School Counselors and Child Abuse

The objective of this research paper is to determine how well school counselors, who are human service providers and mandated reporters of child abuse, know how to detect abuse and whether or not this skill has an effect on them actually making a report. As mandated reporters, school counselors are not prepared to detect signs of child abuse and their lack of preparedness is a directly correlated with their low levels of reporting.Unfortunately, it is a cold fact that child abuse exists all over the world, but fortunately educators and individuals in human services are beginning to open the eyes of many individuals about the power they have in prevention, intervening and changing the lives of those affected by the horrid effect of child abuse. A group of individuals that can have a superb effect in empowering those affected by abuse are school counselors. Because of their interactions with children and their families, they can be influential in recognizing and reporting child abuse. With the right training and tools they can make a world of difference.There is very little research on school counselors and their abilities in recognizing and reporting child abuse. The research that does exist shows a need in extensive training in recognition child abuse and what to do thereafter. School counselors reported knowledge that they are mandated by law to report suspicion of child abuse, but lacked confidence in their ability to detect and report child abuse. Training is necessary in undergraduate/graduate schooling and as a professional in order for a school counselor to be fully effective as a mandated reporters.According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, (NCANDS), which collects and analysis data from child protective services, 3. 3 million child abuse reports were made in 2009 of which three fifths of the reports were made by Running Head: SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND CHILD ABUSE 3 mandated reports such as doctors, teachers, daycare providers, counselor, etc. who because of the nature of their job have contact with these children. 3. 3 million reports were made in United States in the year 2009 and it is unfortunate to say that perhaps millions more abuses occurred but went on unreported.To report or not to report, that is the question that many individuals ask themselves when in a possession were they might hold vital information. There are times when individuals who have vital information right in front of them but see right thought it because of the lack of knowledge and experience. An often happy and extrovert child might begin to show sudden signs of melancholy and introversion due to being sexually abused by a family member, but a professional who works with the child on a day to day basis, for example, a teacher or a school counselor may not be able to detect these changes in character and as a result make no reports.The duration of time that children interact with school officials and administrators often times equal and ev en exceed the amount of time that they spend with family members. At times children and certain school officials form bonds that are fused together by trust and respect and due to the trust that has been formed, often times these officials gain insight about these children’s lives. One school official that needs to build rapport with a child in order to best service that child, is a school counselor.Since rapport is usually built between child and counselor, one would assume that the counselor would be able to detect child abuse right away, but it is evident through my readings that school councilors are in desperate need of guidance themselves. Though they are there to guide others, school counselors lack the confidence and knowledge when it comes to detecting and reporting child abuse cases; weather it be neglect, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or physical abuse physical Running Head: SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND CHILD ABUSE 4 abuse. According to Bryant (2009), 86. % of the 193 par ticipants in his study reported that they gained knowledge about child abuse reporting through experience at work and not necessarily through training. Goldman and Padayachi (2005) study looked at school counselors and their reporting behavior and whether or not they needed any further training. Just as Bryant (2009) study concluded that further education and training was necessary, Goldman and Padayachi (2005) study also reported that 95% of the participants in the study suggested that they needed more training in how to handle and deal with children and sexual abuse.The latter researchers did their study in Australia, where child abuse laws differ from one state to another. For example in New South Wales, it is mandatory by law for school officials to report any suspicion of child abuse. It was not always the case in New South Wales though because reports by school personnel of child abuse greatly increased from 11. 4% to 24% once the new law took into action. In Queensland were t he research study was conducted, school personnel were not mandated by law to report suspicion of child abuse.According to Goldman and Padayachi (2005) school personnel in New South Wales were being trained more intensively about neglect and child abuse because of the mandatory reporting laws. So, could it be possible that school personnel are not trained as intensively and excessively because there is no law indicating that suspicion of child abuse be reported? Would it be fair to say that people are reporting because it is mandated by law? Or are people reporting more because they have more training in dealing with child abuse? Is it an issue of law, ethics or knowledge?In order to determine whether or not school counselors consider certain situations as abuse or not, Goldman and Padayachi (2005) created four hypothetical Running Head: SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND CHILD ABUSE 5 situations where a child is interacting with a counselor and in all four situations the degree of detail the ch ild reveals is different, for example, in one situation a child â€Å"draws a picture of a man and makes vague statements about a bad man, but does not make any specific statements about being sexually abused† (Goodman and Padayachi, 2005), and in another situation, a girl tells her school counselor and her grandmother that she is being sexually abused. School personnel are suppose to rate the degree of suspicion from â€Å"substantial† to â€Å"no reason.According to the results, the degree of suspicion was from substantial to moderate, which indicates that the 122 participants were well aware of what signs to look for in sexual abuse. Majority of participants were able to detect child abuse, but were unlikely to report their suspicions when asked if they would report it if the child denied of being sexually abused. This can indicates that suspecting and reporting do not necessarily go hand in hand, especially in a state were reporting is not mandated by law. Accordi ng to Bryant (2009), the number one reason the participants in his study indicated that they would report suspicion of child abuse was because of law; which goes back to, are people reporting because of law, knowledge, ethics?It seems to me, to be more in favor of the law; but either way, if children’s lives are being saved; would it matter if it’s because of law or ethics? Probably the answer would be no, until people’s perceptions are changed. Being able to recognize signs of abuse in a hypothetical situation can vary greatly with the degree of confidence that a person has of his or her skills in recognizing signs of abuse. In Bryans (2009) study, participants were confident in their ability to recognize signs of physical abuse but were not as certain in their abilities to recognize emotional abuse; perhaps because physical abuse if much more Running Head: SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND CHILD ABUSE 6 observable, which indicates that much more training is needed in reco gnizing the more discrete signs of abuse.In Goodman and Padayachi (2005) study, the participants were asked about their confidence level of their knowledge of sexual abuse, and only â€Å"less than 10 per cent of the school counselors in Queensland were completely confident in their knowledge of symptoms to identify sexual abuse, while a considerable portion of them, 47 per cent, had little confidence, and 37 per cent had no confidence† (Goodman and Padayachi, 2005). The literature that was used in this research project proves that school counselors are not prepared to identify signs of child abuse; especially emotional abuse because signs of emotional abuse are a lot more discrete than physical abuse.Some research shows that school counselors are able to detect signs of child abuse but are less likely to report child abuse if a child denies being abused. In order to facilitate better understanding of child abuse in terms of detecting signs of abuse whether it is emotional or physical, colleges need to better prepare students before they start working as school counselors. School districts also need to have mandated training for incoming and ongoing school counselors. In order to help school counselor with becoming more assertive reporters of child abuse, school districts need to have mandatory training and colleges need to have courses that prepare students in how to report and the importance of reporting child abuse.

