Social action of donating funds to reduce racial violence in policing

 Introduction

  There are racial inequities in the U.S criminal justice system due to socioeconomic factors such as poverty and segregation.  Black people are overrepresented in the U.S prisons and police target African Americans when shooting due to implicit racial biases.  The bias is rooted from laws and policies in the criminal justice system that has caused division in the communities. The best approach to reduce the racial inequality is to donate funds to organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union. The latter will bring substantial reforms in the criminal justice system by taking social actions such as the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.  Thus, there is a need for criminal justice reform in order to foster a strong relationship between the police and the community.

 Role of ACLU

 The best approach to reduce racial violence in policing is to bring reformation to the criminal justice system that makes harsh criminal justice policies.  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) play a significant role in reducing racism in the criminal justice system by defending the fundamental human rights (Weiss, 2017).  ACLU acts as a nation's guardian where it creates new privacy protections and defends people from government abuse.  To fight for our freedoms and cherished liberties, it is important to support the ACLU and through support, ACLU will be in a position of taking legal actions such as challenging the administration that ignores the rule of law, fight freedom, protect voters and people of color, protect the reproduction rights, right to privacy among many individual rights guaranteed by the constitution (Weiss, 2017).

  Role of community in supporting ACLU

    Positive policing require active participation from the community.  People should create successful strategies and realistic expectations and take actions in ending the abusive practices in policing.   According to the ACLU website (2018), the community should identify the police problems such as the use of deadly force, discrimination in arrest,   verbal abuse, lack of accountability and more.   After identification, the community should focus on implementing solutions to the identified problems by supporting profit or non-profit organizations that would establish police practices project.

             I would recommend that the St. Kate should donate the $10,000.00 to the ACLU and the support will enable the organization to establish training programs and seminar where police would learn about cultural diversity.  ACLU will also bring employment opportunity in that through training, the police officers will adhere to the principle of equal opportunity and as a result, they will reduce racist activities such as harassment and discrimination (ACLU, 2018).  In reforming the community policing, ACLU will also ensure that the police officers learn social skills that will help them understand race relations.

  ACLU in the criminal justice system

 In addition to bringing the solution to the community problem through total community involvement, ACLU will also enter in the criminal justice system and reform the U.S correctional systems. Currently, the correctional system is expensive and it is associated with harsh punishment (Austin et al, n.d). Thus, donations to the  ACLU will help solve these problems as the higher amount of funds spent on imprisoning offenders will be used to strengthen the poor communities vulnerable to a high rate of incarcerations.  Black and poor people experience extreme punishment due to social factors such as unemployment, poverty and more (Austin et al, n.d).  ACLU will offer public safety by allocated funds to the communities vulnerable to harsh punishment and aggressive policies.

  However, the process of Justice Reinvestment will require coalitions and networks that will offer support in strengthening the community institutions. The goal of ACLU in reforming the Criminal Justice System is to reduce felony arrest rates,   pretrial detention,   sentence lengths and prohibit life sentences (Austin et al, n.d). Thus, let us provide the ACLU with a greater flexibility by supporting their work.

Conclusion

  I believe that supporting non-profit organizations such as the ACLU is the best choice.  ACLU focus on protecting the individual rights by taking affirmative actions toward eliminating discrimination, bridging inequalities and ensuring education and employment opportunities.  I would recommend the St. Kate students to engage in the community to donate the $10,000.00 to the ACLU for it to fight for our equality and freedom. In addition, individuals and organizations should also offer grants to sustain the organization.

References 

ACLU. (2018). FIGHTING POLICE ABUSE: A COMMUNITY ACTION MANUAL.  Retrieved from: https://www.aclu.org/other/fighting-police-abuse-community-action-manual

 Austin James et al. (n.d). Ending Mass Incarceration. Charting A New Justice Reinvestment.  Retrieved from:  https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/charting_a_new_justice_reinvestment_final.pdf

 Weiss Brennan. (2017). The ACLU has taken over 100 legal actions Against the Trump administration so far-here’s a guide to the most notable ones. Business Insider. Retried from: https://www.businessinsider.com/aclu-lawsuits-vs-trump-administration-2017-10?IR=T

Investigating Abuse Cases

The passage of Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is attributed to great research that showed a crisis among Native American and Alaska families, children and tribes.  The research showed that large number of children from these families was being alienated from their patents and communities through the actions of child welfare by the state and Private Adoption Agencies (NICWA, 2018). According the studies shows that the separation affected between 25 to 35 percent of Native children whereby 85 percent were removed from their communities regardless of the presence of relatives who are able and willing to take them in. In a Congressional testimony outlined the distressing effects the practice was having the community and thus leading to the legislation of ICWA in 1978(NICWA, 2018).

 The Act has various provisions through which preferences are established. During the placement of a child of Indian Native origin, and where there is no reasonable cause to the contrary, extend family member of the child or other persons of the tribe or families shall be accorded preference. During the placement of the child in foster care or for adoption, the setting should least restrictive so that it approximates a family and his or her special needs should be met (NICWA, 2018). In case of aforesaid placement, the separate order of preference shall be determined by the tribe and the court or agency involved in the placement shall adhere to this order. This is as long as the placement setting is least restrictive to the child’ special needs. The present Indian community’s social and cultural standards of the family shall be used as the standards in establishing the preferred requirements. The state should maintain the placement’s record as per the state law of the child as evidence to compliance with the Act’s preference order (NICWA, 2018).

The ICWA requirements that caseworkers should consider when handling cases involving the Act are outlined. They have to consider provision of active efforts to the native family. The caseworkers should identify a placement that is in line with the aforesaid preference provisions for ICWA.  The worker has to notify the tribe of the child and his parents of any proceeding of child custody. The worker must actively involve the tribe of the child and his parents in such proceeding (NICWA, 2018).

The initial step is to establish whether there is a tribal-state agreement through which specific procedures that should be followed are specified. The review includes assessing the requirements and recognizing any differences which will act as the guide, and thus ensure that ICWA provisions are complied with. Determining the Anne’s lineage involves clarifying her identity as a Native or Indian by first inquiring from the family about their self-identity. This is followed by asking whether the child’s origin is from the tribe – Alaska Native or American Indian (NICWA, 2018). If the response to the child affirm that they are Alaska Native or American Native or relate their origin to Native ancestry, the next step involves asking their child family the tribe they identify with and drawing a tree char with the support of the family to determine the genealogy. The child’s membership to the tribe should be confirmed by agent of tribal services (NICWA, 2018).

After investigation shows that Anne is of Native American origin, she cannot be placed in a foster care as long as there are family members willing and ready to take her in. If the family members or relatives of the child can provide living environment or setting as per the ICWA requirement she cannot be separated from her community.

