Nineteen Minutes

The nature versus nurture conflict has continuously been a controversial subject for the public. People want to know what effects our development, personality, and especially our behavior, which seems to overlap the two. The nature side of the argument believes that a human is developed by the genes that are hard-wired into them. In other words, the reason why this human behaves the way he or she does today is because of the genes he or she were born with. On the other hand is nurture, which says a person is formed into the person they are by the environment. This suggests that a person is born with no inborn tendencies and acquire traits off of the setting and the people they are around. In Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult, Peter Houghton, the main teenage character, suddenly snaps. Prior to Peter’s murders, he showed no aggression or violence whatsoever. Even his childhood best friend, Josie, who eventually became a member of the popular crowd in school, made efforts to back him up. The sudden outburst from Peter clearly demonstrated that his environment shaped him into the killer he became. An adolescent can be bent and twisted into a completely different person. Hostile environments, like Sterling for Peter, could distort any type of personality and shape the person in undesirable ways. A famous psychologist, by the name of Sigmund Freud, believed that there was evil built in us all. People, after his time, ran with this naturist belief and also said that it is in one’s human nature to do wrong. It is a pessimistic view on the matter, however, they also say that the evil, or wrongdoing, may be brought out with time. Nonetheless, this side of the debate still thinks people are born as thieves, criminals, or in Peter’s case, murderers. Josie‘s mother, Alex, has a strong first impression, from Peter‘s childhood, as she recalls the day when Peter and Josie were playing with the firearms. Alex states, â€Å"I keep thinking about him as a little boy†¦sometimes I can still see him handing you that rifle-â€Å" (Picoult 170). Alex references the time she walked in on Peter and Josie playing with the firearms, accidently left out by Peter’s father. She associates him as a little boy and relates it to why she thinks he killed his peers in high school. This is an easy way to blame Peter, despite the fact that he has been tested before by bullies, and never showed any aggression at the time. Also, instead of blaming Peter, the finger should be pointed at Lewis Houghton. He is the one who made Peter knowledgeable about the guns at a young age, and also was irresponsible by leaving them out with kids around. If Peter’s biological genes were a factor, his aggression should have been presented at a younger age, when the bullying was excessive then too. In contrary to Freud’s theory on human development, comes behaviorism. This theory, which was created by psychologist John B. Watson, essentially states that every infant is born with a blank slate. Meaning that any personality can be molded into what its educator or environment makes it to be. The most influential element of a child’s life is clearly the parenting. This makes the child-parent bond the most important relationship a child has. The way the child is shaped dictates how he or she will view the world, and more importantly themselves. The bullying was immediate for Peter. His first day, on the bus to school, resulted in a lost lunchbox and a few tears. The bullying continued and Peter’s parents were notified. How Lewis and Lacy Houghton handled the situation is vital. After the unpleasant incident, in a conversation with Peter, Lacy replies, â€Å"I know about the lunch boxes. I know what’s been going on with [the bullying]†¦The next time it happens, you have to stick up for yourself. You have to, Peter, or I†¦I’m going to have to punish you† (Picoult 73). The sudden change in Peter’s guidance is drastic. This new approach for Peter suddenly makes violence acceptable. Even though Peter doesn’t show it right away, due to shyness, a seed is planted which ultimately grows into the violence he displayed the day of the massacre at Sterling High. This type of shaping taught the child to become violent since he was not already. Due to the young age, the child will obey the parenting without question, or any conscious conflict. When a child reaches adolescence, physical maturity plays a major role in a human’s development. The dramatic changes of the body are a big change for any teenager. If one’s physical development becomes delayed like Peter’s, then it can become complicated to live an ordinary high school life. During adolescence is when one determines their identity, and with Peter’s difficulty to fit in, he had trouble finding who he was. With the stress and anxiety building for Peter, he can’t even decipher if he is straight or not. The narrator states, â€Å"He just wanted to know what it was like to be among guys who were gay, and totally okay with it. He wanted to know if they could look at him and know, instantly, that Peter belongedâ€Å" (Picoult 231). It’s not that hitting puberty late was a bad thing for Peter, it just made it harder for him to uncover himself. He had to resort to the extreme by surrounding himself with homosexual men. Also, a run in with Mr. McCabe, a gay teacher at Sterling High, aided the discovery Peter needed to experience that he was straight all along. The confusion and delay of puberty makes it easy for a low self esteem to take place. Bullying can be another significant factor in social development. A victim of bullying usually is incapable of having a high self esteem, and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. If bullying is suspected, it is important that the victim has someone to go to. In Peter’s case he had no one. He learned early in life that he had to stick up for himself, so his parents were ruled out the equation early. If a victim of bullying cannot seek help, the bullying can cause emotional, social, and even academic problems. Peter clearly had problems in these three areas. Combine the pressure built from the bullying with no one to talk to, and Peter was a balloon ready to pop. However, Peter shows no remorse after the incident. When talking to his lawyer he states, â€Å"Why is everyone so upset that those jerks are dead? I mean people are crying over them†¦and they were assholes, Every one’s saying I ruined their lives, but no one seemed to care when my life was the one being ruined† (Picoult 134). It is clear to see the damages given to Peter over time. What once seemed like a kid who wouldn’t hurt a fly, is now a kid who shows no remorse and is forced to play survival of the fittest. With Peter Houghton as a prime example it is evident that nurture takes its course. It’s not that Peter became one of the bullies, rather than he adapted to the dog eat dog world. Any parent imagines the potential their baby boy or girl can have when it is born. Some kids may be ignored, steered in the wrong direction, or bullied at school. No one can say what his or her child will be like before he or she is born. Nonetheless, every infant learns. What they learn makes up the world, but they must make up their selves first. The environment around a child is critical to the learning and shaping he or she endures.

How Sports Can Improve Team Relations

Team sports are a great fun way to instil strong teamwork values in staff that have to work effectively together off the field. Team Sport Spirit As a sports team functions in much a similar way to a workplace team – with members cooperating with one another to achieve a common goal, sport participation is a good way of further instilling the important principles of teamwork in a group. A lot of the same rules of the workplace team can be played out on the field or court. For example, if one person fails to pull their weight then the whole team performance will suffer. And conversely if one individual dominates then the performance of others will be adversely affected. Feeling undervalued and second best, their morale and motivation will droop. In both arenas the only way to achieve a victory is with a team working in harmony and on equal terms with one another. As with sport, a team may comprise of the most brilliant individual talents but if they don’t work well together then the team will be worthless. The Mechanics of a Good Team It’s easy to accept that the key lessons of team sport are the same as those in the workplace, but beyond that what can sport teach employees about teams that they can’t pick up in the workplace? For starters, the benefit of taking team relations out onto the field is in providing a more direct and boiled down display of how a team should function. On the field success is made or broken based on the effort – or lack of – of the competing players. If there are any weak links on the field, for example, then the upshot will be swift and decisive. It’s not so clear cut in the workplace where success and failure is not judged in super fast one hours bursts. Lazy individual members can generally drag the team down for a long time before the negative effects become apparent. Therefore by participating in sports, team members learn the effectiveness of ‘pulling together’ in achieving a goal and hopefully apply the same principles to their work. Team Bonding and Communication Team sports not only instil a belief in the power of effective teamwork but also they help improve team bonding and the relationships between team members, so that they can better achieve that goal. Encouraging staff to participate in team sports together on a regular basis is an excellent way to allow team members to get to know one another better and build up stronger and more productive relationships both on the field and in the workplace. Sport promotes a numbers of qualities that are valuable in the office, such as trust, respect, effective communication and good old fashioned comradeship. If team members find success together on the football field or badminton court, for example, then the bond they form with one another will hold strong in the workplace context. Often it doesn’t even matter whether certain people don’t get on in the workplace. On the sports field there is no room for frosty relations – for the sake of the team players must put their differences aside and cooperate. Hopefully success together can help people to put their petty differences aside off the field too.

