The Golden Lily Chapter 23

IT TOOK SONYA a few days to recover, thus delaying her return to Pennsylvania. When she was ready to go to the airport, I offered to drive her. The rental car had been found, but Dimitri was using it to clean up after the mission. Within twenty-four hours, the Warriors had vacated their compound, which had turned out to be a rental facility generally used for retreats. They'd left almost no trace of their presence behind, but that hadn't stopped the guardians from scouring every inch of the abandoned compound. â€Å"Thanks again,† Sonya told me. â€Å"I know how busy you must be.† â€Å"It's no problem. It's the weekend, and anyway this is what I'm here for – to help you guys.† She laughed softly to herself. Her recovery in the last couple of days had been remarkable, and she now looked as pretty and bright as usual. She wore her auburn hair down today, letting it fall in fiery waves around the delicate lines of her face. â€Å"True, but it seems like you keep having to go above and beyond your job description.† â€Å"I'm just glad you're okay,† I said earnestly. I'd grown close to Sonya and was sad to see her go. â€Å"Back in that arena†¦ well, it was kind of terrifying.† Some of her amusement faded. â€Å"It was. I was out of it most of the time and not really able to process what was going on around me. But I do remember your words. You were pretty amazing, not to mention brave, to face down that crowd and defend me. I know how hard it must have been to be in opposition with your own kind.† â€Å"Those people are not my kind,† I said adamantly. Some part of me wondered exactly who my kind were. â€Å"What's going to happen to your research now?† â€Å"Oh, it'll continue back East. Dimitri will be returning soon too, and there are other researchers who can help us at Court. Having an objective spirit user like Adrian was extremely useful, and we've got plenty of data to keep us busy now, thanks to the blood samples and aura observations. We'll let Adrian continue with his art and get in touch later if we need him again.† I still couldn't shake the guilt over how my refusal to give more blood had indirectly resulted in Sonya's kidnapping. â€Å"Sonya, about my blood – â€Å" â€Å"Don't worry about it,† she interrupted. â€Å"You were right about me being pushy and also that we need to focus on Dimitri first. Besides, we might be making some headway with getting Alchemist help.† â€Å"Really?† Stanton had seemed pretty against it when we spoke. â€Å"They said yes?† â€Å"No, but they said they'd get back to us.† I laughed. â€Å"With them, that's a pretty positive answer.† I fell silent for a moment, wondering if this meant everyone would forget about my blood. Between the Warriors and the potential of Alchemist aid, surely my blood was no longer important. After all, initial study had found nothing special. No one had any reason to worry about my blood anymore. Except, the thing was†¦ I was kind of worried. Because no matter how much I dreaded being experimented on, that nagging question wouldn't leave me alone: Why hadn't the Strigoi been able to drink my blood? Sonya's earlier mention of auras reminded me of another burning question. â€Å"Sonya, what does purple mean in someone's aura? Adrian says he saw it in mine but won't tell me what it is.† â€Å"Typical,† she said with a chuckle. â€Å"Purple†¦ well, let's see. From what I've observed, it's a complex color. It's a spiritual but passionate color, tied to those who love deeply and also seek a higher calling. It's interesting in that it has such depth. White and true gold tend to be the colors associated with higher powers and metaphysics, just as red and orange are linked to love and baser instincts. Purple kind of has the best of all of those. I wish I could explain it more clearly.† â€Å"No, that makes sense,† I said, pulling into the airport's circle driveway. â€Å"Kind of. It doesn't exactly sound like me, though.† â€Å"Well, it's hardly an exact science. And he's right – it's there in you. The thing is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We'd stopped at the curb, and I saw her studying me carefully. â€Å"I've never noticed it before. I mean, I'm sure it's always been there, but whenever I looked at you, I just saw the yellow of most intellects. Adrian isn't as adept at reading auras as I am, so I'm surprised he noticed what I missed.† She wasn't the only one. Spiritual, passionate†¦ was I really those things? Did Adrian believe I was those things? The thought made me feel warm all over. Elated†¦ and confused. Sonya seemed like she was about to say more on the matter and then changed her mind. She cleared her throat. â€Å"Well, then. Here we are. Thank you again for the ride.† â€Å"No problem,† I said, my mind still swimming with visions of purple. â€Å"Have a safe trip.† She opened the car door and then paused. â€Å"Oh, I have something for you. Clarence asked me to give it to you.† â€Å"Clarence?† Sonya rustled through her purse and found an envelope. â€Å"Here you are. He was pretty adamant you get it – you know how he is when he gets worked up about something.† â€Å"I do. Thanks.