Stalins Rise to Power essays

Stalin's Rise to Power essays Stalins character was the main reason for his rise to power Just prior to Vladimir Lenins death in 1924, a power struggle for authority over communist Russia came between the leaders of the Bolshevik regime, because there was no logical successor to Lenin. The members of the Politburo, who were divided between those on the right and those of the left, were the main players in this battle, particularly Bukharin, Zinoviev, Kamanev, Tomsky, Rykov, Trotsky and Stalin. With success depending crucially upon their abilities to gain and secure support, the true rivals were the two major figures...Leon Trotsky and Josef Stalin . Although Trotsky was seen as the most likely successor to Lenin, it was Stalin, regardless of his lack of intellect, who was able to establish a personal dictatorship, through his manipulative but shrewd character. However, whilst Stalins character was strongly responsible for his rise to power, it was not the only aspect. His positions in communist power, his role as editor of the national newspaper, the factional dis putes between left and right and his realistic approach contributed greatly to what was to become the most ruthless autocracy Russia had ever endured. There is no doubt that Stalins character contributed to his rise to power in Russia, in 1917. Stalins early life gives some indications of personality traits that came to surface during his rule. His Georgian peasantry and the violence he encountered from his drunken father can be held responsible for his physical strength and determination. Subsequently, it is easy to understand why Stalin felt a great antipathy for all but his wife, the only person he (Stalin) had really loved . Exposed to socialism and Marxist ideology as a young man, Stalin developed a deep sense of class hatred which drove him to crimes of bank ...

Battle of Moscow - World War II - Operation Barbarossa

Battle of Moscow - World War II - Operation Barbarossa The Battle of Moscow was fought Oct. 2, 1941, to Jan. 7, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). After months of attacks and counterattacks as German forces attempted to overrun Moscow, Soviet reinforcements and a severe Russian winter took a toll on German forces, helping to thwart Germanys plans and leaving its forces exhausted and demoralized. Fast Facts: Battle of Moscow Dates: Oct. 2, 1941, to Jan. 7, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945)ï » ¿Soviet Union Armies and Commanders:Marshal Georgy ZhukovMarshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky1.25 million menGerman Armies and Commanders:Field Marshal Fedor von BockCol Gen. Heinz GuderianField Marshal Albert Kesselring1 million men Background On June 22, 1941, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union. The Germans had hoped to commence the operation in May but were delayed by the campaign in the Balkans and Greece. Opening the Eastern Front, they quickly overwhelmed Soviet forces and made large gains. Driving east, Field Marshal Fedor von Bocks Army Group Center won the Battle of BiaÅ‚ystok-Minsk in June, shattering the Soviet Western Front and killing or capturing over 340,000 Soviet troops. Crossing the Dnieper River, the Germans began a protracted battle for Smolensk. Despite encircling the defenders and crushing three Soviet armies, Bock was delayed into September before he could resume his advance. Though the road to Moscow was largely open, Bock was forced to order forces south to aid in the capture of Kiev. This was due to Adolf Hitlers unwillingness to continue fighting large battles of encirclement which, though successful, had failed to break the Soviet resistance. Instead, he sought to destroy the Soviet Unions economic base by capturing Leningrad and the Caucasus oil fields. Among those directed against Kiev was Col. Gen. Heinz Guderians Panzergruppe 2. Believing that Moscow was more important, Guderian protested the decision but was overruled. By supporting Army Group Souths Kiev operations, Bocks timetable was further delayed. It wasnt until Oct. 2, with the fall rains setting in, that Army Group Center was able to launch Operation Typhoon, the code name for Bocks Moscow offensive. The goal was to capture the Soviet capital before the harsh Russian winter began. Bocks Plan To accomplish this goal, Bock intended to employ the 2nd, 4th, and 9th armies, supported by Panzer Groups 2, 3, and 4. Air cover would be provided by the Luftwaffes Luftflotte 2. The combined force numbered just short of 2 million men, 1,700 tanks, and 14,000 artillery pieces. Plans for Operation Typhoon called for a double-pincer movement against the Soviet Western and Reserve fronts near Vyazma while a second force moved to capture Bryansk to the south. If these maneuvers were successful, German forces would encircle Moscow and compel Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to make peace. Though reasonably sound on paper, plans for Operation Typhoon failed to account for the fact that German forces were battered after several months of campaigning and their supply lines were having difficulty getting goods to the front. Guderian later noted that his forces were short on fuel from the outset of the campaign. Soviet Preparations Aware of the threat to Moscow, the Soviets began constructing a series of defensive lines in front of the city. The first of these stretched between Rzhev, Vyazma, and Bryansk, while a second, double-line was built between Kalinin and Kaluga dubbed the Mozhaisk defense line. To protect Moscow proper, the capitals citizens were drafted to construct three lines of fortifications around the city. While Soviet manpower was initially stretched thin, reinforcements were being brought west from the Far East as intelligence suggested that Japan didnt pose an immediate threat. The two nations had signed a neutrality back in April 1941. Early German Successes Storming forward, two German panzer groups (3rd and 4th) quickly made gains near Vyazma and encircled the 19th, 20th, 24th, and 32nd Soviet armies on Oct. 10. Rather than surrender, the four Soviet armies tenaciously continued the fight, slowing the German advance and forcing Bock to divert troops to aid in reducing the pocket. Ultimately the German commander had to commit 28 divisions to this fight, allowing the remnants of the Soviet Western and Reserve fronts to fall back to the Mozhaisk defense line and reinforcements to rush forward, largely to support the Soviet 5th, 16th, 43rd, and 49th armies. To the south, Guderians panzers (tanks) rapidly encircled the entire Bryansk Front. Linking with the German 2nd Army, they captured Orel and Bryansk by Oct. 6. The encircled Soviet forces, 3rd and 13th armies, continued the fight, eventually escaping east. The initial German operations, however, captured over 500,000 Soviet soldiers. On Oct. 7, the first snow of the season fell and soon melted, turning the roads to mud and severely hampering German operations. Grinding forward, Bocks troops turned back numerous Soviet counterattacks and reached the Mozhaisk defenses on Oct. 10. That same day, Stalin recalled Marshal Georgy Zhukov from the Siege of Leningrad and directed him to oversee the defense of Moscow. Assuming command, he focused Soviet manpower in the Mozhaisk line. Wearing Down the Germans Outnumbered, Zhukov deployed his men at key points in the line at Volokolamsk, Mozhaisk, Maloyaroslavets, and Kaluga. Resuming his advance on Oct. 13, Bock sought to avoid the bulk of the Soviet defenses by moving against Kalinin in the north and Kaluga and Tula in the south. While the first two fell quickly, the Soviets succeeded in holding Tula. After frontal attacks captured Mozhaisk and Maloyaroslavets on Oct. 18 and subsequent German advances, Zhukov was forced to fall back behind the Nara River. Though the Germans made gains, their forces were badly worn down and plagued by logistical issues. While German troops lacked appropriate winter clothing, they also took losses to the new T-34 tank, which was superior to their Panzer IVs. By Nov. 15, the ground had frozen and mud ceased to be an issue. Seeking to end the campaign, Bock directed the 3rd and 4th panzer armies to encircle Moscow from the north, while Guderian moved around the city from the south. The two forces were to link up at Noginsk, 20 miles east of Moscow. German forces were slowed by Soviet defenses but succeeded in taking Klin on Nov. 24 and four days later crossed the Moscow-Volga Canal before being pushed back. In the south, Guderian bypassed Tula and took Stalinogorsk on Nov. 22. His offensive was checked by the Soviets near Kashira a few days later. With both prongs of his pincer movement bogged down, Bock launched a frontal assault at Naro-Fominsk on Dec. 1. After four days of heavy fighting, it was defeated. On Dec. 2, a German reconnaissance unit reached Khimki, only five miles from Moscow. This marked the farthest German advance. With temperatures reaching -50 F and still lacking winter equipment, the Germans had to halt their offensives. Soviets Strike Back By Dec. 5, Zhukov had been heavily reinforced by divisions from Siberia and the Far East. Possessing a reserve of 58 divisions, he unleashed a counteroffensive to push the Germans back from Moscow. The beginning of the attack coincided with Hitler ordering German forces to assume a defensive stance. Unable to organize a solid defense in their advance positions, the Germans were forced from Kalinin on Dec. 7, and the Soviets moved to envelop the 3rd Panzer Army at Klin. This failed and the Soviets advanced on Rzhev. In the south, Soviet forces relieved pressure on Tula on Dec. 16. Two days later, Bock was sacked in favor of Field Marshal Gà ¼nther von Kluge, due largely to Hitlers anger over German troops conducting a strategic retreat against his wishes. The Russians were aided by extreme cold and poor weather that minimized the Luftwaffes operations. As the weather improved in late December and early January, the Luftwaffe began intensive bombing in support of German ground forces This slowed the enemy advances and by Jan. 7, the Soviet counteroffensive came to an end. Zhukov had pushed the Germans 60 to 160 miles from Moscow. Aftermath The failure of German forces at Moscow doomed Germany to fighting a prolonged struggle on the Eastern Front. This part of the war would consume the vast majority of Germanys manpower and resources for the remainder of the conflict. Casualties for the Battle of Moscow are debated, but estimates suggest German losses of 248,000 to 400,000 and Soviet losses of 650,000 to 1,280,000. Slowly building strength, the Soviets would turn the tide of the war at the Battle of Stalingrad in late 1942 and early 1943.

