A Socio Ecological Model

A Socio Ecological Model A Socio- ecological model focuses on the influences on behaviour with focus on the environment and policy and reorientations of organizations such as the health system. The use of e ecological model presents a problem from other models, whereas other models can be specific, ecological model only give domains and does not give specific guidelines as to which domain to use for what specific behaviour. Where as psyco-social models propose a more generalised approach for example self efficacy and behavioural influences in dealing with issues ecological model has to be tailor made to a behaviour and a population. Hence other theories needs to be integrated into the model to aid in specify to deal with the problem at had Healthy Active Oregon 2003: Socio-Ecological ModelLooking Beyond the Individual http://www.balancedweightmanagement.com/TheSocio-EcologicalModel.htm The socio-ecological model recognises the interwoven interaction between the individual the environment in which he lives in. although the individual is responsible for maintaining a lifestyle that improves health and reduce risk, the social environment the individual lives in determines behaviour to a large extent, these can hence form a barrier which in a way can affect the community as a whole in achieving a behaviour change. Hence the social ecological approach suggests intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, organizational and public policy in dealing with a problem at hand. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs-2007. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; October 2007. Social norms play a significant role in shaping beliefs and behaviors in healthy and unhealthy ways.10 For example, survey data from California indicate that adult smokers with strong attitudes about the health effects and restriction of secondhand smoke are more than twice as likely to have made a recent quit attempt and to have the intention to quit in the next six months.11 Adult smokers who demonstrated strong anti-tobacco industry beliefs were 65% more likely to have made a recent quit attempt and 85% more likely to have the intention to quit in the next six months.11 tobacco control program combines and coordinates community-based interventions that focus on 1) preventing initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults, 2) promoting quitting among adults and youth, 3) eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke, and 4) identifying and eliminating tobacco-related disparities among population groups. Reducing tobacco use is particularly challenging Community Programs A community encompasses a diverse set of entities, including voluntary health agencies; civic, social, and recreational organizations; businesses and business associations; city and county governments; public health organizations; labor groups; health care systems and providers; health care professionals societies; schools and universities; faith communities; and organizations for racial and ethnic minority group State capacity and infrastructure, including clear leadership and dedicated resources, are essential to the development and implementation of a strong strategic plan that includes the identification and elimination of tobacco-related disparities Tobacco control programs need to foster the motivation to quit through policy changes and media campaigns and promote their quitline services. McLeroy, K. R., Bibeau, D., Steckler, A., Glanz, K. (1988). An ecological perspective on health promotion programs. Health Education Qarterly, 15(4), 351-377. McLeroy K R, Steckler Ab, Goodman RM and Burdine JN(1992) Health Education education research: theory and Practises-future direction. Health Education Research, 7:1-8. Piper S (2009) HEALTH PROMOTION FOR NURSES; theory and practice. Routledge Oxon pp28 Borland R, Chapman S, Owen N and Hill D (1990): Effects of Workplace Smoking Bans on Cigarette Consumption. American Journal of Public Health 80, 2 A survey by Borland et al examined the effect of smoking ban on the behaviour of workers in the workplace of Australias largest public service. Before the implementation of the ban publicity was done for a year, there were programs set up to help people quit smoking, control smoking addiction and pre-deadline restrictions were introduced at some worksites. 2,113 workers were surveyed for 2 weeks before the implementation of the ban and six month after the ban was introduced. The survey found out that of the 2113 participants, 492 participants who were smoking at the time of the initial survey had reduced to 471 giving a reduction of 21 smokers after the ban. 57 smokers at the initial survey had given up at follow up whereas 36 non-smokers at initial survey were reported to have started smoking. 58% of those who gave up are reported to have done so following the implementation of the smoking ban. The study also assessed the effect of the pre-implementation restrictions on the workers. Participants were grouped into those who were allowed to smoke at the work station(43%) and those who were not allowed to smoke at their work stations (57%) . the result showed a 4.5 cigarette pre day consumption difference between those who were not allowed to smoke on site and those who were allowed. After the ban it was also found that there was a 5.2 cigarettes reduction among those who had the pre-implementation restrictions and a 1.9 cigarettes reduction among those who were not restricted. Further the survey explored. The survey further explored the effect on the participants who did not have any restrictions prior to the ban. Participants were grouped into light, heavy and moderate smokers. It was found out that whiles there were no changes in consumption among the light smokers there was an average reduction of 5.8 and 7.9 cigarettes per day among moderate and heavy smokers respectively . However heavy smokers did not appear to smoke more coffee and lunch breaks though they tend to smoke more whiles working outside. There was an average compensated increase of 0.7 cigarettes outside the working environment. This study is based on the ecological model where a change in the environment causes a change in individuals behaviour. The socio-ecological model recognises the interwoven interaction between the individual and the environment in which he lives in (Healthy Active Oregon 2003). Although the individual is responsible for maintaining a lifestyle that improves health and reduce risk, the social environment the individual lives in determines behaviour to a large extent; these can hence form a barrier which in a way can affect the community as a whole in achieving a behaviour change (Healthy Active Oregon 2003). Hence the social ecological approach suggests intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, organizational and public policy in dealing with a problem at hand (McLeroy et al, 1988). Jane Wills (2007) VITAL NOTES FOR NURSES; Promoting Health. Blackwell Publishing Ltd Oxford pp 59 Legislative action is also intended to change behaviour through the state, this includes national policies and provision of supportive systems to aid people to be able to cope with the change and sustain healthy life styles. But this intervention may be met with such resistance and people may be forced to under take smoking undercover making it difficult to actually identify the individuals who are undertaking such acts Naidoo J and Wills J (2005) PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROMOTION; developing practice. Second edition of practising Health Promotion: Dilemmas and Challenges. BAILLIERE TINDALL, LONDON WHO (1986) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion www.who.int/hpr/archive/docs/ottawa.html (accessed on 12/02/10) Bauer J E, Hyland A, Li Q, Steger C Cummings M K (2005): A Longitudinal Assessment of the Impact of Smoke-Free Worksite Policies on Tobacco Use. American Journal of Public Health, 95(6): 1024-1029. Stokols D (1996) Translating Social Ecological Theory into Guidelines for Community Health Promotion; American Journal of Health Promotion, 10(4):282-98 Davies M Macdowall W (2006) Health Promotion Theory; UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC HEALTH. Open University Press, ENGLAND National Tobacco Strategy (1999): A SUMMARY DOCUMENT TO ACCOMPANY THE STRATEGY http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/09C1490BFFCC1872CA256F190004478B/$File/tobccstrat1.pdf. This is part of a national tobacco strategy framework, whose main objective is to improve the health of all citizens of Australia by eradicating or limiting the exposure of tobacco and all it forms. The key strategies that was set up for the frame work was to improve the control of tobacco through community action, promote cessation of the use of tobacco, limit promotion and regulate tobacco and finally, reduce environmental exposure to the smoke of tobacco. A community is said to be well-informed when it has adequate information on tobacco to be able to make an informed decision on tobacco use. In the community information such as how to get help and quit, the difference between the use of tobacco and addiction, the effect of tobacco smoke on the environment, the benefits of quitting at any age and sooner than latter and on a whole the effect of tobacco on the society. It is a well known fact that information alone does not lead to behaviour by individuals in the community. For a community to gain control over tobacco use it has to be involved in the planning and implementation of community based programes for controlling tobacco. Community leaders, parents, schools and youth organiztions can all be involved. All though the survey does not account how data was collected to assess community participation, can be assumed that since this was part of a national frame work and employees are part of a community it may be possible for the individuals to be involved in some kind of a community based activity. And the whole employees come together forms a community that can be involved in tobacco control activities and also form a network to support each other. Egger G, Spark R Donovan R (2005): HEALTH PROMOTION STRATEGIES AND METHODS. 2nd Edition McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. It was reported in the study that 36 people who were non-smokers previously at the initial survey had started smoking at follow up (Borland et al, 1990). This reinforces the notion that knowledge does not motivate an individual to change their behaviour. Individuals are bombarded with so much information in our current society, but people perceive the information based on their own psychological inclination. People can select what they want to hear and ignores others that is likely to make them change their habits. Also people have their own beliefs and ideologies about what causes disease conditiones. And almost every smoker can point out an old smoker who has not developed cancer or someone who died of lung cancer but never smoked.

