Thursday, October 31, 2019

The challenges of realising benefits from ISIT Essay

The challenges of realising benefits from ISIT - Essay Example It also provides information about the challenges businesses face to implement and operate information systems. Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT) are integrated into every area of organisations' business. A closer look at how IT and IS shape up internal and external environments in which businesses operate, is provided below: With the advent of internet, the traditional business environment has shifted to the e-world. With business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumers (B2C), internet and e-commerce provides a market place free from geographical boundaries, where companies can buy and sell from virtually anywhere around the globe. This provides an opportunity to organistions to extend their reach and enhance their businesses. Internet and e-commerce is a direct benefit of technology adoption for business use. As stated above, the entire world has become a single marketplace. To succeed in this market, companies merge and acquire other companies, enter into long term strategic alliances and partnerships with companies half way across the world, and develop business ecosystems that benefit both organisations. These moves require consistent and continuous communication, swift and speedy responses and strategy formulation capabilities, and face to face meetings between parties thousands of miles apart. This would not have been possible had it not for information technology. IT provides the necessary infrastructure to conduct video and teleconferencing, message transfers and 24x7 connectivity through satellite, telephones and internet. Faster Business Cycles Due to the advancement in technology, the business cycles for products and services have become faster. Companies can not wait for a long time to develop a product as competitors will almost always surpass. Information technology has provided the necessary speed, accuracy, and reliability to significantly reduce cycle times while enhancing the quality, comprehensiveness and timeliness of the product and/ or service. Enterprise Resource Planning The introduction of information systems having a large scope comprising of the entire organistion, has marked the beginning of enterprise resource planning systems or ERPs. An ERP is a software system that attempts to integrate all departments and functions across a company on a single computer system that can serve all those departments' particular needs (Koch, 2006). Accountability and Transparency Converting business operations on information systems allow the organisations ability to minimise risks of frauds, unauthorised access to sensitive data and information, and enhances internal control environment for the organisation. Knowledge Management Using the power of information technology, organisations can develop knowledge bases in form of intranet and electronic portals. This can be used as a central location to hold all the required policies, procedures, guidelines and other information necessary for workers to carry out their job responsibilities. In addition, it provides a platform that allows communication among all employees who can share views, obtain expert advice, and give feedback on the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

MGM600-0803B-02 Applied Managerial Decision-Making - Phase 1 Essay

MGM600-0803B-02 Applied Managerial Decision-Making - Phase 1 Discussion Board - Essay Example On the other hand, continuous data is the information that can be calculated using scale or continuum. Continuous data comprises all types of numerical and it can be subdivided to have a better understanding into units and sub units depending on the accuracy required for a measurement. Discrete data gives input whether a variable is good, bad, on or off while continuous data can be measured in time, size, length, width, cost and temperature. Money, time and temperature are continuous data. For example, when we measure a slab of equal size, slabs that do not comply with the specifications will be put aside and this would be discrete data because slabs are separated because it is not as per the specifications. Since the data is collected to measure the slabs of specific size, it is continuous data. This example involves the measure of continuous data but discrete data forms a part of it (Karthik, 2003, Continuous Data). The American Heart Association encourages the reduction of fat in food available in restaurants, bakers and in packaged form. The association basically promotes safe food and oil consumption and has set up the 1-800 numbers for consumers to clear their doubts about food safety thereby promoting healthy eating habits (American Heart Association Calls on the U.S., 2007). Some of the commonly asked question is advice on changing the snack eating habits of obese children. This question received at 1-800 was put up at SUNY Upstate Medical University Health Connections who suggested the child should be taken to the primary care provider since the child may have basic health problems which should be checked. If it is a case of general condition, parents are referred to avail information from Mayo Clinic through the online Health library of CNN. This is a discrete date because obesity of the child cannot be measured but can be called as obese (Are Evening Snacks OK?

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Ethical and legal level of counseling

