Db5 team and leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Db5 team and leadership - Research Paper Example Other factors that might contribute to the teamwork failure include lack of open-mindedness and progressive thinking among team members (McCallin & Mike, 2009). However, this is opposed to another experience I had with another team that was very successful from the start to end. Among the main factors that contributed to the success of the team was commitment to the goals of the project, good interpersonal skills and interdependence among team members. According to Tarricone & Luca (2002), interpersonal skills such as open discussions among team members, honesty, trust and respect are some of the most important factors that can enhance effective teamwork among members. However, the most crucial factor that helped the team become successful was communication among members. Open communication and positive feedback among the team members are important attributes for a successful team (Tarricone & Luca, 2002). All members of a particular team need to learn teamwork and be committed to targets, timelines and responsibilities set for the project. Such effectiveness can only be achieved through proper communication among team

Workaholic Lifestyle Essay Example for Free

Workaholic Lifestyle Essay In THIS rapiLY changing world, the more employments THAT are created, the more people WHO BECOME involved in workaholics’ lifestyle. There is no doubt that workaholics HAVE A difficult time to get along with their liveS. Because A workaholic’s lifestyle has a profound influence on their families, their social lives, and their health. Firstly, A workaholic’s lifestyle has an adverse effect on their families. As much as A workaholic has a superior position in their company, THE time they spend WITH their families is limited. They do not EVEN have enough time to take care of their children or do household chores, which leadS to THEIR communICATING inadequately with other family members. Therefore, their children may not BE educated carefully in termS of emotion and spirit, which in turn makeS A workaholic uncomfortable about the behavior of their children. In addition to the negative effect on their families, A workaholic’s lifestyle can effect on their social lives. Without enough time to participate in outdoor activities or community activities, workaholic cannot form new relationships with others. Therefore, friends who play an important role in their mental health around them are so few that IT makeS them uncomfortable IN society. Furthermore, they have a looser and looser link with their relatives. As a result, all of this makeS them feel isolated from their society. Finally, it is obvious that A workaholic’S life-style HAS a harmful influence on their heath. After working HARD ALL day, they have no time for pastime in order to reliEve their stress. Therefore, they must suffer from severe work-related stress for a long time, which MAY lead to serious disease. For instance, an individual who works more than eight hour per day may suffer from severe headacheS. Consequently, he will not be able to fulfil his work expeditiously on time. In conclusion, there are a number of undesirable impactS on not only their workaholic’s life but also the world around them. Hence, they should set a schedule to have more time to care for their families, and to keep relationships as well in order to have A well-balanced life.

Challenges for Patient Care in Acute Wards

Challenges for Patient Care in Acute Wards It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a hospital that it should do the sick no harm Nightingale F (1863) With this statement in mind, identify the major problems for hospitalised patients in acute wards, in the twenty first century. For each problem identified discuss the role of nurses in maintaining the safety, health and well-being of patients. Introduction Hospitals of today are indeed a far cry from the hospitals of the era of Florence Nightingale in very many respects, but the guiding principles of aspiring to be a safe and healing haven for the sick clearly have not changed over the years. One of Nightingale’s major crusades was the constant battle against infection which was rife in the wards of her day. To that extent, her mantra continues with the problems that iatrogenic infections cause in today’s hospitals. It is worthy of note in passing, that Nightingale is credited with popularising the statistical analysis of problems. Her famous chart (Playfair 1847) that correlated the decimation of Napoleon’s army by disease as it advanced and then retreated from Moscow, was a milestone in the arguments that she was advancing in the dangers of potential of communicable diseases in crowded environments. The title of this essay refers to Florence Nightingale’s famous remark which implied that in her day there was a real possibility of hospitals â€Å"harming patients†. Her remark, albeit made to address a serious public health problem of the mid nineteenth century, has a resonance which is both deeper and more significant than would first appear on face value. Her comment is actually a paraphrase of a quote from Hippocrates some two millennia earlier in his exhortation to aspiring physicians, â€Å"If you are to become a physician, adopt the first rule that whatever else, you will do no harm†. (Carrick 2000) The significance of this is that even two thousand years after the principle was first enunciated, it was still recognised that healthcare professionals, whilst employing their best endeavours to cure patients, were still able to inflict significant morbidity and even mortality on their patients. The main thrust of this essay is to demonstrate that even with the passage of a further one hundred and fifty years, it is arguable that the same premise holds good today. It is undoubtedly true that the advances in medicine and technology generally have changed the perspectives and horizons far beyond those that Nightingale would have recognised, but this has done little more than to simply change the nature and type of problem that healthcare professionals have to deal with. Iatrogenic morbidity is still a significant fact of life in our modern healthcare practice. (Sugarman Sulmasy 2001) The original work by Semmelweis (at about the same time as Nightingale ) in the 1850s, (Semmelweis 1861) made major inroads into our knowledge of the transmission of pathogens around wards. This work was augmented by Lister and others with their work on asepsis and antisepsis. (Birte Twisselmann 2003). Over the intervening years this has been translated into Nursing practice on the wards by a multitude of protocols at both local and national levels. Simple hand washing between patient contact, is still regarded as one of the most expedient ways of reducing cross contamination between patients, but is sadly still frequently overlooked as both a nuisance and even a hindrance when in a clinical situation. Some of the more recent National guidelines are encapsulated in the Government White Paper â€Å"New Guidelines to cleaner hospitals† published in 2004. This has been augmented by a statement to the House of Commons by John Reid who has announced targets of cutting MRSA infection by 50% of current levels by 2008 (Reid 2004) One cannot work in the current healthcare setting and not be aware of the high profile that MRSA has attracted. Some may say that it’s profile is disproportionately large when compared to many of the other iatrogenic problems that would come under the umbrella of Nightingale’s original statement. The fact of the matter is that it is not only a matter of patient morbidity and mortality, but it is also a matter of economic sense as well. A recent study commissioned by the Department of Health (Public Accounts Committee 2000) concluded that Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI’s) are currently running in excess of 8% of all acute hospital admissions in the UK. The economic cost is further expanded by the fact that a HCAI has the ability to delay discharge dates and thereby increase inpatient costs. The same study also concluded that â€Å"For the NHS in England this represents 3.6 million bed days lost, with a projected cost of  £1 billion a year.† and then went on to observe that â€Å"Implementation of all the measures suggested by the NPSA would release  £147 million and save about 450 lives once target compliance rates have been met.† We have commented on local initiatives and quote as an example the Epic project that has been run at local level throughout the country which seeks to apply evidence-based guidelines locally for the reduction of various healthcare associated infections. (Pratt et al 2001) When considering any significant healthcare issue, one should always reflect upon the evidence base that is available to assess one’s own position on the subject (Gibbs, G 1988). Publications in peer-reviewed journals are perhaps one major plank in this evidence base. One must always be alert to differentiate between the weight to be placed upon the evidence in this type of publication when compared to others such as Government pronouncements, bulletins and circulars, unless they are attributed – and most are not – and can therefore be verified. On the issue of patient cross contamination and handwashing we would commend the excellent tour de force by Boyce Pittet (2002) In current nursing practice we can see the modern consequences of many initiatives aimed at reducing the cross-patient spread of infection. The abundance of near-patient handwashing facilities (Donowitz 1997) and antiseptic soap dispensers (Graham 1990) is a testament to this fact as are the modern trend to single use equipment, dressings and aprons etc. The provision of such facilities are, by themselves, not totally effective as many studies have shown that there is an inherent resistance from some staff to measures as simple as handwashing (Teare 1999) and that additional measures such as poster campaigns and staff lectures produce only transient behaviour changes (Kretzer et al. 1998) Another area where there is the clear potential to do harm to patients is the whole area of patient identification. Patients in hospital have investigations and treatments that are potentially dangerous. One hopes that for each intervention a â€Å"balance sheet† has been drawn up, which weighs the potential hazards against the potential gains for each procedure. This is fine as long as the procedure is performed on the right patient. If the wrong patient is identified for the procedure then it can have disastrous implications. (Williamson et al.1999) To give a specific example. Let us consider the case of blood transfusion. This is a very common procedure in our hospitals with many thousands of units of blood being transfused on a daily basis. Despite stringent protocols and guidelines in one typical year there were 197 serious adverse incidents resulting from incorrect patient identification, this included 42 cases of major morbidity and two deaths. (Mayor 1999) To combat this specific problem (and to illustrate our argument) National guidelines for transfusion protocols have now been advised and should be implemented in all NHS hospitals: The patients identity should be verified by two members of staff together The identification should be carried out at the patients bedside The identity and quality of the blood pack and the prescription should be formally verified The patients identity should be confirmed verbally The patients identity band should be formally verified The patients blood pressure, pulse, and temperature should be taken before and at regular intervals during the transfusion (as detailed in the committees report) (Clarke et al. 2001). Many nurses reading this may think that this is already normal procedure and yet studies have shown that patient identification checks were carried out in only 63% of cases – 46% verbally and only 60% against their wrist bands. Even more worryingly, only 25% of transfusion cases had their vital signs recorded contemporaneously. (Clarke et al. 2001). Although we have used this particular situation to illustrate the possible ramifications of patient mis-identification (or simply poor practice), there are clearly countless other situations where patients are at risk. A typical ward nurse will know the majority of the patients on her ward. The majority of the medical and surgical healthcare professionals will not. (Savulesuc et al. 1998). It follows therefore, that the ward nurse is ideally placed to verify if the patient who is being dispatched to the anaesthetic room is the right one for the operation or appropriate procedure. In this respect the concept of patient advocacy falls heavily on the nurse. This argument can be broadened further. The majority of medical staff (by virtue of pressure of work and time), can only spend a short time discussing each case with each patient. The ward nurse will typically have longer to discuss wider issues with the patient and may therefore be able to elicit or discover relevant facts which have not been discovered of recorded by the medical staff. The nurse is therefore again ideally placed to act as an advocate for the patient to ensure that relevant facts are brought to the attention of those who need to know (Bryant 2005). An example might be that a patient had not discussed particular religious beliefs or points of view with the doctor which the nurse may subsequently become aware of. (Kuhse Singer 2001). Here then, is the thrust of Nightingale’s message. Hospitals are places that are (generally) full of healthcare professionals who are intent on providing a good professional service for their patients. In the pursuit of that aim they have to employ technologies, medicines and techniques that have the ability to cause harm. This harm can occur through chance, calculated risk or just bad luck, but equally it can occur through bad practice lack of communication or sloppy procedure. It is the latter that the nurse is ideally placed to counter. Professionalism demands that the nurse should speak up whenever such eventualities are discovered. In doing so they can often save accidents, unfortunate events or even disasters from occurring. If all members of the healthcare team follow the same mantra then Nightingale’s edict will become less relevant. (Veitch 2002) Having said that, it is not a situation where complacency can be allowed any room at all. The healthcare services are extremely complex organisations requiring the combined efforts of many thousands of individuals. The potential for mistakes is therefore enormous. One must always bear in mind that the nurse is generally familiar with the workings and procedures of the health service whereas the patient generally is not. The patient will typically accept on trust what he is asked to do and submit to, without the background knowledge of whether it is actually appropriate to his particular case. It is this basis that is often the scenario for avoidable incidents where harm is done to patients. The nurse must be constantly vigilant for the potential for mistakes in order to minimise the potential for harm coming to the patients in their charge. References Birte Twisselmann (2003) The Discovery of the Germ BMJ, Jul 2003; 327: 57. Boyce JM Pittet D. (2002) Guidelines for hand hygiene in Healthcare settings HMSO Oct 25 2002 / 51 (RR 16); 1-44 Bryant P 2005 None so naive as the well meaning BMJ, Jan 2005; 330: 263 Carrick P 2000 Medical Ethics in the Ancient World Georgetown University press 2000 ISBN: 0878408495 Clark P. Iain Rennie, and Sam Rawlinson 2001 Quality improvement report: Effect of a formal education programme on safety of transfusions BMJ, Nov 2001; 323: 1118 1120. Donowitz LG. (1997) Handwashing technique in a paediatric intensive care unit. Am J Dis Child 1997; 141:6835. Gibbs, G (1988) Learning by doing: A guide to Teaching and Learning methods EMU Oxford Brookes University, Oxford. 1988 Graham M. (1990) Frequency and duration of handwashing in an intensive care unit. Am J Infect Control 1990; 18:7780. Kretzer EK, Larson EL. (1998) Behavioural interventions to improve infection control practices. Am J Infect Control 1998; 26:24553. Kuhse Singer 2001 A companion to bioethics ISBN: 063123019X Pub Date 05 July 2001 Mayor S 1999 Review calls for improved patient identification systems for blood BMJ, Mar 1999; 318: 692. New guidelines to cleaner hospitals: 2004 NHS Directive; HMSO, Tuesday 7 December 2004 Playfair, William 1847 The Statistical Breviary, British Museum London, 1847 Pratt RJ, Pellowe C, Loveday HP, Robinson N, Smith GW and the epic guideline development team; Barrett S, Davey P, Loveday C, McDougall C, Mulhall A, Privett S, Smales C, Taylor L, Weller B and Wilcox M. (2001). The epic Project: Developing National Evidence-based Guidelines for preventing Healthcare Associated Infections, Phase 1: Guidelines for preventing Hospital-Acquired Infections. J Hospital Infection; 47 (suppl): S1-S82. Public Accounts Committee.2000 The management and control of hospital acquired infection in acute NHS Trusts in England (HC 306), HMSO: House of Commons 2000. ISBN 0102695008 Reid. Dr John, 2004 Sec. Of State for Health; Hansard: Dec 10th 2004 Savulescu J. , Rachel Marsden, Tony Hope, Michael Saunders, Ruth Carlyle, Pippa Gough, and George J Annas 1998 Ethical debate: Sex, drugs, and the invasion of privacy †¢ Respect for privacy and the case of Mr K †¢ Commentary: Hospital can never be home †¢ Commentary: Silence may be the best advocacy †¢ Commentary: Nurses should recognise patients rights to autonomy †¢ Commentary: Patients should have privacy as long as they do not harm themselves or others BMJ, Mar 1998; 316: 921 924. Semmelweis IP. (1861) Die aetiologie, der begriff und die prophylaxis des kindbettfiebers. Pest, Wien und Leipzig: CA Hartlebens Verlags-Expedition 1861. Sugarman J Sulmasy 2001 Methods in Medical Ethics Georgetown Univeristy Press 2001 ISBN: 0878408738 Teare L, (1999) Handwashing Liaison Group. Hand washing: a modest measurewith big effects. Br Med J 1999; 318:686. Veitch RM 2002 Cross-cultural perspectives in medical ethics Jones Bartlett 2002 ISBN: 0763713325 Williamson, S Lowe, E M Love, H Cohen, K Soldan, D B L McClelland, P Skacel, and J A J Barbara 1999 Serious hazards of transfusion (SHOT) initiative: analysis of the first two annual reports BMJ, Jul 1999; 319: 16 19. ************************************************************************************************ 31.8.05 PDG. Word Count 2,592

