Bipolar Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Bipolar Disorder - Research Paper Example The difference between perceptions of mental illness today and in the 19th century is between night and day (Nunes, 2002). That said we need to dramatically increase the amount of information and education out there on this issue. We need to know when such things become a problem and when they should be left alone. Mental health is an issue that affects all of us and must be taken very seriously by all of us. Among the more serious mental health problems that practitioners are starting to address are those arising from bipolar disorder. This essay will examine bipolar disorder and include an interview with an individual who suffers from the disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious problem. It involves mood disorders. Sufferers swing from manic episodes to depressive episodes. Sometimes there are triggers, but sometimes these are very hard to detect (Behrman, 12). It is said that creative people often suffer from this disorder and produce some of their greatest work during the manic phases. But those who suffer from it have serious problems with relationships and employment. Some need need to be medicated, others hospitalized. It is a disorder with a wide prevalence. What can society do to help bring these issues to light and to try to help? A key thing to do is to encourage people suffering from mental illness or mental disorders such as bipolar disorder to seek help. No man or woman is an island and it can be very difficult to balance one’s life and to know when and if you might have a problem (Millon, 78). You might need help. Sometimes this involves asking your partner to help you out, to have a shoulder to cry on. But it might also involve asking a professional to talk to you and prescribe something. There’s no shame in that: it is important to get past the stigma of mental illness. That’s why those people exist and they know what they’re doing. Sometimes people have so much on the go that they themselves are unable to get a

Iran Country Assessment Essay Example for Free

Iran Country Assessment Essay The Islamic Republic of Iran is a country governed by a regime that began with a revolution headed by Ayatollah Khomeini over two decades ago. Khomeini was the first to label the United States as the ‘Great Satan. ’ Although the Iranian government denies it, terrorism has been actively supported, both materially and morally, for years by Iran and Iran supports efforts damaging to the U. S. If the more extreme elements in Iran continue to hold power and arm themselves with nuclear weapons, the international repercussions would be far-reaching. Understanding of Iran is important for members of the U. S. Armed Forces in order to comprehend the scope of Iran’s extremist’s leanings. On the other hand, many of Iran’s citizens love the United States and are resentful of Iran’s oppressive regime. The anti democracy and hindrance of personal liberty have taken a large toll on the Iranian youth. Iran’s younger generation has put forth a lot of resistance against this oppressive regime. Over two thirds of Iran’s population is under the age of 30, which is good from an operational standpoint. This massive amount of young people generally feels that there is hope to moderate if not remove the oppressive regime. Recently a few young Iranians have been frustrated to the point of actively demonstrating against the regime. It is also important to mention many younger Iranians want improved relations with the United States. Most urban Iranians have access to the Internet and satellite television and are able to compare their standard of living with that of the United States and Western Europe. The Kurdish people believe that they are a nation in itself that are deserving of a sovereign homeland. After the formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, many Kurdish sided with the Iranian leftist and protested against Ayatollah Khomeini and his regime. In 1979, the Kurdish formed a rebellion, which ended with thousands of Kurdish dead. Shortly after this, Khomeini centered his power and banded Kurds from serving in government office and greatly enforced freedom of expression. The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan is a militant group that is based out of Iraq but has been consistently performing operations in Iran. Iran has prepared to conduct military action against the group and has moved a large portion of Iran’s military to Kurdistan to hinder the uprising of the militant group. The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan would be a great asset to possible future operation in Kurdistan. The party is semi supportive of the United States but will most likely be more than willing to help in U. S operations in Iran due to their long-term goal of destroying the regime. Iran is a tough operational problem set due to their advanced military and technical power. Operations in Iran should be focused on using the people of Iran to include the youth and Kurdish people. Intelligence operations would be better suited for using Iran’s youth because they are more supportive of the Untied States and have the ability to work in Iran’s government and military. The Kurdish are not trusted in the government and would not be able to provide accurate intelligence. Operations should be held out of North East Iraq due to the likelihood of Iraq cooperating with the United States during operations. Iraq has a large portion of Kurdistan and it would be easy to work with the Kurds right out of Iraq. Iran and Iraq have a long history of war which only furthers Iraqs likelihood of helping the U. S. Iran is a very dynamic and technologically advanced country, which presents many intelligence issues. The help of Kurdistan, Iranian youth and Iraq would greatly increase the likelihood of operational success in Iran.