References

 NICWA, (2018). About ICWA. Retrieved from: https://www.nicwa.org/about-icwa/

NICWA,(2018). A Guide to Compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act. Protecting our children. Preserving our culture. Retrieved from: https://www.nicwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Guide-to-ICWA-Compliance-2018.pdf

3. RESEARCH PLAN

3.1 Research Methods

Awaiting the approval of the research proposal on blind spots and the use of heavy equipment, this section provides a detailed analysis of the research methods to be applied in data collection. This section offers a clear description of the research strategies to be used in the study. The researcher explains the necessity of both primary and secondary data and how each will be collected. Adequate information is provided with respect to the proposal aims and research question. The rationale for the research plan, design, approaches, data sources, data gathering techniques, analysis, and presentation are provided.

The study will mainly focus on the use of a mixed research methodology that incorporates both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The methods were selected based on their ability to generate maximum information within a short time span. Since the study will face a limitation of time the approaches are therefore suitable. In this context, the descriptive research design will be applied. A research design refers to a plan that outlines the needed approaches and processes for carrying out the research which is deliberately developed[1]. The descriptive survey design is a study plan that offers intense analysis and reliability in relation to a given subject as it describes the findings of the researchers. The main objective of this design is to offer a description of the features of a specific problem. Observation, survey interviews and questionnaires filling are some of the methods that are applied in data collection with reference to the descriptive investigation design. The research method will be useful in generalizing accurate findings in large amounts. In that even with the presence of primary data much relies on is derived from secondary literature which assists in the development of a more stable case foundation.

3.1.1 Secondary Research

In order to bring out reliable, credible and accurate findings, the study will rely on secondary and primary data as a whole.

Secondary research refers to a collection of data from the existing literature. Besides, this is the analysis of information that had already been conducted to fulfill a related objective (Thyer, 2010). The aspect is likely to be modernized or traditional and data might either be classified as quantitative or qualitative and it requires some amendment when be used to fit within the aim of the study. Secondary research will seek to acquire survey and documented data. In that online surveys will be carried out to a selected sample to bring about some necessary information which is comparable with the existing data. On the other hand, documented data will be acquired from various sources such as books, peer-reviewed articles, and online journals. The sources are mainly published for academic purposes which makes them more suitable for utilization. The use of secondary research is essential because it is time and cost effective since data has already been collected[2]. In other words, it implies that few errors in coming up with conclusions are avoided unlike for the primary research where the data is not comparable. The published sources are also important since they are a source of maximum information about an issue.

3.1.2 Primary Research

Primary research entails collecting new information regarding a subject. The data is one that has not been used in the past[3]. For the purpose of this study, primary research will be carried out following interviews, survey, and questionnaires as the collection tools. In that interviews will be subjected to the study sample and their responses will serve as primary data. Primary data will be given the utmost priority in this study to ensure that the findings are new and reliable.

Interviews: questions will be designed to fit within the study objective. The objective of the interviews will be to gain the view of the respondents regarding the issue of blind spots on the roads. The respondents for the study will be selected based on experience, knowledge, and expertise. In that, since the study will be focusing on heavy equipment then it is, therefore, necessary to target the population with the related knowledge to the subject. Data that will be collected through interviews will include but not restricted to how blind spots affect the safety of heavy equipment users, measures necessary to address the issue and causes of the problem. The study intends on using semi-structured interviews to ensure that the researcher does not divert from the main subject of investigation but also to create opportunities to interact which is likely to lead to admirable results. In turn, this will guarantee the acquisition of maximum data as a whole.

Survey and Questionnaires: the objective of these surveys is mainly to gather and analyze the existing data from the view of the respondents. The surveys will mainly be directed to the road users and experts as they have the needed information to solve the issue. Through, the survey, their views, and attitude will be captured effectively. The surveys will incorporate both closed-ended and open-ended queries based on their ability to generate more information within a short time. In addition, this will guide the participants in answering all the questions as required for the fulfillment of the set objectives. Thus, the questionnaires will be used as the basis of the survey since the same questions will be relied on gaining respective views from the respondents collaboratively leading to the success of the process. The instruments will generate adequate primary data that is needed for the study.

3.2 Budget Considerations

The project is not a long based one given that it seeks to investigate on a single subject. Even though the issue is broad, the focus will be on heavy equipment. In this context, it means that the study will not necessitate any form of funding as the researchers will utilize their own money in paying for the necessary bills that will be minor. The questionnaires, interviews, and surveys are cost friendly since when carried out online, no form of funds will be needed. The main necessity of the study is time. In that in collecting both primary and secondary data, much time is needed which might be a constraint. The table below provides a prediction of the needed time for each stage of the project. The indicated time is actually an estimation based on the value of each aspect which will allow proper planning.

Table 1: Research Project Timeline

3.3 Project schedule

The figure below displays the time schedule that will be used in the development of the research project.

References

Fox, William, and M. S. Bayat. 2007. A guide to managing research. Cape Town. Juta.

Thyer, Bruce A. 2010. The handbook of social work research methods. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Yin, Robert K. 2013. Case study research: design and methods.https://nls.ldls.org.uk/welcome.html?ark:/81055/vdc_100025422049.0x000001.

[1] Yin, Robert K. 2013. Case study research: design and methods.

[2] Fox, William, and M. S. Bayat. 2007. A guide to managing research. Cape Town. Juta.

[3] Thyer, Bruce A. 2010. The handbook of social work research methods. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Effects of child abuse on early development

Introduction

The abuse of children during their infancy and early childhood results in negative impacts on their child development. It affects their brain development, cognitive development, academic achievement and social attachment.  The effects of maltreating a child can be enduring into their teenage years and adulthood in terms intellectual, physical and psychological aspects.

Children’s negative experiences can have harmful effects on the development of their brain in regard to brain’s chemical activity and structural changes. Child abuse can lead to decreased brain size or problems in connectivity in sections of the brain.  Such effects also concern the function of the person behaviorally and emotionally so that for instance, they become oversensitive to life situations that are stressful. When a child faces maltreatment in the hands of a caregiver, the brains is likely to be chronically hyper-alert to any danger or even fails to undergo full development.   The child’s neuronal pathways whose development or strengthening is exposed to an abusive environment including their capacity to respond to extended kindness or nurturing can be impaired (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 6).  Children abuse exposes them to toxic stress that can affect their Hippocampus, Corpus Callosum, Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex parts of the brain. Hippocampus which is necessary in the learning process and memory may be less in volume, and Corpus Callosum that helps in various processes like inter-hemispheric communication may also decline in size (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 6).  In the adulthood, the abused children may have smaller cerebellum and prefrontal cortex that helps in behavior coordination, and emotional regulation and cognition respectively, becomes smaller. Moreover, amygdala, which assist in determining the threat posed by a stimulus and thus triggering emotional responses become oversensitive due maltreatment. Children who have been abused in institutional settings have been shown to have reduced brain’s electrical activity, low metabolism and inadequate connectivity between parts of the brain which are necessary in complex information complexity (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 6).