Cultural Identity

Ticia R. Grant June, 1, 2011 Bridging Course for Women Assignment #2 Course Director: Brenda L. Blondeau The Consequence of Cultural Identity To understand the significant effect that our cultural background has on our identity, we must acknowledge the advantages provided by the sense of unity, of belonging to something bigger, and of collectively sharing a heritage with others. In contrast, someone who feels disconnected with said heritage might feel deprived of that highly sought after sense of belonging, which in turn can lead to a feeling of not knowing who they should e, a lack of identity. It is the causes and effects of this conflict that Apryl Gladue describes in her writing, and she makes the clear argument that the cycle of deprivation of her predecessor’s native culture is likely to keep repeating itself. This, in essence, is cause of the mourning of â€Å"paper† Indians. Gladue coins this term â€Å"paper Indians† which she uses to refer to Native Ame ricans who have learned their culture only through classes, in school and on paper. The term is also meaningful in the sense that according to overnment documentation, she is of Native status; however she was not raised or brought up as such. In addition to outlining the difficulties she has faced in losing her mother and her connection to her heritage, she also speaks of her triumphs despite her crises of identity. To quote Gladue on page 206 she writes â€Å"Unsure of how to make my way in the world, I soon formed my own identity in academics. † I believe this was a defining and transitional time for Gladue, as she no longer identified herself as being either white orNative but rather as a part of the academic community, wherein nationality, creed, gender, social status and even age are often overshadowed by an individual’s intellect and ability. She describes being admitted to the legal bar and pursuing a career as a civil servant as legal counsel to the DIAND, as a way of contributing her own ideas of law and policy concerning Natives in Canada, however she plainly expresses that despite her efforts she never felt like she â€Å"fit in† within her own community. This feeling of etachment, seemingly all stems back to never having been raised by a Native, as a Native, and it is this loss that plainly illustrates the permanency of this damaging cycle. I can definitely relate with the entire notion of feeling disconnected from my own culture, as I was also raised without a parent. I was raised by my mother, who was many ethnicities, but my father, who was born in Quito, Ecuador, left when I was very young. While I did learn some of the Spanish language, I was never brought up within the traditional Latin culture.Instead I was raised here, within western society and denied the opportunity to experience that part of who I am. I am reminded of this everyday by my boyfriend who was born in Spain, and his mother, who we currently reside with. T he differences in cultural behaviours and beliefs are immense, especially with regards to morality and family, in comparison to what I was taught to believe and how I was raised. To many people my features appear Hispanic, and when asked of my background I always answer â€Å"Spanish† because I do see it as part of my identity, but In terms of feeling ike I belong to the Spanish culture, I am sad to say that for me it is a reality that I will never know. The best I can do is listen to the music and learn the language to speak the native tongue of my father, who I never really knew. It is only then that I feel connected to him, to my culture and to that â€Å"something bigger† that we all seem to yearn for, however it is vital that we recognize that there are many other ways to define ourselves. References Apryl Gladeau, A Culture of Loss Canadian Woman Studies (Volume 26 3,4) pg 204- 207, 2008 Cultural Identity Losing Cultural Identity Both the authors Choy and Engkent focussed mainly on the ideas of culture, immigration and assimilation. These two essays showed that acculturation is bi-directional from both the sides and it requires neither a change value, although values may become acculturated nor the internal change. Assimilation is unidirectional, towards the dominant group and it requires change in values and the internal change. Losing cultural Identity : Immigrants always have fear that they will lose their identity when move into new society.In I'm banana and proud of it, Choy expressed his father feeling by saying that â€Å"Father used to say We lacked Taiost rituals, Taoist manners. We were, he said, â€Å"mo li. † Similarly, Engkent showed his father fear of losing cultural values and how he discouraged his wife not to learn English by saying these words † That old women will get rich doing nothing. What have these women learned ? Fan- gwei ways- make-up lipstick, smelly perfumes, fancy clothes.Once she gets through with them, they won't be Chinese about the land and the life they had been forced to leave behind. † Even the author Choy personally felt that he is caught between two cultures. He claimed himself as Banana, which means that he possessed both the Chinese physique outside and Western lifestyle inside. Acculturation of immigrants: The acculturation is process of cultural change between two different cultural groups who come in contact with each other. The media and language are greatly responsible for acculturation.In I'm a banana and proud of it, the author greatly influenced by the host culture through media. The host media like magazines, music and movies are the only choice for them to read, listen and watch. This showed great influence over immigrants soul and culture. On the other hand, there are some people unable to acculturate into new society due to greater affection towards their culture and lack of communication. In, Why My Mother Can't Speak English Engkent mother was unable to acculturate into new society. hat's why she offered. lai-shi to the officer, which means bribe in Canada even after 30 years stay in Canada. Further, she faced difficulty in learning English. The Berry (1990) psychologist defined acculturation is individuals change both by being influenced by contact with another culture and by being participants in the general acculturative changes underway in their own culture†. This means that culture is being influenced by internal force within the individual and external environmental factors.This acculturation leads to assimilation which gives either an harmony or conflict and stress. References Berry, J. W. (1990). Psychology of acculturation: Understanding individuals moving between cultures. In R. Brislin (Ed. ), Applied cross-cultural psychology. Newhury Park: SagePublications John W. Berry (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. Retrieved from ht tp://isites. harvard. edu/fs/docs/icb. topic551691. files/Berry. pdf Cultural Identity Ticia R. Grant June, 1, 2011 Bridging Course for Women Assignment #2 Course Director: Brenda L. Blondeau The Consequence of Cultural Identity To understand the significant effect that our cultural background has on our identity, we must acknowledge the advantages provided by the sense of unity, of belonging to something bigger, and of collectively sharing a heritage with others. In contrast, someone who feels disconnected with said heritage might feel deprived of that highly sought after sense of belonging, which in turn can lead to a feeling of not knowing who they should e, a lack of identity. It is the causes and effects of this conflict that Apryl Gladue describes in her writing, and she makes the clear argument that the cycle of deprivation of her predecessor’s native culture is likely to keep repeating itself. This, in essence, is cause of the mourning of â€Å"paper† Indians. Gladue coins this term â€Å"paper Indians† which she uses to refer to Native Ame ricans who have learned their culture only through classes, in school and on paper. The term is also meaningful in the sense that according to overnment documentation, she is of Native status; however she was not raised or brought up as such. In addition to outlining the difficulties she has faced in losing her mother and her connection to her heritage, she also speaks of her triumphs despite her crises of identity. To quote Gladue on page 206 she writes â€Å"Unsure of how to make my way in the world, I soon formed my own identity in academics. † I believe this was a defining and transitional time for Gladue, as she no longer identified herself as being either white orNative but rather as a part of the academic community, wherein nationality, creed, gender, social status and even age are often overshadowed by an individual’s intellect and ability. She describes being admitted to the legal bar and pursuing a career as a civil servant as legal counsel to the DIAND, as a way of contributing her own ideas of law and policy concerning Natives in Canada, however she plainly expresses that despite her efforts she never felt like she â€Å"fit in† within her own community. This feeling of etachment, seemingly all stems back to never having been raised by a Native, as a Native, and it is this loss that plainly illustrates the permanency of this damaging cycle. I can definitely relate with the entire notion of feeling disconnected from my own culture, as I was also raised without a parent. I was raised by my mother, who was many ethnicities, but my father, who was born in Quito, Ecuador, left when I was very young. While I did learn some of the Spanish language, I was never brought up within the traditional Latin culture.Instead I was raised here, within western society and denied the opportunity to experience that part of who I am. I am reminded of this everyday by my boyfriend who was born in Spain, and his mother, who we currently reside with. T he differences in cultural behaviours and beliefs are immense, especially with regards to morality and family, in comparison to what I was taught to believe and how I was raised. To many people my features appear Hispanic, and when asked of my background I always answer â€Å"Spanish† because I do see it as part of my identity, but In terms of feeling ike I belong to the Spanish culture, I am sad to say that for me it is a reality that I will never know. The best I can do is listen to the music and learn the language to speak the native tongue of my father, who I never really knew. It is only then that I feel connected to him, to my culture and to that â€Å"something bigger† that we all seem to yearn for, however it is vital that we recognize that there are many other ways to define ourselves. References Apryl Gladeau, A Culture of Loss Canadian Woman Studies (Volume 26 3,4) pg 204- 207, 2008

Business Legal Environmen(230) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Legal Environmen(230) - Essay Example As such to the disadvantages will now be discussed. The first of these is with regards to the fact that the sole proprietorship is very unlikely to garner any number of investors. This is due to the fact that investors are ultimately leery of investing in the business venture whose decision-making structure and ownership is all concentric upon single individual. Similarly, a secondary drawback is concentric upon the strength that has already been listed; the fact that all responsibilities and business decisions necessarily fall upon the shoulders of the sole proprietor. As such, sole proprietorship oftentimes places an undue level of stress and anxiety upon a single individual and therefore makes it impossible for him/her to both manage the business and maintain any semblance of a normal life. 2. With regards the advantages of a corporate business entity, the first of these is with regards to the fact that it is much easier for this entity to gather and raise money from investors. Du e to the fact that a pooling of capital and/or property can be rapidly affected within such a means, it is likely that such an entity will be able to garner a relatively higher level of investment as compared to the other entities thus far discussed. Likewise, a secondary advantage of the Corporation is that unlike the sole proprietorship, the individual shareholders are not personally liable for any debts that the corporation might incur during its operation. Conversely, one of the distinct disadvantages of the corporate business entity is with regards the fact that it is liable for a double taxation. The reader can understand this to mean that the profits of the Corporation are taxed as well as the individual shares that the stakeholders earn as a form of dividends/payments/salary. A further disadvantage is with regards to the fact that not all stakeholders will have an equal share with regards to a voice in how appropriation is wrong. As a function of the fact some shareholders w ill have a much stronger voice and level of ownership, their decisions will be taken much more seriously than those with a lower level of ownership or shares. 3. With regards to piercing the corporate veil, this most directly refers to the legal decision and ability to assume that the rights or duties of incorporation are also the rights and duties of its stakeholders. In this way, the reader can understand why a corporation is typically viewed as a separate legal person; completely and entirely responsible for the debts that it incurs as well as the credits that it is owed. Ultimately, the decision to understand the Corporation as a separate person is only pierced when an exceptional situation arises that forces the law to consider the Corporation in a non-personhood manner. More often than not, litigation with regards to piercing the corporate veil is generally concentric upon the level and extent to which wrongful conduct, proximate cause, or unity of interests might have been vi olated within the initial startup or subsequent actions of the Corporation. Similarly, as was briefly discussed above with regards to the disadvantage of entering into a corporate entity, the double taxation standard will be briefly discussed below. Firstly, whereas a sole proprietorship only allows for the individual to be taxed upon their earnings, the Corporation, regardless of its size and the number

Critical analysis of Role of Regional Trade Agreements for the Essay

Critical analysis of Role of Regional Trade Agreements for the Developments of its Member Countries - Essay Example The World Bank also cautions that RTAs improve economic development in one country and negatively impact economic development in another member.3 Therefore RTAs can facilitate uneven development among the member states. This will occur when RTAs divert trade from some member states and divert trade to others.4 This research paper provides a critical analysis of the role that RTAs play in the developments of its member states. A definition of RTA and its historical developments are examined first. The role of RTAs in member state development will be examined in greater detail with specific reference to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and African Regional Trade Agreements and the role that these RTAs play in the development of their respective states. Contents Abstract 2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 I.Definition and Overview of RTAs 5 A.Definition 5 B.Overview of RTAs 7 II.Development of GCC States 14 III.African RTAs 19 Analysis/Conclusion 25 Bibliography 27 Introduction There are ess entially two opposing views relative to the role that RTAs play in its members’ development. ... two decades RTAs have emerged as the â€Å"defining features of the modern economy† and is largely seen as a significant influence relative to globalization.6 By the year end 2005, the World Trade Organization (WTO) had received notification of at least 250 RTAs.7 Since 1995, the WTO has received at least 15 RTA notifications each year as opposed to just 3 RTA notifications annually prior to 1995.8 The proliferation in RTAs therefore suggest that the countries engaging in regionalism have a positive vision of what RTAs can bring them in terms of development. This paper examines the perceived developmental benefits of RTAs and critically evaluates whether these perceptions are realistic. I. Definition and Overview of RTAs In order to effectively analyze the role that RTAs play in the development of its member states, a definition and an overview of the nature and development of RTAs are necessary. It is necessary to understand what RTAs are, how they function and what motivates the formation of RTAs. With this understanding of RTAs, their role in the development of member states can be examined. In other words, development will depend entirely on the developmental objective behind the formation of a RTA. For example if a RTA is formed in order to improve and develop the member states’ economy, the role of the RTA in that regard will have to be examined. If a RTA is formed for the purpose of harmonizing regional economic and security cohesion, the role of that RTA on development by member states will have to be examined. A. Definition In simple terms a RTA is defined as an agreement among â€Å"neighbouring states† in which tariffs and other trade restrictions are reduced or removed.9 RTAs are also defined as: †¦actions by governments to liberalise or facilitate trade

Informing methods overview of theortical perspectives from psychology Coursework

Informing methods overview of theortical perspectives from psychology linguistics - Coursework Example This innate understanding also determines the ages at which various language skills are learned. (c) Interactionist/developmental: Includes both the above and postulates that language learning occurs through a combination of innate ability and interactions with the environment. Lightbrown and Spada (2006) present the views of two theorists, i.e, Piaget on the basis that language learning occurs based upon a symbol system developed in childhood, which is expanded through interaction with the environment and Vygotsky who expressed the view that the internal thought process is determined based upon social interaction. Lightbrown and Spada (2006) also state that language learning in early childhood may occur through sometimes imperfect imitation. As they go to school and the social context widens, they develop metalinguistic awareness and improve vocabulary through additional reading. Under the interactionist/developmental approach, these authors have thus combined two separate approache s, i.e, the behaviourist and the innatist perspectives. 2. Cook’s views are related to the innatist perspective, because it assumes that the complex rules of grammar cannot be learnt purely through imitation or conditioning. The innatist approach appears to be favoured here, because the explanation offered for understanding of complex grammar is that there must be a biologically programmed ability for grammar acquisition already existent within the human brain. The universal understanding of complex grammar could not be innately derived. 3. In second language learning, the attitude of the L1 group to the L2 speakers will play a role in influencing learning. Since language is a form of communication and a medium for the expression of thought, it can only develop within a social context and through active interaction. Thus, Cook’s views show that while the basic structure of language, i.e., its roots – grammar – may develop with the assistance of innate ele ments, effective language learning cannot take place without external interactions. When learners in the L1 group are able to communicate effectively with individuals from the L† (foreign language) group – individuals who are at a similar or slightly higher level, then a positive attitude will reinforce learning. Hence, this only reinforces the association between the interactionist/developmental perspectives, because development in language to advanced stages can only take place through interaction. 4. This section underlines the importance of learner attitude in influencing learning outcomes. For example if learners in group L1, the native language group – feel inferior to the L2 group, whose language they are learning, they may resent the process. It could lead to a culture shock and a concomitant loss of the identity that their native language provides them, which may negatively affect learning outcomes. This would also be the case if the reverse was true, i. e., the L1 group feels superior to the L2 group. A positive outlook is likely to boost learner motivation and the will to overcome linguistic difficulties to learn the new language. Activity 6: Reflections on Theory: 1. As a classroom teacher, the first option of a philosopher proposing a big idea is more appealing, because it is primarily based upon observances of behaviour or psychological