A Discussion On Police Discretion Criminology Essay

A Discussion On Police Discretion Criminology Essay Domestic violence, is associated with a series of long term physical problems alongside it will have also psychological factors which is a serious health problem. The growing concerns of violence against woman caused the increase of more police officers to take extra shifts to cover the victims of domestic violence. However, with that the police also has to implement a great deal of discretion. The police department will give the officers indirectly or clearly the choice what laws they want to enforce and when, most of the time police officers already know which cases prosecutors will keep and which ones the judge will convict. In some cases police officers have already been persuaded from many of the last cases they had to deal with, which kind of makes their decision easier. Research shows that most of the arrests are made by the officers if there was physical harm done. Domestic violence is a growing issue and it has an impact on may different individuals such as, partners, parents, children, and extended family members. In many cases domestic violence can often be fatal , but it can also be prevented and treated. Many cases include spousal battery, sexual abuse, child abuse to name a few. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also calls domestic violence intimate partner violence is well defined as physical or sexual violence or even psychological and emotional abuse that is intended to hurt a spouse, or even a current spouse (CDC, 2012). The center for disease control also defines intimate partner violence spouse abuse, battering, and even marital rape (CDC, 2012). The community and society is a perfect place and it has the ability to protect and separate the risk of such vast growing violence. Woman which is most exposed to domestic violence have two types of solutions that they are able to use. One, police officers can arrest or charge an individual and prosecutors can follow a criminal restrictive. Secondly, victims of domestic violence can also follow civil actions against the offenders by filing for a protective order in which case it can be temporary or permanent. These kinds of order can be issued to individuals that are involved in an abusive relationship, which will keep the abuser from contacting the victim. A temporary restraining order can be issued which can last up to one to two weeks, after that a mandatory hearing is set to determine the reason why the individual needs a restraining order and for how long. In 1994 the Violence Against Women Act was passed, with that the demand for police officer also grew higher to protect domes tic violence victims. At the same time more funding was passed to make it mandatory for police officers to arrest an individual based on probable cause and to determine that a crime has been committed and the person in question has committed the actual crime. Additionally, the enactment of the primary offender concept and a speedy prosecution were also ordered by the state. With that the increase in domestic violence arrest was rising to 30 percent and higher. The federal government spends a large amount of money, to encourage local areas to cure the cause of domestic violence and to treat it as a serious crime and to attack these kinds of crimes with force. There are many other states that are now passing the law to make it mandatory for police officers to arrest individuals that are under a restraining order (Holmes, Sylvia I. Mignon William M., 1995). However, under this new law the officers can use less discretion. The study showed that incidence under that new law showed the re lations with arrests and the offending arrests are less and offending based on reports and victims story. The spectrum of the criminal justice starts with the police itself. Discretion is distinct for the officer to have the power to make his or her choice based on possible options of actions or inactions. Police officers implement a large amount of discretion that comes with their job description as a protector of the community and their safety and also for the individuals that are unable to protect themselves. There is a plethora of research that has been done on police discretion: it lists as many as 140 titles related to discretion of the police in criminal justice alone and the the way discretion is used and how it affects their decision making. There are many factors to consider that might influence police discretion when arresting individuals such as, race ethnicity and how serious the offense is (Justice, U.S. Department of, 1999). There has been many debates on the advantages and disadvantages of a mandatory arrest and it depends on three main questions. One, will mandatory arrests increase or decrease the violence for victims? Two, will mandatory arrests encourage or discourage victims, and lastly should domestic violence be treated the same way as a violent crime (Barata, Paula C; Schneider, Frank, 2004)? Increase or decrease, the argument in support of mandatory arrest for violence can be decreased due to the warning signs that are