Victim Participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Victim Participation - Essay Example In most cases, forensic criminologists and detectives work together with the criminal victims in order to gather evidence or encompass DNA samples, gather fingerprints at the crime scene or collect eyewitness statements. Alternatively, prosecutors also work with the criminal victims in order to establish the actual criminal events and testimonies during the trial (Das, 1997). Historically, the victim’s role in any criminal prosecution remains critical. The testimony of the victim therefore remains an important element in case there is need for an effective prosecution. In any prosecution and investigation, there is the need for a victim’s cooperation, which might often result in the prosecutor’s discretion exercise in favor of the prosecution. The participation of the victim in the criminal case is therefore critical and desirable (Das, 1997). However, within different basic frameworks, there are actions, which generally limit the role of the victims in participating in the criminal justice process. In most cases, the participation of the criminal victims in the case might be limited only when their presence will significantly make the process in effective (Das,

Jihad in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Jihad in Islam - Essay Example In any case, as various studies show, the interpretation of jihad as a call to use violence against all non-Muslims is unfounded (Ali & Rehman 2005). The fact is that the main source of this concept is the Qur’an. In turn, the study of the Qur’an makes it possible to understand that Islam focuses primarily on the spiritual struggle with one’s own passions and vices, while physical violence is seen as an extreme measure, which may be applied only in exceptional cases. In addition, despite the conventional wisdom, Islam can be seen as a much more peaceful religion compared for example with Christianity since Christianity demonstrates very careful attention to the concept of a just war and offers a much clearer conception of it than Islam. This paper analyzes the concept of jihad and provides its comparative analysis with the concept of holy war presented in Christianity. As noted above, a number of theologians, including Muslim ones, insist that jihad involves aggressive and violent methods of struggle for the Islamic faith. In particular, Professor Roda Mushkat (cited in Ali & Rehman 2005) insists on the idea that Islamic law enjoins Moslems to maintain a State of permanent belligerence with all non-believers, collectively encompassed in the dar al-harb, the domain of war. The Muslims are, therefore, under a legal obligation to reduce non-Muslim communities to Islamic rule in order to achieve Islam’s ultimate objective, namely the enforcement of God’s law (the Sharia) over the entire world. The instrument by which the Islamic state is to carry out that objective is called the jihad (popularly known as the ‘holy war’) and is always just, if waged against the infidels and the enemies of the faith. In turn, according to other contemporary Muslim theologians, who refer to the views of their predecessors, there are several types of jihad. In particular, it is believed that the Qur’an presents the

Congestive Heart Failure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Congestive Heart Failure - Case Study Example The mechanism and resulting physiologic alteration c. The resulting effects on body system d. Citations from Peer Reviewed Articles IV. Analysis of Clinical Findings Manifestations a. Discussion of the Patient’s Clinical Presentation b. Review of Patient’s Clinical Course c. Comparison of this case to pathophysiologic findings in the literature d. Critical Thinking V. Analysis of Laboratory Tests VI. Treatments VII. Outcome Analysis VIII. References Introduction to Congestive Heart Failure Opening paragraph in which the topic is introduced and the content: More than 5 millions of the Americans are suffering from Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and these people have been in and out from the hospital because of CHF and its clinical sequelae (American Heart Association, 2004). CHF changes lives. It affects the structure of the family and the society as well. Once it strikes the breadwinner of the family, it would mean loss of income and shifting of one’s role in the family. In general, this debilitating disease greatly affects the family and the society as a whole, since any problem that might occur in the family affects the community as well. How severe the condition is determines the impact to the life of a person. The milder CHF is in the life of the person, little does it affect the person’s life. ... Incidence of Congestive Heart Failure Discussion of the prevalence of Congestive Heart Failure in the United States: Congestive heart failure is a â€Å"serious condition† resulting to a considerable morbidity and mortality (Schocken, et al., 1992). In the US, CHF is an increasing public health concern because of the limited data that identifies the validity in diagnosing CHF (Goff, et al., 2006). Lui and Wallace (2011) noted that although the annual prevalence rate of CHF was 1.6 percent, which is much lower than that of hypertension, the number of average rate of hospitalisation was reversibly higher with high rate of hospitalisation among the older population belonging to the adults aged 75 and above, compared to the younger population who have the least group of individuals being hospitalized (Lui and Wallace, 2011). According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (2012), the prevalence rate of CHF is increasing and an estimated 4.8 million Americans were diagnose d to have CHF and likewise, an increasing incidence of prevalence rate of hospitalizations and deaths secondary to CHF is increasing (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2012). The incidence of new cases of mortality of 400,000 secondary to CHF is increasing each year and others were due to its complications (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2012). Statistics of Morbidity and Mortality: CHF occurs equally in both men and women but is more prevalent in descent other than white Americans such as African – American, Hispanics, and American - Indians (Cleveland Clinic, 2011). About 1 million are hospitalized each year in the United States due to CHF and around 30 – 60 percent of these populations are readmitted due to the same problem (Cleveland Clinic, 2011). The

The ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects of Essay

The ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects of mindfulness in relation to One Mindfullness Approach - Essay Example To understand this we will have to explore the term mindfulness and its connection with the concept of well being. Mindfulness is a concept that is closely related to Buddhism and Hinduism, and other similar traditions where conscious awareness is propagated. Mindfulness can be defined as â€Å"the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception† (Nyanaponika Thera, 1972, p.5). It has also been defined as â€Å"keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality† (Hanh, 1976, 11). Recent researches in this line have reached the conclusion that if mindfulness is enhanced by proper guidance and training, it brings in positive results. Various negative attributes in a human mind like that of stress, anxiety, depression, mental disorders, and health related problems like cancer are alleviated to some extent, when treated with the mindfulness theory, that apply yoga and Buddhist traditional approa ches used for the alleviation of distress. In this process the patient can be guided to follow the practices of mindfulness with various applicable approaches, from the perspectives of psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioural aspects. This article will explore the validity of claims that applying the theories of mindfulness can lead to betterment of mind and body. It will study all the concepts associated with the ethical, theoretical, research and practice based aspects in context with the well being approach of mindfulness. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention on various health disorders like anxiety, cancer, and depression and will establish the effectiveness of this procedure when applied for psychological well being. The concept of mindfulness: Mindfulness can be explained in various ways. The most basic way to rationalise this concept is to seek its

Torts Law Problem Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Torts Law Problem - Case Study Example His actions could therefore be interpreted as being binding upon MoreeRE Company, and thus establishing liability on the company under the doctrine vicarious liability. In order to file suit under the tort of negligence successfully, Cathy has to prove that there was duty of care owed to her by MooreRE Company and because of a breach of this duty of care, she suffered loss and damage. In the English case of Donoghue vs. Stevenson,2 the duty of care was established as a fundamental requirement in any action for a tort of negligence. The court defined this duty as the fundamental duty of not undertaking an action where it is reasonably foreseeable that an act or omission would injure or bring about loss or damage to those whom it is reasonably foreseeable that an act or omission would injure or bring about loss and damage to those whom it is reasonably foreseeable that they would be affected by such an act or omission. Section 52 of the Australian Trade Practices Act 1974 provides that , â€Å"A company shall not, in trade or commerce, participate in conduct that is misrepresentative or deceptive, or is likely to mislead or deceive.† From this provision, it is arguable that MoreeRE owed Cathy a duty of care not to engage in any conduct or making of statements that could be deemed as misleading or deceptive with the aim of procuring advantage thereof. The representation made by John to Cathy was misleading and it is in the reliance of this representation that Cathy secured the sale of her house for $100,000 less than the actual market value. This can be interpreted as a direct violation of the duty of care owed to Cathy by MooreRE Corporation, and because of this, she suffered loss. It is thus arguable that MooreRE breached this duty of care once their agent made those false representations. Reliance on the representation resulting from the breach of the duty of care the corporation owed to Cathy led her to suffer loss and damage, hence completing the requir ements needed for a successful claim under the tort of negligence. It is thus obvious that Cathy’s loss can be attributed directly to the breach of this duty of care that was owed to her by MooreRE Corporation. Cathy could also succeed in a claim of the tort of negligence under the tort of misrepresentation. The cause of action could arise from either fraudulent misrepresentation or innocent misrepresentation. A misrepresentation occurs when person makes a statement, on whose reliance makes another person to act upon this statement, and as result of this reliance, the party suffers loss and damage. A misrepresentation could thus be either an innocent misrepresentation or a fraudulent misrepresentation. A representation is fraudulent if the party making such a representation makes it with the intention that a party will rely on it, and such reliance will be beneficial to him. A representation, on the other hand, amounts to an innocent misrepresentation where the party making t he statement is unaware of the consequences of such a representation, and the party relying on such a representation suffers loss and damage from such representation. In the scenario, John’s representation cannot be termed as a fraudulent misrepresentation as he did not have the fraudulent intention to defraud Cathy through the transaction. This is because he thought he was carrying out business for his company with the

