Audie Murphy

World War two was the greatest of all wars ever fought on this earth, with millions of men from every corner of the planet fighting for the cause that they felt right. Out of all of these men from this war and arguably any war Audio Murphy is the greatest. Born the seventh out of twelve children to a sharecropping family on June 20th 1924, all Audio wanted to do in life was â€Å"to be somebody' (Gale). To do this Audio had to fight against the odds his entire life on to his way to becoming one of America's most recognized and cherished people during and after the War.One of the reasons Audio was such an icon to the rest of America, is because at the end of the day he was Just an ordinary boy. Even before the war, at the age fifteen in 1939 Audio dropped out of school to help support his family. The year after that his father left his family making him the man of the house, only to have his mother die when he was seventeen in 1941. These events would cause most men to break but this Just drove Audio into trying to help the cause at war, to make himself somebody.At first he did not succeed in enlisting being only five foot five inches and a hundred and twelve mounds none of the branches of the armed forces would accept him. Eventually on the 30th of June 1942 the US Army accepted him, placing him in company B, 1st battalion, and 15th infantry regiment of the 3rd division. After extensive training in Africa he was in part of the invasion of Italy, after his first contact with the enemy he said â€Å"Ten seconds after the first shot was fired at me by an enemy soldier, combat was no longer glamorous, † Then later saying â€Å"But it was important, because all of a sudden I wanted very much to stay alive† (Gale).This represents very well of how America's youth, though ready felt with their first taste of war. Out of all the times that Audio went above the call in which he was asked to during his time at war, there were two instances in which he prove d to everyone that he was a hero. The first instance happened when his company made their way north the eastern border of France during â€Å"operation dragoon† (Biography). There was a hilltop dotted with German machine gun and sniper nest; he single handedly worked his way up the hill taking them out (Gale). In the midst of this his friend, Lattice Tiptop Joined him in the assault.The Germans at this point acted like they surrendered, with this Lattice stood up then was shot from the lying Germans (Biography). Seeing his friend getting shot, after being lied too, Audio went on a rampage taking out the remaining nest using the German guns and grenades (Gale). For this Audio was given the second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross, and for his next act of valor he is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Audio received the highest of all medals in woods in France. It all began when his B Company was ambushed by six German tanks and infantry.He then he ld position to call in artillery while his troops retreated to the wood lines safety. He then headed too tank destroyer that was already hit and mounted to 50 Caliber gun, proceeding to mow down the Germans infantry. He was exposed on three sides but with deadly accurate shots he kept off all the advancing troops. Artillery then came in with deadly effectiveness, a squad of Germans tried to sneak up on Murphy but when they were within ten yards they were taken out. He was hit in the leg but fired till the ammunition was gone, peeling back to the wood effective and drove the remaining Germans out.Audio at the end of it all saved his men and took fifty German soldiers in the conflict (Honors). After the Germans surrender to the allied forces, Audio returned home to America. He was paraded around for being a hero of war and was put on the cover of Life on July 16, 1945. After seeing this photo actor James Chaney asked Murphy if he would try a career in Hollywood. He started doing small movies and wrote a book about his stories in the European campaigns: To Hell and Back. The post war America loved this book became a national bestseller and later a movie in which he starred in (Biography).In conclusion Audio Murphy was perhaps the most import unit during the entire war. He killed two-hundred and forty enemies in the process of saving his men. He is the most decorated person in history with thirty-three medals, of them there are three Purple Hearts and French Crosses of War, a Silver Star, Distinguished Service Star, and a Congressional Medal of Honor. Through Audio Murphy's heroic acts of selflessness and by keeping his head level in horrific situations, he became one of America's most loved people during and after the war. Work Cited â€Å"Audio Murphy.

Music of Cuba and Puerto Rico: A Comparison and Contrast Essay

Music is an important aspect of both the Cuban and Puerto Rican cultures because music forms part of everyday life. To the people in these countries, music is a way of expressing unity and belongingness. The European explorers, particularly the Spanish, who came to Cuba and Puerto Rico (Thompson, 1991) enriched music in both countries. The music in these countries also became rich because of the influence of African slaves in the plantations (Sublette, 2004) who eventually become part of the community after slavery ended. The fusion of these influences made community life and music more interesting. Type of Music The type of music in both Cuba and Puerto Rico evolved from the Spanish and African influences but the extent of influence differed. African percussion dance music has a stronger influence on Cuban music while Spanish classical and folk dance music had a stronger influence on Puerto Rican music. In addition, Puerto Rican music also borrowed much from Cuban music and music of the native Indians (Manuel, Bilb & Largey, 2006). The single strong influence on Cuban Music and the more diverse influence on Puerto Rican music explained the similarities and differences in the type of music. The similar types of dance music in Cuba and Puerto Rico are son, salsa, mambo, and danzones (Manuel, Bilb & Largey, 2006). The differences in the type of music include the livelier Spanish inspired bolero and zapateo in Cuba and the more laid back Spanish inspired narrative plena and folk dance music decima and seis in Puerto Rico. Another difference is the African inspired dance music rumba of Cuba utilizing only narration and percussion and the African inspired dance music bomba of Puerto Rico that utilized narration, percussion and other instruments such as the maracas. Sound The result of the combination of African, Spanish and indigenous culture led to diverse and enduring rich music. However, Cuban music has retained its original strong African percussion influence by findings its own path after the Spanish colonization ended while Puerto Rican music diversified further with the American influence. Cuba retained the traditional rhythms changing only with the use of modern instruments while Puerto Rican music further evolved into jazz, rock, rap and reggae (Manuel, Bilb & Largey, 2006) using modern beats and instruments. Separation of historical development and modernization led to the divergence of music in these countries. Lyrics The lyrics of music in Cuba and Puerto Rico commonly focused on love and passion, courage and nationalism, and family and parental devotion (Manuel, Bilb & Largey, 2006). Cuba and Puerto Rico experienced African and Spanish influences on music lyrics. The African influence is more on call-response lyrics with a leader singing a call and the listeners responding to the call. The Spanish influence refers to the arrangement of words and phrases in artistic form such as in love songs and the national anthems of both countries. However, revolutionary lyrics are more pervasive in Cuba since its national anthem is a call to battle while the national anthem in Puerto Rico is a celebration of independence. Musical Instruments There are three basic musical instruments common in Cuba and Puerto Rico, which are different types of percussion or drums, guitar or lute, and sticks tapped together (Thompson, 1991; Sublette, 2004). The difference is the widespread use of bass instruments and trumpets in Cuba that accompanied marches and dances and the more common use of flute and other indigenous musical instruments in Puerto Rico. Religious Influences Religion is a strong influence in the development of music of both Cuba and Puerto Rico but the influences differed. African god worship using percussion music strongly influenced Cuban music while Spanish catholic prayer chants strongly influence Puerto Rican music. In Cuba, Santeria emerged as a religion combining the indigenous god worship and Nigerian god worship (Manuel, Bilb & Largey, 2006). With the Catholic influence, the saints had counterparts with the gods based on similar characteristics and worshipped similar to African gods. In Puerto Rico, the slaves in the plantations adopted the chants taken from the Spanish Catholic mass (Manuel, Bilb & Largey, 2006) and used the lyrics or patterns for the call-response chanting in music. Furthermore, the fusion of the Spanish and African religious music led to religious music that is less solemn that in Catholic worship and less loud than in African worship of gods in Cuba. Political Influences Ideological or political struggle are common themes in Cuban and Puerto Rican music. However, the divergence in the political development of these countries created differences. The revolutionary movement in Cuba created music describing social issues and armed struggle while at the same time discouraging superstitious beliefs, but with little success in discouraging folklore in music (Manuel, Bilb & Largey, 2006). The independence movement in Puerto Rico also used music to inspire action but the American influence comprised a differentiating factor. After the success of these movements, music became a source of identity and national pride. In Cuba, music also became a weapon of influence amidst the embargo by the United States and its allies. Conclusion Music is a cultural artifact and cultural force for both Cuba and Puerto Rico. Music was a core part of the history of these countries. This will also accompany future direction. References Manuel, P. , Bilb, K. , & Largey, M. (2006). Caribbean currents: Caribbean music from rhumba to reggae. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. Sublette, N. (2004). Cuba and its music: From the first drums to the mambo. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press. Thompson, A. F. (1991). Music and dance in Puerto Rico from the age of Columbus to modern times. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.

Struggle of women in africa and how they were affected during the Essay

Struggle of women in africa and how they were affected during the coloization of africa - Essay Example For hundreds of centuries, the continent that had been the cradle of civilization was crisscrossed by Arab and Jewish traders who carried out an active commercial activity with the Africans along the coast. Diamond even argued that the languages spoken by Arabs and Jews originated from West Africa, which explains why Jewish, Islamic and Christian communities easily took root.1 However, it was not until the 15th century after Europe experienced severe labor shortages from the disastrous waves of wars, diseases and foreign colonization did Africa turn into a prime source of slave labor. By the middle of that century, Portugal began importing slaves from African trading posts along the western coast. African tribal society of conquest and slavery was a natural supply source as victorious tribes sold their captives to whoever was willing to buy them. The slave trade was born as Arab and African traders saw demand for slave labor rise in Europe. Aside from Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, and Germany found use for cheap labor. Arab traders, too, shipped Africans sold by their conquerors to slave markets in Arabia, Iran, and India, using sea trade routes from Africa to Indonesia that had been used since 5,000 years ago.2 Africa became Slave Central as European nations were joined in the 17th century by the British colonies in America and rising nations like the Netherlands and Denmark, whose powerful navies allowed trading in slaves to continue for the next two centuries. By the middle of the 19th century, slavery was abolished, first in Britain and then in America and soon, other European nations followed. Thus, after centuries of being brutalized by Arab, and then European, slave traders who bought and sold captured prisoners from other native tribes to sell along the coast all the way to Southeast Asia, Africa was free once again, but not for long.3 About that time, the discovery of great mineral wealth in Africa began a wave of colonization after the so-called West African Conference in Berlin in 1884-1885, which became known as "The Scramble." Seven European nations agreed to divide and conquer African territory. Of these, it was Belgium, France, and Britain that carried out the most brutal work of colonization, one that practically made the Africans slaves in their own land.4 Despite their claims of wanting to civilize the people of the continent and turning them away from their destructive tribal tendencies, converting them from pagans into Christians, and preparing the native people for ultimate independence, the colonizers took advantage of the social, cultural, and geographical traits of Africa to squeeze as much as they could from the land and its people. This took place until the middle of the 20th century when these European nations gave their African colonies the independence that they thought they deserved, but by then, the centuries of slavery and the decades of corruption and abuse left deep wounds that, until now, are still in the healing process. Colonization and the Wounds of Culture Colonization weakened African society as cruelty decimated a people wracked by insect-borne diseases like malaria; greed led colonizers (except for the Britain) to withhold the education of the population; and the arbitrary nature by which geographical boundaries of the colonies were established during "the