affected by the abuser. This means that abusers will learn to control their violent behavior due to the fact that they are afraid of future arrests. Studies have shown that mandatory arrests will control domestic violence. However, in some other studies the increase of domestic violence has been noticed when following the mandatory arrest procedure, and most of the victims were unmarried or the abuser was unemployed (Barata, Paula C; Schneider, Frank, 2004). In this case it led s ome to believe that mandatory arrests do not work on lowering the domestic violent crimes on the contrary it actually escalated the violence for some victims. Empowerment or disempowerment, has the possibility that mandatory arrests may disempower a victim or survivor, because it take the womans right away to make her own decision to a much more powerful court system that has not been exactly the sensitive womans rights (Barata, Paula C; Schneider, Frank, 2004). There are also many reasons why an abused woman may not want to follow through with the abusers arrest, for the following reason; she might be afraid of retaliation, financial issues that it might cause to name a few. Certainly, a court system has the assumption that the victim does not what might be best for the family and to a victim that might come across as condescending. In some cases there was also an increase of concern that there might be a dual arrest under the mandatory arrest law. What makes matters worse is when a victim is arrested that would be a great disempowerment. However, it has been used in the past that when the empowerment of a woman is taken away , the implementation of a mandatory arrest is placed. So by letting the victim have some empowerment it will ensure that her complaint is taken seriously, which makes her think her police is on her side. Some believe that mandatory arrests empower women by limiting police discretion and that leads to a non bias arresting. It is also noted that woman who has increased empowerment which is more likely in woman that are a minority, they are more likely to use the police services to stop violent crimes from happening. (Barata, Paula C; Schneider, Frank, 2004) noted that for instance family violence shoulcategorizeded differently then stranger sault. Some believe that police officers should only handle only very dangerous crimes, and that the rest of the crimes should be handled outside the criminal system like privet counseling. Mandatory arrest laws need to be replaced with organized police discretion, which include using the victims decision and using it for example taking the item to a safe place like shelter or such. Some say hat revoking of the mandatory arrest law would make things worse in controlling domestic violence, and would return the violence to its normal stage. Criminalizing domestic violence will send a big message to the public that this kind of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The mandatory arrest debate produced a lot of attention for much of the problem of policing and domestic violence. However, whether or not it is beneficial to have a mandatory arrest law for victims of domestic violence remains questionable. After carefully observing the evidence pertaining to the violence issue, it has generated inconsistent findings in the conclusion. Two of the findings on the issues of arrests whether or not it empowers or disempowers victims of domestic violence, is an issue that might be better off if it is dealt with inside/outside the criminal justice system. But it has still to be examined with research and it is mainly a speculation. There is still important information that is yet to be studied, and that is the victims themselves, and how they preserve the mandatory arrest law. Do victims of domestic violence care about the enactment of the mandatory arrest and what do they observe as being an advantage or disadvantage of the action. Whether victims feel t hreatened or safer with this particular law and are they more inspired or discouraged is the question. In recent times victims of domestic violence were clearly not in a talking mood. Fortunately, there has been an outpouring of research in recent years that has studied victims and their presumption of the criminal justice system. There has been only a few studies that show the consideration for victims and the support for a mandatory arrest (Barata, Paula C; Schneider, Frank, 2004). It has shown that most of the victims are supporting the mandatory law not necessarily for them but for the other individuals benefit. Though, either one of the studies dug deep enough into the above mentioned issues that have been stressed in the debate about mandatory arrest. It is the strategic effect on the levels of violence, of empowerment and if it demonstrates that domestic violence is looked at as a serious crime. The main influence of this study is that it goes much further into the question i f victims care for the mandatory arrest law and it also examines the view on the issues. This study is also useful to see how flexible as well as not so flexible the study is. The main idea of this study is to find out what