Stay at Home vs Working Mothers Essay Example for Free

Stay at Home vs Working Mothers Essay I have been fortunate enough to experience being both a stay at home mom and a work away from home mom. Currently there is a societal debate on which approach raises a healthier and better adjusted child. On that I cannot comment as I have not yet raised a child to adulthood, but having my own mixed feelings on this topic I can clearly see the vast differences to each method. Does working away from home make a more secure and adaptable child? Does staying home form a stronger bond? Does working away from home leave a child to be raised by a daycare provider with different values than your own? Does staying at home compromise social skills and personality? These are the questions that most parents face when they are trying to balance raising a happy and healthy family with paying bills and providing adequate food and shelter. Is one choice really better than the other? I will attempt to use my humble experience to compare these two approaches, not in an effort to decide which the ideal is, but simply to point out what I see to be the differences between each. Each morning as I headed to work, I stopped off along the way to drop my child off at a carefully chosen home daycare facility. From day one, I was fortunate enough to have a child that was easy going enough to leave me for a few hours each day to learn and grow in an environment where learning was first and foremost. I’ve never had to deal with the crying and leg-clinging torture sessions that many children and parents go through almost every-single-day. As a new parent I agonized over the decision to go back to work and send my baby to daycare or stay home and live in poverty because I couldn’t bear the separation. I thought that I was doing my child a disservice by leaving her and creating an insecure environment. On the contrary, I felt that leaving her in the care of someone that I have carefully screened and interviewed has made her a more secure little being. She was secure knowing that mommy leaves her in the morning for a fun filled day of activities and story time and will come back every evening like clockwork to pick her up. She knows that I will always come back. Being a stay at home mom, with all its merits, doesn’t give a child the opportunity to experience his parents leaving and coming back. The routine is not a routine, mommy is always home and there s never a need to worry because she is there to immediately respond to every irrational need and desire. In this scenario a young child never has to experience separation or getting used to a different style of care. Sometimes while at work I get emotional; am I missing out on my little ones formative years? Is she missing out on a mommy that should be there with her at this crucial time? I am! She is! It is me who should be taking her to the park, teaching her to go down the slide and to not let go on the swing. Is she forming a stronger bond with her provider than with his own mommy? Is she feeling so comfortable at daycare that she is not comfortable at home?. Those stay at home moms no doubt have a different kind of bond that working moms don’t have. They are home all day every day to attend to each bump and scrape; to sleep train and potty train on their own terms with a consistency that will foster a strong, unbreakable bond. Oh, don’t get me wrong, working moms have strong bonds with their children too, but they are just following the instructions that someone else is leaving for them. There are six things to consider when deciding whether or not to go back to work or to stay at home with your child or children. They are as follows: 1. Money- Consulting with a financial planner would help you to make a responsible decision because it is important that you are able to afford to stay home if that is your decision. 2. Personal Preference-It is crucial that you understand your own feelings concerning staying at home vs. going back to work because these feelings will affect your children’s lives. 3. Your Significant Other-Your partner’s support in your decision is important and crucial. 4. Social Network- Find a group of friends who are doing the same thing you are doing.  This will be a circle of friends who will provide you with a huge amount of support. 5. Career Workplace-How family friendly is your workplace and your boss? 6. Culture- Think about how your family has raised all the children in the past. How will you let family tradition influence your decision? Above all, it is important to remember that Mother is not spelled p-e-r-f-e-c-t-i-o-n. All our children ask us to do is love them and take care of them. Working vs. staying at home is a decision that you have to make for your whole family keeping everything above in mind. For now, from my stand point there is no right or wrong answer, responsible parents do what they need to do to take care of their children. In this day and this economy being able to stay at home is a luxury and it may not always be the best option. And while being a working mom has definite emotional drawbacks it has strong arguments for being a healthy alternative. In any event there is no reason for one side to bash the other. Either can work if you allow it to . If parents provide love, comfort and security and plenty of quality time, we can be sure that this generation will be just fine.

