Clarence killed Essay Example for Free

Clarence killed Essay This reveals that Richard plans to have Clarence killed, before his brother enters Richard utters,  Dive thoughts, down to my soul: here Clarence comes  This shows the audience that he is not going to be his true self in the next scene as if his thoughts dive down to his soul then they will be too deep down to surface, yet Clarence is not aware of his brothers falsities, and yet again, because of his acting ability Clarence thinks that his brother loves him. Richard claims not to know the reason Clarence is in the tower. That you should be new-chistend in the Tower  But whats the matter, Clarence may I know?  But he himself reveals his part in Clarences imprisonment in the soliloquy previous to this scene,  About a prophecy, which says that G?  Clarences naivety is seen the most before his murder when he says in desperation,  And I will send you to my brother Gloucester  Who shall reward you better for my life   And even after the murderers tell him that his brother hates him he is adamant that they are wrong. This scene, when Clarence is trying to bargain with the murderers, shows how dangerous Richards intelligence is, as little does Clarence know, it is his brother that wants him killed. Richard has lured Clarence into a web of deceit in which Clarence has become susceptible to Richards lies showing how dangerously alluring Richard is in this play  Richards other personalities include, confident to the audience, in his soliloquies where he is his self. Lover to Anne,  Your beauty was the cause of that effect Loving Uncle to the princes,  Where it seems best unto your royal self..  Leader of his people, a devout pious man,  O do not swear , my lord Buckingham  and many, many more. This makes him alluring because his many sides make him an intriguing character as he his not two dimensional like the rest of the cast. His multiple personas make him dangerously alluring because it is difficult to say which of his personas his is utilising, and it would be difficult to believe him as it would be hard to tell whether what he is saying is an act. For example when he is speaking with Clarence he seems genuinely concerned about his brother, From whence this present day he is deliverd?  Ã‚  We are not safe, Clarence, we are not safe!  Perhaps without the aid of the soliloquies we would not know otherwise?.  To conclude, I personally think that the two words Dangerously alluring do justice to Richards manipulative ways. Richard suffers from chronic ambitiousness, and as a result he does not have a conscience. Richard lures people into his web of deceit and quickly exterminates them if they do not fit the mould. He is a dangerous character as; I think he does not see people as human but as pawns to manipulate on the way to the throne. The factor that makes him most alluring is his multiple personalities which he explores throughout the play. His chameleonic ways are perilous because he can swap quickly for personality to personality making him interesting to the audience. This is not only perilous to the people around him, but also to himself as if he plays all of these characters he will soon lose himself in all of the pretence. By the end of the play he begins to deteriorate as personally I think that once he has achieved his main goal, he does not know what to do with himself, he quickly becomes paranoid and as a strong, dangerously alluring character, he collapses, and is no longer appealing to the audience. He become guilty, mistrustful, and vicious compared to his previous character which oozed charisma. No longer is he Richard, the anti hero with an alluring personality, but Richard III who no longer has control over a world which he once had wrapped around his little finger. Once upon a time Richard was dangerously alluring but towards the end he becomes dangerously aware.