Essay on Jocasta in Oedipus the King -- Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

The Role of Jocasta in Oedipus the King "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him." (James 1:12) Such is the proclamation in the Holy Bible, and so was the proclamation in ancient Greece. Since the founding of religion, the gods have sought to test those with power. Jocasta was sent by Apollo to do just that: to test Oedipus' - the king of Thebes - faith and conviction. Throughout the play, Jocasta tested the beliefs of those around her by feigning disbelief in the gods herself. Though she put up this false front, she did keep her faith. At the beginning of the scene wherein a messenger relayed word of Polybus' death and Oedipus' ascension to the throne of Corinth, we see Jocasta praying - not the act of a disbeliever at all! Again, in the same Episode, Jocasta carries garlands and incense to the altar and tries to appeal to Apollo to purify the city of Thebes. While her faith remains strong, her task from the gods is to test the faiths of...

Juvenile and Adult Courts Essay

One dilemma that is an issue in our society is crime among our youths. Crime is everywhere that is caused by both adults and youth. Daily we hear of murders, robberies, and rapes that have been committed by juveniles. The Juvenile Court with Adult Court is different and similar in the criminal justice system. A look at the juvenile history in 1643 a sixteen year old boy was put to death for sodomizing a cow. Today many states disagree in the execution of juveniles. In the present day the increasing violence, both juvenile and adult system has changed over the years (Simmons 2002). The juvenile philosophy in juvenile courts was to offer the youth an individualized justice and treatment instead of imparting justice and punishment. The juvenile court is different then adult court and from earlier periods of American history was the idea of protecting the children. The focus is treatment and the best interest of the child in the disposition. Since the increase of serious violent crimes by juveniles policymakers have argued for tougher penalties are needed in deterring crime among juveniles. This caused an increase of juveniles in adult courts. It seems that tougher policies have not decrease or deter juveniles for committing serious crimes. There are five major ways juveniles get transferred to adult courts. 1. Discretionary judicial wavier, 2. Mandatory judicial wavier, 3. Presumptive judicial wavier, when the burden of the proof is on the juvenile courts is more appropriate, 4. Prosecutorial direction to charge in adult court, 5. Statutory exclusion provision, which automatically exclude certain  juveniles due to their age (Simmons 2002). Similarities: Juvenile and Adult. You can ask yourself two questions? Do juveniles who are in adults court getting treated harsh compared to theses in juveniles court? Do juveniles in adults court not repeat offense that those in juvenile court? According to the Serious Violent Juveniles Offenders study group no real study has been done on the two questions many of us ask ourselves. The juvenile/adult justice system refers to the police, the juvenile/adult courts, their intake and probation officers, attorneys for the state and the juvenile/adult/parents, juvenile/adults detention/jail faculties, juvenile/adult correctional faculties, social worker that place juveniles that are court ordered. Each area of the system has different discretions that keep the system in check. Juveniles/adults both have the right to receive Miranda warning. Juveniles/adults are protected from prejudicial lineups producers (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Equivalent guidelines protect juveniles and adults from admitting guilt. Prosecutors and defense attorney both have a significant responsibility in both juvenile and adult advocacy. Juveniles and adults have both the right to a counsel for the court proceedings. Similarities of negotiation or plea barging exist in both juveniles and adults offenders. Juveniles and adults both have the right to a hearing and appeal. Juveniles and adults can be both placed on probation. Both juveniles and adults can be detaining for pretrial in jail. Juveniles and adults can be kept in jails without bail, if they are a threat or dangerous. After the trail both juveniles and adults can be placed into a treatment program (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Diferences: Juveniles and Adult. The juvenile and adult systems are similar in many ways and yet are also different in many ways. In the juvenile system the standard of evidence of juvenile delinquency adjudications, in adult court trail it is the proof  beyond a reasonable doubt (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). The vital purpose of the juvenile courts is to protect and treatment for the child. Whereas adults the focus is to punish the guilty. Age determines the jurisdiction for a juvenile in juvenile court. The nature of the offense determines jurisdiction in the adult system (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Juveniles proceeding are not considered criminal; adult proceedings are. Juvenile court proceeding are usually informal and confidential. Whereas adult courts are held more formal and are open to the public and are not confidential. Courts can release the identity or any information about a juvenile in a trail to the media, but the courts must release any information regarding an adult to the media (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Juveniles can be detained for acts that would not be considered criminal if they were adults, status offense. In the juvenile court parents/guardians are involved in every step of the proceedings, but not in the adults’ process. The juvenile can be release to their parents/guardians supervision if the charge is not a felony or if there is a need for protection. Adults if not a threat or dangerous are given a possibility for bail (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Some major differences between juveniles and adults are the issue that juveniles have no right to a jury trail, adults have that right. Juveniles who are questioned by a police officer can just give their names and address; they parents/guardians must be notified. Juveniles can be searched but must express rejection, but in a school sitting a search without probable cause is valid. For adults they are detained and must answer any question they choose to answer without an attorney, searches are done for officer safety, probable cause must be present. A juveniles’ record can be sealed at the age of maturity, usually at the age of 18 years old. For adults the records are permanent (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Benefits and disadvantages of juvenile court from the perspective of a youth offender. The death penalty is a conservational issue in the criminal justice system today. Capital punishment is allowed in 35 states. Over the past years some of those that were executed were seventeen years old when they committed the crime of murder. The Supreme Court ruled in the case of Thompson v. Oklahoma 1988 that it is unconstitutional to execute juveniles who commit a crime at the age of 15 years old (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Then a year later the Supreme Court ruled a juvenile who commits a crime at the age of 16 can be executed. Even though Thompson’s life was spared this still leaves a question whether juveniles’ murders are criminals who deserve to die or whether or not they can be rehabilitate to learn to live a productive life. The issue is more conservational for executing juveniles then adults (Allard, Young. 2002). Despite the rights secured by the case Gerald Gaullt, juveniles can still de deprived of some freedom for actions that would be considered criminal if an adult. Some of these offenses are truancy, running away, and incorrigibility. Juveniles are minors and are immature, incapable and protection is waived if they commit an adult crime. The juvenile system is been criticized because children have many rights that caused the fine line to be less define between childhood and adulthood (Kalinich, Klofas, & Stojkovic 2003). Thinking for a juvenile offender is the fresh beginning of a new life after the age of 18 years of age, juvenile records are sealed. The idea that you can be treated and to understand a life of crime only makes life harder when becoming an adult. Societal implications of abolishing juvenile court. The juvenile system is set up to protect the best interest of the child. Since the change of crime and time juveniles are committing adult crimes. The system is so well establish. Judges preside over juvenile court in all  states. The implication of doing away with the juvenile system will just only cause confusing and cause the system to obstruct the entire criminal justice system. Recommendations for the future of the Juvenile Justice system. The juvenile court of the future will likely remain in our society. The focus of the future juvenile court is to intervene on behalf of children and families in crisis. The court’s jurisdiction in the future maybe to focus less on delinquent cases that involved juveniles who are older and have committed serious crime. The focus of the best interest of the child will remain the foundation of the system (Roleff 2000) The future of children’s rights lie in the hands of every state. The history of the juvenile justice system has brought its own political, economic, and social challenges, their will always be conservational issues. The future of the system is that children now have the real opportunity to express their voice and ideas on how they can improve their world. The future goal should focus on early intervention, the juvenile court personnel must work outside the system to find the best for the child. A continuing characteristic of the system will always be age based jurisdiction (Roleff 2000). The future trend in the juvenile system will be the issues of juveniles begin transferred to adult court. The fine line of juvenile court borderlines between adult courts of those juveniles who commit a serious crime. Risk Assessment is tools that are completed for every juvenile that enters the court system. The assessment should change with time, to fit the juvenile. These programs that are resulted from the assessment focus, on prevention or rehabilitation. Prevention programs are to prevent juveniles from becoming delinquents. Rehabilitation programs are to focus on reducing delinquency. And just maybe with their voice and their parents and the help of each state will conventionality change future ideas. I work at the Pima County Adult Detention Center here in Tucson; the jail holds juveniles who have committed adult crimes in the West Facility. The unit is considered a specialized unit; the unit uses a point system to encourage positive behaviors. The treatment programs is totally different then the adult inmates. They also get hold meals and snacks every day. The jail also has schooling for the juveniles, which is required for them to attend. The unit also has another unit that hold new arrestees and those juveniles who are a threat to staff, or other inmates. I never really knew what happens to juveniles who commit serious crime until now. With time the juvenile justice system will always change as time goes by. The Supreme Court will always hear cases that will make changes in the system. Crime is a increasing among our youths and will always be a challenging battle for us in the law enforcement community. All we can is to embrace change for the best and to understand the future lies in the hands of our children. As a Correction Officer for Pima County Sheriff Department I would like to see what happen in the aspect of juveniles in adult detention centers. References 1. Allard, Paterica and Young, Malcolm. (2002). The Sentencing Project: Prosecuting Juveniles in Adult Court. 2. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. December (2003). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved August 30, 2005, from University of Phoenix Web site: https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/201370.pdf http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/294/294lect01.htm . 3. Kalinich, D., Klofas, J., & Stojkovic, S. (2003). Criminal Justice Organizations. Retrieved August 30, 2005, from University of Phoenix Web site: https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp 4. Roleff, Tamara. (2000). Crime and Criminal. Greenhaven Press, Inc. 5. Simmons, Adele. (2002). A century of juvenile justice. The University of Chicago Press. 6. White, Carter. (2002). Reclaiming incarcerated youths through education. Corrections Today Volt 64, Issue 2, Apr 2002. Record Number: 123325831.

Top 10 Grammar and Spelling Errors from 2010!

Top 10 Grammar and Spelling Errors from 2010! In the past year as The Essay Expert, I’ve seen a lot of grammar and spelling errors. Here are some of the most common. Lets toast to learning something new in 2011! 10.   Lose vs. Loose. You lose your keys or your mind. Your belt might be loose, or you might let loose on the weekends. Click here for more: Common Spelling Mistakes:   Lose vs. Loose 9.   Lead vs. Led. A common resume mistake is to write â€Å"Lead† as a past tense verb. â€Å"Led† is the past tense of â€Å"lead.† If your position was in the past, start your bullet with â€Å"Led† (a great past tense power verb!) 8. Who vs. that. People are â€Å"who†; things are â€Å"that.† Don’t say, â€Å"I know a guy that can fix your car.† Say, â€Å"I know a guy who can fix your car.† 7.   I vs. Me. Don’t say â€Å"My dad really loves my sister and I.† You wouldn’t say â€Å"My dad loves I†; you would say â€Å"My dad loves me.† So why would you change â€Å"me† to â€Å"I† just because he loves your sister too? The correct sentence would be â€Å"My dad really loves my sister and me.† For more examples, see Common Grammatical Errors:   Between You and Me. 6.   Then vs. Than. â€Å"Then† relates to time. When? Then (it rhymes)! â€Å"I got up, then made my coffee.† â€Å"Than† is a comparison word. â€Å"This paper is longer than it’s supposed to be.† 5.   Affect vs. Effect. â€Å"Affect† is most often used as a verb:   â€Å"How did his words affect you?† â€Å"Effect† is most often used as a noun: â€Å"What effect did his words have on you?† There are limited exceptions to each of these generalities. â€Å"Affect† can mean someone’s countenance or attitude: â€Å"His pompous affect repelled us.† And â€Å"effect† can be a verb if used to mean â€Å"implement†: â€Å"His goal was to effect change in the legal system.† If you go with â€Å"affect = verb, effect = noun,† you’ll be right 99% of the time. 4. Periods and commas placed outside quotation marks. In the U.S., commas and periods always go INSIDE the quotation marks. In many other countries, they only go inside when they are part of the quotation. I even see people putting periods and commas outside the quotation marks when they are part of the quotation! That last one I don’t understand. Here’s my article on the topic, The Quandary of Quotation Marks. 3.   Comma splices. An example of a comma splice is â€Å"Last year I got great grades, I even won an award.† In this sentence, you need to replace the comma with a period or semicolon to correct it, or add an â€Å"and† after the comma. For my article on this aspect of using commas and semicolons, click here:   How to Use Commas and Semicolons. 2.   Apostrophes used to make plurals. The plural of brother is brothers. The plural of Smith is Smiths. When making a plural out of a noun or proper noun, there is no need for an apostrophe! Brother’s is the possessive of brother, e.g. â€Å"I covet my brother’s car.† Smith’s is the possessive of Smith, e.g., â€Å"Mr. Smith’s house is painted purple.† I talk about this issue a bit more in Why It’s Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession. 1. Its vs. It’s.   This one is the hands-down winner! Today I even saw, on a blog, â€Å"Would apple sell its’ products for $10?† The rule: It’s means it is and the apostrophe creates a contraction, just as in can’t or don’t. Its is the possessive of it and does NOT take an apostrophe. And its is not a word. It’s simple! My article on this topic is located here: Common Spelling and Grammar Errors: It’s vs. Its My great hope is that this list will be different for 2011. Can you help make it happen? Category:UncategorizedBy Brenda BernsteinDecember 27, 2010 18 Comments Roy Daniel DSilva says: December 28, 2010 at 9:18 am I am the guy who runs the site that says Its product for $10. Believe me I had to retype twice to get the wrong spelling now that you pointed it out! Goes to show that being lazy is as much as a crime as being uneducated! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 28, 2010 at 9:31 am Roy, Im thrilled that you commented here. Thank you for reading and for learning! Log in to Reply Rosanne Dingli says: December 28, 2010 at 9:23 am These, Brenda, are my all-time bug-bears. My clients make them all the time. When I was teaching primary school, I would slip in information like this to the students, who loved Little details, at the end of some lessons. And I didnt even teach English. I like how you say led is a strong verb. I might use it in next weeks blog look out for it. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 28, 2010 at 9:32 am Rosanne, perhaps the two of us can work together to change next years list 🙂 Log in to Reply Diane Kern says: December 28, 2010 at 8:22 pm Now I know why am so confused about (). I am American and my Mom was Welsh. My spelling and grammar are half and half. Ha,ha,ha Diane Log in to Reply Hajra says: December 29, 2010 at 2:26 am Hey, Loved the compilation. My personal experience has been to do with whose and whos! I dont know why many end up making these mistakes, there is a spell check and grammar option available in almost all writing applications Isnt it so? Looking forward to reading more of your stuff! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 29, 2010 at 8:36 am Thank you Hajra! Unfortunately spelling and grammar checks often highlight things that are actually correct. Some people might just not pay that much attention. For our readers, whose is an interrogative pronoun or relative pronoun: Whose life is it anyway? or I know a guy whose toes cant wiggle (dont ask where I came up with that one). Whos is the contraction of who is: Whos that guy with the weird toes? or I know a guy whos a lion tamer. If you cant insert who is and have the sentence make sense, use whose. Log in to Reply madhur says: December 29, 2010 at 9:29 am Nice one..these are pretty common mistakes.good to see it compiled in one place Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 3, 2011 at 10:37 am Diana you are absolutely correct about the proper way to write dates. We say July 4th, 2011, but we write July 4, 2011. More and more errors are being made in many areas, not just this one! Log in to Reply Andy says: January 8, 2011 at 1:33 am Ummm, why are the words say and write in quotation marks? Arent you emphasizing them, and not quoting someone? You are confusing me. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 8, 2011 at 1:36 am Hi Andy, I think youre responding to one of my replies to a comment? I actually put stars around those words for emphasis, but maybe they are showing up on your computer as quotation marks? My apologies! Now that I am aware of the issue I will use italics instead for emphasis! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 4, 2011 at 9:28 pm Thanks Cameron. What a great trick! And Im so thrilled to have a 10th grader reading my blog! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 10, 2011 at 10:26 pm Staff can actually be singular or plural. See Rule #15 in the following article from Grammarbook.com There are other words that can also be treated as singular or plural, such as committee, family, and team. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 11, 2011 at 10:49 pm Thanks again for your comment Kplan. I like this explanation from Wiki Answers which encourages avoidance of the issue: Staff, for all intents and purposes, is singular. There is one staff. Definition 5.e. in Merriam-Websters entry allows for use as plural, however, the preferred use is singular. Think of staff as the sum total of the parts. (As the pie is made up of the slices.) PREFERRED: Fifteen members of the staff attended the meeting. AVOID: Fifteen staff attended the meeting. In addition, most publications that follow Associated Press guidelines will use only the singular. When in doubt, avoid the word. Recraft the sentence using a different word, like employees, or workers. Read more: https://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_the_word_staff_singular_or_plural#ixzz1An0WXWmb Log in to Reply Rose-Anne Raies says: February 5, 2011 at 10:50 am An excellent and much needed article in todays world. Unfortunately, there is not enough attention paid to proper grammar and punctuation and spelling too. My parents were sticklers for this and the skills they taught, along with my teachers, have served me well in the legal community and in writing for clients. Thanks for handy Top 10. It is a pet peeve of mine when people use words like its vs. its and whos vs. whose incorrectly. Every once in a while I still have to go back to the basics on words that cause trouble like affect and effect too. Well done! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: February 5, 2011 at 11:50 am Thank you Rose-Anne. I do what I can! Its amazing how much people love to learn about these things, yet make so many errors. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: July 18, 2011 at 11:36 am LOL I know what you mean! I cant seem to resist correcting even the people closest to me. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: October 20, 2011 at 5:03 am Thanks Leal I will definitely consider these for 2011 along with definitely vs. definately! Log in to Reply