Use Case: An Analysis

Use Case: An Analysis Use Case A use case diagram depicts the units of functionality of the system as well as the actors capable of carrying out these functions. An actor is a person within the system needed to carry out a particular function. A function is depicted by an oval text box and is referred to as a use case as well, use case in this terms meaning unit of functionality. A Use Case diagram is a compilation of Use Cases to form a system. There are four actors within the MPP system. This does not suggest that only four literal people are responsible for operating the entire system. An actor is a classification of a person. In essence an actor refers to something general such as a job title as in this example the four actors are Secretary, HR Manager, Accountant and Staff Member. This use case diagram suggests that the classification of actors are responsible for the duties they are connected to. As such all persons holding that job title will be required to fulfil the duties depicted. The duties or use cases are explain further as use case specifications and the actors are details as classes in task two. Use Case Specifications Number: UC0001 Name Create Employee Actors Secretary, HR Manager Goal: To add a new member of staff Use Case Relationships Extend: Include: Associations: Secretary, HR Manager Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Secretary gives member a form 2 Member fills form an returns it to secretary 3 HR Manager reviews form and approves employee 4 Secretary notifies employee 5 HR Manager confirms details Alternatives Index Actor Event A 1/1 Person Not Approved A 1/1.1 HR Manager disapproves person A 1/1.2 Secretary notifies person A 1/2 Invalid Data A 1/2.1 Person confirms data invalid A 1/2.2 HR Manager edits details A 1/2.3 Person confirms details This use case specification explains the procedure to be undertaken when adding a new member of staff to the MPP payroll. This process involves both the HR manager and the secretary in terms of the system. The secretary initially distributes a form to the potential employee to fill within which the applicants qualifications and contact information is kept on file. The details mentioned within the specification encompass all the personal information of the applicant inclusive of contact information as well as personal details. This information is then sent to the HR manager to review where a decision is made to approve the employee for an interview. This decision dictates whether the secretary contact the applicant to inform them of an upcoming interview or to inform them that their application has been rejected. The assumption here is that MPP only hires members of the party to become staff members. Number: UC0002 Name Create a Member Actors Secretary Goal: To add a new member to the MPP party Use Case Relationships Extend: Include: Associations: Secretary Create an Election Candidate Create a Member of Parliament Create a Regional Assembly Member Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Person requests membership 2 Secretary creates new member record 3 Secretary confirms persons details to be accurate 4 Member is added to membership list Alternatives Index Actor Event A 2/1 Incorrect Details A 2/1.1 Secretary enters incorrect details A 2/1.2 Secretary edits details A 2/1.3 Person confirms details This use case specification depicts how a new member of MPP is added to the system. There is an estimated fifty thousand members of the party whom which information is needed to be stored as they are relied on during election time when the party is campaigning for election. The political party most probably doesnt discriminate the right of membership by any one person. Seeing that not much clerical data needs to be manipulated the secretary is fully capable of adding a member to the party. The process begins as a person requests membership to the party. The secretary then enters the members personal information especially their contact information as given by the applicant. Once the member confirms the information to be accurate the record is saved and thereby added to the membership list of MPP. Number: UC0003 Name Create an Election Candidate Actors Staff Member Goal: To add a new Election Candidate Use Case Relationships Extend: Create a Member Include: Associations: Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Staff Member elects Member to become candidate 2 Staff Member contacts Member 3 Member confirms 4 Staff Member adds member to shortlist 5 Staff Member changes member position to EC Alternatives Index Actor Event A 3/1 Member Disapproves A 3/1.1 Staff Member elects another Member to become candidate This system assumes that only existing members of the party are elected to become election candidates for a particular seat. A member therefore can be classified as an election candidate once their name has been added to a shortlist, which is a list of potential election candidates for a particular area. Using this assumption a member position classification was created within the member file an as such a member may have many classifications ranging from volunteer represented as VOL and election candidate represented as EC. Once an election candidate wins an election for a post they may be contending their position will be changed to Member of Parliament or Regional Assembly Member respectively as will be discovered. Number: UC0004 Name Create a Member of Parliament Actors Staff Member Goal: To add a new Member of Parliament Use Case Relationships Extend: Create a Member Include: Associations: Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Candidate is voted member of parliament 2 Staff Member changes member position to MOP Alternatives Index Actor Event A 4/1 Member Looses Election A 4/1.4 Staff Member changes Member position to VOL Number: UC0005 Name Create a Regional Assembly Member Actors Staff Member Goal: To add a new Regional Assembly Member Use Case Relationships Extend: Create a Member Include: Associations: Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Candidate is voted Regional Assembly Member 2 Staff Member changes member position to RAM Alternatives Index Actor Event A 4/1 Member Looses Election A 4/1.4 Staff Member changes Member position to VOL Both the Create a member of parliament and Create a regional assembly member use cases rely on the Create a member use case. Once a member looses an election his position within the party is reassigned to a volunteer. Number: UC0006 Name Add Member to shortlist Actors Staff Member Goal: To add a Member to a shortlist Use Case Relationships Extend: Include: Associations: Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Member approves to become a candidate 2 Staff Member adds member details to shortlist 3 Staff Member changes Member position to EC Alternatives Index Actor Event A 4/1 Member Steps Down A 4/1.1 Member notifies Staff Member A 4/1.2 Staff Member removes member from shortlist A 4/1.3 Staff Member edits Member position A staff member is responsible for adding a member to the shortlist thereby creating an election candidate. The shortlist is a record of potential election candidates of the MPP. Editing of the shortlist is as simple as editing a table. A staff member is responsible for this responsibility. This use cases is used in conjunction with the Create an election candidate use case within which adding a member to a shortlist is referred to. Once a member agrees to become an election candidate their personal information is added to a list of potential candidates for a particular seat within a respective area. Number: UC0007 Name Contact Members Actors Staff Member, Secretary Goal: To contact members of the party Use Case Relationships Extend: Include: Associations: Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Staff Member/Secretary queries member details 2 Secretary/Staff Member contacts Member Alternatives Index Actor Event A 7/1 Contact Unavailable A 7/1.1 Contact unavailable at given contact A 7/1.2 Use another form of contact given by the member This use case the procedure to be undertaken when contacting a member of the party. As shown, only full time workers and secretaries contact members. There are many uses of this unit of functionality beyond the boundry of this system. The political party requires that sufficient contact information is stored on each member as individual members are relied on during the campaigning process to organise meetings and assist with advertisement. The contact information that is stored on an individual member of the party includes a telephone contact, home mailing address and email address. The staff members as well as the secretary therefore have three options in which to utilise when contacting a member. Number: UC0008 Name Record Income Actors Staff Member Goal: To record income generated by MPP Use Case Relationships Extend: Include: Associations: Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Staff Member records Invoice Number 2 Staff Member records income Details 3 Staff Member records the ID number 4 Staff Member records the Amount 5 Staff Member records the date generated Alternatives Index Actor Event A 8/1 Incorrect Record A 8/1.1 Income is recorded incorrectly A 8/1.2 Staff Member confirms details with Invoice A 8/1.2 Staff Member edits details The member of the party responsible for recording income will be a full time employee of the party. Since there are several offices each of which generate individual incomes there must be persons within each regional office to account for funds the party may receive, either by subscriptions received or from other sources such as donations from persons interested in supporting the party and its objectives. The person receiving income distributes an invoice through which a record is kept of individual payments to the party. This invoice must contain all the information needed on the transaction such as what the payment was for, whether it is a subscription or donation. The invoice also contains who made the payment, how much money was paid to MPP and what date was the payment made. In the instance of a donation a record is kept of the donor personal information so they are kept on record an assigned a donor identification number. This is to ensure full accountability