Ethical and legal level of counseling 1. The concept of ethics and legal Ethics is generally defined as a philosophical discipline that is concerned with human conduced and moral decision making (Van Hoose, 1985). Ethics are normative in nature and focus on principles and standards that govern relationship between individuals, such as those between counselors and clients. Morality, however, involves judgment or evaluation of action. It is associated with such words as good, bad, right, wrong ought, and should (grant, 1992). Counselors have morals, and the theories counselors employ have embedded within them moral presuppositions about human nature that explicitly and implicitly question first What is a person and second, what should a person be or become? (Christopher, 1996) For improving the ethical and legal level of counseling, first, the counselor needs to understand what the word ethical means. Before the first counseling session, the counselor should realize how important about making good professional decisions that are both ethics and legal while being helpful to his or her clients. According to the Websters New World Dictionary (1980), it means 1. having to do with ethics; or of conforming to moral standards, 2. conforming to professional standards of conduct. Notice that these two definitions are distinctly different. This first is a personal phenomenon that is, what is moral is decide most often by individuals. In contrast, the second encompasses behaviors that are considered ethical by some professional group. In the mental health profession, that group could be the American Counseling Association (ACA), or the American Psychological (APA), just to name a few. 2. The development of codes of ethics for counselors The first counseling code of ethics was developed by the American Counseling Association (ACA) (Then the American Personnel and Guidance Association, or APGA) based on the original American Psychological Association code of ethics (Allen, 1986). The initial ACA code was initiated by Donald Super and approved in 1961 (Callis Pope, 1982). It has been revised periodically since that time. The ACA also produces A Practitioners Guide to Ethical Decision Making, video conferences on resolving leading-edge ethical dilemmas (Salo Hamilton, 1996), and an Ethical Standards Casebook (Herlihy Corey, 1996). The ACAs latest ethics code is entailed a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. This code is one of the major signs that counseling has developed into a mature discipline because professions are characterized, among other things, by a claim to specialized knowledge and a code of ethics. In the CAC, ethics standards are arranged under topical sectional headings. They contain material similar to that found in many other ethical codes, yet they are unique to the profession of counseling. 3. Following the Guideline for Acting Ethically For improving the higher level of the ethics of counseling, the counselors should follow guideline for acting ethically. Swanson (1983) lists guidelines for assessing whither counselors act in ethically responsible ways. The first is personal and professional honest. Counselors need to operate openly with themselves and those with whom they work. Hidden agendas or unacknowledged feelings hinder relationship and place counselors on shaky ethical ground. One way to overcome personal and professional honest problems that may get in the way of acting ethically is to receive supervision (Kitchener, 1994). The second guideline is acting in the best interest of clients. This ideal is easier to discuss than achieve. At times, a counselor may impose personal values on client and ignore what they really want (Gladding Hool, 1974). At other times, a counselor may fail to recognize an emergency and too readily accept the idea that the clients best interest is served by doing nothing. The third guideline is that counselors act without malice or personal gain. Some clients are difficult to like or deal with, and it is win these individuals that counselors must be especially careful. However, counselors must be careful to avoid relationships with likable clients either on a person or professional basis. Errors in judgment are most likely to occur when the counselors self-interest becomes a part of the relationship with a client (Germaine, 1993). The final guideline is whether counselors can justify an action as the best judgment of what should be done based upon the current state of the profession (Swanson, 1983). To make such a decision, counselors must keep up with current trends by reading the professional literature; attending in-service workshops and conventions, and becoming actively involved in local, state, and national counseling activities. The ACA Ethical Standards Casebook (Herlihy Corey, 1996) contains examples in which counselors are presented with issues and case studies of questionable ethical situations and given both guidelines and questions to reflect on in deciding what an ethical response would be. Each situation involves a standard of the ethical code. As helpful as the casebook may be, in many counseling situations the proper behavior is not obvious (Gladding, 2001). For example, the question of confidentiality in balancing the individual rights of a person with AIDS and society s right to be protected from the spread of the disease in one with which some counselors struggle. Likewise, there are multiple ethical dilemmas in counseling adult survivors about what to do in a given situation, it is crucial for counselors to concern and talk over situations with colleagues, in addition to using principles, guidelines, casebooks, and professional codes of ethics. 4. Counselor Competence and Referral The ACA Code of Ethics (1995) clearly states that Counselors must practice only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, state and national professional credentials, and appropriate professional experience. The APA Ethical Principles (1992) makes a similar statement and adds that: Psychologists provide services, teach, or conduct research in new area or involving new techniques only after first undertaking appropriate study, training, supervision, and consultation from person who are competent in those areas or techniques. The ethical standards are quite clear regarding what a counselor should do if he is not competent to treat a certain client problem. His first and best choice is to make an appropriate referral. If there is no one to whom he can refer (which would be an exception rather than a common occurrence), then it is incumbent on he to educate himself through reading books and journal articles on the presenting problem and to seek supervision of his work with the client. The counselor has the responsibility for the welfare of the client; therefore, it is his professional duty to obtain for that client the best services possible be it from him or from a professional colleague. Clients are not subjects for your trial and error learning but deserve the best professional care possible. One of counselors responsibilities is to recognize his or her strengths and weaknesses and to offer services only in the areas of his or her strengths. Defining a counselors areas of component usually involves critical and honest self-examination. Calling this subjective component an internal perspective, Robinson and Cross caution counselors to do everything possible to gain the skills and knowledge based to the profession. Counselors need to stretch their skills continually by reading and attending to new and developing trends, through attaining postgraduate education, and through attending seminars and workshops aimed at sharpening and increasing both knowledge and skill bases. All counselors must take full responsibility for adhering to professional codes of conduct that address the concepts of proper representation of professional qualifications, for providing only those services for which they have been trained, and for seeking assistance with personal issues that are barriers to providing effective service. Regardless of the area of the area of service being discussed, counselors are the first-line judge of their professional competence. Although credentialing bodies, professional organizations, and state legislatures may set standards for practice, the counselor must be the most critical evaluator of his or her ability to provide services. This often becomes quite a challenge when ones living dependents on having clients who will pay for service. In fact, the ethical is not always the easy choice. 5. Improving Ethics Decisions Making in Counseling The making ethics decision is the crucial key for achieving a higher level of the ethics of counseling. Ethics decision making is often not easy yet is a part of being a counselor. It requires virtues such as character, integrity, and moral courage as well as knowledge (Welfel, 1998). Some counselors operate from personal ethical standards without regard to the ethical guidelines developed by professional counseling associations. They usually function well until faced with a dilemma for which there is no apparent good or best solution (Swanson, 1983). At such times, ethical issues arise and these counselors experience anxiety, doubt, hesitation, and confusion in determining their conduct. Unfortunately, when they act, their behavior may turn out to be unethical because it is not grounded in any ethical code. The researchers found five types of ethical dilemmas most prevalent among the university counselors they surveys there: a. confidentiality, b. role conflict, c. counselor competence, d. conflicts with employer or institution, and e. degree of dangerousness. The situational dilemmas that involved danger were the least difficult to resolve and those that dealt with counselor competence and confidentiality were the most difficult. The surprising finding of this study, however, was that less than over-third of the respondents indicated that they relied on published professional codes of ethics in resolving dilemmas. Instead, most used common sense, a strategy that at times may be professionally unethical and at best unwise. It is in such types of situations that need to be aware of resources for ethical decision making, especially when questions arise over controversial behaviors such as setting or collecting fees or conducting dual relationships (Gibson Pope, 1993). Ethical reasoning, the process of determining which ethical principles are involved and then prioritizing them based on the professional requirements and beliefs, is also crucial (Lanning, 1992). In making ethical decisions, counselors should take actions based on careful, reflective thought about responses they think are professionally right in particular situations (Tennyson Strom, 1992). Several ethical principles relate to the actives and ethical choices of counselors: Beneficence (doing well and preventing harm), Non malfeasance (not inflicting harm), Autonomy (respecting freedom of choice and self-determination), Justice (fairness), and Fidelity (faithfulness or honoring commandments) (Herlihy, 1996). All these principles involve conscious decision making by counselors throughout the counseling process. Of these principles, some experts identify non malfeasance as the primary ethical responsibility in the field of counseling. Non malfeasance not only involves the removal of present harm but the prevention of future harm and passive avoidance of harm. It is the basis on which counselors respond to clients who may endanger themselves or others and why they respond to colleagues unethical behavior. 5.1 Educating Counselors in Ethical Decision Making Ethical can be improving in many ways, but one of the beat is through course offering that are now required in most graduate counseling programs and available for continuing education credit. Such courses can bring about significant attitudinal changes in students and practicing professionals, impairment, and multiculturalism (Coll, 1993). Because ethical attitudinal changes are related to ethical behavioral changes, courses in ethics on any level are extremely valuable. Van Hoose (1979) conceptualizes the ethical behavior of counselors in terms of a five-stage developmental continuum of reasoning: Punishment orientation. At this stage the counselor believes external social standards are the basis for judging behavior. If clients or counselors violate a societal rule, they should be punished. Institutional orientation. Counselors who operate at this stage believe in and abide by the rules of the institutions for which they work. They do not question the rules and base their decisions on them. Societal orientation. Counselors at this stage base decisions on societal standards. If a question arises about whether the needs of society or an individual should come first, the needs of society are always given priority. Individual orientation. The individuals needs receive top priority at this stage. Counselors are aware of society needs and are concerned about the law, but they focus on what is best for the individual. Principle (conscience) orientation. In this stage concern for the individual is primary. Ethical decisions are based on internalized ethical standards, not external considerations. As Welfel and Lipsitz (1983) point out, the work of Van Hoose and Paradise is especially important because it is the first conceptual model in the literature that attempts to explain how counselors reason about ethical issues. It is heuristic (i.e., research able or open to research) and can form the basis gor empirical studies of promotion of ethical behavior. Several other models have been proposed for educating counselors in ethical decision making. Based on Gumaer and Scott (1985), for instance, offer a method for training group workers based on the ethical guidelines of the association for specialists in group work. This method uses case vignettes and Carkhuffs three-goal, model of helping: self-expectation, self-understanding, and action. Kicherner (1986) proposes an integrated model of goals and components for an ethics education curriculum based on research on the psychological processes underlying moral behavior and current thinking in applied ethics. Her curriculum includes counselors to ethical issues, improving their abilities to make ethical judgments, encourage responsible ethical actions and tolerating the ambiguity of ethical decision making (Kitchener, 1986). Her model and one proposed are process oriented and assume that counselors do not learn to make ethical decisions on their own. Pelsma and Borgers (1986) particularly emphasize the how as opposed to what of ethics that is, how to reason ethically in a constantly changing field. Other practitioner guide for making ethical decisions are a seven-step decision making model based on a synthesis of the professional literature, a nine-step ethical decision-making models follow based on critical-evaluative judgments and seven other models created between 1984 and 1998 (cottone Claus, 2000). These ethical decision-making models follow explicit steps or stages and are often used for specific areas of counseling practice. However, through empirical comparisons and continued dialogue, the effectiveness of the models may be validated. In addition to the models already mentioned the ACA Ethics Committee offers a variety of educational experience. For example, members of the committee offer learning institutes at national and regional ACA conferences. In addition, they publish articles in the ACA newsletter. Finally, to promote counseling practices, the committee through ACA publishes a type counselors guide entitled: What you should know about the ethical practice of professional counselors, which is on the ACA website as well as printed (Williams Freeman, 2002). 6. Focus on Clients Rights When clients enter a counseling relationship, they have a right to assume that you are competent. In addition, they have certain rights, known as client rights, as well as responsibilities. These rights have their foundation in the Bill of Rights, particularly the first and fourth amendment of the constitution of the United States, which are freedom of religion, speech, and the press and right of petition and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, respectively. The concept of confidentiality, privileged communication, and informed consent are based on the fourth amendment, which guarantees privacy. Privacy has been defined as the freedom of individuals to choose for themselves the time and the circumstances under which and the extent to which their beliefs, behaviors, and opinions are to be shared or withheld from others (Corey et al., 1988). 6.1 Improving Confidentiality and Privileged Communications The concept of privacy is the foundation for the clients legal right to privileged communication and counselors responsibility to hold counseling communications confidentiality is a professional concept. It is so important that both the APA (1992) Ethical principles and the ACA (1995) Code of Ethics each devote an entire section to confidentiality. However, a clients communications are not confidential in a court of law unless the mental health professional is legally certified or licensed in the state in which he or she practices. Most states grant the clients of state-certified or licensed mental health professionals (such as psychologists, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists) the right of privileged communications. This means that clients, not counselors, have control over who has access to what they have said in therapy and protects them from having their communications disclosed in a court of law. In order for communication to be privileged, counselors should follow four conditions. First, the communication must originate in confidence that it will not be disclosed. Second, confidentiality must be essential to the full and satisfactory maintenance of the relationship. Third, in the opinion of the greater community, the relationship must be one that should be sedulously fostered. Finally, injury to the relationship by disclosure of the communication must be greater than the benefit gained by the correct disposal of litigation regarding the information. If as a counselor can claim these four conditions, then his clients communications are not only confidential, but they are also privileged and, therefore, are protected from being disclosed in a court of law. One must remember, however, that there is always a balance between a clientss right to privacy and societys need to know. Despite the importance given to confidentiality and privileged communication, pope, and Keith-Spiegel (1987) reported that 62 percent of psychologists in a national survey indicated that they had unintentionally violated a clients confidentiality and 21 percent had intentionally violated a clients confidentiality. These alarming statistics suggest that mental health professionals are at risk for violating this core ethical principle. Therefore, all mental health professionals need to be aware of the professional standards regarding confidentiality, the professional is guilty of breaching the confidentiality. Secretaries are considered extensions of the certified or licensed mental health professionals to which they are accountable. 6.2 Improving Informed Consent The ACA (1995) Code of Ethics is very specific with respect to what should be disclosed to clients in order for them to give informed consent: When counseling is initiated, and throughout the counseling process as necessary, counselors inform clients of the purposes, goals, techniques, procedures, limitations, potential risks and benefits of services to be performed, and other pertinent information. Counselors take steps to ensure that clients understand the implications of diagnosis, the intended use of tests and reports, fee, and billing arrangements. Clients have the right to expect confidentiality and be provided with an explanation of its limitations, including supervision and treatment team professionals; to obtain clear information about the case records; to participate in the ongoing counseling plans; and to refuse any recommended services and be advised on the consequences of such refusal. If a counselor is asked by a client to disclose to a third party information revealed in therapy, have the client sign an informed consent form before making any disclosure. The counselor may be surprised to learn that counselor are not even permitted to respond to inquiries about whether they are seeing a person in therapy even the clients name and status in counseling are confidential, unless the client has granted permission for this information to be released. One exception is when the client is paying for the services through an insurance company. This automatically grants the insurance company limited access to information regarding the client. The client needs to be made aware of the parameters of the information that will be shared with the insurance company prior to beginning therapy. Again, it is evident how important it is to have potential clients sign an informed consent form before they become clients. 6.3 Improving Clients Welfare All the preceding discussion rests on the permission rests on the premise that the counselors primary obligation is to protect the welfare of the client. The preamble to the APA (1992) Ethical Principles specifically states that it has as its primary goal the welfare and protection of the individuals and groups with whom psychologists work. A similar statement is made by ACA (1995) Code of Ethics: the primary responsibility of counselors is to respect the dignity and to promote the welfare and of clients. Dual relationships, counselors personal needs have already been discussed; attention now needs to be given to the third concern. An additional set of guidelines comes into play when a counselor is doing work or working with a couple or family. In a group setting, special issues include qualifications of the group leader, informed consent when more than the group leader will be participating in therapy, the limits to confidentiality and to privileged communication when third parties are present in therapy, and understanding how individuals will be protected and their growth nurtured in a group situation. Unlike individual counseling, clients who want to be involved into a group experience need to be screened before being accepted into a group. This screening not only ensures that the client is appropriate for the group but also protects other group members from a potentially dysfunctional group member. It is evident that client welfare, whether in individual therapy or in group work, rests squarely on the shoulders of the counselor. The counselor must be cognizant of the various aspects of the counseling relationship that can jeopardize the clients welfare and take the steps necessary to alleviate the situation. Robinson Kurpius and Gross offer several suggestions for safeguarding the welfare of each client: Check to be sure that you are working in harmony with any other mental health professional also seeing your client. Develop clear, written descriptions code of what clients may expert with respect to therapeutic regime, testing and reports, recordkeeping, billing, scheduling, and emergencies. Share your professional code of ethics with your clients, and prior to beginning therapy discuss the parameters of a therapeutic relationship. Know your own limitations, and do not hesitate to use appropriate referral sources. Be sure that the approaches and techniques used are appropriate for the client and that you have the necessary expertise for their use. Consider all other possibilities before establishing a counseling relationship that could be considered a dual relationship. Evaluate the clients ability to pay and when the payment of the usual fee would create a hardship. Either accept a reduced fee or assist the client in finding needed services at an affordable cost. Objectively evaluate client progress and the therapeutic relationship to determine if it is consistently in the best interests of the client. Improving the Ethics of Counseling in Some Specific Situations Counselors should check thoroughly the general politics and principles of an institution before accepting employment because employment in a specific setting implies that selves in institutions that misuse their services and do not act in the best interests of their clients, they must act either to change the institution through educational or persuasive means or find other employment. The potential for major ethical crises between a counselor and his or her employer exists in many school setting. School counselors are often used as tools by school administrators. When the possibility of conflict exists between a counselors loyalty to the employer and the client, the counselor should always attempt to find a resolution that protects the rights of the client; the ethical responsibility is to the client first and the school lore other setting second (Huey, 1986). One way school counselors can assure themselves of an ethically sound program is to realize that they may encounter multiple dilemmas in providing services to students, parents, and teachers. Therefore, before interacting with these different groups, school counselors should become families with the ethical standards of the American school counseling association, which outlines counselors responsibilities to the groups with whom they work (Henderson, 2003). One of the most common situations of counseling is about the family and marriage. The reason is that counselors are treating a number of individuals together as a system, and it is unlikely that all members of the system have the same goals. To overcome potential problems, Thomas (1994) has developed a dynamic, process-oriented framework for counselors to use when working with families. This model discusses six values that affect counselors, clients, and the counseling process: (a) responsibility, (b) integrity, (c) commitment, (d) freedom of choice, (e) empowerment, and (f) right grieves. Then, when a counselor faces the counseling of family or marriage, he or she should try to follow this framework. The use of computers and technology in counseling is another area of potential ethical difficulty. The possibilities exist for a breach of client information when computers are used to transmit information among professional counselors. Other ethically sensitive areas include client or counselor misuse and even the validity of data offered over computer links. In addition, the problem of cyber counseling or web counseling that is, counseling over the internet in which the counselor may be hundreds of miles away is fraught with ethical dilemmas. Thus, the national board of certified counselors has issued ethical guidelines regarding such conduct. Other counseling settings or situations with significant potential for ethical dilemmas include counseling the elderly, multicultural counseling, working in managed care, diagnosis of clients, and counseling research (Jencius Rotter, 1998). In all of these areas, counselors face new situations, some of which are not addressed by the ethical standards of the ACA. For instance, in working with older adults, counselors must make ethical decisions regarding the unique needs of the aging who have cognitive impairments, a terminal illness, or who have been victims of abuse. In order to do so, counselors may apply principle ethics to these situations that are based on a set of obligations that focus on finding socially and historically appropriate answers to the question: What shall I do? In other word, Is this action ethical? They may also employ virtue ethics, which focus on the character traits of the counselor and nonobligatory ideals to which professional aspire. Rather than solving a specific ethical question, virtue ethics are focused on the questions: Am I doing what is best for my client? Counselors are wise to integrate both forms of ethics reasoning into their deliberations if they wish to make the best decisions possible. In making ethical decisions where there are no guidelines, it is also critical for counselor to stay abreast of current issues, trends, and even legislation related to the situation they face. In the process, counselors must take care not to stereotype or otherwise be insensitive to clients with whom they are working. For instance, a primary emphasis of research ethics is, appropriately, on the protection of human subjects in research. In the area of research in particular, there are four main ethical issues that must be resolved: a. informed consent, b. coercion and deception, c. Confidentiality and privacy, and d. reporting the results. (Robinson Gross, 1986) All of these areas involve people whose lives are in the care of the researcher. Anticipation of problems and implementation of policies that produce humane and fair results are essential. 8. Improving the Legal Aspects of Counseling Counselors must follow specific legal guidelines in working with certain populations. But counselors may often have considerable trouble in situations in which the law is not clear or a conflict exists between the law and professional counseling ethics. Nevertheless, it is important that providers of mental health services be fully informed about what they can or cannot do legally. Such situations often involve the sharing of information among clients, counselors, and the court system. Sharing may be broken down into confidentiality, privacy, and privileged communication. Confidentiality is the ethical duty to fulfill a contract or promise that the information revealed during therapy will be protected from unauthorized disclosure. Confidentiality become a legal as well as an ethical concern if it is broken, whether intentionality or not. It is annually one of the most inquired about ethical and legal concerns received by the ACA Ethics Committee including dilemmas regarding right to privacy, clients right to privacy, and counselors avoiding illegal and unwarranted disclosures of confidential information (Williams Freeman, 2002). Privacy is an evolving legal concept that recognizes individuals rights to choose the time, circumstances, and extent to which they wish to share or withhold personal information. Clients who think they have been coerced into revealing information they would not normally disclose may seek legal recourse against a counselor. Privileged communication, a narrower concept, regulates privacy protection and confidentiality by protecting clients from having their confidential communications disclosed in court without their permission. It is defined as a clients legal right, guaranteed by statute, that confidences originating in a therapeutic relationship will be safeguarded (Arthur Swanson, 1993). Most states recognize and protect privileged communication in counselor-client relationships. As opposed to individuals, the legal concept of privileged communication generally does not apply in group and family counseling (Anderson, 1996). However, counselors should consider certain ethical concerns in protecting the confidentiality of group and family members. One major difficulty with any law governing client and counselor communication is that laws vary from state to state. It is essential that counselors know and communication to their cli

