Educational Trip to UP Diliman and PHILVOCS

The first part of the trip was on UP Dilemma Engineering Laboratory, the first equipment introduce to us was the hydraulic bench, it is used to investigate channel flow, hydraulic Jump, determining the coefficient of discharge flow of the system. The second equipment was air pipe assembly and oil pipe assembly, for the air pipe it is used to determine friction losses in pipe and discharge, oil pipe it is used to determine if the flow is laminar or turbulent, velocity distribution in pipes.The other equipment were the closed circuit wind tunnel, it determines the pressure distribution and velocity distribution around various bodies, Portable Wind tunnel, it determines the lift and drag around various bodies. The other equipments are the different types of Universal Testing Machines, which determines the strength of the material being tested. For the testing of steel reinforcement they are determining the yield point and breakage point of the steel, while on the concrete cylinder testi ng they are only to determine the ultimate strength of concrete because concrete doesn't have yield point.The last equipment they show us was the rainfall simulator which determines the discharge flow of water on the drainage system. The second part of the trip was on PHILIPPICS, here they discuss us the recently earthquake that happened on Boll which is 7. 2 magnitude. The presentation they show us tells us how devastating the earthquake was, it has destroy a lot of establishments and churches that are centuries old, the place was a total mess.In here they explained to us how disastrous an earthquake can be. For us being Civil Engineering students they have a presentation which shows the full scale shaking test of CHUB houses, which shows the difference of a substandard and standard built houses. They also thought us here on how to be prepared when earthquakes occurred and also remind us to check our houses if they are safe when time earthquake occurs.Because of the this educationa l trip it awakens me that the reality of responsibility of being a Civil Engineer we should not only be obliged to Just do our work, we also need to ensure the safety of the people around us. It is strongly recommended for us to have this kind of educational trip because it is true that we can't learn everything with Just the four corners of the classroom, sometimes we need to go beyond the four corners of a classroom.

Modern Day Torture Used by the Government

Techniques Is the governments way of saying torture. This Is very prevalent in George Rowel's dyspepsia novel â€Å"1984. † In the last section of the book, the main character Winston is tortured severely for going against Big Brother and then killed right after. They brainwashed him in the process and got him to believe in things he knew weren't true. As horrifying that is, it strangely resembles the way the united States government gets information. Though it Is In no way proven to always get accurate Information, the US along with many other countries still use this Orwellian method of control.The question is why. In 1984, Winston was being tortured as a result of him rebelling against Big Brother. The reason the Party tortured him was because they didn't want him to die a martyr. They wanted to completely alter the way he thought and make him believe anything they said. Though he hated the Party originally, after torture he was convinced that, â€Å"He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother† (Orwell 245). To torture information out of someone is one thing but to change the way they think about something they are strongly opinionated about is another.This Just shows how much torture he went through and how damaging is was. The Party accomplished their mission in changing his mindset, which is much different than the goals when torturing modern day. Today, torture is used to accomplish a much deferent task. The mall purpose Is to extract Information from people, usually terrorists. When officials get no results after Interrogating a terrorist, they might use enhanced Interrogation techniques. This is a nice way of saying that they physically and psychologically torture information out of them. The reason is they are desperate.If the officials hind America is waiting for them to find good information, they will get it regardless of how false it is or how inhumane they must be to get it. Even though it is very possible they are bei ng told lies, officials use that Information because they are either desperate for a lead or want to back something up. A fairly recent example Is Bush with the Iraq war. He himself approved of advanced Interrogation techniques and did not seem very sorrowful after seeing images of American soldiers torturing Iraq prisoners. Bush seemed to wave the image off saying they were just a,†few bad apples,† (Bush CTD in Johnson).He saw little significance in this story suggesting he was not surprised nor appalled. In 1984, It seems that torture Is almost always successful. The Party's goal Is to make the torture victim believe anything they say, even if it goes against everything the person believes. They are then no longer a martyr and are killed as a lover of Big Brother. However. It is hard to say if anyone really succeeds when torturing modern day. Torturing usually results in three things; false information, psychologically and physically harmed individuals, and disappointe d looks from many other nations.It is dangerous to put value Into any Information received through torture because It can it. If they genuinely know nothing about what they are being tortured for, they will still continuously be tortured until they speak. Bush falsely accused Iraq of holding Weapons of Mass Destruction (Wands) by doing this. This helped spark the Iraq war and lead to the death of thousands of people including innocent civilians. Torture also leads to the physical and psychological pain of the torture victim. In 1984, both of these are evident when Orwell described Cilia's face and with Winston hanged mindset after being tortured.In America, evidence of torture is usually not visible on the persons body because many versions of torture are more psychological than physical. Some examples are water boarding or Chinese water torture. Water boarding is the act of trying someone down, putting a rag over their mouth and pouring water over it to mimic the feeling if drownin g. They wait until the person begins suffocating to take the rag off for a quick break to ask for information. Chinese water torture is restraining someone on a bed so they cannot move (usually their ands are tied above their head and their head is in a head restraint so it cannot move at all).They simply let water drop on your forehead one drop at a time usually alone in a room. As time passes, the psychological terror builds up in the victim and they eventually beg for it to stop. Other countries and also Americans see this treatment and begin to question the government. They question the methods of obtaining information and what the government considers inhumane treatment. This questioning does not happen in 1984 because no one knows what happens when someone vanishes and if they so much as questioned Big Brother they would be unwished.Today's society is much better because we can question our government and protestor our opinions without being tortured and killed. Orwellian meth od of torture is used to get people to believe in what the government wants them to believe. Modern day torture is used to get people to give information supporting what the government believes and what it wants to hear. Today, if the government uses torture all they will receive is false information, disappointed looks from American citizens and other nations, and psychologically and physically harmed people.