of the finances reaching the party. This donor number is entered into the â€Å"ID Number† field in the income table. Where a member pays their annual subscription to the party their member ID is stored within the same field. This ensures accountability for the transaction as well as a record of the subscription received for that individual member. Number: UC0009 Name Record Expenditure Actors Staff Member Goal: To record expenditure incurred by MPP Use Case Relationships Extend: Include: Associations: Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Staff Member records Receipt Number 2 Staff Member records expenditure Details 3 Staff Member records the ID number 4 Staff Member records the Amount 5 Staff Member records the date incurred Alternatives Index Actor Event A 9/1 Incorrect Record A 9/1.1 Expenditure is recorded incorrectly A 9/1.2 Staff Member confirms details with receipt A 9/1.3 Staff Member edits details Full time employees are also responsible for recording the expenditure incurred by the party. The operation of any political party requires a host of expenses in which to organise and manage the party properly. The individual offices of the party will incur expenses for each office it maintains. The main expenses that must be accounted for include payment of rent for the various offices that the party operates. Salaries must also be accounted for as MPP employs over a hundred individuals which accounts for a major portion of the partys expenditure. A major part of any election campaign is advertising which as for MPP includes television advertising as well as leaflets that need to be distributed by the partys members. Along with these major expenditures the party may also incur miscellaneous expenses in order to keep the offices running such as telephone bills and mailing expenses, all of these are classified as sundry expenses. Whenever any expenditure is incurred all receipts given to the party is filed and documented. These receipts are used to document all the expenditure incurred by the party as the amount, dates and to whom payments are made are documented on the receipt. Each office, member and advertiser are assigned an ID number so that a level of accountability can be maintained as to whom payments are made. Number: UC0010 Name Generate Financial Report Actors Staff Member, Accountant Goal: To generate a financial report for each office Use Case Relationships Extend: Include: Associations: Generalisation: Description Index Actor Event 1 Staff Member/Accountant selects Financial Report table 2 Staff Member/Accountant print Financial Report Alternatives Index Actor Event A 10/1 Incorrect Report Printed A 10/1.1 User selects correct report A 10/1.2 User prints correct report Each regional office is expected to produce a financial report to account for its activities. This will make for easier planning and budgeting by the national officers responsible for this such as the accounts department of the party. Therefore both party members as well as the national accountant can generate a financial report. To ensure the legitimacy of the financial reports the political party is expected to employ an internal as well as external auditor that examines the financial reports and compares them to the income and expenditure of the party. The financial report entails the total income generated as well as the total expenditure incurred for a particular office. These s can be used to determine the General Reserve available for funding the partys activities. Activity Diagrams An Activity Diagram the logical flow of data within a particular use case. The following diagrams show the Create a Member use case but in two different activity diagram formats. The first diagram simply the logical order in a flow chart fashion. The second diagram the same use case with the implication of swim lanes. Class Diagram Class diagrams are used to identify the objects of the system and show how they relate to each other and their attributes. The class diagram used to analyse the objects associated with the MPP and depict their relationships with each other. Everything is related to each other through the MPP class. It is an empty class but is there to show that the generalisation relationship exists between the Regional Office and Head Office Class and the MPP class. Most other relationships within this diagram are generalisation relationships depicted by the empty arrow head. This diagram is structured in a hierarchal format. A generalisation relationship allows the subclasses of any parent class to inherit the properties of the parent class. This feature is also show in the diagram by the empty boxes within the Secretary, Staff Member, Accountant and HR Manager classes. This does not suggest that these classes dont have any attributes but that they inherit the attributes of their parent class. The other relationships depicted is; the relationship between the Staff Member class and the Income, Expenditures and Financial Report classes, and between the Accountant class and the Financial Report class. These relationships show an association relationship as the classes interact with each other on some level of their functionality. The individual classes are explained in detail within their respective CRC card. CRC Cards A tool used to document the purpose and capability of a class is the CRC card. CRC stand for Class-Responsibility-Collaboration, as will be discovered, is exactly what the cards depict along with several other features of the class. The CRC cards represented in this section depict the classes identifies in the MPP system and show how they relate to each other. Name: Regional Office ID:1 Type: Concrete Description A MPP office representing a region of Contentedland Associated Use Cases: Record Expenditure Responsibilities Collaborators Full Time Employee Employee Attributes Relationships Office ID Generalisation: MPP(super class) Region Member (subclass) Address Donor (subclass) Monthly Rent Employee (subclass) Aggregation: Other Association: Full Time Employee Expenditure The regional office class is a subset of the MPP as a whole. There are several regional offices namely; Northland, Southland, Eastland, Westland and Central. Each office will possess the same characteristics as the other and as such are represented by a single regional office class within the class diagram. Distinction between classes is possible through the attributes of the class utilised and as such can be uniquely identified. The assumption made is that the entire system is divided into regions and as such all corresponding members and records are also presented in that regional office category. Name: Member ID: 2 Type: Abstract Description A Member of MPP Associated Use Cases: Create Member, Create an Election Candidate, Create a Member of Parliament, Create a Regional Assembly Member Responsibilities Collaborators Full Time Employee Income Attributes Relationships Member ID Address Generalisation: Regional office(concrete class) Last Name E-mail Aggregation: First Name Office Other Association: Full Time Employee Title County Secretary Date-of-Birth Position Telephone The member class comprises all the attributes of all the members of MPP. The assumption is that, regardless of hierarchal qualification all members of the party share common attributes and inevitably are all members of the party. This assumption gives way for the â€Å"position† attribute within the member class. A member according to the party can be a volunteer that assists the party in some way for no charge. Members are also election candidates who contend regional and national elections. The member doesnt change their nature only their position when they are elected and become either a Member of Parliament or a Regional Assembly Member. As such the member class depicts that it is associated with the creation of all members of the party as they relate to their appropriate use cases within the system. Sufficient contact information is stored on members of the party as they may need to be contacted during election time when the party wishes to implement a rigorous advertising campaign. The email contact of each member may be a useful attribute as it is more efficient to send a mass email to all members than to individually contact them. Name: Donor ID:3 Type: Abstract Description A person other than a member of MPP that donates to the party Associated Use Cases: Record Income Responsibilities Collaborators Full Time Employee Income Attributes Relationships Donor ID Telephone Generalisation: Regional Office(Abstract class) Last Name Address Aggregation: First Name E-mail Other Association: Full Time Employee Title Office Income Date-of-Birth County Income is earned through subscriptions as well as through donations. People who donate to the party does not necessarily have to be a member. A person whos interests are aligned with the policies of the party may choose to donate to their campaign in a hope that they may win the election. Information needs to be stored on such individuals to account for the sometimes large sums of money they may give to the political party. It is also useful where the party wishes to contact these members for one reason or the other. A Donor share similar attributes to members however as they are not members of the party they do not require a position field. However sufficient contact information is kept on these individuals so the party can always keep in touch with them. Name: Employee ID: 4 Type: Concrete Description An Employee of MPP Associated Use Cases: Create a Staff Member Responsibilities Collaborators HR Manager Attributes Relationships Employee ID Telephone Generalisation: Regional Office(Abstract class) Last Name Address Secretary(sub class) First Name E-mail Staff Member(sub class) Title Office Aggregation: Date-of-Birth County Other Association: HR Manager Position The political party hires full time employees to coordinate their activities. These employees are classified under each regional office and withdraw a salary from the party. Employees include Staff Members whose hierarchal classification is determined within each regional office as well as Secretaries who attend to each office of MPP. Name: Secretary ID: 5 Type: Abstract Description An Employee of MPP Associated Use