Portrait of a Teacher Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Portrait of a Teacher - Personal Statement Example One particular past educator of mine singlehandedly embodied the teaching philosophy found within each â€Å"portrait of a teacher.† During my time spent in this classroom, I was able to feel a sense of belonging and purpose. Incorporating a student-centered instructional approach, as well as diverse assessment approaches, this particular educator fostered a learning environment where each and every student felt the driving purpose and moral of each lesson. Throughout the course of the year, the instructor cultivated learning through student interaction, as well as life-relevant lessons, which afforded each pupil a meaningful and unique learning experience. Although the educator incorporated the use of direct-instruction into the classroom setting, the majority of learning activities centered around student interaction and engagement, which allowed each student the opportunity to learn on their own, while the teacher played the role of the facilitator, rather than the dictator . Students in the classroom felt encouraged to think critically about a topic or lesson because they felt a connection to the instructor’s material, and no longer felt like an inanimate object in the classroom. The democratic feel to each classroom activity permitted students to express themselves through their artistic and personal strengths, and also led to peer interaction that was absent from most classroom settings. In contrary to this particular teacher, another instructor from my past lacked the fundamental qualities of an influential educator. Rather than promoting a democratic principal in the classroom setting, this particular teacher followed a more totalitarian approach to education. Thinking back to this classroom, I struggle to recall meaningful lessons or memorable moments. Instead, I can recall a sense of fear and anxiety, which ultimately restricted my ability to learn and develop as a student. The lack of peer interaction in the classroom, as well as the tea cher-centered instructional approaches, cultivated an inability to focus on the task at hand, and inevitably led to poor student retention and understanding. One specific instance I can recall from this learning environment, which illuminates this exact point, was during a test review lesson. During review, the teacher would simply instruct students, through direct instruction, of the material that would be covered on the future exam. Instead of utilizing a student-centered approach, which would have ultimately encouraged student interaction and promoted discussion on the topic of review, the teacher simply lectured on the main points of the test. I can still recall the feeling of being unattached to the curriculum, simply worrying about the results of the exam, rather than the process of learning or the enjoyment of being a student. Inevitably, this led to poor test results, as well as a lack of enthusiasm for education. As a future educator, my goal is to incorporate a sense of be longing and purpose within each and every student. From my experiences as a student, I can still recall the detrimental impact of feeling neglected or ostracized from the process of learning. Author, Robert Slavin, discusses the impact on learning when students are neglected within the learning process. Slavin writes, â€Å"

Funding Higher Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Funding Higher Education - Essay Example In the present times, corporate organizations are known to support the funding of higher education all across the world. Such organizations make investments in educational research that prove to be beneficial for their own operations. The budgets of such organizations are spent on educational institutions in their own countries also sending their workers for training and development. The post secondary education has been observed to have become highly intangible for students across different countries. The primary reasons behind such a scenario include the cost and the unavailability of adequate spaces for educations. In such a midst of necessity for high quality of higher education for students across different countries in the world, it can be said that corporate organizations are the ones who would benefit the most from investing and contributing in the process of funding of higher education (Ehidiamen n.d.). The present study focuses on the issues of funding higher education and tries to determine how such issues may be resolved by actions of organizations, considering two different organizations for the study. ... According to the Law on Institutions of Higher Education â€Å"The number of study places to be financed from the funds of the State budget in an institution of higher education shall be determined by the Minister for Education and Science on the basis of a proposal of the Council of Higher Education. The number of study places in institutions of higher education founded by local governments and other legal persons and natural persons shall be determined by the founder of these institutions of higher education† (Juris et al 2006). According to the Law on Institutions of Higher Education, â€Å"the Higher Education Council has extensive competence and functions, including issues of funding the higher education† (Juris et al 2006). It constitutes the power of planning schemes for the development of higher education and the fees for the study, thus offering an outlook to the Minister for Education and Science and the Cabinet in regard to the outline of the State budget for the funding of institutions of higher education. â€Å"Membership of the Higher Education Council is confirmed by Parliament – Saeima. The Higher Education Council’s resources to realize its mandate are limited, however† (Juris et al 2006). With significant decrease in the expenditures made by the public on higher education, a crisis has been observed across the world affecting the process of development. Several countries across the world have imposed severe decreases in public budgets for higher education. Such measures had to be done due to many of the policies of economic reforms of the countries or influenced by the underlying principle for the condensed

Machiavelli and the novelty of its political though Essay

Machiavelli and the novelty of its political though - Essay Example Machiavelli returned back to Florence where he observed how the Medici family was expelled, the oligarchic tyrants who had been in power for decades. He also witnessed the rise of Savanorola Girolamo, a firm religious believer who took over the power in Florence for a short period after the Medici Family. At that period, Italy was under severe political clashes. States were in a scramble for power over Italy, and so did Spain, France, and the Holy Roman Empire. Each state engaged in a battle of outdoing the powers of their opponents which amounted to less worthy activities as violence and blackmail (Herbert, 2007). That same year of the return of Machiavelli, the French attacked under the leadership of Charles VIII. This flow of events during Machiavelli’s time pressured Machiavelli’s thoughts about governance. This formed the basis of his later heartfelt appeal for the Italians to unite. Machiavelli in his farm wrote a controversial book called The Prince which is term ed as a realistic guide for ruling. Machiavelli uses this book to expose his thought on political power. However, this piece of art and Machiavelli’s tool of conveying his thought on politics has received criticism from various scholars that it only guides on how not to rule and not how to rule. Machiavelli uses a simple style and logic for the reader to understand, and this is due to his bid to provide political advice (Ryan, 2013). He evidently exposes his purpose of writing the book from the beginning of the book where he devotes the book to the ruler of Florence, Lorenzo de’ Medici. In his beginning two chapters of the book, The Prince, Machiavelli less talks about republican regimes and puts more of his concern on the autocratic regimes. He sets up the outline of the entire book in the first chapter by delineating the different princes’ and categories of principalities. According to Machiavelli’s book, he talks about warcraft and statesmanship where he considers that superior laws are track naturally from a superior military. He demonstrates this when he says â€Å"the presence of sound military forces indicates the presence of sound laws†. He tries to elaborate how a sound military system is related to the formulation of sound laws for the state. Machiavelli has a rather contradicting perspective on the war; he believes that triumphant states are built after a war has been won. This is contrary to the conventional understanding that successful states are those without war. His thought about war is fundamentally on how to make a city or state much stronger, how to handle citizens on newly acquired regions, and how to avoid internal rebellions that may be a hindrance in overcoming external adversaries. Machiavelli in his political thought gives emphasis not only on making use of the military but he also includes global diplomacy, calculated strategy, understanding geographical regions, understanding history, and domestic politics. This kind of political thinking be Machiavelli was timely novelty at the period when Italy was facing attacks from principalities neighboring them. Machiavelli also highlights how the human nature has impacts on politics. He says â€Å"|Love endures by a bond which men, being scoundrels, may break whenever it serves their advantage to do so; but fear is supported by the dread of pain, which is ever present†. He believes that various political traits are intrinsic in individuals’

Critically discuss the applicability of the Elaboration Likelihood Essay

Critically discuss the applicability of the Elaboration Likelihood Model to understanding consumer behaviour - Essay Example mentioned ways, it is extremely crucial for the marketers to have an understanding about how the customers process the information that they come across as ads. Numerous models and theories have been proposed that have elaborated upon the manner in which customers assimilate and process the information as well as on the way ads and other marketing communications impact on the consumer behaviour (Cohen, 1990). Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), put forward by researchers Petty and Cacioppo (1983, 1986) is among the oldest and the most popular models that define how consumers formulate their attitudes towards a product or service on the basis of the communications that they receive as advertising. ELM has been employed by marketers and advertisers in making their communications more effective. ELM has also given the basic groundwork and direction to further research in areas like consumer cognitive processes and marketing communications elaboration. (Petty., Priester & Wegener, 1994).The current paper is aimed at evaluating the applicability of ELM to understanding consumer behaviour. The paper will begin with a brief overview of ELM and will contain a critical appraisal of its applicability in the consumer behaviour field. More specifically, it will focus on how ELM provides insights about consumer behaviour which in turn leads to more targeted and cost-effective advertising. The discuss ion will also include some of the weak points of ELM that need to be addressed in order to improve its applicability in the consumer behaviour field. The Elaboration Likelihood Model, when used in an advertising context, postulates that prospective customers form attitudes about ad messages via a process of message elaboration – or the amount of time and effort they spend on issue-relevant messaging. The extent to which they are likely to elaborate the message leads to two very different routes of information processing in the minds of the customers. These are the central

Low and management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Low and management - Essay Example A binding precedent adheres closely to the precept of stare decisis. It is â€Å"based on the premise that the function of judges is not to create law, but to find law in conformity with existing legal rules.† Under this doctrine, the judge is legally obliged to base his own rulings on previously decided cases, applying the principles of law determined therein. â€Å"This coercive character of the doctrine of precedent is a feature peculiar to the English legal tradition.† (Antoine 2008) On the other hand, persuasive precedents are those legal principles which, while controlling in previous cases, are merely referred to for guidance in the pending case. The judge may refer to these earlier decisions, but will not consider himself bound to abide strictly by them. Examples of such persuasive precedents are decisions of a court of another jurisdiction, and decisions of a lower-level court. Another consideration would be the date the precedent case was decided, since generally, cases which are more recent would be more authoritative as a basis for new decisions. Also, if the case were promulgated by a judge with more prominent reputation, the greater the degree of persuasiveness of that decision. (Gall, 1983) An important basis as to whether a precedent is binding or persuasive is that portion of the judgment from which the legal principle is drawn. Judgments are comprised of the ratio decidendi and the obiter dicta. The ratio decidendi is that part of the judgment where the judge states the material facts of the case and sets down his legal reasons for arriving at his or her decision. If the court which ruled on the precedent case is higher than the court hearing the pending case, then such precedent is binding upon the lower court. On the other hand, the principle may be embodied in the obiter dictum, which comprises the opinions and observations of the judge. The obiter dicta are persuasive in nature; the judge in the