The effects of abuse on chemical activity and structure of the brain boils over to other functioning of the child, including emotional, behavioral and behavioral functions.   The abuse related trauma or even adversity increases the risks of  depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder which are part of the many psychiatric challenges that the child may face (Font & Lawrence  537) .  The mistreatment of the child can lead to challenges in emotion regulation which is part of their development and this can easily continue into their adolescence and adulthood.  This can result in the child developing anxiety disorder and depression especially when one reaches his or her late adolescence.  The abuse may lead to permanent changes in the child’s brain capacity to utilize serotonin (Font & Lawrence 537). This part acts as a neurotransmitter whose role includes production of well-being feelings and emotional stability. Cognitive problems can be observed in childhood education with grade repetition becoming common (Font & Lawrence 541).  This means that such children will show low achievement in regard to their academic performance.

 The abused children are more likely to show antisocial behavior in their development and such impacts are more so associated with parental neglect and deprivation.  These children or youth undergo toxic stress which makes navigation of social situations and interaction with others quite difficult so that even adapting to various changes become hard.  Eventually, these children may find themselves in trouble where they turn to substance abuse including drugs and alcohol or even adopt abusive behavior (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 6).

Conclusion

Child abuse affects all of his or her development including physical, social, psychological and behavioral aspects. These children are exposed to toxic stress since the alteration of brain development reduces their ability to regulate emotions, interact well and obtain good performances in life.  The impacts can extend into adulthood which can be seen in adoption of negative behavior such as substance abuse.

Works cited

U.S. Department of Health and Human Service .Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development. Children Welfare Information Gateway. 2015. 5-6

Font, Sarah A., and Lawrence M. Berger. "Child maltreatment and children's developmental trajectories in early to middle childhood." Child development 86.2 (2015): 536-556.

Gender study

Introduction

The for-profits organizations are afforded the same rights to exercise their religion as persons and religious identity is defined by the owners. By agreeing to the terms of employment contracts, female workers agree with such an identity.

Discussion

The for-profit organizations enjoy the religious rights provided in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed in 1993, hence they are offered the protection that person have in exercising their religion (Liptak, 2014).  The religious identity of the corporation should be defined by the owners or shareholders since they serve their interests.  The corporation has to take on any issues such as religion, race or gender of the members (primary shareholders) in right circumstances to avert cases of discrimination. The same must apply in case of gender and religion, where it should be able to take on cases whose discrimination is on the basis of gender.

When a corporation argues that providing access to some specific kinds of birth control is a violation to their consciousness, they are making appear as accountable for the possible decisions of the many female workers (Lupu & Tuttle, 2014). By agreeing to work under the employment terms offered in the firm, the female workers are corporations’ rights over their rights.  If the corporations exercise of religious beliefs is driven mostly by political dissent rather than religion,  the debate would have been more about religion and contraception and this means that the individuals women’ rights would have superseded corporation’s rights .  

In case of corporate’s political activism, women should be protected so that their rights to reproduction decisions are not violated by these activities. Their rights should not be entangled in such activities. The corporations have to inform their potential workers that they do not provide cover for birth control, due to religious identity, so that while making decision to work for the firm, the employees are aware of consequences.  The corporations relying on Hobby Lobby cannot been prevented from covering unmarried men’s  drugs such as Viagra since it all boils down to what their religious conscious allows them to engage in.  The previous cover of birth control by Hobby Lobby implies that the implementing ACA may violate Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 if it compels faith-based for –profit corporations to act against their religious beliefs.

Conclusion

The right to exercise religion does not mean that the rights of women to reproductive decisions should be violated. Hence, if the issue of religious rights were driven by organization’s political activism and, women’s rights cannot be suppressed.

References

Lupu, I., & Tuttle, R. (2014). Religious Exemptions and the Limited Relevance of Corporate Identity.

Liptak, A., (2014).Supreme Court Rejects Contraceptives Mandate for Some Corporations. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/01/us/hobby-lobby-case-supreme-court-contraception.html

Research Paper – Annotated Bibliography and Topic Selection

Statement of Topic:

Women have played an important role in Christian ministry and their role has been expanding in the present times even amidst problems.

Bibliography Information for Resource #1:

Kee, Howard Clark. "The changing role of women in the early Christian World." Theology Today 49, no. 2 (1992): 225-238.

Brief statement regarding the author and his or her credentials as an authority

Howard Clark Kee served as a Biblical Studies Emeritus professor at Boston University School of Theology from 1977 to 1988 and wrote 18 books relating to Christianity

A crisp statement regarding the relevance of this article for your topic:

The paper shows the relationship between women and religion, how religion influence their gender make up and eve roles in general society. With a focus on women at the bible scriptures were being written by Christian men who worked alongside their female counterparts in the church.  The article presents the women in the early church as being silenced, while playing their roles alongside men in the ministry. The participation of women in the ministry is seen as only when a chance was given which ensured that they made a partnership with men according to the divine order.  The author also delves into the leadership role of women at the time, in relationship to their religious thought and even how women contributed to the Christian praxis and theology at the early periods.  It looks at the attraction of women to the faith in relation to what provided a meaning to the women’s self-identity as believers.  The challenges women faced in their attempt to undertake leadership roles is also explored including being regarded as heretics.  These ideas are important to this research because they look into how women played their role in the ministry during the early periods of the church.  I intend to look into the role played by women during the periods of the early church and its related changes.

A salient or meaningful quote from the article that you would likely cite if you were to write an essay on this topic:

Quote. “Women’s Spiritual zeal exploded into social service as women served as helper in various social service organizations outside the private sphere of the home.” He has authored more than 30 books and 140 scholarly articles.

Bibliography Information for Resource #2:

Stark, Rodney. "Reconstructing the rise of Christianity: The role of women." Sociology of Religion 56, no. 3 (1995): 229-244.

Brief statement regarding the author and his or her credentials as an authority

Rodney  Stark has been a longtime professor of sociology and of comparative religion at the University of Washington.