† Sonya left with her luggage, and curiosity made me open the envelope before I drove away. Inside was a photograph, showing Clarence and a young guy, close to my age, who looked human. The two of them had their arms around each other and were smiling at the camera. The unknown guy had straight blond hair that just barely brushed his chin and stunning blue eyes that stood out against suntanned features. He was extremely handsome, and although his eyes mirrored his smile, I thought there was a little sadness too. I was so caught up in his good looks that I didn't notice his tattoo right away. It was on his left cheek, an abstract design made of clustered crescents of various sizes and orientations, lying together so that they almost looked like a vine. It was exotic and beautiful; the rich indigo ink a near match for his eyes. Studying the design more closely, I noticed something familiar about its shape and swore I could see a faint glimmer of gold edging the blue lines. I nearly dropped the picture in shock. The crescents had been tattooed over an Alchemist lily. I flipped the picture over. One word was scrawled on it: Marcus. Marcus Finch, whom the Warriors had claimed was an ex-Alchemist. Marcus Finch, whom the Alchemists had claimed didn't exist. The crazy thing was, unless someone locked away like Keith counted, there were no â€Å"ex-Alchemists.† You were in it for life. You couldn't walk away. Yet, that obscured lily spoke for itself. Unless Marcus had had a name change that somehow eluded the Alchemists, Stanton and the others were lying to me about knowing who he was. But why? Had there been some rift? A week ago, I would have said it was impossible that Stanton wouldn't tell me the truth about him, but now, knowing how carefully information was parceled out – or not – I had to wonder. I stared at the picture a few more moments, caught up in those haunting blue eyes. Then, I tucked it away and returned to Amberwood, resolved to keep the photograph a secret. If the Alchemists wanted to deny Marcus Finch's existence to me, I would let them continue until I figured out why. That meant my only lead was Clarence and the absent Warriors. Still, it was a start. Somehow, sometime, I was going to find Marcus Finch and get my answers. I was surprised to see Jill sitting outside our dorm when I walked in. She was in the shade, of course, still able to enjoy the nice weather without the sun's full force. We'd finally moved into a sort of autumn around here, not that eighty was what I usually associated with brisk fall weather. Jill's face was pensive, but she brightened a little when she saw me. â€Å"Hey, Sydney. I was hoping to catch you. Can't find you anymore without your phone.† I made a face. â€Å"Yeah, I need to replace that. It's been a huge pain.† She nodded in commiseration. â€Å"Did you drop Sonya off?† â€Å"She's on her way back to Court and Mikhail – and hopefully a much more peaceful life.† â€Å"That's good,† said Jill. She glanced away and bit her lower lip. I knew her well enough by now to recognize the signs of when she was bracing to tell me something. I also knew better than to push the matter, so I waited patiently. â€Å"I did it,† she said at last. â€Å"I told Micah it's over†¦ really over.† Relief flooded me. One less thing to worry about. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. â€Å"I know that must have been hard.† She brushed curly hair away from her face as she considered. â€Å"Yes. And no. I like him. And I'd like to keep hanging out with him – as friends – if he wants to. I don't know, though. He took it kind of hard†¦ and our mutual friends? Well†¦ they're not very happy with me right now.† I tried not to groan. Jill had made such headway with her status here, and now it could be shattered. â€Å"But it's for the best. Micah and I live in different worlds, and there'd be no real future with a human anyway. Besides, I've been thinking a lot about love†¦ like, epic love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked up at me for a moment, her gaze softening. â€Å"And that wasn't what we had. Seems like if I'm with someone, that's what I should feel.† I thought epic love was kind of a stretch for someone her age but didn't say so. â€Å"Are you going to be okay?† She snapped back to reality. â€Å"Yeah, I think so.† A small smile played over her lips. â€Å"And once this has passed, maybe Eddie will want to go out sometime – away from campus, of course. Seeing as we're ‘related.'† Her words were almost a repeat of what I'd heard the other night at Clarence's, and I stared in surprise as realization dawned on me. â€Å"You don't know†¦ I thought you would since Angeline's your roommate†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jill frowned. â€Å"What are you talking about? What don't I know?† Oh God. Why, oh why, did I have to be the one to deliver this news? Why couldn't I be locked away in my room or the library doing something enjoyable, like homework? â€Å"Eddie's, um, asked Angeline out. I don't know when it's going to happen, but he decided to give her a chance.† He hadn't borrowed my car, so presumably there'd been no date yet. Jill looked stricken. â€Å"W-what? Eddie and Angeline? But†¦ he can't stand her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Something changed,† I said lamely. â€Å"I'm not sure what. It's not like, er, epic love, but they've gotten closer these last few weeks. I'm sorry.† Jill seemed more devastated by this than breaking up with Micah. She looked away and blinked back tears. â€Å"It's okay. I mean, I never encouraged him. He probably still thinks I'm dating Micah. Why should he have waited around? He should have someone.† â€Å"Jill – â€Å" â€Å"It's okay. I'll be okay.† She looked so sad and then, amazingly, her face grew even darker. â€Å"Oh, Sydney. You're going to be so mad at me.† I was still thinking of Micah and felt totally confused at the topic change. â€Å"Why?