Social work and Drug Use

Drug misuse in Britain is a substantial and growing problem, with a significant and profound impact on the health and social functioning of many individuals. Parker et al (1995) highlight that: â€Å"Young people are increasingly using a wide range of drugs and alcohol at a younger age and the age of initiation into drug use appears to have lowered. † This assignment aims to discuss what drugs are and the individual effects and social implication of drug use. It will compare and contrast the different terms associated with drug misuse, for example recreational drug use and drug dependency. It will examine the consequences, advantages and disadvantages of decriminalisation and legalisation of drugs as well as the advantages and disadvantages of prescribing using heroin as an example. It will also look at theories surrounding substance misuse and will consider how social workers have been granted more flexibility in their intervention with substance misusers since shifting from the view that drug and alcohol misuse is a disease. In addition to this it will highlight existing debates concerning the recent and current drug policy in the UK. Service users who experience drug problems are often subject to stigmatisation, discrimination and marginalisation not only as a result of their substance use but also as a result of age, gender and poverty. However, Harbin and Murphy (2000, P. 23) highlight that: â€Å"Drug addiction can effect anyone without regard to race, class, gender or age. † This assignment will also look at what services and interventions, such as harm reduction strategies, are available to drug misusers and the accessibility of these services. The World Health Organisation (1981, P. 227) define a drug as: Any chemical entity or mixture of entities, other than those required for the maintenance of normal health (like food), the administration of which alters biological function and possibly structure. † Therefore this means that when legal drugs, such as headache tablets, or illegal drugs, such as cannabis, enter the bloodstream they can affect how a person feels. Drugs can be grouped into three main types: stimulants such as cocaine, depressants for example heroin, and hallucinogens such as magic mushrooms. (http://www. knowthescore. info, 2005). In addition to the different groupings the law divides drugs into three classes: A, B and C. Classification is based on the harm that specific drugs may cause to individuals, families and communities. (NHS Health Scotland, 2004, P. 10). Class A drugs include heroin, ecstasy and crack. In order for drugs to work, they must first enter the body. The main ways that a drug can be administered include: orally, smoking, snorting and injecting. How a person will react after taking drugs will depend on a number of factors such as the type of drug, how it is taken, what it is mixed with, the social context and whether the person is on other drugs at that time. Factors which may influence drug taking can be split into two broad categories: individual influences for example personality or genetics and environmental influences such as society, peer pressure or family. (Swadi, 1992, P. 156). All drugs affect the brain's limbic system irrespective of there legality. Different drugs act on different areas of the brain and alter the chemical balance and these changes are responsible for the feelings and sensations sometimes associated with drug use. (NHS Health Scotland, 2004, P. 7). Scientists call this the â€Å"reward† system. Usually, the limbic system responds to pleasurable experiences by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure. This could explain why people go on to misuse drugs. However, some people can occasionally use drugs without developing a tolerance or withdrawal symptoms whereas other people abuse drugs by repeatedly using them to produce pleasure, alleviate stress, or avoid reality. This can lead to other drug related problems such as drug dependency. There are two types of dependency, psychological and physical. â€Å"Physical dependency occurs when the body is deprived of drugs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. this deprivation leads to physical symptoms that vary with the drug. † Whereas â€Å"psychological dependency †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ is based more on the individual's traits (habits, lifestyle) than on the substance itself. It is the memory of the pleasure associated with the object of the dependency that the individual thinks about often and longingly. † (http://thebrain. mcgill. ca/flash. par. tml, 2002) This highlights that different drugs have different effects and will require different interventions depending on the substance being misused. Drug dependency is characterised by craving a drug so much that it has control over the person's life. For example if someone is dependent on heroin and goes without it for any length of time, they will suffer extremely unpleasant withdrawal symptoms for several days. Taking heroin will make the drug user feel ‘normal' again (Drugs Know your Stuff, 2005). In this respect the drugs are having a ‘medicinal' effect on the individual because the drug relieves the person from their withdrawal symptoms. Drug use in today's society is a problem not only for the individual but for their families and communities. Drugs: protecting families and communities (2008) supports this by saying: â€Å"The most damaging effects for communities are those caused by drug dealing, drug related crime and anti-social behaviour, which can undermine stable families and cohesive communities. † In the UK drug the social effects of addiction are most commonly associated with criminality. Drugs know your stuff (2005, P. 21) identifies that: â€Å"Every year about 40,000 people in the UK are arrested for drug offences. † An example of a drug related offence could be shoplifting. This might enable the drug user to raise money to finance their drug use. It may also be associated with the stereotypical image of young people wearing hooded tops sniffing glue or `shooting up' in shabby flats who are labelled `junkies'. However, drug use does not always fit into this image as it is not age, gender or class specific. For example, white middle class people who use cocaine as a recreational drug do not need to get involved in crime to support their drug use. Therefore drug use is not always linked to crime. This is in contrast to the view of the Governments 1998 drug strategy which had the main objective the plan to tackle drug abuse, first and foremost, as an approach of reducing crime. It focused primarily on criminality and supported drug users who had committed crimes. In addition to this, new measures were introduced under the Drugs Act (2005) where the focus is also primarily on criminality. The new Act has implemented new police powers to test for class A drugs such as heroin. These measures include â€Å"testing on arrest† which means people who are arrested for trigger offences are tested for drugs on arrest rather than when charged. The aim of this is to steer more offenders into treatment and away from crime. This will ensure that those who misuse drugs are not charged but helped to engage in treatment. However, King (2007) does not agree and believes that these measures should be discarded as they are ineffective and inefficient. As an alternative King recommends that greater use should be made of specialised drug courts. According to the recent Government drug strategy (1998) there was a particular focus on problematic drug users and links to crime because statistics showed they were responsible for 99% of the costs to society (estimated between i10 and i16 billion) 88% of which is drug related crime. (The Drugs Act, 2005) Therefore, often as an alternative to imprisonment a drug misusing offender within the criminal justice system will automatically be given priority to access treatment. Drug Treatment and Testing Orders made under Section 1A (6) of the 1991 Criminal Justice Act required offenders to attend drug treatment as a condition of a probation order. † (Hough et al, 2003, P. 6). This may cause problems because when faced with a prison sentence or a treatment programme the majority of people would most likely choose the latter even when they do not want help for their drug problems. Ironically, someone who is serious about getting help for their drug problems and has not broken the law will usually be placed on a long waiting list for treatment. Although, Tackling Drugs Changing Lives (2005) state that the average national waiting times for treatment have fallen almost three quarters since 2001; (from 9. 1 weeks in December 2001, to 2. 3 weeks in June 2007). However, this still could possibly result in non offenders slipping through the net especially since the most common referral route into treatment is self referral (NTA, 2006, P. 7). Thus possibly resulting in them not getting the treatment or support they require at that time. Therefore whilst they remain on the waiting list for treatment social workers have a responsibility to give advice on minimising harm associated with drug misuse. Government policy has prioritised criminal costs of drug use King (2007) states that the wider issues that surround drug misuse such as the effects on communities, families and health are not taken into account. Therefore advocates a harm reduction policy by saying: â€Å"Given that drugs may, and often do, cause significant harm to individuals, their family, their friends and their communities, the main aim of the law should be to reduce the amount of harm that they cause. In response to the 1998 drug strategy The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), (2007) comment, through its Commission, that drugs are a matter of health and not just crime. The Commission argues that addiction to drugs and other substances should be treated as a chronic health condition and a social problem, not just a crime or cause of crime. In addition to this they also recommended that the primary aim of the new drugs policy should be to reduce harm. The review of the National Drug Strategy in 2008 argued that the previous drugs policy did little to help the problematic drug users and to mitigate the impact on drugs in society. Professor Anthony Kings the Chairman of the RSA Commission explains that in their view drugs in society are not just about crime. They criticised the previous strategy by saying there was too much emphasis on crime and that there needed to be a shift from crime reduction and the criminal justice system onto an understanding of the more varied and complex social problems. For example the social consequences of drug use can include social exclusion. People may lose their friends and family because of the stigma that surrounds drug misuse resulting in isolation. In addition to this drug use can have an impact on living standards and may result in homelessness for example if their drug use is given priority over their household outgoings such as rent. Therefore King (2007) suggests that there should be wraparound services which include individual social needs such as employment and housing as these problems often come hand in hand with chaotic drug use. The work of Professor A King has informed the new Government drug strategy and prior to the 2008 drug strategy being unveiled it was suggested by Prime Minister Gordon Brown that the new strategy would adopt a more holistic approach when working with drug users and there would be more support for people undergoing treatment. However, when the Government's new 2008 10-year drug strategy was revealed there were proposals to shake-up the welfare system, effectively punishing drug abusers who fail to get â€Å"clean†. The Press Association (2008) highlighted that benefit payments to drug users may be reduced if they drop out of treatment. This could possibly result in people not accessing treatment for the fear of dropping out and having their income reduced. Therefore the new strategy gives no consideration to relapse. Drug relapse is a process that begins when an individual slips back into old behaviour patterns and as identified by Regan (2003) as being the most damaging characteristic of drug taking. Relapse may occur because drug users are often stereotyped and may find it hard to reintegrate back into society. Therefore this proposal may not be very effective. In addition to this if a drug misusing parent's benefits are cut and they are faced with buying food, for their children, or drugs that they are dependent on they may not necessarily be capable of making a rational decision. Cleaver et al (1999, P. 245) lends support to this by stating: â€Å"Family income may be used to satisfy parental needs. Purchasing food and clothing or paying essential household bills may be sacrificed. † However it is recognised that parental drug use may not always affect the parent's capacity to look after their children well. The British Medical Association (1997, P. 8) highlights that: â€Å"Drug use itself by parents need not constitute a risk but neglect or abuse may be associated with problem drug use and should be addressed appropriately. † However, long term drug misuse could impact on the families' living standards and possibly result in a requirement for Social Services to intervene under section 17 of The Children Act 1989. In addition to this people may resort to crime so they can afford the drugs they are dependent on. Critics of the new drug strategy say there should be more focus on treatment and less on punishment (http://drugshealthalliance. et, 2008). Therefore better strategies need to be introduced to encourage drug users into treatment. An improvement to enable this could be not giving General Practitioners the choice to avoid providing drug treatment. This would allow people to be seen straight away by their General Practitioner and not placed on long waiting lists with other agencies. All drugs, hard or soft, illegal or legal can cause social problems to some degree. Although, it is suggested that many drugs are thought to cause problems merely because they are illegal. However, The British Medical Association (1997, P. 385) highlights that: â€Å"Both the Green and White Papers, Tackling Drugs Together, rejected any arguments for legalisation or decriminalisation on the grounds that wider use and addiction are very serious risks which no responsible Government should take on behalf of its citizens. † In contrast to this view Mullis (2003, P. 3) argues that all drug laws should be abolished. The legalisation of drugs would mean that people could buy drugs but only through legal sources, thus removing a major criminal resource and reducing crime levels. The British Medical Association (1997, P386) also suggests that crime would be significantly reduced if drugs could be purchased legally and money spent on law enforcement could be spent on treatment and education. On the other hand there is evidence that drug users commit crimes for other reasons and not just to finance their habit. Many drug users are involved in crime even when they have access to drugs on prescription such as methadone. (Graham and Bowling, 1995, P. 49). Therefore the social background of the drug user may also contribute to why they commit crimes. However, even if crime was not considerably reduced, people buying drugs through legal sources would know the strength and quality of what they were using thus possibly reducing the risk of overdose. If drugs were legalised there is no evidence to indicate that crime levels would reduce. People would still need money to purchase drugs from legal sources and as highlighted by Robertson (1998, P. 209) it is uncertain that legislation would significantly reduce the cost of drugs. In addition to this alcohol and nicotine are highly addictive drugs that hold legal status. King (2007) suggests that the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) should be repealed and replaced with a Misuse of Substances Act which includes alcohol and tobacco. As well as being addictive they can also cause major health problems. For example smoking can cause chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease, strokes, and various cancers. â€Å"Some doctors have even reported that nicotine is just as addictive as heroin or cocaine, which indicates quite clearly as to how people become hooked so rapidly and stay hooked for so long. † http://www. helpwithsmoking. com/effects-of-nicotine. php) Heavy drinking is linked to suicide, murder, fatal accidents, and many fatal diseases. It can increase chances of developing cirrhosis of the liver, and it has been associated with many different types of cancers. However, the NHS Direct (2008) underline that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol will not do any physical or psychological harm. In a recent survey Lifeline publications (2007) highlig hted that approximately 114,000 people die every year from smoking tobacco. About 40,000 people die from using alcohol and the least amount of deaths occur as a result of all illegal drugs put together and is about 2,000 people. This clarifies that: â€Å"Although drug misuse poses risks to the user and others, from a health perspective it still remains a small problem in relation to the medical harm caused by alcohol and nicotine. † (The British Medical Association, 1997). Therefore it is evident that the reason why some drugs are illegal is nothing to do with dangerousness. If drug classification is based on the harm that specific drugs may cause to individuals, families and communities. NHS Health Scotland, 2004, P. 10) then unquestionably nicotine and alcohol would both be classified. However, consideration needs to be given when looking at the above figures because more people may use