Analyzing Different Sources of Recruitment Assignment

Analyzing Different Sources of Recruitment - Assignment Example Some of the most widely used sources of recruitment include both internal and external sources. The internal sources include internal company database, employee reference s. The external sources of recruitment include internet/ online mediums, Employment agencies, educational institutions, job fairs and ads in print media. This section of the study looks to provide a comparative analysis of all the sources (Bhattacharya, 2009, p. 225). Some of the major advantages of using internal sources are: The overall morale of the employees are quite high, The Company can assess the attitude towards work as well as ability due to prior work actions. The internal recruiting sources are much less costly than the external sources. Internal recruiting can work as a motivating force for good performances by the existing employees. The process of internal recruiting usually aids the succession planning process, future promotions as well as career development. The firm can actually hire people at the entry level and then move those employees up the ladder based on experience and performance. This will help the company to retain employees and save cost. There are some disadvantages of internal recruitment also. The inbreeding of employees may lead to a less diverse workforce. People not getting promotions may experience a low degree of morale; some may actually indulge in a political tug of war. Most of the time developmental progra ms are required to transfer employees into a supervisory role. Managers may resist employees being promoted to other departments. Employment agencies are organizations that bridge the gap between employers and employees. Such agencies provide advantages to employees as well as employers. Employees can have look at offers that are not advertised, reduces the cost and time involved in sending CV to the employers. It provides a lot more choices of companies and industries to the employers.

Medicating Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Medicating Children - Essay Example there is a broad spectrum of behavioral problems in children as they are still undergoing psycho-emotional changes and coming to terms with their true identity. Some behavioral problems that are frequently observed in children include aggression towards animals or others, hostile behavior and anger issues for a period of at least six consecutive months (Rubin, 21). Hence; in some cases the use of medication may be completely unnecessary. There is a wide range of therapies that have been found to be effective in addressing behavioral problems and in some situations behavioral therapy has found to be equally effective with fewer side effects than use of medications. Therefore, parents, students, teachers and medical practitioners should work together towards devising interventions that do not include medication. Since these measures have been found to be equally effective, research should be dedicated towards improving these methods and creating new ones for therapeutic purposes. This paper will discuss the negative attributes of utilizing medications and the benefits that are attained from alternative therapy. The prevalence of behavior problems among children is substantial and under diagnosed as it is often mistaken for normal childhood mischief. However, the implications on the child’s life can be serious if the appropriate measures are not taken to help the child. Furthermore, these implications would also extend to problems within the community as the levels of crime may increase subsequently (Rubin, 21). Children with behavior problems may also become isolated making them prone suicide and depression. Therefore, intervention for these children is inevitable and this should be accompanied with early diagnosis and the appropriate treatment plans. The problem however lies in the side effects that have been discovered from using these drugs. The side effects have been found to supersede the benefits that are attained making their use questionable especially

Vincent van gogh Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Vincent van gogh - Term Paper Example In 1877, Van Gogh arrived to Amsterdam to study theology, but failed the exam; he entered the missionary school in Brussels and became a preacher in Borinazhe, the mining district of Belgium. During this time he began to draw. Van Gogh held the winter of 1880-1881 in Brussels, where he studied anatomy and perspective. Meanwhile, his younger brother, Theo went to the department of â€Å"Goupil† in Paris. Vincent received from him not only a modest content, but also moral support, despite their frequent differences of their opinions. At the end of 1881 after a quarrel with his father, Van Gogh went to the Hague. For a time he studied at prominent landscape painter Anton Mauve. Van Gogh's eccentric behavior which was compounded by shyness, pushed away those who wanted to help him. He lived with a woman named Christina, who was from the lower strata of society, and he often depicted her on his paintings. When she left him, an artist in late 1883 returned to his parents, which live d in Nuenen. In that period (1883-1885) he began to show the originality of his creative manner. The master wrote with dark colors, subjects of his work were monotonous, they felt sympathy for the peasants and compassion for their hard life. The first large painting, created in nyuenensky period – â€Å"Potato Eaters† - depicts the peasants at dinner. Van Gogh went to Antwerp in 1885-1886. He attended classes at the Art Academy. The artist led a meager and half-starved existence. In February 1886, in a state of physical and mental exhaustion, he moved from Antwerp to his brother in Paris. Van Gogh entered the artist and academics Fernand Cormon studio, but more importantly for him was to become acquainted with the painting of the Impressionists. After two years, which he spent in Paris, Van Gogh could not bear the strong emotional stress; in February 1888 he went to Arles. In this Southern French city, he found an abundance of rural scenes which he liked so much. In th e summer of 1888 the artist created some of his most tranquil works. Van Gogh lived in solitude, eating only bread and coffee, and drank a lot. In these circumstances, the visit of Paul Gauguin in October 1888, which Van Gogh was waiting impatiently, has ended tragically. Gauguin’s Aesthetic Philosophy was not acceptable to Van Gogh; their disputes became more intense and fiercer. On 24 of December, Van Gogh, lost the ability to control himself, pounced on Paul Gauguin, and then cut off his ear. In May of 1889 he stayed in a psychiatric hospital in Saint-Remy voluntarily. Over the next year his mind cleared from time to time, and then he threw himself to write, but those periods were followed by depression and lethargy. During this time he wrote the famous landscapes of cypress and olive trees, still lives with flowers and pictures and he copied his favorite artists Millet and Delacroix from reproductions. In May of 1890 Van Gogh felt better, left the shelter and returned to the north, he settled in Auvers-sur-Oise at Dr. Paul Gachet, who was interested in art and psychiatry. In Auvers artist wrote his last works - two portraits of Dr. Gachet, the scenery of wheat fields under the hot disturbing sky, in which he tried to express ‘sadness and extreme loneliness.’ Finally, Vincent Van Gogh died on July 27, 1890. I think that I will not be wrong if we call Starry Night of Van Gogh the most popular canvas. This picture is recognized instantly. Its style is unique. Starry night inspires poets and the books are

Child Rearing in the Us and Colombia Essay Example for Free

Child Rearing in the Us and Colombia Essay Early care-giving is a major factor for a child to feel secure to explore the world around them (Carbonell, Alzate, Bustamente Quiceno , 2002). How different is this early care-giving between two cultures such as the United States and Colombia? This is a look at the differences and similiaries of raising girls, both born in 1988, in Colombia and the United States. Both girls were raised in nuclear families, with one older sibling, close enough in age to be a major part of each girls daily life. One was raised in Colombia, although she moved to the United States at the age of eleven, while the other was raised completely in the United States. Both parents of each girl were interviewed as well as the girl herself. The basic stepping stones, the times that parents love to videotape, the babys first moments all seem to happen relatively similarly in both girls. Self-reported by Paulina, was that she walked around the age of ten months. Similarly, Jane walked at the age of ten months. Both were somewhat delayed in speech, enough so to be taken to doctors. In each case, the parents were told that the child would speak if the family stopped following the non-verbal directions from the child. Paulinas first words were eso, Spanish for that, and Ma. Janes first word was Ah-yah which was meant to be Alex, her brothers name. Paulina stood alone at the age of eight months (personal communication with subject), as did Jane (personal communication with subject). Punishment is something all parents must figure out. Hispanics tend to mollify children and be more lenient (Figueroa-Moseley, Ramey, Keltner Lanzi, 2006). Hispanic parents tend to try to calm their child rather than work towards developmental goals, which tend to be more valued in the United States. Neither girl was punished in the form of grounding, but both were warned with simple looks from their parents, such as glaring and both girls were yelled at as well. Corporal punishment was used for each girl as well. Paulina was smacked, and Jane was occasionally spanked. Jane would be sent to her room or made to sit in a chair as in a Time Out, however Paulina never experienced a Time Out and recollects that such a thing was not common in Colombia. Both girls were raised to speak their mind, and not wait to be spoken to, as long as what was said was respectful. Questions were welcomed by both families, but the girls were expected to know the time and place in which to ask questions. Each girl was also allowed to pick out her own clothes, which has been shown to be good for children, as children see it is important for them to make some of their own decisions, and identify with the choices (Ardila-Rey, Killen, 2001). Paulinas mother tried to teach her what matched, but eventually gave up trying when it, although Colombian mothers tend to worry about the outward appearance of their children (Carbonell et al, 2002). When asked what Jane would choose to wear, Janes mother replied, Anything that didnt match, although she, too, tried to teach her daughter matching. No major restrictions were set upon either girl, except to be respectful. Respect was emphasized in both situations. As respect was emphasized from child to adult, so was it shown from adult to child. Both children were kept informed of what was happening in the family. Children were expected to be a part of dinner conversation and were allowed to participate in the adults lives. Also, both children were given reasoning behind decisions and had things explained? because I said so was used only when the situation would be later explained, and the consequences of an action were described rather than a mere dont do it. Chores were a part of each girls life as well. Both were expected to do what was asked of them to help around the house dusting, vacuuming, clearing the table, etc. Jane was expected to help with dinner, which included getting food from the refrigerator, carrying things to the table, loading the dishwasher, setting the table, and occasionally stirring. Jane was given an allowance of approximately five dollars a week, but this was never in exchange for doing her chores. Paulina, too, was not paid for doing her chores. She states, I was part of the family and therefore I was expected to work in the house without any sort of reward (personal communication, April 10, 2007). Colombia tends to be a collective society that looks to the benefit of the group, rather than the individual (Pilgrim, Reuda-Riedle, 2002), which applies to this situation in that Paulina was expected to help keep the house in order, without ? payment because it was for the greater good of the family, being part of the group is an important aspects of a collective culture. Family relationships and interdependence? a common bond between family members, working together for the benefit of the family? tend to be much more emphasized in Hispanic cultures (Carbonell et al, 2002). A major part of any culture is food and dining, and children are a part of that. Children often lose some of their appetite between ages two and six, and because parents worry, bad food habits are put into place. Sugary foods are offered if a child finishes a meal, and many foods have vitamins and nutrients added. However iron, zinc, and calcium are seen to be deficient because juices and sodas are replacing milk, and cereals and processed foods replace fresh fruits and vegetables (Berger, 2006). It is also hard to maintain good eating habits during this age, because children often need meals to be just right. Children have very determined ideas for what should be eaten, how it should be eaten, and the entire situation surrounding the meal. Often times the food required is not healthy food, but rather sugary or similar to fast-food, like chicken nuggets or French fries. Paulina ate dinner together with her family every night, generally at eight oclock, as is customary in Colombia. Her mother did most of the cooking, and after dinner, either her mom would not clean up, or her mother would, but with the help of her daughters, while her father did other household things. On weekends, most meals were eaten together. Breakfast was generally around ten oclock in the morning and lunch was around three oclock in the afternoon. Very few times, her father would cook, although he cooks more now that they live in the United States. Food was as healthy and fresh as possible. Snacks were fresh fruits, and there were never packaged foods in the house. Jane would eat dinner with her family as well, often around seven oclock in the evening, when her father came home. She would eat breakfast and lunch with her brother until this was no longer possible because of school. Janes mother did most of the cooking, and the children were expected to help. Snacks were often dry cereal like Cheerios, apples, crackers, or cheese. Paulina started learning numbers and how to read and write at the age of four, when she went to preschool. The debate of how children should be taught to read can be broken into two sides; phonetics and whole language (Berger, 2006). Phonetics looks at each sound of each letter, while whole language, encouraged by Piaget, says that concentrating on the goal of fluency and communication is more important than individual words (Berger, 2006). Jane also attended a preschool at the age of four, but it was not as much structured, formal schooling. Both were taken to a part-day day-care or nursery school for the opportunity to socialize with other children. While at nursery school, Paulina was mostly made to play with toys. Jane attended a Co-op nursery school at a Unitarian Universalist church. In a Co-op nursery school parents take turns coming into the school to help supervise stations and participate in the nursery school experience. Stations were set up, such as a Reading Corner, Snacks, and a daily feature, such as tracing bodies on large sheets of paper or crafts. Co-op nursery schools are not typical in the United States, but Janes parents thought it was important to be involved with their children when possible and for their children to have the socialization experience. Both were read to everyday. Jane was read to a two to three times a day, for about fifteen minutes each time, but also had labels, signs, and anything printed read to her during everyday life. Jane was occasionally, but not often spoken to in Baby Talk, while Paulina was never spoken to in Baby Talk, as her parents thought speaking to her regularly would help her learn to understand. Both parents acknowledge that their children were not raised in a way that is typical to their individual cultures, and that is evident looking at the two girls in adolescence and early adulthood. Both girls realize that because their parents were stricter when they were young, that as the girls grew older; their parents didnt need to be as strict. Each girl knew what was expected of her and was therefore given more freedom as she matured. Many times this appeared to friends as though the girl could do what she pleased, although this was not the case. The girls knew the limits of what they could do without being told. Both sets of parents relied more on their trust in their daughter than blatantly telling her what she could or could not do. Obviously, there are some differences and some similarities between raising children in Colombia versus the United States. Developmentally, the children seem to be similar, and most of the parenting is more alike than different. References Ardila-Rey, A. Killen, M. (2001). Middle class Colombian childrens evaluations of personal, moral, and social-conventional interactions in the classroom. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 25 (3), 246-255 Berger, K. (2006). The Developing Person: Through Childhood and Adolescence (7th ed. ). New York: Worth Publishers. Figueroa, C. , Ramey, C. , Keltner, B. , Lanzi, R. (2006). Variations in Latino Parenting Practices and Their Effects on Child Cognitive Developmental Outcomes. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 28, 102-114. Pilgram, C. Rueda-Riedle, A. (2002). The importance of social context in cross-cultural comparisions: First graders in Colombia and the United States. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 163 (3), 283- 296. Posada, G. , Jacobs, A. , Richmond, M. , Carbonell, O. , Alzate, G. , Bustamante, M. , Quiceno, J. (2002). Maternal Caregiving and Infant Security in Two Cultures. Developmental Psychology, 38 (1), 67-78.