† She reached into her backpack and pulled out a glossy magazine. It was some kind of southern California tourism one, with articles and ads highlighting the area. One of the pages was marked, and I turned to it. It was a full-page advertisement for Lia DiStefano, a collage of pictures of her various designs. And one of the photos was of Jill. It took me a moment to catch it. The picture was a profile shot, with Jill in sunglasses and a fedora – as well as that peacock-colored scarf Lia had given her. Jill's curly hair streamed out behind her, and the angles of her face looked beautiful. If I hadn't known Jill so well, I would never have identified her as this chic model – though it would certainly be obvious that she was a Moroi to anyone who knew what to look for. â€Å"How?† I demanded. â€Å"How did this happen?† Jill took a deep breath, ready to accept her blame. â€Å"When she dropped off the costumes and gave me the scarf, she asked if I'd let her take a picture to see how the colors photographed. She had some of the other accessories in the car, and I put those on too. She wanted to prove to me that with the right coverage, she could hide my identity. But I never thought†¦ I mean, she didn't say she'd use it. God, I feel so stupid.† Maybe not stupid, but certainly naive. I nearly crumpled up the magazine. I was furious at Lia. Part of me wanted to sue for using a picture of a minor without permission, but we had much bigger problems. How wide was this magazine's circulation? If Lia had only put Jill's photo on display in California, maybe no one would recognize her. Still, a Moroi model could raise eyebrows. Who knows what kind of trouble this was going to cause for us now? â€Å"Sydney, I'm sorry,† said Jill. â€Å"What can I do to fix this?† â€Å"Nothing,† I said. â€Å"Except to stay away from Lia.† I felt ill. â€Å"I'll take care of this.† I really didn't know how, though. I could only pray no one noticed the picture. â€Å"I'll do whatever you need if you think of something. I – oh.† Her eyes lifted to something behind me. â€Å"Maybe we should talk later.† I glanced back. Trey was walking toward us. Another problem to deal with. â€Å"Probably a good idea,† I said. Jill's heartache and publicity would have to go on the back burner. She left as Trey came to stand beside me. â€Å"Melbourne,† he said, attempting one of his old smiles. It faltered a little. â€Å"I didn't know you were still around,† I said. â€Å"I thought you'd left with the others.† The Warriors had scattered to the wind. Trey had said before that they traveled for their â€Å"hunts,† and Master Angeletti had also mentioned gathering from various places of the country. Presumably, they had all returned to where they'd come from. I'd thought Trey would simply disappear as well. â€Å"Nope,† he said. â€Å"This is where I go to school, where my dad wants me to stay. Besides, the other Warriors never had a permanent base here in Palm Springs. They'll move on to wherever†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He couldn't finish, so I did. â€Å"Wherever you get a tip-off about monsters you can brutally execute?† â€Å"It wasn't like that,† he said. â€Å"We thought she was one of the Strigoi. We still do.† I scrutinized his face, this guy I'd thought was my friend. I was pretty sure he still was. â€Å"Not you. That's why you threw the fight.† â€Å"I didn't,† he protested. â€Å"You did. I saw you hesitate when you could have taken out Chris. You didn't want to win. You didn't want to kill Sonya because you weren't sure she really was Strigoi.† He didn't deny it. â€Å"I still think they should all be destroyed.† â€Å"So do I.† I reconsidered. â€Å"Well, unless there's a way to save them all, but that's unclear.† Despite how much I'd said while advocating for Sonya, I wasn't quite comfortable letting him on the secrets and experiments. â€Å"If the Warriors travel around, what'll happen the next time they're in this area? Or even ll.A.? Will you join them again? Will you travel to the next hunt?† â€Å"No.† The answer was hard. Blunt, even. Hope surged in me. â€Å"You've decided to split off from them?† The emotions on Trey's face were hard to read, but they didn't look like happy ones. â€Å"No. They decided to cut us off – me and my dad. We've been outcast.† I stared for a few moments, at a loss for words. I didn't like the Warriors or Trey's involvement, but this wasn't quite what I'd been trying to achieve. â€Å"Because of me?† â€Å"No. Yes. I don't know.† He shrugged. â€Å"Indirectly, I guess. They don't blame you personally or even the Alchemists. Hell, they still want to team up with the Alchemists. They figure you just behaved in your typically misguided way. But me? I'm the one who pushed to let you in, who swore everything would be fine. So, they blame me for the lapse of judgment and fallout that came from it. Others are taking the blame too – the council for agreeing, security for not stopping the raid – but that doesn't make me feel better. Dad and I were the only ones exiled.† â€Å"I†¦ I'm sorry. I never thought anything like that would happen.† â€Å"Wasn't your place to,† he said pragmatically, though his tone was still miserable. â€Å"To a certain extent, they're right. I was the one that got you in. It is my fault, and they're punishing my dad for what I did. That's the worst part of all.† Trey was trying to play it cool, but I could see the truth. He'd worked so hard to impress his father and ended up causing the ultimate humiliation. Trey's next words confirmed as much. â€Å"The Warriors have been my dad's whole life. To be kicked out like that†¦ well, he's taking it pretty badly. I have to find a way to get back in – for him. I don't suppose you know where any easy-to-kill Strigoi are, do you?