alcohol and/ or tobacco because they are socially acceptable and hold legal status. If all drugs were legal, or the same amount of people who smoked used illicit drugs, then drug related deaths may significantly increase. However King (2007) suggests that the majority of people who use drugs are able to use them without harming themselves or others. Which means, according to King, the use of illegal drugs is not always harmful anymore than alcohol use is always harmful. Although it is paramount that people are still aware of the risks involved when using legal or illegal drugs. For example high impact adverts explaining the effects on all drugs as well as warning messages on alcohol similar to the messages on cigarette packets. Although King suggests that illegal drug use is not always harmful, heroin has been ranked the most dangerous drug by researchers The Lancet (2007). These finding were based on three factors which were: physical harm; potential for dependence and the impact on society such as costs to health care. Heroin dependency is an increasing problem in the UK which causes high social and criminal costs. (Stimson, 2003, P. 1) Therefore, some view prescribing the drug as a way to reduce drug-related crime and others emphasise the advantages of heroin prescribing as a way of reducing health problems, for example blood borne viruses. However prescribing heroin may have risks as well as benefits. Prescribing might attract more people into treatment. More heroin users might get help as they would be identified thus resulting in fewer untreated heroin users in the community. In addition to this prescribing would stop or reduce illicit heroin use. This would undercut the black market in illicit heroin possibly helping to phase out drug dealers. BBC News (2002) also highlights that the idea has gained favour amongst some senior police officers, who believe it could reduce the amount of drug-related crime. However General Practitioners worry that prescribing heroin would maintain the level of dependency reducing any motivation for a person to stop using the drug creating an â€Å"addict for life. Therefore this may not necessarily be the best response to drug misuse. Since we live in a drug taking society it is paramount that there are interventions available to substance misusers to help minimise any potential harm. Under the National Occupational Standards social workers have a duty to manage risk to individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, self and colleagues. Social workers can help to reduce risks by implementing harm reduction strategies. â€Å"Harm reduction policies, programmes, services and actions work to reduce the health, social and economic harms to individuals, communities and society that are associated with the use of drugs. † (UKHRA, 2005) Harm reduction has a very high profile in drug treatment programmes it aims to focus on issues such as needle exchange schemes and the risk of infection. The strategy is led primarily through the NHS and influences the Drug Action Teams (DAT). However, the strategy mainly focuses on minimising harm associated with intravenous heroin use. The NTA (2006, P. 7) highlights that: â€Å"Heroin was identified as the main problem drug for over two thirds (67 per cent) of clients receiving drug treatment. † Nevertheless, the strategy accepts that people are drug dependent and therefore consideration is given on how best to reduce harm this includes access to information and clean injecting equipment. However, information needs to be widely available, written in relevant languages, and produced in an accessible format. Without any focus on harm reduction there are issues with blood borne viruses such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C that could be overlooked. Hepatitis C is a viral disease that destroys liver cells and can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Balkin (2004) identifies that: â€Å"Most new cases of Hepatitis C occur in people who use contaminated needles or injecting equipment for drug use. † Therefore although there are harm reduction programmes available for dug users they may not be easily accessible. For example, an intravenous heroin user who needed clean needles is not likely to travel a few miles by bus to collect them. This could result in the person using, or sharing, dirty needles which increases the risk of blood borne viruses. With this is mind it may be useful to establish if there are mobile needle exchange services available to especially in rural areas where people are often more isolated and may be less likely to travel long distances for clean needles. The advantages of this service could be that because the service comes to the people who need it, clean injecting paraphernalia is more likely to be used therefore helping to reduce the risks of blood borne viruses. However, there may be some users who might be worried about using, or not want to use, a mobile needle exchange service. This could be because of the stigma attached to drug use and they may be worried about neighbours finding out that they have a drug problem. Another service that may possibly help drug misusers to minimise harm is drug consumption rooms. However this service is currently not available in the United Kingdom. â€Å"Drug consumption rooms are places where dependent drug users are allowed to inject drugs in supervised, hygienic conditions. There are approximately 65 drug consumption rooms in operation in eight countries around the world but there are none in the UK. † (http://www. jrf. org. uk/pressroom/releases, 2006) Drug consumption rooms may help to minimise blood borne viruses and fatal overdoses. They would also help to take drug use off the streets and reduce numbers of discarded needles in public places. â€Å"Drug users who congregate in public areas or open drug scenes are often homeless and marginalised, and lack access to social and health care services. Studies suggest that severe health risks are linked to street-based injecting. † (Klee, 1995; Best et al. , 2000). Additional services within the drug consumption rooms can include needle exchange, safer injecting advice, Hepatitis B vaccines, safer sex information as well as counseling, showering and washing facilities. However, as highlighted by Drugscope (2004), there are some areas of controversy concerning drug consumption rooms. For example could the Government justify providing a service that enables people to engage legitimately in activities that are both harmful and illegal? Since drug users will take drugs regardless of there harmfulness and legality the Government should take into consideration that drug consumption rooms have potential benefits. However, if these rooms were available in the UK they might encourage people to use hard drugs or increase drug related problems in the areas where they were located. In addition to this support from communities and local services such as police would be required if the consumption rooms were to be work in communities. New or amended legislation may also be necessary since under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) drug possession for personal use is an offense. However if drug consumption rooms were legal then would drug possession be legal? If this was not the case then there would be a contradiction between the two. Other services available within the United Kingdom for drug misusers include voluntary agencies such as drug support agencies, counselling, rehabilitation and aftercare services. Services available need to be both accessible and available to people who require them. There are many different models that can be used when working with people with addictions. However: â€Å"When working with substance misusers it is helpful to consider two different models, the ‘disease' model and the ‘wheel of change'. † (Goodman, 2007, P. 103). In the 19th century the first disease concept was established. This model considered that alcohol and drugs were evil and people who misused them were labelled victims. Therefore, alcohol and drugs addiction was starting to be seen as a disease that required treatment. In the 20th century the second disease concept evolved and alcohol consumption was once again socially acceptable. Only a small minority of individuals developed a problem with excessive drinking. However, alcohol and drug addiction was still considered as an illness that required treatment and support. Goodman (2007) highlights that the disease model works for some and is supported in self help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. He goes on to explain that people accessing the programme are told that they have a disease which prevents them from controlling their drink or drug problem. Consequently they need to avoid former drinking associates or drinking situation. However this model has implications as the nature of the disease has never been identified. It also suggests that a person with drug or alcohol problems has no choice or control over their decision making thus taking away their personal responsibility. Dick (2006) lends support to this by saying: â€Å"Drug misuse is not a disease; it is a decision, like the decision to step out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an error of judgement. In addition to this by following the disease model there is no consideration given to other factors such as psychological, cultural and family factors which may influence why someone may misuse substances. Therefore it does not adopt a holistic approach when supporting the service user. However according to National Institute on Drug Abuse (2008) drug addiction is a brain disease and highlights that: â€Å"Although initial drug use might be voluntary, drugs of abuse have been shown to alter gene expression and brain circuitry, which in turn affect human behaviour. Once addiction develops, these brain changes interfere with an individual's ability to make voluntary decisions, leading to compulsive drug craving, seeking and use. † However, although this model will work for some people it may restrict social workers with their intervention because the model requires complete abstinence. Therefore there would be no harm reduction strategies needed such as needle exchange. The model also contradicts the General Social Care Council Codes of Practice (2002) as it does not work in an anti-oppressive manner. For example, by following the disease model approach the service user is not treated as an individual with individual needs and choices but as a person with no choice, control or autonomy over their situation because they are labelled as having a disease. In addition to this because the model does not adopt a holistic approach factors such as housing, employment and education are not taken into consideration. Although this model works for some consideration still needs to be given to the wider problems that surround drug misuse. The second model, the ‘wheel of change' was designed by Prochaska and Diclemente (1994). It was produced from work they had done with people wishing to change their smoking behaviour, it soon became evident that their theory was helpful for all addictive behaviours. It is a holistic approach and looks at areas such as housing and financial issues when supporting someone throughout the different stages of their alcohol or drug problems. Since the model is holistic it also allows social workers to work in partnership with other agencies such as housing. As far as social work practice is concerned this model is the value base of the codes of practice as it works within a positive framework promoting anti oppressive practice. In this model there is a cyclical process. It starts with a period of pre-contemplation when the service user does not know or feel that they have a problem. For those who are thinking about change they are at the contemplation stage. This is when the service user acknowledges the risks and problems caused by their behaviour and recognise the benefits of changing their behaviour. This may be when services are accessed, such as drug treatment agencies, for support. Following the period of contemplation service users who feel that change is desirable and possible begin preparing for the change. This stage of the cycle involves setting goals and making plans. Social workers can help service users by using motivational interviewing. This emphasises the empowerment of the service user and seeks to involve them in the work of changing their behaviour. It is non-judgmental, non-confrontational and non-adversarial. The approach attempts to increase the service users awareness of the potential problems caused, consequences experienced, and risks faced as a result of the drug taking behavior. However a great deal of commitment is required from the service user for this model to work. Once the goals have been established the changes need to be implemented. If plans are clear and goals are realistic they are more likely to be long lasting because service users may feel they can reach their aim. Strategies to deal with problematic situations that may arise, such as relapse, are also very important, as are rewards for success and ongoing support. Adapting to this new behaviour is a difficult period where huge support is required, such as positive encouragement, to enable the service user to move into a period of maintaining the change. However service users need to believe in the possibility of change otherwise this model will not work. For example, someone who had committed a crime for a drug related offence and chosen treatment over prison may not identify their drug use as a problem. Therefore this model would not work because they have not even pre contemplated change. The wheel of change model links with the social model and allows social worker more flexibility when working with service users who misuse substances because it is predominately about empowerment and it involves the service user. This approach helps people recognise the risks involved with their behaviour and allows them to do something about it. Conclusion Drug misuse in Britain is a substantial and growing problem. It is not only a problem for the individual but for the Government and society. Problems for the Government could include increased crime resulting in financial costs and overcrowded prisons. Problems for the individual include social exclusion, physical and mental health problems, finance and legal issues and relationship problems. Problems for society include increased crime and increased cost on resources for example treatment and rehabilitation, police and social service involvement. Therefore treating the individual would benefit society and the Government. Policies to help treat individuals should include wraparound services which include issues such as housing, legal and financial issues and should also offer good aftercare treatment. However the new 2008 10-year drug strategy focuses more on punishment than on treatment and does not take relapse into consideration. Therefore new strategies need to be introduced to encourage people into treatment. In addition to access to treatment should be made easier for non offenders because at present problematic drug users who commit offences get preferential treatment over those who also have problematic drug problems but have not committed any offences. Society place different values on drugs and although alcohol and nicotine are highly addictive drugs they hold legal status and are socially acceptable. However, although legalising all drugs may be unrealistic and could possibly encourage drug use it would allow drugs to be bought from legal sources. Therefore crime levels may reduce and people would know exactly what they were buying thus possibly preventing overdose. There is a large emphasis on harm reduction strategies, which mainly focus on heroin misuse, and although interventions such as needle exchange services are available for drug misusers they are not always easily accessible. Introducing drug consumption rooms to the United Kingdom has advantages as well as disadvantages. It is a controversial subject and has many contradictions regarding the law. However provided they were supervised and people used them the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The disease model allows social workers limited flexibility when working with service users who misuse substances as it does not adopt a holistic approach. It also links with the medical model as the individual is regarded as a victim. It suggests that a person with drug or alcohol problems has no choice or control over their decision making thus taking away their personal responsibility. In addition to this it does not take into account harm reduction as the aim of the disease model is complete abstinence. Whereas the wheel of change model takes into consideration the possibility of relapse when working with drug misusers and respects the autonomy of the service user to make their own decisions. It allows social worker more flexibility because it is predominately about empowerment and it seeks to involve the service user changing their behaviour. It adopts a holistic approach when working with people with addictions of any kind and therefore social workers work in partnership with other agencies or professionals to help support the individual with additional problems that link to their substance misuse. The wheel of change model takes into account both physical and psychological factors again allowing social workers more flexibility with their intervention. Although the disease model can work for some individuals it requires limited intervention from social workers whereas the wheel of change model adopts a holistic approach which gives social workers more flexibility when working with service users who misuse substances.

Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study Analysis - Essay Example The environment may range from tangible to intangible factors, humans to objects. However, for Tim’s case the influences are situational given the problems he sought to solve arose from non ideal situations. The situation in this case is low morale. Morale is a psychological attitude characterized by enthusiasm and energy to work. Workers in the club clearly have low morale. The second problem is the lack of adequate motivation from the employee’s environment namely the management and fellow employees. This is an analysis of the psychological ties motivation and morale has by examining the workplace discrepancies (Nelson, 2010). The first discrepancy in the organization is the conflict between the management and employees. The case study on â€Å"money is not always the best reward† points out that the first problem Tim encounters is that of employees on stress leave due to conflict with management. Barling (2005) holds that conflict may result in psychological s trains such as stress. Three employees out of seventy five on stress leave is an indication that the problem is spinning out of control. This also reflects that the organization lacks appropriate conflict resolution strategies. This discovery also implies the lack of confidence the employees have in the management. Tim further discovers that additional four employees had work related accidents. Further research further shows that psychological strain may increase accidents at the workplace (Barling, 2005). Logic dictates that the club should investigate the cause of these accidents, but instead they set up a compensation policy and left it at that. A second problem at the club is that employees receiving directives from many authorities such as the board of directors overstepping their boundaries and giving direct instructions to employees. The result of this is that the employees experience conflict of interest which may lead to psychological strain. This conflict of interest goes as far as interdepartmental conflicts in between the club employees. Seeing as the employees roles were not well defined, they were not sure which functions to perform and how to perform them. In summary, the company did not a have proper job description and specification outline. The company also lacks Human Resource guidelines and Operational policies to guide the running of the institution (Nelson, 2010). Tim’s solutions: Tim’s critical decisions utilize a few psychological perspectives. Establishing that the main problem the employees have is low morale and lack of motivation as the start. Tim then set out to solve this problem. The findings of Elton Mayo concur with Tim’s reluctance to prioritize monetary reward to in solving his problems. The Hawthorne studies reveal that human needs in all spheres of life are complex; therefore, they require more than material rewards. Essentially a sociological approach, the human relations approach, however, has some es sential psychological characteristics that reflect on the situation at the club. The first, vital aspect Mayo reflects on is that individuals like feeling a sense of autonomy at the wok place. As such, they prefer that the management consult them on issues that involve their work situation. Modern work perspectives view employees in an organization as key partners, a source of sustained competitive advantage

