Critical Thinking Paper

Thinking and Decision Making Paper University of Phoenix MGT/350 December 13, 2010 Cyndie Shadow Critical thinking and decision making are more related than people know. Critical thinking affects the way people think, the way people live, and the decision they make. Good decision making is the backbone of sound management. This paper will analyze the three different types of thinking styles. Also, this paper will provide you with critical thinking and decision making processes by discussing workplace examples that highlight each of the three different types of thinking. The three different types of thinking are scientific, creative, and persuasive. After reading this paper learning more about critical thinking and decision making you will then have a better understanding of their relationship. This paper should provide you with the benefits of both critical thinking and decision making both personally and professionally. Persuasive Thinking Persuasive thinking is the thought process that is trying to influence someone to accept a message (Kirby & Goodpastor,  2007). This type of thinking is extremely too difficult to master, but when done well can be very effective. The main points to consider when using this type of thinking an individual must understand; human nature, emotions, and think carefully before attempting to get someone to accept a message. An individual must also be aware of the time and the place the message is being communicated, and understands his or her involvement in the message it’s self. Most important, the message being conveyed must be understood, the audience, and the audiences’ values. A thinker that can understand all of these complex pieces of persuasive thinking will be successful at getting the people they are attempting to persuade to accept his or her message. Scientific Thinking Scientific thinking and the scientific method have been a part of problem solving and communication since before the modern era. The scientific method has four specific steps used in the thinking process. The first is observation, and brainstorming the causes and effects of a certain situation or phenomenon. This is the beginning of thinking. The second step to the scientific method is hypothesis, a tentative statement about the relationship between two variables, usually in the form of a prediction (Kirby & Goodpastor,  2007). The hypothesis is similar to an educated guess that formulates the experiment. Experimentation is the third step of the scientific method. This is necessary to test the hypothesis and determine the correct cause and effect through various types of research. The final step of the scientific method is verification, or the analysis of data to see if that data supports or disputes the hypothesis. If the hypothesis is not supported the communication was incorrect somewhere and needs to be restarted at step one. Creative Thinking According to â€Å"VirtualSalt, 2010† Creative Thinking is the ability to imagine or invent something new. Unlike Persuasive thinking, Creative thinking is much easier to master. It is basically taking your own ideas and sharing that information into an objective. Anyone can think creatively, in fact, much of everyone’s thinking is some form of creatively. A person only thinks of creativity as a gift or skill, but a person could learn creative techniques from a teacher. Creativity starts with brainstorming. Brainstorming allows the mind to flow from thought to thought. Being creative is a benefit of having fun. There’s five creative methods in creative thinking process which are; evolution, synthesis, revolution, reapplication, and changing direction. Many organization work effectively together by using each other’s strengths, rather than punishing each other because of their difference. Our creativity can generate an astonishing amount of material, and creativity is involving continually in all areas of our thinking (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). Compare and Contrast Creative thinking, scientific thinking, and persuasive thinking have many similarities. Although they share similar traits, these thinking styles are also different from each other. A few of the similarities between these three thinking styles are that they all play an important role in critical thinking and commonly used in the decision making process to reach a solution. Creative thinking is when something new is created due to an individual’s thoughts. Many people use creative thinking in their daily routine which helps in tackling complex Creative thinking can be challenging at times as people don’t realize when they use this style. Creative thinking is one of the first steps of the critical thinking process however it can be used at any time during the process. Creative thinking is used in many situations such as creating a new product, creating a schedule, or even dealing with children. Without creative thinking there wouldn’t be consistence and frequent growth in new