A crisp statement regarding the relevance of this article for your topic:

This article explores how modern and ancient historians record the response of women in the early Christian movement and the connection between the two aspects.  The article highlights the high status that women were accorded within the early Christian circles in comparison to the pagan societies in the surroundings.  The author connects the growth of the early church and women status, their increased power and privilege and the notion that women were easy prey of superstition than pagans. The removal of practices such as abortion and infanticide is seen as an important aspect that reduced the gender imbalance among the Christians. The ratio of women to men in the early church is defined to understand why more women were converted than men to be Christ followers.  The various roles undertaken by women such as deaconesses are highlighted. These aspects are important to my research since they assist in exploring role women occupied in the church, and their status in the Christian faith.

A salient or meaningful quote from the article that you would likely cite if you were to write an essay on this topic:

Quote: “Not only did Paul commend Phoebe the deaconess to the Romans, he also sent greetings to prominent woman in the Roman congregation: to Pricilla whom he acknowledges for having ‘risked her neck’ on his behalf, to Mary, who has worked so hard among you and to several other women”

Bibliography Information for Resource #3:

Beliakova, Nadezhda, and Miriam Dobson. "Protestant women in the late Soviet era: gender, authority, and dissent." Canadian Slavonic Papers 58, no. 2 (2016): 117-140.

Brief statement regarding the author and his or her credentials as an authority

Nadezhda Beliakova is a PhD and MA holder from Faculty of History , Moscow State University and has worked as a Sernior Scientific Researcher since 2010

Miriam Dobson is a BA holder from University of Cambridge, an MA and PhD holder from School of Slvanoc and East European Studies, University College London. She has worked as senior lecturer published an article in 2009 with with Cornell University Pres.

A crisp statement regarding the relevance of this article for your topic:

The author explores the role of women in the protestant church and the community during the soviet era, and sees their position as having been complex.  Their roles as leaders of worship more so among the remote congregations, their unofficial prophetesses especially among the Pentecostal groups, their motherhood roles and even commitment to religious upbringing of their children are discussed. The author also highlights the women roles as political actors who defended religious rights. Of importance to the writer is the predomination of women in congregations after the revolutionary war especially in protestant churches and the leadership roles they occupied in the ministry while men were largely absent.

A salient or meaningful quote from the article that you would likely cite if you were to write an essay on this topic:

Quote: “…where there was an established church hierarchy, they might create and lead small groups practicing charismatic worship on the margins of the registered community, their spiritual gifts generating a kind of authority very different from that of the ordained pastors. Yet there was no sustained challenge to the authority of male clerics”

Bibliography Information for Resource #4

Eriksen, Annelin. "Sarah’s sinfulness: egalitarianism, denied difference, and gender in Pentecostal Christianity." Current Anthropology 55, no. S10 (2014): S262-S270.

Brief statement regarding the author and his or her credentials as an authority

The author is a professor of Anthropology in Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen, Norway.

A crisp statement regarding the relevance of this article for your topic:

The article explores on Gender in Pentecostalism and related studies in the Caribbean and American regions and specially focuses on the conversion of women, faith healing and domestic counseling. By understanding Christianity as a culture, the article analysis the issue whether Pentecostalism has brought about increased level of equality.  The author also explores the division between masculinity and feminism in relation to the created hierarchical division that informs morality as per the Old Testament.  The spirituality of women in such a culture is explored and the author highlights the case of Sarah who had been viewed as having fallen from grace by fellow believers in a one of the Pentecostal Churches.  The author identifies her sufferings with Jesus’ sufferings both having been rejected by their people. This article is relevance is it highlights the challenges that women undergo while trying to take their place in the Church ministry and how such roles are denied.

A salient or meaningful quote from the article that you would likely cite if you were to write an essay on this topic:

Quote: “If the transformation from immoral to moral, from weak to strong, from unworthy to worthy, easily can take a gendered form , and if the established gendered order in the Bible Church allows men to achieve this transformation to a greater extent than women (moving from non-individualized to “the chosen one”), then Sarah’s miracles present challenges on several levels”

Bibliography Information for Resource #5

Marshall, Jill E. "The Recovery of Paul's Female Colleagues in Nineteenth-century Feminist Biblical Interpretation." Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 33, no. 2 (2017): 21-36.

Brief statement regarding the author and his or her credentials as an authority

Jill E. Marshal is a PhD holder and has written a book and her articles have been published in Journal of Biblical literature and sacred matters Magazine

A crisp statement regarding the relevance of this article for your topic:

The article discusses the female believers who worked with Paul the apostle, which presented a challenge to the church. Looking into the interpretation of Phoebe, Prisca and Lydia and relates their roles to the interpretation of primary sources by male clerics and scholars. The fact that women were not admitted in universities to learn biblical languages does not imply that they were unable to critically and scholar interpret the Bible. The articles studies the female Biblical characters in relation to what was expected of Christian women in the 19^th century , and a focus on women who accompanied Jesus and those who were co-workers with  Paul.  The role of women as actively ministering mothers as described in the text relates to this paper.

A salient or meaningful quote from the article that you would likely cite if you were to write an essay on this topic:

Quote: “When Dietrick and stowe revisited the new Testament in its first-century context, they found women who taught, prayed, consoled others, provided for context, they found women who taught, prayed, consoled others, provided for the church, opened their homes to visitors, evangelized, and founded churches”

Article analysis

There is a need to explore the major cause of discrimination and prejudice depicted by in-group members towards out-group members and how the reason for such identification for human beings.

In-group identification does not depend on negative attitudes towards an out-group and most of in-group bias and inter-group discrimination is driven by preferential treatment of members of the in-group but is not motivated by direct hostility towards members of an out-group (Brewer, 1999).

The article reviewed existing theory and research on what motivates in-group boundaries maintenance and their relation to the protection of in-group boundaries .One of the researches explored the various patterns of many group loyalties and social identities or even their effect on intergroup relations. In the study, the researchers sampled college students’ identity profiles, where the participants were requested to show the 5 group memberships that greatly defined their sense of identity. The independent variable in this case is identity and the dependent variable is intergroup relations (Brewer, 1999).

 The results shows that various social identities across the groups largely exists including gender, religious, political and ethnic identities but these were basically positively related to different social groups. This shows that identification and loyalty to influenced intergroup relations. The results are significant in determining the formation of intergroup boundaries and intergroup relations (Brewer, 1999).

The article relates with various issues existing in society such as religious discrimination in the society.  The discrimination may not necessarily be driven by hostility toward people of different faiths, but the tendency to protect the identity of a specific religious group from others. A major area for future research would involve focus the study from one in-group-out-group relations and focusing on many group identities and relations.

Reference

Brewer, M. B. (1999). The psychology of prejudice: Ingroup love and outgroup hate?. Journal of social issues, 55(3), 429-444.

Writing Assignment 4

Q1.

Values are standards that influence behavior or guide people on way of life and decisions.  Also, values are formed from long-lasting beliefs that a particular behavior is important.