Film Kal Penn Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film Kal Penn - Research Paper Example Kal Penn, born in New Jersey in the year 1977, grew up in traditional Indian family. Both of his parents were gujarattti immigrants from India. Most of his roles in his films seem to address racial discrimination. Since his parents were immigrants, he faced racial discrimination from the people in his surroundings. His passion was acting since his childhood. Playing this role in his films may help curb the problem of racial discrimination in America. Films are a form of communication where the information reaches the audience when watching. Kal Penn later involved himself in acting both in school and after school. After landing in television shows like Buffy the vampire slayer, spin the city, and Sabrina the teenage witch, his biography shows us that the work was challenging. His work was sporadic and limited to ethnic roles. At first, he was reluctant at his work to a point where his friends advised him. From this point, he proceeded to change his name (Holder2005 85). This implies the resistance Kal Penn was getting from the audience. Changing his name made his job offers increase by 50%. This implied that Kal Penn could not get job offers because his name was for an Indian. Additionally, the film industry and the media seem to be highly practicing racial profiling. They most likely offered job opportunities to the American dwellers. Again, in his romantic film; American Desi, which explored race and identity of young ethnic group, shows his efforts to explore in the field of racial profiling. Most people face discrimination in love because of their skin color, ethnic group, or religion. The fact that Penny is an Indian actor can make him face discrimination from the Americans. This film illustrates racism practices by the young people. Arguably, Kal Penn seems to fight racial profiling because he turns down his role as a teenage terrorist cast as Ahmed Amar, which he

Critique OPEC website Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critique OPEC website - Essay Example This essay discusses OPEC, that has been quite successful in presenting its case as a joint effort to protect its members from possible exploitation by industrialized countries. For this purpose, it has used several means of propaganda and its website www.opec.org has been quite effective in projecting the serious aspect of OPEC’s loquacious inducements of using oil as a tool of diplomacy, intimidation and restitution. The details and information that have been made available through this website is the sharp example of how fastidious OPEC is about its appearance or presentation to the entire world. A number of causes comes into focus of this essay. The list of reasons starts with restrained production policy of OPEC nations. These nations have the upward trend of oil production since 1999 and have added more problem to the economic crisis that raised its head in 2008 and is still continuing. Though the prices have again fallen to the almost less than one third of the peak val ue of US $145 per barrel but it’s the recession that is responsible for this fall rather than OPEC nations’ contribution towards economic partner to the world as whole. This essay not only analyzes impact and effects that OPEC have on modern oil market, but also researches possible promotional actions of it's website. OPEC website is one of the mouthpiece or better to say a means through the use of electronic media. In conclusion, the researcher states that the website has been developed quite efficiently in pursuing the goals of OPEC as a tool for information and image broadcasting.

Films and Their Reflection of the Mid-Seventies Era Essay

Films and Their Reflection of the Mid-Seventies Era - Essay Example Films are at times influential and determinants of societal behavior. Film, therefore, is believed to be progressive forces in any society and is a reflection of that society. Analysis of â€Å"Rafaelson Five Easy Pieces† shows the effects of the film and the reflection of the mid-seventies era. The film reflected the social attitudes and values in the mid-seventies era. Even though, there are numerous aspects of the film that are progressive and â€Å"influential for the mid-seventies era, the film is a reflection of the social context of the 1970’s America†. A brief comparison of the film and other contemporary issues of the 1970’s era geys also made.  Films are at times influential and determinants of societal behavior. Film, therefore, is believed to be progressive forces in any society and is a reflection of that society. Analysis of â€Å"Rafaelson Five Easy Pieces† shows the effects of the film and the reflection of the mid-seventies era. T he film reflected the social attitudes and values in the mid-seventies era. Even though, there are numerous aspects of the film that are progressive and â€Å"influential for the mid-seventies era, the film is a reflection of the social context of the 1970’s America†. A brief comparison of the film and other contemporary issues of the 1970’s era geys also made.   Five Easy Pieces directed by Bob Rafaelson is among the greatest films of the Hollywood 1970’s golden era. In the film, the character of Bobby Dupea is the archetype of numerous heroes from that period.