Cases: Create a Member, Contact Member Responsibilities Collaborators Create a Member Member Edit Member HR Manager Delete Member Staff Member Contact Member Attributes Relationships Employee ID Telephone Generalisation: Employee(Abstract class) Last Name Address Aggregation: First Name E-mail Other Association: HR Manager Title Office Member Date-of-Birth County Staff Member Position The Secretary of the party is responsibilities include contacting members as well as adding members to the party. However they can only maintain volunteer records. Staff Members are responsible for the management of the other members of the party. Name: Staff Member ID: 5 Type: Concrete Description An Employee of MPP Associated Use Cases: Create Member, Contact Member, Add Member to Shortlist, Create an Election Candidate, Create a Regional Assembly Member, Create a Member of Parliament, Record Income, Record Expenditure, Generate Financial Report Responsibilities Collaborators Record Income HR Manager Record Expenditure Secretary Generate Financial Report Add Member Edit Member Delete Member Attributes Relationships Employee ID Telephone Generalisation: Employee(Abstract class) Last Name Address Aggregation: First Name E-mail Other Association: Income Title Office Expenditure Date-of-Birth County Financial Report Position HR Manager Secretary Staff members handle the brunt of the work within the party. Staff Members is a general term used to describe all the full time party workers who are employed within the regional offices of the political party. Staff members include all the party workers represented for each county of Contentedland. The duties of these members function similarly to clerical duties within an office. These staff members are allocated duties within the office structure oven though each member is responsible for their respective county that they oversee. Name: Head Office ID: 6 Type: Concrete Description The Head Office of MPP Associated Use Cases: Record Expenditure Responsibilities Collaborators National Officer HR Manager Accountant Attributes Relationships Office ID Generalisation: MPP (super class) Region National Officer(subclass) Address Aggregation: Monthly Rent Other Association: Staff Member Expenditure The Head Office posses the same characteristics as a regional office and it functions similarly as well. The difference between the head office and the regional office aside from its geography, is the employees that it houses. The assumption made is that the national officers within the head office function as managerial employees as would happen within a typical company. It should be structured in a way so that the ten national officers act as the managerial departments of the political party inclusive of the accounts department and the human resource department used within this scenario. Name: Accountant ID: 7 Type: Abstract Description The accountant responsible for the finances of MPP Associated Use Cases: Generate Financial Report Responsibilities Collaborators Financial Report Attributes Relationships Employee ID Telephone Generalisation: National Officer(concrete class) Last Name Address Aggregation: First Name E-mail Other Association: Financial Report Title Office Date-of-Birth County Position The accountant of the MPP is housed within the head office of the party. The accountant has the duty of managing the finances of MPP. The accountant is also responsible for generating the financial reports that are to be audited to produce a tax which the party must incur annually. This expenditure is classified as a sundry expense and must be accounted for within the finances of the party. The accountant is also responsible for ensure that proper control procedures are in place in terms of managing money the party receives. After all he is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the financial records and ensuring that they are in good standing with the laws of the country. Name: HR Manager ID: 8 Type: Abstract Description The HR Manager of MPP Associated Use Cases: Create a Staff Member Responsibilities Collaborators Add Employee Employee Edit Employee Delete Employee Attributes Relationships Employee ID Telephone Generalisation: National Officer(concrete class) Last Name Address Aggregation: First Name E-mail Other Association: Employee Title Office Accountant Date-of-Birth County Position In keeping with the assumption, the HR Manager is classified under the head office as this position is a managerial role. The human resource manager holds the same attributes as any other employee of MPP how ever his duties implicate him to be the one to manage the records of all the employees of the party. Name: Income ID: 9 Type: Abstract Description Revenue generated by MPP Associated Use Cases: Record Income Responsibilities Collaborators Print Staff Member Display Attributes Relationships Invoice Number Generalisation: Income Details Aggregation: ID Number Other Association: Staff Member Amount Financial Report Date Generated Income is generated through two sources in the party. The attributes of income allow for any sort of income to be documented, whether it is a subscription received from a member or a donation given to the party. A staff member is responsible for recording income into the system. The summation of the income table is exported to the financial report to form the net income . Name: Expenditure ID: 10 Type: Abstract Description Expenditure incurred by MPP Associated Use Cases: Record Expenditure Responsibilities Collaborators Print Staff Member Display Attributes Relationships Receipt Number Generalisation: Expenditure Details Aggregation: ID Number Other Association: Staff Member Amount Financial Report Date Incurred Expenditure is incurred from several means. A Staff Member is responsibl

An Islamic Subversion of the Existence-Essence Distinction? :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Suhrawardà ­ and the philosophy of Light Mysticism ABSTRACT: The distinction between existence and essence within contingent beings is one of the foundational, hegemonic ideas of the discourse of medieval philosophy. Building upon neo-Platonic precursors, thinkers such as Avicenna, Aquinas and William of Auvergne discussed this issue and debated the nature of the distinction. However, one Islamic philosopher who was to have a lasting impact upon the development of philosophical discourse in Iran, subverted the traditional Peripatetic visions of reality and brought into question the very nature of half of the distinction — existence. Through a critique of the Peripatetic notion of existence, Suhrawardi (c.1191) shows how the distinction is absurd and irrelevant for metaphysical inquiry. Suhrawardi refuses to accept traditional Peripatetic realism and has little need for the distinction's role in affirming contingency and the existence of a Necessary Existence. Later Islamic philosophy's insistence on an essentialist reading of Suhrawardi could be described as a category mistake confusing his concept of light with their concept of existence. An analysis of his major texts will show how this cannot be the case. Finally, an attempt will be made to explain this misreading and suggest that the Platonic hermeneutic of essential vision which Suhrawardi expounds might be the reason for it. Shihà ¥b al-Dà ­n Suhrawardà ­ [exe.1191] was an influential mystical philosopher and founder of the school of ishrà ¥q (illumination) whose phenomenological view of reality led him to reject the concrete nature of existence. Suhrawardà ­'s position on existence and his basic rejection of a metaphysics of distinction represent both an alternative to Peripatetic metaphysics as well as provide a key to understanding the radical synthesis of later Islamic philosophy by Mullà ¥ à adrà ¥ [d.1641]. The central issue revolves around an anachronistic reading of a later aporia: where does Suhrawardà ­ stand on the question of primacy within the distinction between existence and essence? Is essence or existence primary ? Traditionally this question has been answered by Mullà ¥ à adrà ¥ and his school by stating that Suhrawardà ­ believed in asà ¥lat al-mà ¥hiyya (primacy of quiddity). This claim has to be verified and explained. Four central questions emerge. What does existen ce signify for Suhrawardà ­ and is it ontologically distinguished from being? Is 'light' the same as being as understood by à adrà ¥? How does Suhrawardà ­ understand the distinction and relate it to his metaphysics of contingency? i) Wujà ºd and Existence in Suhrawardà ­ Suhrawardà ­ sets out in the logic of Óikmat al-Ishrà ¥q, 'The wisdom of illumination' his mature magnum opus, to deconstruct the distinction through a critique of the Peripatetic theory of definition.

Leadership and Management Essay -- essays research papers

1. A. Is there a difference between effective leadership and effective management? Yes, I believe that managers are analytical, structured, controlled, deliberate, and orderly. Leaders are experimental, willing to take chances, visionaries, flexible, unfettered, and creative. These are the differences between management and leaders. B. Someone from the 21st century who I believe is an effective leader is Steven Jobs, of Apple computers. I believe he is an effective leader because he pursues visions even when his competition has a strong hold on the computer industry. He still motivates his people to keep coming up with ideals to stay competitive with Microsoft and not let them run a monopoly on software and patents on computers. His power base is that he senses opportunities and pursues dreams to keep his company competitive. C. A leader of the opposite sex that I think is like Steve Jobs is Martha Stewart. She had a vision to take home decorating and cooking to another level by connecting with millions of homemakers through TV shows and the selling of her products through K-mart. Martha was just pursuing her dreams to play in the corporate world with men. She senses opportunity when she sees it. She had the intuition to make her company a profitable one when her critics told her it would never work. D. I do feel that there is a general pattern of male/female leadership styles because leaders must be able to apply influence, develop people, set examples, inspire people, mana...