Attitudes are feelings and beliefs tendencies toward something.  Attitudes are demonstrated by behavior, and they are formed during socialization.  The good or bad thing with attitudes is that it is not possible to change them and they may have both positive and negative impact (Sims, 2002).

Beliefs are assumptions that people make about something through experience or through engaging in cultural and social norms. Beliefs influences people in creating a belief system which defines their identity.

Behaviors are ways in which people conduct themselves toward other people, groups or environment. Attitudes impact behaviors, and it is possible to change behaviors by changing the attitudes, beliefs, and values (Sims, 2002).

Example of potential topics in my persuasive speech would be; the food industry has contributed to the obesity epidemic in America. Second, social media is negatively affecting the young generation. Third, the death penalty should abolish. These topics would serve an important role as they make a call for action and encourages to think about the issues to have them.

Q2

 For a person to be a compelling speaker, he or she must use ethos- this has to do with credibility and trustworthiness or in other words you as speaker should let the audiences trust you. Second is pathos which means that the speaker should stir up emotions in the audience for them to develop an emotional response and understand what the speaker is talking about (Morreale, 2010).  The third is logos which means that the speaker is expected to offer a logical argument or in other words, he should prove an argument through sound reasoning.

Q3

 A speaker can establish ethos through trustworthiness- being respectful, honest, showing commitment and fulfilling the promises, be fair and unbiased and ensure that the data and information you are giving to the audiences are from credible sources. The second method of achieving ethos is language and style- the speaker should use a vivid language so that the audience can understand the concepts, use stories and visual examples to illustrate the concepts. It is also important to use a shared experience by referencing people or earlier events (Morreale, 2010).  When it comes to pathos, a speaker can archive pathos by using emotional themes or a topic that has emotional power. On the same note, the speaker should use an emotional tone and connect the emotions to analogies and metaphors (Morreale, 2010).

Q4

A speaker can establish logos by making the persuasive speech appear logical by using photographs, case studies, personal stories, vivid details, facts and statistics and citing the resources.

 Upward communication is a communication between subordinates and superiors where subordinates use verbal and written messages to communicate to the top-level management.  An example includes employees expressing their suggestions and ideas to employers.   In contrast, downward communication is communication between superiors and subordinates where the high-level managers communicate information to subordinates. An example includes the employers communicating goals, policies, operational decisions and instructions to employees.  Horizontal communication is different from upward and downward communication since this involves organizational units at the same level.  Example include the communication in the healthcare institutions where nursing staff communicates to the food service department on the appropriate nutrition (Zhu, 2005).

Q5

 The first obstacle to effective intercultural communication is ethnocentrism- this means that some cultures judge other cultures concerning their standards and values.  In this case, ethnocentric people believe that their culture is superior to other cultures and their behaviors and values are correct.  For example, Americans believe that their country, as well as cultures, are superior and thus, the African Americans are inferior (Schmidt, 2007). This lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication between the two. Second, the stereotype is an obstacle to intercultural communication, and this occurs when some cultures use perception and beliefs to generalize particular social group. Stereotype leads to errors in interpretations and inaccurate labels which hinders effective intercultural communication. For example, Americans believe that Latinos are poor, they are prone to violence and commit more crime.  The third barrier to intercultural communication is discrimination (Schmidt, 2007).  This means that in-group members treat the out-group members disadvantageously. For example, Americans believe that African Americans are poor and lack education and for this reason, they are denied employment opportunities, housing and access to resources.

References

Schmidt, W. V. (2007). Communicating globally: Intercultural communication and international business.

Los Angeles [u.a.: Sage Publ.

Morreale, S. P. (2010). The competent public speaker. New York: Peter Lang.

Zhu, Y. (2005). Written communication across cultures: : a sociocognitive perspective on business

genres. Amsterdam: Benjamins.

Sims, R. R. (2002). Managing organizational behavior. Westport CT: Greenwood Press.

PERCEPTION OF VICTIM GENDER

            In the society, there is gender discrepancies and differences in perceptions of male and female victims. Social structures and power structures condition the difference in perception. Men are more likely to commit a crime that women and so, the common belief or the social norm is that if a woman commits a crime, she is disruptive to the society's harmony,  she is a criminal deviant, she deny the pure womanly natures, and she violates her ‘womanly behaviors’  (Davis,  Lurigio & Herman, 2013). In other words, women experience what is known as ‘victim blaming' and this reason, women are less likely to report the crime simply because of the fear of retaliation, privacy issues, and financial dependency. In most cases. Women do not like engaging in formal help-seeking, but they participate in informal social networks such as friends. The social perceptions are that women engage in typical behaviors and they are responsible for the harm due to their carelessness. This leads to low reporting since as they report, they are considered as nonconformists, and they experience rejection and disapproval Dennison, S. M., & (Thompson, 2011).  On the other hand, deviance is connected with male and male violence is regarded as physical and direct whereas female violence is considered to be subversive. The point is men are overrepresented as being victims than women, and this means that the perceptions of victimization depend on gender. Victims are blamed and traumatized whereas the perpetrators are represented in every step to ensure that they rights are followed.  (Davis, Lurigio & Herman, 2013).  

In trying to understand the different perceptions, Englebrecht & Reyns (2011) introduces a new concept known as ‘unacknowledged victimizations.' This means that a stereotypical criterion is used in acknowledging the victims of violence or an individual is acknowledged to be a victim of sexual assault when he or she meets certain criteria. Women are more likely to be unacknowledged victims, and the effect is that they increase the risk of re-victimization.  The major factors that allow victims to be acknowledged include; the seriousness of the crime, the psychological response of the victim, victim-offender relationship and, the victim's advice from friends (Englebrecht & Reyns, 2011).  The four factors also shape the different perceptions of male and female victims in that when both men and women are victimized; men are more likely than women to label the incidence of victimization.  Research in this article reports that the psychological response is considered in acknowledgment, Even though women reported fear and anxiety than men. Still, they do not acknowledge their victimization, and as they acknowledge, they are ashamed and unwilling to report due to repression and denial. (Englebrecht & Reyns, 2011). The point is that victimization is not only unacknowledged by the society but also by the victims.  However, the different perceptions are rooted in the institutional arrangements that create victims' social invisibility.  In other words, there is a patriarchal social structure that is characterized by language and culture which hinder female victim acknowledgment.

 An example from the media that shows differences in perception of male and female victims is that of Kobe Bryant rape case. Bryant was involved in a sexual assault inform of raping a hotel employee aged 19yeras. Later, the prosecutors dropped the case arguing that the sex was consensual and referred to the women as promiscuous and unstable (Johnson, 2004). This case from the media show that women are overwhelmed by victimization, but they lack social support and they are denied justice.