Impact Evaluation and Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Impact Evaluation and Accountability - Essay Example Can a government arbitrarily treat social concerns as its private reserve Better still, will the prime minister, president or monarch willingly abdicate his or her duties to look after the vulnerable section of society Social issues and problems are too deep, intricate and vexatious for even the government to handle single handedly. Traditionally, the social issues of poverty and unemployment were invariably touched upon by religious and/or civic conscious citizens under the patronage of the government and the wealthy. The system did not need regular improvising until the need became known and the means were available. Today, social work is a specialized domain. The issues are more complex and it is not only poverty and unemployment, but also a host of other disturbances like child labor and stress management seeking attention. It has become necessary for social factors to be studied, statistically and scientifically observed, understood and concluded upon by qualified and experienced experts. (Performance Measurement and Evaluation) Accountability is a combination of procedure and responsibility. There are eon procedures and methods, but it is left to the wisdom and discretion of the accountant to evolve a system best suited for the purpose of the organization. The accountant uses not only his academic skills and experience, but also his creative faculties to carry out the daily activities and evolve new methods when and where necessary with the resources available to him. The accountant is also responsible to the management and the statutory authorities like the chartered accountants. He is under the supervisory gaze of these authorities and his actions and decisions are subject to their approvals, corrective suggestions and instructions, and sometimes even censure in fraudulent cases. Other than the accountant, the social organization must be allocated the necessary funds and allowed to operate on its own to fulfill its goals and obligations. Social organizations have the necessary personnel and wherewithal to define social problems and the means to find solutions. (Healthcare & Social Services) Government and Accountability The traditional way of working has given way to the current trends of working. In the current scenario, the system is simple although hi-tech. It is highly adept to policy, procedure and systems loyalties. But it needs the tender and efficacious touch of an expert operator. As the highest authority of the land, the government has enough powers and means to oversee, control and legislate not only the social sector but the entire gamut of departmental ministries. The government itself has to operate within its budgetary and functional constraints. Its ministers and staff have their duties to perform and they cannot overstretch their limits. There are thousands of social trusts, social organizations, social volunteers and social problems. It is practically impossible for the government to keep tabs on all of them. They

My Contribution to the program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My Contribution to the program - Essay Example ursing I believe I will provide an enriched contribution to the class by elaborating to them the unique perspective of management in the field of nursing. Assuming that the program will be composed of persons with educational background in management and other related business courses I believe I will enrich their knowledge during the group discussions by informing them about the functions of the management team in healthcare institutions and how a trained nurse is best fit to handle some of these roles. For example, I can explain to them how as a trained nurse am best suited to understand the management of medicine and other inventories within a health care facility. Secondly, considering that I already have 3 years of experience in a management position I will provide the class with diversity in the sense that from time to time I will share with them the practical experience of undertaking a management role in a healthcare

Black lives matter the history and existence of racial inequality in the united states Essay Example for Free

Black lives matter the history and existence of racial inequality in the united states Essay â€Å"Hands up. Don’t shoot.†[1] This is a refrain shouted by #BlackLivesMatter activists throughout the United States. #BlackLivesMatter is a movement that gained national momentum in 2014 after acts of police brutality resulting in the death of black Americans such as Mike Brown and Eric Garner. In both of these cases, the respective police officers involved were not indicted for the death of American citizens.[2] This prompted the reaction: â€Å"black lives matter†; the livelihood of black people should and must be as important as that of white people. Throughout history, people of African descent in the United States have not equally enjoyed the same life and opportunities as other Americans due to racism, defined by public health scholars Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcia and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif as â€Å"system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, and advantages others.†[3] In the early 1900s, multiple doctors brought attention to the disparity in the morbidity and mortality of diseases, many that result from poor living conditions, between black and white Americans. Lawrence Lee, a doctor writing in 1914, noted: â€Å"that tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases and still-births cause a death-rate of 917.9 per 100,000 against a rate of 354.7 for whites.†[4] In 1927, a movement in favor of eugenics took hold, beginning with the Buck v. Bell ruling.[5] This United States Supreme Court case gave doctors the authority to designate cert ain people more fit to breed than others and supported the procreation of the so-called â€Å"fit† and limited that of the â€Å"unfit† through means such as forced sterilization.[6] During this time, forty percent of the â€Å"unfit† people sterilized were non-white.[7] However, #BlackLivesMatter activists demonstrate that racist agendas that are viewed as history in truth have ongoing effects to this day that negatively impact the daily lives and public health of African Americans. Opponents use the social media hashtag #AllLivesMatter, expressing the view that all people deserve equal rights and access to basic necessities, regardless of race. #AllLivesMatter is distinct from the #BlackLivesMatter movement in that it does not acknowledge the past and present inequity in the quality of life between white Americans and those of African descent. #BlackLivesMatter has given voice to a historically oppressed class of people and opened a discussion on how the eugen ics movement has compromised that of black Americans and how this can be corrected and how future racially-charged infractions can be prevented. The racialization of medicine has  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­had a significant role in the development of the eugenics movement. Garcia and Sharif define racism as â€Å"system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race, that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities† and claims that â€Å"racism as a social condition is a fundamental cause of health and illness.†[8] The eugenics movement is one that is founded on the racist ideology that was detrimental to the African American community. Negative eugenics was carried out through marriage restriction, forced sterilization, and confining the â€Å"feeble-minded† to colonies. The restriction of marriage through issuing marriage licenses was critical in the racist agenda of eugenics. It was illegal to have children outside of wedlock.[9] Virginia in particular banned inter-racial marriage. By doing so, Virginia politicians and eugenicists were intentionally preventing people from having mixed ra ce children, something they saw as undesirable.[10] #AllLivesMatter activists would argue that the eugenics movement was not focused on African Americans, as many of the victims of eugenics were white. In Buck v. Bell, a case heard by the United States Supreme Court that secured eugenic doctors’ ability to forcibly sterilize the feeble-minded, the defendant was Carrie Buck, a white woman.[11]   Proponents of #AllLivesMatter would note that eugenic doctors instead targeted individuals of lower socio-economic status. Some of the diagnostic criteria for detecting feeble-mindedness included â€Å"cold and clammy hands and excessive pallor or blushing.†[12] While many of the victims of the application of negative eugenics were of lower socioeconomic status, it cannot be ignored that the eugenics movement grew from calls to improve black public health in the early 1900’s. Advancements in germ theory allowed for doctors to understand that diseases are transmissible r egardless of race; as a result, doctors emphasized the need for sanitary living conditions for black Americans.[13] Historian Andrea Patterson claims that â€Å"public health measures were hijacked by eugenicists†[14] – rather than these public health measures benefitting blacks, they, in part, created an environment in which eugenicists had reason to believe that people of particular racial background were predisposed to certain illnesses. Although Buck v. Bell enabled the eugenics movement to impact people of all races, the racist political regimes that preceded it supported the development of eugenics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Paternalism was a major contributing factor to eugenic’s establishment. In 1915, Doctor L. C. Allen posited that â€Å"the negro health problem is one of the white mans burdens, and it is by no means the least of those burdens.†[15] It was his belief that the disproportionately high morbidity and mortality rates of diseases such as tuberculosis and syphilis among black Americans were the responsibility of the white population to resolve. Allen credited the strict supervision of slave owners over black slaves for the lack of illnesses related to an unclean living environment and sexually transmitted diseases while slavery was legal.[16] According to Allen, â€Å"freedom has not benefited his health, nor improved his morals,† where â€Å"he† refers to African Americans.[17] Without white slave owners to ensure that African Americans bathe, clean their living spaces, and do not engage in promiscuous sex, Allen clai ms that African Americans did not properly take care of themselves. His answer to this perceived problem is for white Americans to champion a public health reform by way of changing the educational curriculum for blacks. Allen’s proposed â€Å"industrial education† would consist of teaching African American children proper hygiene and cater to their future career prospects, which mainly consist of service or manual labor roles.[18] By singling out a minority group to be segregated for the purpose of a different education based on race, Allen’s â€Å"industrial education† plan would have been an institutionalized instance of structural racism. Black Americans would have been denied access to an equal education, and by virtue of that, they would be further limited to the jobs available to them. Although this plan did not come to fruition, the ideas behind it lingered. Eugenic doctors felt that it was for the betterment of all humankind to promote the procre ation of those with what these doctors deemed desirable traits while simultaneously diminishing or altogether ceasing the procreation of the â€Å"unfit.†[19] The widespread belief that eugenics existed in order to improve the global gene pool is paternalistic. The socio-economic elite utilized their position of power to further their self-interested ideology at the expense of those below them, particularly African Americans. Mass incarceration of African Americans is a modern practice that in many ways is a continuation of eugenics. Victims of eugenic sterilization told their stories in a 2011 testimony in North Carolina arranged by The Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board. One such victim was Elaine Riddick, a black woman. Her son, Tony Riddick commented on the ongoing systemic racism in the United States, saying, â€Å"A young man nineteen years old, first time convicted, nonviolent offense, you give him fifteen to twenty years in prison. Now look at what happens, now he can no longer be a father, his mother loses a child.†[20] Though the testimony took place a few years before the #BlackLivesMatter movement gained momentum, these sentiments are the same as those felt by activists today. #BlackLivesMatter advocate and doctor Mary Basset argues in â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities† that â€Å"there is the great injustice in the daily violence experienced by young black men. But the tragedy of lives cut short is not accounted for entirely, or even mostly, by violence.†[21] Indeed, as Tony Riddick pointed out, systemic racism has cost many black Americans the ability to lead a productive life in society and often the ability to reproduce. In the mid-twentieth century, this took the form of the eugenics movement. People designated â€Å"feebleminded,† a categorization for the so-called unfit of society, were often sent to colonies to live out their lives and forcibly sterilized.[22] Though eugenics has been abolished, similar practices occur today. When a person is sentenced to a prison sentence that spans their prime reproductive years, they are segregated from the rest of society and are much less likely to raise a family.[23] Tony Riddick drew a comparison between eugenics and mass incarceration, likening each to genocide.[24] Flaws in today’s criminal justice system have allowed a form of racial genocide to perpetuate in the United States. A quick internet search of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter will bring up a sizable list of names that activists for the movement mourn as preventable deaths. Though many people know of Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown, lesser-known but equally important people are added to the list of casualties regularly. One such person is Joyce Cornell, a fifty-year-old black woman who died in jail on July 22, 2015. Cornell was arrested for failing to pay court fines, a minor offense. Cornell experienced severe nausea and vomiting and was not granted medical treatment or water. She passed away one day later from dehydration.[25] These people, every black person who has lost their life early from preventable causes, represent a public health epidemic. Structural racism has decreased the life expectancy of black people living in the United States.[26] As Garcia and Sharif argue, it is necessary to â€Å"reshape our discourse† and consider racism a public health issue in order to begin to combat its effects.[27] It is vital that positive change happens for the betterment of our fellow Americans. This process begins with recognizing that racism exists and that #BlackLivesMatter. Bibliography Allen, L. C., M.D. THE NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM. The American Journal of Public Health, 1914. Accessed February 8, 2016. Bassett, Mary T., M.D., M.P.H. #BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities. The New England Journal of Medicine 372, no. 12 (March 19, 2015): 1085-087. Accessed March 11, 2016. Buck v. Bell.  274th  ed. Vol. 200. U.S. Supreme Court, 1927. Dorr, Gregory Michael. STERILIZE THE MISFITS PROMPTLY†: Virginia Controls the Feebleminded. In Segregations Science: Eugenics and Society in Virginia, 107-36. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008. Garcà ­a, Jennifer Jee-Lyn, Ph.D., and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, MPH. Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health. Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health 105, no. 8 (August 2015): E27-30. doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302706. Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board.   Final Report to the Governor of the State of North Caroline (Pursuant to Executive Order 83).   Raleigh, NC, 2011. Hutchinson, Woods. The Importance of Negative Eugenics Or the Prevention of Ill-Bornness.,. The American Journal of Public Health 3 (1913): 238-42. Knapp, Andrew, and Dave Munday. Lawyers Say Woman, 50, Died after Being ‘deprived of Water’ at Charleston County Jail. Post and Courier. February 24, 2016. Accessed April 21, 2016. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636. Lee, Lawrence, M.D. THE NEGRO AS A PROBLEM IN PUBLIC HEALTH CHARITY. The American Journal of Public Health 5 (1915): 207-10. Patterson, Andrea. Germs and Jim Crow: The Impact of Microbiology on Public Health Policies in Progressive Era American South.Journal of the History of Biology  42, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 529-59. doi:10.1007/s10739-008-9164-x. [1] Jennifer Jee-Lyn Garcà ­a, Ph.D. and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, MPH, Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health,  Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health105, no. 8 (August 2015): e27, doi:10.2105/ajph.2015.302706. [2] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [3] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [4] Lawrence Lee, M.D., THE NEGRO AS A PROBLEM IN PUBLIC HEALTH CHARITY.,  The American Journal of Public Health  5 (1915): 207. [5] Buck v. Bell.  274th  ed. Vol. 200. U.S. Supreme Court, 1927. [6] Woods Hutchinson, The Importance of Negative Eugenics Or the Prevention of Ill-Bornness.,  AJPH  3 (1913): 238. [7] Gregory Michael Dorr, STERILIZE THE MISFITS PROMPTLY†: Virginia Controls the Feebleminded., in Segregations Science: Eugenics and Society in Virginia(University of Virginia Press, 2008). [8] Garcia and Sharif, e27 [9] Dorr, 112 [10] Dorr, 111 [11] Dorr, 129 [12] Dorr, 113 [13] Andrea Patterson, Germs and Jim Crow: The Impact of Microbiology on Public Health Policies in Progressive Era American South,  Journal of the History of Biology  42, no. 3 (Fall 2009): 541, doi:10.1007/s10739-008-9164-x. [14] Patterson, 529 [15] L. C. Allen, M.D., THE NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM.,  The American Journal of Public Health  5 (1915): 194. [16] Allen, 195 [17] Allen, 194 [18] Allen, 200 [19] Hutchinson, 240 [20] Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board.   Final Report to the Governor of the State of North Caroline (Pursuant to Executive Order 83).   Raleigh, NC, 2011, D-10 [21] Mary T. Bassett, M.D., M.P.H., #BlackLivesMatter — A Challenge to the Medical and Public Health Communities,  The New England Journal of Medicine  372, no. 12 (March 19, 2015): 1085, accessed March 11, 2016. [22] Dorr, 120 [23] Garcia and Sharif, e28 [24] Governor’s Task Force to Determine the Method of Compensation for Victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board, D-10. [25] Andrew Knapp and Dave Munday, Lawyers Say Woman, 50, Died after Being ‘deprived of Water’ at Charleston County Jail, Post and Courier, February 24, 2016, accessed April 21, 2016, http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20160224/PC16/160229636. [26] Garcia and Sharif, e28 [27] Garcia and Sharif, e27