The way to USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The way to USA - Essay Example I spent the week before I flew to USA walking in the house at night, driving around my hometown. I was strong and tough, so I did not cry at all, or perhaps I was only pretending to be strong. Here is an account of my experience on arriving to USA. It all started when I was expelled from my university, since I could not pass the math class twice. However, that was not because I was stupid. I had thought that the university would be like the high school, so, I did not work hard enough to pass the course. I was upset at that time. I felt lost. So, I started to ask myself what to do, and where to go. Since I could not find a job without a degree, so, I was hopeless, and I did not know what to do. I told my father, who was disappointed, but told me that I had not yet lost everything, and that I still had chances because I was not getting old for studying. He advised me to look up for a new university. I consulted people regarding this. One of my best friends told me that his cousin was studying at USA, and was happy enough about his choice so far. This was where I got the idea from. I talked to his cousin about this. Since I was a child, I was fantasizing about going to USA. I was dreaming about American culture, since I loved the ir way of living. So, that became my inspiration. I was afraid that my parents would stand against my decision, but I was wrong. My father told me, with a big smile and happy face, that he liked my talking like a grown up man. My mother was a bit worried about my staying in USA all alone. When she conveyed her feelings, her voice was trembling and her eyes started shedding tears, but she was pretended that she was looking down at her cell phone. I was not able to sleep after that. I was thinking a lot about how I could go by myself and adjust as I could not speak English. But, I was telling myself that everything would be all right. I put all my things together, which included my clothes, books, courage,

Direct And Database Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Direct And Database Marketing - Case Study Example They are now starting to pursue the natural progression relationship marketing, where their marketing communication to a customer will be defined according to the nature of that customer. Secondly, they sell through an indirect channel, yet their efforts can be defined as direct marketing because it is done to customers with the goal of a direct response in return (Tapp 2004 p4). To reach the wide customer base currently served, Lawson uses indirect sales via 1600 independent sales representatives. As their sales channel is therefore highly granular as well as being independent, information flow back to Lawson is limited, in particular for analysis of customer data or tracking of marketing campaigns. The industry sector is also one that typically does not exploit the possibilities of database marketing, although in the light of the competitive situation, this may change (RRW 2008). The company saw that more effective marketing was required and hired executives with marketing skills to address the situation (Adcock et al 2001). These new members of the company realised that instead of treating all customers as the same, it was necessary to capture customer details in order to build a relationship with that customer and by personalising the treatment given, to maximise the possibilities of repeat business (Tapp 2004 p4). ... The company's data at the time was distributed in an ad hoc fashion between spreadsheets, smaller databases and mailing lists. Although it gave personal customer data and purchase data on what different customers had bought, it lacked the data on what communication or sales campaign history was and what responses the customer might have given. It was in this sense not a full marketing database (Goldwag 2003). A number of related software applications were implemented to address this situation, including applications to cleanse data, analyse it, store it in an SQL database and provide reports. The cleansing of the data is to prevent duplication of records as well as invalid addresses or customers who have requested that no contact be made. The analysis is currently done to assess the effectiveness of Lawson's life cycle marketing with particular emphasis on customer retention. This is a time-series method, which as a short-term measure is relatively fast and precise for the prediction of customer response and sales revenue (Tapp 2004 p59). The conclusions that Lawson has reached so far are that there is considerable turnover of customers and therefore lower customer loyalty, and that customer defection happens rapidly and therefore demands a rapid response from Lawson. This is the short-term answer until the marketing team refines a model that not only let them exploit the end customer's growing wish to have direct contact with the manufacturer of the good that they purchase, but also uses this direct marketing to add value to products such as rivets and screws that are often perceived as a commodity offering (Tapp 2004 p15). A figure for the return on investment on the efforts made so far is unavailable. Lawson's evaluation of the benefits