Friday, October 25, 2019

security :: essays research papers

The use of computers within the business and government sector has said to have ‘rapidly increased over the last fifteen years’; this therefore provides a whole new prospect for a distinctive criminal to prosper, and in most cases, to go utterly undiscovered. It has been anticipated that, unless this particular problem is tackled head on, losses from the computer crime may eventually reach $50 billion per year. One expert in the field has estimated that, under present law the chances of a computer criminal being convicted are 1 in 500, and of going to jail as 1 in 1000. The possibility of corporations or banks going bankrupt as a result of computer theft is very real. W. John Taggart, â€Å"Computer Law in Australia†. There are many forms of computer abuse, yet they have come to many solutions. Many penalties if the criminals get caught and yet there are many weaknesses in computer law. With the expeditions rate of advances in technology, coping with those classi fied as ‘computer criminals’ who are always one step ahead, is virtually impossible. They may ‘patch up’ faults in previous systems, however do not recognise faults in latest systems until it’s too late. Computer crime involves the unauthorised and unlawful use of a computer. Given growth of technology in our society, the incidence of computer rime is a matter of considerable concern for our law-makers. The cost of computer crime in the United States has been estimated to be at least $5000 million a year. (Cudmor, Greg â€Å"Computer Law†, page 8). Who would be classified as a ‘computer criminal’? It is said that often the ‘computer criminal’ is a trusted employee and the problem for organisations seems to be internal security. The community considers computer crime, as being less serious than other crimes against property, such as burglary or car theft, as it is not violent or public. In many instances computer crime is not always reported, due to the complexity of information systems. It is sometimes possible for offences to be concealed and often victims are unaware that an offence has even been committed. A reason for computer crime not being reported is when the crime is discovered companies defrauded of tremendous sums of money are sometimes ashamed to report a breach of security. Another reason is that the offender is sometimes and employee of the company and if the harm is not significant the company may discipline or dismiss the offender.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Akdj

Learning Module 3 Connor MacLeod 100254620 The first video, The Solar Nebular Theory, describes the planetary formation through a collapsing cloud of dust and gas that spins in the same direction at a fast pace. Through angular momentum, as it collapses even more, it speeds up and flattens into a disk. As it flattens, the materials start to come together and planets start to form as well as a young star is created in the middle. What I liked about the video is how they used good analogies such as the pizza and the figure skater to get the idea of angular momentum across.What I didn’t like about the video is how they didn’t go more in depth about the other bodies that are created around the star. To make it better I would’ve used our solar system as an example in order to relate to it better The 2nd video is the Planetisimal video. It goes on to describe how particles grow by condensation, the process of adding matter to an atom or molecule. Once they get to a big enough size, the particles start to stick to others through a process called accretion. Planetisimals continue to grow by colliding and sticking to others until it gets large enough to turn into a protoplanet.The stage where iron falls to the core and heat is generated while lighter materials stay on the outside to create the earths crust. What I did not like about the video is how they do not specify how long it takes for it to turn into a protoplanet from a planetisimal. The woman talks about millions of years to get to the diameter of the particle to centimeters until they start to collide, but lacks the information of how long the collisions take to get bigger. They could improve the video by adding these details into it.What I liked about the video is how it goes in depth about protoplanets and the gravitational collapse as the textbook had me somewhat confused. The 3rd video is the extra solar planets. It is about how to detect planets outside of our solar system that gravita te around other stars. They don’t try and find planets directly, they observe the stars in which they believe planets gravitate around and watch how the star reacts. The way they can measure this is through the Doppler affect. As the planet gravitates around it, it pulls the star in different directions.So when a star comes towards you, its light gets compressed, and when it is moving away, the light waves get stretched. What I liked about the video is the way they illustrated how the Doppler affect worked with visuals as oppose to the dog theory in the textbook. That being said, what I didn’t like about the video was how they focused solely on detecting planets through the Doppler affect, I would improve upon this video by not leaving out the other approach of detecting the difference in light when a planet moves in front of it.The 4th video is about meteorites. It discuses how meteoroid’s cause meteors, that is until it reaches the ground and are renamed to me teorites. It then describes how each meteorite is classified by its composition. Each different composition inside a meteorite allows geologists to identify their space origins. What I liked about the video is how they discussed the different kinds of meteorites and the significance of different compositions of the meteorites. What I didn’t like is how they did not touch upon meteor showers and different meteor showers.To improve this video I would’ve included some facts of the Perseid meteor shower. The 5th video is about asteroids. It discusses how Italian astronomer Piazzi discovered the first asteroid. Now there are over 100,000 asteroids that lay in the asteroid belt near mars and Jupiter. They also describe the reason the asteroids are in the belt could be due to a planet that never formed. The pull of Jupiter’s gravity kept the particles accelerating so fast, they could never accrete.What I liked about the video is how it spent the most time discussing wh y the asteroid belt exists as that caught my attention the most in the textbook, where its only mentioned briefly. What I didn’t like about the video is it didn’t discuss the shapes and size of the asteroids themselves. To improve this video I would’ve added some interesting facts from the textbook such as some are asteroids are 200km in diameter. The 6th video is about comets. It talked about how civilization was influenced from comets and the association of comets to earth through eligious or mythological oriented societies and how they were viewed as a bad omen. What I did not like about this video is how it did not describe at all what a comet is, or what it is made up of. They could make this video better by discussing the basics of a comet, not just the historic significance it played on our societies. That being said, what I did like about this video is the telling of how it played a role in our societies that if something bad happened, and a comet was in the sky, it started to be associated with each other.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Vietnam Piracy History