Genetically Modified Food And Crops Biology Essay

Genetically Modified Food And Crops Biology Essay Genetic modification of crops and food stuffs is one of the major controversial debates in the world. There have been doubts on the safety of genetically modified foods especially in the area of human health and environmental degradation. Many people have fears that their health could experience unforeseeable effects by altering the genetic content of a plant. Genetic modification might have resulted to the growing of pesticide and herbicide tolerant plants but the new technology has dangerous effects on human health and the environment. Genetic modification of crops has led to reduced effectiveness of herbicides and pesticides, transfer of genes to species that are not targeted, and has caused harm to important organisms. It has also caused allergies to most people in different parts of the world and raised economic concerns. Though the supporters of the new technology argue that it has led to increased crop yields and alleviation of nutrition deficiencies, genetic modification has obviously caused more harm than good. Introduction Genetically modified foods have been used widely in the 21st century and have splashed in the media lately. Public awareness groups and European environmental agencies have been frequently protesting against genetically modified foods and crops for years, and the latest controversial studies regarding the effects of GM corn pollen on sovereign butterfly caterpillars have prompted the issue of genetic engineering hence bringing it to the front position of public awareness in the United States. As a result, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has held three public meetings in Washington D.C., Oakland, California, and Chicago to importune opinions by the public and start the procedure of establishing an effective regulatory method for government sanction of genetically modified foods. GM foods have resulted to adverse effects especially in regard to environmental hazard, human health risk, and economic concerns. In respect to this, the government should discourage the g rowing of genetically modified crops and establish policies that ensure GM foods and crops are labelled (Institute of Medicine U.S. Committee on Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human Health 23) Literature Review Genetically modified foods and crops refer to plants scientifically created for animal or human consumption using the most recent molecular biology techniques. Basically, these crops are modified in the laboratory to improve nutritional content. Traditionally, enhancement of plants nutritional content was achieved through breeding but such conventional crop breeding methods proved to be time consuming and not quite reliable in terms of accuracy (Ferry and Gatehouse 59). On the other hand, genetic engineering creates crops that rapidly exhibit the exact desired traits with great accuracy. For instance, its possible for a plant geneticist to cut off a drought tolerance gene and insert it to a different plant. Consequently, the genetically-modified plant will become drought tolerant after acquiring the essential gene. Surprisingly, its also possible to transfer non-plant organisms besides the plant-to-plant gene transfer. The Bt or Bacillus thuringiensis, genes transfer to crops such as corn is a good example of non-plant organisms genes transfer. Bt is a bacterium that occurs naturally and produces insect larvae lethal protein crystals. Moreover, the Bt protein genes are transferred into corn, making it possible for the corn to generate pesticides of its own for instance the European corn borer (Ferry and Gatehouse 60). Pesticide resistant rape plant is on of the genetically modified crops. Scientific researchers have introduced a foreign gene to the rape plant which gives the plant the capability to resist certain pesticides. Consequently, a farmer is able to safely spray his genetically engineered rape plants with pesticides and destroying harmful pests without killing the crops. However, there is a possibility that the introduced genes may be transferred to the pests hence making them resistant to the pesticide as well and the plant spray becomes ineffective (Institute of Medicine U.S. Committee o n Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human Health 24). In this context, its possible for rape plants to pollinate the navew weed which occurs in rape crop fields. The navew weed acquires resistance to pesticides after gaining the introduced genes from the rape plants. Another example of GM crop is the golden rice which has been genetically engineered to increase its nutrition content by introducing an extra amount of vitamin A. More precisely, golden rice contains the beta-carotene element which is converted into vitamin A by the human body. Beta-carotene is the element responsible for the orange colour found in carrots and the golden colour in this particular rice. However, for the rice to produce beta-carotene, two genes from daffodils and one from bacterium must be implanted (Ferry Gatehouse 60). Methodology The study on genetically-modified crops/foods is very important and adequate information is required to determine the possible downfalls of the new technology. Books by reputable authors will be used to gather sufficient information on the topic. Additionally, relevant articles touching on the current progress of the new technology will also be used to realize recent discoveries. Discussion Natural breeding techniques have been used safely for the past numerous thousands of years. On the contrary, Genetically modified plant technology abrogates reproductive processes that occur naturally, selection takes place at the single cell stage, the process is extremely mutagenic and more often than not breaches genera barriers even after being in use for about ten years. In spite of these differences, the assessment on the safety of genetically modified crops is often based on the substantial equivalence idea such that In case a new crop or food is found to be considerably equivalent in nutritional and composition characteristics to an already existing crop/food, it may be regarded as harmless as the conventional food/crop (Gordon 144). Nevertheless, a number of animal studies designate serious health risks linked to GM crop/food consumption including dysregulation of genes related to synthesis of cholesterol, accelerated aging, and protein formation. Religious organizations, Environmental activists, professional organizations, public interest groups, and other government and scientist officials have raised their concerns about genetically modified foods/crops. Agribusiness pursues profits showing minimal concern for possible environmental and human health hazards as well as economic concerns. Environmental hazards Reduced pesticide and insecticide effectiveness; most insects and pests are likely to develop resistance to Bt just like some mosquito species have developed resistance to DDT pesticide which has already been banned from the market. In addition, there is a possibility that insects and pests may develop resistance to pesticides produced by genetically-modified crops. This will eventually lead to destruction of large amounts of crops both in the field and in the store. Harm to other organisms: In reference to a laboratory study published last year, 2009, pollen from Bacillus thuringiensis corn caused a high rate of deaths in monarch butterfly caterpillars. These caterpillars do not consume corn but milkweed plants, but there is a possibility that pollen from Bt may be blown by wind onto the neighbouring milkweed field and hence the caterpillars will consume them and die. Even though the study wasnt conducted on natural field, the results are likely to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, Bacillus thuringiensis toxins indiscriminately kill many insect larvae species, its impossible to produce a Bt toxin that only kills pests that are crop-damaging and remain safe to other insects (Heller 227). However, this study is under re-examination by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA, and other non-governmental research agencies. Interestingly enough, data from recent studies suggests that data from the original study may not have been accurate. Currently, the debate on the results of these studies is still on-going, and the possible risk of harm to organisms that are not targets will need further evaluation (Institute of Medicine U.S. Committee on Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human Health 50). Gene transfer to non-target species: Another major concern is that crops modified for herbicide tolerance and field weeds might cross-breed, hence leading to the transfer of the resistance genes from plant crops into the adjacent weeds. The resulting weeds will be super and are more likely to become tolerant to the herbicide as well. Other new genes may cross into non-engineered plant crops adjacent to GM crops. The interbreeding possibility is shown by the farmers defence against labelling of GM foods. A good example is the Monsanto case, where the company has filed exclusive rights intrusion lawsuits against GM crops farmers (Gordon 144). The only possible ways through which GM crop farmers can resolve these environmental hazards is by creating male sterile plants. This will ensure that non-target species do not receive new genes from GM crops. On the other hand, the farmers can modify the GM crops in a way that the pollen doesnt consist of the introduced genes. Consequently, there would be no possibility of cross-pollination and harmless insects would survive after consuming pollen from GM crops (Ferry and Gatehouse 121). Another probable solution will be creating buffer zones around GM crop fields. For instance, non-GM corn can be cultivated to surround a Bt. GM corn field, although the non-GM corn should not be harvested. Harmless or beneficial insects would take refuge in the non-GM corn, and pests can be allowed to wipe out the non-GM corn field without developing resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis pesticides. The wind-blown pollen will not cross over to weeds or other crops since the buffer zone wouldnt let it. Nonetheless, this planting method maybe unpractical if large buffer zone acreage is required (Ferry and Gatehouse 150). Human health risks Allergenicity: Allergy emergence is one of the most common human health threat posed by genetically modified foods (Puszta 2001). In the event of genetic modification, a protein with allergic effects could be transferred to a different crop. Additionally, allergic effects could be exacerbated through the biotechnology process, and new proteins that become allergens could be created in GM crops. For example, lots of children and grown-ups in Europe and the United States have developed allergies that are life-threatening to foods such as peanuts. There is likelihood that plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A good example is the Brazil nut-to-beans genes transfer proposal that was rejected because of its possible allergic reactions. However, GM foods may require extensive testing in order to avoid possible consumer harm through allergies (Gordon 144). Unknown effects on human health: Transferring or introducing alien genes into food crops may result to unexpected negative effects on human health. An article recently published in Lancet scrutinized the effects of genetically-modified potatoes on the digestive system in rats. This study argued that there were significant differences in the intestines of GM potato fed rats and those of rats fed naturally cultivated potatoes. Until now critics argue that this results, like the monarch butterfly data, is faulty and doesnt hold up to scientific examination. Furthermore, the gene transferred into the potatoes was lectin, a snowdrop flower already known to be poisonous to mammals. The research scientists who produced this variety of potato decided to use lectin gene just to test the methodology, because these potatoes were not intended for animal or human consumption (Gordon 143). Economic concerns Introducing GM foods to market is a costly and lengthy process, and certainly agri-biotech companies aspire to ensure a cost-effective return on their investment. Several new plant genetic-modification technologies and GM crops/foods have been unapproved and patent breach is a great concern of agribusiness. Yet consumer advocates are concerned that patenting the new plant varieties is likely to raise seed prices so high such that small-scale farmers and third world nations will be unable to come up with the money for GM crop seeds, thus increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. People are hoping that in a compassionate gesture, more non-profits and companies will offer their products at a fair cost to poor countries (Ferry and Gatehouse 172). Enforcement of patent may turn-out to be difficult, as the farmers contention that they unwillingly grew Monsanto-modified strains when their crop plants were cross-pollinated. Introducing a suicide gene into GM plants would be an excell ent way of contesting possible patent breach. These crop plants would be feasible for one planting season and would produce seeds that dont germinate since they will be sterile. Farmers would have to purchase a fresh supply of planting seeds yearly. However, this would strain farmers financially especially in third world nations where they cannot afford to purchase seeds every year (Ferry and Gatehouse 173). In contrast, genetic-modified crops have been known to exhibit pest resistance. Insect pests can cause serious crop destruction and loss, hence resulting in distressing financial loss for farmers and prolonged starvation in third world countries. Most farmers buy and use many tons of insecticides and pesticides yearly. Moreover, pesticides can cause potential health hazards and excessive use can contaminate water sources and the environment. Cultivation of genetically-modified crops can eliminate the need for pesticides hence minimizing on costs. However, this method may harm pests that are important for crop growth processes such as pollination. Apart from this, genetically-modified plant crops exhibit herbicide tolerance. Considering that physical weed removal may not be cost-effective for certain crops, farmers are forced to spray large quantities of herbicides to destroy weeds which is expensive and time-consuming. Cultivating plant crops that are genetically-modified to resist a powerful herbicide might help in preventing environmental contamination by minimizing on the herbicides used. Despite the risks involved in genetic-modification of crops/foods, the biotechnology industry continues to claim that genetically-engineered crops can feed the entire world by producing higher crop yields. Nutrition Malnutrition has been reported to be a major problem in developing countries where poor people depend on crops such as rice as their key staple food. Nevertheless, such foods do not contain sufficient amounts of nutrients necessary to prevent malnutrition. If such crops were to be genetically-modified to contain extra minerals and vitamins, deficiencies of nutrients could be alleviated. However, an up to date report by Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed twelve academic studies and indicated that GM foods form a small percentage of the worlds produced food. Bt. corn proved to be the only exception since a high yield in GM corn was reported. As a matter of fact, the report further sated that the significant increase in crop yields was as a result of improvements in trad itional breeding (Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human Health 101). Conclusion Genetically-modified foods/crops may be the potential solution to many of global malnutrition and hunger problems, and to aid in preserving and protecting the environment by minimizing dependence upon chemical herbicides and pesticides, and increasing crop yield. Nevertheless, there are several challenges ahead for farmers and national governments, particularly in the areas of, international policy, regulation, safety testing, and GM food labelling. Needless to say, genetic-modification is the inevitable future wave and that the society may not afford to ignore this technology though it has several dangers which outweigh its benefits to both the consumer and the farmer. However, members of the society must carry on with caution to avoid causing environmental hazards and unintentional harm to human health as a result of enthusiasm for this new technology. Recommendations Considering that GM foods pose serious health risks in the areas of allergy, reproductive health, metabolic, and immune function, farmers ought to adopt the precautionary principle. This principle is the key European Union environmental regulatory tool and health policy which has formed numerous international agreements. The precautionary approach is to be applied by nations in accordance with their capabilities in protecting the environment. In case of serious threats of irreversible damage, presence of limited scientific certainty should not be utilized as a reason for postponing gainful measures to prevent degradation of the environment. Bearing the precautionary principle in mind, physicians should educate the public, patients, and the medical community to avoid genetically-modified foods if possible and offer educational materials on health risks arising from GM foods. Moreover, the scientific and medical community should gather information related to health effects resulting fr om the consumption of GM foods. This may include conducting research on safe and effective methods of considering GM foods effects on human health. Lastly, implementing long term labelling and safety testing methods of genetically-modified foods/crops will be an important factor.