National Identification System essays

National Identification System essays Should a national identification system in which each Americans DNA pattern is registered be established? Has the U.S. come to the point where we have to devise a national identification system in which everyones DNA pattern is registered in a network of computers? I believe so, and the process of using a persons DNA pattern for a national identification system is a very good idea. This identification system could be used to offer new jobs, put criminals - who are guilty - in jail, and also provide people with medical information about themselves and their health. I believe using a persons DNA pattern for a national identification system is a very good idea, even better than fingerprints. Although every human being is 99.9% identical, that .1% left makes a big difference between two people. By using a genome of 3 billion letters your DNA chain that tenth (.1%) is actually three million separate links in your DNA chain. That is how the difference between two people is figured out. I know its a difficult process, but it can be very useful in our society today, and that is why I think it is a very good idea. Although the identification system is a very complicated matter it could open up doors for job opportunities, for people that qualify. People that are qualified for the job might have to be: computer literate, able to work long hours, reliable and trustworthy to run sophisticated and expensive machinery, and have a background of knowledge of the DNA chain and patterns among it. Also, probably being a government funded job, benefits would be available, and the pay wouldnt be too bad either. Fingerprints are very useful in burglary and property crimes, but what about a rape case? Fingerprints wouldnt be very useful in a rape case, so DNA testing would have to be done on semen samples found at the scene of a crime. Fingerprint variations are spectacular and were con ...

buy custom Developing Groups into Teams essay

buy custom Developing Groups into Teams essay A team is made up of a group of people who are connected together in a common purpose. Teams are normally developed to conduct particular tasks that are complex, and have many co-dependent subtasks. A group in itself does not automatically make up a team. Members make it up with complementary talents and generate synergy by a coordinated effort that allows each member to minimize their weakness and maximize their strengths. Team members are required to work together and help each other so that each member realizes their true potential. By doing so, they create an atmosphere that allows each member to exceed their limitations. Teams size and a composition are known to have an effect on team processes and outcomes. The optimal composition and size of a team varies according to the task it handles. This paper will seek to discuss how groups can be developed into teams. There are several strategies that an organization can employ in order to nature the conversion of groups into teams. First, the organization has to develop common goals and vision that its members should try to achieve. Unless a common vision and a goal are set for a given undertaking, and each member holds the one goal and vision of the shared destination, it would be very difficult to achieve the set targets as members will be confused and hobbled along the way (Jungalwalla 200). Lacking a common direction, such a group will be divided into small fragments, thereby it will lose energy as the members move against each other as opposed to a team. To achieve a common goal and a vision, several tasks may be undertaken. Team members may record their perception of teams common vision and goals; then the differing perceptions may be considered. This task will help present a simple evaluation of the extent to which the group shares common visions and goals. Passion is an important aspect f or success. In developing common visions and goals, one may find out what visions and goals that are desirable for the organization the team members are passionate about (Jarod 2009). There should be a clear distinction between common and individual goals. Teams may share similar visions and goals, but may have different roles in a collaborative undertaking. Each member in the group should express their individual roles in ways that convey how that role contributes to the common visions and goals of the organization. When collaborative goals are set, benchmark and stretch goals have to be considered. Benchmark goals are said to be the minimum one can accept from themselves as professionals while stretch goals can be described as reach for the stars goal, which should carry considerable uncertainty as to its practicability. This will ensure that a team keeps motivated, and endeavors for improvement even beyond perceived restrictions (Junggalwalla 2000). Diversity of people in a group can be its greatest threat or asset; if a group is well harnessed, it can be a tool to develop a very good team and achieve high goals. The important factor here is the ability to appreciate diversity, to know its importance and to manage it. One can start by leading by example. If a leader is seen not to value diversity, the group members will not do it too, thereby developing a poor team. A team survey that draws attention to diverse work styles and roles within the team should be undertaken. A team map may be developed that shows which preferences and roles are well represented and which are not. The team could be then involved in giving strategic advice to themselves about further development of the team. Furthermore, teams training and development schedules should incorporate topics based on understanding and management of diversity (Jungalwalla 2000). Effective communication is paramount in development of groups into teams. Strategies that enhance active listening and engagement of the audience in meetings may be used to foster good communication (Hardcastle 2006). In conclusion, many factors may determine how a group develops into a team. Common visions and goals, ability to harness diversity and effective communication are important aspects in development of a group into a team. Buy custom Developing Groups into Teams essay

Significance Of Customer Portfolio Management In Modern Business Envir Essay

Significance Of Customer Portfolio Management In Modern Business Environment - Essay Example A loyal customer is an invaluable asset to any organization that contributes to the accomplishment of the firm’s long-term goals and objectives. Scholars reflect that efficient customer portfolio management at different levels of an organization is a fundamental driver of strategic as well as financial success. The concept of customer portfolio can significantly contribute to the firm’s efforts to retain the profitable segments of its customers because customer portfolio is a potential way to achieve enhanced customer satisfaction. According to experts, â€Å"in much the same way that we can examine a portfolio of products or brands, the importance of customers as assets and investment centers mandates a similar portfolio analysis† (Hooley, et al. 2008, p.436). This paper will explore the concept of customer portfolio management. The paper will also discuss how a company can apply this concept in its strategic management.  The term portfolio is often used by ma nagement professionals in the context of investments to represent the collection of assets owned by a person or an institution. With regard to customers, this term has a parallel meaning. A customer portfolio can be defined as â€Å"the collection of mutually exclusive customer groups that comprise a business’s entire customer base† (Buttle, 2009. p.125). In simple words, a customer portfolio encompasses different groups that make up a business’s customer base. For instance, Coca Cola’s customer portfolio comprises grocery stores, amusement parks, and restaurants. The thorough analysis of customer portfolios can assist a company to identify how a specific customer group is performing.

PHILOSOPHY AND TRADITIONS IN MANAGAMENT RESEARCH Assignment - 1

PHILOSOPHY AND TRADITIONS IN MANAGAMENT RESEARCH - Assignment Example In this current essay, the researcher has tried to critically appraise the theories with the view of â€Å"Free Will†. It is a philosophical concept that refers to the capability of the economic agent to select a particular option among various alternatives (Free Will, 2014). Most of the philosopher has supported that, the notion of â€Å"free will† is strongly related with the ethical sense of the economic agents and the firm. The term free will refers to the power of the rational agent to select best alternative one from the sort of several options. Various constraints that included in the subject matter of free will concept, includes physical constraints, metaphysical constraint, social constraint and mental constraint. The principle of free will provides implication in various segments, such as ethical, religious, legal and scientific (Williamson, 1998). For example, in science, free will suggests different ways to predict human behaviour. Further, in religious realm; it implies choice of individual action that can increase moral obligation or certain injection to a man and so on. Most of the philosopher suggested that â€Å"free will is strongly linked with ethical obligation and responsibilities of the agents† (Plato.stanford.edu, 2014). In respect to the values of love and friendship, freewill also plays a significant role in building the root of relationships. In economic terms, a firm basically exists and state its decisions in order to make the utmost use of its resources. Firms interact with the market to determine demand and price and then allocate its resources to maximize its profits (Moyle, 1998). Consumers always try to maximize their overall utility whereas business organizer tries to maximize net profit. Thus, theories of firm always adopted and analysed in respect to the changing market and economics. The firm’s theory comprise of several economic theories