II. The Prioriry actions requested in 2012: IIPA had hoped that the 2005 passage of the IP Code in Vietnam, revisions to the Criminal Code in 2009, an administrative enforcement Decree (No. 47) also in 2009, and a nationwide judicial reformprocess would lead to steady improvements in copyright protection, allowing a legitimate creative marketplace to emerge in Vietnam. Unfortunately, online and mobile piracy has gotten significantly worse in Vietnam, and end-user piracy of business software remains largely unchecked, among other piracy problems.Increased Internet and mobile penetration and more widely available broadband capacity have led to a severe increase in the trade of illegal copyright files online. Technological advances in Vietnam have outpaced the government’s response to copyright issues, notwithstanding that the Vietnamese have long recognized that piracy in the country is increasingly â€Å"sophisticated† and involves violations of â€Å"most of the object s of the rights†.The Vietnamese Government has taken very few enforcement actions over the years, and no criminal case has ever been brought to address copyright piracy. Because of that, IIPA has launched the priority actions requested in 2012 to reduce the piracy situation in Vietnam: Enforcement: * Devote greater resources and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) Inspectorate and Economic Police manpower to running raids and bringing cases under the Criminal Code through targeted criminal actions,e. . , against online piracy, retail and source piracy,.. * Take effective enforcement measures against notorious infringing sites whose business models are based on providing access to infringing content, including in particular those sites such as Socbay. com, Bamboo. com,†¦ * Enforce Ordinance No. 4 and Decree No. 47 on administrative remedies for copyright infringement, imposing maximum penalties. * Reduce pirated imports from China. Reduce signal theft by removin g illegal content from local cable operators and stopping retransmission of signals from neighboring countries without license. Legislation and Market Access * Issue implementing guidance for the revised Criminal Code so that prosecutions can commence, in line with Vietnam’s BTA obligation, including by confirming that the Code applies to online distributions, and providing detailed interpretations of â€Å"commercial scale† infringements that include those undertaken without a profit motive. Make necessary changes to IP Code and implementing decrees to ensure Vietnam is in full compliance with its BTA and other international obligations, and otherwise facilitate the free exercise of rights by copyright owners. * Expedite the drafting process for, and provide public consultation as to, amendments to the Internet Decree (or circular) on ISP liability that clarifies the secondary liability of ISPs and requires ISPs to take responsibility and cooperate with right holders to combat online infringements both in the hosted and the non-hosted environment. Afford U. S. right holders greater access to the Vietnamese market, by eliminating foreign investment restrictions and other entry barriers with respect to production, importation and distribution of copyright materials whether in the physical or online/mobile marketplaces. * Extend the term of protection for sound recordings to the BTA-compatible term (75 years or more) and otherwise extend copyright term in line with the international trend (life of the author plus 70 years). * Pass optical disc licensing regulation. III.The actual out come of the 2011 decisions (the result in 2012 after applying priority actions requested in 2012) IIPA hopes the issuance and entry into force in 2012 of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) and Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) Joint Circular on Stipulations on the Responsibilities for Intermediary Service Providers in the Protection of C opyright and Related Rights on the Internet and Telecommunications Networks will lead to significant reductions in online and mobile piracy in the country, including closures of notorious websites and services built on copyright infringement.The IP Code, Criminal Code, administrative enforcement Ordinances and Decrees, and judicial reform, must all be brought to bear to significantly reduce all forms of piracy, including online and mobile piracy, enterprise end-user piracy of software, physical piracy, and book piracy which remain largely unchecked in Vietnam. And the results after applying priority actions requested in 2012, Piracy Situation and enforcement challenges in Viet Nam are summarized as follows: 1.Internet and Mobile Piracy Causing Severe Damage to Copyright Owners: Increased Internet and mobile penetration and more widely available broadband capacity have led to a severe increase in the trade of illegal copyright files online. Internet penetration continued on an upward path, with reportedly 31. 1 million Internet users according to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) of Vietnam, with 3G mobile Internet users reaching 16 million (18% of the country’s population).Vietnam ranks 18th in the world, 8th in Asia, and 3rd in Southeast Asia in the total number of Internet users. According to MIC, there are 19 Internet service providers, some 1,064 licensed websites, and 335 social networks operating in Vietnam. Unfortunately, the vast majority of websites dealing in copyright content remain unlicensed, although there are now a few operators of online services providing licensed music (representing, however, only 1% of online music services).The rest are streaming and download sites (50%), forums (21%), video websites (17%), search engines (8%), deeplinking, cyberlocker, and social network sites all being employed to deliver unlicensed copyright content, including music, movies, entertainment and software, and published materials. N ot only the repertoire of VietNam but international and other Asian repertoire such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean music can also be found on these sites. And University networks are increasingly being used for dissemination of infringing content.Specific example for this case is Zing. vn. Zing. vn is one notorious website which was identified by IIPA in its annual notorious markets filing with the U. S. Trade Representative, and USTR placed Zing. vn on its â€Å"Notorious Markets† list. Zing. vn is an online portal service operated by VNG Corporation (previously called VinaGame) in Vietnam. Zing. vn provides various services including an online music portal, social networking, a search engine, instant messaging, movies, karaoke, video and photos. Zing. n, well documented in last year’s IIPA Special 301 report, was proposed by IIPA as a â€Å"notoriousmarket† in its Special 301 out-of-cycle review submission in September 2012, and USTR agreed in its December 20 12 announcement. USTR noted in its announcement, â€Å"In addition to being a social media site, Vietnam-based Zing. vn also includes an infringing deeplinking music portal, which reportedly attracts large numbers of users to the site. † They also indicated, â€Å"We understand that VNG, Zing’s parent company is currently in talks with rights holders to obtain the necessary licenses to transitionZing into an authorized digital music platform. † With rapid increases in mobile phone subscribers in Vietnam, there has also been an increase in mobile piracy over the year. Right holders now face two major challenges in the mobile space: 1) the loading by mobile device vendors of illegal copyright content onto devices at the point of sale; and 2) illegal music channels or â€Å"apps† set up to be accessed on mobile platforms, without any intervention from the authorities to cease such activities.As an example of this phenomenon, sites like Socbay. com offer ille gal downloads of ringtones to mobile phones, but Socbay has now developed a mobile â€Å"app† called Socbay iMedia which provides a variety of unauthorized entertainment content, including, inter alia, music files. This second phenomenon will, if allowed unchecked, threaten the entire online/mobile market for music and other copyright materials into the future and must be addressed. 2.Enterprise End-User Piracy of Software Harms the Software Industry and Stunts the Growth of the IT Sector: The software industry reports a continued high level of software piracy in Vietnam. In 2011, the software piracy rate in Vietnam was 81% (among the highest in the world), representing a commercial value of unlicensed software of US$395 million. 13 This includes widespread unlicensed software use by enterprises in Vietnam, retail piracy, and hard disk loading of unlicensed software. Most leading cities, such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da N? ng, and H? Phong are still key software piracy hot spots. The industry also notes the desperate need for legalization of software usage within the Vietnamese government. It has been recognized by some within the Vietnamese government that use of unlicensed commercial software is occurring within government ministries. Some initial discussions on government legalization have commenced between BSA and the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), with a focus on legalization procedures and the government avoiding any mandates orpreferences for the purchase of specific types of software. . Physical Piracy Remains Rampant, Including Pirate Imports, Pirate Burned Content, Factory Production, and â€Å"Media Box† Piracy: Evidence of physical piracy, including virtually 100% piracy of home video entertainment, can still be found everywhere in Vietnam, especially in urban areas like Ha Noi, HCM City,†¦ It remains very easy to buy almost imported discs (from China mainly),burned discs or factory discs of any kind of conte nt, and pirated software is readily available at shops on the socalled â€Å"PC streets† or other â€Å"CD-DVD† shops.Vietnamese-sourced pirate products flood the domestic markets and have been found in other markets in recent years in Asia, North America, and even Eastern Europe. For the music industry, with piracy levels still extremely high, financial returns for recorded music sales have dropped so deeply that the companies involved are unable to invest in new albums and artists, choosing to recoup investment through ring tones, ring-back tones, ancillary revenues for personality rights, and music channel licensing. 4. Book and Journal Piracy Severely Harms Publishers:Book and journal publishers continue to suffer from rampant piracy in Vietnam, in the form of illegal reprints and unauthorized photocopies. Bookshops, roadside vendors and copy shops all sell unauthorized copies of bestselling trade books, travel books and academic textbooks, and unlicensed print ove rruns continue to harm foreign publishers. Unauthorized translations produced by university lecturers or professors have been detected, in which the lecturers or professors append their name to the translated textbook.State-sector publishers also have an interest in making sure their licenses (such as those of the Ministry of Youth and the General Publishing House of Ho Chi Minh City) are not misused. 5. Signal Piracy/Pay TV Piracy: Vietnam's Pay-TV sector is one of the fastest developing markets in the Asia Pacific, and is set to rank fourth in the region in growth over the next four years. With 4. 2 million overall connections, and digital systems taking hold (including through Vietnamese Government infusion of capital), signal piracy in Vietnam still holds back the legitimate Pay-TV market, and causes major damages to right holders. Overspill† is also a problem in Vietnam as cable operators capture signals from neighboring countries’ satellite systems. These are ende mic problems which the government should address. A relatively new and dangerous problem in Vietnam involves the operation of websites which steal pay-TV signals and stream them onto the Internet. Several sites have been identified as streaming premium content channels without authorization, mainly focusing on motion pictures or sports content.In general, after applying the above policy, the piracy situation in Vietnam has not improved. One of the reasons for this situation is enforcement challenges. Enforcement updates in Vi? t Nam: Failure to Address Internet and Mobile Device Piracy: Despite notifying the Vietnamese government ofsites involved in piracy of music, movies, software, games, and published works (with reports of growing electronic piracy of textbooks and dictionaries, among other published products), the government has been mainly inactive and disinterested. Notorious piracy site zing. n has been brought to the attention of administrative authorities in Vietnam, but t here has been no response. The problem is further compounded by existing administrative enforcement remedies being rendered ineffective by: * The lack of an effective procedure to deal with online piracy administrative complaints. * A heavy burden on right holders for production of evidence and proof of actual damages. * Continued rudimentary issues related to ability to identify and effectively deal with online infringement cases. * Lack of compliance with administrative ordersCourt Reform Efforts Lacking: The inactivity of the courts in dealing with copyright infringement issues is a major disappointment. There have to date been relatively few civil court actions involving copyright infringement in Vietnam. The main reasons for this are complicated procedures, delays, and a lack of certainty as to the expected outcome. Building IP expertise must be a part of the overall judicial reform effort. Training should be provided to police and prosecutors as they play a very important role in bringing a criminal offense case to the courts.End-User Piracy Enforcement: One relatively bright spot in enforcement seems to be in the area of addressing software piracy. In 2012, more raids were taken with participation of both MCST and the MPS Anti-High Tech Crime Police. Administrative fines remain relatively low, generally, VND50 million (around US$2,400), never reaching the maximum applicable rate of VND500 million (US$24,000). The industry also reports stronger support given to both enforcement and educational campaigns to sensitize the public to the need to use legal software.The presence of the High Tech Police is now seen as essential for the success of raids as they possess technical knowledge which is helpful to achieving effective raids. In addition, there are training courts covered the overview of copyright laws and the value of IP and innovation. There remain no implementing guidelines for the revised Criminal Code, so no software piracy cases have ever been bro ught to Criminal Court. Very Little Enforcement Against Hard Goods Piracy:Though MCST has indicated its recognition of the hard goods piracy problem, it has devoted very few resources to deal with physical piracy across Vietnam. Only a ‘zero tolerance’ campaign, including actions against open and blatant piracy activities of all kinds, with deterrent administrative fines meted out to their maximums, license revocations, shop closures, seizures of pirate imports and pirated product destined for export by Customs, and criminal penalties can result in a significant reduction in piracy in Vietnam.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Chrysalids by Thomas M. Wagner Essay Example