victims think of the mandatory arrest law and if it has an advantage or a disadvantage. The main point is to find out to what degree victims support this kind of law. Individuals have been asked in the study if the mandatory arrest is sufficient enough to keep violent offenders away from victims and the second question was should domestic violence be treated as other violent crimes. Additionally, the support for mandatory arrest was also measured if it was mainly for the victims own case in terms of domestic violence or if it was measured in a general sense. Results showed which was expected that victims supported the policy for domestic violence very strongly for more general purpose than for their own cases. It is clear that many of the participants in this above study are more interested in the benefit that it helps other individuals before it helps the victims itself. As mentioned at the beginning domestic violence has long term physical problems alongside it will have also psychological factors which is a serious health problem. Which make police discussion a huge problem in some cases it is whether to arrest some offenders and permit others to keep taking part in criminal misconduct. It is the way police departments implement this discretion and what consequences it might have in the long run. However, when police officers have to tackle a domestic violent case it can be very stressful for an officer, because they only have a split second to think. When officers have little to no time to think it makes it very hard to determine what kind of discretion is appropriate and what is not. In many cases it is very hard to make this kind of decision on a short notice, however as mentioned above many of the officers already have a hunch from previous cases if the victim is saying things for their own personal gain or if they are telling the truth. In conclusion all of the above main issues mentioned earlier on mandatory arrests were addressed to variable degrees in individuals that participated in the open ended response. Much of the studies that took place was very encouraging because it showed that the discussion are important for the victims concerns. However, in recent research it was highlighted that some issues such as, the effects it had on supporting or non supporting of mandatory arrests. Domestic violence was certainly a noticeable concern for many of the victims in this study, though it was not their first priority in their decision to support this kind of policy. For that reason, it would be a mistake to use the study to increase or decrease in domestic violence to measure the achievement or the disappointment of the issue. Many other similar studies have been conducted, and many of the women participating in this study felt that mandatory arrests are very important. Which is quite a lucky break because in many cou ntries and other states the mandatory arrest law is already in place. What was most important in this particular study was the fact that many of the individuals sheds light on many of the reasons why monetary arrests should be made to save the victims. Even though some have issues with the mandatory arrest laws and some do not the best way to figure out the pros and cons on this issue to have the victims of domestic violence decide what is best for the individual crime. The officer will always face issues when it comes to arrests but it is for the individual officer to decide whether to arrest an abuser or whether to listen to both parties to make the right judgement call.

A Day with the County Juvenile Probation Officer Essay -- essays resea

A Day with the County Juvenile Probation Officer I followed employees of the County Juvenile Probation Department for a day. I spent most of the day with the Victims Information Coordinator (VIC), although I did get to speak with many probation officers as well as the drug counselor in the department. I learned many things while I was visiting the department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the better part of the day, I spent time with Pat, the Victims Information Coordinator. She is the person that explains the court process to the victims of juvenile delinquent crimes, as well as does all the side work. This work includes filing as well as taking many phone calls from concerned parents, confused kids, and people that just have general questions. This job also includes putting information into the computer for the probation officers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I got to speak with most of the officers that were there that day. They spend a lot of their own free time to help these kids better themselves. They drive all over the county to visit the kids and their families in their homes, as well as being available at all times of the day to meet with them in an office setting. These probation officers are very dedicated to what they do. Their job is very demanding, not only do they have their normal everyday appointments, but they get several phone calls an hour and people that stop in the office needing to see them immediately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have ...

