Mass Shootings and Mental Illness

“Nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness (44.7 million in 2016),” (NIMH). Mental illness is a behavioral pattern which is viewed as outside of society’s normal culture or actions. There are two different types of mental illness. For example, “Any mental illness (AMI) is defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder. AMI can vary in impact, ranging from no impairment to mild, moderate, and even severe impairment. Serious mental illness (SMI) is defined as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities,” (NIMH). Most of the time, only SMI accompanies violence.

As shown, weapon threat/use occurs 29.3 percent of time in mentally ill patients. And in recent mass shootings; Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, etc, semi-automatic rifles, handguns and more have been used to commit these murders and all of the shooters have either claimed mental illness or are deemed mentally ill. A survey states, “Lifetime violence rates were estimated at 15% for the population without mental illness, 33% in those with serious mental illness only, and 55% for those with serious mental illness and substance abuse combined….In a large, nationally representative sample of adults residing in the community (n = 5692), the National Comorbidity Study-Replication study found that 34.1% of persons with lifetime mental disorders had access to a gun, 4.8% carried a gun, and 6.2% stored a gun in an unsafe manner.”(Swanson). The U.S. Government, and U.S. citizens have all recognized this issue and they have created a few preventions. However, how effective are the preventions taken politically, historically, and how will they impact the future?

These graphs by Mass Shooting Tracker show the amount of mass shootings in 2017 and 2018, so far. As shown, 2018 has fewer shootings than previous years, however, only by a little, and since December isn’t over yet, the mass shooting amount can be greater than last year. Only if the amount of mass shootings decreases in the future, will the prevention’s outcomes be apparent. Current Congress is not really worried about the future of gun violence; therefore, they aren’t really concerned about increasing or decreasing the accessibility of guns in the hands of the mentally ill.

Most government preventions which are announced, are not enforced. The United States House of Representatives passed a bill to fund more security at schools, but the bill lacked gun control measures, (CNN Staff). Even the number of mental health records in the government database has nearly quadrupled, and, as of last year, only three states – Montana, Wyoming and New Hampshire – had submitted fewer than 100 records, according to William Rosen, the deputy legal director at Everytown for Gun Safety. More effort is still needed, (Beckett). Few states have taken it upon themselves to issue legislations and restrictions pertaining to purchasing and owning guns. States like Florida and Illinois raised their minimum purchasing age to 21, (CNN). California passed a law creating a “gun violence restraining order”, which gives family members and law enforcement the power to temporarily stop a high-risk person from owning or buying firearms. Washington passed a similar law last year and advocates have launched a joint effort this year across 20 states to pass similar protection orders....

Sandy Hook Promise, a not-for-profit group formed by family members of some of the victims of the 2012 shooting, has developed free training programs to help schoolchildren and adults recognize the signs of at-risk behavior and know how to respond. More than 2 million students and adults have taken part, including students in large public school districts in Miami and Los Angeles...10 states have passed universal background checks or expanded background check requirements, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, part of a laborious, costly effort to close the federal loopholes one state at a time,” (Beckett). Other states like Connecticut pioneered what are called extreme risk protection orders in 1999. The Connecticut law allows police to obtain a court warrant to remove guns from people who pose an imminent risk to themselves or others. The law led to gun removals in 762 cases from 1999 through 2013, according to a study in Law and Contemporary Problems, but the law only works if someone intervenes. The Indiana General Assembly adopted its law in 2005, allowing police to seize weapons from a person considered 'dangerous'(Jansen).

The government tends to be very perfunctory when it comes down to gun regulations. Especially when the NRA, National Rifle Association, has interfered with various research attempts. According to NPR, “Federal limits on both research into gun violence and the release of data about guns used in crimes are powerful reminders of the lobbying groups’ advantages over gun control activists. For decades, the NRA pushed legislation that stifled the study and spread of information about the causes of gun violence,” (Raphelson). In March, Congress passed a spending bill that included language giving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the authority to resume gun-related studies, but some researchers are skeptical anything will change without funding. The Democrats wrote that part of the bill in order to reverse the Dickey Amendment of 1996, which many believe virtually halted all research on gun violence. The amendment didn't explicitly ban gun research, but funding cuts reduced it by 90 percent. The National Institute of Justice, the primary Justice Department research office, funded 32 gun-related studies from 1993 to 1999, but none from 2009 to 2012, according to Mayors Against Illegal Guns, (Raphelson).

There are many approaches to how gun control can be enforced in order to prevent mass shootings. APHA believes, “In order to prevent future gun violence, we need: better surveillance, more research, common-sense gun policies, expanded access to mental health services, resources for school and community-base, and gun safety technology,” (APHA). Congress has not took any dramatic steps towards gun control reform and the mental illness. And if their apathy towards gun control continues, then the annual amount of mass shootings may increase as it already is. U.S. citizens are more active on reforming gun laws and gun control in their own states rather than in Congress. They come together and form organizations like the Sandy Hook Promise, Everytown for Gun Safety, etc. These organizations help with decreasing gun violence: however, they don’t have the power to completely stop it like the government. To conclude, mass shootings in the United States are connected to mental health issues and the recent endeavors taken by the U.S. to prevent getting guns into the hands of the mentally ill by citizens are effective, nonetheless, the preventions taken by the government are not effective.

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Globalization: Anti-immigration Backlash in US and Europe

Modern developments such as technology, industrialization, globalized trade markets and social media have paved the way for cultural globalization. Online platforms like Twitter and Facebook create new outlets for individuals around the world to share news, trends, and ideas that proliferate waves of cultural integration and an increasingly inter-connected world. While cultural globalization enables change, growth, and communication between communities with different cultures, there has been a sharp rise in anti-immigration sentiment throughout the US and Europe in response to waves of cultural globalization. The US, France, and Germany in the last few years experienced growing trends of nationalism and anti-immigration backlash against foreign cultures and people, creating polarizing political ideologies and trends of xenophobia within these states. Economic dislocation and online nationalist movements have perpetuated fleeting rises in nationalist ideology that has permeated the political spheres of western nation-states. In this essay I will assess the rises of nationalism and xenophobia in the US and Europe, assess the connected patterns of economic dislocation contributing to anti-globalization trends, and discuss the effects of anti-cultural globalization movements on the political climates of the US, France, and Germany. Since 2016, the US remains poised on an international stage as a paramount example of trending nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment.

The election of US President Donald Trump, who’s 2016 presidential campaign centered around protectionist and “America First” rhetoric, sparked polarity and divisiveness throughout the country. President Trump’s campaign rhetoric, his legislative efforts to reduce immigration and international trade, and his comments criticizing Muslims and Mexicans gained international attention and traction, creating further speculation as to “whether his presidency could effectively move the country toward a period of ethno-nationalism”. Similar trends of nationalism have spread across Europe in response to a growing number of refugees entering Germany from the Middle East. “At the height of the migrant crisis, Mrs Merkel lifted border controls and almost a million people arrived in 2015, many of them Muslims from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan”. Following the death of a German man during a dispute between far-right protestors and counterprotesters, leaders of the Germany’s nationalist party, Alternative for Germany, called for additional protests and proliferating their xenophobic agenda.

The growing wave of nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment has increased following 2015, since Germany has experienced an influx of about 2 million asylum seekers. This moment of cultural globalization tells us that there will be both a widespread communication network of young people, social justice groups, and revolutionaries advocating for immigrants, refugees, and tolerance, but also an equally pivotal response from nationalist and anti-immigrant protestors pushing protectionism over globalized cultures and economies. Author John Tomlinson discusses the “power of identity” as the premise for anti-immigration backlashes in Europe and the US, and the importance of “recognizing the significant cultural sources of resistance” that perpetuate rising trends of nationalism and xenophobia. Rural communities in the US, southern states, and former factory workers in rustbelt cities largely supported Trump’s populist rhetoric and anti-trade policy, alongside messages of anti-immigrant sentiment and protectionism. These waves of anti-cultural globalization accelerate through nationalist groups with anti-immigrant agendas and fundamentalist nation-state ideologies are an inevitable consequence of social justice and pro-immigration movements, both online and in small communities throughout the US and Europe.

In addition to the election of US President Donald Trump, trends of nationalism across Europe have permeated recent political elections. BBC News reports that France’s nationalist party, “Front National”, won 13% of the vote, not long after the historical campaign of far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, and Germany’s “Alternative for Germany” party received 12.6% of the vote in their most recent elections, which is most likely the result of migrant-crises insinuating fears of cultural globalization and a loss of national identity. The backlash against immigrants, refugees, and trends of globalization stem from fears of jeopardizing national identity through foreign cultures and people, which is often perpetuated by economic dislocation. These examples of rising nationalism in the US and Europe symbolize a larger significance of how globalized technology, cultural integration, and social movements are side effects of globalization. Within the last decade, the growing contestation between alt-right nationalists and pro-refugee activists or social justice organizations perseveres as a consequence of cultural globalization, and these trends are significant because they could indicate political or societal shifts in the future.

Globalization remains a new and developing wave of change transcending around the world, and the effects of cultural globalization like clashing of ideologies or anti-immigrant sentiment are new issues that require a new playbook of solutions. Cultural globalization and its consequences reign as a fundamentally new and pressing challenge for global leaders, state actors, and individual communities regardless of cultural context. Philosopher Martha Nussbaum argues that the best way to combat xenophobia and polarization, particularly in an era in which all nations are experiencing greater religious diversity and pluralism, is by promoting tolerance. She argues that because toleration is always under siege from the forces of intolerance, and constant vigilance is required lest a powerful group impose its ways on an unwilling and relatively powerless minority, nation-state and protectionist ideologies will remain a fundamental threat to diplomacy and the benefits of cultural globalization without tolerance of foreign cultures and people. I find her argument compelling because the current state of cultural globalization is arguably irreversible. The extent to which millennials and both right-wing and left-wing political groups using online platforms to organize movements and share information cannot be undone. The development of the internet and social media outlines drastically accelerated waves of cultural globalization, in addition to the fuel from contestation and violence between refugees, immigrants, and anti-immigrant protestors.

The rising anti-immigrant sentiment throughout the US and Europe remains both a pressing international political issue and a pivotal moment in global history. Past developments of industrialization, technology and capitalism cannot be compared to the astronomical trends of cultural integration around the world, whether it be through online movements or recent campaigns of populist or nationalist candidates. Trends of xenophobia and nationalism as well as movements of humanitarian activism are an ongoing consequence of globalization, and these nuances reflect larger debates of cultural globalization and how more or less of integration will determine the future. The recent examples of anti-immigrant sentiment in the US and Europe are an entirely applicable embodiment of all elements of cultural globalization, personified through the isolated trends of nationalism and cultural tensions in individual states that morph into a larger global issue. As inevitable waves of globalization continue to sweep across the planet, concerns for peace, toleration, and coexistence remain an ongoing reality. For the sake of humanity, it is our responsibility as conscious and equal human beings to embrace tolerance and accept the varying cultures of other individuals and communities if we want to proliferate a prosperous and habitable shared future in our increasingly inter-connected and globalized world.

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United States against Immigration

Immigration is a hotbed of discussion in the United States of America. While some individuals feel the need for harsh laws against immigration, most personnel are empathetic about the entire situation. The latter stance emanates from the fact that most Americans are immigrants or are born of one or both parents being from a different country. The most impacted by the ever-growing migration into the state are the natives, guided by their misinformed ideas about the temporary or permanent visitors. The guest seems to accomplish more in both the public and the public sphere of the economy, both formal and informal. As a result, clear information about the value of the immigrants to the country could alter perspectives about their stay and involvement in making the economy better. For that matter, despite negative stereotypes about immigrants, their augmentation into the American soil has accelerated economic growth in the formal and informal sectors. Immigration is an ever-rising instance in America. According to Pew research trends, the doubled to 40 million from 20 million between 1990 and 2010 (1).

The increase in number is due to available opportunities that support people from other counties. Besides, the ease in the entrance into the country is because the United States is founded under immigrants from all over the world such as Europe, Africa, and the Asian continent, majorly. Therefore, a mixed population of the Americans is immigrants, with the Latino population covering the 14% of the Surname 2 immigrants (Bedard para 2). The trend explains the Trump policy that supports building a wall and Mexico paying for it. Historically, the pattern was the same as 15 percent of the nation’s population was foreign-born (Pew Research Center). Consequently, the uprising of America’s economy, policies, and constitutions have found its way into accommodating every individual and considering them as equal. However, the continuously increasing number of foreigners into the country leads to concerns among the Native Americans who are threatened by the reducing number of their population in addition to rampant interracial marriages. However, stereotypes about immigrants posit people as dangerous to the country.

Immigrants encompass the highest rate of unskilled labor. According to an article by Ian Goldin on “Immigration is Vital to Boost Economic Growth,” America has always relied on immigrants for cheap labor (para 1). Mexicans have been the highest victims due to their lack of education and a dire need for generating income to help their families. In the early eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the whites relied on the skills of the African Americans. Eric Forner, an author of Give Me Liberty, enlisted the inability of the southerners to let go of the African slaves because of their affordable services in their large cotton plantations (153). Consequently, the thriving of the American economy has always been in the hands of immigrants whom the dominant population misused. Goldin still records a current use of Mexicans in the agricultural firms seasonally depending on labor demand. Even more, there are existing programs that continue to propel the industry of unskilled workers. Although some argue that the immigrants compete with the Native Americans for jobs, the notion is untrue since there are more uneducated immigrants than the indigenous population. Therefore, there is little to Surname 3 no competition in the job market with regards to cheap personnel.

Thus, foreign people play a role in facilitation the local economy through high performance and consumption rate. The U.S current economic growth has a strong aligning to an entrepreneurial spirit of the immigrants. According to Pew Research Center most recent developments, the ever-growing economy of the country since 2011 is a result of migration. The migrants, who get a chance for education, attain high scores that set them up for top paying jobs or guide them into entrepreneurship. Goldin found out that “more than half of US “unicorns” (start-ups valued at more than $1bn) were founded by immigrants, as were 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies” (para 3). Portraying that, without the visitors' intrusion U.S economy would not boom as it is. A logical explanation entails the experience of hardship among the immigrants that push them into being aggressive. The harsh condition exposed to the groups also contributes to their efforts to become highly economic driven individuals. By creating new products, producing new creations and innovation, the immigrant’s entrepreneurial spirit continues growing. Griswold also pointed out the success of the minority groups in the STEM world by more than half of the technical gurus (4).

Without a doubt, the sustainability of the United States lies in the hands of the immigrants without which the country will lose its grip in the world economy. Two central myths about foreign occupants are that they are terrorist and cause a financial burden to taxpayers. Daniel Griswold wrote a publication on “The Benefits of Immigration: Addressing Key Myths “that blatantly highlighted and at the same time, disregarded the myths. First, he mentioned a 2015 major study about the role of the immigrant in tourist attacks that confirmed an indirect relationship between crime and immigration (4). Even further, the report showed that regions with a high population of immigrants had less criminal Surname 4 activities. Griswold only highlighted a single instance of foreign-based attack of 2011, September 11, who encompassed a visiting foreigner (4). Similarly, ideologies about the dependency of the immigrants towards the government were found to be untrue. By being from a different country, the white people assume that the individuals idle around expecting food supply and other assistance from the federal state. Griswold killed the notion by providing evidence about the contribution of the immigrants to economic growth through working as cheap laborers and being involved in highly skilled jobs (4).

The immigrants happen to pay more taxes to the government than the in-born personnel. Consider that “an immigrant with an advanced degree will pay a surplus of almost $1 million” (Griswold 4). By all means, immigrants are not a liability to the United States; instead, they act as economic stimulators. Conclusively, temporary and permanent foreigners benefit the country for good. The exotic personnel work for cheap money in the informal sector in huge numbers facilitating profit generation in the industries. Consider their input in the farming sectors during the harvesting season, enabling mass production of commercial foods. Similarly, people thrive in the technical field as well as in creativity and innovation. The Latinos or Americans in STEM fields or business have succeeded tremendously compared to the Native Americas. In that way, they have boosted the economy to higher heights. Instead of seeing immigrants as social and economic threats, the Americans can benefit from a positive outlook of the people for their factual contribution into an economically booming state. Indeed, the indigenous groups must dismantle demeaning thoughts about the immigrants and see them for what they indeed are. Besides, for two centuries or more, the U.S has been built on immigrants.

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Comparison of Race and Immigration

For several months now, mainstream media has been consistently carried the news of the progression of about 4,000 migrants mainly from Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala as they try to get into the United States. A good number has reached the Tijuana which is at the border with Mexico and an immigration battle is looming. The move has angered US President Donald Trump who tweeted earlier in April that the caravan “better be stopped before it gets there” (Romero, Ramos, & Silva). This essay compares the issues of race and immigration as mentioned in the film The House we Live in and the current immigration struggles by members of the immigrants caravan.

The House we Live in which is the title of episode 3 of the 3-part documentary titled Race- The Power of an Illusion states that race is not about one’s biological make up but it is a definition that resides in economics, politics and culture (RACE - THE POWER OF AN ILLUSION- Episode Three: The House We Live In). Essentially, all people are the same, but political leaders and decision-makers in various countries create differences between races to help them gain assert that people having certain physical traits such as hair color, skin color and other superficial traits are different from the rest who do not look like them. It is this creation or shaping of race that has led some countries to loot resources of other countries, acquire a false power over other groups and basically act in a discriminative manner.

The main factors pushing such large numbers of immigrants to seek asylum in the US is the upsurge in rate of gang related murders, youths being forced to join gangs, and hard economic times in countries such as Honduras. The film shows that race ought not to be the main factor causing divisions among people. It has been increasingly hard to define people by their race owing to the inability to define where people of varied mixed ancestry belong. For instance, in some states in the United States one would be considered black by having an eight of black ancestry, others a sixteenth and yet others considered one to be black by having any black ancestry.

There has been threat and stringent policies to curb immigration crisis in the US. They even have been labelled as criminal just as an excuse to deport them back to their native nations. There has been a proposal to build a Mexican wall to curb illegal immigration. Even with such a measure, the immigrants still will find ways in to US soils asserting rightly that being of a different race from white does not make one a criminal and that is not in anybody’s choice to be born bearing certain traits that put one into a race.

Those born on US soils by immigrant parents also face policies that seek to bar them from acquiring US nationality. Currently in the US, there is a policy that an immigrant has to prove to have been on US soils for at least twelve consecutive years in order to be considered for a US nationality application.

Nations surrounding US have been threatened by US that all forms of relief to them may be cut off if they continue to offer transit means to immigrants. Some of the nations also offer transportation, food, and even protection for the caravans. Some policies drafted against immigrants have been so discriminative to an extent of barring any planes from Arabic nations and from some African nations. All these issues are becoming complicated as people from different races continue to see themselves as one human race. As it stands, the arrival of the Latino Caravan at the US southern border is expected to test the definition of US immigration policies and to a good extent the meaning of race in the whole debate.

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Deportation of Immigrant Parents Affects

Many young immigrants have protested against the deportation of their families because they were born in the U.S with parents or guardians that weren’t. Deporting the parents of immigrants not only has an effect on the children, but the government, the economy, and the society of the world as well. What our current president is failing to understand is that deportation, in general, creates a byproduct that we have to live with. Deportation is a cruel way of giving someone a dream or goal and then deliberately placing obstacles in their way so they can not achieve that goal or dream. Parents of minors who are American citizens should not be deported because it’s traumatizing for the minors, a waste of the government’s money, and against their natural-born rights.

Immigration is the international movement of people who were born in a different country to another country which they are not native to. Most of the time, they leave their native land because of civil wars, freedom of religious belief, or to start a better life. Immigration started in the 1600s when Europeans, slaves, and the British started settling in the U.S. Fast forward to the late 1800s, because of the growth in industrialization, the second wave of immigrants hit the U.S. Between 1880 and 1920 more than 20 million nonnatives moved and settled in the U.S for work in factories. Ellis Island was the first immigration station located in New York. Between 1882 and 1954, about 12 million immigrants came through that station. 1907 was when U.S immigration peaks. Around WWI new restrictions were created such as the Immigration Act of 1924, which limited the number of immigrants allowed into the U.S yearly. Other restrictions were more direct such as US border control.

Fast forward to WW2, because of labor shortages, a program that allowed Mexicans to enter temporary just for work was created. To just skim through, The quota system of 1921 was a system that established the max number of people who could enter the U.S. from each country. This system stopped European and Japanese from entering into the U.S. Simpson-Manolo Act of 1986 was an attempt to control illegal immigration into the U.S. Introduced in 2001, the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) was a way Congress could track the legal status of immigrants who came to the U.S for education. It also provides a path to citizenship. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA administrative designed to protect eligible nonnative children from deportation but, it does not a path to citizenship. Present-day, Trump deports immigrants of all nationalities to “protect the nation” and build a wall. (History.com Editors, 2018) helped me develop my background.

Deportation weighs on the government’s finance. There are multiple steps in the process of deportation; costs of court time, lawyers, judges, and juries. There are also immediate costs such as the cost of ICE (U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the cost of large vehicles to move them. Because of this, there is a backlog of over 500,000 deportation cases and counting. Increased deportation will only escalate these costs. For example in “Why mass deportations are costly and hurt the economy” states, “Deportations have some immediate costs as well. These include the costs of hiring more U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to round up undocumented immigrants. They also create court costs. Court costs are large: paying for judges and lawyers is expensive. There is currently a backlog of over 500,000 deportation cases already, which on average have been open for over 600 days.

Increased deportations will only amplify these costs. And then there is the opportunity cost of not being able to put those resources to another use...”(Koerner, 2019) Deportation is a waste of the government’s money. This money could easily go to natural resources for schools. I personally feel that the president has his priorities all wrong. Trump is working so hard to push out stereotypes of immigrants. He is separating children from their families and thinks that it is a great achievement. According to “For Thousands of Immigrant Children, Separation Was Just the Beginning” it reveals, “News last week revealed that the Trump administration detained nearly 70,000 children in immigration custody in the past year, surpassing all other countries in the world and reaching unprecedented levels for the United States.” (Rocketto, 2019) The tyrant, and his loyal kingsmen show no remorse or guilt for their actions. Trump is proud of the number of immigrant children he has detained and it terrifying.

Immigrants come to the U.S for a better life and with that comes bills. Backed up bills create debt. When they are found and taken, that debt they have developed can not be fulfilled. This generates issues for lenders’ programs and their financial system. To back this up, in “Why mass deportations are costly and hurt the economy” it comes out with, “To start with undocumented immigrants are able to amass debt in the U.S., and being deported makes it less likely they’ll honor it. This imposes risks on the financial system and on lenders in particular.” (Humphery-Jenner, 2019) What’s the point of deporting immigrants with debt? Immigrants come to the U.S with children or births in the U.S that they have to take care of, but when the parents are deported, the children are left to be taken care of by the government, which creates cost. This source also states, “As these children are not financially independent, deporting their parents can lead to childcare costs and other indirect costs that will be borne over time. These stem from the impact of separating families. A stable family environment leads to better educational and career outcomes while helping to reduce criminality. Separating them clearly jeopardizes these positive outcomes. It also risks increasing poverty, which, in turn, could worsen educational outcomes. This reduces future tax revenue and increases future welfare expenditure.”(Humphery-Jenner, 2019) Deporting parents has created many lawsuits against the government. Now the government has to pay for lawyers, judges, and court time. Deportation is costly and tired. It’s an unhuman way of ripping families apart. Families who wanted a great life in America.