Experiment 5 Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Experiment 5 - Lab Report Example The solar cells are not only cheap, but they are also safe for the environmental use because they do not result in pollution. In electrolyzing water using solar energy, dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells are used. The sensitizer absorbs light that excites the chromophore leading to the production of electrons that undergo a series of processes within the cell to produce electric current for electrolyzing water. It is hypothesized that dyes or quantum dots can be used to sensitize the semiconductor oxide films of a solar cell to generate electricity (Gratzel 6841). Thus, this experiment aims to construct a dye-sensitized solar cell and to measure its current and voltage as well as using the cell to convert light into electricity for electrolysis of water. The materials required for this experiment included a multimeter for measuring resistance, a candle flame for producing carbon powder, and a piece of wire for connecting glass layers. Two pieces of glass and a piece of tissue paper are also required. The chemicals included ethanol for removing dirt on the surfaces of the glass, anthocyanin dye, titanium dioxide paste, potassium triiodide (KI3) electrolyte. In addition, a lab coat, goggles, and tongs were required for safety reasons. We assembled the cell in the first lab session and determined the current and voltage. During this process, we identified the conducting side of a tin-oxide piece of glass by a multimeter and wiped off the surface with an ethanol-moistened tissue to remove dirt. We then added a small amount of titanium dioxide paste and heated the glass on a hot plate in a hood for 20 minutes until it turned green. On cooling to room temperature, we introduced anthocyanin dye. We coated the second piece of tin oxide glass with carbon powder by passing it through a candle flame. After which, we assembled the two glasses by putting the coated sides together