Contract Law Case Study

Contract Law Case Study PART I LINUS WISHES TO SUE CHARLIE On what contractual grounds could he sue? Linus could sue Charlie on the grounds of the mailbox rule/postal rule, since a contract was created on June 15, 2009 when Linus wrote back to Charlie accepting the offer, not when it was received. Once the mode of communication is the mail, an acceptance becomes valid when it is dispatched or placed in the control of the US Postal service, not when it is received by the offeror. Will Linus prevail? Yes, Linus will prevail even though the agreement was not communicated to the offeror, it does not prevent the contract from being created. What if any defenses, contractual arguments or counterclaims would Charlie have? Charlies defense for a counterclaim should include the fact that while Linus accepted the offer in a timely fashion, the acceptance did not correspond with the offer, when Linus requested to change the original offer that changed the terms of the agreement and an offer in one set of terms can hardly be accepted by a communication in different terms. Will Charlie prevail? Yes, and to reiterate that an acceptance of a contract means that nothing should be added to the offer, even if it is consistent or similar to the offer. The offeree must accept unequivocally without changing the original offer. CHARLIE WISHES TO SUE THE VET On what contractual grounds could he sue? Charlie could sue on the grounds that while there was an exculpatory clause on the receipt releasing Vet Emporium from liability in connection with the treatment of Snoopy and Woodstock, that did not waive the veterinarians standard of care owed to the patients. This unconscionable clause is voidable for reasons of public policy, because a party may not exempt themselves from liability from a duty imposed on them by a statute for their negligence in the performance of a duty imposed upon them by law. Charlie could recover for intentional infliction of emotional distress for harm to Woodstock. Will he prevail? Yes, the veterinarians conduct was unprofessional, when he endangered the health and welfare of Woodstock due to unreasonable safety. What if any defenses, contractual arguments or counterclaims would the Vet have? The veterinarian may assert that the exculpatory agreement which was part of the receipt waived Charlies right to sue for injuries on the grounds that the extended boarding services provided was not a primary function of the veterinarians practice and when Charlie used these services, he did so voluntarily. Will he prevail? Probably not, while waivers are customarily part of a boarding agreement, they are unenforceable in many jurisdictions. SALLY WISHES TO SUE THE VET On what contractual grounds could she sue? She could sue on the grounds of breach of a unilateral contract. Once an offer has been made such as when Vet Emporium posted the advertisement all over the area of a reward for the return of Woodstock, acceptance of that contract was satisfied when Woodstock was found by Sally. Once Sally performed the condition, the offeror was contractually obliged to pay her. Will she prevail? Possibly, there might be an issue with the way in which she returned Woodstock. She probably should have taken him to Vet Emporium to collect the reward. What if any defenses or contractual arguments would the Vet have? Vet Emporium could argue that Sally was not obligated to the reward since she did not return Woodstock to their office. Will they prevail? Yes, this was condition precedent contract that stipulated that Woodstock had to be returned to Vet Emporium in order to collect the $50.00 reward. THE VET WISHES TO SUE CHARLIE On what contractual grounds could he sue? He could sue for failure of payment for services rendered to Snoopy. Will he prevail? Yes, payment is still due for caring of Snoopy. What if any defenses or contractual arguments would Charlie have? In defense, Charlie could state that because of the veterinarians negligence Snoopy suffered emotional loneliness when Woodstock flew away, he should be awarded damages. Will he prevail? Yes. Compensatory damages can be awarded for the breach of contract. SALLY WISHES TO SUE CHARLIE On what contractual grounds could she sue? Sally could sue Charlie for refusing to pay as agreed, for caring for Woodstock. Will she prevail? Yes, Charlie expressed orally that he would reimburse Sally $100.00 for finding and caring of Woodstock. What if any defenses or contractual arguments would Charlie have? None, Sally expected payment for service and Charlie should have known that payment was expected. Will he prevail? No, Charlie could have picked up Woodstock without offering to reimburse Sally. He committed himself to the payment. LUCY WISHES TO SUE LINUS On what contractual grounds could she sue? Lucy can sue Linus for compensatory damages for the loss of bargain of the work that he was to perform. Will she prevail? Yes, she can sue Linus for breach to recover the additional $325.00 in compensatory damages and for other fees incurred to obtain performance from another source. What if any defenses or contractual arguments would Linus have? Linus could argue that the breach was unintentional and was based upon the reliance of a contract with another party. Will he prevail? No. Regardless of the circumstances, he still breached his contract with Lucy. PART II SCHROEDER V LUCY On what contractual grounds could he sue? Schroeder could sue on the grounds that he was not advised to obtain his own independent counsel to have the document reviewed before signing the prenuptial agreement. He could sue that the agreement was unconscionable when it was executed and, he was not provided a fair and reasonable disclosure of the property or financial obligations of the other party and he did not have, or reasonably could not have had, an adequate knowledge of the property or financial obligations of the other party. Will he prevail? The resulted outcome can go either way, prenuptial agreements are routinely upheld and enforced by courts in virtually all states, even if only one party had an attorney (In re Marriage of Bonds 2000); however, there are circumstances in which courts have refused to enforce certain portions and provisions of such agreements(Estate of Lutz 1997). What if any defenses, contractual arguments or counterclaims would Lucy have? Lucys defense would be that while her actions were not laudatory they did not negate the voluntary nature of the execution. A unilateral promise such as to buy Schroeder a new piano if he will marry must be in writing. Such statements were not included in her prenuptial agreement. Lucy could also argue that it is Schroeders responsibility to delay the signing of an agreement that may not be understood. Will Lucy prevail? Yes, she acted appropriately and retained counsel on her behalf. LUCY V LAWYER On what contractual grounds could she sue? She could sue the attorney for negligent misconduct, malpractice and misrepresentation by concealment of not informing her of his status to practice law. The attorney violated state statues which prohibits the unauthorized practice of law and suspension for failure to pay bar fees. Will she prevail? Yes, many states have statues that suspend attorneys from practicing law for failure to pay their bar fees. Failure to pay the annual license fee will automatically suspend the delinquent lawyer from the practicing law in that state. What if any defenses, contractual arguments or counterclaims would the Lawyer have? None, he violated a state statue, and committed a fraud by practicing law knowing that his license may be suspended for not paying his bar dues. He shouldnt have any defenses available because he engaged in fraudulent misrepresentation that was detrimental to public policy. Will he prevail in his defenses or his counterclaims? No. Technically, all the work that he might have done while not in the possession of a valid license might be voided. PIGPEN V MARCIE On what contractual grounds could he sue? Pigpen could sue Marcie for fraudulent misrepresentation the facts for failing to disclose that they is an insect infestation, when she informed Pigpen that there was no insect problem in her home. Pigpen could also sue for recovery of his earnest money that he gave to Marcie. Will he prevail? Yes. Marcie failed to comply with the full performance of the contract. What if any defenses, contractual arguments or counterclaims could Marcie have? Marcie can argue substantial complete performance by getting rid of the insect infestation. Will she prevail in his defenses or her counterclaims? No. The problem with insect infestation cannot be easily corrected and intentionally failing to comply with the terms is a breach of contract. She intentionally withheld pertinent information from Pigpen about the condition of her home in regards to insects. LUCY V MARCIE On what contractual grounds could she sue? Pigpen could sue Marcie for fraudulent misrepresentation the facts for failing to disclose that they is an insect infestation, when she informed Pigpen that there was no insect problem in her home. Pigpen could also sue for recovery of his earnest money that he gave to Marcie. Will he prevail? Yes. Marcie failed to comply with the full performance of the contract. What if any defenses, contractual arguments or counterclaims could Marcie have? Marcie can argue substantial complete performance by getting rid of the insect infestation. Will she prevail in his defenses or her counterclaims? No. The problem with insect infestation cannot be easily corrected and intentionally failing to comply with the terms is a breach of contract. She intentionally withheld pertinent information from Pigpen about the condition of her home in regards to insects. LUCY V MARCIE On what contractual grounds could she sue? None, Marcie placed a condition upon which the sale would go forward if the sale of her existing home met the conditions outlined. Will she prevail? No. Since Marcie was unable to secure a buyer for her home, the offer to buy Lucys home is voided on the grounds that the condition preceded her absolute duty to buy. What if any defenses, contractual arguments or counterclaims could Marcie have? Marcie could use the defense that she placed the condition precedent in her contract that she would buy Lucys home upon the sale of her own home for $300,000 or more within 30 days. Will she prevail in her defenses or her counterclaims? Yes, if no one pays the price she has established within the period indicated, the agreement to buy Lucys home will fail because the condition precedent was not met. MOMS V SCHROEDER On what contractual grounds could they sue Schroeder? The moms can sue on the grounds of personal performance because they did not consent to the change. The moms can claim that delegation was not effective because the students complained about Peppermint Pattys ability and that materially altered their expectations. On what contractual grounds could they sue Peppermint Patty? They could sue Peppermint Patty for breach of her duty. Special trust was placed on her performance based on the personal skills of Schroeder. Will they prevail? Yes. Contractual duties cannot be delegated. The performance by Peppermint Patty varied materially from what was expected. Also, a delegation of duties does not relieve Schroeder of his obligations under the contract. What if any defenses or contractual arguments would Schroeder have? None, once Peppermint Patty failed to perform then Schroeder is liable to the moms. Will he prevail? No, the assumption of duty by Peppermint Patty varied materially from what was expected. Could he sue Peppermint Patty? Schroeder can sue Peppermint Patty for breach of contract and performance of duty. PEPPERMINT PATTY V SCHROEDER On what contractual grounds could she sue Schroeder? Peppermint Patty could sue Schroeder for payment of services rendered. Regardless of the fact, that the duties were not performed to the satisfaction of the moms, she still completed her obligation. Will she prevail? Possibly, personal satisfaction of the party must be fulfilled in order for a court to rule, unless the expression of dissatisfaction is to avoid payment. What if any defenses or contractual arguments would Schroeder have? Schroeder could argue that Peppermint Patty did not perform to the satisfaction of the moms and therefore performance was not satisfied and the condition was not fulfilled. Will he prevail? Yes, the breach was material since the performance was not at least substantial. Could he sue Peppermint Patty? Yes, he could sue Peppermint Patty for breach of contract of nonperformance of a contractual duty. PART III Once the offer was accepted by Linus from Charlie using the mailbox rule, the contract was valid and became effective upon acceptance. Linus is entitled to the $500 originally offered by Charlie. Vet Emporiums is already bound by contract to perform a certain duty and should not be compensated for their negligence of duty, but should remedy Charlie for the loss and harm they caused Woodstock. It would not be prudent for Vet Emporium to compensate Sally for the return of Woodstock because the advertisement posted contained conditional precedent for the return to their office. Sally is entitled to the payment of $100 from Charlie since he orally expressed his intentions to reimburse Sally for finding and caring of Woodstock. Lucy should recover an additional $325.00 in compensatory damages and for other fees incurred to obtain performance from another source. Schroeder signed the prenuptial agreement voluntarily and the promises made by Lucy were not stipulated in the agreement so ther e are no grounds for compensation. Lucy should pay the attorney because of his negligence, malpractice and misrepresentation to practice law. Lucys attorney should be suspended for failure to pay his bar dues and the courts in the state where he practices should review all his cases. Pigpen should received compensation of his earnest money funds from Marcie and the contract should be voided for breach by Marcie. Lucys contract with Marcie is void because of the conditional precedent that Marcie placed upon the offer. Without the sale of her home, there is no valid contract with Lucy. The moms had a right from Schroeder to perform his contractual duty and should be compensated nominally for damages suffered. Peppermint Patty performed her obligations under this contract and Schroeder should pay for those services rendered, regardless of the satisfaction of the customers. That satisfaction is the responsibility of Schroder since he was the obligor. References: Clarkson, Miller, Jentz, and Frank B Cross (2009). Business Law, Text and Cases, 11th Ed., South-Western Lexis-Nexis Legal Research