Budget Management and Variance Analysis Essay Example for Free

Budget Management and Variance Analysis Essay A budget is a tool that helps managers to ensure that the required resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiently as the organization moves towards achievement of its objectives. The budgets are determined yearly and are based upon the previous year’s budget and variances. This paper will discuss a development of operating budget, comparison expense results with budget expectations, description of possible reasons for variances and strategies to keep results aligned with expectations, recommendation some benchmarking techniques that might improve budget accuracy. The operating budget is a plan for the organization’s revenues and expenses that generally covers a period of one year (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). In healthcare organization the nurse manager of each cost center involves in the preparation and control of the operating budgets (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The finance office of the organization provides support throughout the budget process development. The budgets for the costs centers are combined, and the executive management of the organization makes final decisions on a budget to be submitted to the board for approval. The nurse managers need a variety of information to begin the process of preparing operating budgets for their cost centers, such as the information generated by the organization’s environmental review and by its development of general goals, objectives, policies, organization wide assumptions, program priorities, and specific measurable objectives (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). For example, the environmental review and the general goals, objectives, and policies allow the manager to understand what the organization wants to accomplish and what it believes it will be able to accomplish. For another instance, the organization-wide assumptions and specific measurable objectives then provide the manager with information needed to start preparing the specific details of the budget. In addition, within nursing administration, additional back-ground information is needed before nurse managers can commence cost center budget preparation (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Especially the organization’s approach to delivering nursing care must be clearly understood by all nurse managers. For example, responsibilities of LPNs as opposed to RNs, role of nursing assistants, or proportion of staff works on each shift. According to Finkler, Kovner, Jones (2007), the primary steps of the operating budget development include the calculation of expense budget for personnel, the expense budget for costs other than personnel services, and the revenue budget, budget submission, and budget implementation. To prepare the revenue or expense portions of the operating budget, the first step is to ascertain the volume of work for the coming year (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The amount of work performed by a unit is referred to as its workload (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Workload budget is budget that indicates the amount of work performed by a unit or department, measured in terms of units of service. Workload may be measured in a variety of ways, such as the number of patients, patient days, deliveries, visits, treatments, or procedures. Each cost center must determine the measure that is most appropriate for its unit of service. Once a cost center defines its key unit or units of service, it must predict the number of units of service that will be provided in the coming year. This will allow development of the operating budget. Expense budget for personnel is budget for all personnel under the manager’s direction, generally within a cost center such as RNs, LPNs, aides, and clerical staff (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Expense budget for other-than-personnel services is budget for all expenses for other-than personnel services such as supplies, minor equipment, including both direct unit or department expenses and indirect overhead expenses (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget submission is another step in budget development, when revenue and expense portions of the budget must be summarized and submitted for review together with detailed supporting calculations and narrative justification (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget revisions may be required as the result of a series of negotiations over the submitted budget (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Budget implementation is a final step of budget development, when managers must address a number of issues in implementing an approved budget, including development of a staffing plan that provides coverage for staff weekends, olidays, vacations, and sick leave as well as busy and slow periods (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). A budget variance occurs when the actual results of financial activity differ from your budgeted projections (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The expense reports show the difference between the budget and the actual amount spent and the result is called the variance. Variances may be within the budget, which is favorable, or over the budget, which is unfavorable (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). The variance is used to predict the budget for upcoming years, help with spending during the current year, and help with evaluating the managers and their departments. To determine the cause of variances the managers must investigate and justify to upper management why the variance occurred. There are a variety reasons for variances, which must be identified and controlled if possible. While analyzing the nursing expense results from various units for a pay period, there were some favorable and unfavorable variances. While reviewing the expense record the paid productive hour’s variance was within the budget and the paid nonproductive hour’s variance was 60 hours over the budgeted hours. The unfavorable variance of paid nonproductive hours may have occurred due to some staff being on modified duty, sick leave, meeting time, or education time, which means they are getting paid with no patient care involved. The overtime percentage of hour’s variance was 7. 5% over the budget and the registry percentage of hour’s variance was 8. % over the budget, both are unfavorable. The overtime may have been caused by bad time management, late arrival of the next shift, or working past shift hours due to not enough staff. The increase in the registry hours may have been due to not enough regular staff due to hiring freeze or staff being off for personal or illness reasons. The hours per patient day (HPPD) licensed productive hours was . 13 over budget, the direct product hours was within budget, and the total productive hours was within budget. The hours per patient day over budget may have been caused by the unit being over staffed or also due to the overtime and registry hours. The average daily census (ADC) per unit varied from being within budget to 7. 50 over the budget. The daily census is very unpredictable and depends on the time of year, the admissions from ER or the clinic, and transfers from other hospitals or facilities. Strategies to keep the results aligned with expectations may be done by performance budgeting, which will analyze key reas such as staffing, cost control, increased productivity, and indirect and direct patient care. The activities affected by analyzing these performance areas would be daily staffing calculations, reduced cost to the unit, working more efficiently and better time management, patient care planning, and time spent on patient charting. Offering incentives could also be a good way to involve the staff by informing them of the budget goals. Benchmarking helps to identify performance gaps and identify where improvement is needed. â€Å"Benchmarking is used by large health systems and smaller practices alike as a tool to identify targets and set goals enabling staff to compare the operation’s service, process, and outcomes with those already attaining best practice† goals† (Borglum, 2008, para 12). There are many benchmarking techniques; for the purpose of this paper three will be discussed, financial, performance, and operational. Financial benchmarking is performing a financial analysis and comparing the results in an effort to assess your overall competitiveness and productivity† (Cimasi, 2006, para 10). â€Å"Financial benchmarking is among the more effective techniques for extracting information from a health care enterprise’s historical operating performance and presenting it in a form that facilitates informed judgments that help predict the subject entity’s future operating performance and financial condition† (Cimasi, 2006, para 16). Performance benchmarking involves comparing the performance levels of organizations for a specific process, this information can then be used for identifying opportunities for improvement and/or setting performance targets† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 26). â€Å"Performance levels of other organizations are normally called benchmarks and the ideal benchmark is one that originates from an organization recognized as being a leader in the related area† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 27). Performance benchmarking may involve the comparison of financial measures (such as expenditure, cost of labor, cost of buildings/equipment, cost of energy, adherence to budget, cash flow, revenue collected) or non-financial measures (such as absenteeism, staff turnover, the percentage of administrative staff to front-line staff, budget processing time, complaints, environmental impact or call center performance)† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 28). In conclusion, the operating budget is a plan for the organization’s revenues and expenses that generally covers a period of one year and developed by the nurse manager with support of the finance office of the organization (Finkler, Kovner, Jones, 2007). Variances may occur at any time, may be internal or external, and in most cases are correctable once investigated by the mangers. Benchmarking is used in strategic management and compares processes and performance to help improve organizations. The use of financial ratios and benchmarking is critical to understanding an entity’s overall historical performance and to the forecasting function of valuation analysis† (Cimasi, 2006, para 28). This paper has discussed specific strategies to manage budgets within forecast, compared five to seven expense results with budget expectations, described possible reasons for variances, gave strategies to keep results aligned with expectations, recommended three benchmarking te chniques, and identified what might improve budget accuracy, and justified the choices made.

American Law Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the United States there are many different laws among the fifty states that make up this union. The laws are different throughout the states because of the need of the laws. Living in one state and not having the advantages or disadvantages of a law in another state would not be that unfair or unequal. This is true because if you don’t like a law in your state you could always fight it and try to change it or you could always move out of that state and go to one that has the laws that you like. One of the big issues in life today is gun safety. Due to the recent high school shootings many legislatures are pushing for stricter gun laws. In Montana you can’t carry a concealed weapon inside city, town or logging camp limits but if you have a permit you can carry a concealed weapon in many instances. Where as in Wisconsin the state does not give permits that give a person the right to carry a concealed weapon, if caught with a concealed weapon it is a misdemeanor. Now looking at these two cases would you say that this is unfair to the people in Wisconsin because they can’t walk around the streets with a concealed gun. I don’t think that it is unfair but in fact a precaution that Wisconsin has, and they are actually looking out for the safety of their citizens. Another law that we can look at is drinking and driving. All the states have different laws on how high your blood alcohol level can be. After reviewing some of the laws I found that in Vermont if your are pull...