Should Models Have a Minimum Weight? Essay

What The Size of Models Really Promotes Models over the past decades have become noticeably thinner and thinner creating an ongoing debate: Are models becoming too thin? For a recent example, Bethaney Wallace, a teenage model, dies at the age of 19 from starving herself to death, all for the sole purpose of selling clothes. Model deaths are one of the many reasons that have caused the fashion industry to discuss implementation of a minimum model weight standard. This issue has been in debate for a long time now, but standards have never been enacted. Most people would do anything for a job they loved, including purging, starving, and excessive exercising. But when there’s no line drawn, how does someone know when enough is enough? Not only is the idea of ‘thin is beautiful’ hurting models, but it is also damaging the frail body images of most young girls. We unfortunately live in a world where fashion is promoting an unhealthy image for young women to aspire to, but with a set of standards this could cr eate progress for a change. Because the majority of models in today’s society are unreasonably thin, and because media images are a major factor in girls’ images of themselves, a weight standard should be set for models to promote better body image for themselves and other girls. BACKGROUND The evolution of fashion models is vast if comparing the size of the models. Surprisingly, the fashion industry wasn’t always obsessed with caloric intake and the size of models that stomped the catwalk. â€Å"Addressing her fellow beauties on the matter of their ample cabooses, newly elected president of the Model’s Mutual Aid Society, Lucy â€Å"Lucky† Janishevski, admonished her sisters to lay down their baguettes and wage a war on calories to keep their figures svelte and their jobs secure. After all, the slender Brits and Americans were rapidly invading French fashion territory. In a news report issued by the North American Newspaper Alliance, published on this day in 1957, Lucky recommended a reducing regimen of exercise, carrot juice, and a ‘microscopic slice of dry toast’† (Lloyd). â€Å"Lucky† was one of the first woman to suggest an unhealthy guideline for models to follow in France. â€Å"Lucky and a former American model, D orian  Leigh, established the first successful modeling agency in Paris, importing trimmer models from Sweden, Italy, England and America. By the late 60s, the modeling world had shed its Bardot hips in favor of slim, boyish bods, with models Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy leading the way† (Lloyd). Twiggy, a high fashion model of the 60’s, joined the fashion industry at 16 and is commonly blamed for the revolution of stick-thin models. Even though skinny became all the rage, not every designer wanted stick figures. â€Å"Avant-gardist Andrà © Courrà ¨ges preferred curvy girls to show off his (†¦) designs. He did not ‘care about their measurements or their weight,’ according to a 1967 Vogue interview. When the interviewer inquired whether he had ever asked a model to lose weight, he said he ‘often ask[ed] them to gain weight.’ The always-prescient Courrà ¨ges paved the way for more voluptuous models, with supermodels Christie Brinkley, Cindy Crawford and Brooke Shields emerging onto the scene in the 70s and 80s.† (Lloyd) The era of fit, curvy models remained strong into the 90’s with supermodels like Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington storming the runways and covering the pages of Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. Lloyd claims, it was only when Kate Moss ushered in a new wave of waifishness as the poster child for heroin chic that curves once again fell out of fashion. Idolizing models like Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen, a Victoria’s Secret model with remarkable voluptuous curves, became a short-lived fad, replaced by girls with no hips. â€Å"In the mid-2000s, Gemma Ward, the youngest model ever to grace the cover of Vogue, ushered in the era of gaunt models. Draping fabrics and billowy silhouettes hung on these skeletal girls as thoug h on showroom racks. Like a dysfunctional family secret, the fashion world refused to recognize that the industry ideal was abetting anorexia. In 2006, it took the deaths of Luisel Ramos, a 22-year-old Uruguayan model who subsisted on lettuce leaves and Diet Coke, and Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston, for the industry to take notice† (Lloyd). Quickly following their deaths, Milan set a minimum weight requirement, Madrid established a minimum BMI, and the Council of Fashion Designers of America issued guidelines to help designers recognize eating disorders and weight issues of their models. These requirements and guidelines are â€Å"a promising step in the right direction (†¦) to real change. But it is worth noting that the guidelines only apply directly to runway models, leaving magazine shoots, advertisements and other fashion media untouched. Can the fight for healthier models be won if only fought on one front?