Catheter associated urinary tract infections Term Paper

Catheter associated urinary tract infections - Term Paper Example . The use of the urinary catheter has some side effects such as kidney failure or even weakening of the body’s general defense mechanism. The kidneys are responsible for filtering the urine so as to make urine, and when there is an infection, especially an untreated infection, it might lead to kidney failure. This tube is usually used when there a person cannot urinate on their own, and hence this tube is inserted to help drain the urine. It can also be used when there is need and essence to establish the amount of urine that a person’s body makes, especially when the person is hospitalized. The tube can also be used when carrying out kidney and bladder tests, and when performing some surgeries (Gotelli et al, 2008). This tube has been associated with urinary tract infections, with some of the signs of the infections being blood in urine, frequent but painful urination after the catheter has been removed and lower abdominal pain. The use of catheter tubes is at times co nsidered a risk to patient safety due to the high rate of infections. The tube provides a more direct access for bacteria and other infectious organisms into the bladder (Bernard, Hunter and Moore, 2012). The after and long term effects of the use of the catheter tube might be very adverse, and this necessitates the need for a solution, an alternative or an intervention. Intervention The adverse effects resulting from the use of the urinary tract catheter shows that there is need for intervention. In this case, the suggested intervention to aid in the reduction of the effects is proposed in several ways. The use of indwelling catheters use only follow after the patients records have been checked and it has been determined that it is a must for the catheter to be used (Bernard, Hunter and Moore, 2012). If there is another way of administering treatment without using the tube on the patient, then this should be adopted. It also follows that the catheter should be removed from the pati ent’s body as soon as possible to minimize the chances of infection. In addition, the direct staff and all nurses should ensure that they are properly trained on handling the catheter. This includes frequent and thorough washing of hands before and after handling the catheter. Gotelli et al (2008) clearly propose that the se of external catheters in intermittent urethral catherization might be part of the intervention. Urethral catherization is very sensitive and is among the leading causes of urinary tract infections. By the health staff gaining enough competence concerning how to handle and use the catheter, chances are that the cases of the infection might probably reduce. The doctors and other health staff have become too used to the urinary tract infections such that introducing the intervention might not be too easy (Gotelli et al, 2008). Competence Outcome and Performance Assessment model To investigate and potentially assess the interventions, the Competence Outcomes and Performance Outcome theoretical approach and framework shall be used. This model has been earlier on been applied in academic and non-academic institutions, and has succeeded in works environment, especially the health industry since it is encourages adopting the environment in contemporary living (Lenburg, 1999). It is a model that seeks not to change the traditional way of learning but to make learning, in all academic and

Theory skills and intervention 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theory skills and intervention 2 - Essay Example veral client-centered eating disorders and political feminist theories exist that can be used to assess her condition and offer help (Culley & Bond, 2012). This paper will focus on these theories and the kind of questions that would be asked towards assisting Tina. The fundamental question to ask Tina as a counselor is whether she acknowledges that she has a problem (Culley & Bond, 2012). This will form the basis of validating her experiences as a woman through discussions of societal and cultural pressures she faces, again as a woman, in relation to perfectionism, shape and weight (Thompson, 2003). Feminist political theories emphasize on social, class, economic and power groups, which implicitly place pressure on women to be perfect. These can further be broken into power control, sexism, obedience, cultural idea and sexuality (Mottier, 2010). The case study indicates that Tina has taken to heavy makeup and even changing the color of her hair to match that of the woman that her boyfriend fell for. This is a strong indication that she does not see herself through her own eyes, but those of the new girlfriend. This is the strongest evidence that feminist political theories are pressuring women to be something for someone else by making themsel ves their best, albeit through looks to an extent that enough attention is not paid to them as they age (Hill & Buss, 2006). These discussions will explain the situation to Tina in the event that she does not acknowledge that she has a problem. Most significantly, she must be made aware that it was not necessarily her mistake that her boyfriend chose another girlfriend. Trying to acquire the looks of the new girlfriend was a very dangerous pointer, because it means that she does not really know the true meaning of love, which she thinks to be aesthetic. The next question would be centered on whether she is willing to undergo a healing procedure, which will involve numerous counseling sessions (Gibson, Swartz & Sandenbergh,

Managerial Finance in a Health Spa Resort Assignment

Managerial Finance in a Health Spa Resort - Assignment Example In the face of looming competition, the company has decided to revamp its operations and in this respect formulate a suitable strategy, taking into account the escalating demand for the services provided by the Health and Beauty sector in the leisure industry, with the aim of sustaining growth and strengthening its market share. â€Å"The method a company uses to expand its business is largely contingent upon its financial situation, the competition and even government regulation. Some common growth strategies in business include market penetration, market expansion, product expansion, diversification and acquisition†. (Suttle, R., 2012) The following important issues have been identified, in connection with the strategies to be evolved, during the discussions at board level. Better marketing and cost reduction exercises could not improve profitability dramatically as the company in these cases cannot push beyond certain limits. The idea of bringing down the debt level, so that the company can plow back the profits generated for investment, is not consistent with the objectives of growth and increasing market share, which calls for new investment. The company needs to think about new strategies to improve profitability and market share. It is in this backdrop, the following strategies have been put forward for consideration after discussion between the board and the management team. This paper seeks to analyze the above strategies and advise the company with regard to the advantages and critical issues related to the strategies put forward and the strategy best suited for the company for achieving its objectives of growth and increase in market share in the long run. It is proposed to acquire the assets of the company New You. Smith, H.T.J. & Moraitis, T. (2009, p.86) state â€Å"The traditional logic of an acquisition is based on inter-assets synergies that are expected to arise when the merged organizations can support activities more proï ¬ tably in combination than they could separately.† New You is a major player in  the industry with a market share of 28% as given in Exhibit 1.  

Application for Family Nurse Practioner at UAB Essay

Application for Family Nurse Practioner at UAB - Essay Example The paper tells that it is the researcher’s optimum choice as the college guarantees him highly effective classes online whereby the author can continue his present job while continuing with contact classes. The conditions at my home were not favorable to me to choose a full-time course in the nursing degree with a huge responsibility to provide constant medical and emotional attention to the researcher’s ailing father. It was during those days the author got a clinical assistant’s position in a nursing home on the basis of the researcher’s life science intermediate course and the experience the author had from nursing the researcher’s people at home. The researcher learned that the UAB is fabulous as a center for nursing studies and a perfect platform for his career development through campus selections by different employers. The researcher knows, pursuing graduation in family practice nursing is a big task ahead, and he should be aware of employm ent opportunities thereafter. The researcher has read in several journals and books that the trend of clinical nursing is diverted on many occasions to specifically designed nursing homes which are usually attached to a major hospital. As Choby points out, the professional approach in handling the requirements of patients and their home care becomes an organized labor similar to large hospitals; and as a general tendency, many hospitals offer residential facility for patients unable to remain at home due to severe symptoms or choice of the patient. In the circumstances where hospitals facilitate residence for inpatients, the job of the nurse expands from clinical care to various aspects of patients’ health at home. After the bachelor’s program, the author is really enthusiastic about pursuing the Master’s in palliative care in the family practice nursing in this University.

Theory skills and intervention 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theory skills and intervention 2 - Essay Example veral client-centered eating disorders and political feminist theories exist that can be used to assess her condition and offer help (Culley & Bond, 2012). This paper will focus on these theories and the kind of questions that would be asked towards assisting Tina. The fundamental question to ask Tina as a counselor is whether she acknowledges that she has a problem (Culley & Bond, 2012). This will form the basis of validating her experiences as a woman through discussions of societal and cultural pressures she faces, again as a woman, in relation to perfectionism, shape and weight (Thompson, 2003). Feminist political theories emphasize on social, class, economic and power groups, which implicitly place pressure on women to be perfect. These can further be broken into power control, sexism, obedience, cultural idea and sexuality (Mottier, 2010). The case study indicates that Tina has taken to heavy makeup and even changing the color of her hair to match that of the woman that her boyfriend fell for. This is a strong indication that she does not see herself through her own eyes, but those of the new girlfriend. This is the strongest evidence that feminist political theories are pressuring women to be something for someone else by making themsel ves their best, albeit through looks to an extent that enough attention is not paid to them as they age (Hill & Buss, 2006). These discussions will explain the situation to Tina in the event that she does not acknowledge that she has a problem. Most significantly, she must be made aware that it was not necessarily her mistake that her boyfriend chose another girlfriend. Trying to acquire the looks of the new girlfriend was a very dangerous pointer, because it means that she does not really know the true meaning of love, which she thinks to be aesthetic. The next question would be centered on whether she is willing to undergo a healing procedure, which will involve numerous counseling sessions (Gibson, Swartz & Sandenbergh,

Application for Family Nurse Practioner at UAB Essay

Application for Family Nurse Practioner at UAB - Essay Example The paper tells that it is the researcher’s optimum choice as the college guarantees him highly effective classes online whereby the author can continue his present job while continuing with contact classes. The conditions at my home were not favorable to me to choose a full-time course in the nursing degree with a huge responsibility to provide constant medical and emotional attention to the researcher’s ailing father. It was during those days the author got a clinical assistant’s position in a nursing home on the basis of the researcher’s life science intermediate course and the experience the author had from nursing the researcher’s people at home. The researcher learned that the UAB is fabulous as a center for nursing studies and a perfect platform for his career development through campus selections by different employers. The researcher knows, pursuing graduation in family practice nursing is a big task ahead, and he should be aware of employm ent opportunities thereafter. The researcher has read in several journals and books that the trend of clinical nursing is diverted on many occasions to specifically designed nursing homes which are usually attached to a major hospital. As Choby points out, the professional approach in handling the requirements of patients and their home care becomes an organized labor similar to large hospitals; and as a general tendency, many hospitals offer residential facility for patients unable to remain at home due to severe symptoms or choice of the patient. In the circumstances where hospitals facilitate residence for inpatients, the job of the nurse expands from clinical care to various aspects of patients’ health at home. After the bachelor’s program, the author is really enthusiastic about pursuing the Master’s in palliative care in the family practice nursing in this University.