Bullying and Cyberbullying Essay

Introduction Each day school children learn valuable skills and lessons from their teachers as well as through interactions with their peers. Although school, undoubtedly, is beneficial to America’s youth, there are some experiences, such as bullying, that may negatively affect and stick with these children for the rest of their lives. Certain children find an outlet for their frustrations through bullying others. In the past, these actions could be better controlled because they were limited to face-to-face interactions. However, in recent years, this age-old conflict has matched the pace of technological evolutions, making it more dangerous and harder to contain. Cell phones, social media sites, chat rooms, and other forms of technology have allowed bullying to expand into cyberspace. This new form of abuse is known as cyberbullying. The following research paper focuses on both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The paper provides background information about bullying, defines the p roblem and where it is focused, looks at the clinical and legal issues that surround both forms of bullying, and discusses possible preventative programs. II. History of Bullying Bullying, a definition The word â€Å"bully† can be traced back as far as the 1530s. (Harper, 2008). In its most basic sense bullying involves two people, a bully or intimidator and a victim. The bully abuses the victim through physical, * Keywords: bullying, cyber bullying, law, statistics, preventio Abstract Bullying has been engrained in American society since the country’s founding. Bred from a capitalistic economy and competitive social hierarchy, bullying has remained a relevant issue through the years. Technological bullying, known today as cyberbullying, has allowed the problem to expand, become more elusive, and even harder to define. A thorough analysis of various case studies, statistical research, law cases, and news articles was conducted to understand the issue of cyberbullying and to find preventative measures that should be taken. This paper illuminates the background situation, current legal struggles, clinical implications, and potential preventative steps concerning bullying and cyberbullying alike. II. History of Bullying Bullying, a definition The word â€Å"bully† can be traced back as far as the 1530s. (Harper, 2008). In its most basic sense bullying involves two people, a bully or intimidator and a victim. The bully abuses the victim through physical, * Keywords: bullying, cyber bullying, law, statistics, prevention Email: rdonegan 34 — The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications †¢ Vol. 3, No. 1 †¢ Spring 2012 verbal, or other means in order to gain a sense of superiority and power. These actions may be direct (i.e. hitting, verbally assaulting face-to-face, etc.) or indirect (i.e. rumors, gossip, etc.). Origins of bullying The desire to survive is instinctual and common among all living things. Survival is associated directly with competition due to the multitude of species and limited natural resources on the planet. Since the beginning of time there has been a constant drive to out-perform others and overcome obstacles. This survival instinct, along with a competitive atmosphere, has remained the same as the human race has evolved. Both of these forces have flowed over into the educational, social, and economic realms. This competitive hierarchy, though prevalent in most societies, varies across cultures depending on their ethical systems, traditions, and the type of control exerted by the government. Unfortunately, the U.S. capitalistic society inadvertently pushes the belief that success and wealth go hand in hand. This ideology has shaped a nation where bullying is unintentionally instilled as a survival tactic from a very young age. From the time an American child enters grade school, he or she is taught to be the best he or she can. This seemingly innocent lesson can morph as a child develops throughout his or her education. Students often learn corrupt ways to get ahead in the highly competitive educational and social environments that grade school presents. These bullying tactics may include pressuring others for answers on assignments to attain higher grades, which leads toward better college opportunities, or spreading social rumors about fellow students. These tactics are dangerous because once a student realizes their effectiveness, he or she may construct a life style from them. Developing a habitual use of bullying tactics can lead to negatively affecting a countless number of people as well as corruption in the workplace. Traditional bullying vs. cyberbullying Technology’s progression is often equated with the advancement of human societies. Pivotal innovations, such as the Internet, have forever changed how people interact. Though these developments have allowed the human race to make great strides in many fields, they have also allowed forms of transgression to become more rampant and widespread. This is evident when considering how traditional bullying has evolved into an issue today known as cyberbullying. While bullying and cyberbullying are often similar in terms of form and technique they also have many differences. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying allows the offender to mask his or her identity behind a computer. This anonymity makes it easier for the offender to strike blows against a victim without having to see the victim’s physical response. The distancing effect that technological devices have on today’s youth often leads them to say and do crueler things compared to what is typical in a traditio nal face-to-face bullying situation. A technological evolution As technology has evolved, bullying has proliferated. With the advent of the Internet, chat rooms soon followed. Online forums provided a communal breeding ground for youth to assault one another (Subrahmanyam & Greenfield, 2008). Chat rooms were supplemented by AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), an online communication program that allowed teens to spend hours talking to one another in private, one-on-one conversations or in public chat rooms. The program further allowed youth to create group-specific chat rooms. This exclusive forum allowed for youth to get together with select groups of friends and talk about the latest gossip. Online innovations have continued due to telecommunication advances. The advent of cell phones in the late 1960s and early 1970s changed the way people communicated (Shiels, 2003). However, these portable communication devices did not become widespread, or make it into a majority of youth’s hands, until the appearance of the second generation of digital network phones in the 1990s. After that, they spread like wildfire. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 75% of 12-17 year-olds own cell phones, which increased from 45% in 2004 and one-in-three teens sends 3,000 text messages per month (Lenhart, 2010). Though many parents believe that they are purchasing a cell phone for their child for protective reasons, the opposite may be true as many youths admit to utilizing their phones as an instrument for cyberbullying. Further progress on the Internet brought about more and more websites and with this came the advent of social media. The site MySpace is often considered the pioneer of social media. MySpace allows individual users to create their own unique profiles and interact in cyberspace with friends and foes alike Bullying and Cyberbullying by Richard Donegan — 35 III. Status of cyberbullying as â€Å"when someone repeatedly makes fun of another person online or repeatedly picks onanother person through email or text message or when someone posts something online about another person that they don’t like† (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010c, p. 1). Victimization According to their results, cyberbullying victimization rates have varied in the past few years, ranging between 18.8 percent in May 2007 and 28.7 percent in Nov. 2009 with a mean of 27.32 percent based on 7 different studies from May 2007-Feb. 2010. Cyberbullying offending rates have varied in a broader spectrum than victimization rates, ranging between 20.1 percent in June 2004 and 11.5 percent in Nov. 2009 with a mean of 16.76 percent based on 7 different studies from June 2004 to February 2010 (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010g, p. 1). Several specific types of victimization and cyberbullying were discovered through a survey taken in 2010. The survey discovered that the highest concentration of victimizations and cyberbullying offenses occurred in the following areas respectively: mean or hurtful comments posted online (14.3%, 8.8%), rumors online (13.3%, 6.8%), threats through a cell phone text message (8.4%, 5.4%) (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010e, p. 1). Another important factor that Hinduja and Patchin brought to light was what type of technology a teen primarily uses. According to a 2010 study, which asked teens what role technology played in their daily lives, cell phones were used the most (83%), followed by the Internet for school work (50.8%), and then Facebook (50.1%) (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010h, p. 1). This points to cell phones and the Internet as the two primary mediums used for cyberbullying. Cyberbullying proved to vary by gender as well. Based on a 2010 study involving a random sample of 2,212 teen males and 2,162 teen females, the male to female ratio varied the most in the following three areas: victimization within a person’s lifetime (16.6% for males vs. 25.1% for females), admitted to a cyberbullying offense within a person’s lifetime (17.5% for males vs. 21.3% for females), and had a hurtful comment posted about oneself online (10.5% for males vs. 18.2% for females) (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010b, p. 1). This information may be biased due to the reticence among males about admitting a past bullying experience. Nevertheless, it is interesting that females reported a higher percentage in all categories. Bullying hierarchy As with most competitive atmospheres, the social struggle among today’s youth has an evident hierarchy. Bullying is a component of this hierarchy and has its own structure. According to Dr. Dan Olweus, there 36 — The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications †¢ Vol. 3, No. 1 †¢ Spring 2012 are seven different levels within the bullying ladder: the students who want to bully and initiate the action, their followers or henchmen, supporters or passive bullies, passive supporters or possible bullies, disengaged onlookers, possible defenders, and defenders who dislike the action of bullying and help those that are victimized (Olweus, 2001). Dismantling the aggressive portion of this ladder and shifting students to a deterring mindset must be a fundamental part of any prevention program. IV. Clinical Perspective/Repercussions At first, one may believe that the effects of bullying is limited to initial responses that tend to fade within a few days or a week, at most. However, research indicates that the harm inflicted by bullying, whether physical or psychological, has many implications and can result in a snowball effect of lasting painful emotions and negative impacts. Gender and bullying Though many students tend to deny the emotional harm caused by bullying tactics such as namecalling, rumor spreading, and teasing, research suggests the opposite. In a study that utilized a sample of over 3,000 students, researchers found that â€Å"38 percent of bully victims felt vengeful, 37 percent were angry and 24 percent felt helpless.