Impact of the Enron Scandal on Accounting Standards

Impact of the Enron Scandal on Accounting Standards Abstract Every firm and its managers are expected to maximize investor returns while complying with regulatory standards, avoiding principal-agent conflicts of interest, and enhancing the reputational capital of their firms. However, in practices, being ethically is not just about giving large sum of charitys money but recognizing and acting on potential ethical issues before they become legal problems are more important aspects to taking care of. Enron collapsed as the result of unethical management practices such as the equivocation of taxes and fraudulent accounting practices. The Enron scandal is the most significant corporate collapse in the United States since the failure of many savings and loan banks during the 1980s. This scandal demonstrates the need for a close look at the ethical quality of the culture of business generally and of business corporations in the United States. Organization need to infuse ethics and integrity throughout their corporate cultures as well as into their d efinition of success. Unethical and illegal business practices at Enron led to the creation of Serbanes Oxley Act of 2002. This report will discuss and find out illegal and unethical activities, impacts on stakeholders and lessons from the Enron case. The Enron Scandal and Ethical Issues Enron Corporation is an energy trading, natural gas, and electric utilities company located in Houston, Texas that had around 21,000 employees by mid-2001, before it went bankrupt. Its revenue in the year 2000 was more than $100 billion and named as Americas most innovative companies for six consecutive years by Fortune. Enron was a company that was able to profit by providing the delivery of gas to utility companies and businesses at the fair value market price. Enron was listed as the seventh largest company in the United States and had the domination in the trading of communications, power, and weather securities (Corporate Narc, nd). At first sight, Enron looks like an excellent corporate citizen, with all the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and business ethics tools in community (Sims Brinkmann, 2003). However, the scandal of Enron has been the largest corporate scandal in history, and has become emblematic of institutionalized and well-planned corporate fraud; the Enron scandal involves both illegal and unethical activities. According to Carroll and Buchholtz (2008), the CFO Jeffrey Skilling and the CEO Ken Lay played major roles in the Enron scandal. Both of them committed securities fraud and conspiracy to inflate profit. In disguise debts of Enron, Lay and Skilling used off-the-books partnerships, after that they lied to investors and employees about the companys disastrous financial situation while selling their own companys shares (Carroll Buchholtz, 2008, p. 256). Enrons top level management has violated several accounting laws, SPE laws, and bent the accounting rules to satisfy their own desires of profit in the short term but ignoring long term repercussions for investors, stockholders, employees and the business itself. The close relationships that were formed among top leading executives and the board of directors grew arrogant, thinking they were invincible and causing them to act in an unethical manner. Enron allowed Andrew Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer to control two SPEs (special pur pose entities) that were knowingly connected to Enron, and gave him an opportunity to abuse his power. Enron also parked some of its debt on the balance sheet of its SPVs and kept it hidden from analysts and investors. When the extent of its debt burden came to light, Enrons credit rating fell and lenders demanded immediate payment in the sum of hundreds of millions of dollars in debt (Sims Brinkmann, 2003). It means that Enrons decision makers saw the shuffling of debt rather as a timing issue and not as an ethical one. They maintained that the company was financially stable and that many of their emerging problems really were not too serious, even though they knew the truth and were making financial decisions to protect their personal gains. No discussion of the Enron scandal would be complete without a discussion of the involvement of Enrons accountants, the firm Arthur Andersen. Arthur Andersen was one of many causes of the Enron collapse when they were the conflict of interest between the two roles played for Enron, as auditor but also as consultant. Andrew Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer of Enron pushed many deals across where he had a vested interested on both sides of the deal. By creating and knowingly participating in these deals, he put his financial greed above the responsibility to his position for the company. According to Paul and Palepu (2003) in 2000, Arthur Andersen earned $25 million in audit fees and $27 million in consulting fees, this amount accounted for roughly 27% of the audit fees of public clients for Arthur Andersens Houston office. The auditors methods were questioned as either being completed solely to receive its annual fees or for their lack of expertise in properly reviewing Enrons reve nue recognition, special entities, derivatives, and other accounting practices. Due to these relationships that Enron had with Arthur Andersen, it was just too easy for both Enron and the accounting firm to work together in covering up financial losses and debt. Andersen was also responsible for some of Enrons internal bookkeeping, with some of Andersens employees eventually leaving to work for Enron. The result of the accounting scandal was that many of the losses that Enron encountered were not reported in its financial statements. In November, 2001, Enron revises financial statements for the previous five years to account for $586 million in losses (Corporate Narc, nd). After a series of scandals involving irregular accounting procedures bordering on fraud