Deporting the parents of the minors traumatizes them and changes the events of their future. Detention camps are a perfect example of this. These detention centers take the time to separate families from each other, cage them, and not feed the immigrants. It’s dehumanizing. Immigrants have rights too, they are human. This is better described in “Kids Describe In Their Own Words The Dire Conditions Inside A Border Detention Center” It states, “Immigrant children and teens held in US detention centers along the southern border described being cold and hungry while crowded into cages with little or no access to showers, clean clothes, or even a place to sleep. Some recounted how they had been separated from parents or grandparents. Teen mothers said they struggled to keep their babies clean and warm. Some young children had no one to care for them except for other child detainees.”(Koerner, 2019) Immigrant children are being traumatized because of the government’s actions. A child separated from their parents because of their illegal status is associated with poverty. It is said that without a good role model the children will resolve to violence and criminal activity and will not have a promising future.

It is hard to live with the consequences that their parents are suffering as much emotional and physical pain as them. These events will affect the child as he/she grows up. These events are so damaging to the child that it could physically affect the person as well. Not even the current president is doing anything about this situation. Trump is proud of the fact that he is treating children in the most inhumane way. In my opinion, he treats immigrants worse than animals. All because of the fact that they are not US citizens. To back this up, in “For Thousands of Immigrant Children, Separation Was Just the Beginning” it states, “In immigration detention centers across the country, the Trump administration continues to warehouse migrant children and families in de facto internment camps under inhumane living conditions. With Trump's blessing, children are being locked up in cages without adequate food or water. Many are going without bathing, clean changes of clothes or other basic sanitary needs, like toothbrushes.” (Rocketto, 2019) Children are going through hell because of the president that is supposed to be helping and caring for them. They are being held in such inhumane conditions with Trump’s blessing, meaning that he is allowing this. Children, innocent babies are being treated worse than animals. If the current president is capable of doing this, he is definitely capable of doing much worse things.

Most of the detention centers do not follow the three critical categories of legal protection that are necessary when providing shelter to immigrants. One can say that the major of the detention center and its employees are breaking the law. There are many interviews that basically state that no one category is being followed. According to “Rights of Children in the Immigration Process” it states, “This memorandum summarizes three critical categories of legal protections that must be provided to immigrant children, whether they are traveling alone or accompanied by a parent or guardian, who are apprehended by the government and placed in immigration detention:

access to relief in full and fair immigration proceedings;
detention in the least restrictive and most humane settings possible; and
legal representation in their immigration proceedings.” (Newell, 2014)

Based on what my sources say, not many detention centers follow these three key principles and not following them lead to harsh, vulnerable, and fatal conditions for immigrants. The children are being snatched away from the detention camps. They treat the children so poorly, keep them in such an unsanitary and exposed place that the children vulnerable to other monsters, people that are in the black market. The CBP (Customs and Border Protection) is basically giving away personal information on who to grab and sell as it is stated in this source, “Troublingly, advocates have reported that CBP is failing to fulfill its statutory mandates to screen unaccompanied Mexican children and that they are still vulnerable to persecution, trafficking, and abuse. Among the reported problems are CBP’s lack of child welfare expertise, its inadequate training and screening forms, and its failure to interview children in a manner or in environments likely to elicit information that would indicate whether the minor is a potential victim of trafficking or abuse and whether the child can and does voluntarily agree to return to Mexico.”(Newell, 2014) It must be so scary to live in such a vulnerable and unstable environment.

Immigrants come to America looking to find the “American Dream”. Instead they get more heartache, separation from their loved ones, and the cruel reality of the way the government works, through deportation. The children of immigrants have as much as a purpose as any other child in the U.S but the government doesn’t see them in that way. They see children and parents as hoodlums. The government takes parents away from children, creating many mental issues for both parties. Parents of minors who are American citizens should not be deported because it’s traumatizing for the minors, a waste of the government’s money, and against their natural-born rights.

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Defamation and Freedom of Speech

As Americans, we are known for valuing the importance of freedom of speech. We also know that our reputations are important too, fortunately when others are damaging to our reputation with speech, we are protected from such speech and can sue under the tort of defamation of character. Defamation of character is known as a false statement that causes damage to another’s reputation. In a lawsuit of defamation, the plaintiff must prove two things: that the defendant made a false, damaging statement about the plaintiff, and that the statement was published (accidentally or intentionally) to a third party audience (Cheeseman, 98). It can sometimes be difficult to prove defamation in court, especially when it occurs in an oral statement, which is known as slander. However, sometimes it can be easier to prove when the plaintiff has written the words down, this is known as libel (Cheeseman, 98).

An example of libel is seen in a recent lawsuit against Elon Musk. Musk is being sued by a Thai cave diver, Vernon Unsworth, for defamation of character. Months before this lawsuit was filed, Elon Musk published a tweet alluding to that fact that Unsworth was a “pedo guy” (Maidenberg, 2018). On top of this tweet, Unsworth is also claiming that Musk sent several emails to Buzzfeed which claimed again that Vernon Unsworth was invovled in perdophilic actions, and that he was banned from the cave rescue site. Unswoth said that none of these claims are true, and he will be seeking damages of $75,000 and requested an injunction to stop Elon Musk from publishing more false claims about Unsworth’s reputation (Maidenberg, 2018).

A different defamation case involved the parents of a deceased child from the Sandy Hook school shooting and an InfoWars reporter, Alex Jones. Veronique De La Rosa and Leonard Pozner, who are parents of a 6 year old student who died in the shooting, are suing Alex Jones for defamation of character. Jones is known for his conspiracy theories in relation to the Sandy Hook shooting. He claimed that the shooting was a staged event, and that all of the parents involved are actors looking for a big payday. Most recently, in August, Jones asked that the case be dismissed. However, the Texas judge overseeing the case ruled against Jones and said that the parents had grounds to sue. De La Rosa and Pozner said they will continue to seek a $1 million lawsuit on defamation of character against Alex Jones (Williamson, 2018).

In another case, The University of Virginia’s dean, Nicole Eramo, won her defamation lawsuit against The Rolling Stone magazine. The Rolling Stone published a story that detailed the sexual assault of a woman who claimed to have been gang raped by several fraternity men on the University of Virginia’s campus. The Rolling Stone article also implied that Ms. Eramo was negligent in her dealing with the report of the rape. After the article was published, many organizations spoke out, saying that the journalism was flawed and that the Rolling Stone had not taken the proper steps to verify the story before publishing it (Ingram, 2016). Eramo and the University of Virginia sued The Rolling Stone and the author of the article, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, for $7.5 million dollars. In a defamation lawsuit involving a person who is a public figure, the plaintiff must prove to the jury that The Rolling Stone had actual intention to cause harm. The trial concluded when the jury found The Rolling Stone and Erdely guilty for defamation (Ingram, 2016).

A recent and largely discussed case involves both Stormy Daniels and President Donald Trump. Daniels had been suing President Trump for defamation of character, claiming that he had tweeted false claims about her that had caused damage to her reputation. The federal judge ruling over the case, dismissed the case, saying that President Trump’s tweet was not meant to be taken seriously and that his rhetoric in the tweet is commonly used as an exaggeration in American politics. Daniels and her attorney, Michael Avenatti, said that they plan to appeal the judge’s decision and will continue to pursue other charges against the President (Guzior 2018).

Cura Cannabis Solution, based in Portland, Oregon, filed a defamation lawsuit in June of 2018 against defendants who have yet to be identified. According to Cura, the defendants anonymously posted false claims about its founder, Nitin Khanna. Some of the claims include allegations of sexual assault and rape. Cura has said that none of these claims are true and that they have significantly damaged the reputation of the company. Cura Cannabis Solution has yet to identify any of the anonymous defendants indicted in the case. The court ruled (had said) on August 20th, that the plaintiff had 28 days to identify the defends. As of October 1st, the company had not made any progress on this request. Cura Cannabis Solution has said it will continue to look for the defendants and pursue the $10 million lawsuit (Danko, 2018).

Dr. Jeffery Feiner filed a lawsuit against his former employer, Orlando Health, for $100 million. Feiner claimed that he was defamed by the organization after he was fired. Feiner (said that he) believes he was fired because he reported an “unethical and illegal” partnership the company had with a pharmaceutical organization (Lynch, 2018, para 2). He claimed that after his termination, Orlando Health had spread word that he had been “throwing knives at patients and threatening to kill someone” (Lynch, 2018, para 4). While Orlando Health stood by its statement that Feiner had many behavioral issues while working for the company, Feiner claimed that he always had a healthy relationship with patients and that these allegations are damaging his reputation as a practicing physician. The case has not received a court date yet. (Lynch, 2018).

Beef Products Inc. settled its lawsuit against the TV network, ABC. BPI filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC, and claimed up to $1.9 billion in damages. The claim was that its company had suffered significant damage after ABC continually referred to its products as “pink slime” in its news reporting. ABC argued that “pink slime” is a concept that had been created before it reported it on its network, and that the company was suffering from the term before ABC started using the concept. BPI disagreed and reported that it has been forced to shut down three of its four major processing factories and consequently has lost nearly 80% of previously expected revenue due to the reporting from ABC. Although ABC has settled the case with BPI, management of the network says that they do not apologize and that they stand by their reporting (Reuters, 2017).

Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against the New York Times has been dismissed by the federal judge. The former Governor of Alaska accused the NYT of publishing an editorial that had false allegations in it about her involvement in a shooting that took place in Arizona in 2017. Palin claimed that the NYT knew that the allegations were not substantiated and that her reputation had been damaged because of it. Palin’s lawyers argued that the Times had published other articles and had access to the facts that proved that she was not connected to the shooting. The federal judge dismissed the case because he did not feel that Palin had succeeded to prove that there was “actual malice” in the published article (Ember, 2017)

Mark Brnovich, the attorney general in Arizona, filed a lawsuit against a group that supports a new proposition on the ballot this year. The group is called Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona. Brnovich claimed that the group is targeting him in its ads that support proposition 127. If the proposition passes, it will force public companies to ensure that 50% of the power is attained by using renewable energy. Brnovich says that the content of the ads produced by Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona is not true. In the ads, the company claimed that Brnovich added wording to the proposition on the ballot because of donations from companies who do not support the proposition. Brnovich said that these ads damaged his reputation as the attorney general (O’Grady, 2018).

Another case of defamation involved the former senate candidate from Alabama, Roy Moore. Roy Moore ran for a special election senate seat last year but was upset by a democrat, Doug Jones. The upset was particularly shocking because Alabama had not elected a democrat senator in nearly 25 years. Roy moore filed a lawsuit against Sacha Baron Cohen, who he says defamed him during an episode of his show, Who is America?. During the episode Cohen did a bit where he duped Moore to be a pedophine, alluding to the many allegations during his senate race. During the race, several young women came forward to say that Moore had made sexual advances towards them when they were only teenagers while Moore was well into his thirties. Moore stood by his statement that these allegations are false and that Cohen’s display in the episode has further defamed him. As a public figure, Moore will have to prove that Cohen had ‘actual malice’ in order to win this lawsuit (Deb, 2108).

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Essay on Freedom of Speech and Social Media Censorship

“The ever-greater interconnectedness of people around the world- the very spirit of globalization, can be seen in the growth of international migration, tourism, education, and in increased traffic on telephone exchanges, satellite television and radio, and of course the internet”. (Bhargava, 2006). In the recent years, social media has grown into a mainstay in society across the world, in which people around the world have flooded to sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to connect with one another with ease. With the accessibility that these sites provide their users, social media has become the center point of interactions amongst groups of people and organizations to freely express their viewpoints with uncontrolled ease, which in some instances has allowed the spread of hate speech and terrorism. In the United States these viewpoints are guaranteed to a certain extent under the Constitution and laws that allows free speech through the first amendment. However, in other countries where free speech is not a right that is granted to everyone, regimes in various countries have used censorship to limit the ability of groups and their citizens to voice their opinions and views, especially when those views don’t align with those of the regime. Censorship is defined by The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) describes censorship as “the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are 'offensive,' happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others”. (“What is Censorship”, 2019).

Although social media has demonstrated itself to be helpful by entertaining and informing its viewers, it also has its downfalls by allowing bad influences and fake news to cloud the judgment of its audience. Social media sites need to be censored and controlled through international law in order to control hateful, judgmental, one-sided views, and from creating negative conflicts amongst the viewers, while still allowing the ability of its users to freely express themselves. The question is who will oversee and set the limitations of this censorship on these sites

Social media sites control today’s information environment which is were more people around the world get their news and are able to form their opinions on events, and that number is growing as internet accessibility grows around the world. With this accessibility some governments have taken have taking advantage of social media’s power by pressuring them to further national security interests to helping fight forms of terrorism through censorship. Even with government censorship social media site owners have typically reserved the right to determine what content they will allow on their sites, and they do not consider their policies to constitute censorship because the users agree to these acts by accepting the user agreement when they sign up. It is critical to develop a policy regarding censorship of social media sites, while being able to provide its users specific guidelines on what is allowed and what is not posted. If there are laws and regulations in place which give specific notice about what can or cannot be posted then governments and site owners are being proactive and will not engage in censorship of violate free speech.

Not only has social media been censored by certain countries such as Syria, Turkey, and Iran to prevent the spreading information about current events happening locally, but the owners of these sites have put restrictions on various organizations from being able to post their content because their views are considered fake news or hateful by some. When censorship is implemented in any form, it is one’s freedom that is questioned. “So, when applied to the context of social media, it is the right to freedom of speech and expression that is under threat, though the extent of this threat is debatable”. (Govindarajan & Ravinar, 2016). Social media has given platforms for online users to not only freely communicate instantly across an international audience but also the ability to influence others towards their views. Accordingly, it is anticipated that the free flow of information through the social media sites would enhance the exercise of freedoms such as freedom of speech, access to information, communication, as well as the right to assembly. While it is apparent that positive impacts of social media sites outweigh negative impacts, certain governments uphold that the negative impacts should not be ignored due to the possibilities of threats towards the public, political situations, possible human rights violations.

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Analysis of the Speeches of Legendary Figures

Most of the greatest speech that is given often comes out of great leaders when there is a national crisis or there is a hot topic in society that needs immediate attention. Giving a speech is not easy as it seems and requires a lot of courage from within. One would also need to be experienced and excellent at delivering speeches to a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people. During the late 20th century, giving a speech while being from a minority group required a lot of courage to even stand up and voice out one’s opinion.

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the many great leaders during that time. He was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up in deep south, he had experienced the racial injustice in the US towards African- Americans since he was little. The speech “I Have A Dream” was given on August 28, 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (Biography). After he gave his, “I have a dream speech” he was considered to be amongst the best leaders in history. Even today people still talk about the significance of his speech and that just shows how much it influenced the decisions made during the Civil Rights Movement.

Nelson Mandela born on July 8, 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa. He had a rough childhood. His dad died when he was only 12 years old. He got expelled while trying to complete his BA for joining a student protest. Nelson Mandela was an excellent speaker who really caught the attention of his audience once he stood up on the podium to give a speech (Biography). His “Address in Cape Town” is also considered one of the greatest speech given alongside King’s speech. He gave this speech after his release from prison to the people of South Africa who stood up and was still fighting to do away with apartheid. These two speeches played crucial roles in helping both of their groups fight against discrimination and getting their voice heard. `

Martin Luther King Jr. makes excellent use of ethos throughout his speech. When King opens ups up in his second paragraph stating, “Five score years ago… Emancipation Proclamation.” It showed that many people looked up to Abraham Lincoln like he did and saw him as a role model. He did this to show that he grew up following someone who was diligent and supported the cause African-Americans were fighting for. One other example where he used ethos was when he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”(King). He is connecting to his audience not only as a person of the same color of skin but also as a father who wishes his children will have a better future as a result of the Civil Right Movement. He used ethos to connect with his audience well and give them some sense of hope that good things will come.

Nelson Mandela makes excellent use of ethos to connect with his audience through his speech. He opens up greeting his audience with respect and at the same time addresses what was missing from the society. He said,“Friends, comrades, and fellow South Africans. I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy, and freedom for all”(Mandela). During the time he gave his speech, South Africa was not a peaceful state nor was there any proper form of democracy within. The people had little freedom as to what the could do. Mandela knowing these things addressed his people in that way to assure them that everything was going to workout, and they should continue to fight. In one part of his speech he says,“I am convinced that your pain… greater than mine”(Mandela). What he meant by this was that the native of South Africa suffered from the apartheid and went through a great deal of suffering than he did when he was in prison. He showed his sympathy for his people who went through the trouble of trying to get rid of apartheid.

Logos in speeches makes it more reliable and believable in some way. King had a couple of logos in his speech so his audience knew what was happening around them. He said, “Five score years ago… Negro still is not free”(King). He is taking the crowd back and reminding how they all hoped slavery would come to an end after the war, but here they are still fighting for their freedom. Another example of logos in his speech is when he says, “When the architects of our republic… “Unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty, and Happiness”. This particular use of logos in King’s speech shows his people of how a fact from the constitution has not taken effect to all African Americans in the United States.

Mandela too had a few logos in his speech to get his people behind him and fight for freedom. Towards the middle of his speech he says, “On the question… national conference”(Mandela). He is reasonable here by saying that it is his duty to point out that a leader should be chosen by the people of the country and by nobody else. Later on he states, “Negotiations cannot take place… a non racial basis”(Mandela). Here he tries to emphasize on how important it is for the people to elect their representative. Someone who is not elected by the people would not understand any of the people’s problems and hence negotiations are of no use if it does not favor the people of the country. During that time in history, South Africans did not have anyone in the government to represent them and have their voices heard. By saying what he said it made the people more willing to fight till the end so that their voice was heard and things would change for good.

King used pathos to make a huge impact on his audience by making them feel determined, empowered and grateful towards the end. In the beginning of his speech he states, “Now is the time… God’s children”(King). He uses imagery to allow his audience to visualize there is a solution and also an end to the problem they were facing. He is making them feel empowered by telling them that everything will change and “Now is the time”. He later on goes on to say, “There will be neither rest nor tranquility… justice emerges”(King). He emphasizes on all the people to work hard to towards the common goal and perfectly conveys pathos since it will make them feel determined to work for their freedom that was not given to them. At the end of speech he says, “The marvelous new militancy… We cannot walk alone”(King). He did this to reassure them about all the people who were fighting for the African American rights and were not people of color and to show their appreciation towards them.

Mandela made great use of pathos of get to the people's emotions and make them determined to fight for their own respective rights as citizens of South Africa. During the first half of his speech, he says, “The memory of great communists… for generation to come”(Mandela). He was making an appeal to the people in the crowd that day, reminding them about the sacrifices of those threes great people and their contribution towards their fight to do away with apartheid. Towards the end of his first half of speech he states, “Even during the darkest… the flag of liberty high”(Mandela). He did this to thank his supporters and his followers for going through all the hardships in order to fight for their liberty and justice.

King and Mandela are both, without a doubt, considered one of the greatest leaders of all time. They not only had ability to give out a speech in front of thousands of people but also gave speeches full of mixed emotions and kept the audience engaged at all times. They both had a common goal, that was to get rid of racial injustices and their voices to be heard and finally get their freedom(Straziuso). King was able to fully make use of rhetorical analysis in his speech and use it to his full advantage in order to keep his audience engaged and make them understand about the problems. He also brought up the issues in society so that the people knew more about what was going on around them (Manfredonia). Even though Mandela’s speech was good, it was not as convincing or otherwise powerful as compared to King’s speech. There are not a lot of things to contrast between these two speeches as both were great and each played and important role in their respective fight for freedom.

A well-written speech will always include persuasive techniques and rhetorical devices. Both King and Mandela uses ethos, logos, and pathos in order to gain their audience’s trust and attention. Although both speakers use these techniques effectively, King’s use of these rhetorical devices proves to be more effective than Mandela’s. Both speakers, however, are successful in achieving their objectives and delivering a powerful message to their respective audiences.

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Physical Activity and Technology and their Roles in Childhood Development

Contents

Abstract:
Introduction:

Abstract:

It is no question that physical activity is important at every life-stage, but it is vital for children. In one meta-analysis, the authors found that physical activity, whether it be acute (short term) or longitudinal (long term) had positive effects on executive functions, academic performance, and attention.1 Children who do not regularly receive physical activity could be hindered in numerous ways compared to their peers who exercise regularly. For instance, two studies explained that children who do not regularly participate in physical activity have a higher chance of obesity2,3 (both in their childhood and adulthood). Inadequate physical activity is also associated with heart disease4 and other health problems. Insufficient physical activity was associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, poor blood lipid levels, increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, and increased risk of becoming overweight or obese.4

It has been well established that physical activity will improve children’s overall health and decrease the risk of numerous preventable diseases. What many people forget is the role technology and screens have on our lives. Technology has given us the ability to connect with people around the world in a matter of seconds, however, it may be doing more harm than good for our health. Children nowadays can often operate their parents’ cell phones or iPads by the age of two, if not younger. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the effects technology has on our children’s physical and mental health, and to determine what protocols should be in place for schools, daycares, and after-school programs. Technology and physical activity usually do not go hand-in-hand, however, with the right protocols, less technology (screen time) might give more time for children to participate in physical activity, thus increasing their quality of life.

Introduction:

Research on the role of technology on our children’s health and physical activity levels is just starting to come out. We know there is a clear positive connection between physical activity and childhood development, ranging from improved memory, attention, academic performances and overall health.1 Physical activity is not only associated with improved school performance, as noted above, but it is also highly related to decreased health problems down the road. One study found that increased physical activity was associated with improved cardiovascular health, lower chances of developing metabolic syndrome, lower risk of becoming overweight or obese, and improved blood lipid levels.2, 3, 4 With all the positive effects that physical activity has on our health, why are one third of school aged children obese?5 Obesity is a complex problem around the world. There is simply not one stand-alone problem that results in the disease. One must consider the role of genetics, socioeconomic status, climate, physical activity levels, neighborhoods, and technology/screen time. The list could go on, but for this literature review, we will be focusing on the role of technology and screen time has on our children’s health and physical activity levels.

What we are now finding is that screen time and technology are having detrimental effects on our children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, increase screen time (sedentary behaviors) is associated with increased obesity risk, increased aggressive behaviors towards peers, and poor school performance.6 The current guidelines for physical activity for children ages 6 - 17 years include: 1 hour or more of accumulated physical activity per day; this 1 hour of activity should be comprised mostly of moderate or vigorous intensity aerobic activity with vigorous intensity activities being included at least 3 days a week; and muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities should also be included on at least 3 days week.7 The current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics for screen time are as follows: limit pediatric screen time from all media sources (television, video games, computer, etc.) to ?2 hours per day for children ?2 years old and no media exposure for children Literature Review:

There have been studies showing the harms of too little physical activity, and too much screen time (from televisions, iPads, cell phones, video games, etc.) One study wanted to determine what the relationship between physical activity and screen time had on health-related quality of life on children from a rural, agricultural area of the Delta Region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The study hypothesized that higher physical activity levels and lower screen time exposure would increase the children’s’ health related quality of life.8 Researchers received their data from random phone interviews of 36 different counties of the Delta Region. Phone interviews consisted of a 24-hour diet recall, self-report screen time, self-reported physical activity levels, and questions from the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Questionnaire. Researchers found physically active children had significantly better health related quality of life compared to their physically inactive peers with higher mean total score on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Questionnaire (84.3 vs 80.8; p < 0.05). Interestingly enough, the study examined the relationship between screen time and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Questionnaire scores and found no significant difference between high and low screen time groups.8 Again, we find the benefits of physical activity, but don’t have a correlation between screen time and overall quality of life in this study. The authors of the study did report that one flaw in their questionnaire about screen time could have affected the results of the study. When the participants of the study were asked about screen time, they were simply asking about the previous day’s screen time (not a “normal” day). The authors feel if they had asked about the “normal day’s” screen time they would have gotten different results.