Packet-Hiding Method for Preventing Selective Jamming Attack

Packet-Hiding Method for Preventing Selective Jamming Attack Abstract The open nature of the wireless medium leaves it vulnerable to intentional interference attacks, typically referred to as jamming. This intentional interference with wireless transmissions can be used as a launchpad for mounting Denial-of-Service attacks on wireless networks. Typically, jamming has been addressed under an external threat model. However, adversaries with internal knowledge of protocol specifications and network secrets can launch low-effort jamming attacks that are difficult to detect and counter. In this work, we address the problem of selective jamming attacks in wireless networks. In these attacks, the adversary is active only for a short period of time, selectively targeting messages of high importance. We illustrate the advantages of selective jamming in terms of network performance degradation and adversary effort by presenting two case studies; a selective attack on TCP and one on routing.We show that selective jamming attacks can be launched by performing real -time packet classification at the physical layer. To mitigate these attacks, we develop three schemes that prevent real-time packet classification by combining cryptographic primitives with physical-layer attributes. We analyze the security of our methods and evaluate their computational and communication overhead. Algorithm 1. Symmetric encryption algorithm 2. Brute force attacks against block encryption algorithms Algorithm Description We propose a solution based on All-Or- Nothing Transformations (AONT) that introduces a modest communication and computation overhead. Such transformations were originally proposed by Rivest to slow down brute force attacks against block encryption algorithms . An AONT serves as a publicly known and completely invertible pre-processing step to a plaintext before it is passed to an ordinary block encryption algorithm. Architecture Existing System Jamming attacks are much harder to counter and more security problems. They have been shown to actualize severe Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks against wireless networks. In the simplest form of jamming, the adversary interferes with the reception of messages by transmitting a continuous jamming signal , or several short jamming pulses jamming attacks have been considered under an external threat model, in which the jammer is not part of the network. Under this model, jamming strategies include the continuous or random transmission of highpower interference signals Proposed System In this paper, we address the problem of jamming under an internal threat model. We consider a sophisticated adversary who is aware of network secrets and the implementation details of network protocols at any layer in the network stack. The adversary exploits his internal knowledge for launching selective jamming attacks in which specific messages of high importance are targeted. For example, a jammer can target route-request/route-reply messages at the routing layer to prevent route discovery, or target TCP acknowledgments in a TCP session to severely degrade the throughput of an end-to-end flow To launch selective jamming attacks, the adversary must be capable of implementing a classify-then-jam strategy before the completion of a wireless transmission. Such strategy can be actualized either by classifying transmitted packets using protocol semantics, or by decoding packets on the fly. In the latter method, the jammer may decode the first few bits of a packet for recovering useful packet identifiers such as packet type, source and destination address. After classification, the adversary must induce a sufficient number of bit errors so that the packet cannot be recovered at the receiver [34]. Selective jamming requires an intimate knowledge of the physical (PHY) layer, as well as of the specifics of upper layers Modules:- 1. Network module 2. Real Time Packet Classification 3. Selective Jamming Module 4. Strong Hiding Commitment Scheme (SHCS) 5. Cryptographic Puzzle Hiding Scheme (CPHS) Module Descriptions Network module- We address the problem of preventing the jamming node from classifying m in real time, thus mitigating Js ability to perform selective jamming. The network consists of a collection of nodes connected via wireless links. Nodes may communicate directly if they are within communication range, or indirectly via multiple hops. Nodes communicate both in unicast mode and broadcast mode. Communications can be either unencrypted or encrypted. For encrypted broadcast communications, symmetric keys are shared among all intended receivers. These keys are established using preshared pairwise keys or asymmetric cryptography. Real Time Packet Classification Consider the generic communication system depicted in Fig. At the PHY layer, a packet m is encoded, interleaved, and modulated before it is transmitted over the wireless channel. At the receiver, the signal is demodulated, deinterleaved, and decoded, to recover the original packet m. Moreover, even if the encryption key of a hiding scheme were to remain secret, the static portions of a transmitted packet could potentially lead to packet classification. This is because for computationally-efficient encryption methods such as block encryption, the encryption of a prefix plaintext with the same key yields a static ciphertext prefix. Hence, an adversary who is aware of the underlying protocol specifics (structure of the frame) can use the static ciphertext portions of a transmitted packet to classify it. 3. Selective Jamming Module We illustrate the impact of selective jamming attacks on the network performance. implement selective jamming attacks in two multi-hop wireless network scenarios. In the first scenario, the attacker targeted a TCP connection established over a multi-hop wireless route. In the second scenario, the jammer targeted network-layer control messages transmitted during the route establishment process selective jamming would be the encryption of transmitted packets (including headers) with a static key. However, for broadcast communications, this static decryption key must be known to all intended receivers and hence, is susceptible to compromise. An adversary in possession of the decryption key can start decrypting as early as the reception of the first ciphertext block. 4. Strong Hiding Commitment Scheme (SHCS) We propose a strong hiding commitment scheme (SHCS), which is based on symmetric cryptography. Our main motivation is to satisfy the strong hiding property while keeping the computation and communication overhead to a minimum. The computation overhead of SHCS is one symmetric encryption at the sender and one symmetric decryption at the receiver. Because the header information is permuted as a trailer and encrypted, all receivers in the vicinity of a sender must receive the entire packet and decrypt it, before the packet type and destination can be determined. However, in wireless protocols such as 802.11, the complete packet is received at the MAC layer before it is decided if the packet must be discarded or be further processed . If some parts of the MAC header are deemed not to be useful information to the jammer, they can remain unencrypted in the header of the packet, thus avoiding the decryption operation at the receiver. 5. Cryptographic Puzzle Hiding Scheme (CPHS) we present a packet hiding scheme based on cryptographic puzzles. The main idea behind such puzzles is to force the recipient of a puzzle execute a pre-defined set of computations before he is able to extract a secret of interest. The time required for obtaining the solution of a puzzle depends on its hardness and the computational ability of the solver. The advantage of the puzzlebased scheme is that its security does not rely on the PHY layer parameters. However, it has higher computation and communication overhead We consider several puzzle schemes as the basis for CPHS. For each scheme, we analyze the implementation details which impact security and performance. Cryptographic puzzles are primitives originally suggested by Merkle as a method for establishing a secret over an insecure channel. They find a wide range of applications from preventing DoS attacks to providing broadcast authentication and key escrow schemes System Requirements: Hardware Requirements: System: Pentium IV 2.4 GHz. Hard Disk: 40 GB. Floppy Drive: 1.44 Mb. Monitor: 15 VGA Colour. Mouse: Logitech. Ram: 256 Mb. Software Requirements: Operating system :- Windows XP Professional Front End :- JAVA, Swing(JFC),RMI Tool :Eclipse 3.3

Congress Tests Bush :: essays research papers

Los Angeles Times, November 6, 2001, â€Å"Congress Testing Bush’s Resolve†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How do we know if our president is doing his best to serve the people instead of acting on his own will? We entrust the president to make the right decisions and to do what is best for us. This is why we vote for who we think is the better president and hope he will serve us when we need him. After the recent attacks on September 11, 2001, a lot of stress has been put on the president because our nation is keeping a close watch on his actions. At times of war, he is our backbone and the support we need. Congress has been putting the president on the spot about spending money for drop-in supplies to Afghanistan, which will affect the entire United States by causing us to spend more money and at the same time, hurting our economy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Recently, President Bush has been working since September 11 to find a solution to cut the spending of Congress, but at the same time, provide military assistance to Afghanistan. Bush believes that he may have opened up doors to profligate government spending and thinks he is too late to close them. On Wednesday morning, several presidential advisers met and decided that it was necessary to pursue and improve the stimulus package, the supplies being parachuted for the citizens of Afghanistan. Bush was against this idea and publicly asked for support from congressional leaders to limit the spending of the package. He was asked if he would veto the excessive spending, but Bush would not say. His credibility is on the line and the public will be watching him to see if he will stand by his words. While Bush has been gaining support from the people of America, Congress has been spending more money. Funds from the Social Security surplus have even been used for the war. Tax cuts to redistribute incomes have been added to the $40 billion already spent. Some people though, believe that the stimulus package should be scrapped. Lawrence Lindsey comments, â€Å"To kill them now, threatened a stock market collapse and a deeper recession.† All these events have been directed toward us because our nation will soon be in debt and we will have to cut down on spending to keep our economy up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Congress has been testing the president’s limits on how much he plans to spend for the packages being dropped in Afghanistan.

