then moved to nutrition. M.M. claimed to have healthy eating habits, eating all food groups and not too much fat and sugar. After that, the nurse asked about physical activity. M.M. plays basketball but he doesn't get outside to play as much as he'd like. The nurse then began the physical assessment. She looked at all body systems. Musculoskeletal was fun for M.M. He had to do things such as touch his toes, hop on one foot and squat down to walk across the room. She assessed the genital area last. All she had to do was look to make sure he was developing correctly for his age. He said he was uncomfortable with this so she asked if he would like his mother to leave the room. He said no, so she proceeded to look very quickly. He was developing fine. There were no unusual findings on physical assessment. Pediatric Experience 4 An x-ray was taken of M.M.'s heel. It showed that a piece of bone had broken off at the end of his heel. He went to orthopedics and they took care of him from there. The third child observed was T.W., a 7 month old female. She was brought to the clinic due to eye drainage. The nurse began by taking a rectal temperature. Upon doing this, she noticed a flaming red rash on T.W.'s genital area. She asked the parents about this and they said it had been like that for about a week. She then went on to look at T.W.'s eyes. Her conjuctiva was very red and she did have a greenish drainage in and around her eye. The first nurse placed her on the exam table which was not very effective. T.W. was crying and would not stay still. The second nurse performed her examination with T.W. while her mother held her and this proved to be much more effective. T.W. was diagnosed with conjunctivitis and a candidal infection. All examinations were performed with the parent in the room. This was very effective. Infants, toddlers, and preschool children should be examined with a parent in the room. For children this age, the parent is the source of subjective data. For example, T.W. could not speak for herself. T.T. could speak to an extent, saying such things Pediatric Experience 5 as My throat hurts. His mother, however went into more detail about his symptoms. School-age children and adolescents should be

8 Proofreading Tips And Techniques

8 Proofreading Tips And Techniques 8 Proofreading Tips And Techniques 8 Proofreading Tips And Techniques By Sharon Whether you are writing a magazine article, a college essay or an email to a client, getting your text free of mistakes is essential. The spell checker helps, but it is far from foolproof. That is where proofreading comes in. Below you will find 8 tips and techniques to make your proofreading sessions more effective. 1. Concentration is Key If youre going to spot mistakes, then you need to concentrate. That means getting rid of distractions and potential interruptions. Switch off the cell phone, turn off the television or radio and stay away from the email. 2. Put It On Paper People read differently on screen and on paper, so print out a copy of your writing. If you read aloud, your ear might catch errors that your eye may have missed. 3. Watch Out for Homonyms Homonyms are words that share the same spelling or pronunciation, but have different meanings. Switching accept with except or complement with compliment could be disastrous, so pay attention to them. 4. Watch Out for Contractions and Apostrophes People often mix their and theyre, its and its, your and youre and so on. If there is something that can hurt the credibility of your text, it is a similar mistake. Also, remember that the apostrophe is never used to form plurals. 5. Check the Punctuation Focusing on the words is good, but do not neglect the punctuation. Pay attention to capitalized words, missing or extra commas, periods used incorrectly and so on. 6. Read it Backwards When writing we usually become blind to our own mistakes since the brain automatically â€Å"corrects† wrong words inside sentences. In order to break this pattern you can read the text backwards, word by word. 7. Check the Numbers Stating that the value of an acquisition was $10,000 instead of $100,000 is definitely not the same thing. What about the population of China, is it 1,2 million or 1,2 billion? Make sure your numbers are correct. 8. Get Someone Else to Proofread It After checking all the previous points, do not forget to get a friend to proofread it for you. You will be amazed at the mistakes youve missed. A second person will also be in a better position to evaluate whether the sentences make sense or not. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?One Fell SwoopSentence Adverbs

Organizational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Organizational Behaviour - Essay Example However, in face of rapidly changing business requirements and market trends organizations are now implementing fresh strategies that improve the work environment and organizational culture to promote higher level of motivation and employee productivity. Employee motivation and satisfaction is one of the core elements that have a direct impact on the overall productivity and performance of the organizations. Employee satisfaction levels are to a large extent driven by organizational policies, managerial attitude, organizational culture, existing work environment, and communication policies practiced and adopted by companies. Organizations contribute to the social and economic development of the country and hence it needs to be regulated by a framework of principles and ideals that support organizational goals and objectives. The organizational behaviour framework is significant in identifying the core values and practices of the company. It helps its customers, suppliers and stakeholders to perceive the company values. The paper provides an insight into organizational behaviour and practices in the present operating environment. In order to gain an improved understanding of the issues and challenges facing managers today the analysis provides a practical insight into organizational change management and human resource management practices. The practical applications of these strategies are explained through its implementation practices in organizations like IBM and HSBC. This helps in providing a better understanding of the ways organizations are adapting and strengthening their market position in respo nse to the evolving business climate. Change management is one of the challenges that managers’ today face on a regular basis and successful implementation of any proposed changes highlights the ability of the organization to increase market

ERP Failures Lessons Learned Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ERP Failures Lessons Learned - Assignment Example One of the major lessons from ERP implementation is employee involvement that requires the company wishing to use ERP to put a lot of effort during implementation in assessing the ability of the employees to use the software (Ghosh, 2012). Evaluation of their current staff is important as they cannot do their daily work and implement the plan at the same time. A companys employees can lead to the success or failure of the implementation of the ERP project depending on their commitment and skills necessary to implement the project. For the ERP project to succeed, the company can employ temporary staff for daily maintenance. Another lesson learned from the ERP implementation is recognition and retention of the employees. Employers, who offer incentives to their employees engaged in the long-term implementation of the system, face few challenges as Ghosh (2012) reports. Employees get satisfaction and can remain with the employer for a long time for various reasons such as the feeling that their employer values them and allows them time to spend with their families and to appreciate the time spent in the implementation. Employees struggle to work on the project that takes too much time, and energy, yet the rewards are low. Giving employees some incentives facilitates the success of the project and a smooth implementation. Communication is very important in the management of a company as many issues that hinder the implementation of the project results from the lack of good communication between the management and the employees. Ghosh argues that Sharing the good aspects of the implementation process across all departments is very important for its success (12). Many ERP projects fail because important details on the working of the system are not revealed problems arise. Sometimes the problems are blamed on individuals but it is normally too late for action. Communication across all management levels is very important for ERP systems