Culture of Madness Essay Example for Free

Culture of Madness Essay Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that enables individuals to engage in unruly behavior. It is a mental disorder that makes individuals deviate from social norms. In the years between 1920s and 1950s, schizophrenia was a general condition that was manifested by emotional disharmony and impacted negatively on the abilities of the white people with regard to thinking and feeling. Research article authors of psychiatric journals described schizophrenia patients as native-born-Americans of white European ancestry. Such patients were termed by psychiatric authors as harmless and instead needed psychotherapeutic care. In 1960s, schizophrenia was described as illness manifested by rage. Research articles asserted that it was a condition that afflicted the Negro men who were hostile and aggressive. These Negroes protested for their civil rights. The protests were organized by black power, black panthers, nation of Islam or other activist group. I disagree with the view that schizophrenia has got popular cultural expression. It is merely a mental disorder that is not influenced by either race or culture. According to Metzl in 1960s, schizophrenia patients were the Negro men, who were described as aggressive and hostile. In the real sense, the black Americans who were oppressed were not hostile neither did they act ragely. They raised their voices to be heard by Americans for a change of lifestyle, from oppression to freedom. In so doing, the black Americans were fighting for their rights as equal human beings since they wanted to be treated with equality. As discussed by Metzl, schizophrenia was associated with racism, thus biased. It was considered to be a disease of the black Americans since they expressed their feelings due to pressure exerted on them. They were out to fight for the state of affairs between the Americans and the Black Americans. Schizophrenia is feared in the current moment. Schizophrenia patients can act unruly in a given surrounding. These patients act to satisfy only their desires not considering the effect of their deeds on other people. They can behave in a way that interferes with other people’s daily life. For example, if the illness drives them to violent behavior, other people will leave what they were doing and deal with them first. Any activity that they engage in, they do it with all their strength and thus can be destructive and fierce. b) According to psychiatrists, schizophrenia is a biological mental illness expressed through defined symptoms like delusions whereby the patient thinks of invisibilities and acts according to his/her thoughts. It is also expressed through hallucinations where by the patient builds castles in the air and imagines that it is real life. The patients as well have disorganized speech whereby they mix issues which do not relate at all. They express catatonic behavior which is a disorganized behavior in a given environment, for instance relieving oneself in the open. Such symptoms are manifested in ways that are specific to the surrounding, assumptions and values of the schizophrenic individual. For instance, a schizophrenic individual can behave unruly in the midst of other people. He can violently attack a group of people for no good reason and cause alarm. This is because the patient is not able to control him/herself due to lack of mental coordination. He/she thus attracts attention of people who may be in the middle of serious events. A schizophrenic patient usually makes undesired assumptions particularly in a group of people. Whenever they see other people talk or laugh, they always think that they are being laughed at because of their condition. They can therefore attack them and end up harming them for no reason. Some usually assume that it’s their duty to perform any role anywhere. For example, some schizophrenic patients assume that it is their duty to clean every environment they are in. They therefore end up collecting wastes everywhere they go. Most schizophrenic patients think that a group of people behave in a certain manner to hurt them or because they want to go against their wishes intentionally. They are in a condition which cannot allow them to reason with the surrounding. They instead act negatively. For example, if a schizophrenic patient is always violent, the people around him and who knows his/her condition may decide to tie him or her with some ropes or lock the person in a house for some time. If he or she happens to see some people hold such ropes in another incident, he/she may try to get hold of the ropes as he/she thinks that he/she will still be tied up. On the contrary, this may not be case. As a matter of fact, the ropes might be for a different purpose. c) Symptoms of schizophrenia can be harmless if at all the assumptions; values and norms in the current setting are changed. This can only be achieved if there is freedom in all aspects of life of schizophrenic individuals. For instance, it can be assumed that, if one is talking to himself or herself, he or she is probably talking to the ancestors and should be allowed to do so. It can as well be assumed that if one behaves unruly, he/she is expressing some burning issues within him/herself. Therefore, with this kind of assumptions, nobody would criticize schizophrenic individuals and subsequently, they would have all the freedom they require to express themselves. Schizophrenia cannot cause any distress if the patients are given freedom of speech. For example, a schizophrenic person should not be shut down if he mixes ideas in a discussion. He should be understood the way he is and given time to express himself. In so doing, he will not feel neglected or weak in one way or another. Some may behave in a schizophrenic manner out of a bad experience they have had before. For example, one can become schizophrenic after a divorce or death of his/her partner. Within this context, such people need understanding and a shoulder to lean on so as to counteract the effects of what they are going through. Schizophrenic’s behavior should be termed normal in a surrounding so as not to cause distress. For example, some religions like Islam allow wife battery. Therefore when wife battery cases are encountered in a family with a schizophrenic husband, they are considered to be normal behavior. 2. Conceptual Tools Evans-Pritchard, E. E. (1987). â€Å"The Notion of Witchcraft explains Unfortunate Events,† Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic among the Azande. Oxford: Clarendon Press. a) Constitution is in the making of man. It entails a set of laws or norms that are involved in structuring, creating and defining limits of power or authority possessed by government. A constitution is used to give states identify since all states that have got constitutions are referred to as constitutional states. In the context of phenomena, constitution is the process of using a category to create or come up with knowledge or perceptions about something. A description is very different from constitution in that whereas a description is the concerned with defining an item, constitution is creation of ideas, thoughts or shapes. Constitution is used to define the structuring or production process of anything. In the context of culture, the outcome of culture or that which is attributed to culture is considered as a product of the constitution process. On the other hand, definition of the meaning of culture and what it entails is termed as description. A distinction between constitution and description is realized in the description of witchcraft within the Zande community by Evans-Pritchard, 1987. The physiological state of a person that is linked to witchcraft is a mere description of the activity. On the other hand, a constitution is what will yield or be generated from witchcraft. Witchcraft from the wording itself is a mere description of some kind of psychic acts. However, constitution is what is synthesized from this act or from the notion itself. The reason why Evans-Pritchard has made this distinction is to show reality in the light of witchcraft within the Zande community. The Azande are so glued into linking everything with witchcraft; therefore, the writer tries to show distinction between reality and witchcraft by giving an elaborate distinction between description and constitution of categories. This way, he tries to change the notion of Azande from thinking that every mysterious thing that happens is due to witchcraft. In the context of reality and the internal knower, symbols and language are used to describe culture. The shift towards seeing categories as generative is seen through activities which are as a result of certain categories. A category is composed of certain elements with some common characteristics. It is the common characteristics that enable the categories to become active and achieve a certain goal. In the Zande community for example, witchcraft has been described as a psychic act. On the other hand, it has been solely associated with constituting unfortunate events among men. The objective description in this case is that witchcraft is associated with one’s physiological state. Evans-Pritchard believes that the physiological state used to describe witchcraft is nothing more than a passage of food through the small intestines. It is this objective definition of witchcraft that seems to be embedded in the shift of witchcraft from an objective description to a generative category. The generative nature of witchcraft is seen in its role to explain occurrence of unfortunate events as well as in regulating the conduct of people. b) The shift from describing to being generative lies in the fact that, description is the initial process used to come up with a category. Once a certain category of people or items is formed, they are used to generate and produce an intended outcome. Alternatively, they are linked to the generation of certain results. This way, the change in framework from descriptive to generative is enhanced. When this framework changes, explaining the history of a category shifts as well. This occurs in that, instead of giving the history of a category with respect to description, the generated outcome of the category is used to explain its history. In the Zande community, witchcraft is attributed to physiological factors. Consequently, it is associated with generating mysterious negative effects on man. However, with time, the association of categories such as witchcraft, with mysterious negativity derives a different meaning and there is need to shift the explanation. In the Zande community, witchcraft is considered to be generative in every aspect of the Azandes’ lives. Each and every mysterious occurrence in the lives of the Zande community is considered to be linked to witchcraft. Several claims are made with regard to witchcraft. For instance, among the Azandes, when blight attack groundnuts in the field, this is attributed to witchcraft. Also, if women tirelessly bail water from a pool and only manage to draw a few minuscule fish, witchcraft is said to be responsible for this mysterious occurrence. If a wife, contrary to other days, is unresponsive and gloomy, it is said that witchcraft is the cause. Evans-Pritchard has compared the occurrence of misfortunes in the Zande community to the occurrence of misfortunes among the African people. He has gone further to show that the Azande attribute witchcraft to a chain of causation for conditions which when looked at closely, relate a person to natural occurrences. Therefore, if the occurrence of events were to be understood in a more realistic manner, the explanation of generative categories would have to change. Evans-Pritchard has showed how this would be done. In all those circumstances where witchcraft was seen as the cause of misfortunes, it was during that particular moment that witchcraft was seen as the cause of the misfortune. This is perceived to mean that witchcraft is not solely responsible for every kind of bad luck. Therefore, the explanation would shift from a generalized understanding to a more specific one. Witchcraft, according to the people of Azande, is used to explain the occurrence of coincidence which causes harm to man. c) The shift from description to seeing categories as generative provides a way to think about rationality, irrationality or their interrelation. To examine this, the paper will look at the belief held by the people on what and who is associated with witchcraft. From a rationale point of view, this is just a timeless category without any basis or governing principle. The community of Zande can be termed as an irrational group because of the way they attribute witchcraft to occurrences which, a normal and ordinary person would attribute to natural calamity or mere coincidence. The Azande did not practice any rationality in as far as existence of phenomena is concerned. They do not believe in the existence of phenomena, much less mystical causation. They hold the view that witchcraft is the cause for that which happens mysteriously. The irrationality of the Azande is manifested by the fact that they cannot accept that things can occur through mere coincidence. They have used witchcraft to explain the occurrence of mysterious events. This is irrational of them as there are no facts to back up their ideology. The mere fact that witchcraft is a psychic act could also mean that it is attributed to some positive occurrences. However, this is not so as only the negative aspect of occurrences is linked to witchcraft. On the other hand, the Azande have applied some rationale in as far as why some things do happen. For example, the Azande are very much aware that termites eat up the support of a granary thus can fall or collapse at any moment. This is a show that the Azande think rationally. However, irrationality comes in when they relate witchcraft to the collapse of a granary in the presence of people. The Azande do apply rational thinking to explain occurrences but when a negative outcome is impacted on man, this is linked to witchcraft despite the fact that it may not necessarily be the case. This is the interrelation between rationality and irrationality within the category of witchcraft among the Azande.