Crime Control (SC3031C) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Crime Control (SC3031C) - Essay Example e by the state through the criminal justice system† (Davies, Croall and Tyrer, 2005) Legal systems in the civilized world – whether in civil or common law jurisdictions -- have, at least in theory, given primacy to the rights of the accused, understanding that ambiguity should be resolved in his or her favor. In practice however, we see how police officers routinely violate the human rights of those they apprehend. The implicit message is that these are criminals anyway – thugs, petty thieves, gangsters, punks, drug addicts, alcoholics – and they are doing society a favor by treating them brusquely. Indeed if there is one thing that distinguishes (or should distinguish) crime control strategies in contemporary times from medieval times or less-than-modern societies, it is the regard for due process and the rights of the accused. Furthermore, crime control is attended by rehabilitation for the offender and helping him take steps towards reintegration. In contemporary times, we see a departure, albeit gradual, from strong-arm tactics. It has, after all, been proven that there is a higher incidence of crime in states where the police force is known for their brutality. For example, in states like New York and Los Angeles where there is a relatively great number of cases filed against members of the police force for misconduct, the crime rate is astronomical. The strong-arm tactics of law enforcement officers have done little to quell the rising tide of crime and have in fact exacerbated it. On the other hand, the desire to preserve society and prevent crime is equally valid. It would seem that society has been ill-equipped to come up with answers and solutions to address it definitively (Norrie, 1996). It is imperative however to disabuse oneself of the simplistic approach that is often used when analyzing crime rates. Many are wont to believe that a rise in crime rates signifies a social problem, and a decrease is something to be lauded. In fact, a rise in

Discuss what skills might be required from managers to cultivate and Essay

Discuss what skills might be required from managers to cultivate and foster creativity and innovation in workforce - Essay Example The objective of this paper is to determine the skills that leaders and managers should possess in order to foster creativity and innovation in their teams so that organizational success is achieved. With the age of globalization upon us, change and development have been launched on a faster pace. This resulted in the need for creativity in innovation, especially in the business world, if one wants to jump ahead of the competition. Companies seek the best candidates who possess dynamism and fresh ideas to contribute to their businesses. Employers prefer people who are creative, open to learning and can think ‘out of the box’ so their imaginative ideas can inject new blood into their products and services. Nicola Bell, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, New Zealand heralded creativity as the new lever of change necessary to â€Å"re-imagine different futures for businesses†. She claims that â€Å"creative leadership† is essential to successful businesses, acknowledging the fact that an IBM study recognized creativity as the â€Å"single most important leadership quality†. (Shipley, 2011, p. 6). A perfect example of a creative leader who was able to save his company from ruin during the global economic crisis is Richard Branson of the Virgin group of companies. Faced with a dire economic low in 2009 with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) collapsing 55% from 2007 to 2009 and the banking system on the verge of a breakdown, Branson’s company was down 40%. How he successfully navigated the company and steered it back to the top was the greatest challenge he had in his decades of creative leadership. He used his innovative ideas to take advantage of the opportunities he found during this low time and determined the strategies with his team to grow from the chaos their company was in (Finkle, 2011). The concepts of creativity and innovation, often intertwined, should be differentiated. Creativity is mostly

Time Management Essay Example for Free

Time Management Essay Surveying †¢ pre-reading †¢ previewing assignment †¢ Big pictures overview of main ideas and themes †¢ Skim table of contents, preface, chapter elements Question †¢Step 1: Ask yourself what you know about the topic Summarize what you already know about topic †¢Step 2 : Write questions linked to chapter headings Examine chapter headings and write down any questions about headings on piece of paper or in margins for book. Read †¢After surveying and questioning, retain what you read. Focus on the key points of your survey – boldface type, raised headings, chapter objectives and summary. oFocus on your Q-stage questions – Read with purpose of answering the â€Å"questions† written in the margin of book or separate piece of paper. Write down or highlight ideas related to your questions. oMark up your text, and take text notes – Write notes in margin or separate paper, circle ideas, highlight key points that you want to study for exams. oCreate text tabs – Place plastic index tabs or adhesive notes at the start of different chapters to flip back and forth with ease. Find Main Idea Search for topic of paragraph – Topic of paragraph is not the same as main idea, it is broad subject being discussed – President Barack Obama, hate crimes on campus, or the Internet. oIdentify the aspect of the topic that is the paragraph’s focus – If general topic is President Barack Obama, the author may focus on different aspects of that topic, such as health-care policies, first African American president, or public speaking talent. Find what the author wants you to know about that aspect; this is the main idea – The main idea of a paragraph on President Obama as a public speaker may be: President Obama is a charismatic speaker who uses his oratorical skills to encourage the American people in times of crisis. Prioritize Reading Assignments Ask what is important to remember Is the information stressed in headings, charts, tables, captions, key terms, and definitions? Is the information a definition, a crucial concept, an example, an explanation of a variety or type, or a critical relationship or comparison? Did your instructor stress the information in class? Is it in syllabus, does your assignment ask you to focus on something specific? Recite †¢Once you finish reading a topic, stop and answer the questions raised in the Q-stage of SQ3R even if you already did it during the reading phase, do it again with the purpose of learning and committing the material to memory. †¢Recite each answer aloud, silently speak the answers to yourself, â€Å"teach† the answers to another person, or write it down. Review †¢Review immediately and periodically in the days and weeks after you read the chapter to help you learn and memorize material and prepare for exams. †¢Some helpful reviewing techniques: Reread notes and summarize from memory Review and summarize in writing the text sections you highlighted or bracketed. Try to condense the material so that you can focus on key ideas Answer the end-of-chapter review, discussion, and application questions Recite concepts to self, or record/playback on digital recorder Flash cards with word/concept on one side with definition on other side Quiz self with questions raised in Q-stage Discuss concepts with classmate/study group Ask instructor about difficult material. Terms to remember Scanning – rapid reading in search of specific information. Concentration – focusing on one topic at a time and avoiding distractions so you can learn material

