The law relating to non-fatal offences against the person is in urgent Essay

The law relating to non-fatal offences against the person is in urgent need of reform - Essay Example The law relating to non-fatal offences against the person is in urgent need of reform Some words have been interpreted in case laws, for instance, the term malicious which is used in Section 20 and 18 is not defined by the Act but courts have defined it as mens rea in section 20 and â€Å"with intent† in Sec 18. Assault, battery, grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm are some non-fatal offenses which are contained in Section 18, 20 and 47 of the Offenses Against Persons Act 18612. Generally, offenses against a person refer to any crime which is committed by use of physical harm or force against the victim. Non-fatal offenses include assault, poisoning, wounding and inflicting grievous bodily harm, and battery. Wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm is a crime according to Sec 18 of Offenses Against a Person Act 1861 while administering poison is offense which is outlawed by Sec 24 of the same Act3. The law has not defined the word malicious which is contained in Sec 18 and 20. The law should be reformed to give a proper definition of malicious which in simple language may refer to bad motive of the offender. Conflicting arguments about mens rea have also been witnessed. Sec 47 of the Act provides the same mens rea as for lesser offenses such as a battery or assault. The law in this case is inconsistent since it not a requirement for the offender to realize the risk of injury and liability will arise even when the offender causes grievous body harm that result to minor harm . 4. The law is also inconsistent in the sentencing structure on the maximum sentence attached to each offense. For instance, offenses under Sec 39 of the Act carries a maximum imprisonment term of six months while an offense under Sec 47 provides for a maximum of five years imprisonment5. Mens rea which is equivalent in both Sec 39 and Sec 47 of the Act leads to variations in the sentence thus unjust. Sec 20 offenses of the Act are considered to cause more injury yet they carry the same imprisonment sentence as sec 47 offenses. According to justice and fairn ess principles of the legal systems, offenders should be morally distinguishable and be treated in a different manner depending on their motive of committing the crime. The Offenses Against the Person Act 1861, is completely outdated since it does not reflect the current social structure. New forms of communication, diseases and methods of committing crime have not been catered for in the law. For instance, Sections 18, 20 and 47 of the Act use the common word â€Å"bodily harm† which leaves psychological injury that the victim may suffer due to fear or medical complications due to transmission of diseases such HIV. For instance, Sec 18 of the Act makes it offense wounding and causing grievous bodily harm with intention to the victim, but it fails to give a clear definition of injury. However, courts have been of the opinion that injury should constitute both physical and any mental injury sustained by the person including unconsciousness, pain, and impairment of the mental a bility of the person. Sec 20, which makes it offense to wound or inflict grievous bodily harm and Sec 39 on common law assault and battery does not define the nature of injury which can result from the reckless or intentional application of force to the victim6. The law on mens rea of battery needs urgent reforms. The prosecution should prove the unlawful application of force to the other person or the recklessness of the offender in his or her actions. Sec 47

Quality of Financial reporting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quality of Financial reporting - Assignment Example h of the company depends on various intangible attributes, it becomes quite challenging to examine its real or actual financial performances (Intel Corporation, 2010). Cost of goods sold: The inventory computation process of Intel is focused on the First-In-First-Out method. To comprehend the loss recognition of the written down values of inventories, the company tends to capitalize interests based on the borrowings treating the grants as additional expenditures for the stock (Intel Corporation, 2010). Operating expenses: The depreciation of the tangible assets is calculated in a straight-line method by Intel after capitalizing the interests on borrowings in the net worth of the asset. Impairment costs are charged on goodwill, non-marketable equity investments and other intangible assets which are also reviewed annually to monitor any changes. The acquisitions during research and development process are also identified as an intangible asset liable for amortization costs (Intel Corporation, 2010). Non-operating revenue and expenses: The net interest income generated by the company is computed after deducting the interest expenses incurred during the fiscal year along with other nets. Equity income is also calculated in relation to both its marketable and non-marketable equity investments. The financial statements of the company also depict the income tax changes along with the probable reasons for such alterations increasing its transparency. The financial statements are elaborate on the discontinued functions in relation to various investment activities initiated by the company (Intel Corporation, 2010). Other issues: The consolidated financial statements apparently depict the material alterations caused in relation to outstanding shares of Intel over a given period of time. The cash flow statement as well as the income statement also depicts the computation process of operating earnings before taxation and after taxation charges following the guidelines of