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder :: Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition from which nearly 10% of Americans suffer. It, unlike other afflictions, is associated with a wide variety of circumstances. Many war veterans suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. However, a new group of people are quickly emerging as common suffers of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-sexually abused children. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a prevalent problem associated with children who are victims of sexual assault.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders (DSM-III). The diagnoses for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder was not formally diagnosed as part of DSM-III until 1980. According to Famolaro, "the diagnoses of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder requires: (a) experience of a significant traumatic events; (b) re- experiencing of the trauma in one of several different thought, emotional, or behavioral forms; (d) persistent symptoms of increased arousal, Particularly when exposedto stimuli concretely or symbolically reminiscent of the trauma; (e) symptoms lasting at least one month. (Famolaro, Maternal and Child Posttraumatic... 28)".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children are now becoming realized as significant sufferers of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is particularly bad for children under the age of 11, because they lack many of the skills needed to protect themselves. Furthermore, this vulnerability is enhanced when the child is exposed to any maltreatment. According to recent studies, "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a common sequella of severe or chronic maltreatment of children, particularly among sexually maltreated children ( Famularo, Symptom Differences... 28)". Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can be caused if the child is exposed to just one traumatic episode (rape, witnessing a violent crime, physical abuse); However, the child will become more susceptible to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder if the maltreatment continues. Moreover, a child is most likely to suffer from symptoms associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder when sexual assault is involved(28).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because children have not yet developed cognitively emotionally and are very immature, they are likely candidates to develop symptoms related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. As a child matures he/she becomes better equipped to deal with and prevent contributing factors to the eventual suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Up to age two, young children can recreate stressful events and even imagine such events recurring; However, the mind is not developed enough to identify, anticipate, or prevent future traumatic occurrences. At age three, children cannot, "distance themselves, in time, appreciate roles and differences in behavior, access situation, or adopt nonegocentric causality (Saigh 189)". This flaw opens them up to the impact of trauma because the child cannot anticipate and protect themselves. By age four, children have the ability to protect themselves by avoiding traumatic encounters. They also have the ability to suppress their anxiety when it becomes difficult

Jhkjjk

Current Issues: Gangs 2011, n. p. Copyright @ 2011 ReferencePoint Press, Website: www. referencepointpress. com. P. O. Box 27779, San Diego, CA 92198. Phone: 858-618-1314. Fax: 858-618-1730. All rights reserved. Current Issues: Gangs By Peggy J. Parks Contents Gangs at a Glance Overview How Serious a Problem Are Gangs? Primary Source Quotes Facts and Illustrations Why Do Young People Join Gangs? Primary Source Quotes Facts and Illustrations Can People Leave the Gang Life Behind? Primary Source Quotes Facts and Illustrations Can Gang Violence Be Stopped? Primary Source QuotesFacts and Illustrations Key People and Advocacy Groups Chronology Related Organizations For Further Research Source Notes About the Author Gangs at a Glance Gangs and Gang Members The U. S. Department of Justice estimates that more than 20,000 gangs with a total of about 1 million members are criminally active in the United States. Gang Migration Gangs are no longer confined to large cities. The FBI states that ga ng activity is rapidly spreading to outlying suburban and rural communities throughout the United States. Types of Gangs Four main types of gangs identified by the U.S. Department of Justice are street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, and military gangs. Gangs and Crime Law enforcement officials say that gangs commit a wide range of crimes, including distribution of drugs, weapons trafficking, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, assault, identity theft, and homicide. In many communities gangs are responsible for as much as 80 percent of crime. Cities with Gang Problems The U. S. Department of Justice has identified Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York as the top three cities for the most gangs and gang-related crime.Reasons for Joining Gangs Young people join gangs for many reasons including the desire to belong to a family-like group, protection from rival gangs, the ability to make money (usually from stealing or selling drugs), prestige, and ready access to drugs. Quitt ing Gangs Whether people are able to leave gangs depends on the particular gang and its rules. Jumping out (being beaten by gang members) is a common way of letting someone out. Some gangs expect their members to remain committed for life and threaten them with death if they try to quit.Fighting Gang Violence In cities throughout the United States, the FBI and state and local law enforcement officials are focusing on the most violent street gangs in an effort to capture their leaders and get them off the streets. Overview â€Å"Gangs are morphing, multiplying, and migrating—entrenching themselves not just in our inner cities but increasingly in our ever-sprawling suburbs and wide-open rural spaces. † —Federal Bureau of Investigation, a law enforcement agency of the U. S. Department of Justice. Gangs and gang-involved kids exist at some level in every community. Certain groups have decided to use violence and retribution, and their acts are affecting all of us. à ¢â‚¬  —Steven D. Strachan, the chief of police of Kent, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. At 16 years old, Melody Ross was thoroughly enjoying life. She had just begun her junior year at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, where she was an honors student and a pole-vaulter on the track team. She was popular and known for being friendly, kind, and someone who always had a sunny smile on her face.On the evening of October 30, 2009, Melody and her friends went to their school's home ­coming football game. After the game ended, the girls left the stadium and were sitting on the curb in front of the school. Suddenly the loud crack of gunshots filled the air. A feud had broken out between members of rival gangs, and they were shooting at each other—with bystanders caught in the crossfire. By the time the violence ended, three people lay on the ground, wounded and bleeding: two men and Melody. Ambulances rushed them to the hospital, where the men were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.Melody, however, was not so fortunate. She died of a severe bullet wound in her side. Her family and friends were devastated, and as a memorial to her, a classmate named Dylan Vassberg created a Facebook page entitled RIP Melody Ross. â€Å"Every kid our age–we don't ever think we're going to die,† he says. â€Å"We never think that. We think we're going to college and we're going to have a long life and die of old age. Not die because someone decided to shoot a gun. We never think of that. It's not something that crosses our mind ever. Not even fathomable, really. 1 How Serious a Problem Are Gangs? Although the precise number of gangs and gang members (known as gangbangers) is not known, the U. S. Department of Justice makes estimates based on information it receives from state and local law enforcement officials. In January 2009 the Justice Department's National Gang Intelligence Center released a report entitled National Gang Threat As sessment 2009. The report states that more than 20,000 violent gangs with a total of approximately 1 million members were criminally active in the United States as of September 2008.The report's authors state that â€Å"gangs pose a serious threat to public safety. † They warn that throughout the country, gang activity is rapidly spreading from large cities to outlying suburban and rural areas. This, they predict, will cause gang-related violent crime to remain at high levels and likely increase. They write: â€Å"As these gangs encounter resistance from local gangs or other drug distributors in these communities, an increase in violent incidents such as assaults, drive-by shootings, and homicides can be expected. â€Å"2 The Evolution of GangsNo one knows exactly when gangs first formed, but they are often assumed to have been around for centuries. According to Lou Savelli, who is a retired New York City police sergeant and cofounder of the East Coast Gang Investigators As sociation, the word thug dates back to India during the 1200s. It is derived from â€Å"Thugz,† an Indian word that referred to a gang of criminals who traveled throughout the country terrorizing towns. Savelli adds that like gangs today, the Thugz had their own symbols, hand signs, slang language, and rituals.Gang activity is thought to have begun in the United States early in the country's history. Journalist Ed Grabianowski explains: â€Å"Criminal gangs have certainly been around as long as crime itself—it doesn't take a criminal mastermind to realize there is strength in numbers. The urbanization that accompanied the Industrial Revolution gave rise to the modern street gang. â€Å"3 Throughout the 1800s, as more people immigrated to America from other countries, gangs such as the Monk Eastman Gang and Five Points Gang formed and terrorized the streets of New York.But it was the 1920s that ushered in the heyday of gang activity in the United States because of a n otorious gangster named Al Capone, also called Scarface. This was a time known as Prohibition, when the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution made the sale or distribution of alcohol illegal. Supporters hoped the legislation would transform American society for the better, but its effects were quite different from what they expected. Once alcohol was no longer legally available, criminal gangs began to distribute it on the black market.These gangs developed rapidly and continued to grow in power, which caused a steep rise in violent crime. Capone and his gang of criminals were responsible for a wave of violence in the Chicago area during the 1920s and 1930s. Savelli says this led to his becoming known as most violent gangster in Chicago and perhaps in all of the United States. Capone's reputation spread far and wide, and his actions strongly influenced the activities of would-be gangsters throughout the country. By the time Prohibition ended in 1933, gangs had become entrenched t hroughout the country and were widely known for their connections with violent crime.During the 1950s gang-related crime was rampant in a number of U. S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, and it was steadily growing. Over the following decades gangs became better organized and continued to expand their activities from cities into neighboring communities, as the Justice Department explains: â€Å"The gang members who migrated from urban areas often formed new, neighborhood-based local gangs. These local gangs generally controlled their territories through violence and intimidation. 