References 

Englebrecht, C. M., & Reyns, B. W. (2011). Gender differences in acknowledgment of stalking

Victimization: Results from the NCVS stalking supplement. Violence and victims, 26(5), 560-579.

 Dennison, S. M., & Thompson, C. M. (2011). Intimate partner violence: The effect of gender and

contextual factors on community perceptions of harm, and suggested victim and criminal justice

responses. Violence and victims, 26(3), 347-363.

 Johnson Kirk. (2004). Prosecutor Drop Kobe Bryan Rape Case. The New York Times.  Retrieved from:

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/02/us/prosecutors-drop-kobe-bryant-rape-case.html

Bonnie and Clyde  

Introduction

The research process on Bonnie and Clyde biography was an interesting since it was driven by my desire to find more information about the two historic individuals. The process involved a well thought out plan including definition of the topic (an introduction to these individuals), highlighting the keywords that would make the research on the topic easier, location and evaluation of available resources including documents and the actual searching.  The location of the resources involved exploring the various sources from which I would get the relevant information and reviewing the resources enabled choosing the sources that were most reliable.

  Initially, the process involved identifying the specific information about these people that needed to searched and then choosing the keywords that would make it possible to simplify the research.   A preliminary research was quite important in determining the availability of sufficient information in various sources needed in the research and setting the context of this research.  This was the main reason why the key words were important, since by looking up in the relevant title and the right reference collection of library including encyclopedias and other library sites.   The internet search engines and other periodical databases were some of the potential sources for the information and which the research targeted.  The intent search engines were quite helpful since they provided the background information on the two individuals, and such information raised my interest level to continue with the research on their history.  After obtaining such background information, I was able to focus my attention in light of the resources that are likely to contain much of the information I needed.  

With the direction of my research now clearer, I started locating the sources that would give men enough materials about the subjects.  This allowed me to focus my keyword research in specific sources if a major search failed to yield sufficient information that I needed.  Whenever I found relevant information, I would note the citation information and even the location of such information.  The focused research made it possible to find articles and magazines that had interesting information about the background of these individuals, and the interesting narration increased my curiosity to continue reading wide so that a variety of information improved the understanding of the two individuals.  A consultation on these resources and taking note of key information was a useful step in the research process.  This involved documenting all the resources with relevant information even if the chances of using a particular source were minimal.

 My focused research led me to the A&E Network’s Biography show, and which provided a great insight on the History of Bonnie and Clyde.   Being among the documentary programs that have been running on television for a long time, greatly viewed and imitated by programs in other networks, it proved to be a very important source. It provided a detailed bibliographies of Bonnie and Clyde, similar to information provided regarding the details of other historic figures. The Biography.com source made the research process very interesting, owing to the impressive website and outstanding biographical information about the individuals.  The information about the personal life of the two individuals was greatly provided in a deep wealth of biographical source. While looking for these biographies, I followed the general rule and skipped the main search engines and utilized the listed databases of specialized biography.  I proceeded to surf and thus enjoyed the informative web sites.  The information I obtained was arranged well so that it was possible to point out the major events that characterized the life of these individuals. Their social and criminal life captured in the sources provided enough details that informed the preparation of the research work, putting down the information and following the plan.

 The research process also sort complementary information about their history from an internet Encyclopedia Britannica that proved to be very resourceful.  The research process presented very interesting characters whose lives were considered psychic, due to the short lived criminal history. The information also shows their relationships with the members of the society and families and how the media presented the activities they engaged in. Using different sources gave various perspectives that the society and media had on their lives and how they related with the authorities. The sheer depth of the information that is found in these sources made the process of putting it together very interesting, since my understanding was enhanced.  After having the required information from these sources, I embarked on preparing the final presentation on the ideas obtained on the lives of Bonnie and Clyde. It was relief to obtain such good sources of information because the process of preparing the final paper become easier.

Conclusion

The research process followed a plan that was well laid out, and that involved using keywords to find information especially in the internet search engines. The Biography.com sites and the online encyclopedia offered a deep wealth of information that made the whole process of interesting since I got to have a better understanding of Bonnie and Clyde.

Work Cited - Preliminary Bibliography

McGasko, Joe. “The Real Bonnie and Clyde: 9 Facts on the Outlawed Duo.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 23 Feb. 2016, www.biography.com/news/bonnie-and-clyde-9-facts-lifetime-movie-video.

Blatty, David. “Bonnie Parker.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 13 Feb. 2018, www.biography.com/people/bonnie-parker-9542045

Jenkins, John Philip. “Bonnie and Clyde.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 7 Apr. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Bonnie-and-Clyde-American-criminals.

 THE EFFECTS SOCIAL CLIQUES HAVE ON ADOLESCENTS.

               Cliques are defined as exclusive networks consisting of members who are friends and who have similar characteristics. Cliques are smaller than other groups such as crowds where they range from three to nine members. Although cliques are viewed to be negative research shows that cliques can influence both positive and negative effects. Like any other social networks, cliques provide rules that shape adolescents future growth. Cliques may also include social status where members of higher social status may be found in the same group and those of low social status in another group.

         On the positive side cliques may provide a sense of belonging and safety helping members fell valued and included. One the other hand, those associated with the clique may face struggles trying to adapt to the norms set and who are not members of the clique may feel neglected or isolated. While in the clique, peer pressure increases making an individual to conflict with his or her personal sense. According to Sperry (2016), members may also involve in bullying so as to gain social dominance and to be maintained in the group.  Cliques can also influence academic performance either positively or negatively. If an adolescent with low grades join a clique with performing student, he or she may be influenced to improve in their grades. The good performance student joining a poor academic clique will start deteriorating in his or her academic performance (Sperry 2016).

        Cliques highly influence antisocial behaviors such as sexual activities and substance abuse. These sexual activities may be either be among members of the same gender or different gender and can  have negative effects on member such as contraction of STIs and early pregnancy ,as stated by (Coleman and Yeh 2011). As a result, some may drop out of school at a young age to cater for their kids thus end up being early parents who cannot financially support their kids.  Members of a clique may also engage in substance use, especially smoking where all clique members either smoke or drink alcohol which may have started as a result of a single member who later introduced it to the rest of the group (Coleman and Yeh 2011).

     Cliques reinforce attitudes and behaviors of their members. Where norms are provided by group members and the members tend to have a strong believe in these norms because they predict their behaviors even if these norms are correct or incorrect (Levesque 2011).Adolescents therefore take their parents and teachers role on guidance. These norms also ruin the parent and child relationship. Some other norms may be against the laws of a country which may make them be charged with criminal acts. On the other hand adolescents with leadership qualities may improve their skills in leadership by being leaders of the cliques (Levesque 2011).