In another study, researchers from Canada wanted to examine the relationship early childhood screen time had on fourth grade academic, psychosocial, and lifestyle characteristics. This was a prospective longitudinal research study and looked at data from more than 2000 participants. The study found that average television exposure at 29 months was 6.17 hours for the entire week and rose to 8.05 hours per week by 53 months. These quantities are within current recommendations of not more than 2 hours per day beyond 2 years of age. Nevertheless, 11% of the children at 29 months and 23.4% of the children at 53 months viewed more than 2 hours of television daily.9 With these results in mind, the authors found that with more than 2 hours of screen time viewed per day, children at fourth grade had lower attention spans compared to their peers. The researchers also found that with increased television viewing came decreased math scores. Reading scores had no association between amount of screen time per day, and this result surprised the researchers. According to the teachers of this study, higher levels of early childhood television exposure was associated with greater chances of peer rejection experiences such as being teased, assaulted, or insulted by other students. The authors found that with higher levels of screen time came higher levels of sedentary behaviors. Lastly, researchers found that with higher levels of screen time came higher BMIs, higher consumption of sweets and soda, and lower consumption of fruits and vegetables.9 What we can take away from this study, is that increased screen time at an early age (preschool and younger) can have lasting effects on academic performance, social interactions, BMI, and overall health of the child.

Another study examined the amount of screen time children viewed and whether their parents set time limits on non-school related screen time. Researchers of this study examined data from over 7000 participants and ran logistic linear regression analysis to determine the chances of children having more than two hours of screen time per day. The researchers found that children whose parents reported consistent limits and who themselves reported consistent rules about time spent watching television or playing on an iPad or video games had the lowest prevalence of exceeding the recommended limits (of two hours per day). Data suggested that the odds of children exceeding recommended limits decreased as physical activity in the previous week increased.10 Meaning, children of parents who limited screen time did not exceed the recommend two hours or fewer of screen time per day. At the same time, the less screen time the child had, the more physical activity they participated in.

Data from Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 1999 was examined to determine if there was a relationship with TV viewing, physical activity levels, and weight in United States youths age 14-18. Researchers looked at data from more than 15,000 people and found that 45% reported participating in moderate physical activity ?3 days/week, 65% reported participating in vigorous physical activity ?3 days/week, and 25% reported watching TV ?4 hours/school day. Researchers found that the mean BMI varied significantly between the highest levels of physical activity and the lowest levels of physical activity. The study found that boys and girls were ?20%-25% less likely to be classified as overweight if they reported 2 to 3 hours of TV per day. They also found that teens were ?40% less likely to be classified as overweight if they reported ?1 hour of TV per day compared with those who watched ?4 hours of TV.11 Basically, those who participated in more physical activity-whether that be moderate or vigorous, were less likely to be overweight or obese and less likely to watch more than two hours per day of television. The more television teens watched, the higher chances of them being overweight or obese. This is another study that reveals the relationship between physical activity and screen time and what it can do to our health.

In another study taking place in Australia, researchers examined the relationship of family television watching and physical activity levels. Families were recruited and children and parents each filled out a questionnaire, and children wore an accelerometer for eight days (this give researchers an idea of how active the children were. Data was received from more than 800 children and their families and was examined for differing patterns of television watching and physical activity behaviors. Researchers found that the average time children spent watching TV was 130.7 (±68.9) minutes per day. They found 61% of boys and 57% of girls watched 2 or more hours of TV per day. They also found that mothers’ and fathers’ TV viewing was positively associated with their child's TV viewing. The study revealed boys who enjoyed playing video games and who were limited for the TV viewing were significantly more likely to be low-active.12 Interestingly, the study found that boys moved significantly more than girls (using data from the accelerometer). This is yet another study showing the significance of watching greater than two hours or more of television and what it can do to children’s physical activity levels.

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Combating American Obesity, What’s the Correct Way

Are money-hungry corporate execs the people ruining the American diet, or is it Americans themselves? On the West Coast, you can find a wide range of the so-called perfect diet, and all of them seem to have the same enemy, fast-food. While I agree the current American diet needs to be changed, ostracizing some of the biggest food suppliers is not the way to go about it. Changing people’s diets is best done through the means of which they already get their food. A step in the right direction of solving the obesity crisis in the US is by first finding what needs to be cut out.

Many advocates for “healthier” diets say that the processed foods pushed by multinational fast food corporations are the problem with the American diet (Freedman 140). But, as David Freedman says throughout his piece called “How Junk Food Can End Obesity”, many of the trouble causing fats,sugars, and carbs can be found in “healthy alternatives”. When it comes down to it, I think these new-age diets do the exact same thing that fast-food does. Through deceptive advertising they pull customers into eating or doing what they think is right. It’s no wonder these “wholesome” restaurants find success in the places they do. Most business in this vain thrive in affluent circles (Freedman 146), where things like providing for a family on a tight budget aren’t the first worries. The people of these circles fill their minds with other things, such as the health of their bodies. These companies exploit who they can, much in the same way fast-food does.

I can agree with the motives of these health conscious people. Wanting to improve one's health and well-being are the first steps in actually doing so. But their thinking is severely misguided. Everyone can agree that McDonald’s French Fries aren’t a superfood, but turning around a saying that home-made potato chips containing nearly the same nutritional facts are good for health is only contributing to the problem (in a similar example, a powerful health speaker told an audience that potato chips are fine, because you can identify which vegetable it came from, but Cheetos are bad because what animal or vegetable is a Cheeto? (Freedman 145).

One problem with the current movement towards “cleaner” foods is the fact that upcoming technology is often ostracized. Genetically modified foods, often called GMO’s, have been made out as the devil’s fruit by the leaders of these groups. GMO foods can do something that the organic revolution could never. GMO’s may actually be able to drive down the cost of healthy fruits and vegetables to actually affordable levels in poor communities. These affluent circles aren’t even the ones who face the highest obesity rates. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the poor states of the South also have the highest obesity rates in the country (Ogden et al.). By reducing the cost to grow fruits, vegetables, and other nutritionally rich foods the cost of buying them is directly driven down as well. But much like other solutions that don’t align with the consensus of modern health groups, GMOs are seen as unhealthy and possibly dangerous. Science has proven that GMOs are safe to eat (Kuiper, Davies). Personally, I would compare the hate of GMOs to the hate of vaccines in other circles. Although the people in both circles don’t completely overlap the thoughts behind them seem to. Vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective time and time again, yet a small group of people see them as awful (with no real backing might I add). Groups against GMOs are the same in my mind. GMOs are proven to be safe and are a viable strategy towards reducing obesity in America, yet a minority of people feel that they only cause harm.

Another step in the process of reducing American obesity is changing fast food menus. Much like GMO’s, many of the current health influencers wish for the complete elimination of fast food companies. One problem with this thought is that it just isn’t realistic. In the US alone, the quick service restaurant industry (a.k.a fast food), made an estimated 256 billion dollars in revenue (Lock). The other problem with making fast food the scapegoat for American obesity is that it ignores a source of help towards combating the problem of obesity in this country. I think fast-food companies can play a major role in the change of the daily nutrients people intake. Habits are complex and very hard to change. Health influencers nag at their “students” to stop eating fast food, but habits are complex and very hard to change.

Tweaking menus toward improving the nutrients in foods would take the pressure off of the obese and puts onto to companies. A common complaint about this idea is that fast food companies are built to be addictive and using unhealthy ingredients are what makes them so effective. Basically, fast food companies have no incentive to work towards improving American’s health. I would argue that these companies have a few very valid reasons for improving their customers health. For one, these groups do influence some people to stop eating at these establishments. Obviously, this is bad not only for profit but also for public relations. Another, less obvious reason is that customers who are healthy live longer (Kitahara CM, et al). The supposed draw back of a healthier menu is reduced quality of taste. But, quite a few fast food restaurants are already making moves towards improving the quality of food on their menu. Take McDonalds for example, subtly they have been reducing salt in some items and adding healthier options (McWraps for example) (Freedman 148). An excellent point made by Freedman is that the advertising is actually the most important part towards the choices people make, not taste.

Almost everyone can agree that America has a problem. Some say that the problem is the commercialization of processed goods throughout the country. But this answer doesn’t hit the actual problem that is plaguing Americans. The contents (a.k.a nutritional values) of our foods, whether they be processed or not, is the problem. My strategy of tweaking habits rather than changing them would not only better impact everyone, but it helps those who especially need it, the poor communities with no other options.

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Combating American Obesity, What’s the Correct Way. (2022, Feb 09). Retrieved November 2, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2022/02/

Stricter Laws are Needed for Online Harassment and Bullying

Online harassment and bullying are at an all-time high with devastating results. More and more people are being victimized by online bullies without fear of punishment because bullies don't fear punishment and are protected under the First Amendment of the constitution. For the victims being bullied and harassed there should be justice. People are bullied and harassed for many reasons. It could be for the way they look, what religion they may be or what sexual preference they may have. There are no federal laws to protect victims from cyberbullying or harassment only for online stalking. There are only individual state laws for online bullying and harassment at this time. Criminal intent has to be proven in some cases to prosecute. Sometimes that is harder to prove when the internet is the tool being used because things can be deleted.

What is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is any kind of harassment toward a person using the internet. (Patchin and Hinduja). Cyberbullying affects our children more than any other group of people. Statics show six percent of middle school and high school students have encountered cyberbullying. (Bradshaw, C.P., Sawyer, A.L., & O’Brennan, L.M.) Sixteen percent of high school age children have been bullied just this past year. (National Center for Education Statistics).According to Charisse l Nixon, with The Nat'l Crime Prevention Council 'Being bullied is also associated with not doing well in school, self-esteem issues, not being able to make friends, feeling of loneliness and higher use of drugs and alcohol .' Cyberbullying victims are more likely to commit suicide. (Jennifer Sinco Kelleher).

Here is an example. A young teenager from Ohio committed suicide after being bullied ( Ablin Kelly A,). More and more children turn to suicide as a result of being bullied. Richard Wolf, with the USA TODAY, reported that “social media sites can monitor their own sites to control what people post but under the First Amendment, the government has no authority.” Bullies feel they have the right under the First Amendment of the constitution to say whatever they want and not be punished. Yes, the First Amendment does state we have the freedom of speech. Also, there are times that people are accused of cyberbullying and harassment and are not in violation of the First Amendment. There has to be a line for when it goes too far and not covered under the law. When words and action are used to demean and torment another individual something has to be done. If someone feels they are being harassed and bullied they should report it to authorities to be investigated. But unfortunately, the majority of the victims won’t tell. Also with the use of the internet post and pictures can be deleted, so there is no evidence. Even In the school and workplaces, there are policies against bullying but a lot of the time they dismiss claims. So in a since bullies are right to believe they can do and say what they want and not be punished for it.

As human beings, we are supposed to respect one another and not do any intentional harm to each other. But in today’s society that is not always the case. For the victims being bullied and harassed, there should be justice. Just because it is not always seen by people doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Victims of cyberbullying and harassment need a voice. Although there are many great organizations out there advocating for the victims we need more. More and more children turn to suicide as a result of being bullied. Many children fear they cannot go to anyone for help. Children are being terrorized by their peers and the people they are supposed to turn to have no clue. Children don’t tell because they fear what will happen to them if they do. That’s why they decide to take their own lives. Cyberbullying can be so harmful to an individual. Depending on the mental state of that individual they may not be able to cope with harsh words spoken to them and they should not have to. A victim that cannot handle the abuse usually becomes withdrawn and unsocial. Sometimes victims turn to drugs or alcohol to cope.

If the individual doesn’t get the help they will likely become an addict. And chances of overdose are extremely high. Some victims try to commit suicide to escape the torment and most unfortunately succeed. It is everywhere in America and it is unfortunate that more is not done to punish the perpetrators. Individuals need safe places to turn to and know that they will be heard and action taken. More people would stand up and tell if they knew the bully would be punished. Bullying and harassment should not be allowed to happen on the internet or face to face. The federal government needs to make new laws against perpetrators and not leave it up to the individual states. Even though most of the school systems and workplace have policies in place for bullying it is not working. Something needs to be done to protect families from losing loved ones due to this senseless act. If more laws were in place on all levels of government and people knew they would defiantly be punished, maybe the bullying and harassment would cease. How many more family has to lose loved ones to drugs or suicide before anything is done to protect them and punish the one causing it. Bullying that causes someone to take their own lives should be punished. Even though they are not the ones who actually killed them, they are ones who drove them to do it. We have laws that protect someone from being harassed for being a different race, religion and even sexual orientation but not cyberbullying causing someone to think they have no option but to take their own lives.

In order to help individuals fight against online bullying and harassment, there needs to better laws to punish the ones doing the bullying. So they will start to fear punishment and stop bullying people. Online harassment will only continue and possibly get worse if nothing is done to stop it. There are a lot of wonderful organizations out there to help the prevention of bullying. Organizations like Stopbullying.gov and Pacer.org are two of the prevention sites that are good for people to visit. But for the ones already being bullied and harassed prevention is too late. Individuals need people to stand up and fight for them especially for the children. Federal laws need to be formed and put into action. The local and state government laws are not effective enough to keep bullies at bay. If anything they are too relaxed. Unless the harassment involves race, sexual orientation, or religion (which are civil right laws) then nothing is done about the cyberbullying. This should not be the case. It should not matter what the reasoning is behind the bullying. There is no good reason for someone to be teased, tormented or degraded as human beings. People that live in America should not have to be subject to such cruelty. There are laws for physical abuse but none for the abuse done on the internet.

One should not be more important than the other. Bullying is bullying regardless of its one on social media or not. Therefore our federal government should address this. If new laws are not made and implemented, families will continue to lose loved ones to suicide or to addiction. In addition to new laws, there is also a need for help centers for victims. Victims need safe places to turn to that have the ability to help them. Places that utilize police departments and government organizations to bring down online bullies. Social media can be a wonderful thing. But when it is used to do harm to someone it can be devastating. If peoples start working together to put laws into place to the bullies and make them fear punishment then maybe there will not be so much cyberbullying. School districts should also be held accountable in stopping the bullying. There are some policies in place at many schools already but not all. Children should be able to tell a teacher or school employee if they are receiving any form of online harassment and at the least have it investigated. Investigations should be a mandatory process within our school systems. Schools have access to the students’ chrome books that they issue to them and should be able to monitor what the students are actively doing via the internet while at school. Making individuals safe should be the priory of our government. It seems like laws concerning social media has fallen through the cracks and not looked at hard enough. The fact of the matter boils down to that Bullies do not fear any punishment or reductions for the harm they inflict. They feel they have rights under the First Amendment to say and post anything they wish and it will be protected as free speech.

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Stricter Laws Are Needed For Online Harassment and Bullying. (2022, Feb 08). Retrieved November 2, 2025 , from
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Exploring the Relationship between Highschool Sexual Education

The goal of this experiment is to investigate the possible relationship between high school sexual education and current sexual practices engaged by college students, 18 years of age and over. There was a total of 26 participants (14 students, 12 non-students) that completed the survey, which was conducted online utilizing the Google Forms application and distributed through email and social media (Facebook). The survey had a total of 31 questions and used a combination of 5-point Likert scale grids (1: Strongly Disagree to 5: Strongly agree), short answer responses and multiple-choice style questions that examined the correlation between a participant’s high school education and their current sexual behaviors and knowledge. The bivariate, Pearson correlations were run to better understand this relationship, as well as, using T-tests to determine the difference in means for sexual education and current sexual practices. According to the results yielded by the correlations, there is a positive, moderately significant relationship between sex education and sexual practices.

Whereas, the t-test that was conducted indicated a lack of significant mean difference. It was concluded that the quality of instruction and type of high school sexual education did indeed play an influential role in the later development of current sexual practices. The summative findings of this study have further implications in the enhancement of high school sexual education programs, in terms of increasing the quality of information passed on to students, improving teacher methods of delivering that information and creating a more supportive space for students to accept their own sexuality. Exploring the Relationship Between Highschool Sexual Education And Current Sexual Practices of College Students The appropriate type of sex education that should be taught in U.S. public schools has been a major topic of debate, with some families being opposed to students receiving it in schools in the first place, and others preferring it to be a severely limited topic. Some believe sexual education is the sole responsibility and even right of the parents and family; what materials should be taught, how, when and by whom are often at the core of controversies (Hall, Sales & Komro, 2016).

In fact, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of March 1st, 2016, 38 states and the District of Columbia mandate that school districts allow parental involvement in sexual education programs, four states require parental consent before a student can receive sex ed., and 35 states plus the District of Columbia allow for parents to “opt-out” of the program on behalf of their children. (Blackman, Scotti, & Heller). Sex education programs in the United States strongly avoid topics such as contraception, abortion and homosexuality and instead cover topics such as reproduction, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy and childbirth with a heteronormative approach, further ignoring and/or degrading the existence of gay, lesbian, bi sexual, and intersex youth. (Mcneill,2013) According to Kohler et. al (2008), educating students about contraception did not cause an increased risk of adolescent sexual activity or sexually transmitted diseases, thus dismantling the common misconception that sexual education would entice teens to engage in sexual acts; a belief that many people have because of religious, political and/or cultural background.

This misconstruction has been exceedingly motivated primarily by the significantly high teen pregnancy and birth rates in the U.S compared to other industrialized countries (Hall et al., 2016). McKay and Barrett (2010) conducted a ten-year study and found that between 1996-2006 teen birth/abortion rates in Canada declined by 36% versus in the U.S by 25%. Also, in the year 2006, Canada had a lower teen birth/abortion rate (27.9%) than the United States (61.2%), England/Wales (60.2%), and Sweden (31.4%). This decline in rates coincides with the substantial increase of contraceptive use by sexually active teens. (SIECCAN, 2010). Furthermore, the assumption that most teenage pregnancies are unintended, reflects how much students have the opportunity to control their sexual and reproductive health. For students to have control on this matter they must be informed and thus receive a comprehensive sexual education program from the public schools they attend. The more information one has about a topic, the more likely they are to make a sound decision (Viner et al., 2012).

Further research has found that factors such as the method of presentation of the teacher, the information provided to students, the support and acceptance that the individual feels, are all said to impact how likely a person is to make safe sexual health decisions (Measor, 2004; Viner et al., 2012; Weaver, Smith & Kippax, 2005). For most states in the U. S., including Florida, abstinence-only is the favored method of choice to implement sexual education. A 2015 report from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discovered that in 2014, 72% of U.S private and public high schools taught pregnancy prevention as part of instruction, and 76% taught abstinence-only as the most effective way to avoid HIV and STIs and pregnancy (HHS and CDC, 2014). The central message of abstinence-only programs is to delay sexual activity until marriage, and under the federal funding regulations, most of these programs cannot include information about contraception or safer-sex practices (Strauss, 2017). Researchers at the University of Washington also conducted a study to examine the relationship between sexual education and teen pregnancy rates, in 2008, and concluded that those teenagers who received comprehensive sex education were 60% less likely to get pregnant or get someone pregnant, than those who received no sexual education at all (Kohler et al.,2008). Additional studies have been conducted in 2011, that confirm the above findings.

Researchers at the University of Georgia have found that abstinence-only education does not reduce, and likely increases teen pregnancy rates (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011). Their national data demonstrated that comprehensive sex and/or STD education that includes abstinence as a desired behavior, also known as “abstinence-plus” was correlated with the lowest teen pregnancy rates across all states. (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011). It’s also been found that environments that are more sex-positive tend to lower risky sexual behavior statistics. (Weaver et al.,2005). Therefore, to truly maximize the effectiveness of sexual education and students’ comprehension of such material, we must examine the teaching methods of the educators. Although plenty of research is out there regarding sexual education and its effects, no study has yet explored the ways in which sexual education is implemented by the educators, and how that can affect students’ sexual behaviors later in life. The goal of this experiment is to investigate the possible relationship between sexual practices in college-age young adults and the teaching methods, information and social environment provided by the sexual educator during the students’ high school sexual education class. Methods Participants 26 participants (14 students, 12 non-students) took part in this survey. 23 individuals identified as women, 3 individuals identified as male. 50% of respondents were between 18-24 years old, 30.8% were between 25-34 years old, 29.2% were 35 years and older. 42.3% of respondents were Caucasian, 30.8% of respondents were African American, 19.2% were Hispanic, 3.8% were West Indian American and 3.8% were Chicanx. Procedures The survey was administered online using the application Google Forms. It was distributed through the social media site Facebook and through email.

A link was provided in a status update asking individuals to participate in this survey. Measure The current study’s survey contained 31 questions. Answers were provided through 5-point Likert scale grids ([1] Strongly Disagree; [2] Disagree; [3] Neither; [4] Agree; [5] Strongly agree) along with short answers and multiple choice for demographic questions. The survey asked questions related to participants’ high school sexual education experience, and their current sexual behaviors and knowledge. The survey yields two scores: quality of high school sexual education (Sex Ed) and current sexual behaviors (Current Practices). See Appendix A for full scale. Factor Analysis. To determine if any factors (subscales) existed within the Sex Ed subscale, exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted. Analysis of factors’ Eigenvalues indicated that four factors had eigenvalues above 1 and were thus extracted. Items were assigned to a factor if their factor loadings were above .4 and they did not cross load (difference > .2 on next factor). Factor 1, Openness, consisted of the following items: item 2.1 ' Before taking sex ed. , I believed that sexual health was important' (.960), item 3.1“I felt comfortable asking my sexual education teacher questions” (.770), item 3.4 “I asked questions during my high school sexual education” (.875), item 3.5 “My sexual education class was a safe environment” (.816) and item 2.0 “Which type of birth control was covered in your high school sexual education class” (.633). Factor 2, Impact of Sex Ed., consisted of item 2.3 '

My high school sexual education covered healthy relationship' (.859), item 3.2 ' I spoke about what I had learned in my sexual education class with my parents' (.671) and item 3.3 “I was more inclined to practice safe sex practices after the sexual education class” (.712). Factor 3 Topics Covered, consisted of item 2.2 “I feel the amount of information given in my sexual education was appropriate for my age” (.825), item 2.5 “My high school sexual education covered gender identity and sexual orientation” (.946) and 2.6 “My high school sexual education covered all aspects of sexuality” (.879). Factor 4, Type of Sex Ed., consisted of item 2.4 “My high school sexual education covered healthy relationships” (.918) and item 2.7 “My sexual education class focused more on pregnancy prevention than healthy sexual practices” (.962). Reverse Scoring. Three items on this scale need to be reversed scored: item 2.4 “My high school sexual education covered healthy relationships”, item 2.7 “My sexual education class focused more on pregnancy prevention than healthy sexual practices”, and item 4.2 “If my sexual partner does not want to engage in safe, sexual practices, I will still have sex with them.” Reverse scoring should be completed before Sex Ed and Current Practices scores are computed. Data Analysis To better understand the relationship between sexual education and current sexual practices, correlations will be run. Specifically, bivariate, Pearson correlations will be run between Sex Ed scores and Current Practices as well as between the four subscales and Current Practices. T-tests will also be performed to determine the difference in means for Sex Ed and Current Practices for students and non-students. Results A bivariate, Pearson correlation was conducted with Sex Ed scores and Current Practices scores for all participants as the covariates.