Definition Of A Long Term Condition Nursing Essay

Definition Of A Long Term Condition Nursing Essay The number of people living in the UK with a long term condition is increasing rapidly. As healthcare provision improves and the availability of healthcare increases, the number of people living longer increases. The proportion of the population aged over 80 years will increase to one in twelve over the next 25 years, and one in four will be over the age of 65 years. (Health Delivery Directorate Improvement and Support Team, 2009) As people get older their health may begin to change and are more likely to suffer from illnesses and chronic conditions. At present, care for people with long term conditions, particularly older people, is reactive and interventions generally only take place after an event or exacerbation of a long term illness. A system change by NHS Scotland aims to deliver an integrated, coordinated and preventative health and social care system, especially for people with long term conditions (NHS Scotland, 2007). Definition of a Long Term Condition A long term condition (also called chronic condition) can be defined as health problems that require ongoing care and management over a period of years or decades (WHO, 2012). Long term conditions can sometimes be referred to as chronic diseases. They are conditions that last for a year or longer and can greatly impact on a persons life which may result in the person requiring continued support and care. Long term conditions can affect children as well as adults and is not only the elderly who can be affected. It is also not just confined to physical illness but it can also include a range of mental health illnesses. Amongst the most common long term conditions are diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, chronic pain, arthritis, some mental health problems, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (NHS, 2012). Socio-Political Context of Delivery of Care In the past, care for people with long term conditions was generally reactive and unplanned (DHSSPS, 2011). People with long term conditions are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital, and tend to have longer hospital stays. They also account for over 60% of hospital bed days used. Most people who need long term residential care have complex needs from multiple long term conditions (The Scottish Government, 2012). Scotlands approach to the management of long term conditions is based upon the Chronic Care Model developed by Ed Wagner and his colleagues at the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation. This model suggests that if conditions are created to support a partnership that is productive between people who are knowledgeable and are capable of implementing changes and with those who have the long term conditions, then this can be positive steps towards improving the way care is delivered (The Scottish Government, 2009). In the past, care for people with long term conditions was generally reactive and unplanned (DHSSPS, 2011). In 2007, The Scottish Government developed an action plan to better manage care for people with long term conditions. Adopting Wagners Chronic Care model, The Scottish Governments plan was reflected in Better Health, Better Care. The 6 domains of the Chronic Care Model have been mapped to 6 key components of the model for long term conditions care in Scotland:- Multi-professional care teams and their partnership with people with long term conditions Self management of LTCs strategy Gaun Yersel primary care, hospitals, and social work integrating care Integrating evidence-based medicine and clinical guidelines into care and support delivery processes Sharing of Data through supportive information systems Assuring appropriate delivery of care through the national performance framework, HEAT targets and the Community Care Outcomes Framework How the care is delivered In order to deliver a proactive and coordinated care management approach for people with complex and changing needs, health and social care professionals require a range of competencies and skills. Health professionals that work together to deliver this anticipatory care are community nurses, community psychiatric nurses, social workers and care managers (HDDIST, 2009). Anticipatory and Advance care planning (ACP) both adopt a thinking ahead philosophy of care. This allows practitioners and their teams to work with patients and their family members to set and achieve common goals to make sure the right course of treatment has been chosen and is carried out at the right time for the best interests of the patient and their family members or support network (The Scottish Government, 2010). Advance care planning is the term most commonly referred to in end of life care, although it does incorporate the writing of wills or Living Wills now known as advance directives or advance decisions which can be done by the well person early on in life to plan for what may happen at the end of life. Anticipatory care planning is more commonly applied to support those living with a long term condition to plan for an expected change in health or social status. It also incorporates health improvement and staying well. Completion of a common document called an anticipat ory care plan is suggested for both long term conditions and in palliative care (The Scottish Government, 2010). Anticipatory care, as an approach, was pioneered in the 1960s by Van den Dool in The Netherlands and Julian Tudor Hart in Wales. Both approaches involved identifying patients who were at high risk of specific diseases or conditions. This was achieved by reviewing patient medical records when the opportunity arose during routine