inventions. Unlike creative thinking, scientific thinking is a more serious thinking style. Scientific thinking is one of the most reliable types of thinking. It is also used by a lot of people in all areas of their everyday lives. There are four major steps in scientific thinking and at the end of that process we may be able to reach a persuasive conclusion. And last but not least is persuasive thinking. Persuasive thinking is when individual’s can encourage others to share their thoughts. Persuasive thinking is used by many people in their everyday lives however most people are not aware of it. We are more likely to be persuaded by someone who is knowledgeable, objective, rational, honest, attractive, convinced, similar to us, and by someone who appeals to our values, ours needs, and our wants (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). Unlike the scientific thinking process the persuasive structure process has five steps. These five steps are very important when using persuasion. Another thing that plays an important role in persuasive thinking is the audience. The audience’s demographics, their values, and their needs are very important when it comes to persuasion. Critical thinking is a very complex subject to break down and be able to fit the ideas in a few paragraphs. Any action that leads to a reaction by humans requires some form of critical thinking process and be able to judge the outcome of the reaction created. Scientific, persuasive and creative styles of thinking are a process within the critical thinking map. These are styles that simply help mitigate risks. Scientific styles plays an important role in critical thinking as it could either be a start of an idea, or there could be some form of scientific style that plays an important role when the thought has matured, or it could be the ultimate solution to the thought. This style is used for effectiveness and being able to prove the impacts of these thoughts. Creative style helps in the exploration of a critical thought. This style helps in thinking outside the box and molds us to think of alternate solutions. Thinking about open ended questions is a very crucial part of this style. This helps the mind explore into unknown territories. This style can be used in the day to day routines in personal and professional lives. Decorating a home to creating a PowerPoint presentation requires this style. Creative style also helps in building, developing and creating a short term and long term vision of the thought. In the corporate environment this style has become very popular and employers have given this style quite an importance. For e. g. Google has a very lengthy interview process where one of the interviews is all about how creative you are and whether or not you are able to come up with a solution with this style. They are not looking for a right or wrong answer but is able to test and reason their creative thoughts on the given problem. The last but not the least is the persuasive style. This style requires expertise and the ability to gain confidence of your audience to convince them about your message. One may have a brilliant thought, but not being able to persuade your audience can cause a huge problem. There may be finances involved with your thought but not being able to effectively convince your audience on how, the thought remains a thought. Persuasive style requires some scientific and some creative thinking as these go hand in hand. For e. g. There is a software idea that helps resolve the needs of a sales team. In order to prove this idea, scientific and creative thinking can help in the building blocks to the software. The next step is to be able to prove this idea and this requires persuasiveness. The need to connect with your audience and at the end of the day be able to persuade and convince them to buy the software for their sales team. Conclusion Thinking is something that everyone does on daily basis. This paper described the persuasive, creative, and scientific thinking styles that could be used by an individual or group to determine the best solution for a given problem. One thinking style may work in a particular situation while another is best for a different situation entirely. Each individual is different and therefore has a thinking style that works best for them in a given situation. Understanding each thinking style and selecting the style that best suits the individual is the key to finding the best possible decision. References Kirby, G. R. & Goodpaster, J. R. (2007). Thinking (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Kirby, G. , & Goodpastor, J. (2007). Thinking: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Critical and Creative Thought. Retrieved from  https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC. aspx? assetdataid=d714d42b-a9b3-4644-abe2-bd0499f8f9ca&assetmetaid=8b8803a8-2bba-48b1-be11-f0f4106b8920. Virtualsalt, 2010 retrieved on December 13, 2010 from http://www. virtualsalt. com/crebook1. htm