involving Enron and its accounting firm Arthur Andersen, it stood at the verge of undergoing the largest bankruptcy in history by mid-November 2001. As Enron was considered a blue chip stock, this was an unprecedented and disastrous event in the financial world. Enrons plunge occurred after it was revealed that many of its profits and revenue were the result of deals with special purpose entities (Corporate Narc, nd). Enrons leaders also ignored, then denied serious problems with their business transactions and were more concerned about their personal financial rewards than those of the company. When the companys stock price began to drop as the problems were becoming public, the company was transitioning from one investment program to another. Impacts on Stakeholders Every business has a moral obligation to serve its stakeholders, whether they are business partners, customers, stockholders, or employees. Enrons bankruptcy has injured several parties including banks, stockholders, former employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and also the United States. Impacts on Employees The first thing, and most important thing the Enron scandal had an effect was the job situation. Carroll and Buchholtz (2008) argued that when Enron went bankrupt and then the Arthur Andersen accounting firm went out of business in 2002, employees were displaced and significantly affected (p. 47). Enrons financial implosion has cost thousands of employees their jobs, left thousands of people still employed by the bankrupt trader and left 5,600 employees jobless and facing retirements with no nest eggs (Carroll Buchholtz, 2008, p. 256). Many employees had their entire pensions vested in Enron stock, Kenneth Lay advised employees keep their Enron stock when the firm was crashing, and he was selling his own. While the employees were unable to sell their stock, Lay and other executives were quickly selling off many of their shares. The lives and savings of thousands employees were destroyed. They also were deprived of the freedom to diversify their retirement portfolios; and they had to stand by helplessly while their retirement savings evaporated at the same time that top managers cashed in on their lucrative stock options. Impacts on Investors and Stockholders As the result of Enron scandal, individual and institutional investors lost millions of dollars because they were misinformed about the firms financial performance reality through questionable accounting practices, and all of the shareholders lost the money that they had invested in the corporation after it went bankrupt. Shareholders lost nearly $11 billion when Enrons stock price, which hit a high of US$90 per share in mid-2000, plummeted to less than $1 by the end of November 2001 (Answers.com, 2010). Investors those who were hurt can never be made totally whole once again after the terrible experiences of Enron. Impacts on the United States and Communities Political parties, such as the Bush administration, who accepted contributions from Enron, were finding themselves in positions where returning the funds to Enron or donating them to a charitable. Enron also affected the United States in several important ways. If anything positive can be said about the Enron scandal, it is that the scandal itself heightened awareness of the importance of integrity in Accounting and business in general, and led to the creation of new safeguards to make sure that something like this would not happen again, or at least not to the full extent of the Enron damage. Enron cynically and knowingly created the phony California electricity crisis of 2000 and 2001. Between 30 percent and 50 percent of Californias energy industry was shut down by Enron a great deal of the time, and up to 76 percent at one point, as the company drove the price of electricity higher by nine times (Corporate Narc, nd). Impacts on Other Stakeholders The Enron scandal also harmed other stakeholders. For example, Enron top managers pressured Arthur Andersen to certify maximum-risk; questionable accounting practices in part to retain their consulting business and, by acceding to this pressure, Arthur Andersen won huge contracts in the short run however ultimately lost their professional credibility and client base. Some investment banks such as Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, and Merrill Lynch made over $200 million in fees from deals that helped Enron and other energy firms boost cash flow and hide debt, and, by failing to exercise their own adequate due diligence, they multiplied the harm done to other stakeholders. Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase in particular appeared to have significant amounts to lose with Enrons fall. Punishment Thousands of aggrieved employees, investors, and other stakeholders were waiting to find out what punishment will be meted out to those who covered up Enrons true financial position so successfully for so long. Three individuals that participated in the various frauds that were committed by Enron included the former president and CEO of Enron, Jeffrey Skilling; former chief financial officer in charge of LJM, Andrew Fastow; founder, former chairman, and CEO, Kenneth Lay. At first, in 2002, Enrons former chief financial officer, Andrew Fastow, and three other current and former Enron executives exercise their Fifth Amendment right not to testify at a congressional hearing. He was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. It is alleged that Fastow and others devised a scheme to defraud Enron and its shareholders (Cbsnews.com, 2006). Fastow, his wife Lea Fastow and nine other former executives faced 31 more charges and 98 counts of fraud an d they were also indicted on a host of fraud, insider trading, and other counts (Associated Press, 2006). Andrew Fastow pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy. The plea called for a 10-year sentence and his aid in targeting former top Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Lea