According to Levesque (2011), focus on similarity in cliques can on the other side increase levels of aggression, dietary restrains and ethnic divisions as members of the same ethnic group are found in the same group and those of a different ethnic group in a different clique. Cliques are not reputation based but when members their reputation they may influence one another to create a good reputation for their clique. Cliques with high reputations tend to have high self-esteem and show interest in valuing belonging to a group than those who belong to less regarded groups, thus having a positive effect on members (Levesque 2011).

 Within every adolescent’s life there is the urge to experiment new things in life .This makes adolescents to form or enter into social networks such as cliques. Cliques may have both positive and negative effects on adolescents as they try to find their identity, where they rightfully belong and the people to associate with. In this encounters some adolescents have ended up to be addicted to drugs, school dropouts’ and even early parents as the consequences of negative influence of cliques. On the other hand, some adolescents have emerged to have very high levels of esteem, good leadership skills and self-worth.

 References 

Sperry, L. (2016). Mental health and mental disorders: An encyclopedia of conditions, treatments, and well-being.

      Retrieved from Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood,

      http://www.worldcat.org/title/mental-health-and-mental-disorders-an-encyclopedia-of-conditions-treatments-and-well-being/oclc/930864665

Coleman H.K.L, Yeh.C. (2011) Hand book of School Counseling

       Retrieved from Routledge,

       https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=rBiPAgAAQBAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Levesque, R. J. R. (2011). Encyclopedia of adolescence.

          Retrieved from New York, NY: Springer, 

https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=VdPGF1tfDJsC&pg=PA430&dq=the+effects+social+cliques+can+have+on+adolescents&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjp96iyrvPaAhVIsxQKHZ8vC8YQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=the%20effects%20social%20cliques%20can%20have%20on%20adolescents&f=false

Understanding Drug Addictions and the Causes behind Them

Introduction

Drug addiction is a term used to define and explain the brain’s tendency to avert to the use of drugs and causes a dependency on the use of drug and substance use. The user does not realize or rather knows the consequences and tends to ignore them. The user is adamant to use the drugs, and it causes a trend that the brain adapts. Unfortunately, with time while abusing the drugs, the affected person tends to start having problems with the brain functionality. There is a lot to put into consideration when dealing with people who have been affected by drug addiction, and in most cases, the addiction is beyond repair. However, scientists and therapists have found useful ways to ensure that people with drug addictions are well supported and recover from their addictions. Drug addiction is a problem that faces a lot of individuals, and the causes of these addictions have not been well identified by people. This paper gives a precise detail of what causes drug addictions and how to prevent these causes from getting to a person, society or even a family.

Drug addiction

For there to be a drug addiction, one has to be well aware of the issues and the agendas that underline the usage of substances. These are chemicals that alter the way the body functions and when it comes to the fact that stopping the behavior is challenging; most people are not able to cope. Individuals who are involved in the intake of substance and drugs to be specific, both prescribed and un-prescribed, tend to have a strong interest in taking of those drugs (Hsieh Mei-Hui et al., 48). Drugs are meant to alter the functions that the body is used to handle and they are taken to suppress feelings or even emotions. The young people are the most affected of this lot, and some of them start without even knowing it. They start it as a way to find relaxation and find comfort. Some even go to the extent of getting addicted totally and have a weak body system. They cannot do without these drugs and they end up being mixed in a lot of things[1]. They may also develop other serious and chronic disorders such as anxiety among others (Hsieh Mei-Hui et al., 48).

These drugs can be taken into the body through injections, ingestion or even inhalation. These methods tend to affect the pathway of these drugs, and they end up affecting the entire body system. Drug addiction kicks in when the body cannot function without the use of these substances. Looking at the bigger picture, drug addictions do not originate from the individual only; they come from the society, the family, friends, and social media.

Drug addictions due to family and friends

It is very unfortunate that most people do not have any idea of what to do or how to handle the issues of family. Family members play a significant role in contributing to drug addiction problems. What happens when the family itself, pressures too many issues on one person? The person tends to reach a breaking point whereby they are not able to cope with the hurdles of the day to day basis and ends up finding comfort in drugs such as cocaine to cool off. These drugs are at times offered by a friend or even someone very close, with the assurance that the intake will help make sure that the person is well accorded with comfort and relaxation. Addiction is a process of which starts with experimental and later graduates to uncontrolled cravings of the drugs by the user (Hsieh Mei-Hui et al., 48). Another contribution that family causes is when they expect too much from an individual. Blair (2) notes that the family structure also contributes to a higher extent in one getting stress. This situation is very common with single mothers simply because of the life pressures they endure while raising kids on their own[2]. In such cases, the family structure and difficulties that come with it can lead someone to engage in drug abuse.

At some point, there are a lot of things that tend to cloud an individual’s thinking. The youths are vulnerable to these incidences and choices from the onset of their maturity, and they are not able to deal with family well. When addiction kikcs in, the relationship between the affected individuals and that of other members tends to shrink even in circumstances where the members are always ready to offer the required help (Choate 462). Looking at the basis of what pushes a young person, who has all he or she needs in the family and still ends up being hooked on drugs, one associate with certain deficiencies[3]. A family may not demand anything from the children or even any other family member. In fact, they may provide every essential need to the individual, but lack to provide the essence of emotional needs and psychological needs (Lobato, Mónica, et al., 145). Most young people need emotional support and advice when transitioning to adulthood or even better when handling certain issues. Young people may end up getting advice from their peers who are already in drugs, and they may find solace since that is where they find their identity. Being talked to and even being approached in case anything is noted, may bring a good light to what the teenager needs.

Figure 1: A Heroin Addict

Based on the image it is apparent that the person is an addict. The man is shown after injecting himself with heroin with a group of other people. It can be interpreted that they are his friends or peers which clearly illustrates the effects of bad company on drug abuse.

Drugs addictions due to Society’s Neglection

Another cause of drug addiction is the community or the people surrounding an individual. Looking at the kind of lifestyle that people are living nowadays, it is hard to identify where morals have gone. There is a blooming effect of what people need to do and how they need to handle these issues. The major effect that causes drug addiction is the ease of access to these drugs that are from the community. The society does not have people who are keen to look at what the young people are doing, and it is not interested in identifying what kind of issues they are facing. Unfortunately, when one gets addicted and the negative effects of drug usage kicks in, the same society starts discriminating and stigmatizing the affected individual (Hsieh Mei-Hui et al., 48).