consultation or when the patient made contact with their medical practice (ODonnell et al, 2012). As an individuals condition appears to be more complex it may be useful to discuss legal and practical issues, as well as individual care and support preferences. As the needs and dependency of an individual increase, it may become appropriate to discuss end of life preferences (Scottish Government, 2009). The Anticipatory Care Plan may then include information about the persons: concerns and personal goals the persons own understanding of their illness and how it will progress a persons own wishes for end of life care, including preference of where care is carried out, as well as their views about the level of interventions, treatments and whether CPR is wanted (Scottish Government, 2009). Government Programmes The Scottish Government (2010) has outlined its commitment to developing a health service that tackles inequalities in health, addressing both health and social determinants, and to delivering a health service that moves away from a reactive, episodic model of care, where the patient is a passive recipient, to a system that anticipates health needs before they arise and that delivers continuous, integrated, preventive care with the patient as partner. Such a model of care has been termed anticipatory care (ODonnell et al, 2012). Recently, the Scottish Government has established Keep Well, a national programme of anticipatory care targeting deprived populations at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), which brings together a number of the active ingredients important to anticipatory care (ODonnell et al, 2012). NHS Health Scotland provides the national programme management role for Keep Well. Established before the implementation of this government programme, The National Coronary Heart Disease Demonstration Project, Have a Heart Paisley, was a Scottish Government-funded national health demonstration project (2001-2008) hosted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It was a partnership between the local community, primary and secondary care and the local authority (NHS Health Scotland, 2012). The initial project was established to reduce heart disease and promote healthier, longer lives for the people of Paisley. It was one of four projects outlined in the Governments White paper Towards a Healthier Sco tland. Have a Heart Paisley moved into its second phase in 2005 2008 which narrowed its focus and allowed an opportunity to build upon phase one. An anticipatory care report published in 2007 by Sridharan et al, outlined challenges for interventions such as Keep Well that are based on the vision described in Delivering for Health such as Identifying individuals within the different levels of disadvantage. Instead of a broad approach to identify a deprived area, a more focused approach may be required to help identify poor people in those deprived areas. The problem is that individuals with the greatest need (e.g. multiple disadvantaged populations with co morbid conditions) may be overlooked and the standard sampling frame such as a Central Data Repository (CDR) may not harness or identify populations with multiple disadvantages (Sridharan et al, 2007). The Long Term Conditions Collaborative (LTCC), aims to support patients to develop person centred care that is effective, safe, timely and reliable, makes best use of the skills of the multi-professional team, and is supported by good communication and sharing of information across teams and care settings (The Scottish Government, 2010). Models of Care The Kaiser Permanente pyramid is a chronic care model which was developed by the Kaiser Permanente Health Institute in the United States. This chronic care model is not a fixed model and people can move up and down the levels as their condition, ability to cope and their general sense of well-being changes (The Scottish Government, 2009). Kaiser Permanente focuses on integrating organisations and disciplines. People with long term conditions are organised and managed according to need, with intensive management targeted at those at highest risk (NHS, 2006). Supporting Literature Research carried out by Baker et al (2012) aimed to identify a population who were at risk of admission to hospital and to provide an anticipatory care plan (ACP) for them. Baker et al (2012) aimed to determine whether, using primary and secondary care data to identify this population and then applying an ACP, can help to reduce hospital admission rates. The results of Baker et al (2012) study showed that whilst not significant, having an ACP and a co-ordinated team based approach can reduce admission rates and reduce hospital bed days. Baker et al (2012) found that a reduction in admission rates is mediated by an increase in transfers out from secondary hospitals to the community hospital and home. Several factors enabled this to happen: improved community support from families and carers who had a better understanding of the course of a disease, care workers who were able to prevent admissions and provide rapid support on discharge, as well as a coordinated approach and good liaiso n between the case manager, local nursing, and the practice (Baker et al, 2012). Cleland, Moffat Small (2012) carried out research to explore stakeholder views of the utility and design of a community-based anticipatory care service (CBACS) for COPD. The key benefits of this service were seen to be reducing hospitalisation, educating patients in self-management in order to improve self-care and reduce acute admissions, and coordination of health and social care (Cleland et al, 2012). ZuWallack Nici, (2010), wrote an article describing the problems associated with the current care delivery approach for people with