Fastow pleaded guilty to filing false tax forms. Finally, in March 2006, Fastow had already pleaded guilty and faced up to 10 years in prison on two counts of conspiracy. Lay and Skilling went on trial for their part in the Enron scandal in January 2006 in Houston. Skilling faced 31 counts ranging from fraud to lying to auditors for allegedly lying about Enrons financial state. Lay faced seven counts of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly perpetuating the scheme. After six days of deliberations, on May 25, 2006 a verdict was reached in the Houston trial of former Enron chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Skilling was convicted of 19 of 28 counts of securities fraud and wire fraud and acquitted on the remaining nine, including charges of insider trading, making him the highest ranking former executive charged in the collapse of Enron. He was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in prison for his role in one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history (Cbsnews.com, 2006). Lay was convicted of all six counts against him, including conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud and he faced a total sentence of up to 45 years in prison. However, be fore sentencing was scheduled, Lay died on July 5, 2006 due to a heart attack (Answers.com, 2010). Lessons from the Enron Case In the new economic, the Enron scandal has been being the morality lesson. The case will teach executives and the American public the most important ethics lessons. The first lesson it that both individuals and organizations or firms should only earn money by providing goods or services that have real value in the new economic. Moreover, executives who are paid too much can think they are above the rules and can be tempted to cut ethical corners to retain their wealth and perquisites. Every firms need to demonstrate that they have eliminated all off-books accounts which distort the publics understanding of the financial health of the organization and they should to pledge that they will not suspend the companys code of conduct, or at least report to the public when they do. In order for companies to prevent an Enron-like scandal, there needs to be supervision over managers and executives as they exercise their own business judgments about what is in the best interest for an organizat ion. Kirk Hanson (2002), executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, explained that the Enron scandal demonstrates the need for significant reforms in accounting and corporate governance in the United States, as well as for a close look at the ethical quality of the culture of business generally and of business corporations in the United States. Due to the accounting frauds that occurred in the Enron scandal, several accounting firms should reorganize their employees towards remaining loyal to the ethical standards demanded by the SEC. In order for companies to prevent an Enron-like scandal, there needs to be supervision over managers and executives as they exercise their own business judgments about what is in the best interest for an organization. On the other hand, when accounting firms have been moving to sever in both auditing and consulting services for their consulting businesses, the SEC should probably adopt additional disclosure requirements. Government regulat ions and rules need to be updated for the new economy, not relaxed and eliminated. Conclusion Looking at the Enron scandal from the retrospective viewpoint of history, essentially most of the problems faced by Enron derive from the immoral and unethical actions taken on by the board of directors in their attempt to achieve personal profits. The Enron scandal changed the lives of everyone in America and perhaps just as importantly, it forced everyone to look at themselves and fully realize the consequences of reckless greed and the breakage of laws on a whim. Most of individuals and organizations had been receiving proper punishment and lessons for their relevance.

Human Resource Management in Healthcare

Human Resource Management in Healthcare Anna Marie Bià ±as BUSINESS FACTORS THAT UNDERPINS HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING IN HEALTHCARE ORGANISATION I.I BUSINESS GROWTH In order for an organisation to succeed, it needs to have a â€Å"map†, that will give direction to the business, and this is the strategic plan created by experts in human resource management. The human resource department needs to clearly understand where the organisation is headed. Familiarisation with the strategy, vision and values is essential for them to make HR strategies that can support business growth and development. Human resource managers need to work hard to show that well-thought out people can play a critical role in structuring the high performance the organisation needs to uphold a long term growth. Human resource department must have a full awareness of what is going on inside the organisation from knowing the number of staffs to the type of available skills, so they can make strategies that can fully utilise the abilities of the employees to support the growth of the business. It is significant that the organisation is flexible to change. As the business prosper, it’s important not to be too much attached to the previous strategies used and let go of the aspects of the organisation that no longer in line with its vision. I.II DECLINE Business decline is an indication that an organisation has poor performance and different areas need to be evaluated to determine what needs to be improved. When the business is not prospering the most common response of the HR department is to reduce its workforce. However, the consequences of this type of scheme can be very distressing for the employee, their families and the whole communities. While workforce reduction is sometimes inevitable, there are reasons why it should be the last resort when managing business decline. For example, after a yearly audit to