Android-Arduino Communication System

Android-Arduino Communication System ROBOTIC CONTROL WITH ANDROID PC USING X-BEE T.M.Sirish J.R.SURESH BABU Abstract — The paper is concerned with the Android-Arduino communication and Computer communication by integrating mobile wheel robots with X-Bee communication protocol. Arduino controls tasks such as obstacle and collision avoidances following, autonomously movement, and indoor localization of group robots are implemented toward an autonomously control of robot. Mobile robotics is a technology and a research area where we witness tremendable advances for the last decades and it finds application in areas like agriculture, medical services, hazard environments, space explo-ration, military, intelligent transportation, social robotics, and entertainment. XBees provide wireless communication. As a system, the advantages are very obvious compared with other technology. Keywords— X-Bee, Adruino, Android, IR, Ultrasonic I. INTRODUCTION Robots may interact in the same location as users control them from any place in the world using internet and wireless networks for this purpose. Sensor based approach uses various kinds of sensors such as IR sensors and ultrasonic sensors.IR sensors are generally used for measuring the difference in reflectivity of surfaces depending on the properties like color, roughness. Ultrasonic sensors are used to measure the distance to an object. Robots are built to navigate using these out puts according to the application. The idea is to design the Sensor platform with accurate angle control this continuously collects the distance data in an automatic way where the Robot is controlled by Android app and transfer ultrasonic sensor data to PC. An idea is to build an actual robot that is subject to wireless operation from a PC or a Android. It reads sensor and robot data from file and to Generate map of surrounding environment. Robots are capable of interacting with the objects. The design i n this paper comprises of the chassis will also house the PCB and proximity sensors that will continually provide feedback to the user. Proximity sensors are able to assist the operator in navigating across inhibiting terrain even if communication link with the operator is broken. Robot automatically stops if it detects an obstacle. Due to the Android and Arduino combination, the robot can interact with the person and provide an easy development platform for future improvement. The paper[1],[2] deals with the route navigation and the Application of Zigbee and [3],[4],[5] and [6] emphasis task scheduling on low cost arduino and distance measuring sensors. II. PRINCIPLE OF WORKING Wireless sensor network system will not only reduce the system cost in term of facilities setup and labor cost. It also provides flexibility in system in term of distance or location. The fundamental design and implementation of ultrasonic sensor based robot on Android/PC featuring a XBee based technology[1] The developed platform is cost-effective and as well as the effect on reducing energy consumption. The platform consists the components Android phone, Arduino mega adk, Motor Driver shield, ultrasonic sensor[5], IR sensor and Xbee module. It features the Atmega16U2 programmed as a USB-to-serial converter. The Arduino programming is very simple; uses its own language based on the popular C high level programming language and supports all standard C and some C++ functions. The operating voltage of the board is 6 to 20 volts. The recommended range is 7 to 12 volts. This is designed to control a robot with an aid of Android application[6]. Xbee is interfaced to the control the robot using android application. Where one end of xbee is interfaced with android application which is used to transmit the commands and receiver end robot is attached which is used to control in all directions. Figure 1: Arduino Mega adk Operating voltage 9-12 volts IR Range 6cm Ultrasonic Range 3 cm Degree of rotation 180 degree Communication frequency 2.4 Ghz Table 1 Specifications III. HARDWARE ARCHITECTURE X-bee The X-bee modules allow serial links of TTL signals on distances of 30m indoors, 100m outdoors with line of sight which would be enough to control the electronic wheelchair. IEEE 802.15.4 standard for Zigbee operates in the band: ISM (Industrial Scientific and Medical), 868 MHz in Europe, 915 MHz in the U.S. and Australia, and 2.4 GHz in most jurisdictions around the world[2]. This technology is simpler, cheaper and has lower power consumption than other WPANs such as Bluetooth. The problem is to the need to detect the obstacle in the path of the robot, to sense and find alternative paths of the robot. Figure 2. XBee The Ping which works by sending out a burst of ultrasound to detect the closest object and listens to the echo after hitting the object. The short pulse from the Arduino board is send to trigger the detection, and then listens for a pulse on the same pin using the pulse. The second pulse duration is e the time taken by the ultrasound to travel to the object which is equal to the time taken to travel back to the sensor[4]. This time can be converted to distance by the velocity of light. We use IR transceiver and comparator IC LM324 for detecting the obstacle. The component deals with two major issues. They are as follows: 1. It avoids the collisions with walls and other obstacles. 2. It avoids the prototype be fallen down from the steps on its way. Figure 3. Ultrasonic Range Finder B Android Android is a Linux based Open Source operating system developed by Google to power smart phones. In order to provide productive application development, applications can be developed using Java and easily tested and deployed to devices with Android. Development can be done with a simulator or with real devices. Using Android Application Programming Interface (API) features a rich ground of options for robot developers. Programming by commands commonly feature for robots, works seamlessly on Android. Using Android’s API, a programmer can make his robot to act. Android’s API also offers easy access to camera and orientation sensors. Some devices have only accelerometer, while other have accelerometer and compass, and others gyroscopes. The same orientation function calls can be used to query these sensors, independently of the device. One limitation that most mobile phones don’t have a USB Host port, so no USB accessories such as mice can be connected to them. To b ypass this limitation, Open Accessory API allows accessories to be the USB Host. This allows external custom hardware to interact with Android programs. Navigation of a mobile robot in an unknown environment is possible by sensors which obtain the information of surrounding environment. For effective communication between mobile robots we need to use some sensors. Therefore mobile phone sensors can be categorised such as the Sensors used for collecting information about environment, for communication between mobile robots, for collecting information and also for communication[5]. IV. DESIGN The Android application makes it effective to Control a robotic vehicle which is interfaced to the control unit on the robot for sensing the signals transmitted by the Android application. With an aid of the smart-phone/PC with Android OS, upon a GUI based touch screen operation the Remote operation is achieved[6]. At the Transmitting end, it uses an Android application device remote through which commands are transmitted and at the receiver end, the directions such as forward, backward and left or right are controlled by the commands from the Android by the user end which are used for controlling the robot. The movement is achieved by motor shield that is interfaced to the Arduino. Serial communication data sent from the android application is received by a Zigbee receiver interfaced to the Arduino. Figure 4. Block diagram of communication The shield for Arduino has the DC Motor interface. The interface is built around the L293DC Motor driver IC. It has a obstacle sensor to detect within 6cm range. If IR is used, we can be able to detect the obstacle. The interfaces have to be selected with the jumper. The obstacle sensor is an IR sensor which is used for detecting the obstacles and acts in impulsion to safeguard. In ultrasonic sensor, we use ping function which detects the distance of the closest object in front of the sensor and sends the data to the mobile. To run the DC motor, enable line be high, set I1 line to High and I2 line to Low which rotates in one direction and set I1 line to, low and I2 line to High which rotates in another direction[1]. V. FUTURE WORK Extensions of our current work include an extension to camera implementation which will be useful for deploying sensor networks in large areas. VI. CONCLUSION The system is highly flexible and scalable and can be expanded to other applications. On the software side, our Android application ensures that the system enables energy saving, and can suggest task scheduling with both instantaneous power and cost considerations. Our future work includes the implementation of additional applications, the refinement of our implementation, especially with regard to communication and possibly porting our network stack to other platforms. Acknowledgment I am very grateful to my guide Mr.J.Sureshbabu, Scientist-B, National Institute of Electronics Information Technology(NIELIT),Chennai who provided us with effective information regarding the functioning of System.I also extend our sincere thanks to all those people who have helped us successfully design and implement this system. REFERENCES [1] Route Navigation System in ZigBee-Based Sensor Networks Li Wenze ; Sch. of Inf. Telecommunication., Beijing Univ. of Posts Telecommunication, BeijinChina ; Han Yufen ; KangGuixia;SunJing Wireless Communications, Networking and Mobile Computing, 2009. WiCom 09. 5th International Conference bejing on 24-26 Sept. 2009 . [2] Applicability of ZigBee for Real-Time Networked Motor Control Systems Ulugbek R. Umirov1, Seong-Hyun Jeong and Jung-Il Park Department of Electronic Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Korea Control, Automation and Systems, 2008. ICCAS 2008. International Conference seou on14-17 Oct. 2008, 2937 – 2940. [3] Low cost Arduino/Android-based Energy-Efficient Home Automation System with Smart Task Scheduling Kim Baraka, Marc Ghobril, Sami Malek, Rouwaida Kanj, Ayman Kayssi Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering American University of Beirut Computational Intelligence, Communication Systems and Networks (CICSyN), 2013 Fifth International Conference on 5-7 June 2013 Madrid, 296 301 [4] New approach of ultrasonic distance measurement technique in robot applications G.Hueber, T.Ostermann, T.Bauernfeind, R. Raschhofer, R.Hagelauer Dept. of Microelectronics. Research Institute of Integrated Circuits, A-4040 Linz, Austria. [5] Remote Controlling for Ring-type Traveling Ultrasonic Motor Based on Zigbee Juping Gu, Laiwu Luo,Xiao Wu, Hui Yang ,Liang Hua ,Shenbei Qin Yuyun Liu Department of Electrical Engineering, Nantong University Department of Electrical Engineering, Southeast University., China. Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS), 2013 International Conference on 26-29 Oct. 2013 Busa, 748 – 751. [6] Controlling Physical Objects via the Internet using the Arduino Platform over 802.15.4 Networks V. Georgitzikis, O. Akribopoulos and I. Chatzigiannakis. Latin America Transactions, IEEE (Revista IEEE America Latina)(Volume:10 ,Issue: 3), April 2012 ,1686 – 1689.