Is Mayella a Victim or Criminal Essay

The norms of society are infectiously pervasive. Sometimes it’s these norms, which don’t let the society appreciate the potential it has causing the innocent victims of society to turn into criminals. It is not just the society which plays a role in creating criminals in fact family and home life is quite influential as well. We notice this when Mayella a nineteen-year-old commits the unspeakable crime of accusing a black man of a rape- who is completely innocent. Even though this event may portray Mayella as a criminal and a racist being, but Mayella herself is a victim of society’s prejudice thinking, her family, and, loneliness. In the city of Maycomb the Ewells have always been looked down on and considered white trash. The Ewells are neither accepted by white people due to their social standing nor black people who disassociate themselves with the Ewells because they are white. Mayella, being different from the other Ewells, wants to experience the world outside of the filth she lives in: â€Å"Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums.† The germaniums suggest that Mayella desires to be better than her surroundings, to aspire to higher things. Another reason as to why she immediately seizes her chance to finally access the privileges of white womanhood after years of living among pigs. She is someone who does not want her identity to be associated with the Ewells. However, at the end of the day society does not see Mayella for who she is but instead a Ewell. Society’s norm leaves Mayella completely lonely and isolated, so her attraction to Tom Robinson is a consequence of this seclusion. Due to her mother’s absence, Mayella being the oldest of the eight children is forced to look after the younger Ewell children, since Bob is out drinking up his relief check. Her relationship with her father is incestuous and abusive, but she doesn’t have anywhere to go or anyone to help her. However when she is approached, pitied, and helped by Tom Robinson, she craves him. But what she really feels is happiness of being with someone in hope of receiving the love she has been deprived of. Her decision to falsely accuse Tom Robinson of rape is certainly a horrendous  act, but she no doubt was forced to do so by her father, Bob, to cover the fact that he beat her himself. The only reason she begins to employ the same low, underhanded tactics of persuasion as her father is for her own safety. Loneliness is the main reason why Mayella throws herself on Tom Robinson. Being a young teen girl she has been through many hardships raising her siblings, enduring her father’s beatings, and having her mother snatched from her at a very young age. Like any girl at this age she dreams that her perfect man will come and take her away from this filth she is living in and give her all the love she has been deprived of however, she doesn’t understand that this is her misconception and in real life nothing like this will happen. But without the right guidance and love she will be keep hurting herself by putting herself through all this exploitation. She seeks this love because she gets from nowhere else, as her mother has passed away, her dad is an alcoholic, and she has no friends. She may be a criminal for accusing Tom Robinson for something he hasn’t done but she herself is also a victim of the society, her family, and loneliness. But it’s these experiences that urged her to become a criminal. She was also a mockingbird who got exposed to the cruelty of the world causing her to kill another mockingbird.

Project Management Recommendation Essay

Dear Mr. Gritsch: In continuation of your email dated February 10, 2014, I have completed analysis of three projects: Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer. The risk levels in Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer are low, medium, and high respectively. It is in the best interest of Piper Industries Corporation to move forward with the Stargazer project. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. My feasibility study focused on Return on Investment (ROI), length of project, risk level and overall benefit to Piper Industries. See below for the results. Juniper: Return on Investment (ROI): 77% or $250,000 for a period of 2 to 3 years Length of project: Uncertain Risk of completion on time: Low Overall benefit: Enhancement of current product, increased product demand Palomino: Return on Investment (ROI): 69% or $450,000 for a period of 5 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: Medium Overall benefit: New product, use of existing technology, custom part, constant demand Stargazer: Return on Investment (ROI): 278% or $1,600,000 for a period of 3 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: High Overall benefit: Research & Development of a new product, market leader, project in-progress Five Phases of a Project: A project can have any number of phases depending on how you break it down. A project for land reclamation in dump site would probably have three phases such as: 1. Facility Decommissioning Phase 2. Waste removal phase 3. Landscaping Phase. While a project involving the building of a new factory may contain four phases such as: 1. Environmental Impact Assessment Phase 2. Design Phase 3. Construction Phase 4. Commissioning Phase. It is therefore assumed that what is been referred to here as five phases of a project is what is known in project management as process groups. The following phases / process groups will be used to complete the project: 1. Project conception and initiation The conception of the project is that the project is a new line widget product including enhancements through the use of existing technology. The initiation of this project will be upon the approval of the project by the CEO. 2. Project definition and planning Stage two of the project is making a project plan. The project plan will be completed by the project team with the consultation of the technicians and experts. The project plan will be in writing and will be well defined. 3. Project launch or execution The project plans and task will be discussed amongst all team members and the task will be divided among the project team. 4. Project performance and control The project manager will be the leader of the project. His or her task will be to monitor performance and control. All project team members are responsible in evaluating each other and helping the team to perform better together. 5. Project close The project will be closed only upon completion of the project, evaluation of the project, and client approval of the project. Key deliverables associated with the selected project: If after the Estimated Budget at Completion of $575,000 is spent and the  product is developed as specified in the project plan, then the project would have met the substantial product deliverable. Secondly, if the Piper Industries Corporation is able to deliver the product within 12 months, the company would have met the project schedule deliverable.