A positive, moderate significant relationship was found, r = .518, p = .007. A bivariate, Pearson correlation was conducted with Sex Ed scores and Current practices scores for students as the covariates. No significant relationship was found, r = .285, p = .324. A significant, large, positive, bivariate, Pearson correlation was found between Sex Ed scores and Current Practices scores for non-students, r = .790, p = .002. Bivariate, Pearson correlations were conducted between Current Practices scores and the extracted factors for students. No significant correlation was found for Factor 1: Openness (r = .275, p = .342), Factor 2: Impact of Sex Ed (r = .428, p = .127), Factor 3: Subject Covered (r = .051, p = .861) and Factor 4: Type of Sex Ed (r = -.203, p = .487). Bivariate, Pearson correlations were conducted between Current Practices scores and the extracted factors for non-students. Large, significant correlations were found for Factor 1: Openness, r = .677, p = .016 and for Factor 2: Impact of Sex Ed, r = .840, p = .001. No significant correlations were found for Factor 3: Subjects Covered (r = .531, p = .076) and Factor 4: Type of Sex Ed (r = .311, p = .326). A bivariate, Pearson correlation was conducted with Sex Ed scores and Current practices scores for participants aged 18-24 as the covariates. A marginal relationship was found, r = .542, p = .056. Bivariate, Pearson correlations were conducted between Current Practices scores and the extracted factors for participants aged 18-24. A large, significant correlation was found for Factor 2: Impact of Sex Ed, r = .715, p = .006. No significant correlations were found for Factor 1: Openness (r = .510, p = .075), Factor 3: Subjects Covered (r = .348, p = .243) and Factor 4: Type of Sex Ed (r = .001, p = .997). An independent samples t-test was conducted between the Mean Sex Ed scores for the students and non-students. No significant mean difference was found, t(24) = .96, p = .362. An independent samples t-test was conducted between the mean Current Practices scores for students and non-students. No significant mean difference was found, t(24) = .28, p = .785.

The qualitative data was assessed based on five short answer questions asked in the survey distributed to participants. The answers provided were categorized by positive and negative views of sexuality and then compared to the participants’ sexual education score. Based on the memorable moments sixteen participants shared, seven expressed experiencing positive teaching styles, such as learning about personal experiences, participating in activities, and learning to communicate. One response explained that his or her teacher had students participate in an activity where “half of them were blindfolded and the other half were giving them chocolate to eat without telling them they had to eat something. When the blindfolded individuals felt uncomfortable eating, she made the point that relationships should not feel this way”. The average sex education score for these participants was 46.3. Nine participants shared memories that expressed negative teaching styles, which include gruesome visuals, poor feedback, and lack of information. On average, these participants scored lower than the students who experienced positive teaching styles with an average of 34.1.

The participant with the highest score, 65, stated that the sex education teacher had them participate in an activity to show the importance of trust in a healthy relationship. The participant with the lowest sex education score, 17, expressed that essential information was left out, such as the female anatomy and safe sex practices. The participants were also asked about the influence their culture had on their sexual behavior. From the six respondents, two described coming from an open culture where it is believed that an individual is free to express one’s self. The other four respondents came from stricter cultural background. One stated: “Growing up in a family influenced by Christianity, we never talked about sex or anything to do with genitalia …I would use barriers if we were not each other’s firsts and only, however, we are so there is no risk of STIs.” The participant does not mention using barriers as a form of birth control and lacks the knowledge that there are still risks when having unprotected sex in an exclusive sexual relationship. Those that described coming from a culture that was open minded about sex had a sex education score average of 55.5, while those who described being restricted by their cultural backgrounds, averaged a score of 40.75. Overall the participants felt that their sexual education helped them prepare and be aware of the risks of being sexually active.

The main focus of their sexual education courses in high school was on STIs; some aimed to instill fear in the students while others informed. This data suggests that many participants did receive education on risks caused by sexual activity, but lacked other information, such that of sexual orientation, healthy relationships, birth control, and sexual health. Discussion The current study examined the relationship between ongoing sexual practices of college students and quality of the sexual education they received in high school. The participants sampled, expressed whether their exposure to sexual education influenced their current sexual practices. The results showed varying correlational levels for student participants, non-students, and young adults. Results showed that students’ current sexual practices were not influenced by their high school sexual education. Surprisingly however, a large positive relationship was found between sexual education and current practices amongst non-student participants. Because of these findings, individuals between the ages of 18-24 years old were also assessed, regardless of student status. A moderate relationship was also found between young adults’ current sexual practices and their high school sexual education; suggesting that today’s college students may be receiving sexual education outside of what they learned in high school. For example, one student stated, in response to the question asking if her sexual education influenced her current sexual practices: “College Sex Ed yes, High School no”.

As such, it is very likely that current college students received a much more comprehensive sexual education outside of high school, whether it be from parents, peers, magazines, or the internet; which ultimately provided them with more wide-ranging information that better equipped them to care for their sexual health and explore sexuality. Looking at the qualitative data from the survey, the scores displayed a positive reflection in how the sex education material was presented by the teacher. Some participants felt prepared and more confident in knowing how to protect themselves from the risks of any STIs and other infections, while others felt that their educator did not provide enough information resulting in negative feedback. Although most participants were informed about the risks of STIs, they did lack the knowledge in other areas of sexuality explored within the survey, specifically healthy relationships, sexual orientation, birth control and sexual health. As time and technology progress, students are increasingly accessing sexual health information from the internet; since it provides teenagers the privacy they seek when it comes to asking difficult and uncomfortable questions regarding their sexuality (Bay-Cheng, 2001). Having that tough conversation with their parents/guardian not only comes off as scary but very difficult to employ because for many it can be quite uncomfortable on both ends of the parent and the teen/child asking for information. With the use and easy accessibility of the internet there is no face to face contact and that’s why they result to the internet to answer their questions (Bay-Cheng, 2001).

This also sheds light on how sexual education, in many U.S high schools, truly avoids covering topics that are important to students, and thus they desperately seek knowledge elsewhere for information (Lindbergs, Maddow-Zimmer & Boonstra, 2015). As most of us know the internet poses a major threat to validity and reliability, especially when forums and information can be added and edited by anyone who is not a professional or informed correctly on the matters at hand. For anyone seeking information online, but especially the youth, who are not aware of the accuracy of the sources and websites, acquiring such information puts them at risk of being misinformed on topics regarding sex and overall sexual health. Researchers Magee, Bigelow, DeHaan & Mustanski (2012) published findings from their study that explored the positive and negative aspects of internet use for sexual health information about LGBTQ young individuals. Their results showed that, though students were looking at STIs, specifically HIV protection, youth from the LGBTQ community were afraid to look up more information about their sexuality as they feared being abnormal (Magee et al.,2012). Fear of stigma was also evident among the participants, as an obstacle for obtaining information was disclosing information regarding their sexual behaviors, regardless of anonymity. (Magee et al., 2012). As researchers discover more about topics in the LGBTQ community, students should also be educated of these findings through their schools’ sexual education, so they can perhaps better understand their own sexuality, and even become advocates for equal rights.

As previously discussed, enforcing abstinence- only sexual education programs in private and public schools is not beneficial to students, and actually causes more harm than good as it does not reduce, and likely increases teen pregnancy rates (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011), does not include information about contraception or safer-sex practices (Strauss, 2017), and ignores matters related to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and intersex youth. (Mcneill, 2013) With a positive and informative approach from educators, students who receive a more comprehensive sexual education in high school will have the opportunity to fully understand the importance of taking care of their health and have a better chance at a successful development of their sexual health. Moving forward, sexual education should no longer be abstinence-only, but much more comprehensive; including a wide range of topics such as establishing and maintaining healthy relationships, accessing and using birth control correctly and how to properly use barrier methods. Education should also address sexual orientation, gender identity, and other topics related to the LGBTQ community; resulting in a much more inclusive sexual education experience for all youth. This will provide students with the right tools and information to make healthy sexual decisions and to protect themselves and others, not only during their high school years but into adulthood as well.

Future research should look at how high school students assimilate information presented in their sexual education class. One respondent stated that her sex ed class was not useful as she felt the material and the method of presentation were too mature for her age. This seemed to be a common comment within our participants. As such, by better understanding how students assimilate sexual information, curriculums can be tailored to be much more effective. Future studies should also look at how much sexual education students are receiving online. As previously stated, information online can be inaccurate which can lead to students being misinformed and therefore make unsafe sexual choices. By understanding what is being researched, educators can incorporate these subjects within their sex education curriculums and ensure that students are receiving accurate information. Finally, longitudinal studies observing the impact of high school sexual education on sexual decision making can yield data on the effectiveness of various sexual education programs as well as help determine the topics that are most and least remembered. It is important to understand the long-term implications of sexual education on a society’s sexual health. The variability in our results illustrates the need for the aforementioned studies to be conducted. To fully understand the impact of sexual education curriculums, we must understand how variables interact.

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Exploring the Relationship Between Highschool Sexual Education. (2022, Feb 08). Retrieved November 2, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2022/02/

Harvey Weinstein Sexual Harassment

In October of 2017, the hashtag #MeToo spread across the world, beginning a historic tipping point for women. A Hollywood sex assault scandal sparked a global social movement, using social media to pave the way. Just two short words are being used across social networking platforms by thousands of women to share their stories of surviving sexual assault and harassment. Over one year later, and the movement to stop sexual assault and to support the victims of it is only rising in power. In order to understand how sexual assault is framed by the media, it is most important to understand how media helped frame the #MeToo movement. The hashtag has often been referred to as a social media trend, but hashtag activism has allowed for those two words to lead to a social movement with rapid growth and mobility. Sexual abuse is traditionally a topic that is brushed aside or ignored due to the fear’s women face about sharing their stories. Finally, because of social media, this topic came to light. Social media has transformed social justice movements by allowing issues to spread and mobilize faster than ever before, sparking the #MeToo movement by way of mass communication.

The Hollywood sexual assault scandal involving Harvey Weinstein blew up the #MeToo movement, but the movements roots go back to over ten years ago to 2006. Activist Tarana Burke actually founded a nonprofit organization to help victims of sexual assault, called Just Be Inc. Tarana Burke did an interview with The New York Times called “The Woman Who Created #MeToo Before the Hashtags”, where she shares a personal interaction she had with a young girl who changed her life. Tarana recalls the time she “sat across from a 13-year-old girl who had been sexually abused. The young girl was explaining her experience, and it left Ms. Burke speechless” (New York Times, Oct. 2017, par.1). Burke created this movie to shed light on a topic that needs attention, and over ten years later, her movement exploded across the globe amidst the Harvey Weinstein allegations.

Sexual assault and harassment have always been issues faced my too many women, but the topic never received the attention it needed; until it reached Hollywood. The use of the infamous hashtag began while Harvey Weinstein faced several sexual assault accusations from many women in the industry. After this scandal broke, more women in the industry were encouraged to speak out. In the Progressive Teen’s article titled “Is the #MeToo Movement Just a Trend on Social Media or a Vehicle of Change?”, Anjali Ramakrishnan explains this domino effect. She writes “after the Weinstein scandal broke, the list of powerful men who have had allegations raised against them has become increasingly long, with names such as Al Franken, Kevin Spacey, Louis CK, Matt Lauer, and Charlie Rose” (Ramakrishnan, Dec 2017, par.1). Media, in this case news about the famous film producer, reached millions of people and let women from all over the world know that they were not alone, and their stories were valid. Upon all of the allegations and women coming forward about sexual misconduct in Hollywood, actress Alyssa Milano took to twitter to create a tweet that instantly became viral. She wrote, “Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem” (Milano, 2018). The two words “me too” then burst into spotlight, giving the movement a huge leap in outreach and progression.

Social movement organizations such as #MeToo utilize mobilization through social networks to promote social justice, change and awareness. Ying Xiong, Moonhee Cho, and Brandon Boatwright’s scholarly article on Hashtag Activism and Message Frames among Social Movement Organizations examines the role that social movements play on social media, especially twitter in this case, to create a shared memory. The article stated that, “This study examines how SMOs address feminist activism, how hashtags were used in the movement, and examine the relationship between the counts of hashtags and retweets. The results present the feminism-centered and activism-centered networks” (Xiong, et al. 2018, p.11). Tweets using hashtags receive more retweets, and tweets that use the same hashtag all get filed together so people can filter through to only see tweets using #MeToo. According to Xiong et al. (2018) that tweets written by social media users and social movement organizations fell into three categories.

The first type diagnosed the causes of oppressive social structures con- straining women’s rights, the second kind suggested to take action, and the third appreciated celebrities’ leadership in the movement. Hashtag activism is what made #MeToo replenish as a movement and rapidly grow. The New York Times article stated that “the hashtag was widely used on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and other platforms; on Facebook, it was shared in more than 12 million posts and reactions in the first 24 hours, according to The Associated Press” (New York Times, Oct 2018. Par.8). Activism is defined as a “process by which groups of people exert pressure on organizations or other institutions to change policies, practices, or conditions the activists find problematic” (Xiong et al. 2018, p.2). #MeToo is a perfect example of hashtag activism done right. Xiong et al. (2018) define hashtag activism as “the act of fighting for or supporting a cause with the use of hashtags as the primary channel to raise awareness of an issue and encourage debate via social media” (p.1-2). #MeToo definitely encouraged debate and criticisms, but most importantly it spread awareness, which was most crucial for the movement. The hashtag is a frame used to pursue the goals of the advocates of the movement, which is social change.

The use of #MeToo was used to encourage change and extend support, while actively bringing awareness to a previously dark topic.

#MeToo then acquired much backlash from men in “fear” as well as by critics of social media. According to The Economist, surveys suggest that this year-long storm of allegations, confessions and firings has actually made Americans more skeptical about sexual harassment (The Economist, Oct 2018). The National Sexual Violence Resource Centre, an American non-profit organization, found that in 2017, 13% of Americans thought that false accusations were a bigger problem than unreported attacks, and in 2018, that increased to 18% of Americans (The Economist, Oct 2018). The backlash of the movement is coming mostly from men. Men fear that anything they do or say to a woman will be used against them as a sexual assault allegation later, but the problem with this argument is that it is easy to identify what is sexual assault and harassment and what isn’t.

There should not be any fear or confusion if men refrain from sexually assaulting or harassing women. The other argument against #MeToo, is the simplification of the movement to a social media trend. Many argued that not everyone is on social media, and not everyone will receive the same voice for their stories like celebrities have. #MeToo rose to power surrounding the conversation of sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood, following the Harvey Weinstein case, but it is far more than a trend like the Ice Bucket Challenge or Harlem Shake. #MeToo is a movement of activism using social media and the hashtag as a tool for spreading the word. #MeToo created public discourse about an unspoken subject, and though the hashtag may not be trending every month, women are more willing to report or speak up about sexual assault and harassment. The use of social media is not to be undermined as a trend, it is a game changer in 2018 and has completely shifted the conversation of sexual assault and harassment in just one year.

The hard work of activists and advocates, as well as the bravery of many women who have come forward to share their stories is finally paying off. According to The Global Citizen, 43% of men surveyed in their recent study, said the news coverage of sexual harassment and assault has made them reflect on their past interactions with women and whether or not they might have been interpreted as inappropriate (Selby, Dec 2017, par.4). In the case of #MeToo, hashtag activism created mass awareness and understanding of the magnitude of this problem. According to Baran and Davis, mass communication is when a source, typically an organization, employs a technology as a medium to communicate with a large audience (Baran and Davis, 5). Though it is “just social media”, what’s especially significant about it being widely used as a hashtag is numbers.

When women began using it, other victims saw that they were not actually alone, and it gave them more courage to come out and share their own stories. A post can be shared over and over again, across a wide range of audiences via social media. Celebrities may have a larger presence, but anyone with an account could post about it or see what other people they know are saying. This empowers the victims while also creating an awareness that may not have otherwise existed. Social media spreads word quicker than any other medium in the world. Hashtags place several posts into one category for people to clearly see how many people were sharing posts using #MeToo. Social media is a modern form of mass communication, and the ability to go viral, or just spread to your local following, is enough to spark a movement if enough people are joining the conversation.

Not only are people joining the conversation, but people now more than ever are listening. According to Charlotte Ryan, Kevin M. Carragee, and Cassie Schwerner in “Media, Movements, and the Quest for social justice”, social movements uses news media to broaden the discourse (Ryan et al. 1998, p.166). Social media, though a newer medium, also functions as a news outlet in many cases. Almost every popular and trustworthy outlet is on social media. They know that everyone is on social media, therefore it is the most effective way to ensure that news is being circulated to all audiences. According to Ryan, Carragee, and Schwerner, their “focus on social movements rests on the assumption that meaningful political change and the expansion of social justice depend upon collective action” (Ryan et al. 1998, p.166). Social media allows for millions of people to come together by sharing two words “#MeToo”. Social media makes it easy for people get engaged in the conversation, and even those who are silent or have their critiques, are at least becoming aware of the conversation.

Social media is often overlooked as biased or useless but is discredited in regard to its massive influence on society and culture. Using a hashtag may seem like no big deal, but what is really does is include the tagged information in a greater conversation. By using hashtags, it becomes far more clear what people are saying, and better yet, encourages people to say more. History is turning at the hands of social media because women are being encouraged to use their voice. #MeToo blowing up on twitter was the result of serious rape and sexual harassment accusations against Harvey Weinstein, a great producer with a lot of power. Despite these tragic events, #MeToo took over the world as the movement in which woman are no longer scared to share their stories and received support from other victims and millions of other women who are not. Sexual assault and rape culture are elephant-in-the-room topics that people avoid discussing, but because of the mobilization of the movement through social media, awareness is at an all-time high.

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The Rise of Antisemitism on College Campuses

Antisemitism has been on the rise and has become more evident to the public as each day passes. The past and present acts of antisemitism on college campuses must be acknowledged to guarantee the safety of all students attending universities and not just specific groups. This generation of students will possibly have more exposure to antisemitism on college campuses than past generations will have experienced in recent years. Which leads to the question: Where is the line drawn between protecting student’s education against antisemitism on a college campus and the right of freedom of speech? The problem that has been seen is that many people will argue that their slander towards Jewish people is a part of their right to freedom of speech. This is where the line is drawn between freedom of speech and antisemitism, therefore, leading to actions taken to protect students and faculty against antisemitism. One example of this is the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2018 introduced into Congress in May 2018 by Senator Tim Scott.

During the 1920s and 30s, Harvard University did not approve of Jews attending their university, so they created a “Jewish quota”, which prevented “Boston and New York Jews” from attending the university (Harold Brackman, 4-5). This act of antisemitism created a pattern for antisemitic practices that encouraged other schools, like Yale University, for example, to follow suit in creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty. Nothing was done in this situation, which puts into question the faculty’s ability to separate religion from their thoughts and opinions since it was the president of Harvard who initiated the Jewish quota at the university. The “Jewish quota” should have been questioned for its unfair and unjust reasoning to specifically exclude and discriminate against the Jewish population based on someone’s opinion of not wanting Jewish students attending. The focus of the universities should be that every student, no matter their race or religion, receives equal protection and rights for their education as required in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Another act of antisemitism on a college campus was at the University of Wisconsin in 1929 when the housing management accepted Mildred Gordon’s application but then declined it to accommodate a non-Jewish student. This act represents discrimination based on religion because the management openly rejected Gordon’s application to give it to a Gentile applicant, who applied late because they only “took Jewish renters when not enough Gentiles applied” (Pollack). In her application, she had checked her religion as Jewish and that was the main reason why the manager chose the Gentile student over the Jewish student. Unfortunately, students who identify as Jewish are constantly bombarded with unfair treatment that set them back from those around them. Jewish people constantly must stand up for themselves and prove that they are worthy to others because they are considered by some to be inferior to their peers. Louis Behr for example, an Orthodox Jew and captain of the basketball team at University Wisconsin, was awarded the Kenneth Sterling Day Memorial Prize because he exhibited “essential Christian worth as evidenced by moral character” (Pollack). Behr stated that “ideals of religion are fundamentally the same”, which makes one wonder, why do we distance ourselves from others just because we have different values or beliefs, but the foundation our religion is similar? Everyone is human, which means we all make mistakes, but we should not judge or dismiss a person just because we do not share the same core opinions.

At Western Washington University, anything related to antisemitism is not tolerated. In response to antisemitism, there is a special task force designed to recommend ways to understand and spread awareness about the effects of antisemitism on the Jewish community (Randhawa). There have been past acts of antisemitism that occurred on the Western campus, which included antisemitic graffiti of a swastika on a faculty’s office door and there was a Jewish studies book from the library that was vandalized (Giffena). Western Washington University has taken precautions to combat against antisemitism on campus to make it safer and more equal for students who identify as Jewish.

Now it’s time to take a glimpse at present-day antisemitism and see how it compares to former acts of antisemitism on college campuses. In 2014 at DePaul University, there was a campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state called the “DePaul Divest”, which was an intimidation and hate campaign aimed at the people of Israel. At Loyola University Chicago, there was a “campus climate towards Jews” where it created an atmosphere that affected the feeling of safety for all Jewish students that attended Loyola. Then there was a protest at Ohio University where Megan Marzec created a parody of the ALS ice bucket challenge, except instead of dumping ice water on her head, she dumped a bucket of blood on her head to protest “against Israel’s defensive war against Hamas in Gaza” (Brackman). This ultimately led to the arrest of four Jewish students after they disrupted a meeting, ordering that Marzec should have to resign. These examples of acts of antisemitism prove that there has been no decline in the oppression of the Jewish people and what they still face on college campuses today. This feeds into the idea that antisemitism is just a word to the people who use it to act on unjust treatment and use it to blame the Jewish people since there isn’t any force that is stopping these heinous acts.

To combat antisemitism, the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2018 was introduced to protect against discrimination on the “basis of race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance, including higher education” (ACLU). The conflict that arises with this act is that it might “risk chilling the free speech of students on college campuses” because the bill risks incorrectly equating Islam criticism with antisemitism (ACLU). Recently, the antisemitism envoy post, created by Congress in 2004, was vacated the year Donald Trump became president in 2017 and had not been filled since then. The antisemitism envoy position was designed to combat antisemitism worldwide, which could help the rise of antisemitism decline because people would become more aware of the effects of antisemitism.

It is evident that the plethora acts of antisemitism on college campuses have given Gentile students an advantage in furthering their education at universities while Jewish students must fight for their right to be there. The Antisemitism Awareness Act would be able to protect against bullying towards Jewish people on college campuses and prevent hateful acts against them while not prohibiting freedom of speech. Many college campuses in the past were aware of antisemitism that occurred but rarely took any precautions to stop or hinder the horrible treatment that Jewish students and faculty endured. Since the past can’t be undone, the present should be used to focus on furthering a student’s education and safety without having to worry about their religion and the ramifications.

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United States History American Revolution

The Civil War is seen as a turning point in America's history. More specifically, Industrialization in the Civil War caused a shift in our countries focused and began what is now known as the Second Industrial Revolution. At the beginning of the 19th century, the US was just beginning to industrialize. There were many great advancements in both transportation and manufacturing. No longer did a certain region of the United States need to be entirely self-sufficient due to the ease of access to goods. Industrialization during the Civil War opened the door to all kinds of new inventions and ideas that changed the United States for the better.

Pre-Civil War America was growing rapidly with floods of immigrants coming over from across the Atlantic Ocean. With great expansion of the country, there became a great need for a way to transport goods cross-country. The need for the massive industry was obvious: in order to reach California’s burgeoning port cities like San Francisco and to expedite the exportation of gold from the mines, railroad tracks would need to be laid across the plains to reach the Pacific and open up trade networks. Before the war, railroad lines were primarily situated in the North of the country and were used for moving supplies and soldiers around quickly. After the war, various acts were passed in order to restore order in the South, these acts included plans for railroads. Before the

war, the north was much more industry based, with many factories and mills, and the south was more agriculture-based, with their main incomes being cotton and other cash crops. After the war, they were much more equal with the south becoming much more Industrial.