Middle Eastern Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Middle Eastern Studies - Essay Example The Arab Spring of 1919 emerged soon after the end of World War 1 gestured to the emergence of pan-Arabism that called for unity of all Arabs against the European led partition and domination of the Middle East (Gelvin). Common features of these nationalistic movements-present now as before- include: 1. A unique citizenry defined by language, ethnicity, religion and historical traditions 2. A belief that, despite the passage of time, nations retained their inherent characteristics Of these state-building and nationalism proceedings, the Syrian revolution is seemingly the bloodiest and longest that has seen massive infrastructural damage and civilian casualties. All nationalists believe in the existence of a â€Å"common interest†; which is the sole role of the sovereign state in its provision. However, in the modern world this nationalism-as an ideology and in practice-is not restricted to the interest of the sovereign nationals. The involvement of the United States in the gov ernance of Middle East states is treated with much criticism and skeptic. Its meddling in the Middle Eastern affairs is perceived in light of the massive oil and natural gas resources within the region. In particular, the US purported support for (and silence over) the continued annexation of Palestinian land by Israel and its relentless attack of Afghanistan and Iraq has been seen in stark contrast to its claim of democracy. This is based on the understanding that true nationalism and thus democracy should represent the authentic identity and sovereign aspirations of the local or native people. There are three primary ways through which a state can obtain food for its citizenry: through agricultural production, through imports and through food aid. The Middle East is incapable of growing enough food to sustain its population (Richards and Waterbury). The region is the world’s least self-sufficient in terms of food due to the mismatch in supply and demand. The region has seen an escalated rise in demand characterized by an increased life expectancy of 25 years since the 1970s; the highest in the world since 1970. The infant mortality rate is given as 44 per 1000 persons, which is well below the world’s average and that of less developed states, which are pegged at 54 and 59 respectively (Richards and Waterbury). Food-sufficiency is almost physically impossible and economically it is undesirable. Why is this so? Firstly, the region (being vastly of desert and semi-arid conditions) experiences high water constraint. The region’s renewable water supply per capita dropped from highs of 3500 cubic meters in 1960 to a paltry and diminishing level of 1250 cubic meters. This situation is attributed to a rising population, rapid urbanization and the increased use of water for irrigating purposes. Therefore, the consumption of water for industrial and domestic use has been found by policy makers within the region to be of higher economic value than for agricultural purposes (Richards and Waterbury). Secondly, the concept of food self-sufficiency is entirely different from food security. The former relates to the ability to produce enough agricultural products to meet the consuming public. The latter, however, is more focused on the pertinent needs of individuals over a reasonable guarantee of having a proper meal. The focus of policy

What is the role and impact of trade in developing countries

What is the role and impact of trade in developing countries Subject: How realistic is free trade in the real world? Critically examine the competing perspectives about the role and impact of trade in developing countries. Explain why you might be pessimistic about the prospect for global growth and development in the future?. The history of free trade is a history of international trade focusing on the developments of open markets and it is common to hear that todays world economic system as being free trade or globalization. Theoretical rationalization as to why a policy of free trade would be beneficial to nations developed over time. Free trade agreements are established to enhance free trade of goods and services, in the belief that they will bring beneficial for all parties involves and lead to further economic develop and growth. But in realistic in real world it is not benefits for developing countries. That make many recession and pessimistic for growth of global in the future. Free trade is a system in which goods, capital, and labor move freely between nations, without barriers hinder the trade process. Many countries have free trade agreements, and many international organizations promote free trade between their members. A number of barriers to trade are removed in a free trade agreement (taxes, tariffs, and import quotas, subsidies and other forms of support to domestic producers), restrictions on the flow of currency are also lifted. Put simply, free trade help foreign companies to trade efficiently, easily, and effectively as domestic producers. There are many free trade agreements around the world, some of which have come into being after much controversy, protest and debate such as: WTO- The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. NAFTA -The North American Free Trade Agreement. The goal of NAFTA was to eliminate barriers of trade and investment between the US, Canada and Mexico. APEC- The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries (styled Member Economies) that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region. AFTA- ASEAN Free Trade Area is a trade bloc agreement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations supporting local manufacturing in all ASEAN countries. CAFTA- The China- Asean Free trade area. Touted as the worlds biggest Free Trade Area. In realistic, free trade between equal partners may be mutual benefits. But between a strong country and weaker or between a developed country and a developing country, the developed country tend to get more benefit as they have the capacity to sell whereas the developing country in unable to make use of the increased market access. This is so even in agriculture, where developing countries have comparative advantage. After the North American free trade agreement (NAFTA) was signed, Mexico increased exports fruits and vegetables by 50% to the US. But Mexico also increased imports tripled for corn and over 500% for soybean, wheat, poultry and beef from the US. It can see that Mexicos agricultural imports increased more than its exports, so 1.7 million rural jobs have been lost. The reason is very simple, after NAFTAs signing, Mexico reduced its tariffs to zero but the US still did not reduced its subsidies and many agriculture product of the US could sell at lower prices than the production cost. Thus the USs agriculture product swamped the Mexico market. Similar, Australia could not get extra sugar quota in free trade agreement with the US (AUSFTA- The Australia- United States free trade agreement). On beef, it only obtained 18.5% increased in its quota, confined to manufacturing grade beef spread over 18 years or extra half a cow/farm/year. And, in free trade agreement with china (CAFTA- China- Asean free trade area), from 2005 to 2008, Indonesia increased imports by over 150% from china and exports to China increased by around 77%. Moreover, the growth of Indonesians exports to China was mainly driven by raw materials, such as mineral fuels and ores, while the growth of Indonesian imports from China was due to increasing Chinese manufactured goods, ranging from electronics/electrical products and iron/steel products to furniture and textile items. Besides, between the developing countries and developed countries, explicit barriers especially Tariffs have come down but countries find other ways to block goods from other countries, if they are trying to protect domestic jobs or something like that. Or if there is some industry group that has political power and can get special protections for their business. Developed nations tend to do this for labor intensive goods which is exactly what many developing nations are trying to export. Recently Vietnam has faced barriers for selling shoes to the EU, and catfish to the United States. Anti-dumping taxes have been imposed by the US Department of Commerce on Vietnamese frozen catfish exports to the US since August 2003. Vietnamese exporters will be charged at the rate of 63,88 per cent on catfish exports to the US. The decision was made on the basis that American catfish producers claim that Tra and Basa fish imported from Viet Nam were being sold below market rates. Vietnam has prove n that it was not dumping catfish, and the tariff will lift for Vietnam on March 21, 2011. But Vietnam has to face with the new tariff for selling shrimp to US until 2016. For developing countries, instability of domestic economy increases from international trade and economies depends on global trade. Economic of America and EU go down, it would be very hard for developing countries to recover. For instance, recession in the USA led to the increase in unemployment in USA and decrease demand for Australian exports, leading to falling export incomes, lower GDP, lower incomes which leads to lower domestic demand and increased unemployment in this country. From the financial crisis in USA in 2008 which was caused by real estate bubble and under-standard lending operation with the consequence of high inflation and unemployment, lower growth. Massive action in money in the US creates pressure on US dollar, this makes US dollar depreciate against other strong currencies (EUR and Yen), which reduces competitiveness of exports of these countries, forcing the government of these countries to depreciate the domestic currencies by expanding money supply. This lea ds the currency war, causing turbulence in the currency markets and international trade, increasing inflation and restricting the consumption, lower production, lower income and decreasing growth rate of the economy, pushing back the process of the global economy recovery. As a result of the financial crisis in 2008 (the credit crunch for poor households and a decline in housing price), unemployment in USA increases strongly (8.9%) and is predicted