a particular rest home, the results show that number of residents died because of infection and falls increased tremendously and so with cases of medication error resulting to decrease number or admissions for that year. The HR managers can used those results to devised programs like Health and Safety Seminars, Medication Competency, Infection Control Programs for the staffs instead of reducing the workforce. I.III CHANGE Flexibility and adaptability are traits that an organisation should have. The organisation should be able to adapt to the constant change that occurs in the market. The human resource management plan should contain procedures, standards, policies and processes that are not too overdone or underdone. In making this type of plan, there will be an area for revision or improvement without totally affecting the operation of the organisation. I.IV COMPETITION All organisation faces competition. Competition exists when various organisations offers identical products or services. There are two types of competition; direct and indirect competition. Direct competition occurs where organisations create similar products that appeal to the similar group of customers (Studies, n.d.). For example, in New Zealand there are hundreds of nursing homes that provide similar service to the aged population. On the other hand, indirect competition occurs when different businesses produce or sell products which although not in head to head competition still compete for the same money in the consumer’s pocket. For instance, a shop that sells contemporary CD’s may be indirectly competing with a movie house that attracts young consumers to spend their money on leisure activities. I.V IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY In the contemporary world of business, the HR departments are facing the challenge of standardising human resource processes by means of improving HR information. One way of achieving this is by moving away from â€Å"the way we’ve always done thing’ towards an innovative and modern technology that requires a giant step into unfamiliar aspect of the organisation. Modern technology can be advantageous to the organisation. For instance, when operational costs and spending are questioned and scrutinised, integrating HR and Payroll technology can be considered due to its efficiency. In addition to that, the current war for skills, employee experience, retention and employee engagement are more challenging now that they are increasingly mobile and assigned in various locations; however this can be handled by modernising the means of communication and coordination in the organisation. I.VI LABOUR MARKET COMPETITION Labour market can be understood as the mechanism through which human labour is bought and sold as a commodity and the means by which labour demand (the number and type of available jobs) is matched with labour supply (the number and type of available workers) (Sagepub, 2005). When numerous organisations produce similar services and products they will be competing in hiring for people with the excellent and relevant qualifications. In order to achieve the objectives of the organisation the HR department is now challenge on how to hire and attract the right people with the right skills, knowledge and attributes in the appropriate positions despite of the existing competition in the labour market. In dealing with this business factor, the HR manager can opt to design and improve HRM activities to achieve the organisation’s human resource requirements by developing existing staff and retaining their services over the long-term. I.VII EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT There are four resources that all organisations should manage well: money, equipment/machines, information and people. Investing in the development of the employees can result in their increase productivity which will directly contribute to business growth. The goal of the employee development is to improve the capabilities of the staffs and improve the organisation itself. Employee development programs may focus on individual staff or as a team. The HR managers can create and implement development programs based on the identified needs of the organisation so that the time and money invested is in line with the objectives of the business (Patton, 2002). HUMAN RESOURCE REQUIREMENT AND FACTORS THAT UNDERPINS HRM PLANNING IN A HEALTHCARE ORGANISATION II.I INTERNAL PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS If there is any job vacancy in the organisation there’s an instance when managers fill the available position with current staff. Frequently, the company will permit any current employee to apply elsewhere in the company. This type of internal recruitment will be able to help the organisation retain highly-skilled employee. Moreover, it may include reassessing the best structure of the vacancy in a specific area, and/or relate to the desirability of developing, sustaining, and retaining valued and talented member. There is also no need to promote a role if there is an acknowledged career development path within a department and the department desires to assign that role to a current staff that has developed over recent times, has the suitable experience, and is the best internal person to fulfil the specific requirements of the role. II.II INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS IN MATCHING PERSONNEL TO ORGANISATIONAL REQUIREMENTS Employee Relation Internal rules and procedures influence HR activities. For example, if the firm is dedicated to promoting from within, HR must ensure staffs obtain suitable training and development to be prepared for promotion when the time comes. HR should monitor the number of staffs qualified for retirement and ensure possible replacements or other staff members are trained to avoid an unexpected departure of business knowledge. External influences, political factors and organizational culture all influence the amount of grievances and complaints HR