4 Gang membership—and associated violent crime—continued to grow throughout the rest of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Street Gangs and Motorcycle Outlaws Gangs often differ significantly from one another based on membership requirements, structure, and the ages and ethnicity of the members. Two main types that have been identified by law enforcement off icials are street gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs. The Justice Department says that street gangs pose a considerable threat to communities because they are the largest group and also control the greatest geographical area. Therefore,† Justice Department authorities explain, criminal activities such as violence and drug trafficking perpetrated by street gangs pose the greatest threat. The threat becomes magnified as national- and regional-level street gangs migrate from urban areas to suburban and rural communities, expanding their influence in most regions and broadening their presence outside the United States to develop associations with . . . criminal organizations in Mexico, Central America, and Canada. 5Most street gangs are local-level gangs that operate in single locations while regional-level street gangs are more organized and larger. Some of the largest and most violent street gangs are Hispanic gangs such as MS ­13, 18th Street, Surenos, and Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) and the predominately African American gangs Bloods, Crips, and Black P. Stone Nation. Asian gangs such as the Asian Boyz are also developing a reputation as a result of their links to drug trafficking and violent crimes. Though less common than gangs of other racial and ethnic groups, white gangs also pose a threat.The white supremacist street gang Nazi Low-riders has a growing presence in Southern California, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Illinois, and members have been connected with a number of racially motivated violent crimes. Outlaw motorcycle gangs also pose a significant threat because they engage in numerous criminal activities, such as trafficking in weapons and drugs, and often commit violent crimes. State and local law enforcement agencies have identified as many as 520 outlaw motorcycle gangs with an estimated total of 20,000 members of various races and ethnicities.The motorcycle gangs that the FBI considers the greatest threat because of criminal activities are the Sons of Silence, Bandidos, Mongols, Hells Angels, and Outlaws. Gangs Behind Bars Just because people are incarcerated, and even sentenced to life in prison, does not necessarily prevent them from engaging in gang activities. According to the Justice Department, prison gangs are highly structured criminal networks that are active within prisons throughout the United States. It adds that as of September 2008, more than 147,000 documented gang members were incarcerated in federal, state, and local correctional facilities.One state where this is a particularly serious problem is Washington. According to a study released in 2009, gang-affiliated inmates are responsible for 43 percent of all violent crimes that are committed in the state's prisons. The report also states that the Crips are the most represented prison gang, with 2,385 inmate members. Also well known for violence behind bars is the white supremacist gang Aryan Brotherhood and the Latino gangs Barrio Azteca and Mexican Mafia. One gang that has been especially violent in Texas prisons is the Texas Syndicate.In February 2007 federal authorities issued indictments for gang members who were suspected of being responsible for as many as 16 murders outside the state's prisons, including a triple slaying in 2003. The indictment states: â€Å"It is understood that members and prospects of the TS may receive a telephone call and instructions to commit a murder . . . at any time. Regardless of the member's friendship or association with the victim, the orders are to be carried out. â€Å"6 Not only are gangs extremely active in prisons, gang members who have been imprisoned are often the gangs' top leaders.According to Sergeant Jeremy Young, who is a supervisor with the Modesto, California, police street crimes unit, the bottom level of a gang's chain of command is made up of gangbangers who are the â€Å"soldiers† on the street; the mid-level is composed of the leaders o f street crews who run the operation; and the top level are the bosses who are often inside prisons. â€Å"The (gang leaders in the) prisons run the street,† he says. â€Å"A lot of things that start in there end up out here. â€Å"7 Criminal Activities Gangs are involved in a wide range of crimes.These include drug distribution, assault, armed robbery, drive-by shootings, auto theft, identity theft, extortion, weapons trafficking, and homicide. In fact, the National Gang Threat Assessment report says that according to law enforcement officials throughout the United States, criminal gangs commit as much as 80 percent of the crime in many communities. Yet the connection between gangs and crime is a controversial is ­sue. According to the Justice Policy Institute, a Washington, D. C. –based think tank that supports alternatives to incarceration, gang members are not responsible for the biggest share of crime in most jurisdictions.In a July 2007 report, the group stat es that many crimes committed by gang members are unrelated to gang activity, and reliable data on the extent of gang crime do not exist. The report's authors write: â€Å"The available evidence indicates that gang members play a relatively small role in the national crime problem. . . . National estimates and local research findings suggest that gang members may be responsible for fewer than one in 10 homicides; fewer than one in 16 violent offenses; and fewer than one in 20 serious . . . crimes. â€Å"8 Gang-Infested CitiesAlthough gangs have a presence in communities all over the United States, the National Gang Center says that the three cities with the most gangs and worst gang-related crime are Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. According to John S. Pistole, who is the deputy director of the FBI, Los Angeles is â€Å"ground zero for modern gang activity,† with over 400 gangs and an estimated 40,000 gang members. â€Å"Many gangs were born here, a generation ago,â₠¬  he says. â€Å"But they are no longer limited to Los Angeles. Like a cancer, gangs are spreading to communities across America. â€Å"9Two other California cities where gang-related crime is increasing are San Diego, where gang-related homicides rose 56 percent between 2006 and 2007, and Salinas, where gang-related homicides increased 125 percent during that same period of time. Gangs are also a serious problem in Hartford, Connecticut, and Camden, New Jersey. And Pistole adds that gangs are becoming more active in many other cities including Baltimore, Houston, Washington, D. C. , Denver, Atlanta, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Omaha, Nebraska. High-Tech Gangbanging The Internet has opened up a whole new way for gangbangers to recruit new members.As a February 2007 ABC News report states: â€Å"By posting online content that glorifies the thug lifestyle, gangs are using the Web to recruit—some using children as young as 8 years old as part of the on ­line recruiting process, known as ‘Net Banging. ‘†10 Sometimes rival gang members spar with each other online, proudly displaying their gang colors, tattoos, and gang hand signs in photos. They also use the Internet to schedule fights with each other as well as brag about crimes that they have committed. By monitoring these sites, federal and state law enforcement officials can track gang activity.Cell phones also play a crucial role in gang operations. Gangbangers communicate with each other by sending text messages, and it is not uncommon for them to use multiple phones that they discard after they have completed criminal operations such as drug trafficking. The Justice Department offers an example: â€Å"The leader of an African American street gang operating on the north side of Milwaukee used more than 20 cell phones to coordinate drug-related activities of the gang: most were prepaid phones that the leader routinely discarded and replaced. 11 Why Do Young People Join Gangs ? Law enforcement professionals say that the issue of why kids join gangs is complex. According to the Justice Policy Institute, no single risk factor or set of factors can accurately predict which young people will become gang members. One of the most common reasons kids join gangs is that they are from broken homes and desperately want to be part of a family-like group, and they perceive gangs as being able to provide that. Brandon Robinson grew up in a housing project in Kansas City, Missouri.As a participant in a 2007 survey about gangs, he told interviewers that many of those who join share the commonality of being from poverty-stricken, dysfunctional backgrounds. â€Å"You got family members on crack and you ain't eating right,† he says. â€Å"Everybody's hungry. â€Å"12 According to Robinson, gang members look out for each other, help feed each other, and stick up for each other, much like a family would. â€Å"That's when you start loving your street,†13 he says.Other reasons for joining gangs include the lure of having money to spend (from stealing or selling drugs), easy access to drugs, and protection from the dangers of the street and rival gangs. Yet many criminal justice experts say that being part of a gang does not keep kids safer at all. In fact, studies have shown that young people who are involved with gangs have a markedly higher likelihood of being injured or killed than those who are not gang-affiliated. Girl Gangs Traditionally, gangs have been dominated by males and that is still true today.But the Justice Department states that female involvement in gangs is on the upswing. A May 2008 study by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention found that in high-crime neighborhoods nearly 30 percent of girls surveyed claimed that they were members of gangs. The report ranked â€Å"young females as the fastest growing offenders in the national juvenile justice population. â€Å"14 One city that has experienced growing