Domestic Abuse on Pregnant Womens Health

Domestic Abuse on Pregnant Womens Health Domestic abuse is a pervasive and preventable public health issue affecting many women around the globe with different race, ethnic, and socio-economic background. What is more devastating is the rate at which pregnant women are being abused. According to the literature, at least one in every five women is abused while pregnant. It is also indicated that these women experience life threatening maternal and fetal complications. The aim of this library research paper was to explore the effect of domestic abuse on pregnant womens health through an extensive review of secondary analysis of the literature. The paper also touched briefly on the ethical issues encountered by the healthcare professionals when dealing with an abused person. Domestic Abuse on Pregnant Womens Health Introduction The issue of violence against women, particularly against pregnant women is increasingly being recognized as an important and often devastating major health and social problem around the world with serious health consequences for the abused women and their children. Health care practitioners providing care to pregnant women need to consider how the experience of abuse in current or past intimate relationships could affect their clients health during pregnancy. Historical evidence indicates that there is a positive correlation between abused people and admittance to psychiatric institutions (March of Dimes, 2005). A high number of women if not all women who seek long term treatment from mental health institutions have histories of being abused previously. It is therefore, not surprising that in 1997, The Violence Prevention Task Force for the Region of Peel in Canada declared violence as the number one health hazard in the Region. Many of the studies and statistics which have been rev iewed from different literature support this declaration. For instance, a Canada-wide survey shows that 61% of women physically or sexually assaulted by their intimate male partners are injured in the attack (Solicitor General of Canada, 1997). Moreover, there is a belief that pregnancy is a joyous, and a period of complete and well-being in a womans life. A time of peace and safety, but unfortunately for most women this might not be the case. In an article by Hedin and Janson (2000), they mentioned that about 40% to 60% of women who are abused experience the abuse during pregnancy whilst 95% of those women abused during pregnancy were abused prior to getting pregnant. Throughout the literature, pregnancy is known to be a high risk period during which domestic abuse may start or escalate in situations where the women were already being abused prior to getting pregnant. Negative effects such as attempted or self induced abortions, therapeutic abortions, spontaneous miscarriages, and divorce or separation during pregnancy are closely linked with abuse. Other injuries reported by women due to domestic abuse are abrasions, contusions, lacerations and fractures. A Canadian study done in Newfoundland confirms the link between abuse and institutionalization of women in psychiatric setting. It proves that there is a high prevalence of woman abuse among psychiatric patients, reporting that 42% of the women currently being assaulted had been assaulted prior to their hospitalization (Carlisle, 2000). Another study indicates that the abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs is 3 to 5 times higher in women living in abusive relationships (Noel Yam, 1998). The gap between these studies is that they do not prove conclusive which act is the cause of what. Does the alcohol and prescription drug abuse cause the mental problem that result in mental institutionalizations, or is it the abuse that causes the alcohol and drug abuse, and subsequently, the mental health issues? One may argue that the issue of violence against women has been overblown and that the issue is private rather than public. The problem with this line of thinking is that the  health-related cost of violence against women in Canada is estimated at $1.6 billion dollars per year (Carlisle, 2000), and in the United States, an unbelievable $10 to $67 billion dollars a year in lost productivity, health care cost, and reduced family income. However, the actual cost involved with violence against women and their children is not adequately reflected by this amount. The high cost involved with dealing with the issue as well as the psychological, emotional and possibly, the physical cost the victims pay makes it an urgent social problem that demands vigorous and immediate attention. Therefore, it is our responsibility as citizens, and more especially as health care providers to help these women gain a greater quality of life by stopping abuse. As is most often the case, when a woman looks fo r help, her first contact is with a health care professional. Statement of Purpose The focus of this research paper is to conduct an in-depth literature review on the prevalence of domestic abuse, and identify the effects that domestic intimate partner or spousal abuse has on pregnant womens health. It will also outline some of the ethical issues concerning domestic violence that healthcare practitioners, specifically nurses may encounter when caring for abused pregnant women and how they can assess for abusive behaviours in pregnancy. In addition, the paper will provide the writer with additional scope and depth in this area and help in enhancing personal knowledge and skills as well as promoting professional creativity. Definition of Domestic Abuse According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, (PHAC), intimate partner violence or domestic abuse is not a single form of maltreatment. It comprises the entire collection of abusive behaviours such as sexual, emotional/psychological, financial, physical, and verbal when they are directed exclusively or mostly at the abusers spouse, mate, girlfriend, or boyfriend. Also for the purpose of this paper, domestic intimate partner abuse/violence is defined as any of the above mentioned behaviours experienced by women at the hands of their partners. Domestic abuse against women It is known that battering has cultural, social, economic and psychological roots. The unequal power between men and women relationship contributes heavily to the problem. In many different part of the world, domestic violence is firmly entrenched in the culture. At times violence against women is accepted by cultural and religious norms therefore, for men to use force on women is not considered an offense (Payne, 2006; Carcia-Moreno, Jansen, Ellsberg, Heise, Watts, 2006; Valladares, Pena, Persson, Hogberg, 2005). Women are traditionally in a position of being economically dependent on men. As a result, women have learned to be submissive, feel powerless, and respect the male dominance. The reported lifetime prevalence for abuse toward women is one in every three women in the world have been beaten, forced to have sex, or otherwise. There is still underreporting of this issue since battered women may be embarrassed about their situation because they feel that it reflects on their a bilities as a woman, wife and mother. The battered person expresses feeling anxious, depressed, and insecure and feels that she cannot live without the perpetrator (CDC, 1989). Sadly it was not until 1996 that the World Health Organization recognized domestic abuse or intimate partner violence as a public health and human rights issue. Violence against women has a long, dark past in both industrialized and non-industrialized part of the world. For example, once upon a time, the British common law allowed a male spouse to chastise his wife with any reasonable instrument (Frieze Browne, 1989). In North America, state laws and cultural practices supported a mans right to discipline his wife throughout the 1800s. It was not until 1895 that a woman can use the ground of domestic violence to divorce her husband. By 1994, the Violence against Women Act has been adopted and thus guided research of domestic abuse which generated social, legal and financial support for law enforcement and social services to protect battered women (Boyer, 2001). Violence by an intimate male partner against women manifests itself in the form of forced sexual intercourse, physical aggr ession, psychological maltreatment and controlling behaviours. Types of abuse Often times when we think domestic abuse the first thought is a woman has been beaten up by their partner. Not all domestic abuse actually results from a violent act. A woman does not need to be brutally beaten or bruised for us to suspect domestic abuse. An abusive behaviour can be in any form of the different abuse such as emotional or sometimes refer to as psychological, economic, physical and sexual. Review of both international and national literature suggests that between 10% and 52% of women experience or has experienced physical violence and 10% to 30% have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the partner (Garcia-Moreno et al., 2006). Description of the types of abuse is provided. Physical abuse is defined as a deliberate application of force to a persons body (Statistics Canada, 2001, p. 11) which may result in a non-accidentally injury. Physically abusive behaviour can take many forms including hitting, slapping, pushing or anything that causes physical pain or discomfort. In the United States, an estimated 4 to 6 intimate relationships end up in physical violence each year and one in every three women would experience physical assault by an intimate partner in their adulthood. Also alarming is that 2 to 4 million of women in the U.S.A. per year are assaulted by an intimate partner (Newton, 2001). In the literature, it was reported by many women that the physical violence against them either began or escalated when they were pregnant or when their children were very young (Ulla Diez et al., 2009; Bostock, Plumpton, Pratt, 2009). This increase in abuse may be a result of the abuser having feelings of jealousy over the womans concern for another individual, e ven if it is an unborn or small child. Violence including physical abuse also affects both physical and mental well-being depending on how severe the attack or injuries were (Payne, 2006). Also economic and financial abuse is another form of domestic violence in which the abuser uses money to control his or her partner. A person is denied of financial mean when their partner refuse or when they are forbidden to work and if they are permitted to work, the abuser demands the abused individual to hand over their paychecks. This allows the abused partner to be dependent on the perpetrator for money. There are some economically abused women who are forced to beg their partner for everyday necessities such as food and/or health care. Furthermore many financial and economic abusers will put all of the family bills in their victims name in order to ruin their credit. Psychological abuse, also known as emotional abuse is another avenue for a batterer to use to assert power and control of the woman. According to Health Canada, there is no accepted universal definition of emotional abuse. This abusive behaviour is usually used to damage the persons sense of self-worth, perception, and independence. A person who is emotionally abused tends to experience verbal insults including name-calling, yelling, and threats and blaming. Social isolation and intimidation also consist of emotional abuse. What is more, emotional abuse may lead to physical violence. In the eyes of the public, emotional abuse may look less damaging to physical abuse due to the scars and bruises that physical abuse may leave. But despite it invisibility, emotional abuse cuts deep. To confirm, case-study interviews compiled by Statistics Canada with abused women suggest that for many women the cumulative impact of emotional abuse over a long period of time can equally be damaging as ph ysical violence (Statistics Canada, 2001). No abuse, physical, sexual, or financial happens without any element of emotional consequences. One Canadian study on abuse done with both College and University dating relationships revealed 81 percent of the male respondents admitted to emotionally abusing their female partners (Health Canada, 2006). In addition, sexual abuse is a pervasive form of violence against women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sexual abuse is any forced sexual contact, intimidation, and trafficking including unwanted sexual advances and harassment (2003). Research have show that sexual violence is associated with number of adverse mental health outcomes such as post traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, eating disorder, drug and substance misuse, and suicidal behaviour (Payne, 2006; Galvani, 2007; Garcia-Moreno et al., 2006; Svavarsdottir Orlygsdottir, 2008). In her study Galvani (2007) determined that 40% to 80% of women who receiving treatment for substance abuse at a treatment centre have experienced domestic abuse some point in their life. Also based on a WHO report, one in four women may experience sexual violence by an intimate partner whereas the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence states between one-third and one-half of all battered women are raped by th eir partners at least once during their relationship. As high as 15% of women have experienced sexual abuse in their life time and fewer than 10% in the last 5 years have experienced sexual abuse. Whilst a multi-country standardized population-based survey by WHO report that between 15% and 71% of women were physically or sexually abused by their partner some point in their lives. However, numerical figures which represent all types of abuse against women underestimate the actual population experiencing it. Most women fails to report violent behaviour due to the shame, social stigma, and fear of repeated or escalation in abuse, as well as fear of material loss such as income. In other countries, women who report abusive behaviours tend to fear violence toward them from the authorities who are in place to protect them. A forced sexual activity even between intimate partners is still considered as violation of the persons human rights. Domestic abuse during pregnancy Violence against women by male partners and ex-partners is a persistent major public health problem resulting in injuries and other short and long term health consequences, such as mental illness and complications of pregnancy. Domestic abuse often happens when the woman becomes pregnant with the child. It often leaves the pregnant women engaging in harmful behaviors and practices correlating with poor pregnancy outcome. Various researchers have critically reviewed and completed analysis of studies that identify pregnant women at risk of intimate partner abuse. To my surprise, according to the Center for Disease Control, 4 to 8 percent of pregnant women (over 300,000) per year suffer abuse during pregnancy. Also, one Canadian study revealed that 6% to 8% of women had been abused while pregnant and 95% of them had experienced the abuse during the first trimester (Stat Canada, 2003). It is said that 40% to 45% of physical abused women are also forced to have sex (PHAC). It is estimated that 95% of the victims of domestic or intimate partner violence are women, and that two-thirds of all marriages will experience domestic violence at least once. Consequently, 4 million women a year are assaulted by their partners. Domestic violence is the number one cause of emergency room visits by women. The number one cause of womens injuries is abuse at home. This abuse happens more often than car accidents, mugging, and rape combined. Battering often occurs during pregnancy. One study found that 37% of pregnant women, across all class, race, and educational lines, was physically abused during pregnancy, and 60% of all battered women are beaten while they are pregnant. Interviews with pregnant women suggest that abuse during pregnancy is an important link between the well established overlap of intimate partner violence. Abuse in pregnancy can affect maternal health and infant birth weight. Most complications of pregnancy such as low weight gain, anemia, sexually transmitted infections, and first and second trimester bleeding are significantly higher for abused women (Saltzman, Johnson, Colley Gilbert, Goodwin, 2003; Martin et al., 2001; Kearney, Haggerty, Munro, Hawkins, 2003). When a pregnant woman is subjected to violence, it is certainly a threat to her own health, but it also puts the fetus at risk. A womans ability to protect herself and her unborn baby is limited by the abuser.   