must attend to. Compensation Labour supply drives the extent of payment a business must offer to entice employees. In an oversaturated market, when unemployment is high and many more qualified applicants exist than job openings, the amount of compensation you must provide is less than when a shortage of candidates exists and you are competing against numerous other companies to hire workers. HR must frequently assess the compensation structure by conducting industry- and location-specific salary surveys to ensure wages remain competitive enough to attract and retain key staff members but low enough that the business remains financially competitive. HR must also ensure that the internal compensation structure is fair for example, experienced workers with specialized qualifications should earn more than recent college graduates performing the same tasks. Legislation Legislation influences all HR activities. Government and state legislation normally dictate how long an organisation must maintain personnel records and other employee information, what can be kept, and how. HR specialists must stay well-informed of legislation and train managers on their responsibilities. Human Resources are directly related to Labour and Employment law and encompass the various laws and guidelines specific to human resource professionals. It deals with the issues that HR professionals must contend with in the majority of their work functions, mainly in supervising and managing duties related to hiring, firing, employee benefits, wages, pay checks, and overtime. It may also pertain to workplace safety, privacy; and preventing discrimination and harassment. Furthermore, other common legislation matters of concern to the human resource managers include staff handbooks/manuals, creating policies and procedures, confirmatory action programs and policies, contract and salary laws, compliance audits, confidentiality agreements, substance abuse and drug testing laws, and unemployment compensation. 1

Canadian Birds :: essays papers

Canadian Birds The Branta Canadensis, better known as the Canada Goose is a magnificent bird which can be found all over North America. People from all over North America look towards the sky when the Canada Geese go honking overhead in their trademark "V" formation, and because they nest all over Canada and some of the United States many people have a chance to witness the birds migration to the nesting grounds and back to the wintering grounds. The Canada Goose is respected by so many of us because of it's dignity and courage and refusal to give up. Over the years the Canada Goose has picked up many slang names, some of these are: Canadian Goose, Canadian Honker, Honker, Honker Goose, Big Honker, Old Honker, Boy Goose, Bernache (French for Barnacle Goose), Big Mexican Goose, Blackee, Blacknecked Goose, Brant, French Goose, Northern Goose, Reef Goose, Ringneck, Wavy, and White-cheeked Goose (Wormer). The Canada Goose has excellent eyesight which makes it difficult to hunt because the Goose can see the hunter well before the hunter ever sees the goose (Wormer). This eyesight is essential for flying though, a Canada Goose can see three quarters of a sphere without moving its head (Wormer). The Canada Goose also has an acute sense of hearing, it's ears are positioned on the side of it's head (Wormer). They have either no sense of smell or a very poor one, but this does not impede the goose in any way (Wormer). Although there is a large variation in size all subspecies of Canada Geese look the same physically (Wormer) The male and female Canada Goose look almost exactly the same except the female can usually be recognized because it is smaller and less aggressive (Wormer). Colors also vary but, the color pattern is generally the same for all the subspecies (Godfrey). The head and neck are dark black with a large white patch on each cheek which meet under the chin, this is the Canada Goose's most easily recognized characteristic because it is unique to the Canada Goose (Wormer). The upper parts of the body as well as the wings are greyish brown, the feathers tipped with brownish white (Godfrey). The tail is black with the upper tail coverts white and the under tail coverts are white also (Godfrey). The under body is brownish grey with paler feather tips, the sides being the darkest and the lower belly is white (Godfrey).

Depression: A Mental Health Condition Essay -- mental and emotional he

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health related situations and events that impact a community (McKenzie, Pinger, & Kotecki, 2008). A common state that impacts a community is depression. Depression is a mental health condition that affects people of all ages. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (2011), depression is described by a state of sadness and hopelessness. Some symptoms of depression include no interest in daily activities, fatigue, inability to perform daily tasks, loss of appetite, and thoughts of suicide (CDC, 2011). There are two main forms of depression. The two types are dysthymia and major depression (CDC, 2011). Dysthymia is a type of depressive disorder that usually continues up to two years. This type of depression is of "low-grade mood impairment" which does not have a severe and long-lasting impairment on an individual's moods (CDC, 2011, para. 5). The population that is most affected by dysthymia are children and adolescents. Many who suffer from dysthymia can develop a more serious form of depression, which is major depression (CDC, 2011). The symptoms related to major depression include restlessness, difficulty concentrating on daily activities, feeling of helplessness, decreased energy, attempts and thoughts of suicide. The most serious consequence of major depression is suicide (CDC, 2011; NIMH, 2011). As stated by the CDC, "depression poses a substantial burden globally-" (CDC, 2011, para. 2). Friends and family of a person suffering from depression are also affected. Relationships amongst an individual and their supported networks diminishes as the individual suffering from depression withdraws from society and becomes isolated (CDC, 2011, para. 2... ...ental Health. (2011). Depression. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/health/publications/depression/index.shtml National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Depression in children and adolescents [Fact Sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-in-children-and-adolescents/index.shtml Riolo, S. A., Nguyen, T. A., Greden, J. F., & King, C. A. (2005). Prevalence of depression by race/ethnicity: Findings from the national health and nutrition examination survey III. American Journal of Public Health, 95(6), 998-1000. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2011). Depression. (NIH publication no. 11-3561). Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml

The Forensic Consultation Corporation

The terrorism threat to the US and the US interest worldwide remains significant years after the 9/11 attacks. According to the counter terrorism center, terrorism incidences against the US homeland have reduced considerably in the last three years. (Court TV Crime Library) The primary threat has been and remains the Al Qaeda network, as well as other terrorism activities sanctioned by such countries as Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Iran. The government through intelligence agencies has doubled efforts to increase the information on terrorism and terrorists. Additionally, there have been reviews of the existing techniques of profiling terrorists. This follows the fact that some of these techniques have failed in providing effective models of profiling terrorists. Profiling models for terrorists consist of analyzing different persons and using the information gained to determine identities of potential terrorists or perpetrators of terrorism activities. Some of the technology used in the detection of terrorists is intrusive and violates the privacy issues (Turvey, Brent, 1998). Therefore, it has been difficult to distinguish between criminals and innocent people. Additionally, some state of the art technologies and profiling techniques are difficult to use by non-technical people. HOW PROFILING THECHNIQUES SHOULD CHANGE According to security experts the US as well as the world at large is at an increasing threat of terrorist attacks that are worse than the 9/11 attacks in terms of loss of life and property. There is increased innovation and sophistication in the operations in the modern terrorist. The destructive potential of the weapons used today, has also increased significantly (Turvey, Brent, 1998). It is therefore imperative that some changes be implemented to ensure that the techniques are able to meet the threat of terrorism not only in the US but also else where in the world where such a threat exists. Some of the recommended changes include:  ·   Professionals especially psychologists, psychiatrists and sociologists have an ever increasing role in the practice of terrorists profiling.   Through behavioral analysis, documentation, and skilled interviewing; as well as proactive questioning techniques, it is possible to sift persons with criminal motives from innocent citizens so that security personnel can further scrutinize them. (Court TV Crime Library) The FBI academy, behavioral science unit, is a step in the right direction.  ·    Developing analysis support systems that can separate terrorist activities from innocent activities.  ·      Raising awareness among the general public, so they can be able to take note of innocuous activities, which could be indicative of terrorist activities.  · The importance of new technology in the fight against terrorism cannot be over emphasized, especially development of systems that allows surveillance without violating on people’s privacy.  ·   The progress that has been made to move beyond the guilty by association and model should be consolidated so as to eliminate or reduce errors associated with it.  ·   Due to the constant changes in terrorist behaviors and operations the profiling techniques need to be constantly changing, revised and research on different models should continue with greater tempo.  · Important security personnel such as airport, airline and sea port security managers, representatives from various embassies and consulates, security managers, police officers and finally the government personnel involved in critical infrastructure protection should be thoroughly trained so as to be attentive to strange behaviors that could be an indication of terrorism intents. ROLE OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGISTS Due to the increased threat of terrorism in recent years and events such as the anthrax scare that followed the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC, the work of forensic psychologists became critical and more critical though is forensic techniques. This involves the application of both personality and criminal profiling theory towards the psycho-behavior profiling of terrorist and their leaders/commanders. Profiles of these types of figures would serve multiple purposes. They would suggest how an individual is most likely to proceed on their terrorism endeavor, how they would respond to a particular action by the profiler’s allies or how persistent the individual is at obtaining particular goals. For instance, saddam Hussein and Bin Laden could have two contrasting traits in that Saddam is tyrant in nature while laden is a highly rebellious character. These profiles help the forensic psychologists to identify and track the terrorists to identify and track the terrorists together with their associates hence greatly impacting on thE terrorism rate. PROFILE OF A TYPICAL TERRORIST Comparative and Theoretical Aspects.  ·      The typical terrorist is unmarried. Many terrorists are ready to die for the cause and they have no faith in the future. Many remain unmarried because they wish to avoid long-term commitments (Schneier, Bruce. 