† Furthermore, in a study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center involving a sample size of 468 students revealed that females are typically more emotionally affected by cyberbullying than males. The females in the study reported being frustrated (39.6%), angry (36%), and sad (25.2%) more often than males who reported lower percentages in each category (27.5%, 24.3%, 17.9% respectively). This is not surprising due to the fact, as mentioned earlier, that males have a reluctance to admit weaknesses especially from an emotional standpoint. In reality, one would expect males to be at least equal if not higher in emotional response conc erning anger and frustration. (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009c, p.1). Age and bullying In another study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center, the emotional repercussions of cyberbullying across age groups were observed. The study discovered that anger and frustration remain the dominant responses among senior and junior high students, but students at the elementary level are more likely to feel sad as a result of being bullied (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009c, p.1). This is likely because at a younger age children are not battling with the same kind of competitive social hierarchy typically found within upper level schools. So, rather than feeling the need to prove themselves among their peers, students at the elementary level tend to well-up within the initial emotional responses to bullying. This points to the idea that younger children may keep their initial emotional responses to themselves rather than acting out. Unfortunately, regardless of the initial emotional reaction to bullying, these emotions have the ability to continue to develop, with serious clinical implications. A 2003 intensive survey study, which focused on the clinical effects of cyberbullying, reported an increase in emotional distress specifically related to cyberbullying. The study involving 512 professionals coming from psychology, psychiatry and social work backgrounds reported that for â€Å"one-third (34%) of these youth, the Internet problem played a primary role in the client’s treatment† (Mitchell, Finelhot & Becker-Blease, 2007, p. 48). This evidence proves that cyberbullying is having noticeable clinical effects on today’s youth. In his â€Å"General Strain Theory,† sociologist Robert Agnew hypothesized that the strain and stress exerted on an individual as a result of bullying â€Å"can manifest itself in problematic emotions that lead to deviant behavior,† possibly leading to delinquency (Agnew, 2006, pp. 659-660). This theory stresses the vicious cycle that many teens may go through while being victimized. The cyclical repercussions of this process are particularly alarming if it leads a victim to antisocial behaviors when they try to find an outlet for their emotions. In 2001, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported that â€Å"60 percent of males who were bullies in grades 6 through 9 were convicted of at least one crime as adults, compared with 23 percent who did not bully; 35 to 40 percent of these former bullies had three or more convictions by the age of 24, compared with 10 percent of those who did not bully† (Ericson, 2001). Offenders are likely to utilize bullying tactics as an outlet for other insecurities or problems in their lives. This utilization of bullying as a coping mechanism contributes to the cyclical nature that the process evidently has on victims and offenders Bullying and Cyberbullying by Richard Donegan — 37 alike. Not only do these flawed coping mechanisms fail to resolve the emotional distress caused by bullying, they also expand the overall problem of deviant behavior. This inability for bullied victims and offenders to find adequate relief for emotional wounds, coupled with the fact that youth are unlikely to seek relief though a mentor, explains why some youth begin to feel helpless. Feeling lost in emotional distress with seemingly no way for relief allows suicidal or even thoughts of violent response to creep in to a youth’s consciousness (Ericson, 2001). So, what does this all mean? Research confirms that both bully victims as well as offenders are emotionally harmed by the act of cyberbullying. In a fact sheet produced by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, loneliness, humiliation, and insecurity were each reported as further manifestations of the initial emotional responses to the bullying process. These feelings have the potential to cause students to fear going to school. This constant instability makes it difficult for bully victims to adjust socially and emotionally, focus on their studies, and develop in a healthy mental fashion. These responses can lead to more serious clinical implications, such as depression, which can continue to develop into even worse problems (Ericson, 2001, pp. 1-2). The extreme consequences of bullying are suicidal thoughts or thoughts of violent revenge. According to a National Vital Statistics Report, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among youth ranging in age from 15 to 24 (Anderson & Smith, 2003). Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported â€Å"substantial increases in both homicide and suicide rates among males from 2000 to 2003† (Fraizer, 2005). This statistic becomes chillingly relevant as more information is uncovered concerning the link between cyberbullying and suicidal ideation or action. According to Rigby and Slee, â€Å"Youth who are bullied or who bully others, are at an elevated risk for suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completed suicides† (Rigby & Slee, 1999, p. 119). Statistically both victims of cyberbullying as well as offenders proved to be much more likely to have attempted â€Å"bullycide,† the act of committing suicide due to the effects of bullying, than youth wh o had not been affected (High, 2007). Online publication of personal information is dangerous because it allows many people to see a side of a person more often kept private in a face-to-face interaction. This vulnerability puts many teens in a position as either the victim or active offender partaking in cyberbullying actions. Another aspect of social media that can be misleading and hazardous is the ability to create alias profiles. The ability for teens to mask their identities provides them with an opportunity to say anything to another individual without the worry of any repercussions. Social media sites, such as Facebook and Google+, are prone to abuses like cyberbullying. Anonymous blogging is another technological advancement that has fostered cyberbullying activity and fueled ethical debate. On sites, such as College ACB and Juicy Campus, which have both recently faced tightened regulations due to their verbally abusive nature, youth (typically of college age) were able to login and comment anonymously in an open forum. The forum included harsh topics ranging from â€Å"Most Attractive† to â€Å"Worst Hookup.† The sites even included certain topic headings that were simply a person’s name under which people could post insulting comments. These blogging sites are illustrative of the most dramatic forms of cyberbullying thus far. V. Case Law and Legislation Although all of the evidence illustrates the effects of cyberbullying on today’s youth, lawmakers at both the state and federal levels continue to wrestle with the issue. Unfortunately, it has taken a number of cases to force lawmakers to come to terms with the harsh reality of the situation and attempt to mold laws to deal with such issues. The infringement on student’s 1st Amendment rights is what originally sparked heated controversies concerning schools limiting what students could do or say on or off school grounds. Throughout history, the United States has been shaped by the public’s right to freely express their opinions. Inevitably, when a case arises attempting to limit these rights, the plaintiff’s side is often hard to argue due to such a strong tradition. Without limiting constitutional rights, lawmakers must grapple with the difficult task of defining cyberbullying, as well as determining proper sanctions for committing the act. Because of this, many cases dealing with freedom of speech on and off school grounds have worked their way up to the United States Supreme Court in the past. Federal law One of the earliest cases that dealt with this issue on a public school campus was Tinker vs. Des Moines in 1969 (Tedford & Herbeck, 2009, pp. 1-4). In this case, three high school students arrived on campus wearing black armbands, symbolically protesting the Vietnam War. The school’s administration told the students that they must remove the armbands, and if they refused to do so they would be suspended. The students refused and were sent home. They took the case to court, arguing that their 1st Amendment rights had been violated by the school. The case eventually made it to the United States Supreme Court. The court ruled that any school preventing the expression of opinion must prove that the prohibition was enforced â€Å"to avoid substantial interference with school discipline or the rights of others† (Hinduja & Patchin, 2011, p. 2). Because the school was unable to prove either of these factors, the suspensions were considered unconstitutional and the court ruled in favor of the students. This case set the first guidelines for what forms of expression public schools could and could not limit. As time has continued and technology has progressed, this issue has expanded to whether or not schools can interfere with student’s actions off-campus. J.S. v. Bethlehem Area School (2000) involved a student who was expelled from school for creating 38 — The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications †¢ Vol. 3, No. 1 †¢ Spring 2012 a page on the Internet that included threatening and derogatory comments about members of the administration. The court ruled that the school was justified in taking action due to its ability to prove that the public information fostered an evident disruption of the school environment. In its closing statements, the U.S. Supreme Court stated the following: â€Å"Regrettably, in this day and age where school violence is becoming more commonplace, school officials are justified in taking very seriously threats against faculty and other students† (Herbeck, 2010). Such schoolyard violence had reached this level at Columbine High School in 1999. Through this and more recent cases, the federal government has defined the requirements for offcampus behavior, such as cyberbullying, to be regulated by the school. For a school to take action, there must be a clear disruption to the educational process or a representation of true threat. To determine whether or not an expression is representative of a true threat, the court must determine â€Å"whether a reasonable person [in the speaker’s position] would foresee that the statement would be interpreted by those to whom the maker communicates the statement as a serious expression of intent to harm or assault† (Herbeck, 2010). The idea of public schools limiting student’s speech off campus is highly relevant as cyberbullying becomes a more recognized problem nationally. School administrations and communities must take past cases into account as well as current legal definitions of what constitutes a disruption of the educational process or a true threat when deve loping an effective preventative program. State level Similar to speech and harassment laws at the federal level, individual states continue to wrestle with defining the problem and what legal actions to take when a violation occurs. Unfortunately, it took a number of high-profile cases, and even some suicides, to bring the issue to the attention of many states’ courts and legislatures. One such case revolved around an incident in Missouri during 2006. This case, formally known as United States vs. Lori Drew, involved Drew and her daughter creating a false MySpace account under the alias name â€Å"Josh.† The defendants used the account to become friends with the victim, 13-year-old Megan Meier, whom Drew’s daughter attended school with. After becoming friends with Meier, Drew and her daughter started sending hateful comments to her. Meier took these comments to heart and committed suicide. The Missouri district court determined that they could not hold Drew directly accountable for the harassment leading to Meier’s death due to extraneous circumstances and lack of legal encompassment. However, due to public outcry, federal prosecutors took charge by applying the Computer Fraud and Abuse act to the case. This act is typically used to prosecute electronic theft, but in this instance was used to apply the Myspace terms of service. The terms require users to abide by a host of regulations, which â€Å"required truthful and accurate registration, refraining from using information from MySpace to harass others [and] refraining from promoting false or misleading information† (â€Å"Unites states of America v. Lori Drew,† 2009). Based on MySpace’s terms of service, the jury found Drew guilty of one felony count for conspiracy and three misdemeanors counts for unauthorized computer use. This case caused Missouri to modify its state harassment law to encompass acts of cyberbullying like the Lori Drew case. The law now prohibits any electronic communication that â€Å"‘knowingly frightens, intimidates, or causes emotional distress† (Henderson, 2009). VI. Prevention As cyberbullying draws more attention, a universal definition has begun to take shape within the law. Though not acknowledged across all states, a common definition in congruence with a wider recognition of the problem makes addressing the elusive issue a bit easier. The problem is that technology will inevitably continue to advance. So, as technology progresses, local and national anti-bullying policies and laws must continue to evolve at a parallel rate. Many of the issues faced by federal and state governments concerning cyberbullying are avoidable for schools and communities at the local level through the implementation of procedures to limit the effects of cyberbullying. Recognition of the problem One of the most notable issues that need to be addressed is recognition of the problem itself. Many people, whether parents, teachers, or even law enforcement officers, do not know what their specific state Bullying and Cyberbullying by Richard Donegan — 39 laws are in regards to cyberbullying. In a formal survey of approximately 1,000 officers, â€Å"over 85 percent . . . said that cyberbullying was a serious concern that warrants the response of law enforcement. 