COPD. ZuWallack Nici (2010) proposed a Chronic Care model for the primary care of people with long term illnesses such as COPD. This model had many similarities to the care approach set out in Better Health, Better Care, with 6 similar components. ZuWallack Nici (2010) found that the integrated care approach is ideally suited to the management of chronic diseases, such as COPD. They claimed that Integrated care is patient centred but not limited to the traditional boundaries of the disease and is not overwhelmed by the complexities of the multi-morbid patient. ZuWallack Nici (2010) claims that there is great emphasis on self management strategies and the co-ordination of care, all of which increase the lines of communication amongst the agencies involved in the care being delivered. Role of the Case Manager The evolving role of case manager in delivering anticipatory care to patients with long term conditions is key to ensuring that care and services for the individual are co-ordinated and do not become fragmented, confusing and overwhelming. It is an opportunity to make best use of the advanced level of knowledge, skills and competencies that District Nurses have developed (HDDIST, 2009). Good communication, co-ordination and information sharing within and between multi-disciplinary teams are essential to ensure that where a person moves between different care settings, for example between primary care and specialist services provided in secondary care, these transitions are seamless and co-ordinated (DHSSPSNI, 2012). IN 2009, Information Services Division (ISD) developed The SPARRA tool. It identifies people who have entered a cycle of repeat admissions to hospital in the previous 3 years and predicts their risk of future hospitalisation. The information on the SPARRA lists supports the patients local team to provide the proactive, planned and co-ordinated care required for people with complex or frequently changing needs. Instead of reactive or crisis care, people and their carers will receive an improved service through a more robust assessment and care planning approach. Delivering continuous, supportive care with a single point of co-ordination improves the experience for the person and their carer; supports care at home and may prevent avoidable hospital admissions (ISD, 2009). SPARRA is only one way of identifying people at high risk of admissions. People who may benefit from care management can be identified by sharing local intelligence at Practice and locality team meetings and by using other community risk prediction tools (ISD, 2009). End of Life Care Palliative care has been described as the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Problems can be encountered with the availability of medicines during the out-of-hours period. To maintain effective symptom control it is important that sufficient quantities of appropriate palliative care drugs, including CDs, are available to anticipate deterioration in the patients condition (NHS Scotland, 2012). Just in case boxes support anticipatory prescribing and access to palliative care medication for patients at the end of life. Adequate quantities of the appropriate medicines (including Controlled Drugs) are prescribed for the patient and stored in an identifiable container the just in case box in the patients home or care home. This is intended to prevent unnecessary delays in symptom management especially out of hours and at weekends (NHS Scotland, 2012). The GP will assess the individual needs of the patient and will issue a prescription for the appropriate medication If symptoms develop the nurse can administer the appropriate drugs without having the delay of contacting the GP to prescribe them (NHS Scotland, 2012). Making appropriate plans to meet a persons changing needs and aid timely transitions to end of life care are critical components of the quality improvement process in health and social care (NHS, 2011). Care planning harnesses the care of people with and without capacity to make their own decisions. The assessment undertaken is person centred and it aims to establish the persons needs, preferences and personal goals relating to their own care and the decisions made to meet these goals with the available resources (NHS, 2011). It can be oriented towards meeting immediate needs, as well as predicting future needs and making appropriate arrangements or contingency plans to address these (NHS, 2011). Where a person lacks capacity to decide, care planning must focus on determining their best interests. This can be achieved through discussions with the persons family or close friends or carers and any decisions made must act to protect the persons best interests (NHS, 2011). Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of discussions with an individual and their care provider to determine the persons wishes should their illness deteriorate in the future. ACPs can lead to an advance statement, an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT), a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decision or other types of decision, such as appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney (NHS, 2011). In conclusion, planning should be tailored to individuals a one size fits all approach will not work (NHS, 2011). Individuals have the right to live well with their conditions that are managed holistically and within the boundaries of their own personal needs and desires. Everyone involved with the care planning for an individual should be available for opportunities for follow-on conversations and support. Discussing potential risks and benefits associated with different treatment options will help people make choices and have confidence in agreed treatment and care plans (NHS, 2011). Wordcount: 2743 .