The nature of evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The nature of evil - Essay Example Both Isadora and my creditors, I should add, who entered into a conspiracy, a trap, a scheme so cunning that my only choices were prison or marriage, which for a man of my temperament, worse than imprisonment—especially if you knew Isadora.†(1) One evil influence leads to the other. Evil sets off a chain-reaction. Rutherford Calhoun candidly admits, â€Å"But arriving in the city, checking the saloons and Negro bars, I found nothing. So I stole—it came as second nature to me.†(2-3) It goes to substantiate that no one is born with evil tendencies. One inherits them due to the circumstances one is compelled to encounter. When a man or woman is neglected and when obstructions are created by the society in the efforts for reformation and rehabilitation, one turns cynical. Helping one to build a new identity is an arduous process that has both economic and spiritual perspectives. Reeling out moral lessons and spiritual revelations will not help an individual fro m the downward march to destruction. Calhoun is exposed to religious disciplines. He admits, â€Å"My Master, Reverend Peleg Chandler†¦..he endlessly preached Old Testament virtues to me†¦.the evils of nominalism†¦.†(3) But the desired change in the personality of Calhoun is not forthcoming as the impact of the evil influences is strong and nobility fails to beat it. Both nobility (good) and evil forces are inherent in a man; they are the pairs of opposites and to strike the proper balance is the issue related to life. No one is permanently good or permanently bad. The process of becoming, to a great extent, depends on how one is raised and later on lives life. The childhood creates the structure for the adulthood and for the entire course of life. In case of Calhoun, the childhood is bad and he has to undergo bitter experiences of deceit from all ends and at that stage of life he has no one to hold on. So, hatred for the society is welling up from deep within and he has no choices to challenge them. Hatred is ugly and dark and it goes hand in hand with all sorts of evil. Bitter experiences in life one after another, go to solidify the state of evil in the heart of Calhoun. But no one is inherently evil. Evil is just the coating, and often the coating is thick. On a number of occasions, evil deeds are a mechanism of self-defense. When faced with danger, human beings mostly exhibit a â€Å"fight or flight,† response. Try to escape or defend aggressively. Calhoun precisely does the same. The ship in which he is employed according to Calhoun is â€Å"a process of life.†(36) The ship is the metaphor for the various stages and experiences of life. He faces the twin dangers, one from the woman and the other from his creditors, for which he has no immediate solutions, he avails the option of escape from the evil forces that are pursuing him. Unquestionably the slavery in the 19th century American society was an evil practice of the worst order and it owed responsibility for the creation of a combustible generation of blacks. Its impact has not been eradicated even with the present generation. The author does not think that evil is inherent in man, woman or evil originates in greed, misunderstanding/competition in segregation. Evil is integrated and it sets off a chain reaction through all these segments of society/factors. They are all interrelated and no factor