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Especially since none of them are easy kills.† I hesitated, unsure how to proceed. â€Å"Trey, what's this mean for us? I understand if we can't be friends anymore†¦ seeing as how I, uh, ruined your life's work.† A hint of his old smile returned. â€Å"Nothing's ruined for good. I told you, I'll get back in. And if it's not by killing Strigoi, who knows? Maybe if I learn more about you guys, I can bridge the gap between our groups and get us to all work together. That would score me some points.† â€Å"You're welcome to try,† I said diplomatically. I really didn't think that would happen, and he could tell. â€Å"Well, I'll figure something out then, some big move to get the Warriors' attention and get my dad and me back in with them. I have to.† His face started to fall again, but then there was a brief return of the phantom smile – though it was tinged with sadness. â€Å"You know what else sucks? Now I can't ask Angeline out. Hanging out with you is one thing, but even if I'm an outcast, I can't risk being friendly with Moroi or dhampirs. I especially can't date one. I mean, I'd figured she was one a while ago, but I could have played dumb. That attack in the arena kind of killed any chance of that. The Warriors really don't like them either, you know. Dhampirs or Moroi. They'd love to see them brought down too – they just think it's too hard and less of a priority right now.† Something about those words made me shiver, particularly since I recalled the offhand Warrior comment about eventually taking out Moroi. The Alchemists certainly had no love for dhampirs and Moroi, but that was a far cry from wanting to bring them down. â€Å"I gotta get going.† Trey reached into his pocket and handed over something that I was grateful to see. My phone. â€Å"Figured you were missing this.† â€Å"Yes!† I took it eagerly and turned it on. I hadn't known if I'd get it back and had been on the verge of buying a new one. This one was three months old and practically out-of-date anyway. â€Å"Thanks for saving it. Oh. Wow.† I read the display. â€Å"There are like a million messages from Brayden.† We hadn't spoken since the night of Sonya's disappearance. The mischievous look I liked so well on Trey returned. â€Å"Better get on that then. True love waits for no one.† â€Å"True love, huh?† I shook my head in exasperation. â€Å"So nice to have you back.† That earned me an outright grin. â€Å"See you around.† As soon as I was alone, I texted Brayden: Sorry for the radio silence. Lost my phone for three days. His response was almost immediate: I'm at work, due for a break soon. Come by? I thought about it. Seeing as I had no life-saving tasks right now, this was as good a time as any. I texted back that I'd leave Amberwood right away. Brayden had my favorite latte ready for me when I got to Spencer's. â€Å"Based on when you were leaving, I calculated when I would need to make it in order for it to be hot when you arrived.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said, taking it. I felt a little guilt that I had a greater emotional reaction to seeing the coffee than him. He told the other barista he was going on break and then led me over to a remote table. â€Å"This won't take long,† Brayden said. â€Å"I know you probably have a lot of things to do this weekend.† â€Å"Things are actually starting to lighten up,† I said. He took a deep breath, showing that same resolve and anxiety he'd had when asking me for future dates. â€Å"Sydney,† he said, voice formal, â€Å"I don't think we should see each other anymore.† I stopped mid-sip. â€Å"Wait†¦ what?† â€Å"I know how devastating this probably is for you,† he added. â€Å"And I admit, it's hard for me too. But in light of recent events, it's become clear you just aren't ready for a relationship yet.† â€Å"Recent events?† He nodded solemnly. â€Å"Your family. You've broken off a number of our social engagements to be with them. While that kind of familial devotion is admirable, I just can't be in that kind of volatile relationship.† â€Å"Volatile?† I just kept repeating his key words and finally forced myself to get a grip. â€Å"So†¦ let me get this straight. You're breaking up with me.† He thought about it. â€Å"Yes. Yes, I am.† I waited for some internal reaction. An outpouring of grief. The sense of my heart breaking. Any emotion, really. But mostly, all I felt was kind of a puzzled surprise. â€Å"Huh,† I said. That was apparently enough of a distraught reaction for Brayden. â€Å"Please don't make this harder than it is. I admire you a lot. You're absolutely the smartest girl I've ever met. But I just can't be involved with someone as irresponsible as you.† I stared. â€Å"Irresponsible.† Brayden nodded again. â€Å"Yes.† I'm not sure where it started, somewhere in my stomach or chest, maybe. But all of a sudden, I was consumed by uncontrollable laughter. I couldn't stop. I had to set down my coffee, lest I spill it. Even then, I had to bury my face in my hands to wipe away tears. â€Å"Sydney?† asked Brayden cautiously. â€Å"Is this some kind of hysterical-grief reaction?† It took me almost another minute to calm myself enough to answer him. â€Å"Oh, Brayden. You've made my day. You've given me something I never thought I'd get. Thank you.† I reached for the coffee and stood up. He looked completely lost. â€Å"Um, you're welcome?† I left the coffee shop, still laughing like a fool. For the last month or so, everyone in my life had gone on and on about how responsible I was, how diligent, how exemplary. I'd been called a lot of things. But never, ever, had I been called irresponsible. And I kind of liked it.