not to improve in 2011. According to FED, the growth rate of USA is forecast about 3.4%-3.9% while the prediction of unemployment rate is from 8.8%-8.9%. Economists calculate the growth rate gains 5%, which reduces the unemployment by 1%. This means that its difficult for America to reduce the unemployment rate in the near future. This is also the main reason causing personal consumption declined. Consumer spending, which accounts for 70% of the US economy, will be hampered by unemployment when the need to save more. Moreover, deficit sit uation is estimated to gain 1,480 billion USD in 2011, equivalent with 9.8% GDP of this country (Financial Times), the highest deficit level in the history. However, the USA government still has no action to improve this situation but keep easing monetary policy. In Europe, public debt crisis is the most serious problem in these countries. As a result of global financial crisis, nations fell into deficit state due to borrowing to cover for their spending so much. But the main cause is still the excessive spending and inappropriate financial policies that lead to this situation. Firstly is the rescued package of IMF and EU of 110 billion EUR to save Greece from default threat, next is 85 billion EUR for Ireland and accompanied with tight monetary policy as increasing tax which Ireland has advantage to gain strong growth over past years, reducing spending and saving 15 billion EUR in 4 years to lessen the budget deficit rate from 32% to 3% with GDP. This threat of public debt crisis c an spread Spanish, Portugal and even Italy. Unemployment increases highly in these countries. But one question is raised that when rescued packages expire, whether the effort of IMF, EU and the government can prevent default of many nations and banks. With the total public debt can increase about 100% in the early of year 2014 in Europe, economic growth only gained 2% in 2010 and 1.5% in 2011 and unemployment rate can rise up to 8.3% (Vietnam Plus). The ability of collapse of common currency in this area may occur if this state is not improved. With the approximate rate of 20% global GDP from now to 2014, EU plays an important role in the world, if there is any breakdown in EU, it will be a detrimental consequence for global economy. In Asia, excessive growth in China leads to strong increase of inflation with predicted CPI is 10% and inflation rate is 5% in 2011 (Chinese Statistic Department). Real estate market developed excessively, landing price went up strongly, the landing pri ce in some places increased more than 20 times, even 100 times from the original price. Furthermore, the ease of fiscal and monetary policy with excess in issuing money leads to depreciation and high inflation, which raises the primary commodity price. Not for China, inflation tends to increase in other Asian countries. In the next year, to prevent inflation, the governments need to have tight monetary policies. If the money supply is tightened so much, it can lead to slow growth. But if keeping ease monetary policy, it can cause more inflation and leads the economy to overheat growth. One problem in developing countries is that fluctuations in the currency market is also creating macroeconomic instability threat even more detrimental to recovery process global economy So it is easy to see that economics of some developing countries may fall into recession and growth of developing countries will slow in 2011 and in the next few years. And the growth of global economy will growth very slow, according to World Bank predicts growth of global economy is at 3.3% in 2011 and 3.6% in 2012. Moreover, the recent Japans disasters (Earthquake and Tsunami) cause a big loss for the world economy in the short term. Japan is the place attracting the majority of FDI to some regions in Asia. Japan is the most important trade partner in Asia. Therefore, trade between Japan and other countries in the region will decrease strongly in the short term, accompanying with high inflation, the growth rate of Asia will slow down. Moreover, the economy of America will also be affected by Japans disaster. Export occupies by 10% GDP of America in which exports to Japan occupy by 5%, so this detriment on the USA economy is not small (Info TV). This calamity also affects the count ries which have big export turnover to Japanese market. One threat of the global inflation is that the increased oil price due to instability of Middle East and Africa, anxious psychology of violent prospect spreading out everywhere, the oil supply cant meet the recovery of the world economy, big demand of imported fuel of China and India (CNN, Foxnews). Economists worry about the possibility of the oil price increasing in some years, which causes a big pressure of increased price for most commodities in the world, decreasing the global growth, increasing inflation. That is reason why might be pessimistic about the prospects for growth and development in the future.

Our Daily Bread Sliced Thin :: essays papers

Our Daily Bread Sliced Thin King Vidor’s 1934 film Our Daily Bread is aptly named, for the film is of a prayer than an actual solution to the Great Depression. Like other Socio-political films of the era, it tries to offer a solution to the problems faced by so many Americans. However, Vidor’s message gets lost somewhere between the poor production, the bad acting, and the inconsistent ideology of the film. For those reasons what comes out at the end is an almost silly climax with little realism that offers the same amount of help that an escapist vehicle of the same period would offer. Vidor’s vision first began with his 1928 classic film of a couple being subjugated by the big city, The Crowd, which is the first part of a series of films Vidor wanted to do that depicted the lives of average American men and women (Vidor 221). The film follows the protagonist, John, as he slaves away in his office doing paperwork like so many other insignificant men. When John leaves work he is still just going through the motions, for his courtship and marriage to the heroine of the film, Mary, seems like a part of the city routine. Their marriage is enclosed by the city that their marriage suffers until Mary becomes pregnant. Here Vidor makes his point with his images of births in quantity (Bergman 76). John’s downfall in the film begins with the death of his child. Hit in the street by a truck, the child lies dying as John tries seems to fight the sights and sounds of the city that killed his daughter. Her death continues to haunt John as he relives the scene over and over at work. Eventually he loses his job and his wife, and he wanders around with nothing to live for. He reunites with Mary in the end and they attend a show, where on the program is an advertising slogan that he is responsible for. He rejoices in this achievement, and is then able to laugh at the show, joining the rest of the people in the crowd. It is a touching and realistic ending that Vidor called â€Å"A perfectly natural finish for the story of Mr. Anyman† (Bergman 76). In the early 1930s Vidor wanted to take the trials and unrest of the common man and put it into a film, so he read as many articles as he could on the subject (Vidor 220). Our Daily Bread Sliced Thin :: essays papers Our Daily Bread Sliced Thin King Vidor’s 1934 film Our Daily Bread is aptly named, for the film is of a prayer than an actual solution to the Great Depression. Like other Socio-political films of the era, it tries to offer a solution to the problems faced by so many Americans. However, Vidor’s message gets lost somewhere between the poor production, the bad acting, and the inconsistent ideology of the film. For those reasons what comes out at the end is an almost silly climax with little realism that offers the same amount of help that an escapist vehicle of the same period would offer. Vidor’s vision first began with his 1928 classic film of a couple being subjugated by the big city, The Crowd, which is the first part of a series of films Vidor wanted to do that depicted the lives of average American men and women (Vidor 221). The film follows the protagonist, John, as he slaves away in his office doing paperwork like so many other insignificant men. When John leaves work he is still just going through the motions, for his courtship and marriage to the heroine of the film, Mary, seems like a part of the city routine. Their marriage is enclosed by the city that their marriage suffers until Mary becomes pregnant. Here Vidor makes his point with his images of births in quantity (Bergman 76). John’s downfall in the film begins with the death of his child. Hit in the street by a truck, the child lies dying as John tries seems to fight the sights and sounds of the city that killed his daughter. Her death continues to haunt John as he relives the scene over and over at work. Eventually he loses his job and his wife, and he wanders around with nothing to live for. He reunites with Mary in the end and they attend a show, where on the program is an advertising slogan that he is responsible for. He rejoices in this achievement, and is then able to laugh at the show, joining the rest of the people in the crowd. It is a touching and realistic ending that Vidor called â€Å"A perfectly natural finish for the story of Mr. Anyman† (Bergman 76). In the early 1930s Vidor wanted to take the trials and unrest of the common man and put it into a film, so he read as many articles as he could on the subject (Vidor 220).