Abused women report alcohol and drug abuse, cigarette smoking, and insufficient nourishment. An analysis of articles written in this area demonstrated that the number of expectant women who are abused in a relationship is unknown and that the consequences range from physical injuries, emotional distress to maternal and fetal death. However, many of the literature identified pregnancy as a common risk factor for domestic violence, and estimate the prevalence rate of violence during pregnancy to be 0.9% to 28%. These studies also yielded information on various demographic and lifestyle variables that correlates with spousal abuse during pregnancy. For example, according to data (Espinosa, Osborne, 2002; Bostock et al., 2009; Garcia-Moreno et al., 2006; Valladares et al., 2005), younger women may be more at risk for abuse during pregnancy. The researchers found that young women may lack the life experience that could forewarn them of the seriousness of becoming involved with dangerous or violent individuals and may experience violence within a larger context related to their v ulnerability. As well as having an unplanned pregnancy. A population-based research confirms by indicating that women who had unplanned pregnancy were 2.5 times more likely to experience abuse than those who had planned their pregnancy (Whitehead Fanslow, 2005). Approximately about half of all these unplanned pregnancies in the US end up in termination. Parker, McFarlane, and Soeken (2000), found that 20.6% of teens reported abuse during pregnancy, in comparison to 14.2% of adult women based on a structured interviews of pregnant women ages 13 to 42. In addition, Persily and Abdulla, (2001), analyzed data from a pilot study conducted in rural part of West Virginia. In that study, pregnant women under 20 years old experienced domestic abuse at a shocking rate of 18.5%, compared to 9.4% for the pregnant women ages 20 to 29, and 4.4% for pregnant women 30 years and older. Furthermore, the relationship between alcohol uses, tobacco use and other substance abuse and domestic violence during pregnancy have been investigated. Persily and Abdulla noted there was a significant relationship between tobacco use and abuse but no significant difference were found between alcohol and illicit drug use and abuse of pregnant women. In contrast, Galvani, (2007), Parker et al, (2000), and Amaro, et al, (1998) found that more victims of domestic violence during pregnancy reported use of cigarettes, alcohol or other drugs than non-victims. The findings also suggested that abused pregnant women were significantly more likely to continue substance abuse during pregnancy. Another shocking finding was that, pregnant women who are in an abusive relationship tend to initiate prenatal care late in their pregnancy because of their partners controlling behaviour. McFarlane et al (1998) researched that abused women were almost twice as likely as non-abused women to begin prenatal care in the third trimester. Work by Persily and Abdulla (2001) showed that 38% of the women in their sample who were victims of domestic violence registered for prenatal class after 20 weeks of gestation, comparing to 23% of the women who were not abused. Moreover, majority of pregnant women experiencing domestic abuse simultaneously experience depression and anxiety (Collins, Thomas, 2004; Ulla Diez et al., 2009). According to Persily and Abdulla (2001), 83% of victims of domestic abuse during pregnancy report being depressed, and 89% report feeling anxious. Amaro and partners (1998) found that victims of domestic violence were more likely than non-abused pregnant women to be depressed during pregnancy, to feel less happy about being pregnant, and to have had a history of depression and attempted suicide. The question is: is it the abuse that results in the depression or the history of depression that manifest itself again at pregnancy? To combat and eliminate violence against women, especially expectant women, a variety of social support resources need to be available to women abused during pregnancy. In one Canadian study sample (Wathen, MacMillan, 2003), 8 of 109 women entering prenatal care who reported abuse shared a common source of social support. The eight women abused demonstrated a sole identification of non familial support people, whereas the remaining 101 non-abused women all identified family members as their source of support. In addition, Amaro et al (1998) reported an association between feeling a lack of support during pregnancy and higher rates of violence during pregnancy. Espinosa and colleague (2002) similarly states that women who were battered during pregnancy reported they had fewer people whom they could get together or discuss personal issues. However, in some international papers, women often felt that domestic abuse was a private family matter and should not be discussed. But based on the findings of Bostock et al., (2009), discussing relative safety from domestic abuse was dependent on whether there was empathy, understanding, shared experience, and effective help and protection offered by the support systems that were accessible to the abused victim. The implication is that, women who have contacts, such as, family, a close friend, legal, police, social and health services to contact stands a big chance of escaping abuse in their relationships; and that failing to recognize the unacceptability of violence against women were aspects of service that perpetuated abusive situations. It further indicates that, maybe it is the knowledge of not having anyone to cry unto that encourages men married to or in relationship with such women to abuse them. The information found highlighted that there is a need for further evaluation of domestic violence in pregnancy and related factors regarding the unequipped health, social and legal resources available to respond to women and domestic abuse. Moreover, there are gaps found on which limited or no research have been performed. First, studies of domestic violence during pregnancy using studies of population-based sampling of women and studies incorporating a variety of clinical settings are very limited. Secondly, more research is also needed on the best ways to assess for domestic violence and the ways in which its severity and chronicity can be assessed. As it is now, there is no study out there indicating how spread the phenomenon is and the long term effect that the abuse have on children born under these circumstances. No study has answered whether the abuse also stops after delivery or not. Further research about perpetrator-focused intervention is needed. The only tool we have now on dealing with perpetrators of domestic abuse is punishment. However, common sense dictates that this does not eliminate abuse. To combat it properly therefore, we need to have more researches into workable treatment for abusive men. These areas will be necessary to explore because it is an obligation for health care providers to consistently assess for domestic violence and to intervene appropriately when violent and abusive situations are acknowledged. Ethical consideration for health providers As part of their professional role, nurses, in their everyday lives make ethical decisions in their nursing practice. When dealing with domestic violence, nurses are bound to encounter ethical issues such as dilemma, distress, distributive justice, violation, and locus of authority. One of the greatest mysteries to many healthcare professionals attempting to help victims of violence from their intimate partners is the revolving door syndrome, which deals with the same victims who are admitted to care over and over again. The nurse may perceive this as an ethical dilemma, since the nurse may wish to break the cycle of the abuse but then the victim may not want any help. Their inability to fix the problem or what they perceive as womens failure to follow their advice and change their situation lead both the doctors and nurses feeling frustrated and powerless. The inherent frustration leads to comments such as you again? or Now, will you leave him, or Dont you get it? when victims arrive at the emergency department. The fact is, for all their good intentions, it is the professional caregivers who dont get it (McMurray, 2005). What they dont get is these women are not happy in the situation in which they find themselves; neither do they necessarily attract violent m en. They often just get caught up in a situation where they perceive that there is no way out. These women are often emotionally isolated and economically dependent on their abusers. The uncertainty of making it on their own outside of the marriage, and especially where children are involved, the fear of impoverishing or endangering the children forces the victims to stay in abusive relationships. As such, their main motivation is reducing the impact and frequency of the abuse rather than leaving the abuser (Bates Hancock, 2001; Lutenbacher, Cohen Mitzel, 2003). As a result, they become invested in the situation, and normalize it regardless of how difficult it becomes, even to the point of dismissing the threat of lethal violence (Nicolaidis, Curry, Ulrich et al, 2003). Carver (2003) a psychologist who has been trying to help victims out of this type of situation for over 30 years, describes this dilemma as a mix of the Stockholm Syndrome and cognitive dissonance. In addition to overcoming the dilemma, health care professionals working with an abused client may experience moral distress. The distress comes about when a person know the ethically appropriate action to take, but is unable to act upon it or when one acts in a manner contrary to their personal and professional values which undermines the persons integrity and authenticity (Redman, Fry, 2000). Moral distress can be a serious problem in nursing. It results in a significant physical and emotional stress, which contributes to nurses feelings of loss of integrity and dissatisfaction with their work environment. Studies demonstrate that moral distress is a major contributor to nurses leaving the work setting and profession. It affects relationships with patients and others as well and can affect the quality, quantity, and cost of nursing care (Redman, Fry, 2000). Further more, nurses may feel overwhelmed from the need to help in the case of domestic violence. However, they may be unable to follow their moral beliefs because of clients personal, cultural values, even societal or institutional restraints. For instance, for a pregnant woman in an abusive relationship, the right action to the health care worker is very obvious, yet the clients right to exercise autonomy and choice makes it impossible for the nurse to pursue the proper course of action without the victims consent. Another ethical issue that can occur in domestic abuse is distributive justice. According to Keatings and Smith, (2000), distributive justice is the proper distribution of both social benefits and burdens across society. Within the health care ethics, the relevant application of the principle focuses on distribution of goods and services. Unfortunately, there is a finite supply of goods and services, and it is impossible for all people to have everything they might want or need. According to Burkhardt and Nathaniel, (1998), one primary purpose of the governing systems is to formulate and implement policies about broad public health issues (example, domestic violence) that deals with fair and equitable allocation of inadequate resources. In 2002, the Ontario government announced its plans to spend more than $21 million to address domestic violence after the recommendation of the Hedley jury inquest in February 2002 (Cross, Ontario Women Justice Network, 2002, November). Evidently, in Ontario, the provincial government is trying to do something about this pervasive issue that have taken a toll in todays society, but the estimated cost of violence against women by the Middlesex-London Health Unit in 2000 was $4.2 billion annually ( Malone, 2005). Then clearly, the governments action is woefully inadequate and it needs to increase the funding if every domestic violence victim is to be catered for. Clinical decision-making and appropriate implementation of decisions in the clinical environment is an essential component of professional nursing practice. However, implementation of decisions requires a critical look into the distribution of authority in the environment. In domestic violence situations, the power in the house usually rests in the hands of the men. Breaking the cycle of violence therefore requires changing the dynamics of the power through education and interventions rather than any medical interventions. Also, although nurses have the clinical knowledge and desires to help their abused clients, however, the power of autonomy that the clients have makes it impossible for nurses to make decisions about victims without first consulting and getting their consent. This is very frustrating for nurses because no matter what they know and how much they want to help, they cannot do it if the victim says no. A factor influencing the nurse-physician relationship stems from the inequity in power relations between the two. Doctors exert direct power in the health care system, determining who will be admitted as well as the type of treatments to be performed. Nurses, although an essential component to the functioning of any health care organization and by far the most powerful group in terms of numbers, exert little authority in regard to initiating treatments for their clients. Nurses, because of their wholistic approach to health care tend to acknowledge that patients exist within social networks and that the relationships embedded in these networks are central to decision-making. As a result, nurses have a tendency to become concerned with the specifics of a situation and therefore, are slow to make decisions. On the other hand, doctors who are reductionist in nature are inclined to analyze problems, leaving details that nurses may believe are important out in their decision-making. Conse quently, they make decision with little or no collaboration, and based on little information about the client. For instance, because of their personal values and moral beliefs, nurses might believe abused women require more wholistic treatment whereas a physician might just treat the bruises. Furthermore, violence against women is a violation of human rights that cannot be justified by any political, religious, or cultural claim. A global culture of discrimination against women allows violence to occur daily and with impunity (Amnesty International, 2001). Domestic violence violates a womans right to physical integrity, to liberty, and all too often, to her right to life itself. These are universal human rights that every one everywhere is entitled to, simply by virtue of being human. Therefore, when states fail to take the basic steps needed to protect the basic human rights of women from domestic violence and allow these crimes to be committed with impunity, states are failing in their obligation to protect half of its citizens, namely women from torture. Conclusion Evidence through this library research indicates that, in some cases, domestic abuse perpetuated against women may be initiated when a wom