The Chrysalids by Thomas M. Wagner Essay Example The Chrysalids by Thomas M. Wagner Paper The Chrysalids by Thomas M. Wagner Paper The Review of â€Å"The Chrysalids†, written by Thomas M. Wagner in the year 2004, explores the elements of the book that made it a memorable reading experience, while also discussing the points that rendered the book’s focal issues moot. Wagner compliments Wyndham’s use of his book to explore the themes of xenophobia, intolerance and bigotry that were prominent in society during the period, but criticizes the climax, involving the Sealander Lady and her justification for her actions during the rescue. The piece involves strengths surrounding Wagner’s use of informal language, his focus on critical themes explored throughout the text, and his discussion of the flawed survival of the fittest trope. The article is not without its weaknesses, failing to deliver topic sentences throughout, and introducing a new point in the concluding paragraph. Informal language tends to be used in situations where writers want to bring across their points in a succinct manner, without complicating the information being delivered. Wagner’s use of informal language is prominent throughout the article, bringing across a particular tone that is used to highlight his view of the piece’s climax. Examples of informal language being used can be found in paragraph 9, ‘So far, so good’ and paragraph 14, ‘I almost needed a crane to hoist my jaw from the floor’. Both examples bring across a more personal tone, and link the writer to the target readers more directly. Because of Wagner’s use of a thesis statement in his introductory paragraph, there was provision of information on the strengths and weaknesses that were present in the text. This thesis statement provides readers with knowledge of what is to be expected. He discusses the themes with the text, that focused on the issues of xenophobia, intolerance and bigotry that were heavily prominent during the period when the text was written. He draws a comparison between the book and the Nazi Par

Monday, October 21, 2019

Newsletters versus Blogging

Newsletters versus Blogging While I hate giving away my age, years ago newsletters were fresh and new. The goal was to direct people to your website, and from there you sell your wares. Were talking 15-20 years. Few people could do newsletters, and there were few email delivery services that could handle a newsletter. Most people didnt want to pay for what an email could do anyway. That was the time period that FundsforWriters was born. It was cool to be in magazines. After a few years, when I had graduated to four newsletters, and the Internet was becoming popular and THE place to be. . . when Amazon was fledgling but strong. . . folks came up with a blog. Blogger.com exploded in popularity, and everybody decided they needed a blog. The argument arose whether you needed a blog or a website. The clock ticked on. . . blogs got creative with WordPress, websites incorporated blogs, and social media stepped up its game. Newsletters became passe. Everyone was everywhere, so what was the need? Podcasts, YouTube, SoundCloud, etc. came alive, and audiobooks took off. It was more attractive to see and hear someone. The trend was to become more interactive. Then suddenly blogs were history. . . and newsletters came back to life. I laughed the entire time, because I knew they would. Newsletters could be personal without intrusion. Some people dont have time to listen to talking heads. /Â  . The goal now is to attract people to your newsletter via blog. Listen. . . if you had jumped on every bandwagon spouted over the last 20 years, youve have bounced all over the place trying to be seen, heard, read, and followed. Youd be frustrated. You may or may not have a substantial readership because you were inconsistent. The lesson is. . . decide what works for you and work it to its fullest. Remember your focus. And understand that trends come and go, but your dear name is precious. Protect it

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Why Does Referencing Affect Your Grades

Why Does Referencing Affect Your Grades Why Does Referencing Affect Your Grades? Here at Proofed, we get a lot of requests for help with referencing. But why exactly is referencing important? And why does citing sources clearly and consistently earn you better grades on your papers? Joining the Conversation An academic discipline is like an conversation between thousands of thinkers and researchers, past and present. When you write about a specific subject, you contribute to that conversation. Citing your sources demonstrates the depth of your knowledge, while also making your arguments more authoritative by drawing upon those who have discussed similar ideas before you. Academic Honesty The main purpose of referencing is to give credit where it’s due. By citing your sources, you clearly indicate the influence that other people have had on your work, thereby ensuring your work is academically honest. Failure to cite sources, on the other hand, can lead to accusations of plagiarism, especially if you quote a source without using â€Å"quotation marks† as well as leaving a citation. If you are found to have plagiarized in your work, this will negatively impact your grade. Distinguishing Your Ideas from Other People’s In academic writing, you may need to engage critically with opposing ideas (either contrary to your own position or when discussing two conflicting theories). When doing this, it is important to differentiate between your own ideas and those of the thinkers you are discussing. A well-placed citation should remove any ambiguity about this, thus ensuring you can express your ideas clearly. It Saves Detective Work for Your Reader While researching a paper, you’ll probably need to check the reference list on a website or in a book to find other relevant sources. This is, in fact, an essential skill for any researcher. It’s also another good reason to cite your sources, as without clear citations (including full bibliographic detail in the reference list) your reader will find it difficult to find the texts you’ve used. Demonstrating Academic Skills As the above factors hopefully indicate, referencing is a key skill in the academic world. Consequently, by citing your sources clearly and consistently, you prove to your reader that you are a diligent academic. And this alone can make the difference between a passing and failing grade.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Liberal Democracies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Liberal Democracies - Essay Example People themselves do not form an individual identity. If it really so happens, there will be chaos and disorder everywhere. Everyone as 'people' and people's representative will have to form a smaller network or group to act like a "Vanguard" of the people interacting one with another as committed members of the so-called democratic government and State. Democracy inherently is self-defeating in effect. Democracy just cannot be there in its full and complete form - where no one exploits one's co-citizen; fulsome equal opportunities are there for each and every human being; dignity, self-respect and freedom for each individual at all levels of a social and political system are readily available; and where Prime Minister of United Kingdom and President of United States can freely roam amongst their citizens and electorates. Democracy is not just freedom of expression and partial right to life. It also involves justice to each and every individual. These imperatives of a liberal democracy in particular do not appear to exist in any of the modern liberal democracies in the world. Liberal democracies are becoming dominance of one person, group or system over another. Electoral politics is further helping divide people through racism, ethnicity, culture and language and sex etc. These forces function like an Italian Mafioso or 'God Fathers' working through their 'clout' way up upon the political ladder ahead. Media and information technology are fur... P Snow's 'corridors of power' in a very effective and subtle fashion quite like power brokers in politics. This is how an inner mafia networking is taking place in every democracy in the world. Media, political leaders and Industrialist are the top actors for evolving an Ariadnae's Thread all around the people to bring them into their fold or web of so-called 'democracy'. As such, democracy is becoming a way to lure people through 'glittering media', 'political promises' and 'money power' - away from vicissitudes of people's routine difficulties and stresses of daily life. This is not democracy. Quite a few select people use and abuse power at the cost of billions and billions of people. Democracies, dictatorships and fundamentalists alike are churning out terrorists today. What else is all this other than an attempt to bring about disorders after disorders in the larger social and political ethos Security of common citizens is also not assured. People cannot rule by themselves. Their leaders - all the Prime Minister's men - rule the roost. It is the people who suffer the most. State Force In view of terrorism emerging as a global threat to apparently more peaceful democratic part of the world, State as an institution and protector of democratic regimes is emerging as ever more forceful and intensely violent variable and actor. The question of security of State is being given the top most priority specially to plunge in the 'war on terrorism' on a fuller and more massive scale. This increasing aggressiveness of the State is resulting in a great and continuous threat to established traditions of democracy - even in such States like United States and United Kingdom. These aspects of violence and 'State Terrorism' are all spoiling various democratic norms

Friday, October 18, 2019

The abused Defense balances the justice system Essay - 1

The abused Defense balances the justice system - Essay Example This will result in the violent treatment which he will adapt against others who according to him are the reason of his stress. But in the end the only person who will suffer because of this attitude would be he, himself. As such people are unaware of the fact that their behavior and patterns are unsuitable; they neglect the point that they create problems for others as well as for themselves while seeking vindication in their aggressive and brutal manners. These people think that others always have spiteful intentions; they easily blame others because of very little or no confirmation. They think that their hostile and destructive attitude is justifiable retribution while others find it inexplicable. Such patterns become a major reason of rejection by others. Just because one has suffered a lot in past does not warrants his brutal and negative approach towards others. By adapting such behavior one only harms oneself and the people who are related to him either professionally or pers onally.He will think that all the difficulties in his life are either caused by of his surroundings or are because of the circumstances which he cannot control.