Inventions during the Second Industrial Revolution were connected. The popularity of the railroad lead to the growth of the telegraph machine. Telegraph lines and railroad lines were bound together as telegraph polls dotted the distance of railroad lines. The Telegraph, and later the telephone, welcomed in the era of instant communication and connected the country now more than ever. This was a huge change that Americans had to adapt to. A whole new sense of world unity was created through these new technologies. These technologies also increased the pace of life and improved workflows, such as mass production and scientific management, and overall contributed greatly to economic growth.

The Civil War best reflects a major turning point in our nation’s story. While one can argue that there are many more important events, the nation unifying once more and becoming stronger than before has led to a country that has since been unstoppable. Through industrialization, railroads created a way for Americans to expand westward and also helped by transporting goods to and from big cities. For many Americans, railroads and the West seemed the embodiment of the American dream. The Civil War, although a major flaw in our countries history was, in the end, one of the reasons why we are a strong independent country today.

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American Revolution War 1760s and 1770s

In New England an uprising beginning in 1675 led by the Wampanoag leader Metacom, or King Philip as the English called him, seemed to confirm these fears. Indian conflicts helped trigger the revolt against royal authorities known as Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia the following year.” (American yawp 3). It is right to say that the way caused a great sense of division between the colonist and the Indians. And how the Indians were no longer viewed as friendly but rather was enemies. It shows how race changes how the Indians and the colonist saw each other and how it brought about a new level of separation between them.

The Metacon war caused the British to use the Indians as slaves, even though some of these Indian men had hosted them when they arrived to the Americas and welcomed them to their land. The colonies took advantage of the Indians by selling them to slavery or causing them to flee from their homes in fear of what the colonist taking forcing them into slavery. Separation between the British is evident even after this war is over its seen throughout other’s ways that occur later.

There was a change that was happening when race become a discovery. Indentured servant no longer qualifies for any rights and have transitioned from servants to black slavery. People are no longer classified by class bur rather Race, they are seen as property, Blacks and Indians are owned by their masters and are no longer an important part of the community, they are compared and counted just as cattle. Before race came about, all men seemed to be worried about status they all paid taxes and were a part of a community, but race changed everything, black people were treated as second class, they continued to be discriminated mainly because of their skin color.

Question IV (150 points):

What were the underlying causes of the American Revolution?
What specific examples can you point to as evidence of each in the crisis between Britain and America?
Finally, which underlying cause do think was most significant and why?

Ideological causes brought caused an awakening among the Americans and made them realize how the British felt about them and most importantly what they thought about them.

They realized how the British have treated them as children and inferiors and how they controlled every major decision that they tried to make for themselves such as who and where to trade their goods. These opinions and beliefs made them realize more than before how important it was for them to have their own liberty. The Wig theory was a major awakening for the Americans because they were enlightened on the reasons why they should believe themselves for a better status of leadership, the theory made them realize that they deserved better and could rule themselves. The wig theory advocated for liberty for all and argued that everybody has the right to make decisions for themselves and should be given a chance to decide what they want and what they don’t as the phrase states “No Taxation without representation”.

Realizing that Americans should be the only ones to tax their fellow Americans and that only local assemblies can tax them. Americans were getting tired of the monarchy trying to hider them from progressing towards earning their own freedom. They wanted to be governed by the law and not by monarchy. The Americans wanted their voice to be heard at the England empire. Americans were not going to be just listeners and doers of anything the monarchy thought they should do. According to American Yap the, “King George III took the crown in 1760 and brought Tories into his Ministry after three decades of Whig rule. They represented an authoritarian vision of empire where colonies would be subordinate.” (American yawp 5). The Americans no longer wanted leadership from the monarchy they learned that they could not trust anyone with their matters. When the Monarchy realized that the Americans territories were getting out of hand and noticed that they needed to take care of their own monarchy because if they continued to worry about the Americans but rather deal with their own issues. On the other hand, the Political causes was one of the underlying cause of the American revolution. After the seven-year war, the colonist empire became weak.

It was thought that the British had gained more control of the Americas. According to the American Yap, “Britain now controlled the North American continent east of the Mississippi River, including French Canada. It had also consolidated its control over India. But the realities and responsibilities of the post-war empire were daunting.” (American yawp 5). It is evident that even through the British had all these colonies they were very much affected by the aftermath of the war. They understood the need of security after gaining more territories from their enemies and the accumulated debt from the war made things even more harder for the British because they needed resources to especially pay their national debt. According to the American Yap, “These factors led Britain in the 1760s to attempt to consolidate control over its North American colonies, which, in turn, led to resistance.” (American yawp 5).

The Americans resisted majority of the rules and regulations that the British continued to put into place which especially the sugar act which was placed as restrictions for the Americas trading with other nations, also the currency act restricted the Americas colonies from printing more paper money. On the other-hand the parliament placed tax on nearly all papers and products in the colonies such as legal documents, liquor license the newspaper and even playing card which was the stamp act. This act affected almost everyone from lawyers to college graduates and even sailors.

The American Yap stated that, “unlike the Sugar Act, which primarily affected merchants, the Stamp Act directly affected numerous groups throughout colonial society, including printers, lawyers, college graduates, and even sailors who played cards. This led, in part, to broader, more popular resistance.” (American yawp 5). After these numerous acts the Americans felt that they could no longer sit back and watch the colonies continue to make choices for them, they were ready to continue resisting the British regulations and were determined to make their own set of rules.

Another major cause of the American Revolution were Personal causes. Prior to the American Revolution the Americas followed the British cultures and started living like they did. One example was that women were not very much laid back when it came to do certain things but after the revolution the Female patriotism became evident and women started participating more in things they could never have done before, women started their contributions to the resistance movement.

The American Yap states that, “They circulated subscription lists and gathered signatures” (American yawp 5). Finally, women gained the platforms where they could participate in political and economic development, “Spinning clubs were formed, in which local women would gather at one their homes and spin cloth for homespun clothing for their families and even for the community.” (American yawp 5) American economy was getting more independent and there no much new imports of clothes and so they started discovering the potential within themselves.

These three causes of the American revolution made the Americans realize that they too could unite and lead their own nation that they no longer needed to submit to the colonists anymore but rather awoke them to be responsible as to where America was going, it was up to them from now forth to determine their future destiny.

On the other-hand the political cause was vital and needed people to rise-up and stand for themselves in order to end the constant colonization from the British. Also, the Whig theory made the Americans see them as superiors and no longer inferiors as the British made them feel. They realized that they could also earn their own independence.

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British Perspective of the American Revolution

US history has been characterized by the idea that the people should rise up when the government is overstepping its bounds or infringing on the rights of the people. This is clearly seen in the periods of uprisings and riots that expressed opposition to the actions of the governments. However, these uprisings continue throughout the early history of the United States marking the lack of a radicalization of the American Revolution. This can be seen in the Knowles Riot, Boston Tea Party, Shay’s Rebellion, and Whiskey Rebellions.

In 1746 the British government banned impressment in the West Indies. Due to the connected nature of sailors and port cities, many people came to know about the outlawing of the practice in the West Indies, making impressment even more unpopular. In 1747, a British Commander, Commander Knowles, and his crew docked in Boston to gather supplies. In addition, they were looking for 50 men to replace those that had left his crew. Seeing this as colonial overreach, working-class Bostonians began a riot – starting with a few individuals but reaching up to hundreds of individuals as the riot progressed. A group of these protesters carried a boat, thought to be Commander Knowles’s, from the harbor to the center of the city and burned it in a protest against impressment. The riot got so unruly and out-of-hand that the Governor of Massachusetts had to step in, and Commander Knowles and his press gang were made to withdraw. This was seen as one of the first uprisings against colonial power leading up to the Revolution, was seen as a fight to end government overreach and impacted those who viewed the uprising the disparity between republicanism and popular democracy.

In addition to the Knowles Riot, the Boston Tea Party also showed the disapproval of policies that the American colonists believed to be colonial overreach on the part of the English. The Sons of Liberty were formed in 1765 in response to the Stamp Act. They were a radical organization that coordinated resistance against the British Crown. One of the acts that they organized was the Boston Tea Party in response to the Tea Act. On December 16, 1773, a group of colonists dressed up as Mohawk Indians, boarded British ships and dumped chests of tea into the harbor. Due to the losses of the Boston Tea Party, the British placed into effect the 1774 Coercive Acts that closed the port of Boston that put a huge economic burden on Boston, quartered troops in private homes and disbanded local juries. These events lead to the increase in the want of the colonists to gain independence of the British because they believed that ‘taxation without representation” was an example of colonial overreach.

However, the uprisings did not end with the American Revolution. After the war, there were still several rebellions that occurred. One of these uprisings was Shay’s Rebellion. Daniel Shays was a Revolutionary war veteran and farmer from Western Massachusetts and faced high debts. After the war, Massachusetts began foreclosing on farms making the farmers feel as though the foreclosures were unjust. In the fall of 1786, Shays rallied 2500 veterans to protest the foreclosures. Their demands soon moved beyond debt relief to removing property restrictions for voting and more. In January 1787 Shay’s army marched into Springfield, Massachusetts to get arms from the Federal Arsenal to lead an armed rebellion against the national government. The rebellion was not successful, however, as the Massachusetts Governor sent 4000 militia to suppress the rebellion ending it in February 1787. This rebellion highlighted working class critiques of the new government structure that they believed favored the elites. For the elite class, this rebellion increased the need for a stronger, more centralized government. For both groups of individuals, this rebellion enlightened them about concerns they had about the government.

The Whiskey Rebellion, also, shows the people’s discontentment with the government and its policies. By the 1790s, the United States’ government had drastically changed from the government set up by the Articles of Confederation, but the nation was still in a lot of debt. In order to increase government revenue, a new tax on whiskey produces was passed in 1791. This tax hit poor, rural distillers really hard and in 1974 these distillers rebelled believing the government to be biased toward the elites. In the end, Washington himself put down the rebellion showing the increased power of the federal government under the new constitution. In addition to the power of the new government, this rebellion also showed that people were willing to take up arms and fight the government for what they believed was right, especially during times of government overreach.

The continuation of revolts and uprising through the change in government structures shows the lack of a radical change of the American Revolution. The rebellions leading up to the revolution and those that occurred after the revolution were undertaken because the people of the United States felt that it was their responsibility to question the government when it was acting unjustly. The ongoing uprisings expressed popular sentiments about government actions and overreach as seen in the examples presented above. Thus, over the course of centuries and the American Revolution, history shows – through these rebellions – a lack of radical change to benefit the people.

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Perspectives on the American Revolution

The American Revolution was an influential movement that created mass change politically and socially. Howard Zinn’s argument is that those who were colonial elitists used the war for their own personal gain, while George Wood focuses on how there were no occurring problems within social classes. Both are compelling arguments that provide convincing, valid points but Howard Zinn’s article is much more effective about conveying the issues during the American Revolution.

He starts his argument by stating that conflicts between the rich and the poor constantly reappear. One of the biggest problems during the fight for independence was social control. The Continental Congress was dominated by rich white men, who were linked together by business and family connections. Robert Morris’s plan was to gain the support of officers by voting half-pay for those who stuck to the end of the war. This ignored the needs of soldiers who were not getting paid and dying of sickness, all while watching others get rich. The members of the continental congress were concerned with class conflict, especially the rebellion uprisings against those in power. In order to avoid that, those at risk put the blame of poverty on England as the reason why the poor were still poor.

The class hatred was expressed by one man who said,”It was better for the people to lay down their arms and pay the duties and taxes laid upon them by the King and Parliament then to be brought into slavery and to be commanded and ordered about as they were.”[Zinn, 84] Maryland authorities began heavily taxing land and slaves. This was a sacrifice by the upper class to stay in power and it continued to benefit them immensely. Indians, blacks and mulattoes tried to get involved in the war because they believed it would help them achieve their freedom but were all turned away. This created a problem for the revolutionary army because the poor whites who owned no slaves urged them to side with the British who promised them their freedom. The policies being advanced by Congress did not offer many benefits or changes for the wealthy.

This made it difficult to get support for the war because those who were enlisted were motivated by the opportunity to change their living standards through rank and earnings. To mobilize soldiers, tenants were promised land. A landowner of Dutchess County wrote,”A promise to make tenants freeholders would instantly bring you at least six thousand able farmers into the field.” [Zinn, 84] The farmers who had enlisted into the revolution were only paid $6.66 a month, while a colonel received $75 a month.

In October 1779, a militia group went to the house of James Wilson, a wealthy lawyer and Revolutionary official, who had opposed price controls. Colonists were tired of the inflation of prices, in one month, prices had risen by forty-five percent. By taking action against those in power, it would give the militia a chance to be heard. Others from lower classes; for example, southern lower classes, refused to be mobilized for the revolution. They saw themselves under the rule of a political elite. The position of blacks, the exclusion of Indians from the new society and the establishment of supremacy all were problems that were occurring even during the start of the revolution.

The fear of slave revolts began to grow, George Washington had turned down the requests of blacks, seeking freedom, to fight in the Revolutionary army. Slaves benefited the elitists because they were able to make large profits off of slaves, so when Lord Dunmore, a British commander in Virginia, promised slaves their freedom, slaves would attempt to runaway and were encouraged by poor whites. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence” was used to convince citizens to join the patriot cause.

Unfortunately, the Declaration of Independence was mainly geared towards rich, white males who owned property. Zinn shows us how wealth was a way of establishing power since only property owning, white males were allowed rights, as well as the ability to participate in governmental affairs. Gordon Wood perceives the revolution completely different compared to Howard Zinn. Unlike Zinn, Wood says that social classes based on occupation and wealth did not set themselves against one another. Christopher Gadsen says,”The poorest of them must find himself, in a very comfortable situation, especially when he compares his condition, with that of the poor of other nations.”[Wood, 170] He believed that white society in South Carolina was equal,”the distinctions between the farmer and rich planter, the mechanic and the rich merchant, being abundantly more here, in imagination, than reality.” George Wood believed that equality did not mean that everyone was the same, but that people were closer in wealth and property to those above them and felt free from aristocratic ruling and control. George Wood talks about a struggling farmer by the name of Moses Cooper. He was able to rise from virtual insignificance, eventually turning into the richest man in his town. He was eventually able to hire slaves and workers to do all labor.

Because of his wealth and position he feared what Britain’s mercantile restrictions would do to his business. According to George Wood, overtime, social changes began to be expressed in politics. Higher officials and other conservatives made efforts to lessen popular participation in politics and to control the “democratic” part of the colonists. Howard Zinn states that those in power had no intent of benefiting those of a lower class. Those who would often try to involve themselves in politics were those who had authority which completely condescends Wood’s ideology of people who were involved in government. The interests by the revolution were based more on devotion to the patriot cause than wealth.

In a new form of a republic those who were involved believed that,”even the reigns of state may be held by the poorest men, if possessed of abilities equal to the important station.”[Wood, 180] Wood points out that poverty and economic depression were not present in colonial America after the Revolution, whereas Zinn believed that after the Revolution there was still no presence of a strong central government, and a strong economic collapse.

The American Revolution was an extreme turning point for our nation. Not only did more people gain the right to vote, but more citizens began to play important roles in governing and society became much more equal. The Revolution also established the ending of mercantilism, which opened new markets and new trade relationships. George Wood believes that this was overall a radical revolution that has lead to greater change.

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SWOT Analysis Threats

Contents

Abstract
SWOT Analysis

Abstract

This paper is a comprehensive SWOT analysis on the current processes Walmart has in place for their store related to the chosen management issue. It highlights the weaknesses of current operations and articulates the reasons why the process needs to change. It also provides a business strategy to overcome the shortcomings identified as a result of the analysis.

SWOT Analysis

Background

Walmart’s current management theory used is the bureaucratic theory, and this theory can be inefficient and cost more in time and financial resources than it will save. If the flaws within this system are managed well and rule expansions limited to basic safety needs, it is a capable system that corporations and governments can use every day. When trying to assess the lay of the land, few tools are more useful than the SWOT analysis. It stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; the SWOT analysis is a planning process that allows companies to overcome challenges and determine what new leads to pursue (Excelsior College, 2018).

Many businesses will only have the senior executives participate in a SWOT analysis process. While that can be worthwhile for operational analysis, a SWOT that focuses on sales and customer service should involve all employees that regularly interface with customers. These staff members have first-hand knowledge of the company's strengths and weaknesses and can provide valuable insight as to what is happening at the critical point-of-sale on a day-to-day basis. This SWOT analysis of Walmart discusses the company’s strengths, lesser known weaknesses, growth opportunities, and unyielding threats.

Strengths

Brand recognition across the globe
Walmart is well-known around the globe.
It became a household name because of their low product prices.
The selection of products is expansive.
Many products are only available online as a way to encourage shopping.

Weaknesses

Major issues for customers and employees
Some employees (weak performers).
Employee turnover.
Communication and Phone Skills.
'Winging It' - lack of professional systems and processes.
Communication between service and sales teams.
Too quick to discount to save sale.
Inconsistency.

Opportunities

Potential future strengths
Recruiting/Attracting quality employees (replacing weak performers).
Training; Improving Sales/Customer Service Skills.
Exceeding customer expectations.
Improving corporate culture.
Institutionalizing processes to create consistency.

Threats

A doomed brand image and beloved competition
Increased competition (online, national chains, etc.).
Poor Customer Service (Wait times, etc.).
Losing good employees.
Losing customers.
Social Media.
Complacency.

Action Plan

Strengths need to be effectively maintained, built upon and maximized.
Weaknesses need to be effectively remedied or eliminated.
Opportunities need to be effectively prioritized and optimized.
Threats need to be effectively countered or minimized.

Review each area the SWOT matrix and prioritize the findings into two lists: one that is short-term with issues to be addressed within the next 6 months and one that is longer term of 6 months and beyond.
Set the specific actions needed to achieve the objectives. This will take some brain-storming and strategic thinking and should be the longest part of the planning process.
Attach a time-frame to each of the objectives with 'benchmark' dates to check on progress along the way. Shorter, 'round-table' meetings should be planned in accordance with these dates.
Assign an employee or employees to be in charge of each action area. This is another major reasons SWOT analysis fail; everyone has good intentions but no one 'owns' anything so ultimately little gets accomplished.

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SWOT Analysis Definition and Examples

Contents

Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

SWOT in this context is the acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is a study that evaluates the variables of a company or business, where strengths and weaknesses are internal, and opportunities and threats are the external elements (Kotler, Makens, Baloglu and Bowen, 2017). Furthermore, by conducting this analysis, companies, whether existing or new, will have a better understanding in relation to both their micro and macro environments. This in turn is essentially important in the development of the company’s concept and strategies to achieve its goals and objectives.

According to the information presented in the case study, Acorn House Restaurant possess several internal capabilities accompanied with a wealth of resources, making it the eco-friendly giant it is in the restaurant industry (Davis, Lockwood and Stone, 2008). However, there is always room for improvement and areas to consider, as the environment in which it operates will eventually change, be it a door of opportunities or threats. The following serves as a proposed SWOT analysis for the restaurant.

Strengths

These refer to the positive situational factors that helps a company/business in achieving its objectives (Kotler, Makens, Baloglu and Bowen, 2017).

Eco-friendly concept – observably there has been a growing trend of ‘going green” in just about everything, and persons are giving into this concept as it has countless dividends in relation to health and the environment, among others.
Local produce – by supporting the local agrarians, they obtain fresh and organic produce that are sustainable, enabling customers to have a better appreciation for what they consume. Also, it is cost effective compared to having to outsource the items.
Renewable energy – through the use of natural lighting and green energy, AHR is playing its role in minimizing its carbon footprint or greenhouse gas emissions and thus the cost of operation is quite inexpensive.
Minimized wastage – using consumer portion control relative to food and an efficient on-site wormery managing compostable waste, are both examples of innovative ways to manage waste.
Embracing internal and external customer involvement and education pertinent to its green initiative/s, allows them to be encouraged or influenced to become environmentally conscious, enabling them to practice green habits.

Weaknesses

These are the limitations and negative situational factors that interfere with the company’s performance (Kotler, Makens, Baloglu and Bowen, 2017).

Import speed – according to the case study, AHR has pledged not to use air freight to import any of their products, but rather, do so via cargo boats. Airplanes are generally faster than boats, therefore, it will take more time to import the restaurant’s produce.
Menu seasonality – seasonality prevents familiarity on the customers’ part, as a result, more marketing would need to be conducted on the restaurant’s behalf in order to create awareness about these seasonal menus.

Opportunities

Refers to the favorable factors or trends in the external environment that the company may be able to exploit to its advantage (Kotler, Makens, Baloglu and Bowen, 2017).

Acorn House Trust – by training aspiring restaurateurs in environmental friendly restaurant management, these trainees can one day open their very own green restaurant houses and partner with AHR. Also, this initiative can attract funding from companies or persons that are environmentally conscious and supports AHR’s green efforts.
High customer equity – since the “green” trend is appealing to most persons today, AHR can tap into markets it has never explored before in a bid to grow its customer numbers.

Threats

The unfavorable external factors or trends that may present challenges to company’s performance (Kotler, Makens, Baloglu and Bowen, 2017).

Natural disasters – the occurrence of these destroy produce, in turn creating shortages. This therefore will create a challenge for both the AHR and its suppliers.
Seasonality – AHR can lose customers who may view this characteristic of their menus as inconsistent.

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Free SWOT-Analysis on a Free Topic

Contents

History
- Define Quality
- Quality Ethics
SWOT Analysis
Areas for Improvement

History

Give a one page description about the history of the company or product. The Company I selected was Surveygizmo. They provided digital services to fortune 1000 companies; it was founded in 2006 by Christian Vanek. From late 1999 to early 2000, big corporate shifted their way of doing survey from black and white to digital, as per founder Vanek, there were so many companies who were providing the feedback to clients for surveys but most of them were not real time.

Vanek saw the opportunity and initially started a real time data matrix survey. The difference between Gizmo results and other survey was how the data will change upon completion of the first question and what insight a company can have by looking at the filtered, executed info. Surveygizmo data matrix results helped companies in decision making, product adoption, and executing price point.

Today, Surveygizmo is providing their services in four different segments, these segments are made up of Design, Collect, Analyze and Integrate, and the users who access these results and analysis are subject matter experts, project managers, and project sponsors, internal and external stakeholders. With the help of Cloud computing it is even more effect for Surveygizmo to process the data and integrate the result though SalesForce channel, so it can be readily available for everyone, this in fact save time and cautions the companies for greater risk as well as prepares them to work more proficiently.

Define Quality

Provide a flow chart or description on how quality is valued and implemented within the organization or for the product. Provide reference to appendix of chart.

Quality can be defined in many ways, if the user’s requirements get met from any product or services, then that product of service can be called a quality product or service, hence quality is nothing but specific set of tasks or requirements which meet user’s need.

Quality is valued and impalement within the organization or for the product through specific chain of commands, these chain of commands are consist of Quality Management, this gets managed or executed by Quality management system. Though quality management system we exercise quality control or QC to make sure stake holder’s requirement are being met and give them assurance through quality assurance or QA, that we are responsible to maintain what was promised and what is being delivered for.

Implementation depends on 8 different channels,

first is to make sure what is the goal of the company,
Second channel is who is going to take a lead or leading the team towards the expected goal.
Third channel is what stake holders are going to work on?
Fourth is what process approach should be taken?
Fifth is what system should be use to manage the process management?
Sixth is how we can have continuo improvement?
Seventh is to make sure that whatever the decision is being made or taken, it all depends on facts and figure nothing is estimated or predicted and
the eight is how beneficial the existing relationship is within the clients either buyers or suppliers.