90 percent of the school’s resource officers had dealt with a cyberbullying case ‘sometimes’ or ‘often.’† Despite this obvious concern, â€Å"25 percent of the school resource officers and over 40 percent of the traditional law enforcement officers did not know if their state had a law specific to cyberbullying† (Patchin, 2011). These statistics are alarming considering that the number of states without some kind of bullying or harassment specific law can be counted on o ne hand (HI,MI,MT,SD) and the number of states with cyberbullying specific laws are increasing. Every person that deals with children (i.e. education, parenting, law enforcement, etc.) should know the bullying or harassment law specific to his or her state, the physical and emotional signs of bullying, and his or her community or school prevention plan, including how to deal with and report a problem. Along with recognizing the problem and being able to identify solutions, it is vital that cyberbullying be addressed in a consistent way. To effectively put a harness on the problem will require â€Å"a concerted and coordinated effort – a partnership if you will – among our families, schools, youth organizations, and communities† (Morino, 1997). If American communities and schools address the issue with a clear preventative program that keeps each level of prohibition on the same page, children will in turn receive a consistent message from a young age, which will presumably resonate effectively. This message should cause children to feel comfortable with confronting and reporting the problem by portraying any form of bullying as unacceptable. Furthermore, this consistency across a given program will change the overall environment rather than just focusing on individual cases. According to Dorothy Espelage and Susan Swearer’s book Bullying in American Schools, â€Å"A comprehensive program . . . is generally more powerful in reducing bullying and increasing school safety than concentrating on individual students† (Espelage & Swearer, 2009). Potential Solutions Credited with initiating the first systematic bullying research in the early 1970s, Dr. Dan Olweus is primarily known for his bullying prevention programs. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, enacted by Norway’s Ministry of Education, develops methods of dealing with bullying on a variety of levels including school-level components, individual-level components, classroom-level components, and community-level components. This all-encompassing structure creates a cohesive plan in which each level reinforces the next. Since its creation, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program has been adopted in schools across the world. According to a series of evaluations involving 40,000 students from 42 schools over a two and a half year period, the program proved to be successful. The studies verified the program’s success by reporting â€Å"reductions by 20 to 70 percent in student reports of being bullied and bullying others,† â€Å"reductions in student reports of antis ocial behavior, such as vandalism, fighting, theft, and truancy† and â€Å"clear improvements in the classroom social climate† (Olweus, 2005, pp. 389-402). A mixed-methods research design carried out in Nevada, in which 118 middle school principals were surveyed about cyberbullying, identified components of a successful preventative program. Of those surveyed, 66 responded and 10 agreed to participate in a one-on-one interview. From these ten, three were selected and questioned intensively about cyberbullying and preventative strategies within their school as well as about their thoughts on the issue in general. Based on the interview results, the following six components were identified as essential elements to a preventative cyberbullying program: â€Å"the importance of a reporting procedure; curriculum integration; student-centered productions through mediums such as Broadcast Journalism; a focus on prevention rather than solely on punishment; the importance of punishment as a part of an effective policy; and keeping up with changes in technology† (Wiseman, 2011). VII. Conclusion Bullying is deeply engrained in American culture. Our society illustrates the pinnacle of capitalistic competition. This win-or-die-trying atmosphere, the competitive college acceptance process, and much of the corporate world, contribute to many of the bullying problems that we battle today. The issues of bullying and cyberbullying can only be contained in the short term and not eliminated completely due to how deep-seeded they have become in our competitive society. The clinical repercussions that bullying and cyberbullying have on today’s youth present the most 40 — The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications †¢ Vol. 3, No. 1 †¢ Spring 2012 troubling issue at hand. The permanent mental effects are what both the law and prevention programs are striving to eliminate. The fact that these initial emotional responses to bullying in any form have been proven to escalate to the point of suicidal thoughts and violent response is the primary reason for why this issue has become a matter of pressing public concern. The thought of children getting so caught up in the psychological battery of bullying that they commit suicide is extremely troubling, an issue that must be dealt with. Though the legislative and judicial branches at both the state and federal levels are having a difficult time adapting laws to encompass cyberbullying as technology advances, there is assurance in the fact that the issue is a pressing co ncern. However, it is unsettling that it takes drastic cases such as United States vs. Lori Drew to bring about a direct change in law. Ideally, laws will develop in correspondence with technology to help define the problem itself and establish appropriate judicial repercussions. As more is learned about the reasons behind bullying and the specific tactics utilized, prevention programs are becoming increasingly more effective. As discussed previously, a successful program needs to clearly identify the problem, establish recognition, and formulate consistent ways of dealing with the issue across all platforms. The biggest struggle for cyberbullying prevention in the future is matching the fast pace of technological innovation with effective preventative techniques Acknowledgments I am thankful to Dr. Michael Frontani for his support and guidance during the writing process of this research paper. His wisdom and encouragement acted as the catalyst, which drove me to really dive into the subject. Bibliography Agnew, R. (2006). Pressured into crime: an overview of general strain theory. New York: Oxford University Press. Espelage, D., &. Swearer, S (2009). Bullying in American schools: a social-ecological perspective on prevention and intervention. Retrieved from Berkeley Technology Law Journal, 24(1), 659-660. Ericson, N. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program. (2001). Addressing the problem of juvenile bullying (FS-200127). Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ ojjdp/fs200127.pdf Frazier, L. (2005). Homicide and suicide rates — national violent death reporting system, six states, 2003. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ preview/mmwrhtml/mm5415a1.htm Harper, D. (2008, October 10). Online etymology dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.etymonline.com/index. php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=bully&searchmode=none Henderson, A. (2009). High-tech words do hurt: A modern makeover expands Missouri’s harassment to include electronic communications. (Master’s thesis, University of Missouri)Retrieved from http://law. missouri.edu/lawreview/docs/74-2/Henderson.pdf Herbeck, D. (2010). J.S. v. Bethlehem area school district. Informally published manuscript, Department of Communication, Boston College, Boston, MA. Retrieved from https://www2.bc.edu/~herbeck/cyberlaw.bethlehem.html High, B. (2007). Bullycide. Washington: JBS Publishing. Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2009a). Cyberbullying: a brief review of relevant legal and policy issues. Cyberbullying Research Center. Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2009b). Cyberbullying: cyberbullying and suicide. Cyberbullying Research Center.Bullying and Cyberbullying by Richard Donegan — 41 Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2009c). Cyberbullying: emotional and psychological consequences. Cyberbullying Research Center. Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010a). Bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide. Archives of Suicide Research, 14 (3). Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010b). Cyberbullying by gender. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved from Cyberbullying Research Center Website: http://www.cyberbullying.us/2010_charts/cyberbullying_gender_2010.jpg Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010c). Cyberbullying: identification, prevention, and response. Cyberbullying Research Center. Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010d). Cyberbullying offending. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved from Cyberbullying Research Center Website: http://www.cyberbullying.us/2010_charts/cyberbullying_offender_2010.jpg Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010e). Cyberbullying victimization. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved from Cyberbullying Research Center Website: http://www.cyberbullying.us/2010_charts/cyberbullying_victim_2010.jpg Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010f). Lifetime cyberbullying offending rates. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved from Cyberbullying Research Center Website: http://www.cyberbullying.us/2010_charts/ cyberbullying_offending_meta_chart.jpg Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010g). Lifetime cyberbullying victimization rates. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved from Cyberbullying Research Center Website: http://www.cyberbullying.us/2010_charts/ cyberbullying_victimization_meta_chart.jpg Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010h). Teens use of technology. Cyberbullying Research Center. 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Psychology, Crime & Law, 389-402. Olweus, D. (2001). Peer harassment: a critical analysis and some important issues. (pp. 3-20). New York: Guilford Publications. Retrieved from http://www.olweus.org/public/bullying.page Patchin, J. (2011, September 28). Law enforcement perspectives on cyberbullying [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://cyberbullying.us/blog/law-enforcement-perspectives-on-cyberbullying.html Rigby, K., & Slee, P. T. (1999). Suicidal ideation among adolescent school children, involvement in bully-victim problems, and perceived social support. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 29(2), 119-130. Shiels, M. (2003, April 21). A chat with the man behind mobiles. BBC News. Retriev ed from http://news.bbc. co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2963619.stm Subrahmanyam, K., & Greenfield, P. (2008). Online communication and adolescent relationships. 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Collaborative Practice in Health Care Essay