Population Health Knowledge And Principles Health And Social Care Essay

Health and Illness from a Population Health PerspectiveNowadays pull offing wellness and unwellness of a state people had become a cardinal precedence of state governments as with this they may face terrible negative heath results. Every state and its officials are concentrating on the direction of their population wellness as it has become critical for achieving long-run being ( Sheffield, 2008 ) . A state ‘s population wellness position pertains to the wellness results of a group of persons, acknowledging the division of such results within the group. Population wellness position is a important attack to wellness that directs to progress the wellness of whole population. From a population wellness position, wellness can be defined a province that is free from disease every bit good as the ability and capacity of persons to accommodate to, respond to, or pull off life ‘s inquirings and changes ( A Population Health Approach, 1999 ) . On the other, from a population wellness perspective unwellness can be defined as a province of hapless wellness of group of persons. As good, it may besides specify as an inability of group of persons to accommodate to, react to and form life ‘s challenges and alterations due to their wellness jobs. In modern epoch jobs related to persons ‘ wellness are increasing twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours and due to this concern towards population wellness has attained significant growing.Social and Structural Determinants of HealthEvery state ‘s functionaries are seeking to keep their population wellness but it is non every bit easy as it seems. All of us have important population wellness cognition and rules but non able to use it in world ( Novick, 2007 ) . For its successful executing it is indispensable to understand the relationships between behavior and wellness results. By understanding this, one can easy develop preventative schemes and rules to forestall unwellness and advancing single and community wellness ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . Using population wellness cognition and rules will go easy if person well understand the societal and structural determiners of wellness ( Turnock, 2008 ) . This could besides be understood with an illustration of population wellness job that is increasing fleshiness. This population wellness job is increasing in about every portion of the universe that needs to be resolved in an effectual mode. The job of fleshiness is increasing in about all high- and low-income states. To curtail and eventually invert the addition in obesity-preponderance rates, all inclusive population wellness based attacks and schemes are required ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . As good, for this it is besides indispensable to understand the societal and structural determiners of wellness so that with that this job of fleshiness can be resolved ( A Population Health Approach, 1999 ) . Designation of wellness determiners is indispensable to develop bar schemes. The cardinal determiners of persons and populations ‘ wellness are the conditions, in which people are born, develop, unrecorded and work. These conditions are so influenced by the societal and economic environment ( Khoury, 2010 ) . All these facets together become a significant cause of disease and agony. Similar is the instance with fleshiness that is besides the consequence of several determiners ( Dean & A ; Fenton, 2010 ) . These wellness determiners can be classified in two important groups that are as follows: Social Determinants Structural Determinants Understanding the multilevel and overlapping nature of present epidemics every bit good as their societal and structural determiners, is significant in the design and executing of more effectual bar plans for commanding increasing fleshiness jobs. Equally good, it is besides the consequence of individual-level determiners that may include bad behaviors such as unhygienic eating wonts and eating more and more debris nutrients ( Novick, 2007 ) . All these patterns of persons are chief drivers of fleshiness. The forms and distribution of these movable diseases in the population are later affected by a vivacious interplay among the preponderance of the morbific agent, the effectiveness of prophylactic and control interjections ( Dean & A ; Fenton, 2010 ) . As good, it is besides affected with a scope of societal and structural environmental factors. Structural determiners of wellness include those physical, economic, societal, organisational, cultural, community, legal, or policy related facets of the environment that obstruct or aid efforts to debar disease spreading ( Semenza & A ; Giesecke, 2008 ) . On the other manus, societal determiners of wellness include the economic and societal conditions of a state that influence the wellness of people and communities ( Raphael, 2006 ) . As good, it besides include stipulations for early childhood development, acquisition, work, income and occupation security, wellness services, nutrient security, and entree to basic services like lodging, societal segregation, and stigma ( Dean & A ; Fenton, 2010 ) . By understanding the general societal and structural determiners of wellness one can easy develop effectual disease bar and control attempts for increasing job of fleshiness. The cognition and apprehension of diverse societal and structural determiners of increasing fleshiness will decidedly help in the development of its bar schemes ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . By developing bar strategies the jobs and diseases related to fleshiness can be controlled efficaciously.Relationship between Behaviour and Health OutcomesThe treatment of societal and structural determiners of wellness groundss that the increasing diseases and wellness results are due to some patterned behavior of persons and populations. Individual ‘s wonts are affected by societal determiners that in bend are affected by structural determiners ( Khoury, 2010 ) . This in bend consequences in terrible wellness results. By understanding these relationships between behaviors and wellness results one can develop effec tual population wellness bar schemes ( Tulchinsky & A ; Varavikova, 2009 ) . Individual hazard behaviors determine the opportunity of contact with other contaminated or morbific persons. Although, these behaviors do non take topographic point in a vacuity and it could be understood in concern to fleshiness ( Population based Public Health Practice, 2003 ) . For increasing fleshiness the built or physical environment are responsible that are increasing debris nutrient wonts among population all age groups. This environment is delighting persons to hold nutrient that is ready to eat and at just monetary value. All of us besides want to hold nutrient outside from place without understanding its negative effects on our wellness ( Dean & A ; Fenton, 2010 ) . Our ain behaviors are driven by increasing figure of fast nutrients and eating houses in each and every metropolis. Both of these determiners are increasing incorrect eating wonts among kids and childs that in bend are ensuing in fleshiness due to their inappropriate diet and consumption of tonss of fats. By understanding relationships among behaviors and wellness results different fleshiness bar schemes like structural and policy or legal can be developed easy ( Raphael, 2006 ) . All these different bar attacks can be implemented by alining with behavioral or medical interjections directed at persons. As good, with an nonsubjective to manage factors that affect single behavior in malice of directing their behavior ( Dean & A ; Fenton, 2010 ) .Application of Population Health Knowledge and Principles to Obesity PreventionWith the aid of population wellness cognition and its important determiners, it can be applied efficaciously in the development of diverse illness bar schemes, welln ess publicity and community capacity edifice. Development of a bar scheme is based on the factors due to which a disease or unwellness is increasing in population injuries ( Egger, Swinburn & A ; Rossner, 2003 ) . Designation of these factors is indispensable for forestalling a disease or unwellness every bit good as for advancing population wellness. The treatment of fleshiness and its societal and structural determiners provide a model through which preventative schemes against weight addition and fleshiness can be developed. Although there are several others diverse factors that are involved in the etiology of fleshiness and weight addition but the most significant factors are social and environmental ( Egger & A ; Swinburn, 1997 ) . These factors affect energy consumption and outgo that in bend is affected by familial and other biological factors like age, sex and hormonal activity on which there is small or no control ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . A state facing job of fleshiness can easy develop effectual bar schemes by concentrating on these rules: Social, political, cultural, structural and physical environment elements that together impact the weight position of population ( Bray & A ; Bouchard, 2004 ) . By developing processs and programmes to manage those persons and groups who are at high hazard of weight addition and fleshiness. Appropriate direction protocols ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . In add-on to the concentration on these above discussed facets, it is besides indispensable that fleshiness bar schemes are determined in a manner that should avoid precipitating and the development of eating upsets. In add-on to this for successful bar schemes it is indispensable to set about thorough analysis of different states fleshiness direction attacks ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . With this, it will go easy to place a coherent and comprehensive attack to pull off fleshiness and job of weight addition ( Eckel, 2003 ) . As good, it is besides believed that the attitude of wellness professionals towards fleshiness is non appropriate that can be made more effectual by supplying them developing and larning. For effectual declaration of increasing fleshiness job a high national committedness is required. This committedness should be a shared duty of consumers, authoritiess, nutrient industry & A ; trade and the media ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . Support from all these groups play a significant function in commanding fleshiness by advancing effectual alterations in present diet forms and mundane physical activity degrees ( Bray & A ; Bouchard, 2004 ) . By following all these rules one can easy develop effectual fleshiness bar schemes. Till now, fleshiness bar and fleshiness direction were seen as two different facets. Obesity bar was aimed at forestalling weight addition whereas fleshiness direction was aimed at weight loss. In present, these two are non different from each other as obesity direction includes all short-run and long-run schemes ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . These schemes vary from bar, weight continuation, and direction of fleshiness comorbidities to burden loss ( Eckel, 2003 ) . In present one can easy pull off job of weight addition and fleshiness by concentrating on following schemes: Prevention of weight addition Promotion of weight care Management of fleshiness comorbidities Promotion of weight loss ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . These schemes entirely can non be used until or unless degrees of preventative action are non determined. In instance of fleshiness job that is distributing all over the universe the preventative schemes need to be applied on these degrees of bar:Community Health Prevention:Through these bar programmes, schemes can be directed at the population or community. With this plan, the degree of fleshiness in the population can be stabilized efficaciously. These community based bar schemes can be introduced through different community plans related to population diet forms betterment, weight care and regular wellness check-ups. A state may follow diverse community-based intercessions in the way of bettering its population dietary forms and direction of associated hazard factors like BMI or serum cholesterin degrees ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . These plans may include big communities like more than 100 000 people and may be implemented for longer periods like for 10 old ages or more than 10 old ages. Several these sorts of intercessions are implemented in Europe and North America ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . Other states are besides implementing community based bar schemes but merely some of them have attained success. This is due to the deficiency of planned and comprehensive attack that is most indispensable for the success of long community based bar schemes. In present every states should develop specific community based bar schemes as with this lone it is possible to command diet forms of its population. If, a state functionaries will non take any introductory stairss in forestalling fleshiness its other governments and scene will besides non work in this way ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . Working in this way is most indispensable in present epoch as the job of weight addition and fleshiness is increasing well and ensuing in several other related diseases.Selective Prevention:These bar steps can be directed at specific groups of population who are really at high hazard of increasing fleshiness. Selective bar schemes may be inducted through different scenes like schools, montages, community Centres, place environments, vicinities, workplaces, shopping mercantile establishments and primary attention ( World Health Organization, 2000 ) . With the aid of this preventative scheme one can easy progress the cognition and abilities of groups of peoples so that they can cover more efficaciously with the factors that may put them at important hazard of turning fleshiness. Schools, colleges and community Centres are portion of a natural scene that can be used to impact the nutrient and physical activity environments for kids and childs. By doing alterations in these educational institutes policy related to athleticss engagement and physical instruction clip the job of fleshiness among pupils and kids can be decreased significantly. As good, alterations related to active manners of conveyance to and from school will besides necessitate effectual policy. By making this the job of fleshiness can be managed at significant degree ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . In add-on to educational scenes, vicinities can besides be targeted for active diversion. Changes in the walking web that includes pathwaies and walking paths, the cycling web that includes roads and rhythm waies will ease diversion. Increase in the figure of informal and formal diversion infinites like Parkss, metropolis nines, athleticss evidences and diversion Centres ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . Addition in the figure of these infinites and recreational Centres will better physical activity degree of persons that in bend will command their weight and overall job of fleshiness. Another specific country of population that can be targeted is home environment. It is the most of import scene in concern to changing kids ‘s feeding and physical activity behaviors. By developing good feeding wonts and physical activities among households the job of fleshiness can be resolved well ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . Work environment is another topographic point through which feeding and physical wonts of persons can be improved. By developing effectual plans and advertisements, the eating wonts of a house ‘s employees can be improved. They may supply day-to-day column in their organisation magazine and newspapers that employees read daily every bit good as they can develop different postings and messages on their corporate site. All these attempts will decidedly convey alterations in employees ‘ eating wonts that in bend will command their weight addition and fleshiness related jobs ( Kopelman, 2001 ) .Environmental Prevention:The most recent fleshiness bar scheme emerged are environmental bar schemes. These schemes include obesity direction attacks related to environment. These schemes analyze the whole factors of environment in which single or group of persons live. It focuses on the direction of these different environmental factors so that the job of fleshiness and weight addition can be resolved efficaciously ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . These environmental schemes do non merely make to populations with hapless wellness results but it besides targets them differentially. These schemes include betterment of school nutrient programmes and active diversion and physical activity comfortss. Equally good as regular wellness check-ups and weight check-ups at authorities infirmaries and associations. With these schemes poorer countries wellness results can be improved well ( Fletcher & A ; Grundy, 1999 ) . This scheme can besides be directed with the alteration in physical environment for diversion, nutrient Torahs, local authorities conveyance policies, etc. This whole procedure will convey a significant alteration into a state ‘s system that is indispensable to command fleshiness and its associated diseases ( O'Dea, 2005 ) .Targeted Prevention:One of the other significant bar schemes that can be used to forestall weight addition and fleshiness is targeted bar. These schemes are directed at persons who are already over weight and those who are non over weight but devouring tonss of fats daily without sing its hereafter consequences ( World Health Orga nization, 2000 ) . With the aid of these schemes persons can be controlled in their weight addition. As good, it besides assists in diminishing the figure of people who develop fleshiness associated comorbidities ( Fletcher & A ; Grundy, 1999 ) . All these bar schemes offer a long-run attack to cover with the jobs of weight addition and fleshiness but it is non sufficient as there is besides a demand of diverse intercessions and bar schemes. Every state is required to develop influential and sustainable schemes in concern to burden care and fleshiness direction ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . As good, high investings in different media runs are critical along with systemic alterations. Nowadays media is the most influential tool for pull offing present terrible diseases through effectual messages and by exposing its injuries ( Egger, Swinburn & A ; Rossner, 2003 ) . For pull offing fleshiness related jobs it is besides indispensable to alter people societal attitudes along with important policy alterations. Food sector related policies requires significant alterations like: Changes in financial nutrient policies for diminishing demands of some debris nutrients. Constitution of nutrition information panels. Nutrition signposting programmes Development of diverse wellness and nutrition claims. Ad prohibitions on kids ‘s Television ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . In add-on to this, it is besides indispensable that the more general authorities policies that influence income distribution, employment, lodging and societal services adopt important alterations from clip to clip. All these facets are extremely influencive on people eating wonts. Everyone needs to follow a changed attack if wants to cover with fleshiness and salvage its state with future problems and terrible diseases ( Andersen, 2003 ) . The publicity of healthy feeding and physical activity guidelines and messages is besides indispensable to command increasing fleshiness problems. With the aid of different advanced mass-media runs and other communicating schemes public of state can be educated sing healthy eating wonts and physical activity degree. The USA runs like the ‘Healthy Eating Pyramid ‘ , the ‘5-a-day for better wellness ‘ and ‘National Cholesterol Education Program ‘ are rather good known and every bit good as effectual ( Swinburn & A ; Egger, 2002 ) . Effective media runs and publicities will hold a important impact on population cognition, attitudes, apprehension, and purpose. By following all the above discussed bar schemes and other policies the problem of fleshiness and weight addition can be handled efficaciously and expeditiously ( Andersen, 2003 ) .DecisionWith the aid of this elaborate treatment of population wellness cognition and rules, it can be said the job of fleshiness is increasing due to incorrect eating wonts of populations. By following effectual bar schemes on community and single degree this job can be resolved efficaciously. Understanding of societal and structural determiners is besides rather helpful in the development of effectual weight addition and fleshiness bar schemes ( Kopelman, 2001 ) . Management of this job is indispensable as otherwise it may direct persons to severe wellness jobs like diabetes. By using old population wellness cognition and principles the job of increasing fleshiness can be handl ed efficaciously.