Once the quality is valued then management has to make sure that followed process is exercised the PCDA module, it helps the management to improvise and maintain the quality process.

Describe any quality problems the company may currently have. You may also want to describe quality problems they have had in the past and how they solved those issues. Surveygizmo currently facing issues of limited integrated tool, they can only integrate the data through SalesForce but if their client is using Microsoft Dynamic or Oracle or SAP, then we have to do third party integrated, and this actually take more time and process flow either gets interrupted or information gets lost. In order to solve this problem, they came up with the idea to have Single Sign on Page, so their clients can log on to their cloud servers and access the required results. Upon using the single sign on page, clients had to upload, processed and extract the data. This method improved the process performance at Surveygizmo end but client’s task got doubled. To elevate this Surveygizmo decided to come up with Surveygizmo application program interface (API). Because of API, logic & branching, reporting, pre-built project survey scripting can be integrated with any ERPs as well as CRM systems.

Describe management’s role/involvement in the quality of the company or product. Making changes in a company is not easy. The goal is to make a positive impact, quality tools should be assessed based on their effects on the business.

Some questions should be considered like:

Is the approach utilized in the real world?
Is the approach a correct fit for or adaptable to the business?
Does the approach deliver measurable results?
Does the approach address the root cause of problem?
Does the approach challenge the status quo?
Proven tools come from responding to economic, social and competitive challenges, ultimately, lasting changes to the firm will come from management profoundly understanding the business.

At Gizmo, I see the Deming’s 14 points where used and executed

Create constancy of purpose: Gizmo management was determined that they will solve all the hurdles, this is why even after 12 years now companies have some big name brand clients.
Adopt a new philosophy: When Vanek saw the old method is not working any more in companies favor, so he took 360 degree turn, and started building API
Cease mass inspection: Quality at source was practiced, management trusted and trained the newly hire work force, which not only built the API but also mentioned it for different platforms.
End awarding business on basis of price tag: Vanek decided instead of outsourcing the work, he hired the team of developers in-house and have them work for Gizmo; this eventually helped them to expand their services to next level.
Constantly improving the system: By having the team in-house Vanek were successfully kept on improving Gizmo and managed to open up three new Gizmo offices in three different states.
Institute training on the job: Vanek trained more people and had his current team to take more training course as per business related so they would become more professional in their line of work.
Improve leadership: Vanek hired Chief Operating Office Nichole Johnson.
Drive out Fear: Nicole drove out fear from Gizmo Developers and gave them free hand to improve and keep practicing until they get succeeded
Break down barriers between departments: Nicole centralized all the departments in one unit, this helped employees to get connect to one another on daily basis.
Eliminate Slogans: Vanek made sure that no one gets entitlement; instead he came up with the idea to break the teams in different category and have them work together under the same program but different projects.
Eliminate work standards: When Nicole centralized all the departments together, all the employees felt relieved because she also eliminated work standards.
Remove barriers to pride: At Gizmo, everyone was like colleague to each other, there was no one boss or subordinate, and everyone was treated equally with respect and honor.
Institute education and self-improvement: At Gizmo, Vanek used to send the software engineers for training to learn something new; this actually helped them out in improving themselves.
Put Everybody to Work: Vanek set the example by working on the floor with employees that everyone at Gizmo is being treated equally.

Describe how the company views and analyzes the customer needs. (Use the text for guidance when looking for questions you should be addressing). At Surveygizmo, all of their customers are corporation, to some extents there are some similarities between individual customers and corporations but the stakes are very high with corporate customers. Surveygizmo uses the CRM tool called SalesForce, to make sure that complaint resolutions have been taken in accounts and corrective actions been performed through internal and external provided feedback, as a result a Guarantee can be provided to clients that survey result will be 100%. Corrective actions are mostly based on gap analysis. Gap analysis identifies the difference between managerial and customer perceptions of what the customer wants.

As per text there are 5 stages of GAP analysis through which a company can analyzes the customer needs and can provide what customer is actually looking for.

First stage is, expected service versus management perception of consumer expectations,
second stage is management perceptions of consumer expectations versus service quality specs,
third stage is service quality specs versus service deliver,
fourth stage is service delivery versus external communication to customers, and fifth and
final stage is expected service versus perceived service.

Does the company use any leadership practices? If so explain. If they do not use any leadership practices what practices should be used. Leadership is a key strategic variable for quality management. A leader organizes, plans, controls, communicates, teaches, advises and delegates. Leadership is also the process by which a leader influences a group to move towards the attainment of super ordinate goals. Leadership must share its power with followers, as a result, leadership is about the sharing of power, and these powers take many forms for instance;

Power of expertise
Reward power
Coercive power
Referent power
Legitimate power

I think all leadership types discussed above are exercised at Surveygizmo, since they have board of directors who share the power of expertise, CEO, CFO, COO who have legitimate power and so on.

Define/discuss the organizational structure. Provide chart in appendix. Organizational structure varies from organization to organization, most common organization structure we usually found are functional, divisional, flatarchy and matrix. These structures further then divide as Projectile, Strong Matrix, and Balanced Matrix & Weak Matrix. These also depict whose has how much power. At Surveygizmo they have functional structure as it shows in the chart below;

Do teams exist in the company?
If so what type?

Explain. If not, what type of team(s) would best fit within the company? We see there are teams / departments exist at Survey Gizmo, we see the biggest team is of Customer Support is consist of 28 technical rep, followed by Sales team consist of 19 sales rep then followed by development team which is made up of 15 developers and then followed by Operations team, which is made of 10 professionals. All these teams have their own specific role and duties but they are responsible to respond back to COO Nicole and CEO David.

Does compensation and recognitions exist within the company? If so what type? Explain if you would suggest another method to motivate employees. Goals get provided to sales team at the beginning of every month, the more business they bring in, the more they can make on top of their base salary. Sales people earn more than developers there, and this is because these are bringing the business, but if we look at broader picture, the developers don’t really get much except hefty paycheck but I think either they should get a part of commission or they should get a pie of the company like should be offered to have common share, since I think without developers Surveygizmo cannot sustain or attain their goals.

Quality Ethics

Describe any ethical or unethical aspects of the company’s quality standards (most companies will not have negative ethical issues to report. So, discuss about the positive aspect). Surveygizmo is very Ethical Corporation, they provide paid holidays up to 14 weeks, and we as well as 4 weeks paid holiday for newly fathers. In terms of hiring talents, they are also very diverse and adapt a way provide ongoing training to employees so they can keep up with new technology so do the Surveygizmo, since without its employees, Surveygizmo cannot survive.

SWOT Analysis

Describe the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, the company or product has with the current quality standards (DO NOT provides me with the overall company SWOT analysis). They way company is running now is doing very good since the integration of API with third party applications and ERP systems, I see their strength of providing 40 difference services might be their weakness too.

What I think they should just focus on what are good at instead of having in house developers the best solution will be to provide services but rather have it done offshore or through third party. Amazon Web Services, Windows Dynamics can be call their leading competitors since Survey Gizmo are now providing the same services which these tech giants are. There are chances that Amazon might acquire Surveygizmo, to become a biggest player in this field too.

Areas for Improvement

Based on the information you have gathered, what improvements do you recommend for the organization in managing the quality of their product? BE SPECIFIC!!!

What measurements, tools, or methods, would you use to insure if the changes improved quality (use what you have learned from the text to answer this question)? This should be at least a page long!

The improvements which I will recommend to Surveygizmo is to have focus group when it comes to provide new services, they have to gather the feedback to make sure what clients are really looking for. Sometimes customers tend not to go back to the places where the services level is low. I think Surveygizmo should take a closer look at quality of service they provide, and should crunch the numbers and find what the pitfalls of reactive customer-driven quality are. They should actively solicited customer-feedback approaches.

I think they should more focus on Mobile surveys, impressions on surreys, advance reporting, data cleaning and export formats also making it sure and realizable for consumers and for clients. I think there sales departs should focus more on generating leads since now a day’s everywhere we shop, on receipt we see that company wants us to give them a feedback from Home Depots to Dunkin Donuts, everyone want to know how the customer services experience was? My recommendation for Surveygizmo will to be launch a service by which customers either can get points or get some kind of perks for completing the survey and these perks can be provided by companies for whom the survey is being done.

Another chunk of business I think Surveygizmo is missing is from the Government Agencies, I think they should approach federal and local government, since their all decision are based on data analytic, I think Surveygizmo can help them by providing their services, and this will be in return beneficial for Surveygizmo.

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Netflix Entertainment Corporation SWOT Analysis

Contents

Introduction
About Netflix Inc.
Introduction to the Issue
About the Issue
Description of Methodology
- Question
Findings
SWOT Analysis
Piracy
Market share
Channels of Distribution
Conclusions

Introduction

About Netflix Inc.

Netflix is an entertainment corporation that streams movies and shows through a number of devices, among of which are Televisions, X-Box’s, and PC’s. It was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. The current CEO of Netflix is Reed Hastings. Netflix began as a company that placed its focus on DVD rentals and sales. The company began to be more notable during the mid 2000s when its business model shifted in 2007 to include streaming media. Netflix began in the United States, but over the years it has expanded to over 190 countries. As of the current moment, Netflix is the 6th largest corporation based off revenue. It has a net worth of more than $100 Billion.

Introduction to the Issue

Towards the second half of 2017, Disney stated that they would be merging with 21st Century Fox. The merger is considered to be one of the largest entertainment merger. Disney and Fox have original content that they are noted for. The two corporations provided Netflix the ability to stream their content for a number of years; however, because of the recent merger, the corporations stated that they would retract their contents from Netflix. Among the noted content to be removed from Netflix include the Marvel Series, a number of Netflix Kids series.The reason behind the removal of content is because Disney desires to expand to have their own streaming source that would be for Disney and Fox content. Additionally, Disney expressed their desire to have the streaming source.

About the Issue

Because of the merger between Disney and Fox, many believe that there will be a change in the manner in which the consumer will access content. Additionally, many have expressed concern that the influence of Netflix will die down. Netflix itself has stated that there is little to worry about that and they will maintain their dominance.

Description of Methodology

Throughout this Internal Assessment, mainly secondary sources were used. The information was obtained from reliable media outlets. The outlets ranged from business-centered, news, and entertainment. The purpose of each article was to understand how the merger will affect Netflix. To properly critic the likely effects that the merger will have, I will be using a SWOT Analysis, Market Share, and Channels of Distribution.

Question

To what extent will Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox affect Netflix?

Findings

“Netflix is staring at higher content costs as Disney and Fox hold merger talks.”

Michelle Castro reported that the costs for a Netflix subscription will rise because of funding needed to produce more original content as Disney and Fox will be retracting their content from Netflix. Netflix’s market share is liable to decrease as the conglomerate will produce their own platform. As a by-product of the merger talks, Netflix announced that it would increase its spending to up to $8 Billion for its original content. Netflix views the possibility of retracted content as good because the excessive content result in “a whole lot of clutter”.

“Disney-Fox Merger Gives The Mouse Everything It Needs To Fight Netflix.”

Merrill Barr of Forbes reports that The Disney and Fox deal is worth at least $50 Billion. He also discloses the fact that Disney will procure their own streaming platform, OTT. By producing their own platform, Disney will retract content from Netflix. Notable Disney content includes Marvel and The Simpsons,. Additionally, Disney would have a significant hold in the market as they would have a 60% stake in Hulu after the merger.

“What Netflix Thinks About the Disney-Fox Merger.”

The merger allows Disney to combine their content with Fox’s studio which is forecasted to have a long term effect on the entertainment industry; however, it is reported that Netflix doesn’t see the merger as a threat, the company sees the merger as harmful as Hulu, which isn’t much. Netflix stated that they understood that other companies would tighten the usage of their content and as a result they planned accordingly, by making long-term contracts and producing original content.

“Disney Acquires 21st Century Fox, and the Result Could Change Streaming Forever.”

Angela Watercutter notes that the Disney and Fox merger is one of the largest mergers, with regards to the history of media. Watercutter went on to state that Disney’s plans for its streaming service to be “cheaper than Netflix”. The platform would hold the majority of the Fox and Disney content, especially the memorable content such as X-Man and Star Wars. By retracting their content from other streaming platforms, the market will be “fragmented”. As a result, who ever grabbed the market will be formidable as consumers stay on their chosen platform for a long period of time.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths
Weaknesses
Large share of the market
Positive corporate image
Large number of investors
Content is being retracted
Possible failed projects
Shared accounts cause subscription to decrease
Opportunities
Threats
Own content
International Market
Other streaming platforms can take their market share
Increased competition would
cause interest in them to die out.
High licensing rights causes corporations to try to find other platforms

Piracy

This SWOT Analysis of Netflix Inc., its is not incomprehensive that Netflix is currently not worried about the merger between 21st Century Fox and Disney as they maintain dominance even with consideration of the possible risks that the corporation faces. With regards to the “threats” of the company, Netflix has planned according by increasing the funding to produce original content. Because it currently has utter dominance with regards to streaming platforms, it will take a number of years before Netflix will worry about the platform that Disney plans to release.

Additionally, because of the convenience that Netflix has and positive brand image, Netflix’s share in the market will likely remain with them because of the strong consumer loyalty that corporation management to build. It is necessary to note that Disney’s platform may have features that are more desirable to consumers which would result in the corporation gaining a majority in the market share; however, that is not a particularly feasible idea at the moment as Disney has not procured a plan for their platform to the general public.

Market share

The first Pie Graph lists the OTT findings from 2017 for streaming platforms. The graph notes that Netflix has 40% of the market, this share is more than the combined share of Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon. Netflix Inc. has exponentially increased its market share over the last 2 decades until the current moment of which Netflix Inc. has the greatest share by large. As a result, it is no wonder why Netflix does not feel shaken by the merger between Disney and 21st Century Fox.

The second Pie Graph is a record of the market share of the six major film studios (Walt Disney, Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, Paramount Picture, 21st Century Fox, and Sony/Columbia Pictures). The graph portray the significant share of the market that Fox and Disney hold. The combined share that Disney will have after the merger is roughly 28.13% of the market. That share is still greater than the combined share of its next two competitors, Sony/Columbia Pictures and Warner Bros. Since Fox and Disney are major content holders, they have a chunk of the market.

It is vital to understand how Disney and Netflix both have dominance of the market in their specific ares. Analysts note that when Disney transfers to the streaming market it will affect the media industry for years to come, based on whether it succeeds or not, as it will set precedence for other film studios to transfer to streaming their own content.

Channels of Distribution

The Channel of Distribution portrays how Disney content goes from the corporation to the General Public. Since the corporation does not currently have its own streaming platform, it has to have a medium of which allows it access to the public. Mediums Disney has used include Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon. Disney was to disrupt this chain as the formation of its own streaming platform will allow it unrestricted access to its consumers.

Conclusions

For Disney, the acquisition of 21st century is a positive instance as it would allow the corporation dominance as it will have a greater market share. Furthermore, the impact of competitors is lowered. This would allow the corporation to focus on expanding its market. In the long run, there are a number of possible negatives of the merger for Disney. Some of the negative effects include the possibility of a lowered trust in the corporation as history has shown that when corporations become megalomaniac, the general public tends to have less favorable views on the company and brand.

Following the merger, Disney has to appropriately deal with possible damage to their corporate image. While all of this is happening, Netflix is viewing the merger is inconsequential to themselves and is actually “welcoming competition. Reasons behind Netflix’s stance include the fact that the corporation has the most investors, largest market share, and a loyal consumer base. As a result, the corporation has little regard for the

merger. Although there are a number of downsides that Netflix faces, such as: loss of content, increased cost of subscription, increased competition, and a “fragmented” market, the dominance depicted by the corporation always these issues to remain as a concern for the future as opposed to the present.

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Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide Behavior

Contents

The Economic Theory of Suicide and strong economic supports intervention
The interpersonal theory of suicide and Community-based intervention.
Psychological Theory of Suicide and involuntary commitment

We born, we live, and we died. Death is the final part of life, we have no power over death. Nevertheless, some death can be avoided; death we deem preventable through various intervention like suicide. According to the CDC, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death among Americans, with a fatality of 45,000, double the rate of homicide in the United States and an estimate of 1.3 million attempts in 2016.

According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24 and results in approximately 4,600 lives lost each year. Suicide is prevalent amount male than women, 81 percent of suicide that leads to death were male and 19 percent female. It also states that suicide is predominant amount Native American and Hispanic youth.

Suicide affects people of all economics status race and ethnics group. Nonetheless, studies have shown that suicide is more prevalent amount those with low social economic status than those with a high social economic status. Suicide does not always happen on impulse there are sign a social factor that contributes to suicide. The factors that might contributed to suicide include Depression, other mental disorders, or substance abuse disorder, certain medical conditions, chronic pain, A prior suicide attempt, Family history of a mental disorder or substance abuse, Family history of suicide, Family violence, including physical or sexual abuse, Having guns or other firearms in the home, Having recently been released from prison or jail, Being exposed to others' suicidal behavior, such as that of family members, peers, or celebrities.

Losing a loved one can be very a very traumatic experience for both the family and the community. The loss of a loved one leaves an emptiness that no one can fill. Losing them through suicide can be even more devastating, not only does it leave a hole, it leaves family, friends, and the community with more questions then answers. In the quest for answers, we come up with various theory to explain the reason behind suicide; the economic theory of suicide, the interpersonal theory of suicide, and the Psychological Theory of Suicide.

The Economic Theory of Suicide and strong economic supports intervention

Each theory partially answers questions about the possible reason someone might decide to end their own life. The Economic Theory of suicide focuses on the alleged economic factors might impact a person to commit suicide; unemployment, high amount of debt, a change in economic status. We are living in a materialistic society where success can be measured by material position, it is no wonder that financial strain can be very stressful on individuals and family. Studies have shown suicide rate tends to increase for an older adult during a long period of unemployment, economic recession, and financial hardship. The suicide behavior of older people is significantly more sensitive to variation in unemployment the younger people, (Rose, you have used a direct quote from the article without attributing it to the authors. You should have used quotation marks and the page number.) Hamermesh & Soss,2001. The article was written in 1974 but copyrighted in 2001.

Several programs have been put to place to answer to economics’ hardship through the strengthening economic supports intervention. The strengthen economic supports intervention approach intel program like TANF, (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families,) Medicare and Medicaid, Affordable housing, Rent stabilization, and other. These interventions have shown to be helpful in preventing and reducing suicide. These programs improve individuals and their family’s quality of life by providing financial relief, medical coverage, and housing stabilization and by reducing stress due to financial hardship.

The interpersonal theory of suicide and Community-based intervention.

The interpersonal theory of suicide gave some explanation about suicide force factor that could push someone to commit suicide. It highlights having the capability to engage in suicidal behavior is separate from having the desire to engage in suicidal behavior, The theory state the most dangerous form of suicidal desire is caused by the coexisting presence of two societal concepts, thwarted belongingness, a psychologically-painful mental state that results when the fundamental need for connectedness is unmet and perceived burdensomeness, mental state characterized by apperceptions that others would “be better off if I were gone,” which manifests when the need for social competence is unmet.

Unlike the economic theory of suicide, which only focuses on economic factors, the Interpersonal theory analyzes several social and psychological forces that might boost someone desire to commit suicide; Mental disorders, Previous suicide attempts, Social isolation, physical illness, unemployment, family conflict, childhood abuse, homelessness, and incarceration. The theory test four hypothesis and came up with the conclusion prevention efforts targeting thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness may be effective in reducing suicide.

Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness are proximal and sufficient causes of passive suicidal ideation.
The simultaneous presence of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, when perceived as stable and unchanging (i.e., hopelessness regarding these states), is a proximal and sufficient cause of active suicidal desire.
The simultaneous presence of suicidal desire and lowered fear of death serves as the condition under which suicidal desire will transform into suicidal intent. 4
The outcome of serious suicidal behavior (i.e., lethal or near-lethal suicide attempts) is most likely to occur in the context of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness (and hopelessness regarding both), reduced fear of suicide, and elevated physical pain tolerance.

Taking the Interpersonal theory into consideration community-based intervention to suicide that focuses on strengthening economic supports, strengthen access and delivery of suicide care, create the protective environment, promote connectedness, teach coping and problem-solving skills, Identify and support people at risk, and, lessen harms and prevent future risk. An intervention that would help promote individual, family, and community care by empowering them through various program.

National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is an example of programs put in place to promote access to mental health services in the underserved community. The NHSC provides financial incentives to attract mental/behavioral health clinicians to open a mental health clinic in underserved areas. Making mental health treatment more accessible in low-income community. Under the new health care law, mental health treatment is covered under all insurance provider.

Telemental Health provides mental health remotely with technology, it helps individuals to have access to a range of mental health conditions without the inconvenience of traveling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free telemental health service that personal provides emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress at all time across the United States. They have a network of over 150 local crisis centers with custom local care and resources. (Source?)

Community engagement activities such as religious activities, community clean-up, and greening activities, and peer mentoring can reduce the risk of suicide. Having individuals involved in the community will reduce isolation, promote relationship amount neighbor, and programs like peer mentoring have proven effective in promoting self-worth, enhancing self-esteems amount to the youth population and reduce suicide. (Source?)

Recognizing the sign that someone might be considering suicide can be a major factor in preventing suicide and getting them the help, they need. The gateway program might be handy for a community with a high suicide rate. The gateway program is suicide prevention program that trains teachers and other school official, emergency responders, primary and urgent care providers, and others in the community to identify people who may be at risk of suicide and recognizing the sign of suicidal behavior and connect individuals to available resources. (Source?)

Psychological Theory of Suicide and involuntary commitment

Psychological Theory of Suicide suggests that suicide can be understood in the context of three dimensions: (1) thwarted belongingness, (2) perceived ineffectiveness and resultant burdensomeness on others, and (3) an acquired capability for suicide (Smith, 2010.) (This is an exact quote from an article. You need to put it in quotation marks and write the author and page number. Additionally, this article is not listed in your reference section.) This theory adds acquired capability for suicide to the interpersonal theory on suicide. Acquired capability for suicide is when individuals no longer fear death, individuals no longer react to life-threatening or painful situations with a substantial self-preservation. This condition can when individuals are constantly exposed to painful and challenging life events.

Those with previous attempts and individuals going through chronic illness, mental or physical illness, are at greater risk of becoming desensitized with the idea of committing suicide. At this stage, an involuntary commitment might be the ideal approach to prevents suicide. This option takes away an individual’s right to refuse mental treatment. All states have laws and procedures for ensuring that patients with psychiatric illness can be involuntarily evaluated or committed to a psychiatric facility. In all cases, the individual’s right is revoked, for they are considered a risk for themselves or other.

Suicide is a major health concern, people commit suicide for various reasons, to each their own. Some reasons might be deemed unreasonable, for they can be resolved through various interventions. The stressor can be diminishing diminished or reduced, and quality of life can be restored. Nevertheless, for those living with certain chronic illness (incomplete sentence). Those that are it constrain who are constrained by excruciating pain, those treatments can no longer improving quality of life. As a society should we still be duty bound to prevent those individuals from ending their suffering?

Everyone deserves the right to died with dignity. Not all suicide is unreasonable, someone living with constant pain and have no hope for improvement should be allowed to considered suicide as a treatment option. It should be part of palliative care, focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. When someone with serious illness and that is experiencing constant pain want to end their life instead of involuntary committing them as a society, we should respect their decision. Not to be misunderstood, we should not provide them with the tools to end their life.