Pollution Essay: Don’t Blame Me for Global Warming -- Environment, Clim

More than 17,000 scientists have signed a petition saying human activities do not threaten to disrupt the climate. This overwhelming amount of people has been told to be wrong by one body of people. This body is our government, for many years now they have spoke of the horrendous situations stemming from global warming. This makes no sense; with the facts and information that we have received over the years they still support this preposterous idea. Humans do nothing to contribute to global warming; the irregular climate events are just natural occurrences. These occurrences are no stranger to our history either. (â€Å"Global Warm Up†)(â€Å"An Inconvenient Truth†) The most recent case of significant warming was between the years 1850 and 1940. Most scientists say this rise in warmth was not caused by greenhouse gasses. If this was not caused by greenhouse gasses, it proves that there are times of irregular warming of the world. There have been other occurrences of irregular warmth. The biggest and most influential occurrence is called the MWP. (â€Å"The Real 'Inconvenient Truth'†) (â€Å"Medieval Warm Period†) The MWP, or Medieval Warm Period, occurred between AD 950 and AD 1250. It was a period of warmth, exceeding the temperatures of the late 20th century. People for global warming have said that human activities contribute to causing global warming. Using the MWP as proof, we know that we humans were not contributing to greenhouse gasses. Supporters of global warming say that we contribute to greenhouse gasses which in turn affect the temperature. If this is true, why would the temperature rise 1000 years ago if we didn’t even create greenhouse gasses? It’s because what is happening right now, is just a natural event. To counteract this sta... ...eenhouse effect. I know that people have their opinions, some educated and some not, my opinion is that we do not cause the greenhouse effect which in turn means we don’t cause global warming. Works Cited Barry Wigmore â€Å"Global warming? It’s natural say experts† DailyMail. 13 September 2007. Web. 22, 2010. Gore, Albert. An Inconvenient Truth: the Crisis of Global Warming. New York: Viking, 2007. Print. Gore, Albert. Our Choice: a Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2009. Print. Manav, Tanneeru â€Å"Global warming: A natural cycle or human result?† CNN. 11 June, 2007. Web. 22 Nov, 2010. Morgan, Sally. Global Warming. Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library, 2003. Print. â€Å"Global Warm Up† A Round Table. N.d.Web. 22 Nov, 2010. â€Å"The Real 'Inconvenient Truth'† Junk Science. N.d. Web. 22 Nov, 2010. â€Å"Medieval Warm Period† Wikipedia. N.d. Web. 22 Nov, 2010.

Teen-pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases

The world we are living in right now is full of uncertainties. The population is increasing rapidly, as the number of hungry mouths also increases. Diseases are spreading around the world, some of which we know none about any cure. Adding up the ignorance building up inside the minds of the youth, we are creating a bomb projected to explode in the near future. Misconceptions about certain facts in life must be taken care of, since ignorance would only lead to further disaster.Considering the current situation of today’s young minds, their curiosity could lead them to their own destruction. There are certain delicate topics belonging to this context. This includes the ongoing debate about teenage pregnancy and the increasing number of sexually-transmitted disease. Raising the awareness of these young minds would only raise their curiosity, thus endangering their own lives and future. That is why when it comes to this issue, the best way to deal with it is not to engage it.Preve ntion is better than cure. Thus, this leads us to a firm stand; therefore I will have to argue in favor of the proposition that â€Å"Abstinence-only programs are the most effective approach in order to prevent teen-age pregnancy and some sexually transmitted disease. † Teenage Pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy nowadays is already at its worst. The world is being populated at an alarming rate, and we can’t do anything about it.The young generations have been contributing a lot to this problem, engaging in an early sexual life, thus, leading to certain unwanted events like early parenthood; unwanted pregnancies leading to the decision of rearing the child, thus adding another mouth to feed in this increasingly over-populated world we live in. These teenagers could have made a difference by not