Collaborative practice in health care occurs when a member of the health care team consults with another member to provide patient care. Collaboration most often occurs between doctors and nurses. â€Å"Collaboration is defined as a relationship of interdependence; the ability to work together involves trust and respect not only of each other but of the work and perspectives each contributes to the care of the patient† (Phipps and Schaag, 1995, p. 19). Effective collaborative practice amongst all health care team members leads to continuity of care, professional interdependence, quality care and patient satisfaction and decreased costs. Ongoing collaboration between health care members results in mutual respect, trust and an appreciation of what each individual brings to the overall goal in rendering care to the client. The following vignette will provide the foundation for the discussion of collaborative care, differentiating between nursing diagnosis and collaborative proble ms, and potential barriers to successful collaboration. JG is a 74 year old married Hispanic male diagnosed with colon cancer. He had a history of prosthesis placement of his left lower leg; he is ambulatory. He is a diabetic on oral medications. He worked as a farm laborer. He lives with his wife she does not speak English she is a homemaker. He has a son who lives nearby and a nephew who periodically visits him. JG can understand some English. He does have some difficulty expressing his health concerns to the staff because of his limited vocabulary. His son or nephew brings JG to his clinic appointments. He receives weekly chemotherapy at the outpatient oncology clinic. The day I cared for JG he arrived at the clinic accompanied by his nephew. This was week seven of his treatment. His clothing was dirty, he smelled of stool, his fingernails were dirty, hair uncombed, he appeared to be dehydrated. He reported bowel movements of eight stools per day with complaints of occasional abdominal cramping. He denied nausea or loss of appetite. He stated that he was very tired and was not able to do much at home. His main concern was the frequency of his bowel movements. He reports having to go to the bathroom two to three times during the night and has episodes of soiling the bed. He reports that sometimes he does not feel the  urge to go. JG was wearing adult diapers. He expressed concern that it was getting expensive for him to purchase. The nephew confirmed that JG toileting has created a problem in the home. His nephew verbalized that JG had medication for diarrhea but ran out of it and he did not have the money to purchase the medication. When questioned why he was using a wheelchair he stated that his foot hurt to walk the distance from the lobby to the treatment room. He mentioned that it was probably due to an ingrown toe nail. He also asked how he could obtain a wheel chair for his personal use at home. Physical assessment revealed that he had a necrotic area on the ball of his left foot with surrounding redness, lost 12 pounds in six weeks, poor skin turgor, hyperactive bowel sou nds, and his blood pressure was slightly lower than baseline. In the ambulatory chemotherapy setting, the clients do not always see their physician every time they receive treatment. The nurse must ascertain when to collaborate with the physician on issues regarding the patients status, response to treatment, or toxicities that may be life threatening. It is essential that the nurse is capable to communicate effectively her-(Be careful with gender bias, nurses come in both genders.) observations to the physician. Collaborative problems are detected from the nurse’s assessment of the patient. The nurse’s monitoring of the patient status is to evaluate physiological complications that may threaten the patient’s integrity. Management of collaborative problems will include implementing physician prescribed and nurse prescribed actions to curtail escalation of the problem and preventing patient harm. From the nurse’s assessment, she also formulates a nursing diagnosis. The nursing diagnoses are stated in the form of the problem, the etiology and the symptoms that the nurse observes. Nursing diagnosis can include a current or potential problem, an at risk problem, or a wellness diagnosis. Nursing diagnosis provides the framework from which the nurse begins to devise a plan of care and nursing interventions. In the case of JG, there were two collaborative problems identified. Two  problems I collaborated with physician, these were: 1. JG is experiencing toxicity from the chemotherapy. There is potential for electrolyte imbalance, circulatory collapse. 2. The necrotic area on his foot was a new development in his condition. There is potential complication for infection The collaborative problems discussed with JG physician and nurse quickly resolved. JG did not receive his chemotherapy. He was given an injection of sandostatin LR to help minimize his diarrhea; a stat basic metabolic panel was obtained; and he was given intravenous hydration with potassium. The doctor made a referral to JG podiatrist for the next day to assess the integrity of his left foot. Listed are four, but not all, possible nursing diagnosis obtained from my assessment. 1. Diarrhea related to chemotherapy manifested by hyperactive bowel sounds and eight loose stools. 2. Bowel incontinence related to loss of rectal sphincter control and chemotherapy manifested by fecal odor, fecal staining of clothing, urgency. 3. Altered Nutrition related to colon cancer manifested by diarrhea, abdominal cramping. 4.Ineffective management of therapeutic regimen related to JG lack of knowledge of his disease manifested by his inability and unwillingness to manage his symptoms. Considering JG comments regarding his finances, his overall physical appearance and the comments from his nephew, I decided to consult with the social worker. I felt that a home visit or a thorough investigation of JG home situation was warranted. The social worker was able to arrange for in home support, and helping the patient with insurance issues so he could obtain the needed supplies. I did not think to enlist the participation of the dietician. In retrospect, the dietician would have been a valuable resource to assess JG caloric intake and recommendations for optimal nutrition. I felt that the above incident demonstrated collaboration amongst health care providers. The physician in this case was receptive to the nurse’s observations with respect to her capabilities of accurate assessment of the patient’s condition and potential complications. This is not always the case, barriers to collaboration are also inherent in the health care industry. Barriers occur in patient situations where the physician is not sympathetic or does not trust the nurse’s evaluation of patient condition. The nurse may have feelings of inferiority, lack of confidence and does not appropriately collaborate with the physician correct information. Conflicts in the goals desired for the patient is often cited as a barrier to collaboration. I recall an incident of a male patient diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. His appearance was that of an individual who had been in a Nazi concentration camp. The nurse wondered why the physician was treating this man aggressively. In her mind, this patient was not an appropriate candidate to receive the particular treatment that was ordered. She feared the patient would not tolerate such an aggressive schedule and that it was pointless to put this poor man through treatment. The patient was diagnosed two years ago. He is still receiving treatments, he has gained weight and in October of last year he hiked to the summit of Mt. Whitney. Role conflict is another major barrier to collaboration. To deliver cost effective care, many institutions utilize nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Role conflict arises when practitioners have opposing views or expectations (Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2002). Role conflict and can lead to litigation. According to Resnick, physicians hesitate to collaborate informally with Nurse Practitioners for fear of being held liable for the actions of the Nurse Practitioner (Resnick, 2004). Clear definition of roles  for practitioners is essential to prevent misunderstanding. In conclusion, collaborative practice is the gold standard that health care practioners should strive towards. The nurse is central in determining the patient issues that warrant collaboration and she must be able to effectively communicate her observations. Collaborative practice minimizes complications that could lead to tragic outcomes. The ultimate goal of collaborative practice is to provide the quality service that each patient under our care deserves. References Blais, K.K., Hayes, J. S., Kozier, B. & Erb, G. (2002). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives (4th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Phillps, W.J., & Schaag, H.A. (1995). Persepctives for health and illness. In Phipps, W.J, Cassmeyer, V.L., Sands, J. E., Lehman, M.K(Eds.), Medical surgical nursing concepts and clinical practice, p. 19. St. Luis, MO: Mosby. Resnick, B. (2004). Limiting litigation risk through collaborative practice. Geriatric Times, 5(4), 33. Retrieved March 21, 2004 from EBSCOhost database.