We have the right to die for our country, too die to protect someone else life. Why can we have the right to die for our own self-preservation? The responsible way to explore the ideology of individuals with chronic illnesses to take their own life is to make it part of their care. Under the extreme condition of chronic illness, patients who decide to commit suicide should be provided with a team of experts to ensure of their physical, psychological, social, spiritual and cultural needs are meet and helps the patient’s family and caregiver to come to term with the patient’s decision.

Patient should be first provided with psychosocial therapy and family. If a patient still wants to commit suicide, a team of experts should explore the safe suicidal option. To Through various teaching and therapy, patients should get a better understanding of their decision’s impact on their family, friends, and caregiver. A team of experts should help the patient developing a plan of action. Nevertheless, I do not believe in assisted suicide, a patient who wants to commit suicide should do it on their own, should secure their own diminishing tools.

Making suicide as part of the care option for people with severe chronic illness would allow the patient and the family time to grieved together. It would answer questions that only the patient can. It would allow patients, family, and friends the opportunity to say goodbye to each other. It would reduce the survivor guilt associated with the sudden suicide attempt, it would help the family to work together to the layer of the psychological and emotional issue with their loved one prior of to ending their life.

Losing a loved one through suicide can be emotionally devasting for both family and friend. It Can bring forth feelings of shock, anger, guilt, despair, confusion and feeling of rejection. Nevertheless, suicide in most cases can be avoided by knowing the signs of suicide. Various interventions has have proven very effective in reducing suicide and promote promoting quality of life. For those suffering from severe chronic pain, government officials along with a healthcare provider should consider designing a guideline for suicide as a care option.

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Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide Behavior. (2022, Feb 07). Retrieved November 2, 2025 , from
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Suicide and Depression of the Transgender Universe

Imagine waking up and not feeling equal to what you see in the mirror. How you are on the inside is the complete opposite of what’s reflected back to you. Now imagine trying to use the bathroom that` equates with what you identify as and who you are and being turned out because who you are is making others uncomfortable. Well I just described to you how 10% of just youth (The Williams Institute) or 150,000 children, feel everyday when they are forced to go to school and use the bathroom that doesn’t reflect what they identify as. 62.1% (Human Rights Campaign) of those 150,000 kids are reporting mental health struggles daily.

As a result of these feelings of not being supported and feeling alone, 41.8% (Human Rights Campaign) of that 150,000 children attempted suicide. But this can be turned around. These statistics of mental health woes and suicide attempts can be lowered. But it starts with changes to our schools. Gender neutral bathrooms need to be installed for the safety of the world’s youth, and to show that they are cared for. Even though many citizens feel these restrooms are not cost efficient, schools should contain gender neutral bathrooms because they would lower mental health issues in trans children, would help stop trans oppression, and they would help normalize being part of the LGBTQ+ community by breaking down stereotypes.

To start with, multiple studies have led to prove that transgender and gender nonconforming youth suffer through depression and other mental health issues more when not supported in their community. Gender-neutral bathrooms would help that 62.1% (Human Rights Campaign) of trans youth lessen their suffering. But a big issue is that; many adults and parents belittle a transgender youth’s true feelings on a much deeper level. For many trans kids, this doubt and belittlement usually takes the form of parents saying that this is all a phase or even sending their kids to conversion therapy. (EYNKADOTPB). When schools, parents, and communities start to disregard or make less importance of their child or students feelings and brush-off someone's identity, then it’s a perfect recipe for an unsupportive environment. Dr. Hansel Arroyo, director for the CTMS at Mount Sinai Medical even stated that; 'This isn't necessarily new data.

Transgender youth and adults have higher rates of mood disorders, like depression and anxiety.' He added that transgender people also have a much higher rate of suicide than people who correlate with their designated gender and are heterosexual (Health Day). But this hard path for transgender youth can be avoided; “ Socially transitioned transgender children who are supported in their gender identity have developmentally normative levels of depression and only minimal elevations in anxiety, suggesting that psychopathology is not inevitable in this group.” (MHTGNYCWTP). If a school, university, or even a local restaurant started installing gender neutral bathrooms, kids and young adults would understand that they are not alone, and shouldn’t be ashamed of who they are. Gender-neutral bathrooms would make kids feel comfortable with themselves, which bring me to my next point.

Having these non-gender restrooms in our schools can help stop trans oppression. Without schools showing their LGBTQ+ support or just simply being bystanders is contributing to trans oppression. Schools and communities cannot say they are in favor of something but not show any actions supporting that. And what better place to start than the restrooms? Using the restrooms is the “great equalizer in all of us” said by trans activist Janet Mock, and imagine having that basic right turned against you, just because of the way you look? “In the Jim Crow era, bathrooms—along with water fountains and lunch counters—were places that were marked with “white only” signs.” (EYNKADOTPB), and when you think about the Jim Crow era and what’s happening now, the unfortunate reality is that both of these situations aren’t that different. But change is already starting to happen in one of New Jersey’s neighboring states; Vermont; Lawmakers in the state of Vermont passed a bill recently that will require all single-user bathrooms in public buildings and other public places to be marked as gender-neutral. (Vermont passes gender-neutral bathroom bill). Change is possible, as proven by Vermont, but we first have to take the first step of action.

Although many local and global citizens feel that gender-neutral bathrooms in schools would not be a smart way to spend money, schools should contain gender neutral bathrooms because the bathrooms would lower mental health disorders, end trans oppression, and non-gendered bathrooms would help to stop trans stereotypes. The biggest hurdle is the mass amount of fear of the unknown due to the lack of education. But evidence shows that change can happen, but only if we are all willing and lenient. All that is needed is to show your pride and support. Once again, imagine waking up and not feeling equal to what you see in the mirror. How you are on the inside is the complete opposite of what’s reflected back to you. Now imagine using the bathroom that conforms to your identity, and feeling confident in who you are. Imagine being loved, supported, and accepted by your community.

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Suicide and Depression of the Transgender Universe. (2022, Feb 07). Retrieved November 2, 2025 , from
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Causes of Suicide Among Soldiers

TBI is another area I have researched. Currently, the Veterans Administration (VA) has treated about 100,000 troops as well as providing care, assistance, or counseling for over another 500,000 troops1. The number of veterans is constantly increasing from Viet Nam including Iraq and Afghanistan.

TBI does not necessarily happen immediately after the encounter. It can take years to become active in this mental disorder. The United States (U.S.) has been involved in combat operations since our revolution war. In these wars, there have been a tremendous number of causalities for the price of freedom. Besides these combat causalities, many of the survivors have suffered from what we call today as TBI.

Along with these mental issues, some have gone as far as committing suicide. Today there is 22 military personnel committing Suicide every day2 Publisher International Literature on Traumatic stresses using the PILOTS, MEDLINE, or PsycLIT models. At this point, each document was submitted to the team members for final comments. Many comments came back using a standardized method and using the rating system.

Every comment for the guidelines was discussed in open meetings to hopefully generate additional questions and ideas.

Once everyone in the group agreed what the clinician’s need is entered in the treatment plan and were put into use by various clinics.

Hoge C. W, McGurk D, Thomas JL, Cox AL, Engel CC, Castro CA.
Defense of Defense (DoD), 2000 and 2011, Report to Congress Journal of Medicine.. 2008;358(5):453–463. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa072972

Thomas undertook a very large project comparing several sources of data for those having been diagnosed with TBI or both1 It is estimated that over 2 million military personnel have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan from 2000 and 2011. The VHA as spent $2 billion (in 2011 dollars) in the fiscal year 2011 and the cost keeps rising.

The VHA has also spent over $48 billion dollars for a combined Viet Nam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars or conflicts. There have been an estimated number of Mild traumatic brain injury in U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq.

TBI cases of 212,742 between 2000 and 2011 was reported by the Defense of Defense (DoD).

Veteran’s Brain Injury Center within the DoD has categorized the TBI cases as ranked as mild, moderate, or severe.

Through research, the Viet Nam war saw the documentation for TBI:

About 58,000 American servicemen died in Viet Nam
More than 64,000 Viet Nam vets have committed Suicide
Over 300,000 military people were wounded with 75 percent being severely disabled.
Since the war, more than 180,000 Viet Nam vets have been arrested. About 58,000 American servicemen died in Viet Nam.1

reported by the Defense of Defense (DoD)

More than 64,000 Viet Nam vets have committed Suicide.1
Over 300,000 military people were wounded with 75 percent severely disabled.
Since the war, more than 500,000 Viet Nam vets have been arrested with about 180,000 incarcerated.
The divorce rate of Viet Nam vets is estimated to be 90%4
Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch and the Theater Medical Data is about 90%,
More than 700,000 Viet Nam vets suffer from emotional problems.4
As noted through my research, that there are several different events that have a life-threatening situation. Over the past couple of decades there has been a steady increase in military personnel reporting that they have PTSD:
More than 700,000 Viet Nam vets suffer from emotional problems.
Currently, there is not a cure for PTSD/TBI. Provide treatment allowing the soldier to live a quality life based on their PTSD or TBI5.. Due to the number of PTSD and TBI cases, there has been a lot of research performed on these mental diseases, however, we are only at the beginning. The Rand Report was submitted to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for their use of assessing the numbers of, and PTSD and TBI cases.
Defense of Defense (DoD), 2000 and 2011, Report to Congress

The VHA has identified 163, head injury, this usually results in an early and timely manner of detection of TBI. Admitting that these numbers are very high and concerning, however, these numbers do not include from 2012 to present.

The VHA has identified 163,181 cases as mild TBI, which are also referred to as a concussion. Based on the obvious and its visible nature of the head injury, it usually results in an early and timely manner of detection. Admitting that these numbers are very high and concerning, however, these numbers do not include data from 2012 to present data.6 In support, the Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies age (BDISTS), (1997) agrees with the researchers’ methods.

Thus far, we have only started to uncover underlying principles and the nature of one’s behavior of those having TBI. This obsession with how the human works, stretches back over the past hundred thousand years. Since around the 1880s and in order to better understand the behavior of the brain it was identified through the science of psychology.

Over the past few decades, research has learned more about how the brain functions. TBI victims go through various aggressive structures that produce chemical changes in how the brain works.

Rand Report Afghanistan and Iraq Rand Report (2007)
Rand report to the Department of Defense (DoD), Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (BDISTS), (1997).

Through his works, Sigmund Freud developed an understanding of the brain through his model, Heart (2000). Freud later developed the first integrated model called the “comprehensive model of human behavior.

In the 70s and ’80s, a paradigmatic change occurred through uses involving the brain. This led to the cognitive behavioral therapy model. War is a very costly endeavor in more ways than we have ever thought. One of the costlier causalities is that military personnel who have and will keep living with a lesser quality of life due to PTSD. In addition, the government has recently classified TBI as a psychiatric disorder that is generated by a traumatic event or an injury to the head. The severity of an event that guides one to have TBI creates a pathway for a traumatic event to occur.

TBI is a major problem mostly seen in combat-related situations. TBI is also one of the common issues causing, death, disability, and the financial cost to our public.

Despite most people’s thoughts, TBI research has shown that all neurological damage does not actually occur now for those persons who have experienced a head injury. This can happen to an person with either a closed or penetrating head injury. In fact, all neurological damage does not occur.

TBI evolves over the next several hours or days after the injury. The results of various research have not provided a cure; however, they have helped develop additional theories, new instruments, treatments, and pharmaceuticals. TBI is still not a curable mental health condition.

Rand report to the Department of Defense (DoD), Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (BDISTS), (1997).

As a result of the research efforts, “there has been a dramatic increase in clinical practice guidelines with subsequent reports showing improvement in patient care and a reduction in medical time and cost”, Fisher (1982). The ‘TBI study was intensified after a national study documented considerable variability in the management of patients with severe TBI, (Fisher, 1982)..

The cost of treatment for those having TBI is between 25 to 30 billion dollars (in 2011 dollars). However, there have been some advancements in clinical success.7 In the 1950”s, many TBI patients died from the medication regiment while treating the patients. Advancements in the medication regiments have decreased the number of deaths in TBI patients due to their medication regiments.

Those patients suffering from a TBI event need additional research for brain injuries as conducted, the patients went through a spontaneous recovery phase. This research noted that there is nothing else the Clinicians could do to minimize the TBI symptoms and models. Therefore, any treatment advances for the patient stopped or they stayed on the original medication treatment plan. Also, in the 1950s, many of the TBI patients died due to the initial medical treatment plans. Clinicians soon realized that a brain injury is in a permanent condition. Some of the clinicians observed that the brain injury was in a permanent condition, the clinicians stopped treatment.

Rand report to the Department of Defense (DoD), Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (BDISTS), (1997).

TBI (continued) through the improvement of exploring additional research and technology improvements, such as CT scans and MRIs, etc. Using the data obtained from these advancements resulted in improved treatment plans.

Summary

As noted in my research, there are several different events that have a life-threatening issue. Over the past couple of decades, there has been a steady increase in military personnel reporting that they have TBI. To date, there is not a cure for PTSD or TBI. Different treatments have some effect on military personnel who were evaluated; however, this is only a little help and is focused on having the patient being able to live with the ability to handle people and crowds.

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Causes of Suicide Among Soldiers. (2022, Feb 07). Retrieved November 2, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2022/02/

Machine Commits Suicide: Suicide Study

Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
Support Vector Machine
Logistic Regression(LR)
Result
Support vinctor machine
Logistic regression
Conclusion
Reference

Abstract

Suicide is a big cause of death, we can say this is a premature and preventable. It outlines the cross-country disparities and the rate of suicide patterns in different countries between 1985 to 2016 respectively. Data are form the World Health Organization (2018). This show that suicides rates differ widely from country to country, often within the same region or at similar levels. The findings indicates that over ninety percent variations in suicide rates is due to variations between countries. But this paper does include a basic review of paper suicide rate 1985 to 2016 recorded dataset which is based on three technique machine learning methods, K-Nearest Neighbours, (SVM)support vector Machine and (LR)logistic Regression.

Introduction

In period of rapid growth of the IT, we can get information through social sites how many people are dying through different cases. So evidence indicates [1], mental illness is the greatest risk factor for suicide and that more than ninety percent-suicidal people have psychiatric or addiction disorders. Depression one of the most common illness among suicide, and hundred and thousand of people approximately 60 percent of people suffering from this disease. But one of disease which is know as mental illness is enough for suicide. Because of even more suicide e.g, mental illness, martial breakdown, economic problem, physical health declining, a big loss or missing the social support. This data set lists the current figures suicide rate, many looking and difference class, age and martial status. The principal source of data is suicide rate overviews in different years.

This paper analyses a dataset focused on knowledge about suicide rate summary and strengthens the irrational data collection. On the dataset, three methods of ML were used to construct various models, and then compare the expected outcomes of three methods.

The work material of related literature is added in section II. The data collection is explored in greater detail in section III. The ML approach to dataset is introduced and discussed in section

Literature Review

The research comprised thousand of subjects from the 1985 till 2016 [2], NHS Service sample dataset. Thedataset was split at random into two different training and validation grouping, improving the efficiency of suicide predictions, we applied SVM, machine learning and LR.

Andrea Cipriani, John Geddes has discussed on the machine learning algorithms. Used patient reported data from depressed patients from level 1 of sequenced care approaches to depression relief. And features detection that was most predictive outcome of treatment. And used those variables to train a ML model for clinical remission prediction.

From thousand of patient reportable variable, we found 25 variables that were the most of the predictive treatment.

Dataset_Description_And Preparations:

A: The dataset descriptions:

The select of dataset was got from [3], Kaggle website. Which was gathered and analysed during worldline and machine learning research collaboration on suicides rate globally in different countries. it contains overview of different years from 1985 to 2015 how many people are dying which age and gender. This dataset presents suicides rate that occurred 1985 to 2015. This dataset is seriously shockable. A total of 961 cases included of which died in different years in different countries. but the ratio of both gender female and male suicide rate same 50 percent of all records. I order to protect the all information of suicides rates in different age like 15 to 24 years of age approximately 17 percent and 35 to 54 age same ratio but the other age people died ratio was 67 percent. The format of the dataset is show in Table 1. Features country, year, sex, age, suicide no, population, suicides/100k pop, country, HDI(Human Develop Index) for year, gdp(Gross Domestic Product)for year, gdp per capita, generation(different),

In this dataset to, five highest countries suicides declare which is Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Russian, Hungary and Belarus.

B: Preparation of Data:

First we do a basic transaction analysis. Fig 1, illustrate that the class function has a significant disparity in the dataset. Using the dataset directly can result in algorithms to learn machines that do not produce valid results on real data.

So now this data is showing different age of people died due to suicide cases in different countries so you can see given below. a suicide attempt cases in different years so y aixs showing gdp per capita(A measure of the economic performance of a country which accounts for its numbers of citizens. This separates the gross domestic product of the country by the population at large.) and x_axis showing to generation in this generation group include generation x, silent, GI generation, Boomers, generation Z, Millenials.

As we can notice from fig.2., such as age, GDP, gender and group. Some of conclusion which can be reached here.

No correlation between GDP and suicide rate.

Experimental Setup:

All of this paper algorithms are written in the python programming language. Simultaneously, a range of scientific computing libraries like etc, are used. The project end up working on a ubuntu 18.04.3, and VM ware virtual machine on a window dell laptop and all of used kits can be installed fast and easily through 2019.10 version of Anaconda.

The research adopts three methods of supervised machine learning:

Support Vector Machine
K-Nearest Neighbours
Logistic Regression
K-Nearest Neighbours:

One of the simplest methods for, pattern classification is the k nearest neighbours rule. Nonetheless, it is also produce favourable outcomes, and in some cases, if intelligently paired with pervious knowledge,

Its aim is to use a database, where the data points are divided into several classes to predict a new sample point being categorised. KNN is used to calculate the difference between the various eigenvalues. E.g, two points are p,q. formula will compute the distance d.

In classification problem, the selection of the k(which they chose neighbours) value is important.if k value is too small then the noise part will be around. This will have a more pronounced effect. If value of K is big value. Its similar to forecasting an instance of training in wider neighbourhood. And maximum error will occur.

A normal approach is to use the test set to estimate classifier error rates starting from k=1. Repeat this process, each time K increments by 1. So due to this method error will be occur little bit.

Support Vector Machine

SVM is a model of two forms. The basic model of linear classifier with the greatest interval specified in the space of the function. The average time distinguish this from the perceptron. SVM requires nuclear technologies, too. SVM learning approach is to optimise the time interval. Which can be formalised as a convex quadratic programming problem. This is also equal to minimizing regularised loss function of the hinge. The example of linear separation and non linear separation using the kernel shown in the fig. 3. and fig.4.

Logistic Regression(LR)

Contrary to linear regression, the two class problem can be sloved well by logistic regression. LR [7], is a classification algorithm for ML, which is used to estimate a categorial dependent variables likelihood. The dependent variable in LR is a binary variable containing data encoded as either 1(yes) or 0(failure). Or put it another way, p(y=1) is predicted. A function of X by the LR model.

This will contain only the relevant variables.

Logistic regression includes sample size very large.

While using a LR algorithm, various functions for different problems need to be built. Three type of function mostly use in logistic regression which are hypothetical Function, cost function and Activation function.

The hypothetical function LR method is as follow.
X is input value and (?) is parameter.

The cost function generally expressed:

Several iteration of the gradient descent algorithm and the function of reduce value is continually less. And eventually, you can obtain the desired model result.

But we cannot analysed the whole of the problem in LR.

Result

K nearest neighbours

The dataset processed by x aixs year and y axis on sucides/100k. The KNN model is being trained using scikit-learn default K Neighbour classifier process.

Illustration.6. shows K Nearest Neighbour model output for different k values from 1985 to 2016 on data collection. It can be shows that if the k value goes up from 1985 to 1994 suicides rate and ended in 1995. But with the passage of time the suicide rate is slowly decreasing till 2015 but again increasing in 2016.

Support vinctor machine

We use a scikit-learn library model classifier supported by support victor machine. The test collection contains all of the suicides/100k pop data after index 1985 to 2016. we have equipped two models in SVM. It contains all of the features and the other contains only the top different values with the highest absolute value of a combination of correlation. Fig.7 represent the suicide rate overview which is data collected in different country according to different years.

Logistic regression

we did raw data functional regression preparation. It seems that the relationship between GDP and suicide rate is not obvious. Nonetheless, one thing is here the over this time the GDP is gradually increasing. Illustration 8 is a LR ROC curve on the original dataset.

Conclusion

Overall, dataset of suicide rate aren’t very complex to practise. So, we are not doing a lot of preprocessing data research. Because of a number of transaction have different in dataset like we compute different years from 1985 to 2016 process on valid transaction, different methods of machine learning can have a various effect on model building.

I did work on three ML algorithm and got a good result. One of the best algorithm is KNN on this dataset and the main part of the KNN is finding a right K value.

SVM one of the other best algorithm which we can a good result. But here in this paper, it is easier to pick only 10 function with the highest value of the analytics function than to use all the functions.

In LR, we got a result yet there was incredibly disparity in the number of instance between different features. This can lead to overfitting of models.

Reference

(2020) [online] available from [4 April 2020]
(2020) available from [4 April 2020]
Suicide Rates Overview 1985 To 2016 (2020) available from [4 April 2020]
Analysis Of Suicide Dataset Via 10 Questions (2020) available from [4 April 2020]
(2020) [online] available from [5 April 2020]
Keller, J., Gray, M. and Givens, J. (2020) A Fuzzy K-Nearest Neighbor Algorithm [online] available from [5 April 2020]
Building A Logistic Regression In Python, Step By Step (2020) available from [5 April 2020]

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Machine Commits Suicide: Suicide Study. (2022, Feb 07). Retrieved November 2, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2022/02/

The Suicide Crisis of our Veterans is Heartbreaking

Clay Hunt grew up in Houston, TX. He was friendly, a good athlete, and the girls really liked

the nice-looking young man. He was a team sports type guy, especially baseball and football. After finishing high school Hunt started college, but in 2005 decided he wanted to be a Marine instead. His test scores were so good he could have been an officer. Being the team player that Clay was, he declined. He was happy to be infantry.

Hunt was sent to Iraq. A few weeks into his tour his bunkmate and good friend was killed by a roadside bomb. Hunt took it very hard. He slept in the young man’s bunk just to feel close to him. A few weeks later while out on patrol Clay was driving a Humvee. His friend was walking alongside the Humvee when a sniper shot him through the throat. Clay had to stay in his Humvee unable to help his friend due to being pinned down by sniper fire and rocket-propelled grenades. They could not save his friend, who died on the medevac helicopter. Hunt’s mom (Susan Selke) said there was a change in her son the next time she talked to him. “Clay was very distraught that he couldn’t get out of the Humvee to help. He was very shaken, and it was obvious that the innocence was gone”. (Goodwyn) Hunt wrote about it, saying it was “a scene that plays on repeat in my head nearly every day, and most nights as well.”

Three weeks later while out on foot patrol he came under sniper fire. He was shot through the wrist, missing his head by inches. His parents tell that Clay flew to Germany the next day, accompanying a fellow Marine who had been shot in both legs. Clay then went to California to recover. While there he was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He decided to go to Scout Sniper School, the most demanding training the Marines have, with his fellow Marine and friend Jake Wood.

They were soon sent to Afghanistan, among some of the first Americans deployed to the Helmand valley in 2007. “We were there without air support, without tanks, without artillery. And we were surrounded by Taliban.” Said Jake Wood. (Goodwyn) After finishing what Hunt referred to as a nasty tour of death he was honorably discharged as a decorated Marine. He received a Purple Heart from his sniper shot in Iraq.