Specific Language Impairment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Specific Language Impairment - Term Paper Example In some cases, they are due to a physical problem such as hearing loss; in others the delay is short and children catch up quickly with their peers. But about 4 per cent of children have a specific impairment that has no physical cause but requires clinical attention (Watkins, 1994). These language impairments take several different forms. Some children have problems with making the correct sounds, others with classifying speech sounds (not recognizing that ‘pat’ and ‘potato’ begin with the same sound, for example) or get sounds in the wrong sequence. Grammar can also pose problems: some children aged six or seven talk in a babyish way, using short, ungrammatical sentences such as â€Å"yesterday I go to school† (Watkins, 1994). Professor Dorothy Bishop, a Welcome Trust Principal Research Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Department of Experimental Psychology, has been investigating this complex group of deficits and their many associated risk factors and syndromes (Leonard, 2004). Using a wide range of techniques – including experimental psychology, electrophysiology, genetics and language assessment – she is working to characterize the disorders and understand their origins. Professor Bishop has found that most children with specific language impairment have several underlying problems. The picture emerging is that there are multiple risk factors for specific language impairment that do not cause problems if they occur alone, but in combination with other deficits they do (Watkins, 1994). For example, electrophysiological studies have found that some children show unusually rapid decay of memory for incoming sounds. This is also found in the parents, even if they have no language difficulties themselves. Impairment results when this poor short-term memory is combined with other traits such as poor discrimination of word sounds (Watkins, 1994). In studies on twins and the parents of

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Practicum and Application #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Practicum and Application #2 - Essay Example elements of effective teaching that were being assessed included management of the classroom and planning of lessons, and educational psychology (Wubbels, 2012). From all the research carried out, it is undeniable that high standard early education for children makes them better prepared for success in other school subjects, later in their school lives (Kitzman & Gunzenhauser, 2012). This makes teaching at the PK-3 level a specialty, and therefore highly trained teachers with a vast knowledge concerning early childhood management. During the interview, my interviewee was commendable conversant with childhood development. She knew at least 90% of the pupils in her classroom in person and had even developed relations with their parents. The teachers are required to have not only instinctive, but also analytical knowledge concerning the personal development of a child (Ebert & Culver, 2013). This is an aspect that will help a teacher manage her students in the classroom without inflicting psychological harm. Research studies prove that youngsters educated by professionals acquire many benefits that will prepare them for future success. A teacher is required to use teaching methods that will be understood by all students (Wubbels, 2012). My interviewee used teaching methods such as classroom reading and use of literature that was simple enough to be understood by all (Moss & Lapp, 2010). This is in consideration of the possible immigrant students. The learning environment is another factor that should be taken se riously (Kitzman & Gunzenhauser, 2012). The teacher should make effort to enhance the learning environment as much as possible. The teacher should use all types of teaching methods to ensure a vast field of understanding. Some children are better at visual studies than others are, while others capture theoretical teaching habits better. It is therefore important for a kindergarten teacher to apply all these methods where possible to ensure that all the pupils

Latinos as into the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Latinos as into the United States - Essay Example Factors driving Mexican migration to the United States in 1848-1945 Mexican revolution in 1910 was the push factor that sparked a large exodus of Mexican laborers to the southwest though this push coincided with a pull force in United State of economic development (Ornelas, 1999). Economic development mainly in California, Arizona and Texas contributed by extensive irrigation system, elaborate transport system and the demand induced by World War 1 (Ornelas, 1999). Social and economic instability in home land caused Mexican laborers to be attracted in United State where unskilled laborers in southwestern industries were paid even five times better compared to similar industries in the home country (Ornelas, 1999), thus higher wage was the attractive pull force to Mexican. According to Ornelas department of labor in 1914 reported that about 8000 aliens mainly of Mexican had entered United State at Eagle pass, Significant northward movement by Mexican laborer began with construction of Mexican railroad connecting United State border towns with Mexico city and greatly increased with completion of construction of rail road in 1980’s (Ornelas,1999) this is because rail road provided the most common mode of transport for Mexican migrant.aso automobile transport provided another means of transport to United State (Ornelas,1999). Due to intensified military operation after the assassination of President Francisco Madero, many people were panic stricken and this lead to expanded dimension of movement across the border and many Mexican ended up in United State (Ornelas, 1999).

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Sir Walliam Ramsay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sir Walliam Ramsay - Essay Example Till 1870, he imparted his early education in his native place. He spent his time at Fitting’s laboratory located at Tubingen at the time of preparing thesis on orthotoluic acid and its derivatives succeed him in having the doctorate degree (Tilden & Ramsay 2010, p. 28). Thereafter, Ramsay became the Anderson associate at the Anderson College. In the year 1879, he got inducted as Professor of Chemistry at the University College of Bristol (Tilden & Ramsay 2010, p. 30). Merry moments came in the life of Ramsay when he got married to Margaret, the daughter of George Stevenson Buchanan. They left behind them one son and a daughter. His passion was traveling and learning of different languages (Kauffman 2004, p. 378). When he came to Scotland in the year 1872, he joined as assistant in the chemistry department at Anderson College in Glasgow. Two years after, he acquired similar status at the University. In the year 1880, he assumed the office of Principal and Professor of Chemistry at University College, Bristol. In the year 1887, he joined the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry at University College, London, a coveted position where he took his retirement in 1913 (Tilden & Ramsay 2010, p. 32). The initial work of Ramsay was in the field of organic chemistry. During the period of his doctoral assignments, he published his work on picoline with the connivance of Dobbie with regard to the product of the quinine alkaloids during the tenure of 1878 to 1879 (Thomas 2004, p. 6419). He had written number of articles on picoline and on the decomposed products of the quinine alkaloids. From the inception of eighties, he was actively involved in physical chemistry. His contributions towards chemistry, being the most rewarding contribution in terms of stoichiometry and thermodynamics are considered marvellous. It has helped him a lot for the investigations carried out with Sidney Young on the subject of evaporation and dissociation

Latinos as into the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Latinos as into the United States - Essay Example Factors driving Mexican migration to the United States in 1848-1945 Mexican revolution in 1910 was the push factor that sparked a large exodus of Mexican laborers to the southwest though this push coincided with a pull force in United State of economic development (Ornelas, 1999). Economic development mainly in California, Arizona and Texas contributed by extensive irrigation system, elaborate transport system and the demand induced by World War 1 (Ornelas, 1999). Social and economic instability in home land caused Mexican laborers to be attracted in United State where unskilled laborers in southwestern industries were paid even five times better compared to similar industries in the home country (Ornelas, 1999), thus higher wage was the attractive pull force to Mexican. According to Ornelas department of labor in 1914 reported that about 8000 aliens mainly of Mexican had entered United State at Eagle pass, Significant northward movement by Mexican laborer began with construction of Mexican railroad connecting United State border towns with Mexico city and greatly increased with completion of construction of rail road in 1980’s (Ornelas,1999) this is because rail road provided the most common mode of transport for Mexican migrant.aso automobile transport provided another means of transport to United State (Ornelas,1999). Due to intensified military operation after the assassination of President Francisco Madero, many people were panic stricken and this lead to expanded dimension of movement across the border and many Mexican ended up in United State (Ornelas, 1999).

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The once and future king Essay Example for Free