Family Violence in New Zealand

Sally washed the dishes and began to dry them. All of a sudden, she heard the door slam. ‘Girl! Where's my food? ‘ the voice yelled. Sally began shaking and hunting frantically for the dish. Her seven year old fingers dropped the plate and it shattered on the floor. Her father stomped into the kitchen and began to threaten to beat her. Think this story is horrifying and unrealistic? Think again. Scenarios like this happen to thousands of children every day. Tens of thousands of children each year are traumatized by physical, sexual, and emotional abusers or by caregivers who neglect them, making child abuse as common as it is shocking.Most of us can’t imagine what would make an adult use violence against a child, and the worse the behaviour is, the more unimaginable it seems. But the incidence of parents and other caregivers consciously, even wilfully, committing acts that harm the very children they’re supposed to be nurturing is a sad fact of human society that cuts across all lines of ethnicity and class. Whether the abuse is from the perpetrator’s mental illness,  substance abuse, or inability to cope, the psychological result for each abused child is often the same: deep emotional scars and a feeling of worthlessness.Statistics show that family violence in New Zealand has increased by 20%. Child, Youth and Family had 66,210 notifications of suspected child abuse involving 47,221 children were received by Child, Youth and Family in 2005 and 2006. Now it has risen to over 130,000 notifications. Woman’s Refuge have been helping between 450–600 families per month and on average 14 woman, 6 men and 10 children are killed each year by a member of their family. Police figures report 9,630 male assaults and female assaults increased nationally by 40% in years up to 2008.Police attended 86,545 Family Violence callouts; there were roughly 200 Family Violence incidents per day one every 7 minutes. Police estimate that on average 18% of Family Violence incidents go unreported and at least 74,785 children and young people present at Family Violence incidents, 84% of those arrested are men and 16% are women. There were 3,105 temporary protection orders and 2,738 final protection orders involving approximately 10,000 children that were made by the Family Court in the year to 30 June 2006. Barnados, Personal communications, August 2012) For children 26 child victims were murdered by men and 15 child victims were murdered by women. Men are responsible for 2/3rds of the deaths of children aged 0 – 14 years and children under one years of age are at a greater risk of being killed Mothers and fathers are equally represented as perpetrators in this age group (The First Report July 2006. ) These statistics on abuse is a serious problem for such a small country. It is horrific to see how many children get abused everyday around our communities, cities and between the North and South Island.Child abuse is becoming a serious problem in New Zealand and is damaging our childs emotional, physical and cognitive development, which can lead to effects later on in life. There should be more advertising on child abuse and more people should speak up to get the help they are needed. Children are our future so we should be protecting them not hurting them. The role of the adult is to protect their children from any harm or dangerous situations and have a safe positive environment for the child to be in.The adult’s role is to care for the child and ensure that their well-being is being met and that they are nutured. Children at a young age are dependent on adults and need the guidance and support which some children are sadly not getting. The adult needs to be a positive role model in the child’s life and communicate with the child in a positive way. The role of the Early childhood educator is to care for and educate the children in their setting. It is your responsibility to k eep these children safe from any harm or possible danger.Early childhood cetres should provide a positive learning environment where the child is encouraged, praised and acknowledged. Educators should support families and help when needed. It is our goal to make a difference in a child’s life and it should be a positive one. This essay will outline who is abused, the children in our society that are particularly vulnerable to abuse and will state the five main types of abuse that are addressed in New Zealand. It will discuss the short term and long term effects of physical, emotional, sexual abuse, neglect and family violence for both children and families.It will discuss the positive and negative effects on a community of a suspected child abuse case and discuss why it is important for children to know how to protect themselves through three strategies. This essay will explain what early childhood teachers should do to protect themselves from allegations when working in an e arly childhood setting and give two examples of two voluntary services in New Zealand which support children who have been abused and support the children and their families these services are Otautahi Refuge and Barnyards.The final part of this essay will evaluate the role of both voluntary and private services in supporting children and their families under pressure these services are Child, Youth and Family and Cholmdeley Children’s Home it will discuss the usefulness and limitations of each service then finally conclude the key aspects. There are four main types of abuse around the world these are emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. There is also a fifth type of abuse in New Zealand which is family violence. Child, Youth and Family, 2011). Every child can be exposed to violence and many children can be vulnerable to abuse. Children In our society that is living with the following factors can be more vulnerable to abuse. A child with a young mother that has a low self-esteem that may have little support and is unable to cope with stress. A parent that has a psychiatric history or mental illness. A child who is living with an unrelated adult, a child that lives in an environment with family violence or the parent or family member has a history of abuse.Other factors can include Excessive use of alcohol, drug taking, poverty, lack of essential resources, the parent has dissatisfaction with the child and is unwanted, social isolation where there is no family support and minimal antenatal care. (Simcock, 2011). Infants and children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable and are at a higher risk of being abused. Babies and under two’s are the most vulnerable of all children, because they are fully dependent on adults to care for them.It is also easier for parents to become isolated at this time because the child may not be in preschool and will not have much contact with the outside world. This can make it harder prof essionals or others to identify when things aren’t quite right. (Child, Youth Family, 2011). Some offenders abuse children because they are attracted to their dependency; this combined with society’s attitude towards disabled people can increase the risk of disabled children and those that have learning difficulties being abused.Children with disabilities are less likely to receive information on abuse and might not understand the inappropriateness of abuse and the difference between good and bad touching. Children with disabilities may receive less affection from family and friends who can make them be more