venturing into the aspects of life where curiosity could actually spell disaster if certain situations arise.According to Starkman, it is approximated that by the end of high school, a lmost 70% of young Americans are considered sexually active, wherein about 20% of these have had four or more sexual partners. Despite these alarming numbers, less than 50% of all public schools of America present sufficient information and overview about contraceptives and the risks of pregnancy, thus contributing a lot to what could be a great build up in people unaware of the realities of having early sexual life.It is clear that there are millions of American youth all over the United States that involves in various sexual behaviors that puts them in great risk of early pregnancy. Despite the numbers, there is no federal directive as to how these problems would be dealt with. Less than half of all the public schools in the United States offer sufficient information about acquiring birth control, thus leaving a lot of questions unanswered (Starkman & Rajani, 2002).According to Fields, â€Å"abstinence-only† sexuality educations in schools have advocated that it could prote ct their children from the damaging influence of other people. It provided guidance which teenagers could follow in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies, wherein you take the roots of the problem in order to solve it (Fields, 2005). According to Meier, pregnancy could be a sex determinant, since the fear of teen pregnancy could lead to a mentality wherein the person would be hesitant in indulging in such sexual activities.Abstinence is the only way, the safest to be exact, to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Resorting to the use of contraceptives doesn’t assure of a 100% safety from pregnancy. It could fail, thus doesn’t assure of the â€Å"safe† sex contraceptives usually offer. Abstinence should be promoted, and should be recognized as the only means to promote a pregnancy outside a married life, or a life wherein you could provide for the offspring. Pregnancy at an early age doesn’t assure a better life for both the parents and the offspring (Meier, 2004). Sex ually-transmitted diseases.According to Starkman, about 50% of the newly discovered human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in America and about 70% of all the sexually transmitted diseases surface on young Americans, those of which are usually under 25 years old. The old statement about prevention is better than cure applies for this, and since there are incurable cases of the HIV and STD’s, it is better to avoid and prevent rather than resorting to the curing part. Because of that, it is better to reserve the sexual activities of the person at the mature age, wherein you are responsible enough for you actions thus, being able to know what to do.Young teenagers who suffer from STD’s don’t know what to do, how they will deal with their situation (Starkman & Rajani, 2002). Abstinence-only education encourages teens not to engage in early sexual activities in order for them to avoid having sexually transmitted infections and diseases. It is clear that prevention is really better than cure, and that encouraging the youth in practicing safe sex and introducing contraception only worsens the case because it deviates from the real goal, to prevent STD’s. No sex for the youth is better than â€Å"safe† sex, because it is not purely 100% safe.It only lessens the chance of getting infected, yet you cannot deny the fact that lessening is not getting any better than preventing. Analysis and Conclusion With all the facts presented, it is evident that â€Å"keeping it safe† and protecting yourself is not enough when it comes to matters like teenage pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Even though some people see safe sex as a â€Å"big chance† to avoid pregnancy and certain diseases, you are still risking that â€Å"small chance† of those things happening. It is not enough to take precautionary measures and still do the deed.The most important thing to do and to consider is how people, especially the youth ca n avoid the problem completely, and this is through abstinence, purely abstinence only. Reference: Fields, J. (2005). ‘Children Having Children': Race, Innocence, and Sexuality Education. Social Problems, 52(4), 549-571. Meier, A. M. (2004). The morning after (and beyond): Adolescent well-being after first sex. ProQuest Information & Learning. Starkman, N. , & Rajani, N. (2002). The case for comprehensive sex education. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 16(7), 313-318.