Alcoholic Beverage and Personal Communication Essay

Introduction The use of a range of drug types, including alcohol, are part of the traditions of many, if not all, communities in Fiji. The Fijian and Indo-Fijian communities have long traditions of psycho-active drug use in the context of ritual and ceremony. 1,2 It has been noted that seafarers, together with indentured labourers, brought cannabis or Indian hemp traditions to Fiji, with the sugar cane plantations providing fertile ground for cultivation. 2,3 Meanwhile, kava was widely cultivated and consumed by ethnic Fijians. The Indo-Fijian community slowly adopted kava drinking rituals and gradually others began to increase their consumption. In addition, marijuana use emerged and spread with increasing popularity amongst youth, especially males. 2-5 This literature review explores the current licit and illicit drug situation in Fiji. It considers peer-reviewed articles identi? ed using Pub Med, Health Internet Work Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) searches and ‘grey’ literature, including published and unpublished reports, and web based resources (e.g. UNDOC, WHO). The review found that there is limited data available to assist in understanding the current situation and associated harms in Fiji, but notes more studies and reports have examined alcohol consumption patterns and associated social problems when compared with studies on illicit drug use. 1, 5-15 Alcohol use in Fiji According to the WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol, data from the 1993 National Nutrition Survey indicate that consumption of alcoholic home brew use is widespread in Fiji, as in other Paci? c nations. These beverages usually contain up to three times the alcohol content of commercially produced beer and are mostly drunk by younger men. 16 After 1995, unrecorded alcohol consumption in Fiji was estimated to be 1. 0 litre of pure alcohol per capita for the population older than 15 years (estimated by a group of key alcohol experts). 17 Although there are no recently published statistics on the number of drinkers and abstainers, the same survey found daily drinkers to be 1. 4% among males and 0. 8% among females aged 12 years and over. 18 Estimates from alcohol experts show that the proportion of adult males and females who had been abstaining (in the year prior to the survey) was 74% (males) and 98% (females). 17 Research shows that single drinking sessions with a high rate of alcohol intake (common practice among Fijian youth) can cause abrupt mood swings resulting in violence, accidents and ? ghts, exaggerated emotions, uncharacteristic behaviour, memory loss, impaired judgement, communication problems, sleepiness, coma, stupor and death (at very high intake) and suicide attempts. Binge drinking has also been implicated in schizophrenic and other psychiatric episodes. 19 165 REVIEW PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 While there is limited current information on the rate and consumption patterns of alcohol, cannabis and kava among young people,1,6,9 several studies2,3,8,11 were conducted to analyse the extent of tobacco and alcohol use among young people in Fiji in the 1990s and early 2000s. One of the studies4 found that alcohol is widely consumed in one form or another among young people, with about 2 in 5 of the young people surveyed having tasted it. The percentage of young people classi? ed as current drinkers ranged from a high of 26% among males to 9% among females. 4 Of concern was the high proportion of binge drinkers: about 3 in 5 young people reported having had 5 or more alcoholic drinks in one session. The study4 indicated that the high prevalence among 13-15 year olds poses a serious concern, and highlights the need for law enforcement and intervention programs to create an environment that promotes responsible drinking. Interestingly, the study found that when compared to smoking, alcohol and kava use, the proportion of young people using cannabis was relatively low. 4 A follow up survey of 2147 students in 2004 by the National Substance Abuse Advisory Council (NSAAC) found a general increase in substance use among secondary students (see table 1). Table 1: Youth Substance Use in Fiji (Comparison of the results for Fiji in the 1999 Global Youth Tobacco Survey by UNICEF and WHO and 2004 follow up survey by NSAAC). Substance Tobacco Alcohol Kava Marijuana GYT Survey (1999) 32. 3 40. 3 51. 9 12. 8 NSAAC (2004) 43 51 61 13 Signi? cant variations exist in the drinking habits of males and females in Fiji; there are many more male drinkers than there are female drinkers. 11 Ordinarily males consume the bulk of the alcohol in the company of other males, usually during drinking sessions with no special occasion, while most women drink alcohol during social functions or in night club settings in the company of men and other women. While women occasionally participate in drinking sessions, typically it is an exclusively male activity. 11,13 It is at these drinking parties where the most copious amounts of alcohol are reportedly consumed. Thus, when males drink, they tend to drink larger amounts of alcohol in one sitting than women do. Illicit drug use in Fiji Border Security and Drug Control Limited data exist to aid in understanding illicit drug use and the associated harms across the Paci? c. In addition, there are no surveillance systems. 20 However, Fiji by virtue of its geographical position is faced with the twin problems of illicit drug traf? cking and increasing use. 21,22 These are further aggravated by the rapid transitional and social changes arising from urbanization. These developments create an atmosphere which exposes entire communities to greater risk associated with drug use (Personal communication – Fiji Police Department, 2008). Minimal use of drugs such as heroin, morphine, cocaine and hallucinogens occur, but this review found that Fiji is considered a transit area for smuggling. [20-23]. Drugs such as heroin, methamphetamines and 166 PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 REVIEW cocaine are not commonly used due to their high cost when compared to the average income. Raw cocaine has reportedly been found in Fiji and three Chinese men and a Fijian security guard were murdered in what was thought to be an organized crime execution linked to drugs. 22 National enforcement agencies have responded to curb traf? cking as is re? ected by the large seizures of illicit drugs. 24,25 In spite of this response, a drug laboratory found in Fiji in 200625 supports the view that organized crime groups could escalate their activities in the Paci? c islands. 21,25 A raid at an industrial estate in Suva, involving police from Australia and New Zealand and Fijian Customs Of? cer followed a major heroin seizure in 2000. 21,25] The lab identi? cation also suggests a transition of Fiji (and possibly other Paci? c Nations) from a transhipment point to a production base. According to the New Zealand Police, to succeed in future operations similar to the Suva bust, interested agencies need to work towards having â€Å"robust communication systems† across organisations to keep them connected and informed on crime in the region. 21 It is reported that there are about 5000 vessels transiting in the Paci? c on any given day. 21,24 Large shipments may be unloaded from a mother ship to smaller vessels, and can subsequently go in hiding at the many small, uninhibited islets and atolls, waiting for the next step. 21 Fiji has recently established a Transnational Crime Unit (TCU) with the Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority (FIRCA) as one of the key law enforcement agencies involved. This unit has been vigilant in promoting the cooperation between border organizations in order to assist the TCU in controlling the borders. 