problems with girl gangs is Flint, Michigan. Gina Nyovane, a 22-year-old graduate of Flint Northwestern High School, has observed girl gangs in her former school and throughout the city.She says that these gangs are becoming more widespread and more violent, as she explains: â€Å"I hear it all the time. Girls are quick to pull a gun out, faster than a guy. â€Å"15 Over Labor Day weekend in 2009, members of a girl gang called the Goonies followed a car that was carrying members of a rival gang, the Dufflebacks. A young man traveling with the Goonies fired six shots at the other car, killing an 18-year-old male passenger and wounding the female driver. Can People Leave the Gang Life Behind? The common view is that people who join gangs are never allowed to leave them.The Justice Policy Institute says its research has found that gang membership is not a â€Å"one-way street† and that the typical gang member is active for a year or less. The group explains: â€Å"Thi s myth is perpetuated not only by the media but also by gang members who exaggerate the stakes of membership in order to underscore the importance and permanence of their collective bond. â€Å"16 Yet many people say that joining a gang is a lifetime commitment, and the only way someone can leave is by dying or going to prison. Former gang member Hashim Garrett was 15 years old when he was shot six times in the back and legs.Today he struggles to walk and must use forearm crutches because his right leg is paralyzed. In a speech to students at a middle school in 2008, Garrett addressed the realities of gang life: â€Å"They say they're like your family, but your loved ones don't ask much of you. Come home on time, clean up your room, be polite, eat your vegetables. The gang's going to ask more than that. Hold this gun. Hold these drugs. Prove you're wild. Maybe kill somebody. † He adds that most gang members want to quit the gang but are too afraid to do so. If you join the f ootball team and you don't like the coach, you can quit. You can't quit a gang that easy. â€Å"17 Can Gang Violence Be Stopped? Controlling gang proliferation and gang-related crime is one of the most significant challenges facing law enforcement officials every day of the year. Federal agencies such as the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have partnered with state and local police departments throughout the United States in an effort to bring down gangs and put an end to their crime sprees.In many cities, the focus is on eliminating the leadership of gang enterprises. According to Pistole, the goal is to do more than just disrupt their activities—it is to â€Å"dismantle them entirely. † He explains: Taking apart a gang is like demolishing a building. Hacking away at individual walls and beams might damage the building, but it doesn't destroy it. But using federal drug and racketeering statutes is akin to dynamiting the foundation. On ce the gang's leadership infrastructure implodes, all members are weakened. It becomes difficult for the group to operate.Eventually, it crumbles. And so our strategy is to prosecute as many gang leaders, members, and associates as possible so there are no pieces left which are large enough to allow the gang to rebuild. 18 How Serious a Problem Are Gangs? â€Å"Following a marked decline from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, a steady resurgence of gang problems has occurred in recent years. † —James C. Howell, Arlen Egley Jr. , and Christina O'Donnell, research associates with the National Gang Center. â€Å"Wherever MS-13 goes, violence follows.Gang members have carried out beheadings and grenade attacks in Central America and have hacked people with machetes in cities along the East Coast in the United States. † —Jessica M. Vaughan and John D. Feere, policy analysts with the Center for Immigration Studies. For people in many areas of the world, includi ng the United States, gang violence is a harsh reality of life. According to the U. S. Department of Justice, the problem in America is growing worse. The Justice Department estimates that the number of gang members totaled about 1 million as of September 2008, which was an increase from 800,000 in 2005.One reason gangs continue to grow larger and more powerful is that they are fostering relationships with criminal organizations in Mexico, Central America, and Canada. This has led to a proliferation of drugs and weapons being smuggled across the U. S. border as well as an influx of illegal aliens who join gangs. To emphasize the seriousness of America's gang violence, FBI director John Pistole tells the story of a young woman who was working at a Los Angeles outdoor market in September 2007. Her newborn son, Luis, was beside her is his stroller.Members of the 18th Street gang approached one of the market's vendors, telling him that he could not sell his goods in their territory unle ss he paid them rent. He had steadfastly refused to meet their demands in the past, and when he continued to do so at the market, gang members drew their guns and opened fire on him. The man survived, but Luis did not. A stray bullet struck the baby and killed him instantly. Pistole says that this tragic incident is indicative of what is happening throughout the country: â€Å"In too many neighborhoods, too many young people are recruited into gangs.They fall into a life of crime, drugs, and violence. They shoot each other, with no regard to the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. Crime and violence are not confined to their cliques, but have a chilling effect on entire communities. â€Å"19 A Ruthlessly Vicious Gang Of all the gangs known to law enforcement, Mara Salvatrucha, or MS ­13, is one of the most violent. It started as a small Los Angeles street gang formed during the 1980s by immigrants from El Salvador. Now, however, it is among the largest and most dangerou s gangs in the United States and Central America.According to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), MS-13 has â€Å"mushroomed into the size of a small army† and â€Å"strives to be the most violent and feared gang in the world. â€Å"20 ICE states that MS-13 members have been convicted of murder, assault, extortion, kidnapping, theft, drug dealing, rape, robbery, and other violent crimes. One city that is plagued by the violence of MS-13 is Houston, Texas. Although larger gangs are active in the city, the FBI considers MS-13 to be â€Å"of particular concern because members are often heavily armed and well trained in the use of weapons and assault tactics. 21 In January 2009 MS-13 gang members robbed a Houston beauty salon at gunpoint and sexually assaulted an employee. They warned her not to go to the police, saying that if she did she would regret it. They also threatened the salon owner, telling her that they would kill her if she reported the incide nt, and they demanded that she pay them a weekly protection fee of $100. The salon owner was terrified—but she was also angry. She had seen the same kinds of crimes committed in her native El Salvador, and she was determined to fight to keep them from happening in her adopted country.Even though she feared for her life and the lives of her family members, she went to the FBI and told agents what happened. During that visit she turned over a security surveillance tape that showed the gang members' faces. About a week later the woman had not paid the protection money. In retaliation, two MS-13 gangbangers drove by the salon and sprayed the front door with bullets—but they did not get away with the violent act. Because of the tapes and the salon owner's cooperation, the FBI agents arrested seven members of the gang. As one agent explains: â€Å"This case is proof that victims of crime should not suffer in silence. He adds that the salon owner, who was placed in protectiv e custody by the FBI, â€Å"was courageous to stand up to gang members, and as a result those gang members are now in jail. â€Å"22 Violent Communities Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is often called one of America's most beautiful cities. With its tree-lined neighborhoods of stately brownstone homes, the â€Å"Magnificent Mile† shopping district, prolific theaters and restaurants, and world-renowned museums, the city attracts tourists from many different countries—yet it also has a dark and dangerous side.Law enforcement officials estimate that 50 to 60 gangs are active in Chicago and that together, they have as many as 30,000 members. Armed gangbangers roam the streets of the South Side of Chicago, committing crimes and terrorizing the people who live there. A chilling testament to this gang violence is evident in one of the city's lesser-known monuments: an arrangement of more than 150 landscaping stones, each bearing the name of a school-age chil d killed by gang violence since 2007. Police superintendent Jody Weis states that Chicago youth have become increasingly more violent over the years.He explains: â€Å"There's simply too many gangs, too many guns and too many drugs on the streets. We've got a problem with some of our young people . . . resorting to use of weapons and violence to solve any type of conflicts they may have. â€Å"23 Chicago has had a problem with gang violence for many years, but public outrage was sparked in 2007 when a 16-year-old honors student named Blair Holt was killed. Holt, who was not involved with a gang, was riding in a city bus with a friend when members of rival gangs started shooting at each other. He attempted to shield his friend by pushing her down into a seat.His heroic act saved her life, but he was fatally shot in the stomach. Afterward, his father, a Chicago police officer, expressed his despair and frustration over gangs who do not think twice about killing people: â€Å"You wo nder where it comes from. What causes a child to wantonly and blatantly hatch such an ill-conceived plan? To go out and do something like this? What makes them do it? Where is this coming from? What are the influences? â€Å"24 Chicago is far from alone in its ongoing struggle with gang violence. It is prevalent in communities all over the country.In South Carolina, for instance, the rate of gang violence has risen nearly 1,000 percent over the past decade, with the highest number of incidents reported in Colleton County. Although Colleton County is home to just 38,000 people, law enforcement investigators have identified about 20 active gangs with an estimated total of 400 members. According to Sheriff George Malone, â€Å"The violence in Colleton County is out of control. â€Å"25 One incident occurred in November 2009 in the small town of Walterboro. A group of people were playing cards in the front yard of their home when a car pulled up and suddenly opened fire on the group. A 20-month-old toddler and 2 adults were killed; 6 others were injured. Gangs in the Military According to the Justice Department, gang activity is on the upswing in the military. Members of every major street gang and some outlaw motorcycle gangs have been identified on both domestic and international military bases. One incident involved three soldiers