2004).  ·      Religious. Most terrorists are Muslims and although not all Muslims support terrorism, there is a strong historical link between Islamic and terrorism which cannot be overlooked.  ·    Considerably educated. The terrorist of today are most likely to be well educated, meticulous in their planning, and knowledgeable in the use of modern communication equipments and methods.  ·      Subscribes to radical and revolutionary ideologies. The man or woman who is ready to die for a cause is either a nationalist/patriot or a â€Å"psychopath† who more often than not has a poor family background and seeks recognition in a bad way. However the modern terrorist is really not mentally ill, but rather has been deeply brainwashed with very narrow â€Å"ideologies.†  ·    Could be male or female although there is a bias for male terrorists.  ·    The age of probable terrorist is twenties or early thirties.  ·    Family connections.   A likely candidate could have family relations with people who have been involved in terrorism or those who sympathize with terrorist activities. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS  ·    A modern day terrorist is ready to die and is not very interested in planning for an escape route.  ·    A terrorist is ready to forfeit concerns about personal security in order to break the barriers of defense that may exist.  ·    The goal of the terrorist is to make a statement that advances their cause and is mentally convinced they are doing not only the right thing but the â€Å"honorable† thing. CONCLUSION The threat of terrorism is very real today and governments all over the world should collaborate and work together to ensure they reduce their collective and individual vulnerability to terrorist activities. Measures should be put into place to protect the US homeland. However, it should be noted that all terrorist activities are difficult to eliminate; and profiling terrorist remains an uphill task for security experts and personnel. Research and regular review of and revisions of techniques should be made in the area of terrorist profiling, to ensure the techniques utilized are constantly up to date and able to keep up with the dynamics of modern terrorist operations. References Schneier, Bruce (2004). Behavioral Assessment Profiling. Retrieved on June 19, 2007 www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2004/11/profile_hinky.html Turvey, Brent, (1998). Deductive Criminal Profiling: Comparing Applied Methodologies   

Are Homosexuals the only sexual abusers of boys Essay

I do not agree with the idea that only homosexuals sexually abuse boys. This is a myth that has been instilled in people hence people grow up with the notion that male children can only be abused by homosexuals. Sexual abuse in boys has become common although in most cases it is unreported, under-treated or under-recognized. There is little knowledge concerning sexual abuse in boys which can be attributed to the few studies which are carried in this area. Although it is not clear on the exact number of boys who are at risk of being sexually abused, it is estimated that one in every 6 boys is likely to be a victim of sexual abuse by the age of 16 years (Gartner, 2005). According to research, most male sexual abusers are likely to be males who are close to the victim but are not related to the victim. These perpetrators usually carry out the abuse away from their victim’s homes, do it repeatedly and often involve some kind of penetration. But sometimes, the perpetrators can be female. It is said that there are higher chances of boys being abused by female perpetrators as compared to girls. When female perpetrators are involved, they tend to persuade them rather than using force as opposed to the male perpetrators who often use force. Therefore, one cannot rule out the possibility of female perpetrators abusing male children because these cases do exist (Michele, 1993). According to Spiegel (2003), people tend to look down upon homosexual as the only male sexual abusers because of the way they are brought up by the society. Most societies believe that all homosexuals must have sex with boys and mostly small boys. Therefore, children are made to fear homosexuals because they are seen as child sexual abusers. Considering this socially conditioned situation, it is difficult to change the opinion of the people about sexual abuse in male children. Hence, it is important for the society to start looking at the matter from different points of view such as: female can also sexually abuse young boys. Majority of these victims do not come to the limelight. In most instances, boys are sexually abused by women in parenting roles like mothers, aunts and grandmothers. This kind of abuse usually goes unreported because of the bond and royalty that exist between them. Such abuses can also occur when a son is given the role of husband. The son is usually made to feel aligned to the mother and becomes protective such that he constantly wants to care for and please his mother. The mother may put the child in a protective position which eventually leaves the child feeling ineffectual and inadequate. Because of the protection from the father’s abuse, the abuse from the mother may seem less threatening compared to the father’s. Despite that, this kind of abuse finally has significant psychological effects to the child (Dorais & Meyer, 2002). According to a study that was carried out by Dr. William C. Holmes about sexual abuse in small boys, it reveled that although majority of male sexual abusers are male, almost 90 %, there is also a significant number of female abusers with adolescent baby sitters accounting for almost half the population of female perpetrators. It is therefore important for proper measures to be put in place to ensure that boys are protected from sexual abuse from both male and female perpetrators because they are both involved in the abuse.