Ransom Written by Lois Duncan Essay -- Ransom Lois Duncan Essays

Ransom Written by Lois Duncan Setting:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story takes place in New Mexico Time:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story occurs during the winter. Characters:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Buck is one of the three people who are kidnapping the children. He is tempered easily. He doesn’t really care for others much. Rita is Buck’s wife. She is not very pretty and gets drug into schemes by Buck. She feels he will leave her if she doesn’t follow directions. Juan is the other kidnapper who does more of the dirty work. He is the one who calls the parents for the money. He’s the one who shot the bus driver. Glenn is one of the boys who were kidnapped. He’s very popular and has friends and thinks that nobody dislikes him. He’s handsome and very athletic. Glenn’s brother Bruce is into more technology stuff. He is not very handsome and looks up to his brother a lot. He is physically challenged because his body is underdeveloped. Dexter doesn’t have a mother or father. He lives with his bachelor uncle who’s always away on business trips. He is liked fairly well. He is happy with his li fe. Jesse is new to everyone. She moves around the world quite a lot. She’s very mature compared to the others. Marianne has two brothers. Her parents are divorced and her mother remarried another man. She thinks that her real dad still loves her and will rescue her and doesn’t care much for her new father. Conflict:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The group’s main problem is that they are being held ransom and they don’t know whether they’ll ever be rescued. The group is concerned that their parents won’t be able to get the whole amount of money so they are faced with the fact of having to runaway in order to escape their kidnappers. Plot:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The kids are getting on the bus to go home after another ordinary day at high school. They noticed they had a substitute bus driver. He missed a couple of stops so Bruce volunteered to show him the way. When only the five kids who live on Valley Gardens are left, the bus driver drives past their subdivision without stopping. The kids complain and he tells them to shut up. The bus pulls off to the side of the road next to a waiting car. He orders them to get off the bus and into the car. By this time the kids realized they were being kidnapped. A woman is in the car, whose name is Rita. She drives them to a cabin about two hours away. When they arrive, the kids are fed stew. The boys were sent... ...ased the brakes until coming to a complete stop. Juan and Glenn, knowing where they were going, went to the door leaving the dad alone to get the money. Upon entering the cabin, Juan asked him for the money. He replied quickly that first he needs to see his daughter. The children came out. There was a sudden movement by Glenn which attracted the attention on him long enough for Marianne’s father to pull out the pistol. He pistol whipped Juan and held the gun towards Rita. Rita suddenly started screaming in Spanish asking where Buck was. They told her he was dead and ordered her to put her hands above her head. He handed the gun to Glenn motioning him to stay here and watch the two as he went for the cops and took the others. Evaluation:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I thought the book was very exciting and suspenseful like her other books. The book had very good detail and an interesting plot. I liked the twist when Juan and the girl’s father came upon Glenn walking down the road. I also liked how the author described the action in great detail. It made me feel like I was right there seeing it all happen firsthand. I don’t think that the author could’ve made this book any better than she did already.

IQ test Essay -- Argumentative

According to the website, I have an IQ of 113. I feel as though a site like www.iqtest.com could produce a â€Å"g† score because they make you pay too see an analysis of your results, which indicates to me that they put some effort into producing fairly accurate scores. General intelligence, also known as â€Å"g†, describes an individual’s specific mental ability, which is measured by tasks on an IQ test (Myers p. 405). The site breaks down your overall IQ results into different categories of intelligence and gives you an IQ score for how well you tested in a given area. For example, there is a category for â€Å"spatial intelligence† which is ones ability to predict what actions will happen based on varied conditions (Website). By looking at the broken down results you can compare areas you have strengths in, versus the areas you might struggle in. This is in accordance to what Charles Sherman found when he discovered that people who score high in one area tend to score high in similar categories (Myers p. 405). For a person to see what their â€Å"g† score would be they would simply have to look at which category they scored highest in and from that they would see in which area they have the highest intelligence in. I do not think this on-line IQ test is a good predictor of a person’s future achievements. However, I do feel like they can be used in a positive way because they can help identify a persons strengths and weakness. Using the results of an IQ a teacher can help build on a child’s strengths or help a child be brought up to a certain level by using various teaching methods that the test helps identify (Myers p. 471). Therefore because of this an IQ test is a poor indictor of future achievement because a child can work to improve what... ...t I am doing is correct. Also, when I was first starting out in school I was taught with a lot visual objects, because of this I had a hard time on this test because I had to do everything in my head. My parents growing instilled in me that if I work hard enough I can do anything I wanted, it would not matter how smart you are. Thus I have always thought that IQ tests cannot predict success, but can help act as a guide and a place to build from. I feel as though this test might be a fairly accurate portray of my IQ. However, the test was heavily math involved, which I tend to struggle in. Also the test made me do everything in my head. Since I consider myself a visual person I tend to have to see the work I am doing in order to be successful. Thus I feel as though if this test allowed me to do the work how I do my own I feel as though I would have done better.

A Universal Game of Literacy Essay -- Reading Writing Language Essays

A Universal Game of Literacy "The blank page is nothingness-the silence- on which the words enact their epic journey, which is both a quest for a meaning and a creation of meaning." O. B. Hardison The Bible introduced the concept of God as a creator of the universe. In contrast, Darwin's theory supplanted the idea of a single creator orchestrating all extant processes by affirming the role of chance in shaping the reality. According to Darwin's story, random events create chaos in the universe and then re-establish order characterized by certain patterns of life. Like the changes in the environment, the emergence of specific patterns cannot be predicted. Yet, no matter how chance might shape reality, language adapts to mirror all of the changes. Consequently, by molding language to reflect the emerging patterns of life, chance begets new meanings. Building bridges between time and space and arranging the patterns created by chance inside these domains, language contains the expression of meanings. Therefore, using language to describe the surrounding world, we control the universe. The role of language in the formation of reality also makes us reconsider our notions of self an d freedom. Fueled by chance, random memes generate new patterns. As Dennett contends, memes need human minds in order to live and "reproduce" (give rise to a new idea, thought or meme). As soon as a meme assumes a trivial meaning, it is supplanted by other memes. Once a meme is anchored in a brain, it is "processed" and changed in compliance with the idiosyncrasies of that particular brain. Then, it is passed to other brains. According to this description of memes, an individual cannot generate germinal memes without being influenced by ... ...ht in an effective way, those who have mastered to the art of expression elicit emotions and thoughts from the audience. The ability to achieve this grants immortality to the text and its creator. Random events inspire new meanings, contained in words. Arranging words to transmute time and space, people manage to control the universe. Giving us the freedom of thought, language allows us to impose order on the surrounding world, thus enabling us to create reality and grow. Having the ability to transmute the environment according to our own volition, are we free to do whatever we want? Are we entitled to the right to do so? References: Daniel Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea (New York, N.Y.: Touchstone books, 1996) George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-four (London: Penguin Books, 1990) Jonathan Culler, Literary Theory (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000)