The Truth About God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Truth About God - Essay Example Scientists have also their own understanding of God. In tandem with this assertion, the paper aims at providing diverse understanding of God by the Christians, as well as non-Christians. In addressing this, the paper will expound on what the Bible says about God, the views of renowned Ellen White, and the views of non-Christians. According to Christians, as portrayed in the Bible, there is one God. For instance, in the book of Mark 12:29, 32-34 as expounded by Clayton (3) Jesus explained on the existence of only God with one kingdom. In relation to this, Clayton (3) claims that 1 Corinthians 8:4 warns people against offering sacrifices to idols since there is only one God. According to Clayton, God is the Father of all things. This is also evidenced in 2 Corinthians 1:3 that defines God as not only the Father of Jesus Christ, but also the Father of mercies, as well as comfort (Clayton 5). Christians believe that God of Jesus Christ is the Father of glory. According to them, the same God is their God and gives unto them the spirit of wisdom. Apart from considering God as the source of the spirit of wisdom, Christians also understand that God dwells in heaven. Christians believe God has a throne that is heaven. It is from this throne that God looks at all His creation as well as supervises the activities in heaven. The position of God in heaven correlates His role in human life. He has power to control all the happenings in the whole world since there is none above Him. In relation to this, Christians believe that God is authoritative. He is the one that gave Angle Michael the authority of directing the Israelites in the wilderness (Clayton 8). Christians also believe that God uses His son and the spirit to guide them in life. In tandem with this, it is apparent that Christians know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who intercedes for them in heaven. According to Christians, God is very caring. This is evidenced by

Educational policy reform Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Educational policy reform - Assignment Example This education policies undermined women contrary to their belief of upholding respect for women. Reforms made on the education sector has seen women education being overseen by the ministry of education and the educational policies support educational equality in opportunities for both women and men. The ministry is also sending women to further their education abroad which has resulted in increased number of Saudi women in leadership. This article explores the transition of women education form traditional to current reforms which promote education for women and the significant achievements this has had on the society in general (Amani, 2005). This issue contrast and compares to the educational situation in New Jersey which is my immediate environment. New Jersey has not experienced the extreme cases of discrimination against the education of women. The educational reform policies maintain that all the students should have equal access to educational facilities and resources and also provide suitable services and instruction to English Language Learners. This is provided for by the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA). To be EEOA compliance, educational institutions are required to provide adequate and timely evaluation of the learning outcomes of all English Language Learners, provide quality instruction and services and observing and recording of their academic improvement. However, a review was done on a section of the Bound Brook New Jersey School District which indicated that there were several concerns regarding integration of the English Language Learners into the schools mainstream as thus they were discriminated on the compliance issue above. While there are cases of racial segregation, there has not been any reported cases of gender segregation. In the US, the education policy had been distributive at their inception where the teachers and educational institutions were

Ethics and the ASCE Report Card for Americas Infrastructure Assignment

Ethics and the ASCE Report Card for Americas Infrastructure - Assignment Example This is compounded with infringement into the local cultures while executing construction projects (McAnally 75). Another critical ethical concern is failure of imported technology to conform to socio-economic policies of the local industries. This pertains particularly to international regulations on patents which suppress the progressive socio-economic strategy of developing economies. Competitive strategies of civil engineering firms to adopt common language and use the same in foreign assignments have a significant ethical drawback. This has to do with foreign engineering using their language which may not be effective to the locals and the consequence is skewed decision making. For instance, Civil engineers from firms that use English as common language are likely to dominate project evaluation and monitoring process and make the locals to shy aware hence limiting participatory decision making as far as the interests of the local community is concerned. This has led to environme ntal degradation, disregard of cultural norms which amounts to unethical consequences of globalization in civil engineering. ASCE maintains transparency and accountability of the engineers in various locations of their assignments. Since one of the ethical codes is to serve humanity, involvement of the local community in foreign assignment is facilitated through use of interpreters and participatory decision making which must incorporate input of local community. Another approach towards remedying this problem by ASCE code of ethics emphasizes involvement of the local engineers to link the foreigners with the host community (McAnally 77). However, it is worth to note that ASCE code of ethics has standardized rules on projects execution procedures which at times clash with the local legal framework. United States is considered the powerhouse of ultra-modern technology and offers the best civil engineering