The use of drugs starts when there is no community engagement for the young people, and they end up involved in the bad company of friends. Rehabilitation centers do not necessary provide the required help and most people are not identifying the moral decay that is there in the society (Pasche Sonja et al., 533). Everyone is living their lives and abandoning the responsibility of taking care of the young to the parents and guardians[4]. Lack of community watchdogs that survey what the young people are up to is making drug addiction a general case in the society. Lack of awareness to the youth on how drug use affects their lives and how it only tends to bring more pain than gain is yet something else that most communities have not yet been able to do. To ensure these cases, do not go on, the community members need to take up the responsibility of ensuring that youths have sensitization on why drug use is not useful for their health. The community also needs to engage the young people in development programs and any other idle people that may be within the community.

Figure 2: Teenager smoking

            Teenagers are the most vulnerable to drugs abuse in general. Due to family neglect teenagers becomes experimental as the means of escaping boredom and surviving. It might be noted that he might be lacking any social or family based guidance thus opting for drugs as the means of escapism from reality.

Figure 3: Drugs due to Neglect

Alcohol accounts for the most abused drug due to family neglect. It is asserted that more than half of the children living with alcoholic parents end up abusing drugs. Alcohol abuse remains to be the primary cause of foster placement, unemployment and homelessness in the country. Those that tend to abuse the drugs are unable to live independent lives leading to high dependency.

Drug addictions due to social media

In a generation where technology has taken over even the slightest thinking of most people, drug usage has become yet another subject of concern. Most people see in the media especially in music videos and in movies, it is evident that the press portrays the use of drugs as a trend that most people need to adapt. Brunborg Geir Scott, et al., (477) notes that there is a high correlation between those young people who abuse alcohol and their use of social media. It is unfortunate that the people who exposed to these videos and images are the young people who still have a lot to do in their lives. When drug intake is a trend, the young tend to take the issue up and adapt to its lifestyle.

The moment they start using these drugs, they become hooked, and it is no longer a trend, but a way of life. They are dependent on these drugs and they no longer function well without them. Their lives are disrupted, and their entire being is questioned. What happens is that the person is robbed of any opportunity of developing since most drugs are hard to get out of the system. The media needs to identify its role in the society and not that nowadays what it gives to the people, is what defines the people. Individuals need to be guided on what to do in the midst of a chaotic generation that is low on morals[5].

Figure 4: Drugs at Such a Young Age

Most children are introduced to drugs at school based on their vulnerability and the desire to try new things. Since parent have opted to compensating their children with money given that they have limited time to spend with them it gives them the opportunity to try new things. Children lack the needed information thus opting to acquire it from practical experiments.

Drug addictions caused by traumatic events and injuries

There is a thin gap between depression and the use of drugs to ensure that the effect leaves the body. Most people when faced with depressing times and events in their lives, they tend to seek solace in loneliness. At this stage, one is vulnerable of being engaged in the use of drugs to erase the bad feelings and memories (Hammersley Richard, et al., 136). In most cases, the doctors may have prescribed to the use of stress relieving medicines that help these individuals stay relaxed and get their lives in order. The moment these episodes are not able to leave the person’s mind and the drugs are the only ones that give peace, a person gets hooked to these drugs. They use the excuse of having bad memories and wanting peace to request and buy these drugs from the drug stores[6]. It becomes a trend and soon a habit that is unable to leave their lifestyles.

Injuries that occur on people also tend to bring an effect of drug addiction, as people tend to get adapted to the use of pain relieving medicines. These people are not able to distinguish or even specifically give a clear distinction of what the medicines are helping or destroying in their bodies. Lack of proper medical care and guidance to patients who have faced traumatizing events and injuries, leads to addictions. Doctors need to take care of their patients and check the medical history of their patients. Some drugs should be avoided on patients who have had traumatic experiences and proper counseling should be considered (Hammersley, Richard, et al. 138). Most individuals may even start these drugs as a way to cool off and find comfort but proper guidance and follow up can help in establishing any underlying problem. Looking at the prescribed medicines given by doctors, it is relevant to state that most times, doctors are not cautious on who gets these medicines and their implications are not reviewed well.

Works Cited

Blair Sampson Lee. Economic Stress and the Family. vol. 1st ed, Emerald Group Publishing        Limited, 2012. Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research. EBSCOhost, search.

Choate Peter. "Adolescent Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: The Experience of     Parents." Behavioral Sciences (2076-328X), vol. 5, no. 4, Dec. 2015, pp. 461-476.          EBSCOhost, doi:10.3390/bs5040461.

Hammersley Richard, et al. "Trauma in the Childhood Stories of People Who Have Injected             Drugs." Addiction Research & Theory, vol. 24, no. 2, Apr. 2016, pp. 135-151.       EBSCOhost, doi:10.3109/16066359.2015.1093120.

Hsieh Mei-Hui, et al. "What Is the Addiction World Like? Understanding the Lived          Experience of the Individuals' Illicit Drug Addiction in Taiwan." Perspectives in         Psychiatric Care, vol. 53, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 47-54. EBSCOhost,          doi:10.1111/ppc.12136.

Lobato Mónica, et al. "Marijuana Use and Dependence in Chilean Adolescents and Its      Association with Family and Peer Marijuana Use." International Journal of    Behavioral Medicine, vol. 24, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 144-152. EBSCOhost,      doi:10.1007/s12529-016-9595-2.

OPR. (2018). How Kids Get Hooked on Drugs at Such a Young Age. Retrieved from http://operationcleanrecovery.com/how-kids-get-hooked-on-drugs-at-such-a-young-age/

Pasche Sonja, et al. "Staff Attitudes and Services Provided by Community-Based Organizations for Alcohol and Other Drug Users in Cape Town, South Africa: Implications for Training and Education." Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy,        vol. 15, no. 6, Dec. 2008, pp. 532-544. EBSCOhost,             doi:10.1080/09687630701610706.

Patterson, E. (2018). Drug Abuse Problem. Retrieved From: https://drugabuse.com/library/drug-abuse-problems/

[1] Addiction of substances is actually considered to be a behavioral disorder (Hsieh Mei-Hui et al., 48).

[2] Most of single mothers are disadvantaged in many areas such as lack of proper education, unemployment and tend to come from not a well-to-do family. All these factors among others contribute to stress and depression of which tiger one to engage in drug abuse (Blair 2).

[3] Addiction affects family function (Choate 462)

[4] There is much that needs to be done even beyond taking the addicted individuals to rehabilitation centers (Pasche Sonja et al., 542).

[5] Most of the teenagers who spend a lot of time on social media may end-up getting in the trap of engaging I drug abuse (Brunborg Geir Scott, et al., 477).

[6] Persistent psychological effects of trauma may lead to heavy substance use as a form of avoidant coping.