The once and future king Essay King Arthur of the Arthurian legends is one of the most unique characters in the history of literature. Since he has been depicted by a variety of writers, there is more than a single description of his personality. The Arthur we know is actually a conglomerate of many different interpretations of one character. For this reason, his character and very person havent been too consistent through the legends. The earliest Arthurian Legends which are also some of the earliest medieval works, describe King Arthur as the traditional Anglo-Saxon war hero; but as the time goes by, and the medieval people start to admire different things, he evolves into a different kind of hero, a chivalric one. Thus, over time, the image of King Arthur has changed from that of an epic hero to one of a symbol of chivalry- this is apparent with the difference in characteristic depiction of King Arthur in the early story of Brut and a later legend, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, here there is a noticeable change in his personality. The earliest depiction of King Arthur was that of a fierce warrior-king, brutal and unforgiving. The early medieval kings were warlords who surrounded themselves with nobles and knights- called thanes, and protected their lands from foreign invaders through bloody wars and battles. The original Arthurian legends portray King Arthur in such a role- he is frequently described as â€Å"Arthur the powerful† or â€Å"Arthur the brave† and often comes across as bloodthirsty; not unlike Beowulf in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. In reality, these early legends were the Anglo-Saxon cultural perspective of King Arthur. One example of such an Anglo-Saxon view of King Arthur is Brut by Layamon, a British priest; in his poem, he describes Arthur as a savage and fierce warrior, an object of dread to friend and enemy, an epic hero. This is evident in Brut- where in one of his speeches where Arthur curses his enemies, wanting to crush them all: Then said Arthur, noblest of kings: â€Å"Alas, alas, that I spared my foe, that I did not starve him to death in the forest, or cut him to pieces with my sword! [ ] he shall suffer for it the most bitter affliction, harsh treatment I will be his slayer! I will slaughter both Colgrim and Baldof, and all their followers shall suffer death. [ ] I will fittingly avenge all his wicked deeds. If life might endure in my breast, [ ] never again shall Childric deceive me! † (lines 10510-10524) These lines show the brutality and unfettered heroism of King Arthur. His vexed and aggrieved speech about his enemys escape shows his unforgiving nature. Such is his anger that King Arthur wishes for the death of not only his enemies but also of all his followers; he even voices his regret of not having cut them to pieces, and wishes to kill them with his own sword. Not only does this speech show Arthurs merciless disposition, but it is also filled with a vengeance these lines of Arthur are a battle cry as he avows to get his revenge on his enemies. Towards the end of the speech, while vengefully vowing to avenge his defeat, King Arthurs tone is more than just distressed and agitated, it has a quality of firm determination and tenacity. All these aspects of Layamons perspective of King Arthur: determination, brutality, tenacity, vengeance, might and an unforgiving nature, all combined with the right amount of rage and conceit, show that he is, in all aspects, an epic hero. Akin to Beowulf -who with his strength, firmness and pride was the quintessential Anglo-Saxon warrior and champion- King Arthur is the ideal warrior-king. Eventually as literature progressed towards the heart of the Medieval Era, King Arthur evolved from an epic hero to a symbol of chivalric virtues of Camelot. He was no longer known as the brave and strong defender of the British, but as the virtuous upholder of all chivalric values in the great court at Camelot. Contradicting the early medieval stories which revolved around King Arthur, these middle Arthurian Legends portray the king as a minor character whose presence is only felt indirectly as a representative of a chivalry and excellency. This is apparent in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where Arthur is but a role model for all the knights when it comes to courtly behavior. The knights regard him with a reverence for his lordly ways. When the Green Knight rudely interrupts their feast by barging into their dining hall, all of them remain silent, in anger and in dread, while King Arthur welcomes him graciously as it is seen in the following excerpt from the poem: â€Å" Therefore chary of answer was many a champion bold, And stunned at his [The green knights] strong words stone-still they sat [ ] Then Arthur before the high dais that entrance beholds, And hailed him, as behooved, for he had no fear, And said, â€Å"Fellow, in faith you have found fair welcome;† (lines 20-30) These lines perfectly demonstrate how King Arthur exhibits model knightly behavior. Even though this intruder has disturbed his celebratory feast, he does not lose his temper, instead he follows the first rule of chivalry – hospitality. As we see in this text, the other knights, who sat â€Å"stone still† and â€Å"chary of answer†, do nothing to welcome the new-comer amongst their midst; nevertheless, Arthur does his duty and warmly invites the Green Knight to his court (line 21, line 20). In this way we see how King Arthur has unmatched manners in the court of Camelot- this is the most distinguished factor about him in this story, as the main focus of this legend is on Sir Gawain and his quest. Thus, we can say that King Arthurs one and only role in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is to set a standard for his knights in social behavior, to remind them of the rules of Camelot. These lines demonstrate Arthurs gallant manner, they also show that Knights of the Round Table have a high place in their minds for him. While they dreaded even speaking to the alarming stranger, their revered King Arthur, who is described as one who â€Å"had no fear†, welcomed him graciously (line 29). Thus, King Arthur is greatly admired by his Knights because they still thought of him as the fearless king of old and also because of his valiant and courtly behavior. This fact greatly impacts most stories of this time because Arthur has a great influence over the Knights of Camelot and most of these stories follow their bold and daring quests. Even if the king, in these legends, seems removed from the thick of the plot line, his presence is still felt from afar, as a social force – for it has already been established that the Knights admired and imitated his social manner and his lordly ways. This remote influence, too, can be observed in the story of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight where King Arthur is neither the the protagonist of the story nor the source of all action, but is the highest authority and the inspiration for Sir Gawain to take up the challenge posed by the Green Knight. This inspiration is noticed when Sir Gawain accepts this quest, â€Å"Would you grant me the grace,† said Gawain to the king, â€Å"To be gone from this bench and stand by you there, [ ] That I have you for uncle is my only praise; My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth;† (lines 117-131). Through Sir Gawains speech we can see that the reason that he is taking up this quest is to be a delegate for Camelot. He says that he wishes to â€Å"stand by† King Arthur, that is, represent him on this quest(line 117). This further establishes the fact that King Arthur is not the main character of the story, as it is Sir Gawain who is the one who actually undertakes the quest. Thus, in this legend, and many others written during this time period, King Arthur turns into a minor character in sharp contrast to the earlier legends which depicted him as the brave warrior at the head of his armies in every battlehe is no longer the main character but his presence is still felt as a significant influence for Sir Gawain to take up this quest. However, as discussed before, the Knights of Camelot, including Gawain, greatly admired Arthur for his chivalric ideals and manner. So it can be said that in the minds of them of the Round Table, King Arthur is simply a personification of all the values of chivalry which they want to uphold as knights. Sir Gawain especially looks to Arthur as a symbol of all knightly or chivalric virtues. He even humbly acclaims that if it werent for Arthurs blood running in him, he would be nothing, â€Å"barren of [his] worth† (line 131). This confirms the fact that Sir Gawain, and all the other knights use King Arthur as a reassurance, feeling that if they had the values of the king, they could do anything; for they has faith in King Arthur and his Round Table, in the chivalric values of Camelot. Therefore, from these examples present in the story if Sir Gawain and The Green Knight we can conclude that the Knights of the Round Table idolized King Arthur not because he was a warrior-king but because he was, to them, the embodiment of all the honorable values of being a knight. As we can see, there are many subtle differences between the two interpretations of King Arthur in the stories of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and Brut. In the early legends Arthur is described as the fearless warrior-king, the defender of the Britons whereas the later legends depict him as a virtuous leader and the role model for all the Knights of Camelot. This transformation of King Arthurs character over time is very obvious when the texts from different time-periods are compared. In the early legend of Brut, King Arthur is an epic hero- he is the protagonist of the story. The legends of that era revolved around Arthur and his battles. As seen in the story Brut, he is unforgiving and blood thirsty; his thoughts are set on winning and bringing down his enemies rather than trying to settle the conflicts peacefully. This is in contrast to the King Arthur of the later legends, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, who welcomes armed strangers into his castle. In the beginning of this story, when the Green Knight barges into the feast at Camelot on his horse, Arthur welcomes him warmly and invites him to dinner instead of getting insulted and punishing him. He comes across as easygoing and very level headed. Even in moments of anger, this King Arthur of later times remains calm and doesnt show his emotion; this is seen in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where he remains composed even in the face of danger (in this case- losing one of his best knights, Sir Gawain because of a strangers challenge). In lines 236 and 237 of this legend, it is seen that â€Å"Though high-born Arthur at heart had wonder, / he let no sign be seen [ ]†. Thus, in the later legends, King Arthur-who was a symbol of chivalric virtues and courtly manners- controlled his emotions and remained unruffled when he was challenged. This characteristic of the chivalric King Arthur is distinctly different from the earlier perspectives of him in such legends as Brut. This early King Arthur who was an epic hero, was a most forbidding character, he clearly expressed his anger and was often described as â€Å"stern-minded† (line 111). In Brut, King Arthur often asserted his anger, especially during battles when his mind bore nothing but hatred towards his enemy- â€Å"He laid the shield to his breast; the king was bursting with anger. He smote Borel the earl right through the breast, So that his heart was split. Arthur cried at once: The foremost hath met his fate! Now the Lord help you! † (lines 112-115). These lines show King Arthurs frustration and his hatred and also portray how he openly displays his anger. In sharp contrast to the calm and composed Arthur of the later time-periods, this excerpt from an older legend shows that he was â€Å"bursting with anger†, clearly portraying how the epic hero Arthur did not control his emotions(line 112). In this way, we can see that King Arthurs temperament has changed from vengeful and impulsive to poised and chivalric between the two legends. Overall it is discernible that the kings personality and characteristics have changed over time and this is especially apparent when comparing two works from different time-periods. In this way we can see that the characteristic depiction of King Arthur has evolved over time from a fearless battle hero to a chivalric and virtuous ruler. The early Arthurian legends such as Brut, which were written when poems like Beowulf were popular, described Arthur as an epic hero. But as the time passed by and the virtues of chivalry came into being, the Arthurian legends of that time, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, started to reflect the social focus and began to depict Arthur as an expert in chivalrous values. Thus, it is seen that King Arthurs role in the legends continually changes as the peoples general perspective of a hero changes. The tales of King Arthur have been shaped and reshaped according to the teller of the story. There is not just one perfect depiction of King Arthur, his character is a combination of many perspectives of him. It can be altered to adapt with the times as it has adapted through the Medieval Era. This â€Å"evolution† of his portrayal and the fact that he will never die are what make King Arthur one of the most exceptional characters in literature.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Financial Abuse of the Elderly