Case Study On The Ethics Of The Police Law Essay

Case Study On The Ethics Of The Police Law Essay This paper will discuss decisions made by police in a scenario. This paper will critique decisions that the police in the scenario have made. I will be discussing whether or not the decisions made by the police were ethical or not and I will discuss what I would have done in the situation. I will be discussing ethical considerations. I will discuss a number of topics related to ethics such as NSW Police Oath of Office, Statement of Values and Code of Conduct. I will also be talking about human rights, coercive and excessive force, discretion, power, authority, reporting misconduct and loyalty. Numerous policies and legislation need to be followed to perform the role of a police officer and to maintain ethical standards and to make ethical decisions. Ethical decisions are made every day by police and it is important to be ethical to be a police officer. The first decision by police that I will critique is Senior Constable Cullens decision to keep Scotts Ipod. Senior Constable Cullen demanded Scott to give the Ipod that he stole. Senior Constable Cullen did not give the Ipod to the lawful owner. Instead he decided to keep the Ipod for himself. The decision to keep the Ipod is the wrong decision and is an unethical decision. An ethical decision involves obvious ethical standards. An ethical decision is being able to distinguish if a decision is lawful, moral and the correct decision which will impact a number of stakeholders. NSW Police Oath of Office requires states: police to keep the peace, to the best of your ability, faithfully according to law (Oath of Office, Clause 7, Police Regulation, 2008.). The Oath of Office is a legally binding promise that all NSW Police officers take. The Oath of Office is legislation and has to be followed in order for police to function ethically and responsibly. In the scenario Senior Constable Cullen decided to keep Scotts Ipod. Senior Constable Cullen did not follow the Oath of Office and failed in his duties to perform to the best of his ability. This makes the decision that Senior Constable Cullen made one that is unethical, unjustified and against legislation. The decision to steal Scotts Ipod also breaches NSW Police Statement of Values. The Statement of Values outlines the collective values of the NSW Police. It provides employees with clear guidelines on the conduct required to support the values of the NSW Police Force (pp.49, Policing Issues and Practice Journal, May 2007, the NSW Police Force Revised Statement of Values and Ethics). The NSW Police Statement of Values states: Excellence; having the highest professional standards and integrity. Senior Constable Cullen did not follow this value when he made the decision to take Scotts Ipod and not give it back. Having excellence is to have high standards and to act morally and ethically, have good character and to be honest which Senior Constable Cullen did not show in his decision of stealing the Ipod. Senior Constable Cullen also breached the NSW Police Force Code of Conduct and Ethics policy. This policy states that NSW Police employees act professionally, honesty and to be ethical The Code of Conduct and Ethics policy guides NSW Police to act ethically and have good conduct. The NSW Police Force Code of Conduct and Ethics states: An employee of the NSW Police Force must not make improper use of their position or NSW Police Force information or resources. Senior Constable Cullen breached this policy when he stole Scotts Ipod. Senior Constable used his position as a police officer for an unlawful purpose. He stole the Ipod for personal gain. This policy states that a NSW Police employee cannot use their position as leverage to perform an unlawful act such as stealing. Senior Constable Cullen had no justification under any law, legislation or policy to steal Scotts Ipod, therefore his decision is an unethical, unlawful decision without any justification. In Senior Constable Cullens decision, he used inappropriate discretion when he stole Scotts Ipod. Discretion is acting according to your own judgment wherever your authority leaves you free to do so (PPP123 Study Guide, 2010, p.23). Senior Constable Cullen has discretion whether to arrest and charge Scott and keep his Ipod. Although he used his discretion to steal the Ipod, it was an unlawful use of his discretion because it is against the law to steal. Discretion is supposed to be applied in good faith and to uphold the spirit of the law. The way Senior Constable Cullen used his discretion was unethical, was not done in good faith and was not justified. Senior Constable Cullen has breached an important human right when he made the decision to keep Scotts Ipod unlawfully. Human rights are the rights and liberty in which all humans are entitled to. Article 17 states: No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. (Article 17, United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948). Police can breach human rights justifiably such as taking property. The justification for taking property would be for the gathering of evidence or if a person is in custody. Police officers are not justified in taking property of others for their own personal use. All humans in the world are entitled to human rights. Police are required to protect everyones human rights in order to keep the peace, uphold standards of living and to keep society a safe place. This shows that Senior Constable Cullen violated human rights by taking Scotts Ipod and therefore this deci sion is an unethical one. There are numerous potential consequences for Senior Constable Cullen for stealing the Ipod. It is a criminal offence to steal property belonging to another. Senior Constable Cullen may face criminal prosecution for his decision to steal the Ipod. By not following the NSW Police Force policies and legislation such as, the Oath of Office, Code of Conduct and Ethics and Statement of Values, human rights declaration and proper use of discretion, Senior Constable Cullen may face disciplinary action by NSW Police. Senior Constable Cullen may also be terminated from the NSW Police Force for his actions if he cannot justify why he took the Ipod from Scott. He may also be sued by Scott for taking his Ipod. I would not have made the decision to steal Scotts Ipod. I would have no justification to steal Scotts Ipod. I would also not be following legislation and policy if I took Scotts Ipod without giving it back. If I was the police officer in that situation, I would give the Ipod back to Scott who is the rightful owner. The second decision made by police that I will critique is Senior Constable Cullens decision to push Scott heavily into the fence. Pushing Scott heavily into the fence is considered excessive force. Excessive force is defined as: force than cannot be justified (PPP123 Study Guide, 2010, pp70-71). Senior Constable Cullen has to justify his decisions and the actions he takes and he is held accountable for his actions. Senior Constable is accountable for his action because he has original authority. Original authority is defined as: acting from your own will. It is granted and exercised as a result of holding the office of constable (PPP123 Study Guide, 2010, p.69). Due to the fact that police officers have original authority, they are all accountable for their own actions. No one else is accountable for the decisions they make. The Police Act 1990, Statement of Values, Code of Conduct and Police Regulation 2008 states that Police officers are held accountable for their actions and must justify the decisions they make and the actions they take. Senior Constable Cullen was not justified in pushing Scott heavily into the fence. Coercive force would have been a better option to take. Coercive force can be used when: the amount of force used to be adequate to the intended outcome. Only the minimum amount of force is necessary to achieve the outcome. (PPP123 Study Guide, 2010, p70). Coercive force is making someone do something they would not otherwise have done. Instead of pushing Scott heavily into the fence, I would have instructed Scott to turn around and would have handcuffed him because by law I am justified in handcuffing a person when they have escaped or tried to escape and I need to handcuff Scott to prevent future escape when I start talking to him. That would have been the minimum force needed at that moment. Pushing Scott hard into the fence was not necessary and there were other coercive force options available like handcuffing him and telling him hes under arrest. The consequences of his actions may have resulted in a civil lawsuit against him and being charged with assault and being terminated from the NSW Police Force. The third decision that I will critique is Constable Blacks decision to not report the misconduct of her partner Senior Constable Cullen. Senior Constable Cullen made a number of unethical decisions like pushing Scott hard into the wall and stealing Scotts Ipod. Constable Black did not address the misconduct of her partner. Misconduct is where a breach of some form of policy, law or other stringent requirement occurs (PPP123 Study Guide, 2010, p.118). If a police officer is acting in a way which you consider to be misconduct, the police officer is legally required to report misconduct (cl. 49 Police Regulation 2008 Point 10 Code of Conduct and Ethics). Constable Black might not have reported the incidents because she thought there might be ramifications to her career and possible the career of her partner Senior Constable Cullen. Her inactions of not reporting misconduct may jeopordise her career. Constable Black does not have the moral courage to report the misconduct of Senior Constable Cullen. Moral courage is to stand up for yourself and take a stand on what you think is the right thing to do. As a police officer, Constable Black should be aware that she can report misconduct to the Commissioner, Internal Witness Support Unit, Corruption hotline, NSW Ombudsman and many other avenues. Constable Black is loyal to her colleague, but loyalty doesnt work once your career is on the line. Constable Black can be loyal to her partner in situations such as lawful arrests and general policing functions. Loyalty in policing is valuable because it allows police to pursue their goals and objective effectively (PPP123 Study Guide, 2010, p122). Although when her partner starts to do things which are in contradiction with law, policy and guidelines, Constable Black need not be loyal to her partner, but to be loyal to the NSW Police Force and to report the crime. I do not agree with Constable Blacks decision of not reporting misconduct of her colleague Senior Constable Cullen. There is no justification for her to not report misconduct. If a complaint was made against Senior Constable Cullen about him stealing the Ipod, Constable Black would be questioned as to what she did about him stealing the Ipod and why didnt she report it to anyone. This might have potentially caused an end to her service in the NSW Police Force. If I was Constable Black, I would suggest to Senior Constable Cullen to give the Ipod back. If he still decided to keep the Ipod, I would then report his misconduct by following the relevant avenues. In conclusion I have critiqued 3 decisions that the police officers made in the scenario. The two police officers were Senior Constable Cullen and Constable Black. I discussed the potential consequences of their decisions and what I would have done in their situation. I talked about various weekly topics including discretion, NSW Police Oath of Office, Statement of Values, Code of Conduct. I also discussed human rights, coercive and excessive force, discretion, power, authority, reporting misconduct and loyalty. To be ethical and to be justified for your actions, A police officer must follow legislation and policies such as Statement of Values, Oath of Office and Code of Conduct and Ethics and NSW Police standard operating procedures which is readily accessible. I came to a conclusion that the options that Senior Constable Cullen took were not justified, were not ethical, nor were they following NSW Police guidelines, standard operating procedures and legislation. I also came to the conclusion that Constable Blacks decision of not reporting misconduct is unethical, not justified and breached Clause 9 of the Police Regulation 2008 which states that all NSW Police officers are legally required to report misconduct.