Personal reflective ( Critical perspectives in Global Management) Coursework

Personal reflective ( Critical perspectives in Global Management) - Coursework Example Volkswagen is a company that that had almost disappeared to obscurity in the early 1990s when Mr. Piech took over as the CEO, however through his leadership and management skills, the company has enjoyed sustained growth and development into the greatest European car manufacturer with expanded markets and a variety of products that respond to the needs of customers. The main issue here is that the former CEO Mr. Piech who has now retired upstairs to chair the supervisory board exhibited an authoritarian and autocratic form of leadership which is not characteristic of most modern organizations; as a result workers have little voice in the strategy and operations of the company. even though a new CEO in the shape of Mr. Bernd Pischetsieder has taken over, the main fear is that the former CEO has sufficient personal power to continue controlling most aspects of Volkwagen’s organization from outside, this raises fears of intransigence in terms of organizational operations. Obvious ly, most workers would like more space and ideological input in the operations of the company. ... Piech. It is clear that the former CEO appreciated discipline, authority, and unity of command with him being the major center of the last two. This indicates a distrust of other people’s leadership and a sense of authoritarianism. Max Weber’s bureaucracy also comes out clearly in the operations of Volkswagen with the former CEO appearing as a leader who ensured that every process and decision followed a clearly set path. This is clear in the fear that decision making will always be pushed upwards. Within the contingency theory, it is clear that Volkswagen under Peuch, was a company largely built around mechanistic structures characterized by centralization, strict division of labor, vertical communication, and low trust (Burns and Stalker, 1961). This is a system that current members of the organization fear will be continued under the new CEO, who has largely been groomed by the former CEO and that it will eventually be detrimental to the organization. There are a num ber of problems that can be identified in the Volkswagen case. The first and most clear of all is the problem around leadership and motivation. It is clear that although under the autocratic leadership of the former CEO the company flourished, many of the workers especially in the managerial level expected a new style of leadership synonymous with global trends that would afford them more input into the running of the company and its development to new heights. However, with the presence of the former CEO still looming large and the new CEO most likely to work under the guidance of Mr. Piech, distrust and lack of confidence has cropped up. This may affect morale and performance. On the face of it, the problem is intransigence, with organizational members having the feeling that things may

Gordons Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gordons Health Assessment - Essay Example These functions relate to one another and can be used as evidence in making decisions on the outcomes of patient care. There are other factors that will affect the reliability of data that can be gathered in making health assessments that will be presented during the interview and physical assessment of the patient. Other factors such as physiological, psychological and even cultural factors can influence on how much or how little of the data can be gathered from the patient (Functional Health patterns, n.d.). Every patient will have different reactions when being interviewed about their health. Some patients may exhibit feelings of anger towards their health care provider stemming from previous encounters with other health care practitioners that left them with a bad impression. There is also the cultural aspect of the patient where they may find certain questions and medical practices opposed to their culture, tradition and beliefs. Others would be depressed about being or felling ill and refuse to cooperate. There is also the physical condition of illnesses where patients may be in too much pain or cannot give coherent answers because of adverse reactions to medication. The everyday stresses in the workplace can also affect the nurse that will be making the assessment. Personal conflicts and beliefs on culture and ethnicities can influence the way the assessment is being handled (Morrison & Ashley-Coe, 2001). Preparing for the interview is also a key element in making health assessments. Patient interviews need to be carefully planned. Interviewers need to get their patients' trust so that they can gather information as accurately as they can. As with any interview, it is important to maintain eye contact and avoid possible distractions. Learning from the patients' charts can give interviewers ideas on how to formulate questions for the assessment (Jarvis, 2004). It is the understanding of all these factors that can make a good health assessment, coupled with the theory of functional health patterns by Gordon. These functional health patterns divided into eleven subcategories can help in the evaluation of a patient's physical, emotional and psychological health. Case Study Maria is a female patient aged 60 years old with a history of diabetes and hypertension. For the past few months, the patient complained of having stomach cramps or indigestion and difficulty in sleeping. She also reported self medicating these cramps with over the counter medication but the symptoms was never alleviated. But she was not cooperative enough to submit herself to other lab testing in order to find out the cause of her stomach discomfort. She has been very diligent in taking her diabetic and hypertensive medication, but her blood sugar and blood pressure has been erratic. She attributes this to the discomfort that she has been feeling recently. The patient also reported having difficulty with her bowel movement where there were days where she could not void, the longest period being five days. There were two areas that had an impact on the patients' functional health or ability. These were Elimination and Sleep-rest. These two factors caused considerable discomfort to the patient and may be symptoms of underlying illnesses. For this, a comprehensive geriatric health assessment can be used in order to find

English Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

English - Research Paper Example Opposite gender becomes a source of distraction for the pupils in high schools, therefore, single sex schools provide more focused environment to the students by removing their object of distraction. Education is a process which entails transference of knowledge and practices, development of skills and learning of new concepts through innovative and strategic skills of the educator (Burner, p.9). Thus, beneficial teaching entails successful transference of knowledge with the development of quality person along with prominent accomplishments of the learners. The teaching strategies applied and environment impacts adversely or optimistically on the learner, which means either it supports the learning style of the child or it hinders that process. Hence, this process essentially takes place in a specific environment developed by the educator. Therefore, the choice of educator in developing such an environment for the learners impacts hugely on them. Parents and teachers chose and set en vironment for their children, which supports their learning style. ... Therefore, it promoted their participation and rights for higher education, which consequently resulted in admittance of girls in the same schools. The co-education was new and it was considered most beneficial for both girls and boys to learn and prosper; academically. Thus, co-education system is largely prevalent and active in the most parts of the world for teaching both girls and boys. Only in US majority of the schools only offer co-education school system and only a smaller percentage of schools offer single sex school system. In the recent years USA has faced serious decline over quality public education and lower high school graduate rate due to increased drop outs. Thus, government of America emphasized on developing a new policy or strategy, which would fully support the learning of its youth for its technological and educational development. According to study, American graduation rank has declined to 18th position among the developed countries, which is extremely low tha n before (Foster, p.2). Therefore, educators and policy makers have been considering single sex option for all public schools due to its impact on the academics of individuals. The notion which never came under research before was how male and female students impact on each other in an educational setting. In 2008, US Department of Education proclaimed that single sex schools benefit girls to pursue their carrier in mathematics or science as they minimize distractions, which consequently results in improved attention span and achievement record. However, in 2001 a law was passed against single sex schools, which clearly stated that if the single sex schools are equally available for both genders then such an education system can be approved

Macromolecule Research Project Overview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Macromolecule Research Project Overview - Essay Example rates are: 1.) Monosaccharide, 2.) Disaccharides, 3.) Polysaccharides are polymers of monosaccharide of up to 10,000 glucose molecules per chain, where parallel chains are cross-linked with H bonds forming bundles of 60-70 molecules. These are: a.) Starch which are insoluble polymer of glucose, and energy storage molecules concentrated as granules within plant cells; b.) Glycogen which are water-soluble, branched polysaccharides storage form in animal liver and muscle cells; c.) Chitin which are tough molecules of ÃŽ ² glucose and the second most abundant molecule that forms the major component of fungal cell wall and the exoskeleton of insects and arthropods, recently used as surgical suturing threads; and d.) Cellulose which are the structural material in plant cell wall (Campbell & Reece 2002). Lipids are substances with an oily, greasy or waxy consistency which are relatively insoluble in water and tend to be water-repelling, hydrophobic, i. g. cuticle on leaf surfaces (Mader 2001). This is also important biological fuels, hormones and structural components of cell membranes (Mader 2001). Neutral fats and oils are the most abundant forms found in both plants and animals. Fats are economical storage for fuel reserves and there is twice more energy as the same quantity of carbohydrates it can generate (Mader 2001). Fatty acids which are the main components of neutral fats and phospholipids are of 30 different kinds such as saturated fatty acids which are solid at room temperature, i. g. butter and palmitic acid, and unsaturated fatty acids, oils, which are liquid at room temperature, i. g. linoleic acid. Important lipids are phospholipids which are the main component of cellular membranes, steroids which are likewise components of membranes and also hormones such as testost erone for sexual growth and development of men and estrogen and progesterone for women sexual growth and development with cholesterol as the main precursor, and carotenoids which are