accepting to sexual attention. Children with disabilities are more vulnerable because they could be less likely to tell someone what has happened because of communication disabilities as well as they might not be believed. (Beaver, et al. 2008). There are short term and long term effects that each type of abuse can have on children and families. â€Å"Verbal and p sychological wounds can leave a child forever changed†. (Teach through love, 2012). The effects of emotional abuse are often silent and are often overlooked, unnoticed or confused with other causes. Emotional child abuse, attacks a child's self-concept, the child comes to see him or herself as unworthy of love and affection. The long term effects of child abuse may not be shown until the child is older.Less severe forms of early emotional deprivation still can produce drastic effects of emotional abuse such as babies who will grow into anxious and insecure children who are slow to develop and who may fail to develop a strong sense of self-esteem. (chrome://newtabhttp//www. teach-through-love. com/effects-of-emotional-abuse. html). The long term effect on neglect from poor health show that adults who experienced abuse or neglect during childhood are more likely to suffer from physical ailments such as allergies, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, high blood pressure, and ulcers (Sp ringer, Sheridan, Kuo, & Carnes, 2007).Sexual abuse effects on children and youth can be evident in emotional, physical and behavioural ways. These effects can be just as devastating whether there was only one occurrence or there were repeated occurrences. Sexual abuse cannot be compared, because each abuse experience is unique. When a child is sexually abused she/he learns that adults cannot be trusted for care and protection their well-being is disregarded, and there is a lack of support and protection.Short term effects could include some form of bruising on the child, long term effects can include depression, extreme dependency, inability to judge trustworthiness in others, mistrust, anger and hostility. Children's bodies can often respond to the sexual abuse, bringing on shame and guilt. (chrome://newtabhttp//www. child-abuse-effects. com/sexual-abuse-effects. html). Physical abuse is a behaviour which results in physical harm to a child. Short term effects of physical abuse ma y include unexplained bruises, welts, cuts and abrasions these can be found in unusual places and should be looked out for in case they are a regular occurrence.Short term effects also include burn marks and unexplained fractures or dislocations which can be unusual for a child at a young age. The child may not be able to trust and be fearful of physical contact. (Child, Youth and Family, 2011). Family violence is like a war zone in the family household. It is where children live an in environment characterised by fear, frustration, anger, cruelty and violence. Children that are exposed to family violence can have short term effects this could be when the child develops severe behavioural problems, become violent as adolescents and for long term effects they could continue the cycle of violence. chrome://newtabhttp//www. jigsaw. org. nz/Site/Help/Hot_Topics/family_violence. aspx). Family violence can cause the child to have a low self-esteem, poor academic results when older, and ca n have a fear of developing close relationships. (chrome://newtabhttp//www. jigsaw. org. nz/Site/Help/Hot_Topics/family_violence. aspx). The long terms effects that abuse can have on the family could be that the abuser might not know they are constantly putting the child down and neglecting them, the adult may not see any harm in it.The child might show signs when they are older that they have been emotionally abused and their parents may question why they are acting or have feelings that way. The victim (child) may have no trust in adults and might not be able to form close relationships. The effects of physical and sexual abuse on the family will be if someone notices the child being abused they could report it to the agency for example CYFS (Child, Youth and Family) and the abuser could be charged against and put into jail depending on the seriousness of the abuse.The family will get a name for themselves and the family will be torn apart. (Child, Youth and Family, 2011). Child a buse can affect anyone, even children in your own community. The effects on a suspected child abuse case in the community can have both negative and positive effects. The positive effects are that the community will be aware of what is going on around them and can look out for families that may be vulnerable to abuse â€Å"The more people there are looking out for children, the safer they’ll be† (Child, Youth and Family, pg. 25).The community watch will intervene if needed but will keep a look out to see if there is any unexpected behaviour that should not be occurring. Helpful ways that the community can get involved will be listening and supporting the family, putting them in touch with people that can help. The community could send out brochures or have community group meetings that discuss abuse, what to look out for and if needed where to get help and support from. This will allow the family to feel a sense of support from the community and get the help that is ne eded.The negatives about the community suspecting could be that the family may hear gossip that is going around and feel like they are being named and discriminated against. The family may have a feeling of being ‘judged’ and from that feel isolated from everyone in the community. Children of a young age are often unaware or naive of potential danger and therefore vulnerable to abuse or bullying. Because of this it is important that children know how to protect themselves from abuse, bullying and to be aware when they could be in possible danger.The best way to protect children is to empower them to protect themselves, by doing this they need to feel good about them and then will have a high level of confidence, self-esteem and be assertive therefore making them less vulnerable to abuse and bullying. The childcare practitioner has a professional duty and responsibility to protect the welfare of the children in their care. Children should feel that they are able to come to the childcare practitioner for help and protection, but will only be able to do this once a trusting relationship has been built up between them.The childcare practitioner also has a responsibility to involve the parents in helping children to protect themselves, as the message given to the children needs to be consistent. (Beaver, et al. , 2008). One way that I would teach a child to protect themselves would be through a learning experience that involves how to take care of the babies in the centre. I will demonstrate and role model how to care for the babies by being gentle, bathing them appropriately being calm and feeding them the right foods.I will show them how to correctly hold a baby and have conversations on why you should never drop or shake a baby. From this experience children will develop awareness of what is appropriate and what is inappropriate and if you have a strong relationship with the child they may approach you and say that it’s not the way their youn ger siblings are being treated at home, this will then lead to questioning of abuse. Hide and seek is not only just a game but it can be used to prevent children from family violence, physical and sexual abuse.As a