The Internet and Rapidly Developing Technology :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Internet and Rapidly Developing Technology The recent revolution of internet and dot-com boom has brought more people familiar to computers and the Internet. It seems like that we can hardly find our way through everyday life with out using or having an internet connected computer next to us. The way we think, live, and communicate was changed once for all with the invention of networked communication of computers. Computers are no longer a piece of machine that sits on top of our desk for us to admire the marvelous technology brought by the geeks and freaks of 80's, but for us to constantly use and put in to work. And in a way, environment which we live in, the society, schools, jobs, forces us to make friends with that technology. Just like when you don't have a telephone you will have hard time communicate with meeting with your friends, absence of instant messaging programs, or ability to use one, will place you out of the circle of events happening with the friends, or don't let you do the work as fast or as good as the one who uses the technology. This is one of the reasons why increasing number of people choose to have computers and internet as a prime communication tool not only between friends and for socialization, but for everyday life. People are increasingly finding new ways of getting things done not by the waiting at the other end of the phone line, but clicking the way through a certain web pages, or typing their message on emails and messenger program. On-line part of the business of almost all industries, not only limited to the dot-com companies but other 'traditional' businesses as well, has been increasingly finding it self positioning more valuable and growing in potential. We are all too familiar with the online shopping sites and class websites that we use almost everyday in a very handy way of getting things done. But where did this all came from? Just when did we start using the internet the way we use it today? Clearly, these sorts of questions can be answered in simple, concise way. The internet was born in 1969 as a segment of research project of Department of Defense. Back then, the internet was known as ARPANET, a forerunner of the internet. Since the birth of the internet up to 1980's, Internet was used mostly by Universities and experts who knew their way around its complex systems and workings. The Internet and Rapidly Developing Technology :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers The Internet and Rapidly Developing Technology The recent revolution of internet and dot-com boom has brought more people familiar to computers and the Internet. It seems like that we can hardly find our way through everyday life with out using or having an internet connected computer next to us. The way we think, live, and communicate was changed once for all with the invention of networked communication of computers. Computers are no longer a piece of machine that sits on top of our desk for us to admire the marvelous technology brought by the geeks and freaks of 80's, but for us to constantly use and put in to work. And in a way, environment which we live in, the society, schools, jobs, forces us to make friends with that technology. Just like when you don't have a telephone you will have hard time communicate with meeting with your friends, absence of instant messaging programs, or ability to use one, will place you out of the circle of events happening with the friends, or don't let you do the work as fast or as good as the one who uses the technology. This is one of the reasons why increasing number of people choose to have computers and internet as a prime communication tool not only between friends and for socialization, but for everyday life. People are increasingly finding new ways of getting things done not by the waiting at the other end of the phone line, but clicking the way through a certain web pages, or typing their message on emails and messenger program. On-line part of the business of almost all industries, not only limited to the dot-com companies but other 'traditional' businesses as well, has been increasingly finding it self positioning more valuable and growing in potential. We are all too familiar with the online shopping sites and class websites that we use almost everyday in a very handy way of getting things done. But where did this all came from? Just when did we start using the internet the way we use it today? Clearly, these sorts of questions can be answered in simple, concise way. The internet was born in 1969 as a segment of research project of Department of Defense. Back then, the internet was known as ARPANET, a forerunner of the internet. Since the birth of the internet up to 1980's, Internet was used mostly by Universities and experts who knew their way around its complex systems and workings.

What Do You Think Are The Most Important Qualities

What do you think makes you a good call center agent? Am a responsible and positive person, I am totally dedicated to my job. And I believe will get along well with colleagues, learn from each of them and become an asset to the company. What I can bring into this position is my 10 years of customer service experience, the passion to help others in a timely manner. Plus the ability to communicate and build customer relationships.I see more challenges ahead of me and that's something thrive on. I'm a quick learner and take pride in all my work. Why should we hire you? ;You should hire me because although may not have experience, I am very much willing to learn the gropes and be trained. Believe that have the exquisite competence and qualities that perfectly fit this position. I want to be part of this company and believe that would be a valuable asset to it.Tell me about yourself ;It's my pleasure to introduce myself to you; basically I'm Aziza Del Rosaries. I graduated from Holy Angel University with a bachelor degree in business administration major in accounting. Am an industrious person, open to criticism, hardworking. I can easily get along with others. I'm loyal, sincere, energetic and approachable person am a fast learner and responsible person willing to learn and focus on what am applying for. Why do you want to work in a call center?

Evolution as Fact and Theory Essay

A ‘theory’ according to American vernacular is understood as an uncertain approach to the world’s mysteries. It is seen as an idea that is not yet actually confirmed but if proven to be true, can shed light on the reasons behind certain phenomena. This vague notion of the meaning of theories is utilized by Creationists to diminish the impact of the Evolution, (Gould, 1981) dismissing it as a ‘mere’ theory. Scientifically however, a theory is an explanation or model based on careful observation, rigid experimentation, analytical interpretation and sound reasoning, especially something that has undergone testing and has been confirmed as a general principle that helps in clarifying and predicting natural occurrences. A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the physical world; a well structured system of accepted knowledge that could be applied in many circumstances to explain or clarify a set of phenomena, theories can incorporate factual data, tested hypotheses and established laws. 2) What does Gould mean when he says evolution is a â€Å"fact†? A ‘fact,’ as Gould discussed, is something so significantly probable that it is ridiculous not to recognize its importance. Gould says that evolution is a fact as it is body of knowledge consisting of the world’s data; the ‘theory’ of evolution is a structure of thoughts and ideas that could explain facts. Gould has expressed the general view of the scientific community, that evolution is a fact but the mechanism by which evolution has occurred consists of theories. The scientific community endeavors not to prove the truth of evolution, rather the goal is to explain how it has occurred. He goes on to argue that the occurrence of Evolution is not dependent upon humankind’s ability to come up with a sufficient theoretical explanation to support it. Humans have evolved whether or not Darwin’s theory of natural selection is an accurate theoretical justification for the phenomena. Evolution has occurred and is still occurring. 3) In what way is scientific creationism not scientific? Science is committed to proof and evidence. Creationism is blatantly committed to doctrine. Since creationism is primarily a subject of Biblical faith and religious conviction, verification from the natural world is no more than secondary in its significance. Gould (1981) observes that ‘scientific creationists’ claim to be scientific because they follow the Popperian model in attempting to obliterate the rationality of the evolutionary theory. Yet Popper’s argument has to be applied in two directions. An idea does not automatically become scientific by the mere act of attempting to falsify an adversary, an alternative system which satisfies Popper’s criterion must also be presented, and it must be falsifiable as well. ‘Scientific creationism’ is self-contradictory in its phrasing because it is incapable of being falsified, there are interpretations and experiments that can refute any evolutionary supposition, but no possible data could make a creationist discard solid beliefs in dogma (Gould, 1981). 4) What are the three arguments for the fact of evolution? First is the presence of unswerving proofs that substantiate evolution in field observations and laboratory experiments. One example is the recent discovery in 2004, a fish with transitional features was seen in Canada; the said fish had four finlike legs that permitted the creature to drag itself all the way through shallow water onto land. Scientists around the world see this as evidence that support evolution and an important discovery in identifying the transition from ocean creatures to land animals (NAS, 2008). Another example is the well-known specie of British moths that changed color and become black when the trees which the moths inhabited were darkened with industrial soot. Moths gain safety from predators, usually visually superior birds, by blending and disappearing into the backdrop. It must be noted that major evolutionary changes require a great deal of time that is not compatible with the usage of direct observation in the scale of documented human history (Gould, 1981). Second, the imperfection in nature exposes evolution; evolution is seen in the obvious flaws which record an account of descent. As Gould (1981) discusses, an engineer, designing from the beginning could plan more superior limbs suited for every living thing. All native hefty mammals from Australia are marsupials because they descended from an ancestor isolated in the isle continent. These marsupials are not really more suited for the environment of Australia; many have actually been pushed out by other (placental) mammals introduced by man from different places and continents. This standard of deficiencies and imperfections extend to every historical science. And finally the undeniable evidence of the transitions found in fossil records, there is a continuous temporal succession of increasingly more modern human features: increased cranial capacity, reduced teeth, large body mass (Gould, 1981). 5) How has Gould and Eldredge’s theory of punctuated equilibrium been used against them by the scientific creationists? Gould and Eldredge’s punctuated equilibrium theory proposes that the majority of evolution is marked by lengthy periods of evolutionary constancy, which is then interspersed by infrequent occasions of branching progression This theory was contrasted alongside phyletic gradualism, which is the popular notion that evolution is marked with a pattern of even and constant change in the fossil record. Gould (1996) has favored the particular argument that evolution does not have an inherent drive towards long-standing progress. Many interpretations often refer to evolution as a hierarchy of development, leading to better, quicker, and smarter life forms; the assumption is that evolution is in some way driving organisms to be more complex and intricate, and ultimately more akin to humankind. Evolution’s progress is not for complexity, but for diversification. Because life is inhibited to start with a simple preliminary point, any diversity ensuing from this side may be seen as a shift to the path of higher complexity. But life forms, can adapt towards simplification with no difficulty, an example is the case of parasites (Gould, 1996). This theory has been used by creationists as a citation to support their argument that the scientific community has actually admitted that fossil records does not incorporate transitional forms to support the theory of Evolution. Gould (1981) has clarified and reiterated that transitional forms can generally be found lacking in the level of species, but can be found abundantly among larger groups. Also, the famous creationist Luther Sunderland discusses the punctuated equilibrium theory and tells his readers that it is basically a tacit admission that Creationists are accurate in their assumption that no fossil verification can be found supporting the hypothesis that every life form descends from a common forebear (cited in Gould, 1981). The distortions and oversimplifications of Gould and Eldredge’s theory have been used as a caricature of the beliefs of Richard Goldschmidt, an early yet inaccurate geneticist. References: Gould, S. J. (1981). â€Å"Evolution as Fact and Theory,† Discover 2, May 1981: 34-37; Reprinted with permission from Hen’s Teeth and Horse’s Toes, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1994, pp. 253-262. Gould, S. J. (1996). Full House: The Spread of Excellence From Plato to Darwin. New York: Harmony Books. NAS: National Academy of Sciences. (2008). Science Evolution and Creationism. National Academies Press