24 The Unit also compiles data for intelligence risk assessments throughout the year. It supports a Case Management Intelligence System (CMIS), whereby relevant information from the Police Department, Immigration Department, Local Government Authorities, Financial Intelligence Unit, and other Law Enforcement Agencies24 are automatically linked in the system. A number of cases which the TCU have been investigating include a Tongan syndicate smuggling drugs from Fiji to Tonga. In a recent example of program cooperation a number of TCU surveillance targets were arrested during a Police roadblock in Sigatoka (personal communication, FIRCA, 2008). Domestic Issues Cannabis is by far the most common and widespread illicit drug used in Fiji. 11 Like many other countries in the region, anecdotal evidence suggests there has been a considerable increase in drug use among young people4 despite the relatively small increase suggested by the 2004 NSAAC study (see table 1). However, it is not clear if the two studies they reported were directly comparable. Data collected by the St Giles Hospital and the Fijian Police Department support the view there has been an increase in use. Admissions data for St Giles Hospital reports on cannabis induced psychosis and other disorders. In 1987, ? ve young men were admitted to St Giles Hospital with cannabis related mental disorders. In 1988, the number rose to ? fteen with many more unreported cases. 26 The 2005 hospital data revealed that a total of 612 patients were seen at outpatients department diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder. These included 386 (63%) patients for marijuana, 59 (10%) alcohol, 99 (16%) kava and 99 (16%) tobacco use issues. In 2006, 272 admissions to St Giles Hospital were reported as drug related, consisting of 66% Fijians, 20% Indo-Fijian and 14% belong to other ethnic groups. It is probable that the political troubles in 2006 impacted on the number of admissions, but no data were available to con? rm or reject this view. Police arrest data report possession (see Table 2). 8,13,26 Statistics provided by Fiji Police showed 259 drugrelated crimes were committed in 2008. There was a 21 per cent drop from 2007 which had 329 drug-related 167 REVIEW PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 crimes. 27 There are also reports of increasing cannabis cultivation as a form of inter-seasonal cash crop substitution among farmers. It is estimated that Fiji has between 500 to 1000 cannabis producers, some of them citing the country’s worsening economy as the motivator for production (personal communication, Police Drug Unit, November 2008). For generations, the villagers of Navosa have travelled for hours across rugged terrain to reach a road to the market to sell their produce with no guarantee their produce will be sold. Facing the same hardships as their ancestors, many of these villagers report having no choice but to resort to marijuana growing because â€Å"The product is lighter, it has a steady market and is economically viable† (Personal communication with growers, December, 2008). Production is predominantly for local consumption. Table 2: Recent Crime Data ( Drug offences recorded by the Fiji Police Forces from 2000 to 2006). Year Drug offences 2001 433 2002 417 2003 417 2004 312 2005 312 2006 333 The Save the Children Fund in Fiji reports that the continuing political and economic instability in the country has also led to a lot more children working as drug traf? ckers or prostitutes. [28] Concern over the increasing number of children involved in drug traf? cking was sparked by the recent arrest of three school children caught selling drugs in an amusement centre in Labasa. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre reported an increase in young Indo-Fijian girls working as prostitutes in urban centres. Furthermore, the National Manager for Save the Children Fund in Fiji, says there is a growing trend among poor families to send their children out onto the streets. 28 Drug and alcohol legislation and policy According to the literature, there is no regional-based illicit drug policy for the Paci? c and few treatment programs. 20,29 Information from the Paci? c Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) indicates that Fiji’s Illicit Drugs Control Act is an adaptation of the Regional Model Law on the Control of Illicit Drugs which was developed by the Secretariat. There was no formal committee, but it was endorsed by a Cabinet sub-Committee on legislation which was chaired by the then Attorney-General. Both the Fijian Government and PIFS are advocating for a regional legislative framework to respond to the increase in illicit drugs in the region (personal communication, PIFS, 2008). Amphetamines are a key drug of concern with the region’s geographical vulnerability highlighted as a key factor in the rationale for this approach. At the time of writing, Kiribati and Fiji are the only two PIFS member countries to have adapted and enacted the model law. Furthermore, a Code of Practice has been developed by PIFS to assist stakeholders such as law enforcement agencies and pharmacies to classify, register and dispose of illicit drugs (personal communication, PIFS, 2008). It may be adapted by Forum member countries with modi? cations to suit national legal and administrative arrangements. Legislative control on the consumption and sale of alcohol to minors has not been widely and effectively implemented. While minors are legally barred from consuming alcohol, the sale of alcohol beverages to under-age drinkers is common throughout the country. 11 For the minor who is unable to gain access to commercial alcohol beverages, homebrew is an easily obtained alternative. Anecdotal evidence suggests that minors make up a large and undetected percentage of consumers of alcohol beverages. 168 PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 REVIEW Sexually Transmitted Infections Sexually Transmitted Infections, including HIV, are emerging public health problems in Fiji. 13 A recent WHO report indicated that the rise in the number of HIV cases, in addition to increasing number of patients accessing STI clinics, in an ongoing concern. In 2006, MOH statistics indicated30 that Fijians comprised 83% of con? rmed HIV diagnoses, Indo-Fijian 13% and ‘others’ 4%. Since 2004, Fijian males had replaced females as having the highest number of cases. Overall, males comprised 59% and heterosexual transmission accounted for 85% of all cases. By the end of 2004 a total of 182 HIV infections had been reported in Fiji13 and the number of new cases reported each year has increased for the last ? ve years. In Fiji, reported cases of syphilis and gonorrhea have ? uctuated between 1998 and 2004. In 2004 there were 852 reports of syphilis and 1182 gonorrhea. The number of cases reported for 2008 were 1004 for syphilis, 1064 gonorrhea and 283 HIV cases. 27 Recent statistics from Fiji’s Health Ministry on Sexually Transmitted Infections are a cause for concern with the high rate of STIs among people aged 20 to 29 increasing the risk for HIV infection. 31,32 Fiji’s Director of Public Health notes that statistics gathered over the past eight years by the Ministry show that gonorrhoea and syphilis are the most frequently reported STIs in the country, which â€Å"highlights the underlying concern of unsafe sexual behaviour among young people† and the â€Å"same high-risk behaviour for the transmission of HIV. † He also said that â€Å"sex is serious business† and that â€Å"anyone, especially young people, who participates does so at their risk, in view of the sad consequences of infection from so many STIs including HIV, pelvic in? ammatory disease and infertility. †32 Risk/Protective Factors Some religious groups in Fiji, such as Islam, strictly forbid the use of alcohol. Christian denominations such as the Assemblies of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Seventh Day Adventist Mission also prohibit the consumption of alcohol. Individual members of these religious groups vary in the degree to which they adhere to these principles. Any negative effects of combining tobacco or alcohol with kava use are currently conjecture, with relatively little work done to explore the nature of the relationship between these substances in the Paci? c. 1,6,9,26,33 However, anecdotal evidence suggests an inter-relationship exists with social and health consequences. 