practitioner you can talk to the children about being in an uncomfortable situation for example if there is a lot of yelling or someone being hit in the household or if you ever feel unsafe to run and hide under their bed or lock themselves in the bathroom if there is a lock on the door and not to come out until it is safe. This is a hard strategy to tell children because you do not want to scare or upset the children so you have to say it in a relaxed way. This can help prevent the child from the abuser or witnessing any forms of abuse.Another strategy that I can teach would be teaching the children about their body parts and what is appropriate to touch and what is inappropriate to touch. This is a hard subject to address because you could explain to the children that n o one other than someone they trust can touch their ‘private’ areas for example when nappy changing and washing but other than that they should not touch them. â€Å"Your body is your own†. (Finkelhor, D. pg. 59, 2007). Teaching children that their body is their own and that no one can touch it without permission.Establishing open and direct communication at a very early age about sexuality and â€Å"private body parts†, using the correct names for genitals and other parts of the body, will help children understand what is and what is not allowed for adults in contact with them. This will also help them recognise embarrassing or abusive behaviour. To teach this to children I could use a board story of the body and get the children to identify each part and whether it is okay for other children and adults they don’t trust to touch them there or not, this could allow conversations to start and the children may ask questions. Finkelhor, D. 2007). Safe and unsafe touching. Teach children the difference between safe/appropriate and unsafe/inappropriate touching. Tell children it is not okay if someone looks at or touches their private parts or asks them to look at or touch someone’s private parts, and that inappropriate touches are wrong and against the law. If they are not sure whether someone else’s behaviour towards them is acceptable, make sure they know to ask a trusted adult for help. (Finkelhor, D. 2007).Early childhood teachers need to protect themselves when working in an early childhood setting to protect ourselves from allegations of child abuse. Centres should have a set of policies and procedures set in place so that parents, caregivers and whanau can view these at any time. If a child has an accidental injury it must be recorded in a book stating what happened, how you fixed it and ensure that it is signed by a witness. If a child makes false allegations against you, record the dates and time it was said and get another adult to witness if it is possible.If a child touches a teacher inappropriately, record what happened and let another adult know what happened. When you go on school trips ensure that you have enough staff for ratios. As a teacher you need to make sure you don’t place yourself in a position where you are spending a huge amount of time alone with one child this could lead to assumptions. (Beaver, et al. , 2008). If you are an early childhood teacher in a home based setting, never take a child into your bedroom or take children in the car by yourself unless you have that trust with the parent/caregiver.When changing a child’s nappy, clothing and bathing ensure that there is someone with you, most centres have see-through windows in there toileting area. When it comes toileting never wipe a child’s bottom when they are capable of doing it for themselves, avoid going on your own to the toilet with children. Keep in mind of how and where you touch a child. If a child is really young or disabled consider a cushion for your lap when they sit on your knee. If a child hugs you or kisses you be careful if it extends.If you are going out of the room with a child for example to the store room to help get paint make sure you tell another teacher or adult where you’re going and make sure you are not out there for a long period of time. Early childhood teachers need to ensure that they follow these procedures in order to protect themselves. (Beaver, et al. , 2008). Otautahi woman’s refuge is a community based, voluntary organisation that have been operating since 1989 with the purpose of supporting whanau Maori to escape family violence and move towards wellbeing.Otautahi empower and support whanau Maori and communities who choose a free life from violence and abuse in all forms. Otautahi have a safe house which is primarily for Female Maori and tamariki who are involved or in immediate family violence situations this allow s the family to be safe from harm, confidential and supervised at all times, Otautahi also have outreach support to both perpetrator and victim. They provide a 24hour seven days a week support

Argumentative Essay : Fighting The Cost Of College Tuition

Fighting the cost of college tuition is a hot topic these days. As long as I can remember, tuition has always been a reason why most people don 't pursue their bachelor’s or even associate degree. Today 's society has changed students are fighting for grants, financial aid, and even loans to pay through school. In order to be financially comfortable in the 15th century a college education is a must. It is an everyday battle getting financial support from a college’s administration. Colleges need to be more affordable, obtaining funds less stressful, and colleges must enact policies that condone these principles. According to the New York Times article by Steve Cohen, the soaring cost of college a 1,225 percent increase since 1978, nearly twice the rate of the rise in health care costs is such a problem for most families that politicians across the board are actually taking notice. The main people that are affected by the tuition increase are middle-class families. Beca use low-income and middle class families rely heavily on government scholarship and private loans to pay through school. On average, students are graduating with more than $50,000 in loan obligations, and parents often have to borrow even more money. The interest rates on private loans are higher than an average car loan, and each year the interest just increases. I believe there is a simple solution for all this, colleges should offer tuition deferment, offering alternative to traditional loan programs letting students defer up to 80 percent of the cost of attending school. Such as tuition, room, board, and fee and they have up to 30 years more or less. By doing so it gives the parents a peace of mind, and it gives the student enough time ill benefit the whole nation, it will offer more government sponsored programs such as, Pell Grants to students. It will also balance the income gap between those with a college education and those without. Companies are trying to build their work force with skilled employees by offering to pay for a higher education. Companies understand it will be cheaper to pay an employee to get an education than hire a new grad. To motivate employees many companies are requires a Masters degree in order to move up in management. The number of people graduating High School each year is increasing, but the number of college graduates is decreasing due to cost. The wage gap between a bachelor’s degree and high school diploma is dramatically different; because of getting a higher education is so expensive individual decide to start working right from high school regardless of pay.