Acquaintance Rape

Running Head: ACQUAINTANCE RAPE Acquaintance Rape: It Could Happen To Anyone Abstract Anyone can be a victim of acquaintance rape. It does not matter if the victim is male or female, old or young; it can still happen. Just by being at a party full of friends or even going on a date with a significant other, everyone is at risk. It is never the victims fault. There is no possible way to know when or to whom it will happen. Acquaintance Rape: It Could Happen To Anyone We are taught â€Å"don’t get raped†, rather than â€Å"don’t rape. † Rape is defined as an act of sexual intercourse without legal consent (Harrison, 1996, p. ). The word rape is derived from the Latin word rapere, meaning to steal, seize, or carry away (Katz & Mazur, 1979, p. 10). There is more than one type of rape; they are all considered rape, but by different standards. For example, acquaintance rape refers to rape by a person known to the victim. Statutory rape means that one of the part ies involved is under the â€Å"age of consent†, which varies from the ages of 14 all the way up to 20. Rape by deception is getting the victim to agree under false pretenses. Regardless of which type it may be, it is all considered rape.In America, a rape occurs every six minutes (Keller, 1996, p. 312). Rape is rape, whether it is by a complete stranger or by someone known to the victim. There are some common questions people think about when discussing the topic of rape, such as: How can I tell who is a rapist and who is not? What kinds of people get raped? Do the victims know their attackers or are they strangers? Can men get raped? Are women rapists too? Who is to blame, the victim or the attacker? Is it still rape if I am in a relationship with the person? Why are women the weaker or ‘safer’ target?Is rape justifiable? Do they deserve it? How can we eliminate rape? Unfortunately, there is no way to tell who is a rapist and who is not just by looking at the p erson. It could be a boyfriend, a teacher, a friend, a classmate, or even just someone who lives next door. Even though there is no way to physically determine who is a rapist and who is not, there are certain behaviors that they portray that can make it easier to spot them. One of the main goals of the attacker is to increase the victim’s vulnerability. If the victim is vulnerable then she will be easier to control.The attackers use the vulnerability to their advantage; they may manipulate the victim to be alone with them, in which case it would be easier to rape them. Because of her personal relationship with the attacker, however casual, it often takes a woman longer to perceive an action as rape when it involved a man she knows than it does when a stranger assaults her. Acquaintance rape could happen to anyone. There is not a certain type of person that gets raped. Many people believe that women who wear provocative, or revealing, attire or women that are a â€Å"teaseâ €  are more likely to get raped than people who dress and act more modestly.A â€Å"tease†, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means to tantalize especially by arousing desire or curiosity often without intending to satisfy it. But the truth is, it does not matter what the victim is wearing or the manner in which they are acting it can still happen. When most people hear the word rape, it is believed to be by a big guy in an alley that is going to rape and beat them. Just by going to a friend’s house or going to a party surrounded by peers there is a greater risk of getting raped there than by a random stranger on the street.Most acquaintance rapes happen on college campuses, thirty-eight percent of women who had been raped were between the ages of 14 and 17 at the time of their assaults (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 117). In a survey of 32 college campuses, 1 in 4 women surveyed were victims of rape or attempted rape. Of those raped, eighty-four percent knew their attacker (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 11). Men and women are four times more likely to get raped by someone they know rather than a stranger. Seventy to eighty percent of rape crimes are acquaintance rapes (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 2). Many people do not believe that men can get raped, or that women could be rapists. Usually men are raped by other men, but there are some instances where women do rape men. Women rape children more than grown men. It has been calculated that approximately ten percent of victims going to rape centers are males even though men are far less likely to actually seek help or even admit it was rape (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 98). But men are not immune, sixteen percent of male college students admit to having been forced into rape (Keller, 1996, p. 312).Most of the time when men are raped, it is by people they do not know in order to establish power and masculinity when there is no other way to express power (Hopkins, 1984, p. 46). Ninety-eight point seven percent of all rapists are male, but of those only eighty percent are over the age of 21 (Harrison, 1996). But men can still be raped by people know to them also. Most male rapes are heterosexual rapes. When men rape it is because they are trying to establish dominance. Rape is not the unleashing of male desire; it is rather the articulation of male meaning (Hopkins, 1984, p. 42).In acquaintance rapes, many people believe that since the attacker is known to the victim then is not really considered rape. Many acquaintance rapes happen because of miscommunication. The man may think that the woman was suggesting or hinting at sex with her attire or actions; whereas, the woman may have no idea that the man feels that way. It is not the victim that causes the rape (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 22). Many people believe that the women could have prevented the rape if they knew who the attacker was. The truth is there is no way to determine who is going to get raped; only the attacker knows.Mo st people have a â€Å"gut feeling† when it comes to new people, and many just push it aside until something bad happens, and then the feeling comes back again. If a woman goes on a date or is with friends and they get that â€Å"gut feeling† again, then it could possibly end badly. People do not know what is going to happen to them every second of their lives. There is no way to know who it will happen to or when it will occur and by whom. An evening planned with friends could all go awry without any warning. A victim usually doesn’t think that someone they know would even consider raping them.So the attacker is to blame because they are the ones who planned it. In a relationship, if the significant other says ‘no’ it is still considered rape if the attacker proceeds. Most people don’t think that rapes occur between people in a relationship. Men have been taught that women resist sex to avoid looking â€Å"promiscuous† by indulging in casual and indiscriminate sexual relationships. Men think that women will always say â€Å"no† even if they really mean â€Å"yes†; many women want a strong dominant leader, some men take advantage of this.Sex to men can become an addiction which can cause them to thrive after it. Sex may become a need instead of a pleasure. If a man’s main focus is sex then it is easier to rape and not consider it as so. Many men have resorted to using violence to get what they want, and it may not be with any form of weapon, but men are generally larger and stronger than females. Seventy-one percent of rape victims report the use of a weapon (Harrison, 1996). If women have been in an abusive relationship it may be harder to admit it was rape due to the fear they already have towards their partner.After being in an abusive relationship, the woman may become desensitized. Desensitization means to decrease the abnormal fear in (a person) of a situation or object, by exposing him to it either in reality or in his imagination. Once the woman starts to desensitize, it may become easier for the man to rape her because she may not fight back as much because it is the type of behavior she may be used to from the relationship. If the attacker is a former partner then the man may not consider it rape because he is establishing â€Å"old rights†.If the couple had sex in their relationship and then broke up then the man feels that he should still get sex from her. He may not only want to have sex though, he might want a relationship again and think that having sex will mean that she wants him back. He may just be trying to get back at her if she is the one who ended the relationship in the first place. Most women would not have gone back out with the person if they were able to clearly recognize it was rape in the first place (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 64).Eighty-four percent of men who had committed rape said that what they did was â€Å"definitely not rapeà ¢â‚¬  (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 90). Women are the â€Å"safer† target for attackers because they are less likely to report the rape, especially if the attacker is known to the victim. There are anywhere between five hundred twenty-five thousand to two million additional rapes are believed to go unreported every year (Harrison, 1996). Women are unknowingly taught to be â€Å"safe† targets. Many women are thought of as passive and weak so that is what they believe, so when a situation arises they do not know what to do.Seven main reactions that victims have which classify them as â€Å"safe† victims are denial, dissociation, self-blame, ignoring the â€Å"little voice†, not fighting back, not reporting the attack, and becoming a victim again (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 54-63). In a study done on acquaintance rape victims forty-two percent of women who were raped said they had sex again with the men who assaulted them (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 63). Acquainta nce rape has become more frequent in today’s society. Rapes between men and women who know each other are happening in big cities, small towns, and rural areas.They occur among all ethnic and religious groups, regardless of education or wealth. Many of the rapes are rooted in the social behavior men and women learn (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 35). Society’s attitude is that if a person dresses provocatively or is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, then the victim must endure the consequences of their actions. â€Å"In the majority of rapes, the victim was promiscuous or had a bad reputation (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 45). † When a woman is drinking, even if she is not drunk, some men believe that the rape is justifiable because â€Å"good girls† do not drink.About seventy-five percent of men and at least fifty-five percent of women involved in acquaintance rapes had been drinking or taking drugs just before the attack. Forty-five percent of all reporte d rapes involved drugs and/or alcohol: sixty-six percent for alcohol, fourteen percent for drugs, and fifteen percent for both drugs and alcohol (Harrison, 1996). Alcohol and drugs can alter the senses. While on drugs there may be hallucinations or black outs, and with alcohol the brain cells start to slow down and vision starts to become impaired.Men take advantage of these effects. If a woman’s vision is impaired then she will not be able to fully see the attacker which means she cannot identify him. If the woman is blacked out she has no way of even knowing what is happening to her and cannot identify the attacker because she has no memory of what happened during the black out. At a bar it is easy to drink too much and not remember anything. Being raped is not something to take lightly, but if the victim cannot remember anything then it will be harder to believe their story.Attackers do not want to be considered â€Å"rapists† but if the victim does not defend thems elf or say ‘no’ then the attacker does not see it as actual rape. Women under the influence are easier to take advantage of because they will not fight back as much because they may not even know what is happening. Forty percent of men and eighteen percent of women agree that the degree of a woman’s resistance should be the major factor in determining if the rape has occurred (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 6). But with drugs and alcohol a woman may not even be conscious so she would not be able to resist the attack. Research shows that today’s society will go to many lengths to justify rape. Some of these ways are: if the woman invites the man out on the date, the man pays for the date, she dresses â€Å"suggestively† by wearing revealing attire, they go to his place rather than to a movie, or she drinks alcohol or does drugs (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 43). In a study conducted by Martha R.Burt involving 598 Minnesota adults more than fifty percent agreed that if a woman goes to the home or apartment of a man on the first date, then she is implying that she is willing to have sex (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 45). Research shows that men may feel â€Å"led on† or mislead, whereas the woman may not even know that the actions being portrayed as sexual. In Eugene Kanin’s observation, sexually aggressive college men believed that their aggression was justifiable if the woman was â€Å"a tease† (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 45).In a survey of four hundred undergraduate students, fifty percent male and fifty percent female, conducted by Nona J. Barnett showed that seventeen percent of men and four percent of women agreed that when a woman was raped, she was asking for it; also fifty-nine percent of men and thirty-eight percent of women agree that women provoke rape by their appearance or behavior (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 46). Some women may express with their body language, actions, clothing, or words that they are willing t o have sex but later on they may change their mind.When a woman agrees to kissing or other sexual touching a man may feel that she is also willing to have sex, even if she never actually says that she does. If a woman is willing to do sexual things a man may feel that she is willing to have sex. One minute she might be saying yes and then the next she might be saying no and pushing him away. A man in the moment may not think anything of her actions and proceed. But if it happens before the partners have intercourse then these â€Å"mixed signals† may make the man angry, especially if he has already become aroused.Some men assume that if the person has had sex with them before then they are willing to have sex every time. Men are not mind readers; if a woman does not want to have sex then she needs to verbally let him know because he will not know any other way. Some people hope that improving the woman’s ability to clearly communicate what she wants will naturally lead men to understand how to proceed with their actions. This leads us to the common question of â€Å"How can we eliminate acquaintance rape? There is no way to entirely eliminate acquaintance rape, but by changing society’s view of â€Å"don’t get raped† rather than â€Å"don’t rape†, then more people would become aware of the issue and help to lessen the number of victims because of the newfound knowledge of the subject. Women are indeed the weaker sex, but with knowledge of the subject it would be easier to be more aware of the possibilities. If more people are aware, then more people will take precautions. If society’s attitude changed, then it would be easier for women to defend themselves.Women can defend themselves by taking karate classes, Tai kwon do, carrying a weapon, or taking self-defense classes. If women knew about acquaintance rape in more detail and knew that society was not against them, then more women would confess to it. Most women do not report this kind of rape, especially if their attacker is known to them. Acquaintance is the most prevalent rape crime today. Seventy to eighty percent of all rape crimes are acquaintance rapes (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 12). One in four women has been raped. A large selection of men and women believe that some women â€Å"deserve to get raped†.Sometimes the attacker may feel that the victim â€Å"deserved it† or were â€Å"asking for it†. In an interview with Shelby Bengston when the question was asked, â€Å"Do you think it is wrong for a person to be raped because he or she went into the house or vehicle of a friend or acquaintance? † Her response was â€Å"I don’t think it is right, but I do think they were asking for it. † In a protest walk against sexual harassment at Princeton University, as the 200 marchers passed in front of several all-male eating clubs, they had cups of beer hurled at them along with cries of â₠¬Å"Go get raped! † (Warshaw & Koss, 1988, p. 46).Most people won’t come out and say that people â€Å"deserve† to get raped but if people are getting raped then obviously the attacker feels that the victim â€Å"deserves† it. How do we determine who â€Å"deserves† to be raped? Do we only wish it upon the promiscuous? Or on the people we despise? Who are we to judge if someone should get raped or not. No matter the reason, nobody deserves it. Whether the victim was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or whether they wear provocative attire every person has rights and deserves to be treated with respect. Rape is violence, not seduction. References Bengston, Shelby. Personal interview. 12 Mar. 012 Harrison, M. (1996). The rape reference: A resource for people at risk. San Diego, Calif. : Excellent Books. Hopkins, J. (1984). Perspectives on rape and sexual assault. London: Harper & Row. Katz, S. , & Mazur, M. A. (1979). Understanding the rape vict im: A synthesis of research findings. New York: Wiley. Keller, K. (1996). Date rape: Ultimate issues ed. , p. 312) Student's Life Application Bible. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Warshaw, R. , ; Koss, M. P. (1988). I never called it rape: the Ms. Report on recognizing, fighting, and surviving date and acquaintance rape. New York: Harper ; Row.