1, 4-6, 9, 13, 26, 33, 34 Reports of kava drinking followed by a beer chaser, known as ‘washdown’, are not uncommon and suggests the need for further exploration of potentially harmful consumption patterns. Excessive drinking, drinking too frequently and too much, often re? ects the drinking pro? le of the majority of young people in countries like Fiji. 5, 11, 14 Excessive drinking is reported as a signi? cant contributor to motor vehicle accidents, violence and aggressive behaviour, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and criminal activities. 3, 14, 15, 18, 26 It has been suggested that the alcohol consumption pattern of young Indigenous Fijian males follows the traditional kava ritual of drinking until there is nothing left in the kava bowl. In many instances, young people often end their kava drinking session by consuming alcohol (‘wash down’). [3, 5] It is reported that most youths drink excessively to manage their problems, but it may result in new problems like unsafe sex, crime and violence and even suicide. 5, 14, 15, 34, 35 A study in Fiji10, 11 revealed that alcohol was a factor in 58% of all homicide between 1982 and 1992 and approximately 80% of the crime in the country is alcohol-related. 10, 18 169 REVIEW PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 Furthermore, the effects of alcohol on the physical, mental and social health of Fiji’s citizens have in recent years been the subject of considerable concern amongst health-care professionals and social scientists, as well as the ordinary citizens. 2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 23, 26, 33 At present there is suf? cient evidence from a variety of research ? ndings1, 6, 10, 11, 34 to suggest that the heavy consumption of alcohol contributes other health problems in Fiji, such as diabetes, heart problems, obesity and hypertension. Among the social consequences of excessive alcohol consumption in the country,10, 11 violent crime, domestic violence, and road fatalities have been identi? ed as the most serious. 8, 23, 34 While alcohol and home brew drinking are more common, marijuana cultivation, sales and distribution has become pervasive in some Paci? c Island countries. It has been seen as a good source of income. A further emerging substance abuse issue is glue snif? ng among school age children, mostly in their early teens. In addition, unemployment in youths is a major problem in the Paci? c. In Fiji it has been estimated that out of nearly 10,000 youths seeking employment, only 1500 can be employed. 2, 3, 13 Studies and observations in some urban areas of Paci? c countries point to an increasing numbers of people between the ages of 15-19 engaging in commercial sex worker with some aged even younger. 2, 3, 11, 15, 35, 36 Conclusions There is a range of evidence and data suggesting the potential for increased risk of HIV infection associated with substance use in Fiji, but there is a need to explore this issue further with social behavioural and qualitative research. While harmful substance use patterns and sexual health risk factors are increasingly reported, there is little current analysis regarding the interaction of the two. Of particular concern is the current environment of rapidly changing substance use patterns with little in the way of structural responses to protect the people of Fiji from the range of social and health-related harms. In addition, dif? cult economic conditions and the tangible bene? ts of cannabis growing and distribution (and potential for amphetamine production) lend urgency to the need to investigate these issues further and to develop viable interventions that are informed by robust data and research information. References 1. Goundar R, Kava consumption and its health effects. Journal of Community Health and Clinical Medicine for the Paci? c 2006. 13(3): p. 131-5. 2. Plange, N. K. , Social Aspects of Drug and Alcohol Abuse: An overview of the situation in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1991. 17(3): p. 5-12. 3. Plange, N. K. , Alcoholism and Crime among Urban Youth in Fiji. 1991, University of the South Paci? c. 4. UNICEF. , Substance use among adolescents in Fiji: A surveillance Report from the Fiji Global Tobacco Survey. 1999. 5. Rokosawa, M. Alcohol problems in Fiji. 1986 [cited. 6. Moulds RFW, M. J. , Kava: herbal panacea or liver poison? [For Debate]. Medical Journal of Australia, 2003(178): p. 451-3. 7. Morrison F, H. F. , Gaylord J, Leigh B, Rainey D. , Adolescent drinking and sex: ? ndings from a daily diary study. Perspective on Sexual Reproductive Health, 2003. 35(4): p. 162-8. 8. Adinkrah, M. , Homicide-Suicides in Fiji: Offence patterns, situational factors & socio-cultural contexts. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 2003. 33: p. 65-73. 170 PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 REVIEW 9. Kava, R. , The adverse effects of Kava. Paci? c Health Dialog, 2001. 8: p. 115-18. 10. Adinkrah, M., Violent encounters: A study of homicide patterns in Fiji society. 1996, Fiji Council of Social Services. : Suva, Fiji. 11. Adinkrah, M. , Crime, deviance & delinquency in Fiji. 1995, Suva, Fiji: Fiji Council of Social Services. 12. Plange, N. K. , Social aspects of drug and alcohol abuse: An overview of the situation in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1991. 17(3): p. 4-12. 13. WHO, National Workshop on Alcohol Related Problems in Fiji. 1986. 14. Naiveli, B. , Alcohol and Crime. 1986, Royal Fiji Police. p. 34,35 15. Kippax, D. D. , The Genesis of Alcohol -Related Problems. 1986, Fiji School of Medicine. p. 24-28. 16. Na tabili kavoro: The place of alcohol in the lives of Fijian people living in Aotearoa New Zealand. ALAC Research Monograph series: No. 4. Wellington, Sector Analysis, Ministry of Health for the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand, 1997. 17. Alcohol per capita consumption, patterns of drinking and abstention worldwide after 1995. Appendix 2. European Addiction Research, 2001. 7(3): p. 155-157. 18. http://www. who. int/substance_abuse/publications/en/? ji. pdf, WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004: Geneva. 19. Recommendations for policy to support health promotion. A report to the Minister of Health., N. C. f. H. Promotion, Editor. March 1998. 20. Devanney M, R. G. , Baldwin S, Crofts N, Power, R, Illicit drug use and responses in six Paci? c Island countries. Drug and Alcohol Review, 2006. 25: p. 387-900. 21. Drug Enforcement Administration – Intelligence Division, Drugs Intelligence Brief: the paci? c islands region, v. Alexandra, Editor. 2004, Drug Enforcement Administration. 22. United States Of? ce on Drugs & Crime, Paci? c Islands: UNODC – Regional Centre for East Asia and the Paci? c. 2003. 23. Ratinisiva M, Drug Traf? cking, Prevention and Control in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1991. 17(3): p. 5-12. 24. Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority, Annual Report. 2006. p. 17. 25. Louisa, C. , Paci? c ripe for drug ring boom, in NZ Herald. 2004: Auckland. 26. Abusah, P. Y. , The Drug Scene in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1991. 17(3): p. 21-25. 27. http://www. stats? ji. gov. fj/Key%20Stats/Miscellaneous/15. 7%20crime%20cases%20recorded. pdf. 2008. 28. http://tvnz. co. nz/view/page/425822/37544, More Fijian youth in drugs, prostitution 2001. 29. Illicit Drugs Control Bill Draft. Fiji: Paci? c Islands Forum Secretariat. 2002. 30. Ministry of Health, Annual Report – Shaping Fiji’s Health.2007. 31. http://www. health. gov. fj/index. html. 2008. 32. http://www. stats? ji. gov. fj/Social/health_cdeath. htm. 2008 [cited. 33. Council out to Fight Drug Abuse, in The Fiji Times. 34. Caswell, S. , Alcohol in Oceania. 1986, Alcohol Research Unit, Dept of Community Health and General Practice, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand. p. 25. 35. Kippax D, O. M. J. , Alcohol-Related Problems in Fiji. 1986, Suva: Suva. 36. Ali, S. , Family Life Education. 1986, Ministry of Education. p. 36-39. 171 REVIEW PACIFIC HEALTH DIALOG MARCH 201 1, VOL. 17, NO. 1 172.