R.V. Martin (Anthony Edward (2001) ECWA Crim 2245; Q.B1 Case (Critic) Essay

R.V. Martin (Anthony Edward (2001) ECWA Crim 2245; Q.B1 Case (Critic) - Essay Example The jury could convict the defendant if self-defence evidence presented by the defendant raised doubts or the fact that Mr, Martin had used excessive force. The manslaughter charge that Mr. Martin faced would mean the defendant is believed to have used excessive force then the sentence would not be a life imprisonment. Then this would mean that the jury did not believe the defendants defence of having acted on self-defence. The facts that led to, the sentencing of Mr. Martin is knowledge that Mr. Martin used his firearm, yet he knew he was entitled to possessing it. The jury strongly believe that the although it is true that the two men who broke into Mr. Martins house intended to commit a burglary, Mr. martin was entitled to use reasonable force yet he used excessive force when he shot the 16 year old dead and left the other seriously injured. According to the jury Mr. Martin did not act reasonably in both of the cases. The judge in passing the sentence took into consideration the f rustration that Mr, Martin felt at the event of the Burglary as well as the medical report presented by his doctor. The court put into account the situation threat Mr. Martin faced, but it also pointed out that a dangerous weapon was not to be used in the manner that Mr. Martin used during the night of the Burglary. According to Almandras, she points out that the law states clearly that a householder may be liable in civil law or criminal law or in both if he is found to have used unwarranted force in opposition to a burglar or trespasser resulting to the death of the intruder or injury. Matters raised during Mr. Martin’s case suggest that any householder who kills or injuries a burglar will have a complete defence. The defendant is acquitted if he used was reasonable force and this must prove to be in defence of himself or another in the prevention of a crime (2011. p.1). The principal issue raised by conservatives is the measure of reasonable force, which they argue, should be proven, and the householders would not face prosecution unless their action is proven grossly disproportionate. However, democrats support the view that the current law was reliable and did not require a change. In the case, of Mr. Martin Almandras observes that the accused Mr. Martin had experienced several break ins. Mr. Martin had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the police response. On the night of the burglary, Mr. Martin shot onto the two burglars with an unlicensed gun. During his appeal, Mr. Martin presented fresh psychiatric evidence showing that, he was suffering from a long personal disorder. However, the court still ruled that the Mr. Martins state of mind was irrelevant to the purpose of self-defence. The psychiatric evide

The Palliative Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The Palliative Care - Essay Example Palliative care may be achieved by offering psychological, physical, and spiritual relief for the patient. In the United Kingdom, palliative care services are not only applied to the end of life patients but are also increasingly widely used in the management of incurable diseases alongside other medical procedures such as diagnosis and treatment. This is particularly attributed to the growing empirical evidence suggesting that the cost –efficacy of palliative care significantly outweighs attempts at disease cure, with regard to quality of life for both the patient and the family. The provision of palliative care is often affected by a number of external influences such as pathways, government policies and agendas and hospice availability as well as internal influences some of which may include psychological and physical aspects of the patients or their families. Other internal factors may also include the knowledge of the caregivers regarding the principles and practices of palliative care, attitudes of the caregiver on life and death and support from relatives and family members. This paper is based on a case study of Mrs. Janet, an end of life cancer patient who was admitted in a hospital in the United Kingdom 28 years after her initial diagnosis of cervical cancer (see Appendix A). The case study analysis attempts to highlight some of the potential external influences that may have directly influenced her end-of-life care, as well as the strategies applied by concerned practitioners in facilitating the delivery of palliative care services of the required quality. In addition, the present case analysis also seeks to critically evaluate the variable factors, including the social, physical, and psychological factors, together with their respective impacts on the experience of the client in relation to the provided palliative care. There exist a diverse number of factors that influence the end-of-life palliative care provided to patients with life-limiting health conditions. In the case study, Mrs. Janet’s end of life care is likely to be directly influenced by external factors such as such as cultural factors, care pathways, government policies and agendas and hospice availability.

Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contract Law - Essay Example Since Standard Contracts display an inherent certainty, they leave no scope for ambiguity. The Supplier who has made the Standard Contract (Employers, Banks, Investors and other such people) can impose their own clauses. They impose their own clauses and are adamant about any proposed change by the client. What makes provisions in agreements â€Å"standard† is the failure of the client to negotiate them and the willingness of those artists to accept such an off-putting reply that something is â€Å"standard.† ( IVAN HOFFMAN, B.A., J.D.) There are of course many provisions that should be included in any thorough agreement even though many of those provisions and their internal components remain fully negotiable. But at the very least, money points, royalties, advances, reserves should be considered as fully fair game in all deals. Other agreed terms, whilst not mandatory, have been subject to agreement between the negotiating parties nationally and should not therefore n eed amending in any way at local level. There are only a small number of terms which will be particular to each practice and which will need to be tailored to reflect the agreement. In the present scenario there is precious little that the client can do. There are not too many legal instruments could be provided to the client against the supplier, who has prepared the Standard Contract. As a rule, the standard conditions are valid in most circumstances.

Service firm Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Service firm Management - Essay Example One, because professional services in business have increasingly become very important. Additionally, businesses require professional service firms in their efforts to attract and retain employees, motivate them, and give the knowledge they require (Rose & Robinson). The main concern of this article is to show how leading professional service firms are managed to overcome their challenges and still emerge profitable. Rose and Robinson affirm that by performing the best does not mean they do not have challenges; it only portrays how they effectively manage their challenges. He tries to list some of the key challenges faced by these firms such as staff satisfaction, client service balancing and partner profitability. Moreover they need to provide insights on things like leverage (partners’ ratio to fee-earners) and analyzing how busy the fee earners are (Rose & Robinson). This article emphasizes the importance of creating a favorable environment for both employees and clients in a company. According to Rose, personal engagement is the most appropriate way to lead a professional service firm. As a manager, one needs to be fully engaged in the company in order to realize good results. In a service company like this, its performance is not evaluated by the amount of products produced but rather the quality of services that it offers. As a manager of a service industry, one is required to be in constant assessment of the customers and employees needs (Rose & Robinson). The manager should device ways of getting feedback from the customers on the services offered. In addition, the manager should also be in close contact with the employees; asking them what they feel about the firm and be ready to incorporate their views to the running of the company. Another factor of good management is staff motivation. Rose & Robinson first highlight the main importance of recruiting competent individuals to the firm and then explain how creating a good environment for them