Punishment In Islamic Law

Punishment In Islamic Law Introduction In every society, security and stability are basic needs no less important than other needs like food and clothing. Travis Hirschi propounded a theory of social control that emphasizes on the role of society in the control of criminal behaviour  [1]  . It specifies the fact that no society can afford to denounce criminal activity without duly accepting its responsibility towards the same. In other words the theory of social control elaborates on the onus that is shared by society and devised control mechanisms to ensure a safe social arena, one that is devoid of any type of delinquency. Man have been conscious of the need for security since the beginning of life and with the formation and evolution of society, we now have what is known as the establishment of the state or government and the formation of laws. The development of these man-made laws did not come to completion except in the last few centuries after a long experience of trial and error  [2]  . On the other hand, the Law of Islam that was sent down to Muhammad in Allahs (SWT) final message to mankind has paid careful attention to this matter and has come with a complete legal system. Taking into consideration the changing circumstances of society as well as the consistency and permanence of human nature, it contains comprehensive principles and general rules suitable for dealing with all the problems and circumstances that life may bring in any time or place. Likewise it has set down punishments for certain crimes that are not affected by changing conditions and circumstances. In this way Islamic Law combines between stability, flexibility and firmness  [3]  . Punishment in general Punishment is defined as the act of punishing or the process of being punished  [4]  . Theories of punishment can be divided into two general philosophies, the utilitarian theory and the retributive theory. The utilitarian theory of punishment aims at punishing offenders to discourage or deter future wrongdoing. The purpose of punishment is to act as an example to the rest of society and put others on notice that criminal behaviour will not be tolerated and will be punished. The retributive theory on the other hand seeks to punish offenders because they deserve to be punished. Punishments under Islamic Law As with all penal systems, the Islamic law system prescribes punishments when someone is found guilty of a wrongdoing. The philosophy of punishments in Islam indicates that Islam provides punishment only as a last resort and the purpose behind it is reform brought about through a blending of human values and justice tempered with mercy. Punishments in Islam reflects its values where it puts the interest of the society before the interest of an individual  [5]  . The punishment can be severe depending on the crime but have to abide with strict rules and have prominent features  [6]  . Some of the features of punishment are as follows  [7]  :- Punishments are meant to be a last resort; Punishments are made to be examples to the public; Punishment are to reform an offender; Punishments are a form of retribution for the victim. The punishment system in Islam is aimed towards the three dimension of any crime being the criminal, society and the victim. To criminals punishment is kaffara (purification) and reforming for the re-acceptance into society. To society on the other hand, punishment is a preventive method to save society from crimes and finally to victims, punishment is a means of retribution. Punishments in Islamic Law were set down to protect and secure the ultimate five elements of peoples interests: al-dharuriyat (necessities). These are deen (belief), an-Nafis (life), al-aqil (intellect), al-mal (wealth) and an-nasil (family and lineage). The types of punishment There are four categories of punishment that criminals may be subjected to, namely, Hadd (literally meaning boundaries), Qisas (retribution) and Diyat (blood money), Tazir (chastisement) and Mukhalafat (which covers areas of the rights of the state). Hadd Hadd (plural hudud) literally means boundaries or prohibition  [8]  . It is considered to be the most severe of crimes as they go against Gods will and punishments for these crimes are fixed as they have been prescribed by Allah (SWT) in the Holy Quran  [9]  . The seven offences prescribed are zina (illicit sexual relations), qazaf (false accusation of zina), sariqah (theft), hirabah (highway robbery), shrub al-khamr (consumption of alcohol), riddah (apostasy), and baghy (rebellion against the government). These offences appear to have been selected to indicate that life, family institution, property, honour and social order have to be protected. Evidence for these crimes have to be provided by abiding to stringent rules thus, making conviction difficult  [10]  . If the crime is proven, offenders for these crimes are punished in public as a measure of deterrence  [11]  . However it is only carried out as a last resort after a thorough effort at reforming the person ha s totally failed. For example, riddah, where a Muslim renounces his or her faith, it is treated as treason. A mandatory punishment has been set for this offense. Males face beheading, while females face imprisonment until the time where they renounce their new belief and revert to the teachings of Islam. However, every effort is made to allow the male offender to revert to Islam including receiving visits of religious officials before the punishment is inflicted.  [12]   The punishments that have been set and have to be carried out if all criteria for evidence have been satisfactorily met for the rest of the offences prescribed above are  [13]  : Zina A married individual would face death by stoning while an unmarried person would face 100 lashes. Qazaf 80 lashes are mandatory for a free person while slaves face 40 lashes Sariqah A first time offender faces amputation of one hand at the wrist, a second time offender faces amputation of the second hand while a third time offender face either amputation at the ankle or imprisonment until the individual repents. Hirabah If death is caused, the offender faces death by beheading. If no death occurs, the offender faces cross-limb amputation. If the offender is arrested before commission, he is imprisoned until repentance. Shrub al-khamr 80 lashes are mandatory for a free person while 40 lashes are mandatory for slaves or those in the Shafii school Baghy Death is imposed for those who fight and are captured. However, tazir punishments are for those who are arrested or surrender. Looking at the punishments set out above, it appears as very severe and harsh but the main purpose of hudud punishments is to deter the commission of crime in the very first place. Taking the example of sariqa (theft), Allah SWT proclaims, As to the thief, male or female cut off his or her hands, a punishment by way of example, from God, for their crime: and God is Exalted in power  [14]  . Islam does not tolerate theft as it deprives a person of their hard earned money and belongings. Looking at the above verse, it is clear that the intention to punish the offender is to set an example for the rest of society that an act of stealing will not be condoned or accepted by God. What hudud seeks to bring is peace and order and disciplined behaviour as people would seriously consider their actions to do an evil deed as they know the punishment that awaits them is severe. This is the wisdom of hudud. But this is not to say that under Islamic Law, at the slightest chance available, punishment will be imposed. On the contrary, punishments would only be imposed as a last resort where all the conditions and elements of the crime have been satisfied. Qisas Diyat Another feature of Islamic Law is the right of retribution (Qisas). The concept of retribution is explained in the Holy Quran as follows: The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree), but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from God, for (God) loveth not those who do wrong.  [15]   In simple terms, Qisas follows the doctrine of an eye for an eye, where the punishment is similar to the crime. As Qisas is usually reserved for crimes that involve homicide or bodily harm, for a crime of homicide, the punishment would be death while a crime involving bodily harm, the punishment would be to inflict an injury comparable to the harm caused. A unique feature of the punishment of these crimes is that the victim is able to request for punishment or to forgive the offender  [16]  . The victim may also request for diyat (blood money), a form of compensation paid by the offender to the victim, the amount of which has to be equal to the loss incurred and not more. In a hadith narrated by Imam Nissai it mentions that every part of the body has blood money, for example the blood money for the eyes is the equivalent of 50 camels, etc  [17]  . Tazir Tazir punishments are discretionary punishments that do not fall under the jurisdiction of hudud or qisas and cannot be used as an alternative to these punishments. Tazir can, however, be used if a crime has been committed but has not met the standards of hudud or if the offender has been pardoned by the victim. They are the most flexible type of punishment because they take into account the needs of society and changing social conditions. It is also flexible enough to realize the maximum general benefit to society, effectively reform the criminal and reduce the harm that was caused. The punishments may range from anywhere between a warning to death. One famous example happened in the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra), where he punished a scholar who gave false testimony. He ordered that the scholar should have his head shaved, his face painted black, and he paraded semi-clothed in front of people while sitting backwards on a donkey  [18]  . But the punishment can be just as severe as the punishments under hudud. The power to punish is given to the judge or to the legal authorities. The purpose of tazir is to prevent an offender from repeating the offence or to incline a person to fulfil his or her duty. A number of factors go into choosing the appropriate punishment under tazir one of which is the situation of the offender where aspects such as the social status of the offender as it is believed those from the commoners require harsher punishment to reform than those in higher classes. It has to also be determined if the offender has committed similar crimes in the past, making the punishment individualized.  [19]   Mukhalafat This covers the areas of the rights of the state. A person or group contravenes a law which the state has enacted such as exceeding the speed limit or parking in no parking areas. The punishment imposed is at the discretion of the judge or the legal authorities. Kaffarah If a person who has not fulfilled their duty (such as not fasting or performing prayers), the individual is required to pay kaffarah or penance. It is not meant to be a punishment rather it is a reminder of their obligations. There are three forms of kaffarah which are offering a sacrifice, feeding six orphans or the poor and performing fast for three days.  [20]  The kaffarah that needs to be performed depends on the violation that had occurred.  [21]  It is interesting to note that the crime here is not one which is against the state or another individual but is a failure to fulfil ones duty or obligations under Islam of which there are also punishments prescribed. Punishment as a last resort Severity of punishments as a form of prevention and deterrence The ultimate aim for a Muslim society is that its citizens do not commit crimes at all and so there should be no occasion to resort to extreme punishments like the amputation of the hand in cases of theft or flogging or being stoned to death in cases of zina. The very thought of watching someone lose a hand for committing theft is definitely unpleasant and considered harsh which is why it is not surprising that hudud punishments often make the headlines in the media due to its severity. However the severity of the punishment is to serve as a prevention and deterrence from committing these crimes in the first place. It is better to be severe to one and save a thousand than to be indulgent to all and ruin many. Allah SWT is certainly a good surgeon who does not hesitate to amputate a rotten limb to save the whole body  [22]  . Just imagine if you see someone walking around with only one hand because he was punished under hudud for stealing, you would keep away from such person. Thi s indirectly causes stigmatization for the offender as society would not want to be associated with an offender. This is another motivating factor to desist from committing the crime. Further, just because punishments under Islamic Law are seen to be harsh, it does not necessarily make them unjust. According to Abdur-Rahman.Doi  [23]  , incidences of cutting off the hands are rare in an Islamic society for two reasons. Firstly, statistically speaking, the simple enforcement of hudud punishment itself has a significant deterring effect on potential offenders which inadvertently reduces the crime rate in a society administered by Shariah. He cites the example of Saudi Arabia (in spite of the distorted ideology of its government) in recent times and the era of the first generation of Muslims more than fourteen hundred years ago  [24]  . Secondly, the procedure in seeking conviction of an alleged offender is so elaborate and strict and involves a host of exceptions and conditions, as a result of which in most cases the offenders punishment is reduced from the level of Hadd to Tazir, where the judgement is left to the discretion of the judge. Fear of Allah (SWT) and accountability in the Hereafter According to Muslim jurists, punishments are designed to keep the sense of justice alive in the community by a public repudiation of the acts violating the limits set by God. They are expected to build up in the society a deep feeling of abhorrence for transgression against fellow human beings and therefore against God, a transgression which according to the Quran is the root cause of all disorders and corruption in human life  [25]  . Hence severe punishments are imposed for purposes of dissuading most people from committing crimes. For this purpose it imbues the Muslims with the fear of Allah (SWT) and inculcates the sense of accountability in the Hereafter, as it is believed that punishment should be prevented as far as possible. When it is said to him, Fear God, he is led by arrogance to (more) crime. Enough for him is Hell;- and evil bed indeed (to lie on)!- Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 206 And fear the Day when ye shall be brought back to God. Then shall every soul be paid what it earned, and none shall be dealt with unjustly- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:281 Punishment is a necessary evil Abdur-Rahman Doi, in his encyclopaedic work Shariah: The Islamic Law makes an insightful observation that the Quran generally adopts the same word for punishment (retribution) as for the original crime  [26]  . Therefore, both crime and punishment are known as Sayyiah (evil). By using the same word for both crime and punishment, it implies that punishment although justified by circumstances is truly speaking nothing but a necessary evil  [27]  . This being the case, at the first instance where a crime has been committed, Islam seeks to forgive and reform the offender wherever possible. However, where it is clear that it is unlikely for the offender to reform or to mend his or her ways punishment would then be imposed as a last resort. Waiver of punishments in the presence of doubt Any shred of evidence that is doubtful or circumstantial will prevent punishment. It is narrated in the Seerah (life) of Muhammad (saw) how he would exert himself to avert the punishment when individuals asked for punishment to be implemented upon them  [28]  . It is narrated that Muhammad (saw) said, To free someone criminal mistakenly is better than to punish someone innocent mistakenly  [29]   Aisha narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said : Ward off punishment as much as you can. If you find any way out for a Muslim then set him free. If the Imam makes a mistake in granting forgiveness, it is better for him than that he should commit a mistake in imposing punishment. Hence should there be even a single iota of doubt on the evidence, hudud punishment in such circumstances should not be imposed. An example of this is in the case of adultery (zina) where the testimonies of four eye witnesses are required to prove the crime. Allah SWT says, If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, take the evidence of four (reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them, or God ordain for them some (other) way  [30]  . If there is a little doubt, no Hudud penalty is given at all, instead they will then be subject to the punishment of qadhf (false accusation). Hence, Hudud punishments are waived in the presence of doubt, and that benefit of the doubt is always given to the accused. The Right of Retribution Under Islamic law, it offers the aggrieved party the right of retribution. This right of retribution belongs to the individual, and not to the society or state. This simple shift in the responsibility brings about a profound change in the whole system of implementing justice. Instead of starting an irreversible process of trial and punishment which would involve a great deal of time and costs, Islamic law leaves the ground open for settlement between individuals, without the interference by impersonal bureaucratic machinery, though under no circumstances can the individual take the law into his or her own hands  [31]  . If we compare this with a country like Malaysia which has its own Criminal Laws enshrined under the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, where a person is a victim of theft or robbery for example, the action against the accused is brought by the state and not the victim. Also where all the elements of the crime are satisfied, the accused would be either imprisoned for a period which may extend to seven years, fined or in some cases to both imprisonment and fine. Under this criminal law system, the tax payer who may include the victim themselves would be burdened with taking care of the welfare of the accused whilst in prison. Fines paid are paid to the state and not to the victim who is actually the aggrieved party. It was only recently that Malaysia introduced the concept of victim impact statements in courts. This is an avenue provided to the victims of crimes to voice their feelings in relation to the offence committed against them of which the victim impact statements will be considered when imposing sentencing or punishment. Hence what is certain from the Malaysian Criminal Law system is that unlike the Islamic legal system upon the establishment of guilt and where the accused is found guilty of the crime, the imposition of punishment is definite and as a matter of first choice. The Concept of Forgiveness The concept of forgiveness is one of the main elements under the concept of punishment under Islamic law. In Islamic Law the wishes of the victim or his family is given an important role in deciding whether or not the punishment should be carried out. The victim is allowed to pardon the perpetrator because the punishment in crimes under Qisas is considered the right of the victim and is avoidable because whoever forgives and makes amends, his reward is due from Allahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [32]  . The ideal way is not to seek revenge at all but reconciliation and to make the offender realize the gravity of his or her offence. The Concept of Tawbah The concept of tawbah is also another element of interest. If an individual does commit crime, Islam allows the individual to repent (tawbah) as Islam believes in awarding its believers a second chance. Tawbah brings the meaning of return from sin.  [33]  The concept of tawbah can be clearly seen to be encouraged in the Holy Quran through the verse, But if the thief repents after his crime, and amends his conduct, God turneth to him in forgiveness: for God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful  [34]  ; and Except those who repent and make amends and openly declare (the Truth): to them I turn for I am Oft-returning, Most Merciful- Surah Al Baqarah 2:160. One is said to have repented if there is a feeling of genuine remorse, shame and resolve to not repeat the crime.  [35]  Where a person has repented before being caught or arrested, the effect of this is that it can remit the hadd punishment. Islams approach towards crime prevention Islam has looked towards crime prevention more than punishing the criminal. This is akin to the English saying Prevention is better than cure. For this purpose Islam has prescribed preventative measures that are to be taken in order to curb crime in the society. Some of the key measures that are thought to help members of the society to resist the urge to commit crimes  [36]  are as follows:- Moral Development and pre-crime reform Self purification is one of the main goals of the Prophets (peace be upon him) mission  [37]  . In Surah Al- Baqarah 2: 112 it says, Nay,- whoever submits his whole self to God and is a doer of good,- he will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. The teachings of Allah aim towards performing what is good and abstaining from harm. When the individuals heart is with the Almighty God, he does not allow for his ego to control his mind and its animal demands, so indirectly one abstains from committing crimes. It is also for this reason that Muslims are required to pray five times a day so as they are constantly reminded that there is an Almighty who created them and they should bow their head in total humbleness towards God. It is a collective mindful meditation that helps you not to forget who you are and where you belong. In a Muslim society Khurram Murad argued that every institution is value oriented and owes a responsibility towards the moral development of every person. Reform is therefore a pre-crime responsibility and not a post-crime syndrome  [38]  . Islamic Law makes an effort to ensure that the inducement to commit crime is minimal. This is for instance the reason behind the complete prohibition of consuming intoxicants and intense free-mixing of unrelated members of the opposite genders. Part of pre-crime reform involves development of an environment where preventive measures are already in place. Once the crime is committed however, the best place for reform is in the family and in society where a criminal is to live after the punishment and not in a prison where every inmate is a criminal  [39]  . While Shariah protects society by legislating punishments and preventative measures against crimes, it does not resort to punishment without first preparing for the individual a situation conducive to a virtuous life. It would be considered unjust from the standpoint of Shariah to allow a hazardous act, such as drinking alcohol and then punish a person for drinking while driving. Family Family is considered as the pillar of society. Children look up to their parents as the teachers of customs, practices and morality. Hence stable relationships between parents , spouses and children reduces the need for engaging in criminal activities. Research has shown that children from single parent homes, dysfunctional families, etc are usually involved in crime as a means to stay away from the problems at home or for purposes of seeking attention. Therefore a strong family bond coupled with religious and moral beliefs and teachings would not create a need for people to commit crimes. The fight against poverty This refers to the societys duty to help the poor (in the way of zakat) as poverty is said to be one of the reasons behind the occurrence of crime. The Holy Quran has introduced zakat as one of the good deeds which leads to the purification and development. In Surah Al-Baqarah 2 :110, it provides, And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: and whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you, ye shall find it with God: for God sees well all that ye do. In a Muslim state, every individual is entitled to social security through the public treasury where funds are collected from various sources including the obligatory annual payment of zakat. Where a citizen is driven by force of circumstances since he could not earn his living for himself or his family due to lack of employment opportunities or was not taken care of by the central treasury, the society and government will be considered at fault and no hudud punishment will be imposed on the accused. It is keeping with this principle that Umar bin-al-Khattab the second Caliph or ruler of Muslims after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not apply the hudud punishment to those accused of theft during the period of famine in the state of Madinah  [40]  . Similarly, if a person is found stealing out of hunger or to fulfil his basic needs, then no punishment is meted out to him as it is deemed that the fault lies with society and government because it is their duty to see that no person is without means to support himself or his family with dignity. And in their wealth and possessions (was remembered) the right of the (needy), him who asked, and him who (for some reason) was prevented (from asking). Surah Al Dhariyat (51:19) In Malaysia for example, a mother who stole a tin of milk for purposes of feeding her child was sentenced to a days jail and imposed a RM500 fine in default of one months jail  [41]  . One tends to wonder looking at the sentence passed if the sentence imposed was compassionate and justified considering the circumstances that drove the mother to steal in the first place. Also if the mother had RM500, she would not need to resort to stealing in the very first place. Further being the sole breadwinner, in the event she is unable to pay the fine, then she would need to serve her one month prison sentence and risk being separated from her child. This is the implication of the stringent criminal laws in Malaysia. Conclusion To live in constant fear of being attacked or robbed is surely unacceptable state of affairs. The thoughts and ideas that are prevalent in the society around us affect the way people behave and in this society people are constantly motivated to increase their wealth and become prosperous. But when this is combined with the notion of freedom, people then put no limits for themselves on how to achieve these aims, and crime is a