Effects of stress on undergraduate academic performance

Effects of stress on undergraduate academic performance Studies have identified that the sources of stress, which influence the performance of students, change because of the wide extent of stressors whilst at university. Stress is one of the most common emotions that are experienced by human beings (Alansari, 2006). There can be a number of reasons why students develop stress, personal factors that are unique to the individual are categorised by the demographic classification. Students can have an increase in stress because of the year in which they are in (Naidu et al, 2002) (Sanders et al, 1999)) this may relate to the increased workload from the progression of the course. Age can be another contributing factor, with older students having more pressure to achieve a higher standard of academic performance when compared to younger students (Naidu et al, 2002), (Sanders et al, 1999)). When starting university there may be changes taking place that are new to the individuals thus leading to stressors that can include an impact upon the health of the individual. According to Liu, Shono Kitamura (2009), The concept of well-being refers to optimal psychological functioning and experience. This shows that when a person has a positive wellbeing, it will reflect in their day-to-day living, such as doing housework, maintaining good personal hygiene and completing tasks on time. Naturally, if a person is not in optimal mental shape, they will not be performing to their best potential, possibly having a negative effect on their lives. If this happens during University, there will be a high amount of risk of failure. People attend a University to better themselves academically so they can be successful in the future, providing a safe environment in terms of money and lifestyle. University is also a big financial obstacle in modern times, so adverse grades would ultimately b e a waste of money. An increase in depressive students in counselling, in the UK has led psychologists to wonder whether the financial hardship that some students face, may be severely influencing students mental health (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2003). In a study by Andrews Wilding (2004), nearly 10% of the first year students, who had answered the survey, became depressed during their first semester, whilst 20% became anxious during their studies. The prime reason for these depressive episodes was due to financial difficulties and relationship problems (separated from significant other). This ultimately led poor performance during the end of term examinations. The personal factors that students experience can have adverse effects on their health through stress. These include the financial implications that can arise from the nature of being independent at university (Garbee et al, 1980), (Grandy et al, 1989) which can relate to the social class (Fredericks et al, 1967). Family issues have been proven to contribute towards the stress of students whilst they are staying away from home if a problem occurs (Garbee et al, 1980). An increase in depressive students in counselling, in the UK has led psychologists to wonder whether the financial hardship that some students face, may be severely affecting students mental health (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2003). In a study by Andrews Wilding (2004), nearly 10% of the first year students, who had answered the survey, became depressed during their first semester, whilst 20% became anxious during their studies. The prime reason for these depressive episodes was due to financial difficulties and relationship problems (separated from significant other). This ultimately led poor performance during the end of term examinations. Sell Robsons (1998) study into student life at the prestigious Oxford University found that out of the 318 respondents to the Questionnaire, a third felt that they were discriminated against due to their social class (not being invited to balls) ,despite enjoying the overall experience. In addition, 1/3 of female undergraduates had been sexually harassed or discriminated against during their time at university. Their overall learning experience had been stopped abruptly due to differences in gender, which would be an extremely troubling experience. The study also found that there was a large prevalence of Class A drug taking and overuse of Alcohol during the respondents time at university, providing a possible solution to stressful experience or a route provided by peer pressure (Kosviner, Hawks Webb, 1973) If the student is from another country there may be a language barrier can cause stress through an increased workload, a lowering of the conceptual understanding of the learning content and being unfamiliar with processes (Acharya et al, 2003). Although, in Li, Lin, Bray and Kehles 2005 study, it was clear that the some of the reasons for stress may vary cross culturally. Their study found that the main cause of Anxiety among Chinese undergraduates was because of competition with other students and inadequate learning facilities, where as the factors affecting American students usually were due to relationship problems between the student and their significant other or parent. The poor learning resources provided to some Chinese students would of course impair learning, yet is overshadowed by the constant need to perform better than any other student is. This shows that possibly in eastern cultures, money and time management are not as central to learning as in the West. The housing where the student resides can influence health by introducing stress because of financial worries ((Naidu et al, 2002)). Some studies do report that stress is higher amongst those who live away from home (33) as opposed to those who live with parents. Yet on the other hand, other studies show that people who live at home are more stressed (Omigbodun et al, 2006). The academic factors which contribute towards the stress of students can vary depending on the personal factors indicated above including the lack of confidence that the student will perform to their full potential (Heath et al, 1990), (Acharya et al, 2003) this can be influenced by the competition which is within and between peer groups (Rosli et al, 2005), (Goldstein et al, 1979). Examinations can influence the amount of stress that a student is exposed to (Rosli et al, 2005), (Sanders