Financial Abuse of the Elderly Combatting Financial Abuse Introduction Elder financial abuse is becoming a bigger threat and costly problem affecting elders and their families. As the older adult population in the U.S. continues to increase, so will the opportunities for unscrupulous criminals to take advantage of the wealth that many older adults have accumulated through their lifetime. While these crimes seem to be only committed by strangers, elder financial abuse is also committed by people who occupy traditional positions of trust, such as friends and relatives. Combatting financial elder abuse begins with getting the entire family and social network involved. Talk frequently with the elder.   Have they been approached by new friends lately? Have they been offered a recent unique opportunity? Listening closely enough, one will be able to spot and stop scams before they go too far. Importance to the study Financial losses due to fraud and abuse can undermine the ability of older adults to continue to live in their own homes and afford their long-term health care needs. This stress can take a great toll on the elder. Many older individuals experience increased health problems that can lead to serious depression all due to the increase in financial loses. Perhaps worse is the loss of trust older adults develop in others and themselves after being the victims of financial fraud. Financial Fraud is a Widespread Problem In 2015 alone, older adults lost a total of $36.5 billion because of financial fraud and scams. Seniors who are socially isolated and/or in mental decline can be especially susceptible. The abuse can leave victims traumatized as well as financially harmed, or even ruined. The fear is the problem could worsen since more than 10,000 Americans turn age 65 every day. An estimated one in five older adults has been the victim of financial fraud. Many of these victims are stripped of their assets and left with little to live on. Many of these victims rarely see their money returned even if the criminal is caught. And of course, many people dont report the crime at all. The Federal Trade Commission says one in 24 financial elder abuse crimes ever get reported. What are some statistics of Elder Financial Abuse? Most analysts go with the 2010 Investor Protection Trust Elder Fraud Survey which said one in five Americans over the age of sixty-five, has been victimized by a financial fraud and a 2011 MetLife Mature Market Institute study determining that financial exploitation costs seniors at least $2.9 billion annually. At the other end of the scale, True-Link, a company that provides account-monitoring software for elders and their families, has projected that financial elder abuse costs families more than $36 billion a year, 12 times the MetLife estimate. True-Link arrived at its estimate by surveying family caregivers of older people. Defining financial elder abuse is very difficult because of the wide estimates of what is considered financial elder abuse. Many know it’s a problem but how big the problem is quite hard to say, because hard data is so scarce. The reason for this scarcity is due to the fact financial abuse often goes unreported, because the victim often feels shame and embarrassment. This paper will explore financial abuse and how to combat financial abuse in the elderly population. Literature Review Many theories have been proposed to help explain financial elder abuse. Such theories have mainly been adapted from other fields such as child abuse and intimate partner abuse. Although the literature covers a wide variety of these theories, this review will focus on several major themes which emerge repeatedly though out the literature reviewed. These themes include: how prevalent is elder financial abuse, who is committing elder financial abuse, what effects does financial abuse have on its victims and what can be done to help prevent elder financial abuse. Although the literature presents these themes in a variety of contexts, this paper will primarily focus on their application to how devastating elder financial abuse can be to its victims. The prevalence of financial elder abuse is on the rise. As baby boomers are now in retirement criminals are taking advantage of this ever-increasing opportunity to steal from them. Burns, Henderson, Charles, Sheppard, Zhao, Pillemer and Lachs (2017) suggests that, â€Å"Approximately one of every 18 cognitively intact older adults living in the community experiences financial fraud or scam each year.† It is felt that elder financial abuse can be considered a sort of financial exploitation. This exploitation occurs when the perpetrator misuses or takes the elder’s money for their own personal benefit. This frequently happens without the knowledge or consent of a senior, depriving them of vital financial resources. The rising number of seniors only increases the opportunities for perpetrators to practice their art of stealing. The question that begs to be answered is who would do this to our most vulnerable generation? Perhaps the most tragic element of elder abuse is the fact that in many cases, the perpetrator is a trusted friend or family member whom the elderly person thinks is acting in their best interest. A popular way to gain access to the elder’s finances is through using the services of a lawyer. Lawyers need to be aware of the ways in which their services may be used by family members or caregivers as a means of financial abuse. Hannah (2016) say’s â€Å"Often, a lawyer may be asked to draft documents that provide an elderly persons family member or caregiver with an opportunity to steal the elderly person’s possessions. â€Å"A story was once told about a distraught sister,  convinced that her brother was stealing from their parents. The daughter was concerned because the son was given total control over their parent’s affairs. This gave him the legal authority to make both financial decisions without being accountable to anyone else and all healthcare decisions as well.   When asked if the daughter had called Adult Protective Services, she said, â€Å"no because she didn’t want to get her brother in trouble.† Perpetrators are not limited only to the ones the senior might know, there are others. Seniors control a major portion of the nation’s wealth. Thieves go where the money is and realize that the elderly often suffer from cognitive and physical disabilities and are vulnerable. Also, many seniors are socially isolated, lonely and have no one to consult with on financial matters thus making them susceptible to manipulation. Goergen and Beaulien (2010) explains, â€Å"Perpetrators pretend trustworthiness by posing as relatives when they call the elderly on the telephone or pose as craftsmen at victims’ doorstep, or they appeal to victims’ readiness to help by pretending to be a family member in a situation of distress and needing support.† Another sad story was told, when a man prompted an elderly woman to sell her home and wire the money to a mysterious bank account.  The man, who claimed to be communicating from another country, promised to marry her. It was all a scam. Today, the woman is homeless. When asked why she did that, she said, â€Å"well that’s what you do when you’re in love.† People committing financial fraud schemes are experts in deception, and very good at coming up with new ways to trick unsuspecting victims. They have learned to be experts in manipulation. Tacchino (2017) says in some cases, the elderly client feels responsible for what happened and they are too embarrassed to make a complaint. Suffering victimization can lead a senior to withdraw and have an increasing feeling of hopelessness. Faced with financial loss, some victims may contemplate suicide. Additionally, having money stolen in retirement can make it difficult for the elderly to afford needed medical care which can cause medical conditions to worsen. While it’s important to understand the signs of elder abuse, it may be more productive to take steps to prevent abuse from occurring in the first place. Oumlil and Williams (2011) Given the significance of the elderly consumer market in the development of successful and comprehensive marketing strategies, it is imperative that marketing decision-makers and policymakers better understand and respond to the varied needs of this significant consumer segment.   Family conversations can help gain insight into the senior’s affairs and mental state. Jackson (2015) explained, people who have been battling financial exploitation are pleased to observe the increased attention that financial exploitation is receiving at all levels of society. Family discussions between elders and adult children could serve as a much-needed reality check. Ideally, conversations on these matters should take place well before retirement, to ensure that elders are adequately prepared. This will give the whole family the time needed to anticipate, plan, and make smarter, more informed decisions. In identifying weaknesses and gaps, one question would be how often are perpetrators caught and what are the penalties that they would receive.   There is very little to no news of anyone being fined or sent to prison for stealing an old person’s life savings. In conclusion, focusing on these five major themes which have emerged though out the literature reviewed include a better understanding of the prevalence in elder financial abuse, who is committing elder financial abuse, what effects financial abuse has on its victims and what can be done to help prevent elder financial abuse. Hopefully this will show how devastating elder financial abuse can be. Oral History An interview with Joe F. who wished to remain anonymous is 77 years old.   He had the unfortunate experience of someone trying to trick him into sending money under the false impression of helping a family member out of a financial jam.   Joe became an unwilling expert in the popular scam which is commonly known as the grandparent scam. Goergen and Beaulien (2010) explain, that perpetrators pretend trustworthiness by posing as relatives when they call the elderly on the telephone or pose as craftsmen at victims’ doorstep, or they appeal to victims’ readiness to help by pretending to be a family member in a situation of distress and needing support. It is so simple and so devious because it uses one of most reliable assets seniors have, it’s their hearts. Scammers will place a call to an elderly person and when the senior picks up, they will say something along the lines of: â€Å"Hi Grandpa, do you know who this is?† This is exactly how Joe said his unsuspecting scam call started out. He said when he answered the phone, the voice on the other end was hard to recognize, the excuse was given that it was a bad cell phone signal. The unsuspecting grandparent guesses the name of the grandchild the scammer most sounds like. By doing this the scammer can establish a fake identity without having to do any background research. Joe said, â€Å"Is this Jack?† The voice on the other end said, â€Å"yes, its Jack.† Once the fake grandchild identity is established the scammer will usually ask for money to solve some unexpected financial problem such as overdue rent, payment for car repairs, etc. In Joe’s case the caller said they were in a traffic accident and needed some money to have the car towed. Often the scammer will ask money to be sent via Western Union or MoneyGram. Often money transferred this route does not require identification to collect.  At this point, Joe began to be suspicious because Jack only has his learners permit and would not be driving alone.   So, Joe began to probe further by asking where Jack was. The voice on the other end was reluctant to say. Often the scam artist will beg the grandparent, â€Å"please don’t tell my parents, they would kill me.†Ã‚   By this time, Joe felt like this was a scam and hung up the phone. These scams are likely to be done hundreds of times on unsuspecting seniors just like Joe. The fact that no research is needed makes this a scam a popular one that can be perpetrated over and over at very little or no cost to the scammer. After the call, Joe went on to say how vulnerable he felt. He said they knew my number, they knew my name and now they know my grandsons name. Then he said, â€Å"my feelings of vulnerability turned to anger.† These feelings are common with the victim. Imagine the heightened feelings of vulnerability and anger knowing they had stolen your money as well. Joe said he was glad I was doing this research on this topic and hopes this will help others be more educated about how to avoid being victims of this type of financial abuse. Brian’s Story is about financial elder abuse that happens when the perpetrator is known to the victim. Brian’s brother, stole thousands of dollars from him when Brian moved into an assisted living center. Brian’s retirement funds began to disappear after his brother was granted power of attorney to take care of his finances. After Brian had a visit with his son, they uncovered that Brian’s brother had lied to him about the selling price of his condominium. The price was $156,000 more than what is brother had said the condo sold for. When he returned home, Brian unsuccessfully tried to address the subject with his brother. Things took a turn for the worse when he got a letter from Medicare that said that because he hadn’t paid his premiums he was suspended from the program. His brother had neglected making these payments. For Brian, taking his brother to court proved futile. Through a series of consultations, Brian said he was told that even if his brother did get convicted, he would be dead by the time he would recover any of the money. But Brian isnt letting his financial woes keep him down.   His attitude is inspirational. Brian is not alone. So many elders will be financially abused annually, and the numbers will continue to rise, because many seniors are likely too scared or otherwise unable to seek help. Discussion As many of us have parents that are elders or we might be elders ourselves, it is important to understand how prevalent elder financial abuse is. It is imperative to know who is committing elder financial abuse, to understand what effects does financial abuse have on its victims and what can be done to help prevent elder financial abuse from happening. Some have argued that financial elder abuse is not very common because the news seldom carries stories of such cases. However, findings from Burns, Henderson, Charles, Sheppard, Zhao, Pillemer and Lachs (2017) suggests that approximately five percent of cognitively intact older adults living in the community experiences financial fraud or scam each year. As the increase of baby boomers now in retirement criminals are taking advantage of this ever-increasing opportunity to steal from them. As a home health nurse, I am finding that financial elder abuse is happening more and more due to the increased complaints reported by my patients. So why are the elderly so vulnerable? Thieves go where the money is and realize that the elderly have it. To make getting it easier, many seniors often suffer from cognitive and physical disabilities making them more vulnerable. Goergen and Beaulien (2010) explains, perpetrators pretend trustworthiness by posing as relatives when they call the elderly on the telephone or pose as craftsmen at victims’ doorstep, or they appeal to victims’ readiness to help by pretending to be a family member in a situation of distress and needing support. This is what happened to Joe F. but he was one of the lucky ones who figured out it was a scam. Too many other seniors fall victim and lose. It seems simple enough not to trust strangers but who can protect the senior when the abuse is coming from someone known and trusted? Lawyers need to be aware their services may be used by family members or caregivers as a means of financial abuse. Hannah (2016) often, a lawyer may be asked to draft documents that provide an elderly persons family member or caregiver with an opportunity to steal the elderly person’s possessions. Education provided to law firms includes reviewing the tactics of a potential perpetrator and how they seek to gain access to a senior’s finances. This education is helping to reduce the incidences of elder financial abuse. As a home health nurse, I will use this research to help educate the elderly patient population that I serve. One of a nurses primary ethical responsibilities is to work with the patient to provide care that maximally enables the physical, emotional and social well-being of the patient. A nurse is also responsible for protecting and advocating for patient’s safety and rights. Protecting the elderly patient from financial abuse is truly advocating for your patient. Nurses also have a responsibility to work with the public and other professionals to foster local, community, and national efforts to improve the financial safety of the elderly population. I have learned to be more empathetic, to help provide emotional support by listening and allowing patients to express how they feel about be a victim of financial abuse. The older adult is often ashamed to admit that they have succumbed to financial abuse. Nurses have a unique opportunity to talk to their patient who have been victimized about their feelings and may also be able to suggest a referral to a professional who is experienced in dealing with financial abuse victims. The nurse may also be the first person to recognize symptoms of depression or suicidal intent of abused elderly victims. The elderly population is entitled to a safe, quality life free from financial abuse. Many nurses and other professionals are working to enhance this safe quality of life for the elderly. This article has reviewed what these health care providers and other professionals have already done to promote safe financial environment and suggests activities that can further enhance the safety of our care of the Elderly form financial abuse.   Nurses are playing, and will continue to play, an ongoing role in the movement to protect the elderly from financial abuse. References Burnes, D., Henderson, Charles R., Sheppard, C., Zhao, R., Pillemer, K., & Lachs, Mark. (2017). Prevalence of financial fraud and scams among older adults in the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 107(8), E13-E21. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303821 Goergen, T., & Beaulieu, M. (2010). Criminological theory and elder abuse researchfruitful relationship or worlds apart? Ageing International, 35(3), 185-201. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12126-010-9063-2 Hannah, J. M. (2016). Financial abuse of the dependent elder: A lawyers ethical obligations. Family Law Quarterly, 50(1), 117-121. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.southern.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1807742181?accountid=28568 Jackson, S. L. (2015). The vexing problem of defining financial exploitation. Journal of Financial Crime, 22(1), 63-78. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.southern.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1648112727?accountid=28568 Oumlil, A. B., & Williams, A. J. (2011). Financial services and the elderly poor: Development and implementation of sustainable intervention strategies. Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 15(4), 274-286. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/fsm.2010.23 Tacchino, K. B. (2017). Preventing financial elder abuse. Journal of Personal Finance, 16(1), 78-88. Retrieved from: https://ezproxy.southern.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1925859899?accountid=28568