Impact of Stress on Student Health Essay

The impact of stress on students who attend college or universtiy has a tangible negative effect on both physical health, and mental health. Many healthy habits from living at home (such as eating well) become obsolete, and students face a lot more deadlines as well as new responsibilities when they move away from home to go to school. Addition of stressors to a persons life not only has an effect on physical health, but it can change the way we behave and feel. Stress affects people on a physical and mental level, and it is important that we acknowledge the overwhelming nature of stress so we can properly take care of ourselves. Stress is able to have an effect on physical health because stress keeps your body in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight by producing cortisol, which is a hormone produced by the body to respond to stress. Cortisol is useful in fight-or-flight situations because: it heightens memory functions, lowers sensitivity to pain, and allows for a quick burst of energy. Elizabeth Scott, in her article Cortisol and Stress: How to Stay Healthy, states that â€Å"While cortisol is an important and helpful part of the body’s response to stress, it’s important that the body’s relaxation response be activated so the body’s functions can return to normal following a stressful event (Scott, 2011).† The problem with constant elevated levels of cortisol is that it â€Å"can weaken the activity of the immune system by preventing proliferation of T-cells (Kennedy, 2012).† Mental health is also effected by stress in students. The demand for work output increases heavily when multiple classes begin scheduling projects and tests at the same time which often makes everyone on campus feel overwhelmed. Ultimately, stress causes unnecessary frustration and tension in the b ody which makes it more difficult to learn. According to an article on dealing with stress, some of the effects of stress on thoughts, feelings and behavior are: anger, anxiety, burnout, depression, feeling of insecurity, forgetfulness, irritability, problem concentrating, restlessness, sadness, fatigue, eating too much, not eating enough, sudden angry outbursts, drug abuse, and relationship problems (Nordqvist, 2009). Female rats were repeatedly stressed in an experiment, and their litters grew up to have altered long-term memory and cognitive alterations (Lordi, B., V. Patin, P. Protais, D. Mellier, and J. Caston. N.p., Aug. 2000.). Stress in the classroom has a real potential to hamper learning capabilities. Feeling overwhelmed or flustered puts students in a state of mind where they will have difficulties paying attention and retaining information in the classroom because they are distracted by one of the vast, trivial stressors in their life. A good example of the mental distraction students deal with would be going to be d and thinking you left the oven on. It would be extremely difficult to get to sleep until you got up to check the oven. It is important for students to recognize how stress can play a role in our lives because if we manage stress it is much healthier for our bodies (and grades) in the long run. Maintaining regular habits and doing assignments sooner than later, and learning to relax in stressful situations will keep your body from entering into a state of constant tension. Stress is a function that is beneficial in certain situations, but stress in modern times is mostly caused by school or work because the human body is still the same as it was when people were hunter/gatherers; it is not made for the traditional five-day work week. Stress has a negative impact on student health, but more importantly it has a negative effect on student grades. Works Cited Kennedy, Ron. â€Å"Cortisol (Hydrocortisone)†. The Doctors’ Medical Library. Retrieved 2012-11-19. . Lordi, B., V. Patin, P. Protais, D. Mellier, and J. Caston. N.p., Aug. 2000. Web. Nordqvist, Christian. â€Å"What Is Stress? How To Deal With Stress.† Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 11 Apr. 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. . Scott, Elizabeth. â€Å"Cortisol and Stress: How to Stay Healthy.† About.com Stress Management. About.com, 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.

How to Report Child Pornography

How to Report Child Pornography It is illegal to own and/or create child pornography in the United States. Child pornography is generally defined as sexualized photos or videos of children under 18 or of children under the age of 18 performing sexual acts. What to Do If You Encounter Child Porn   If you encounter child pornography either online or through the U.S. mail, here is how you can report the crime to the proper authorities. If you encounter child pornography on the Internet, you can report the site address to your Internet Service Provider and your local or state FBI or Customs office listed in your telephone directory. You can also report child pornography online by forwarding the site address to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at cybertipline.com. NCMEC will forward your report to the appropriate investigative agency for follow-up. To collect the address (or URL) of a child-pornography website, click on the address in your browsers address bar to highlight (select) the address. Then hold down the Control key and click on the C key to copy the address. You can then paste the address into a text file or email message by holding down the Control key and hitting the V key. Porn in the Mail There is no free speech, First Amendment protection for child pornography. Pornographic pictures of children are not constitutionally protected speech. Such pictures are evidence of the sexual exploitation of children. If the pictures are sent through the U.S. Mail, it is a violation of federal law. If you have information about the use of the U.S. Postal Service to send child pornography, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service listed in the white pages of your local telephone directory. More information may be obtained at the U.S. Postal Inspection Agency web page. Why You Should Report Child Pornography If you happen upon an image of child porn online you may think theres no point in reporting it because the image could have come from anywhere in the world so how could police possibly track down anyone involved in its creation. But, youd be wrong. Investigators for the FBI are skilled at the type of forensic investigation required  to track down the people producing these horrible images. For example, there have been cases where investigators used wallpaper and bedsheets to identify the hotel being used by a ring of child pornographers. By reporting child pornography when you see it youre raising the chances that a child could be saved or of helping supply evidence needed to put someone who hurts children behind bars.