Christian and Secular Counseling with a Bible Word Study Basis Essay

Abstract In order to arrive at a clearer view of Christian counseling, this paper examines the similarities and differences between secular and Christian counseling. It begins with a biblical word study to establish a basis for Christian counseling. The words counsel, comfort, and wisdom are examined in both the Old and New Testament. The Biblical view of counseling is compared and contrasted with the secular view. Relevant ethical considerations are examined, specifically related to the _Bruff v. North Mississippi Health Services, Inc.,_ 2001 case. The paper concludes with a discussion regarding future endeavors in professional counseling including how to integrate the best Christian and secular practices. Christian counseling has been difficult to define because there are two distinct kinds of counseling: spiritual counseling and mental health counseling (Bufford, 1997). Thus, there are many approaches for the practice of Christian counseling that range from the integrationist to the nouthetic position, which has made identifying distinctive features of Christian counseling a complex task. Counselors of the nouthetic approach claim that  truth can only be found in the Bible, all counseling models must be exclusively from the Bible, and any integration of psychological theories must be rejected. The integrationists state that God reveals his truth universally. Hence, they accept and utilize both the techniques and the theories of psychology with Scriptural truth to help their clients heal (Carter, 1999). Realizing the need for both spiritual counseling and mental health counseling, Bufford (1997) defined seven distinctives of Christian counseling. Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) propo sed ideas for Christian counseling that they describe as a paracentric focus that seems to more accurately convey the essence of Christian counseling. In view of all this effort to define Christian counseling, there is still much diversity of practice among Christian counselors. In an effort to understand the biblical views of counseling, and create a more distinctive picture of what is and is not biblical counseling, a word study on a variety of counsel terms is presented in this paper. Next, the conclusions from the word study are compared to the professional views of counseling including an examination of relevant ethical considerations. This paper will conclude with a discussion regarding future endeavors in professional counseling. Biblical Words Related to Counseling In this section, a word study was conducted to understand the biblical views of counseling. The words counsel, wisdom, and comfort were researched by first using the _Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible_ (Strong, 1996). The range of situations in which these concepts were used in the Old and New Testaments were researched using Richards’ (1985) _Expository Dictionary of Bible Words,_ Vine’s (1940) _Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,_ and the _Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology_ (Elwell, 1996). Several Bible commentaries were used to illustrate how these concepts were used in the Old and the New Testaments. _Counsel_ The Hebrew words that best communicate â€Å"to counsel† or â€Å"to advise† are ya`ats  and its derivative `etsah. Both words mean advice, counsel, purpose or plan. In the Old Testament, these words are used to describe both the counsel of God and the counsel of man. Ya`ats is used 80 times in the King James Version (KJV) of the Old Testament and `etsah is used 88 times to convey the concept of counsel or advice (Blue Letter Bible (BLB), 1996-2008). When ya`ats and `etsah are used as human counsel, it is usually in the context of counsel being given to kings (1 Chronicles 13:1; 2 Chronicles 25:17). Proverbs suggests that one should seek the counsel of many (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22) because human beings and their counsel are both fallible. However, God’s counsel is infallible, firm, and purposed (Psalms 33:10-11) which is conveyed as such in the Old Testament when ya`ats and `etsah are used. (Richards, 1985). In the New Testament, boule comes from the root word boulomai which means â€Å"to will.† Bouleuo is used 8 times in the New Testament and can mean â€Å"to take counsel, to resolve† (Vine, 1940). The root word boule translates â€Å"to will† or â€Å"to purpose† when God is the context. Its derivative, bouleuo, means â€Å"to take counsel, to resolve† and together with boule is used 20 times in the New Testament. Like the Old Testament, boule is used both to express the counsel of God (Luke 7:30; Acts 2:23) and the counsel of man (Ephesians 1:11; Hebrews 6:17). The compound symbouleuo refers to counsel taken together (John 11:53). One other word used in the New Testament that communicates â€Å"to counsel† is gnome. Whereas boule is counsel as a result of determination, gnome is used as judgment, opinion, or counsel as a result of knowledge (2 Corinthians 8:10). Gnome is used 9 times and symbouleuo is used 5 times (Vine, 1940). _Old Testament usage_. Both God’s counsel and human counsel are reflected through the use of ya`ats and `etsah in the Old Testament. The incidents of Absalom in Samuel 17:11-21 and Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12:1-15 illustrate how ya`ats is used for human counsel and suggests some plan of action to deal with a specific situation. Ultimately, both Rehoboam and Absalom choose a course of action, but there is no certainty in human plans. However, perfect counsel is found in God’s plans (Richards, 1985). Psalms 33:10-11 declares, â€Å"The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the  peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations† (NIV). God’s counsel is inerrant, sufficient, and unchangeable and is at the center of Christian counseling. _New Testament usage._ The New Testament depicts the different ways in which human counsel is given. Symbouleuo is often used when advice is given by one person to another and is usually in reference to plots against Jesus or the early church (Matthew 26:4; Acts 9:23). Gnome is used in an example of sound advice based on maturity and knowledge given by Paul to the Corinth church (2 Corinthians 8:10) and boule is used in the sound advice given by the highly esteemed teacher of the Pharisees, Gamaliel (Acts 5:33-39). Although Gamaliel gave good advice, it was not tested by the standard of God’s word. Nonetheless, God used Gamaliel’s advice to give a needed respite to the young church (Guzik, 2001, Acts 5, D.2). The inconsistent advice given by man contrasts the immutable counsel of God. His truth is the primary source by which Christian counselors test all counseling methods, techniques, and principles in order to offer sound counsel to their clients. _Comfort_ Naham is the Hebrew word most often translated â€Å"to give comfort† in the Old Testament. It is used 108 times in the Old Testament. Many times naham means â€Å"to console† (Psalms 71:21; Isaiah 49:13). Its derivative, tanchuwm, means consolation (Job 15:11; 21:2) and is translated 5 times. Other meanings used in the Old Testament are support, relief, cheer up, and exhort. The last 26 chapters of Isaiah express God’s comfort (Isaiah 40:1) and the future promise of the Redeemer (Baker, 1996). In the New Testament, the words parakaleo (verb) and paraklesis (noun) come from kaleo which means â€Å"to call,† and para meaning, â€Å"alongside of.† Parakaleo means â€Å"to call to one’s side or to summon to one’s aid, but this word and its various forms can mean many other things. This word group can be translated as invite, call, exhort, beseech, encourage, summon, instruct, comfort, and console. Parakaleo is found 109 times in the New Testament. Nine of the NIV’s 17 translations of this word group meaning â€Å"comfort† are  found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. In these passages, Paul addresses God’s comfort during times of trouble. _Old Testament usage_. Jerusalem is discouraged over the announcement about the coming Babylonian conquest and future exile. In Isaiah 40:1-2, God tells Isaiah to â€Å"comfort, comfort my people† (NIV) and speak tenderly as you comfort. The people of Jerusalem were broken-hearted and needed comfort. God offered that comfort through Isaiah by instructing him to speak comfort, literally â€Å"speak to the heart† (Guzik, 2006, Isaiah 40, A.1.c.i). The goal of the therapeutic process is to restore the broken-hearted person to a whole life. Clients must believe that healing is possible, but counselors must first comfort their anxious souls (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002). The process of change begins with the Christian counselor speaking tenderly to his or her clients’ hearts and reassuring them of God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. Healing begins when a sense of comfort and encouragement grows from knowing that God knows everything, is in control of everything, is perfectly good, and is _on my side_ (Johnson, 2003). _New Testament usage._ Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) proposed a Paracentric focus that describes the Christian counselor as single-mindedly focused on Christ and the client. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Paul models this idea. Paul’s life is not on focused on himself, but on the Lord and on others. Paul opens his letter to the church in Corinth praising God for his mercy and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). Paul uses the Greek word paraklesis that expresses a comfort that strengthens, encourages, and helps one deal with distressful times. In verse four, Paul explains that God â€Å"comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God† (NIV). Paul is thankful that he can experience God’s comfort during times of trouble and use that experience to help and comfort those in similar circumstances (Guzik, 2001, 2 Corinthians, A.2.a.i). In the same way, the Christian counselor, yielded to the Holy Spirit, can meet the client at his or her point of need, and begin to create a strong working alliance (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002). The broken-hearted can be comforted, the weak can be supported, the discouraged can be encouraged, and the misdirected can be guided (1 Thessalonians 5:14). _Wisdom_ The basic word group expressing the idea of wisdom includes chakam and its derivatives chokmah and chokmowth. Together they occur over 150 times in the Old Testament. This word group can mean to be skillful, to instruct, or to be prudent. Biyn and sekel are also closely related and usually means understanding or discernment. Biyn is used 170 times and sekel is used 16 times in the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, wisdom is expressed in godly living that is most represented in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 2:6, 9-10, 12). Wisdom can fit into two categories. Practical wisdom, which is usually found in Proverbs, deals with the issues of an individual’s life, such as family relations (Proverbs 22:6) and personal industry (Proverbs 8:15). Reflective wisdom focuses on theological issues, such as the suffering of the innocent Job and the meaning of life in Ecclesiastes (Elwell, 1996). The Greek word sophia is the word that expresses wisdom in the New Testament. Sophia is translated 51 times, and focuses on the same practice of godly living as described in the Old Testament. The exception is in 1 Corinthians 1-3 where Paul compares the wisdom of men to the â€Å"hidden wisdom of God† or God’s plan of salvation. Other words used are sunesis which means knowledge or understanding (Mark 12:33) and phronesis which can mean wisdom or prudence (Luke 1:17; Ephesians 1:8). Sunesis is used seven times and phronesis is used twice in the New Testament (BLB). _Old Testament Usage._ In Ecclesiastes, Solomon demonstrates how wisdom must be used when teaching or counseling those who are suffering. In Ecclesiastes 12:8-14, Solomon focused on the immediate needs of the people (vs. 8). He â€Å"sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth† (Ecclesiastes 12:9-10; KJV). Solomon understood that divine wisdom would be required to respond to the needs of the people (1 Kings 3:5-14). He also knew that he must offer truth found in Scriptures to direct them towards wellness (Ecclesiastes 12:10) for â€Å"what good will acceptable words do us if they be not upright and words of truth?†Ã‚  (Henry, 1996). Solomon pondered, sought, and used God’s Word to meet the immediate needs of the individual. This is the essence of Christian counseling. _New Testament usage._ James reflects Old Testament sentiments in his advice to appeal to God when one lacks wisdom (James 1:5-7). James is not just talking about knowledge, but about the ability to discern right from wrong. Later, James contrasts personal character that comes from divine wisdom and traits that are destructive and not of God (James 3:13-18). Wisdom that comes from God is â€Å"peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere† (James 3:17). These traits should define competent Christian counselors. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament emphasize the importance to appeal to God for his divine wisdom. Comparison of Biblical Views with Professional Views This section begins by identifying similarities in function and approach between Christian and secular counseling. Differences are defined by examining three different areas: Philosophy of life, counseling goals, and source of truth. In the final section, conclusions are drawn regarding the implications to future counseling endeavors based on the conclusions from the word study, comparisons to professional counseling, and relevant ethical considerations. _Similarities between Biblical and Professional Views of Counseling_ _Code of Ethics._ Christian counseling and secular counseling have much in common, more so in the process than in the content. One area of commonality is illustrated in the American Counseling Association’s (2005) _ACA Code of Ethics_ and the American Association of Christian Counselors’ (2004) _AACC Code of Ethics._ Both ethics codes address basic moral principles – nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity – that form the framework for ethical behavior and decision making for the professional counselor (Meara, Schmidt, & Day, 1996). Both ethics codes begin by addressing the primary responsibility of the counselor to _do no harm_ to those they serve (ACA,  2005, A.4.a; AACC, 2004, 1-102). Both ethics codes also address the counselor’s responsibility to â€Å"respect the dignity and to promote the welfare of clients† (ACA, 2005, A.1.a). Providing verbal and written informed consent, ensuring that â€Å"the client reasonably understand s the nature and process of counseling† (AACC, 2004, 1-310), as well as respecting client diversity (ACA, 2005, C.5; AACC, 2004, 1-101) are included in both ethics codes to protect the welfare of the client. _Common elements._ Christian counseling and secular counseling also share many common elements in their approach. First, both counseling systems are goal-oriented. Although goals such as spiritual maturity and discipleship are clearly distinctive to Christian counseling, many of the immediate goals, such as alleviation of depression, reduction of anxiety, and control over substance abuse are common goals in both secular and Christian counseling. Second, Christian and secular counselors use many of the same strategies, techniques, and methods to offer hope to the counselee, build a strong therapeutic relationship, develop competencies in social living, provide support, and change destructive cognitive or behavioral patterns (Bufford, 1997). Lastly, effective counselors in both Christian and secular counseling are characterized by warmth, sensitivity, understanding, genuine concern, trustworthiness, and competence (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002). _Differences between Biblical and Professional Views of Counseling_ _Philosophies of life (View of man)._ Everyone has a philosophy of life, a way in which one views the world. Generally, secular counseling views are man-centered (anthropocentric) and biblical counseling views are God-centered (theocentric). The worldview of a counselor determines how he or she thinks about human nature, evaluates and assesses the client, and decides on treatment strategies (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002). In secular counseling, the reason for man’s existence and the goals to be achieved are centered upon, and revolve around man. Secular counseling relies on theories influenced by behavioral, humanistic, and existential thought, but those theories have little to offer the client except the  advice that they should care about and love themselves (Carter, 1999). These theories emphasize a basic goodness or a basic depravity in the soul, and focuses on what will make the individual happy, adaptive, and successful. This is their basis for self-evaluation. â€Å"Humanistic psychotherapy has always been hampered by the contradiction of encouraging unlovable selves to love themselves† (Johnson, 2003, p. 84). In contrast, biblical counseling is God-centered. Christian counseling does not place humans at the center of the universe as humanism does. In Genesis, it states that God is the creator, and he created man in his image and likeness to live and rule in a perfect world (1:26-2:25). In spite of the corruption of the fall, man still bears the image and likeness of God and still has authority in the world as dependent creatures who desire to have a relationship with God and other people (Averbeck, 2006). It is this God-revealed concept of the nature of man that biblical counseling, both as a system and as a process of doing counseling, bases its work. Christian counselors understand that all biblical care giving falls within the larger plans and purposes of the Creator. It is comforting to know that in the midst of a contingent, unpredictable life, God, the creator, is always there to meet every need and pour out his comfort to all who seek him (Johnson, 1997). Christian counseling offers what secular counseling cannot: â€Å"the father of compassion and the God of all comfort† (2 Corinthians 1:3; NIV). As man searches for meaning and contentment, God comforts and heals. _Goals._ Though easing the suffering of the client is a goal in both Christian and secular counseling, it is not the ultimate goal of the Christian counselor. All counseling systems have goals of bringing about changes in the counselee, whether they are changes in feelings, beliefs, thinking or behavior. The goals of a counseling system are largely determined by the philosophy of life held. A man-centered viewpoint will yield goals that focus on the relief of suffering and the fulfillment of personal happiness. Secular counseling holds such views. The main goals of secular counseling in treating clients are to help the client alleviate anxiety, guilt, depression, anger and to achieve personal happiness, contentment and self-fulfillment. Secular counselors also give counselees  methods of self-assessment to help them continue to live life with minimal anxiety and hostility (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002). Like the secular counselor, Christian counselors seek to change behaviors and attitudes that will bring about happiness, contentment, and greater well-being; however, Christian counseling goes much deeper than changing behavior and helping clients find happiness (Bufford, 1997). The ultimate goals of Christian counseling are to help the counselee experience intimacy with God and maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4:20-24). Placing an emphasis on discipleship and introducing spiritual disciplines in the Christian counseling practice helps achieve these goals. Although both share similar thoughts in techniques and theories, the practice of spiritual disciplines is uniquely Christian and is an important factor in achieving the goals of intimacy and maturity (Willard, 2000). Collins (1996) states, â€Å"Helping that leaves out the spiritual dimension ultimately has something missing. It may stimulate good feelings and help people cope with stress, but it does nothing to prepare people for eternity or help them experience the abundant life here on earth† (p. 15). Though the ultimate goals of Christian counseling are intimacy with God and maturity in Christ, the heart of Christian counseling is the good news of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:26-27). The power of Jesus makes change, redemption, and new life possible. In the Great Commission, Jesus commands Christians to make disciples and to teach them to how to live as disciples and experience abundant life. The Great Commission differentiates Christian counseling from secular counseling. The work of Christian counselors is incomplete until they have helped the counselee put off the old self and put on the new by teaching and training them to live like Christ (Willard, 2000). _Source of truth_. There are more than 400 different therapy models available today. â€Å"Effective counselors scrutinize theories for proven effectiveness and match them to personal beliefs and realities about the nature of people and change† (Gladding, 2007, p. 190). Never before has it been so important to have a source of absolute truth. Christian counselors believe that the Bible is the authoritative word of God against which they can assess their  beliefs, practices, ideas, and actions. They believe that â€Å"all Scripture is God-breathed† (2 Timothy 2:16-17, NIV) and fully equips them for every good work. Thus, although both Christian counselors and secular counselors use many of the same counseling techniques, the Christian counselor does not use counseling techniques that are inconsistent with biblical teaching. Recent studies on therapeutic outcome encouraged the present emphasis on an eclectic approach in professional counseling. That is, most counselors today are using various theories and techniques to meet their clients’ unique needs. Whiston and Sexton (1993) concluded that a strong therapeutic relationship is significantly related to positive client outcome. Tan (2003a) reported that empirically supported treatments (ESRs) and empirically supported therapy relationships (ESTs) that are specifically tailored to a client’s needs produced the best therapeutic outcomes. Like Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-14), it is crucial that a Christian counselor be a biblically informed and responsible eclectic who prays for the discernment needed to â€Å"fit the right therapy with the right client at the right time and the right stage of living† (Clinton and Ohlschlager, 2002, p. 176). However, the Bible is the authoritative source of truth, and an effective Christian counselor will evaluate the moral and spiritual quality of every theory and method they use in his or her clinical practice. _Ethical Considerations_ Value conflicts between clients and therapists are inevitable, especially for Christian counselors working within a secular environment. Although Christian counselors may not always agree with the values of their clients, it is essential that they respect the rights of their clients to hold a different set of values (Hermann & Herlihy, 2006). It is also essential for Christian counselors to inform potential clients in writing, as part of the informed consent document, about their religious beliefs and values to avoid certain ethical and legal issues as described in the following court case. _Bruff v. North Mississippi Health Services, Inc., 2001_ is an interesting case that illustrates the complexity counselors confront when their value  system and religious beliefs conflict with the client’s presenting problem. In 2001, the United States Court of Appeals â€Å"upheld the job termination of a counselor who requested being excused from counseling a lesbian client on relationship issues because homosexuality conflicted with the counselor’s religious beliefs† (Hermann & Herlihy, 2006, p. 414). This case illustrates both legal and ethical issues related to value imposition and conflict of values between client and counselor. The American Counseling Association’s (ACA, 2005) _ACA_ _Code of Ethics_ states that counselors need to be â€Å"aware of their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors and avoid imposing values that are inconsistent with counseling goals† (A.4.b). Working with clients who hold different values can be challenging for counselors. It can be especially difficult for Christian counselors if those values challenge their religious values and beliefs. However, counselors must respect these differing values of clients and take care not to impose their values in the counseling relationship (Hermann & Herlihy, 2006). This case has particular implications for Christian counselors who find it difficult to reconcile their religious values regarding certain client issues. It is important for Christian counselors to include Christ and to incorporate Christian principles into the therapy process. However, Christian counselors’ primary responsibility is to â€Å"uphold the inherent, God-given dignity of every human person† (AACC, 2004, 1-101). Because it is unrealistic to assume that counselors will not incorporate certain value orientations into their therapeutic approaches and methods, Christian counselors have an ethical duty to clarify their assumptions, core beliefs, and values with the client during the intake session. â€Å"It is vital to be open about values but not coercive, to be a competent professional and not a missionary for a particular belief, and at the same time to be honest enough to recognize how one’s value commitments may not promote health† (Bergin, 199 1, p. 399). Personal Applications Current data indicates that no single theory or model adequately accounts for the complexity of human behavior. Counselors will have to learn and apply an eclectic mix of therapy models and techniques to accommodate the complexity of these modern times. Christian counselors will need to consider biological, psychological, spiritual, social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors when assessing, diagnosing, and treating the unique needs of the client (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002). Integrating spiritual direction into psychotherapy and counseling enables the counselee to focus on increasing awareness of God and facilitating surrender to God’s will (Willard, 2000). The conclusions I have made from what I have learned about the biblical views and professional views of counseling are that there is a place for employing both psychotherapeutic techniques and spiritual direction in the counseling process, but it is essential to practice such integration in a ethical, helpful, and wise manner. Christian counselors must use discernment when incorporating secular theories and techniques into their practice and they must be wise when incorporating spiritual disciplines into the therapy relationship. The Bible is our resource, it is the foundation for truth by which everything else is evaluated, and it is sufficient in what we need to instruct one another on how to live an abundant life (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:13). Christian counselors must refer to the Bible to distinguish good counseling from bad counseling. Both appropriate and inappropriate counsel is illustrated in the story of Rehoboam, who chose to ignore the advice (etsah) of the older counselors, and instead listened to his young and immature peers. Their counsel lacked a careful examination of the situation, and resulted in disastrous consequences (1 Kings 12:1-15). Wise Christian counselors are careful to gather information and examine a situation as they help their clients. It is imperative that Christian counselors consistently ask God for the wisdom (James 1:5) to choose the godly path (Proverbs (19:21). The ultimate goal of Christian counseling is to facilitate the spiritual  growth of clients, rather than simply alleviating symptoms and finding a resolution to problems. Integrating spiritual disciplines into psychotherapy can be an effective tool in achieving these goals in the therapy process (Tan, 2003b). However, as seen in the _Bruff_ case, counselors must take care not to impose their religious beliefs or values on the client. The client’s autonomy must be respected. Counselors must provide sufficient information regarding therapy to the client, and should include spiritual religious goals and interventions only when proper informed consent is obtained from clients who have expressed interest in pursuing and participating in such goals and interventions. Effective Christian counselors must keep informed of the latest and best information on ESRs and ESTs in order to provide the most effective and efficient forms of psychotherapy and spiritual direction to the client (Tan, 2003a). In addition, Christian counselors should, with the consent of the client, integrate spiritual disciplines into psychotherapy. Effective Christian counselors’ primary focus is on meeting the needs of the client. To meet these needs Christian counselors must first comfort the broken-hearted with a comfort (nacham, parakeleo) that consoles while imparting strength, to encourage while offering a hope for a future (Isaiah 61:1-2). According to Grencavage and Norcross (1990), â€Å"the therapist’s ability to cultivate hope and enhance positive expectancies within the client† (p.374) was one commonality found in the qualities of effective therapists. Recent emphasis on ESRs shows the importance of a strong therapy relationship and is in line with the conclusion that healing occurs when we model the God of comfort and love. â€Å"It is ultimately God who is love who brings wholeness and healing to the hurting people that we minister to through psychotherapy and counseling, using the best ESRs and ESTs available, as long as they are consistent with biblical, Christian truth, ethics, and morality† (Tan, 2003a, 2003). References American Association of Christian Counselors. (2004). _ACA_ _Code of ethics_. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://aacc.net/about-us/code-of-ethics/. American Counseling Association. (2005). _AACC Code of ethics._ Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://www.counseling.org/Resources/CodeOfEthics/TP/Home/CT2.aspx. Averbeck, R. E. (2006). Creation and corruption, redemption and wisdom: A biblical theology foundation for counseling psychology. _Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 25(2),_ 111-126. 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