et al, 1999) and the general fear of unemployment after graduating, especially within the current economic climate (Al-Omari et al, 2005), (Morse et al, 2007) A 2007 study by Henry Chow measured the achievement and psychological well-being of students from the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He found that the most common factors affecting academic performance were the amount of time spent studying, the physical health of the student and the struggle to attempt a balance between their social life and work time. Chows study found that those students who were of good physical health (regular exercise/ good diet), were financially secure and set out goals for the future fared better during their undergraduate years. In regards to the latter statement, the fact that the students knew what they were aiming for academically, meant that they were not preoccupied during their work, thinking about their forthcomings. The academic factors, which influence the levels of stress of students, can fluctuate according to their level of study (Naidu et al, 2002), (Sanders et al, 1999). However, the main factors remain significant in their contribution towards stress. These factors include the fact that during examination periods students are under more pressure to perform to their full potential (Rosli et al, 2005), (Sanders et al, 1999), yet on the contrary the opposite can occur because of the influence that stress could have on memory. The influence that stress has on memory is that the Hippocampus is extremely vulnerable to long term stress, due to the high numbers of Glucocorticoid receptors. It is also extremely vital in terms of memory consolidation. During a stressful period, the Hippocampus is bathed in Cortisol, shrinking it, which will impair memory retrieval, particularly of facts. For example, if an individual needs to hastily remember a lot of information for an exam, but has left it to the last minute, they will probably be fairly stressed. In turn, this will mean that any revision that they will do the night before will be not remembered, due to the deactivation of the hippocampus. The Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum, which are vital for remembering skills, will not be affected, meaning day-to-day activities such as driving or showering will not be impaired during stressful times. Although, social matters do not necessarily always affect Students stress levels; it is possible that the course itself is the cause of anxiety. An Australian study into the academic performance of nursing students (Lo, 2002) found that the main cause of stress during study was because of the challenging medical curriculum. Finance, family issues and healthy living surprisingly followed this. In addition, it was found that depression was much more prevalent among second year students, than first or third year undergraduates were. Likewise, a similar study into medical undergraduates in Pakistan found that stress was linked to curriculum, but also to parental expectations. This shows that there may be a possible link to stressful periods with high academically demanding degrees i.e. doctors and nurses being associated with being more academic than others, thus providing a level of honour among families (Shah, Hasan, Malik Sreeramareddy, 2010). Jones, Dean Los (2002) study found that physical inactivity resulted in the students who were more anxious developing high blood pressure, due to the stress from university. Although, it can be seen that due to the high amounts of anxiety, the student would be less likely to take up exercise, possibly due to financial difficulties or simply just a lack of time. Chapel, Blanding, Silverstein, Takahashi, Newman, Gubi McCann (2005) examined specifically Test Anxiety and its effect on academic performance through high or low Grade point averages. It was found that females with low-test anxiousness had significantly higher average grades than females who are highly stressed around the exam period. Out of the 4,000 undergraduate sample used, females had significantly higher grades than male undergraduates did. Although, it was found that females also had the highest amount of test anxiety in the run up to the examination period. A 2008 study by Bayram Bilgel focused on a recent international concern that the mental health and general wellbeing of students was rapidly becoming more negative. Using a 1,617 Turkish student sample, they found that first and second year undergraduates reported the highest amounts of stress. In the questionnaire (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale), students were asked to rate the level of satisfaction they had with the course. The majority who were very satisfied with the course also had a low depression level. Similarly, Chambel Curral (2005) gave 825 Portuguese students a questionnaire designed to measure the levels of academic work, amount of peer support and satisfaction with academic life. It was found that levels of overall happiness had a direct impact on positive or negative academic performance. If a person is not satisfied with their course, their future options may be constantly on their mind, diverting their attention away from their current studies. The symptoms that stress has on student academic performance can be explained through a number of pathways. These different pathways include Anxiety (Grandy et al, 1984), (Heath et al, 1990) Depression (Grandy et al, 1984), (Heath et al, 1990) Sleeplessness (Tisdelle et al, 1984) which can lead to Memory problems (Davis et al, 1989).The Hippocampus is extremely vulnerable to long term stress, due to the high numbers of Glucocorticoid receptors. It is also extremely vital in terms of memory consolidation. During a stressful period, the Hippocampus is bathed in Cortisol, shrinking it, which will impair memory retrieval, particularly of facts. For example, if an individual needs to hastily remember a lot of information for an exam, but has left it to the last minute, they will probably be fairly stressed. In turn, this will mean that any revision that they will do the night before will be not remembered, due to the deactivation of the hippocampus (Rosli et al, 2005). The Basal Ganglia a nd Cerebellum which are vital for remembering skills will not be affected, meaning day to day activities such as driving or showering will not be impaired during stressful times (Ng et al, 2003). Conclusion