Human Sexuslity Essay Example

Human Sexuslity Essay Example Human Sexuslity Essay Human Sexuslity Essay They had Issues with this study because not everyone has the same view on what Infidelity or cheating actually Is. Almost all the students Interviewed agreed that vaginal Intercourse was considered the ultimate cheat. Some students didnt feel that heavy kissing and petting were considered cheating. Because this is about a dating relationship and not a marriage there is no fine lines that state that all dating relationships have to be monogamous. Two thirds of the students both male and female stated that cheating was wrong. However, it was less unacceptable to men than to women. There were a total of 7, 253 people who participated in this study and out of that number 98% were undergraduate college students. A large percentage of both male and female students admitted to some form of infidelity whether it was heavy kissing and petting or full blown sexual intercourse. The question of why people cheat was not one definition rather it was several. Personality traits and attitudes and relationship styles were the main reasons listed to define why people cheat. Now here comes the popular media side of things. A lot of websites are perfect for his but I chose the www. Semen. Com. It didnt take long to find a story with comments from readers to use for this project. The article is called Are men born cheaters? by Phillip Gordon. This was an interesting article and it seems to focus on the old saying once a cheater always a cheater. It begins by discussing some famous men who are very promiscuous. For example Ervin Magic Johnson is reported as acquiring the aids sy ndrome. It even goes as far as choosing Bill Clinton as a man that women love even though his affair with Monica Leninism shook the entire USA. In this story they define cheating and or Infidelity as sexual relations including oral sex, touching of genitals and full blown sex acts. The story seems to be very straight forward with the attitude of men cheat because they always have. A paragraph In this story suggests that men are really born cheaters by cheating on their taxes and etc. This article makes it sound like hey men always cheat deal with it. On the other nana It also Alehouses want makes a woman ocean. According to tins story women cheat because when we ovulate it is natural for us to seek out and acquire the best perm we can find. Boys will be boys and the cheaters will never stop cheating. Women accept the fact that men cheat and why should men change it? It even goes as far as stating as long as there are women who will fool around with your man then there will be infidelity. In comparison these articles have a little in common. They both ask the question what is considered cheating and they both have some definitely laid out answers. However the scholarly Journal is more mature and reads like it is trying to solve a problem and offer answers where as the media version reads like a Joke. The media version does not take it seriously and they seem to find it funny. By using examples of men who arent faithful and promoting them in a way stating women love them even though they are cheaters. The biggest difference in these articles is the way they are written. Consumers who are looking for educated readings on infidelity should go with the first article. Consumers who want a raw somewhat smart ally version should read the other. The pros to these types of scholarly articles are that they are based on facts from searching real people on an educated basis. The people interviewed for that journal were not cocky and proud of what they had done. They shared their answers based on their feelings. The media article is more of a straight cut what the boys talk about late on Friday night. The first story doesnt idealize men or women for infidelity where the second story seems to focus on how great the men who were known for cheating are. When looking for an answer that is based on findings from asking regular people questions the scholarly Journal is the one you need to look at. If you Just want to read a popular mens magazine website then the other story is for you. Professors dislike the media type websites when it comes to preparing a paper. You cannot base good research on a media website as most are on the net to make money. Sex sells and people who are looking at mens magazine websites are not looking for solid defined answers but rather a good read. In conclusion I have read both of the articles and actually I feel that the media has made men who cheat something to idealize. It makes me sick to read that women have thing for Bill Clinton.

Globbing a Directory in Perl

Globbing a Directory in Perl Its very simple to print a list of all files in a directory using the built-in Perl glob function. Lets look over a short script that globs and prints a list of all files, in the directory containing the script itself. Examples of the Perl Glob Function #!/usr/bin/perl -w files *; foreach $file (files) {   Ã‚  print $file . \n; } When you run the program, youll see it output the filenames of all files in the directory, one per line. The glob is happening on the first line, as the * characters pulls the filenames into the files array. files *; Then you simply use a foreach loop to print out the files in the array. You can include any path in your filesystem between the marks. For example, say your website is in the /var/www/htdocs/ directory and you want a list of all the files: files /var/www/htdocs/*; Or if you just want a list of the files with the extension .html: files /var/www/htdocs/*.html;

Comparing Mortgage Rates Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparing Mortgage Rates - Research Paper Example Mortgage quotes that are published such as these are usually rates and terms available under the best of circumstance while your rate will vary according to: credit, down payment, house location and size, and your ability to prove income and assets Verbal rates are not a guarantee and you must get a written quote if you want to be assured the rate is ‘locked’ in and you should always get a letter of confirmation of your rate, rates that go up between the start of your mortgage process and the closing date can cost you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan Do not assume that because you are offered at good rate on one type of loan that you will get the same rate on a different type of mortgage Many people do not consider closing costs and fees when shopping for a mortgage Based on the effective annual rate the Lending tree offers the best rate for a fifteen year fixed interest rate loan. This amount is the percentage paid per year on the mortgage over the lifeti me of the loan. AmeriSave offers the lowest effective annual rate on a thirty year mortgage. Paying some of the interest in advance can reduce the accrual over the course of the year. Any fees or penalties that you accrue during the loan are added to the principle and will increase the EAR. These effective annual rates make sense as being the lowest because they are also in line with the lowest rates. Different lenders are able to offer different rates somewhat based on what type of lender they are, a mortgage lender or mortgage broker, each charging a different commission rate on the loan. Mortgage broker do not actually lend money and are used to help an individual find a direct loan, charging the consumer a fee for this service. While this is advantageous in that they will shop many lenders for you in an attempt to gain the best rate you will pay the associated fees, which are usually between 0.5-1 % of the loan value. The difference in rate will have a material impact on the con sumer because the value of the property will either decrease or increase with the market over the course of the loan. Investors may choose 30 year investment mortgages over other options because the value of the dollar while continue to decrease while the investment property and amount of payment remains the same. This is due to inflation of the economy and other market factors. References Today's Rate Results. (2012). Bank of America. Retrieved 2012, from https://www9.bankofamerica.com/home-loans/mortgage-purchase/TodaysRateResults.go?referrer=/home-loans/mortgage-purchase/rates Mortgage - Home Loans - Refinance - Mortgage Refinancing - Mortgage Rates - Home Equity. (2012). Retrieved 2012, from http://www.lendingtree.com/ Mortgage, Refinancing, Home Loan, Mortgage Rates - GMAC Mortgage. (2012). Retrieved 2012, from http://www.gmacmortgage.com/ Chase Mortgages - Home Lending | New or Refinance Mortgage Loans Online. (2012). CHASE Home: Personal Banking | Personal Lending | Retiremen t & Investing | Business Banking. Retrieved 2012,