† (Krupnick). The Weight Standard Would Be Beneficial For: Model’s Health Most runway models meet the body mass index criteria for anorexia, according to an editorial pictorial in the January issue of PLUS model magazine. Twenty years ago, the average fashion model weighed 8 percent less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23 percent less, it said. When asked for its source, the magazine cited the website of Rader Programs, which treats those with eating disorders. Keeping up with the grueling world of the fashion industry is a difficult task. Most models feel as if the only way to compete and keep their spot in the industry is to stay below a certain weight or maintain a particular look. Some models don’t even recognize that once they are below the healthy Body Mass Index for their age group, it is extremely harmful to their health. Doctors say adult women that are â€Å"underweight (BMI less than 18.5) may be malnourished and develop digestive system issues, certain types of cancer, depression, type 2 diabetes, etc.† (â€Å"Body Mass Index†). For a model, looks seem to be everything, creating many issues concerning models and their way of losing weight. A huge majority of models develop eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binging disorders that can truly harm them. These dramatic ways of losing weight can have serious consequences, even as severe as death. By creating a weight standard, it would give models more room to be a bigger size and therefore be accepted because of it. It would also help in stopping the uncontrollable amount of eating disorders models have in the fashion industry. Many feel that a minimum model weight is discrimination against those who are naturally thin and not taking drastic measures to make themselves that way. Others say it is a profession that involves high risk to your health, which is the model’s life choice to make and not the client’s. Supporters also face the predicament of how to determine what the weight standard should be, since everyone has a different combination of body chemistry and height. It is true that models that are naturally thin could feel attacked when weight standards are enacted, but it is more important to ensure safety of models’ health and improve the physical standard in which young women look up to. It is also true that it is the decision of the model to risk their health, but if standards were established then models could feel accepted even at a heavier weight. Since everyone has a different body chemistry and height, standards would involve BMI (Body Mass Index), a system that measures both weight and height to determine how underweight or overweight one’s body is. The Health Of The Viewers

Christmas Math Word Problem Worksheets

Christmas Math Word Problem Worksheets Word problems can be perceived as the dreaded bane of your students existence, or they can be a walk in the park. The amount of practice your students have working with word problems affects their confidence level in this area.   Design Christmas word problem worksheets that are suitable for second and third-grade students. The sample questions adhere to math standards for those grades. Most of these word problems focus on number sense.   Heres some simple math for you. If word problems  are applied in real-world scenarios that children enjoy, the likelihood increases that they will find the problems easy to solve. Easy Christmas Math Word Problems In terms of fun word problem scenarios, you can incorporate Christmas  themes into the problems. Most children enjoy the Christmas season, even those who dont celebrate the holiday. Images of jolly snowmen and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer delight children during this time. Now, pair Christmas-based situations with math word problems to delight young students. Students at a very young age need to practice solving problems when the unknown value is at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the word problem. Using this strategy will help children become better problem-solvers and critical thinkers. Before you assign word problems to your students, make sure that you vary the types of questions. The variety will help create good thinking habits among your students. Second Grade For second grade worksheets, you will note that addition and subtraction problems are the most appropriate. One strategy to help students in the younger grades to think critically is to consider changing where the unknown value is. For instance, look at the following question: For Christmas, you got 12 candy canes in your stocking and 7 from the tree. How many candy canes do you have? Now, look at this transposition of a word problem: You wrapped 17 presents and your brother wrapped 8 presents. How many more presents did you wrap? Third Grade By third grade, your students have started to get comfortable with fractions, multiplication, and division. Try incorporating some of these elements into your third-grade worksheets. For example, your string of Christmas lights has 12 bulbs on it, but 1/4 of the bulbs don’t work. How many bulbs do you have to buy to replace the ones that don’t work? The Value of Words Word problems take math understanding to the next level. By meshing reading comprehension skills with everything already learned in mathematics, your students are becoming critical problem solvers. Real-world scenarios show students why they need to learn math, and how to solve the real problems they will encounter. Help connect these dots for your students. Word problems are an important assessment tool for teachers. If your students are able to comprehend and solve word problems, it shows you that your students are grasping the math being taught to them. Kudos for the guidance you provide. Your hard work is paying off.