Clay got married and went to Loyola Marrymount University in L.A. Because his benefits were late in coming, he ended up with a lot of debt. At this time he also became frustrated with the Veterans Affairs due to mishandling of his disability claims. His two-year marriage was over, he left college. He was seeking help for his depression and stress from the VA. He also suffered panic attacks and some memory loss, even having suicidal thoughts. He saw many doctors exclusively at the VA. Clay was not ashamed of his mental health issues, as the Marines taught that there was nothing to be ashamed of. He knew that there were many vets like him suffering from PTSD.

Clay was given a 30 percent disability rating. When he realized that PTSD was keeping him from holding a job down he appealed the 30 percent rating only to be met with significant bureaucratic barriers, including the VA losing his files, according to IAVA.org. Clay decided to return to Texas to be close to family.

Clay became very involved in humanitarian work and veteran’s advocacy. Hunt along with fellow Marine and best friend Jake Wood helped start a group called Rubicon. He and fellow veterans went to help in Haiti after the earthquake. A month later they went to Chile to help there. That is why Rubicon got started. Veterans wanting to help, getting together to help, keeping active, feeling wanted and needed. Continuing to serve without being in uniform was Hunt’s belief in this work. While in California Clay joined the group Ride2Recovery, a biking group for wounded veterans. He kept busy by helping to build bikes and going on long rides with the club. After his move back to Texas he continued to meet with the group and go on their rides.

Part of a campaign by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, (IAVA), Hunt appeared in a video ad to help soldiers ease their transition to civilian life from combat, letting Veterans know they weren’t alone and to seek support

“You fight for your country, then come home and have to fight against your own country for the benefits you were promised,” Hunt told the Los Angeles Times in 2010. “I can track my pizza from Pizza Hut on my BlackBerry, but the VA can’t find my claim for four months.” (Shapiro)

By spring of 2011 he had a new girlfriend, found a job, got an apartment and even bought a new truck. “He turned his life around. Four days prior to his death he is holding his brand-new baby niece. He bought a new truck. He was so excited. He was preparing to go on Ride 2 Recovery the following weekend. And days later it’s over.” said his father, Stacy Hunt. (Vercammen)

Suddenly silence. He wasn’t returning calls or answering text messages. Hunt had locked himself in his apartment and shot himself.

Mrs. Selke, Clay’s mother, told about Clay going to the Houston VA to see a psychiatrist and having to wait months to be seen. After his first appointment, Clay called his mom on the way back home and said, “Mom, I can’t go back there. The VA is way too stressful and not a place I can go to.” Clay took his life two weeks later. (IAVA.org)

His friend Wood said, “I was surprised but not shocked.” The family doesn’t blame anyone, but Woods believes the Government isn’t doing enough. “I think our government needs to re-evaluate what they’re doing when they make warriors with such ease and send them to combat zones and then really don’t have a plan to transition them when they come home. I think there needs to be a discussion at the top levels of government because it’s a growing problem.” (Goodwyn)

Clay’s mother says she is proud of her son. “We choose to look at it that he is now in a very peaceful state, in a very peaceful place, and we’re thankful for that. And we’re going to miss him terribly,” she says. (Goodwyn) Clay was cremated and his ashes spread on his grandparent’s ranch.

Wood said his best friend suffered from various levels of PTSD and depression. He also stresses that Hunt was self-aware, actively seeking help to rid himself of the war demons. “He was looking for it,” Wood said. “And so that makes it more tragic. He couldn’t fight it any longer. And that is just crazy. Because there are a lot of people who are a lot less well-adjusted out there, and they are not getting the help they need.” (Vercammen)

Selke believes her son also suffered from extreme survivor’s guilt. “In my mind, he is a casualty of war,” she said. “But he died here instead of over there. He died as a result of his war experience. There is no doubt in my mind.” (Vercammen)

The family believes that more information is needed on PTSD - Early detection; how it can be treated? How do we eliminate people’s fear from social stigma? Hunt was worried about having PTSD in his records, believing it could affect his job opportunities.

Wood fired off a final volley. “We owe too much to the men and women who have gone over to serve to just ferry them out the door after four years or eight years and say, ‘Here’s how you write a resume. Go get a job and check in, in a couple of years.’” (Vercammen)

Hunt’s death has made those who knew him question why someone doing all the correct things to help with his combat-related issues could now be dead. Matthew Pelak, an Iraq veteran who worked in Haiti with Hunt said, “We know we have a problem with vets’ suicides, but this was really a slap in the face.”

Although Hunt suffered with PTSD and depression friends and family say he was full of energy and had many friends. He presented an appearance of someone who knew how to live his life after combat. Wood said “I think everybody saw him as the guy that was battling it, but winning the battle every day.”

After word of Hunt’s death, workers from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors met in Washington with visiting veterans and the nonprofit group, IAVA. Who were in Washington doing their annual lobbying. Hunt had been a part of this group a year earlier, trying to get improvement for veteran’s disability claims process. This sad story pushed IAVA to urge Congress to do something, bringing to light how serious these issues are to veterans.

There have been questions from Senators if the VA has done enough regarding wait times for veterans. Data at that time show that 600,000 veterans wait over a month to get an appointment.

The founder of IAVA, Paul Rieckhoff, has asked Congress to pass new legislation that bears Hunt’s name looking for an end to the bureaucracy with veterans seeking treatment.

A new bill was introduced, Senator John McCain being one of the leaders. This new legislation wants to tackle some troubling statistics. An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day. Hunt’s case is being used as an example of the many problems with the VA. Hunt’s mother said there were many struggles he went through with the VA. He often said he felt like a guinea pig with regards to medication. If one didn’t work, they would put him on something else. Clay often had problems getting psychiatrist appointments or issues with them being kept or his files getting lost. His treatment was mainly medication only. Counseling was used only for med management.

“After Clay’s death, I personally went to the Houston VA medical center to retrieve his medical records, and I encountered an environment that was highly stressful,” his mother said. “There were large crowds, no one was at the information desk, and I had to flag down a nurse to ask directions to the medical records area. I cannot imagine how anyone dealing with mental health injuries like PTSD could successfully access care in such a stressful setting without exacerbating their symptoms.” (Lamothe)

Clay’s parents testified, urging Congress to pass the Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. They stated that while in service Clay received care for his PTSD but after he got out and went to the VA it all went downhill.

Developed by IAVA and allies on Capital Hill the proposed act will address ways to help our veterans who are suffering from PTSD, depression and other mental health issues. It also addresses the VA and its need for better mental health care along with programs for suicide prevention. It is designed in the following ways to work with expanding programs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

Increase access to mental health care by, among other things, creating a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning servicemembers.
Requires the VA to create one-stop interactive website to serve as a centralized information source regarding all mental health services for veterans.
Take steps to address the shortage of mental health care professionals by authorizing the VA to conduct a student loan repayment pilot program aimed at recruiting and retaining psychiatrists.
Require collaboration on suicide prevention efforts between VA and non-profit mental health organizations.
Boost the accountability of mental health care by requiring an annual evaluation of VA mental health and suicide prevention programs.

This bill was held up by one Senator for financial reasons in 2014; eventually the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act was passed unanimously by both the Senate and the House and was signed by President Obama on Feb 12, 2015.

In the first year since the Act was signed here are some of what has happened according to a report from NAMI.org

The “MyVA” initiative was started. It is meant to build on a model to involve the VA in collaborative efforts with other organizations, such as NAMI, in suicide prevention.
The VA expanded and improved its Veterans Crisis Line. Nearly 490,000 calls have been answered since the Clay Hunt SAV Act was passed.
Referrals to Suicide Prevention Coordinators have increased. Approximately 80,000 referrals made to crisis-line counselors were made in 2015.
Crisis-Line counselors have dispatched emergency responders to callers in crisis over 11,000 times last year.
The average wait time for mental health appointments is now just three days.
Last year the VA began a landmark study on the use of lithium to treat patients at risk of suicide. With 30 VA facilities participating, the study will be one of the largest medication’s trials for suicide prevention.

There are studies still being looked at for other therapies, genetic contributions to depression, and medications. Some good starts have been made but there is still more work needed. Pilot programs and website are still not developed well. Some reports lately still have veterans at a high suicide risk. Support is still needed for the combat to civilian life transition.

In the second year since the Act was signed these are some of the updates according to IAVA.org

There has been slow but steady development in establishing a third-party evaluation for mental health and suicide programs. Kinks are still being worked out, with intent to expand the process to all programs at VA. So, no outcomes to report yet. Focus has been establishing the process and collecting the data.
To improve access to VA online resources a website has been established as a service locater for mental health services. Users type in their zip code and type of needed provider and a provider will be located. The VA is continuing to expand the types of resources being located using this site.
Establishing the program for the student loan payback program has taken longer than hoped but the good news is the VA finally has authority to do this. Bad news though is allocating funding has slowed the start. Because the SAV act did not allocate additional funds, VA has had to move money around to ensure the implementation of this. The VA plans to see the first pay outs in Jan 2018.
There have been a few conflicting reports about the success of the pilot programs for community peer support. The VA is still being pressed about the concerns. 5 locations were selected to run pilot programs to establish veteran peer support programs. These programs are still in the process of being set up. With the pilots ending in Jan of 2019 there is an expected outcome data to be able to judge success.
Prior to the SAV act, the VA was pursuing partnering with community organizations for suicide prevention. There are now over 150 partners. Now the question is are these successful and how is it being measured.

The biggest challenge for the VA has been finding the funds to help meet these items of legislation. IAVA can see where some areas have been more successful. There is a commitment to doing everything to meet the legislation intent while continuing to fight for more changes that the veteran community is still facing regarding suicides.

2018, 3 years since the signing of the SAV act most actions remain the same, with a few updates as stated in an IAVA report:

The third-party evaluation report is expected in a few months. This will provide feedback from veterans who receive care at the VA. The interim report from 2017 showed that most veterans were happy with their VA mental health care.
The loan payback program has been the hardest and slowest moving of all. Lack of funds has made it hard to get the program off the ground. However, VA has said that the next round of applicants will be eligible for this program. There is still a concern about the number of mental health providers at VA and available to veterans in need of support; it is believed this provision will aid in ensuring veterans have access to the mental health support they need.
There has been some exciting news about the peer support programs. In March a funding bill from congress provided $10 million to these previously unfunded pilot programs. 10 from 5 programs were expanded, including a few highly rural sites. A final report is due to Congress by end of year.

As these updates provided by IAVA show, it can take time to make changes. Pilot programs take time to get results. Although we wish to see results quickly sadly these programs need time to get started, get funded, see results, make changes for these results to be able to make a difference.

The suicide crisis our veterans are facing is heartbreaking. To go to the VA and be unable to get the help needed due to under staffing and large amounts of fellow veterans needing the same help can seem like a daunting issue.

There has been great progress in suicide prevention and mental health care since the Clay Hunt SAV Act was passed in 2015. Although the work is not done with 46 percent of IAVA members reporting service-connected PTSD and the VA reports that 18-34-year-old veterans have the highest suicide rate, there is still much to do.

Five weeks after Clay took his life and 18 months after filing an appeal with the VA for his PTSD rating, Clay’s appeal finally went through. The VA rated his PTSD 100 percent.

Bibliography

Goodwyn, W. (2011). One Marine's Journey: War, Activism, Then Tragedy. NPR.org
Herrera-Yee, I. (2016, Feb 12). Clay Hunt Act serves to Prevent Veteran Suicide. NAMI.org.
Jackie Maffucci, P. (2017, November 15). Campaign to Combat Suicide Clay Hunt SAV Act Update. IAVA.org.
Kuhnhenn, J. (n.d.). Obama signs Clay Hunt suicide prevention Act. Retrieved 11 4, 2018, from The Military Times: http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/benefits/health-care/2015/02/12/obama-signs-clay-hunt-veterans-suicide-prevention-bill/23306179/
Lamothe, D. (2014, November 19). The Legacy of Clay Hunt, Marine, recalled in new suicide legislation. Washington Post.
Mullen, S. (2018, October 24). Clay Hunt SAV Act Update. IAVA.
Shapiro, T. R. (2011, April 17). Clay W. Hunt, veterans' advocate, dead of self-inflicted wound. Washington Post.
The Clay Hunt SAV Act. (n.d.). IAVA.
Vercammen, P. (2011, April 15). California Marine Suicide. CNN.com.

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Altruistic Suicide: One of the Four Types of Suicide

Every year there are about 1,000,000 suicide attempts in the United States and around 50,000 people succeed. From 1999 to 2014 suicide rates have significantly increased by 24%, which means that from a group of 100,000 people 13 will commit suicide. (AFSP, 2017) Several factors such as persons’ feelings or psychological conditions play a role when contemplating suicide. Emile Durkheim one of the founders of sociology, believed that suicide was not purely a personal decision but was influenced by the structure of society.

Durkheim lived in France during the 1870s when it was under France’s Third Republic and during this time period, there were a lot of changes being made. Due to industrialization, France was going through major technological, economic, and religious changes. (Little, 2012) The authority of the Catholic Church weakened and there was a shift from a traditional to modern society. Durkheim realized that during this time period there was a massive increase in suicide rates and he concluded it had to do with social integration in which people knew their purpose. In a traditional society, people knew their place, purpose and how they are related to other people.

As society started to shift and go through change there was a loss of social integration and people were less strongly bound to their society. This theory can still apply to today's modern world because as people start to shift away from their society this results in a weaker common consciousness which creates a feeling of isolation.

The article “When ultra-religious Hasidic women choose to lead secular lives, their freedom often comes at a price” by Brigit Katz introduces the tragic story of Faigy Mayer, a young woman who committed suicide after leaving a highly religious community.

Mayer grew up in Brooklyn in the Belz Community where she was part of a Hasidism, a Jewish religious group. She explained how she never fit into the community and would often question her beliefs. Mayer was the deviance in her community which meant that she was violating standards because she would question the beliefs. As stated in the text “She described her disinterest in religious studies, and the sense of loneliness she experienced as a child because she could not share her affinity for pop culture with her peers.” (Katz, 2015) From a young age she felt as if she didn't fit in and in 2010, Mayer decided to leave the group and lead a secular life.

In this process, Mayer lost contact with her family which created this sense of isolation. Members that leave this community have a difficult time because they are shunned by their families and communities. Once they leave they struggle with their lives because people of the Belz Community do not receive a proper education and therefore it is difficult to find a job. “Those who do leave the community have a great deal of difficulty getting by in a world that is not dictated by a set of obscure religious customs.” (Katz, 2015) This shows the challenges that Mayer went through once leaving the community.

Durkheim published the first book on the studies of suicide, in which he explains social factors that may cause suicide and the four typologies of suicide which are Anomic suicide, Altruistic suicide, Egoistic suicide, Fatalistic suicide. Durkheim concludes that suicide is the result of social disorganization.

One reason may be Anomic suicide, Anomie is a social condition which there is a disappearance of norms and values in a former society, a person might feel confused or disconnected that they may choose to commit suicide. Mayers case was an Anomie suicide in which she was detached from her community and she felt as if she didn’t fit in, in either society. Her life outside of the community was successful for Mayer because she was an aspiring entrepreneur, however, because of anomie she had felt that disappearance of the norms and values that were common to her previous community.

This concept was thought of as normlessness, Durkheim believed that once the factor of normlessness was gone you may fall into anomie. In the article Mayer states that “I’ve sort of lost all my family...I hope to be an inspiration for others who leave, although, given my story, I’m not sure I recommend it for everyone.” (Katz, 2015) This shows how once she left her society, she was going through hardships and she didn’t recommend this step for everyone.

Durkheim helped deepen our understanding of society and the causes of suicide. In Mayers case, she felt separated from others and society itself. There are many others like Mayer that choose to leave religious communities and go through a difficult time with continuing their lives. Organizations like Footsteps offer support to ex-Orthodox Jews to help them transition into their new lives. Hopefully, more programs will be created to help guide people to a better life for themselves.

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Decision to End your Life is Never Easy

Chronic fatigue syndrome is an ailment characterized by extreme tiredness that cannot be related to any underlying mental cause. Often, the fatigue gets worse after mental or physical activity. CFS is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME (Brues, 2013). Often there is contention about the two terms; however, many scientists refer to is as CFS/ME. People suffering from this ailment often suffer a wide range of symptoms. They vary from headaches, sore throat, dizziness, heart palpitations, sleep problems, muscle and joint pain and problems with concentration. The cause of this disease is unknown. However, several causes have been theorized to cause it. These include hormonal imbalance, mental health problems, low immune system, bacteria infection such as pneumonia and viral infections (Sandoiu, 2017). Additionally, genes also seem to be a critical cause as well.

Recent studies published in the Lancet medical journal indicate that there is a correlation between the disease and incidence of suicide. Suicide is a common phenomenon when dealing with mental health issues, which is a potential cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. The findings show that persons suffering from CFS are six times more probable to commit suicide than those who did not have the disease. This number is significant. The study, which was conducted over a seven-year period with more than 2000 participants, led to these findings (Kupar, 2016). However, many scientists claim that the data here is merely statistical and does not indicate whether the suicide is as a result of the disease itself or other ailments that come as a result of the condition.

Nonetheless, it is undeniable that there is a correlation between the disease and incidence of suicide among its patients (Kupar, 2016). This report seeks to explore the causes of suicide in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and possible remedies that can significantly reduce the number of people who use this channel to alleviate their suffering.

The decision to take one’s life is never an easy one. It comes from feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness from not being able to enjoy the pleasures of life as one is supposed to. It is difficult for the general population to understand the ongoing thoughts and processes in the mind of a suicidal person before they get to take their lives (Fisher, 2015). This lack of understanding does not take away the fact that these people indeed suffer the grave indignity of finding a way to escape from the pain and obscurity engulfing their lives by seeking out death as the ultimate solution.

According to McManimen (2016), persons with chronic fatigue syndrome have an elevated risk of suicide compared with the general population. Moreover, they have an earlier mortality as compared to patients with terminal diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. This study analyzed the death of 56 ME patients. The resultant data indicated that while the average age for suicide in America was 47.4, those with ME had an average of 41.3. Of all the patients in the study, a significant 26.8 percent died from suicide.

These findings indicate that indeed this ailment elevates the risk for suicide. Moreover, it was found that the risk of suicide was higher in male patients than in females. The difference between the two genders mirrors the general population (McManimen, 2016).

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Durkheim Four Types of Suicide

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact factors that radically change societies, much less to identify the consequences these changes entail and effects they have on individual lives. Sociology is a study that attempts to understand these factors and events that have shaped and continue to shape the ways societies behave today. This field of sociology was largely developed by the theories of three individuals, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels. Although all three sought to explain why societies function the way that they do, their deductions on societal behaviors, as well as solutions to problems that afflict society, differ. In this essay I will discuss the differences between these observations and solutions.

Durkheim believed that certain social problems would arise due to the increasing industrialization of societies. He believed that good societies were guided through effective social integration and moral regulations. Durkheim believed that the spread of capitalist industrialization would weaken existing social integrations, as individuals would no longer be able to identify with one another due to differences in lifestyles. He feared that this could potentially lead to an increase in egoistic suicide, a form of suicide where individuals are no longer able to connect with others due to increased self-absorption.

Furthermore, Durkheim believed that since capitalist industrialization is guided by self-interest as well as the need to maximize profits, moral regulation would become obsolete. This, he feared, would lead to an increase in the risk of anomic suicide, one which an individual is no longer restrained by social morality and thus becomes driven purely by self-interest. Thus, the spread of capitalist industrialization could bring about certain dangers to existing societies.

Marx and Engels also saw dangers to the spread of capitalist industrialization. However, they were more concerned with the living conditions that affected the lives of individuals due to this shift into a capitalistic society. Because industrialization spread so rapidly, housing and tenements were often constructed to meet the absolute bare minimum of what human beings need to survive. As a result, many individuals in the working class were forced to pay large amounts of money to inhabit extreme squalor, as this was the only form of housing available to them. Marx and Engels saw an issue with this, and questioned why it was that the spread of capitalist industrialization was able to increase efficiency of production as well as factory infrastructure, but seemed unable to provide the means necessary to improve the lives of the working class, or proletariat.

Thus, they concluded that since capitalism was driven by a desire to increase profits, as well as individual interests of the bourgeoisie, an unequal distribution of wealth was inevitable. Marx and Engels did not necessarily perceive industrialism itself as a negative entity, but due to its capitalist nature would become unsustainable for societies, as the profits of the bourgeoise would only keep increasing while the standard of living for the proletariat would only continue to diminish.

Although Durkheim recognized the dangers that arose due to the spread of capitalism and industrialization, he believed that the structure of industrial capitalism would allow for social stability. Essentially, he believed that two forms of social solidarity existed in the two types of systems that existed in society. The first system was Agricultural in nature. He believed that in this system, mechanical solidarity existed in which members of society identified with one another since they lead similar lives. However, he saw issues with this kind of system, as agricultural societies did not allow for individuals to pursue their own interests, and typically enacted laws that aimed to punish rule breakers. The second system was the industrialism, which allowed for the formation of organic solidarity.

This type of solidarity allowed for social cohesion and thus social stability. This is due to the interdependence that individuals would have with one another due to specializations of societal roles, where different people perform different tasks based on their individual interests as well as natural talents.

Essentially, Durkheim believed that this awareness of interdependence would allow individuals to realize that they all relied on one another for survival. Durkheim believed in the importance of diminishing social prejudices, as these would hinder individuals from pursuing their natural talents due to a lack of fair resources. Furthermore, he believed that individuals could only pursue their natural talents if the concept of inherited wealth were abolished, as well as granting everyone equal access to education. Through organic solidarity, Durkheim believed in the possibility of social cohesion, which would ultimately allow industrial capitalist societies to function.

Marx and Engels on the other hand, did not believe that industrial capitalist societies were sustainable. Although they did believe that industrial capitalists created enough wealth to sustain all members of society, they believed that in actuality an unequal distribution of wealth existed. Ultimately, they believed this would lead to a proletariat revolution, as more and more people would become aware of the unfairness of a system in which the bourgeoise continues to profit while the working class continues to live in squalor.

Furthermore, the emergence of the “assembly mode” model of production, meant that individualized jobs and tasks diminished. This would often result in members of the working class working long monotonous hours, performing the same job, all while being unfairly compensated. They believed that ultimately radical social change would occur, and change the capitalist system itself into a socialist society, one in which no member lacked basic resources necessary for survival.

Although Durkheim proposes fair insight attempting to understand society, personally I believe that the perspective of Marx and Engels proves to be more significant in terms of understanding the ongoings of contemporary society. I believe Durkheim’s opinions on the mechanisms to oppose the oppressive effects of capitalist industrialization are somewhat idealistic, especially regarding his concept of natural inequality.

Personally, I don’t believe it resides in human nature to accept that some people deserve to be compensated more based on the importance or value of their work, as this is a subjective standard. I believe that compensating certain individuals in a greater amount will ultimately lead to those individuals furthering and pursuing their own self-interest, ultimately exploiting those that are compensated less. In contrast, I believe that Marx’s and Engels’s propositions to solve the issues presented through industrial capitalism would be far more effective. In my opinion, more permanent and effective forms of change come through the banding together of the exploited who put pressure on individuals with power to change the status quo.

Durkheim, Marx, and Engels all believed that the spread of industrial capitalism would result societal issues that would affect the lives of many individuals. However, they disagreed on the stability of industrialism, as well as where the future of capitalism was headed. Durkheim believed that through organic solidarity and social cohesion, it was possible to maintain capitalist societies. Marx and Engels, on the other hand, believed that the greedy driving force of capitalist societies would ultimately result in its own demise.

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