stationed in Alaska who were charged with murder after killing a civilian as they shot at members of a rival gang. Another involved a soldier who was arrested in October 2007 for the gang-related shooting of five people in Oklahoma.A 2009 Yale Law Journal article describes one case in which a marine sergeant who was a gang member â€Å"shot his commanding officer and executive officer—both lieutenant colonels—and threatened to continue killing officers until his fellow gang members were released from confinement. â€Å"26 While on active duty, gang members may abuse their security privileges and access to weapons and other military equipment to further gang activities. For instance, military gang members may take advantage of their positions to engage in criminal acts such as trafficking illicit drugs or weapons.According to the same article, a gang member in the army who was stationed in Iraq smuggled home four AK ­47 assault rifles that were later used to commit multiple bank robberies. After gang members have been discharged from the military, they remain a serious threat to society. They can use their combat skills against rival gangs and also teach those skills to others. The Justice Department says that this poses a â€Å"potentially significant threat,† as it explains: â€Å"Gang members with military training pose a unique threat to law enforcement personnel because of the distinctive military skills that they possess . . especially if gang members trained in weapons, tactics, and planning pass this instruction on to other gang members. â€Å"27 The Justice Department adds th at such military training could ultimately result in more organized, sophisticated, and dangerous gangs as well as an increase of deadly assaults on law enforcement officers. Incarcerated Gangs Incarcerated gang members are every bit as threatening as those who are on the streets because gang members who are behind bars often control crimes that are committed outside of prison.One example is the Mexican Mafia (also known as the Eme), a violent prison gang with as many as 75,000 members. The incarcerated leaders rule over associates who are given the authority to order crimes in neighborhoods or cities. Tony Rafael, the author of the book The Mexican Mafia, explains: â€Å"Street gangsters very often are puppets of the big homies locked up in prison. The proof is overwhelming and plays itself out on an almost daily basis in almost every neighborhood in Southern California. â€Å"28Members of the Mexican Mafia and their associates have been connected with kidnapping, murder, drug tr afficking, and extortion, among other crimes. According to Rafael, the gang has grown into a large, powerful, and violent organization. He writes: â€Å"It has far-reaching intelligence and communications systems, as well as a standing army of thousands of street soldiers. â€Å"29 Rafael adds that the Mexican Mafia continues to expand its power over street crime: â€Å"Most neighborhoods in Southern California that have a strong Hispanic street gang presence feel the power of the Mexican Mafia.It took local and state law enforcement over twenty years from the founding of the Mexican Mafia to recognize its influence on the streets. It took another two decades for federal law enforcement to address the Eme as a significant criminal organization. â€Å"30 Aside from controlling crime on the streets, these gangs are also involved in violent acts inside prisons. This is a serious problem in Ohio, where attacks in state prisons have doubled from nearly 500 in 2005 to more than 1,000 during 2008.Corrections officials say that part of the increase in violence is due to an influx of gangs such as the Heartless Felons, who are known for attacking prisoners in bands of six or more. Some of the worst violence has broken out at Mansfield Reformatory, a prison built for 1,536 inmates that now houses 2,475–161 percent over capacity. â€Å"These are dangerous times,† says Shirley Pope, the director of the state's Correctional Institutional Inspection Committee. â€Å"Mansfield is overcrowded. It is understaffed and on top of that, it has this peculiar group of younger inmates who have been described as incredibly vicious.An Ongoing Problem Whether they are terrorizing people in neighborhoods, committing crimes while in the military, or reigning over street crime from inside prisons, gangs are a significant problem all over the United States. Law enforcement officials report that gangs now have a presence in every U. S. state and the District of Columbia, a nd gang membership appears to be growing. According to reports from local, state, and federal authorities, there is no sign that this situation will change anytime in the near future.

Autobiography of a Simple Girl…Yeah Right.

[ Alicia V. ] February 1st 2013 Autobiography How does one start an autobiography? I tried reading some other works and some would start off with â€Å"Hello my name is†¦ † or â€Å"I grew up in a blah blah blah†. Nothing seemed very inspirational so I guess I'll just start with my name. Alicia. It's just a simple name. I was born on a Friday. My mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico until she was 25, she moved to NYC the late 80s. My dad was born and raised in the Dominican Republic until he was 22; he too decided to move to NYC in the70s.They met at some warehouse in the late 80s and around '89 they started living with each other. Then in January '91, I decided to be free from the comfortable womb. I figured it was time to explore the world. So of course with my Puerto Rican and Dominican parents the only language in the house is Spanish. My dad worked at a school as a janitor and my mother was a babysitter with 14 kids in our small apartment in the Bronx. Th at till this day, we still live in that small Bronx apartment that is now an official daycare. I was my mom's one and only and she worked so hard so I could get whatever was best for me.She would buy fabric and by the end of the week, I would have a new dress ready to show off to the world. She would match whatever outfit I was wearing with my shoelaces, if I happen to be wearing sneakers. I was her doll. I was her baby. Until I was 5, my dad would take me to the barbershop and get my boyish haircut, basically and small little fro. I don't what in the world was going through my parents mind but I looked like a boy if I didn't wear a dress until I was 5. This isn't even a joke. When I was four I looked like 6 year old, so anyone who would walk past would say, â€Å"Wow, that little boy of yours is so adorable†.And then my mother would say, â€Å"She's a girl†. My mother told me that they would just walked away out of embarrassment. I think around the fifth or sixth time someone has said that my mom decided that it wasn't a good idea that I kept getting the boyish haircut. Back to my father, my father thought of me as his prized possession. Since I am the only child that he helped raise with. You see my father hasn't been so innocent in his life. He went around in his youth and well I'm his fourth child from his fourth woman. It’s the biggest stereotype of most male Dominicans; I still chuckle about it.I have an older brother named Charlie. Second oldest is Melisa and then the third oldest is Angie, and then there's me, just in case you forgot. Also since I am the youngest, I'm his baby. But there has been tension in my family due to my father's actions. So siblings. Yeah, I love them to death but like I kind of explained before†¦ tension. My brother Charlie, the oldest, the boy or I should say man. The one who carries the name has done some bad things and sadly had to pay the price. In my freshman year of High school, my brother was se nt to prison for manslaughter.I personally do not know if he really did it but they gave him fifteen years. Around that time I entered my â€Å"Goth† phase, but I don't believe I have left that phase. All through high school I was angry and depressed. But I never took my frustration to my parents, which I should have but I fear that they would be so disappointed, so that kind of steered me away from rebellion. It's weird I know, but I was a strange person growing up. My sister Melisa, the one I wish I got to understand better must secretly hate me. She has two kids, they are sweet but I don’t see them as much.My sister Angie, I grew up with her for a bit. I love her, but she was a misunderstood teen and made some funky decisions that made some explosive arguments between our dad and her. She was considered the black sheep of the family. I love her to death but now I don’t see her. She had three kids, and I became an aunt when I was seven because of my sister. No w my sister is ten years older than me, so she was a teen mom and my father hated that. Luckily he was nice to his grandchildren except for one. Now no more of this or this will turn into a chapter book. High school was absolutely boring.I entered a predominantly black and Hispanic high school, even though they were all for diversity you would see that in my school. I was an honor student. I didn’t get bothered or bullied because everyone thought I did voodoo because they were so ignorant. I was a Goth not a witch even though I befriended a witch. She caused the trouble. But that did rid the bullies and even the gangsters away. They were just friendly to me. I kept a camera around and I would record my friends doing stunts and jokes. I would edit it and then in the end we would have a few laughs.That’s when I realized that I loved painting too. I spent more time in the art room then my other classes, and yes I got really good grades. High school, now thinking about it, went by really fast. College! Now that was the best times of my life. I went to a school far away from home. I wanted to be away from my overprotected parents. I wanted to be free and learn how to cook for myself and do my own laundry whenever I wanted to. I was able to paint and experience new things that my parents will never know. The college I went to was out of a fantasy book.Filled with haunted stories and farms to no end. The best parts would be the friends that I made, all the art classes I took and the lake. It was something I wasn’t used to. I lived in a city for eighteen years and living in that place rural with closest city an hour away. So it was a huge culture shock, but I made the greatest friends a girl could ever make. I was there for three years, I have found love and I have found so much knowledge. I grew up when I was there. Sadly I couldn’t afford it, so I took a break from school and withdrew from that school.Seven months I wasn’t in schoo l. Looking for a job, failed miserably. So here I am typing this down. I’ve been helping my mother with the 7 or so children in the daycare. To entertain myself I created arts and craft for toddlers. I taught my 2 year old how to write. Right then and there I realized that I wanted to be a teacher, again. I’ve always wanted to be that but I always kept that to myself. I am back in school. Soon I will be the art teacher that I want to be. But for now, stay in this new school, enjoy the city and just be me.