Paolo's Pizza Parlour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Paolo's Pizza Parlour - Essay Example In our situation, the offer of Gino was to sell the next consignment of salami to Paolo. He did not say that he is offering his current supply of goods or the goods, which are already in his possession. It could be that the goods are still to be acquired subject to the acceptance of Paolo of the offer to sell by Gino. The fact that Marco informed Palo that Gino sold all his salami to the owner of the Italian Restaurant is of no consequence. The offer to sell is between Gino and Paolo and Marco has no legal part in it. My advice to Paolo would be to go on accepting the offer of Gino as agreed. The fact that he is given until Friday to communicate his acceptance of the offer, he can avail of such time. On the part of Gino, the acceptance of Paolo is biding upon him since he did not withdraw his offer to sell before the time it was accepted. Situation 2 gives us a picture of an employee-employer relationship and a promise to give extra pay for the services rendered by the employee. Paolo offered Alfonso a bonus if there pizza can be delivered on time. Alfonso accepted the offer and he worked extra hours to get the job done and the pizza delivered on time. However, Paolo refused to honour his promise on the claim that the services performed by Alfonso is within the normal course of business for which he is paid for. Is Paolo right? Under the GUARANTEE PAYMENTS PL724 (Rev 2), the normal working hours should be clear from an employees written statement of employment particulars taken together with any relevant collective agreement. They may include overtime hours, where the contract of employment requires both the employee to work them and the employer to provide and pay for overtime work. Under normal circumstances, the employee and the employer agree a specific number of hours when the employee may render services for the salary given by the employer. Such activities include the normal business transaction of the employer. Following the facts of the

Michael Kors Business Strategy and Policy Essay

Michael Kors Business Strategy and Policy - Essay Example The paper tells that the vision of Michael Kors has taken the company from American luxury sportswear house to a merchandise of global accessories, and footwear with the presence in over 74 countries. The company has exceptional experienced sales momentum with a clear trajectory for important future growth. This has made Michael Kors a highly recognized brand of luxury lifestyle in North America and has led to an improving awareness in the international markets. The company has successfully expanded over the years beyond apparel into accessories that include small leather goods, handbags, jewelry, eyewear, watches, and footwear. Introduced in 1981 in the fashion industry, Michael Kors Company reflects the luxury pinnacle and establishes authority in aesthetics in the entire brand and makes the cornerstone of the company runaway shows. The collections of Michael Kors Company are available in many retail shops and other department stores in the world and are subjected to international competition in offering accessories in the industry. In spite of the cut-throat competition in the design market and fashion industry, Michael Kors Company has remained a world celebrated designer. In the analysis of Michael Kors’s business strategy in the fashion industry through the Porters Five Forces Model, we will consider the following competitive forces of the company: Threat of entry by emerging or new competitors Intensity of rivalry among the competitors Pressure from the available substitute products Supplier bargaining power Bargaining power of customers These five forces in the Porters Model taken together provide insight into the competitive position of Michael Kors Company in the fashion industry as well as its profitability Rivals in the fashion industry are the existing competitors in the market. These are the competitors that Michael Kors faces in the fashion industry which may drive profits to even zero. Rivalry can be weak in the industry with the small nu mber of competitors that do not aggressively compete. Rivalry can also be intense where there are a large number of competitors who fight in a cutthroat environment. In the case of the Fashion industry, some of the factors that affect the intensity of rivalry among the existing competitors include the number of replica handbags of from Michael Kors by other firms and this will lead to intensive competition. The fixed costs and the high percentage of fixed costs in the total costs of Fashion industry demand that the company sells more accessories in order to cover for such costs, hence increasing the competition in the market. In addition, Fashion industry needs  to practice product differentiation because similar products in the market will basically compete on the price basis, and therefore identification of brand reduces rivalry. Among the features of competitive advantage is the barrier to entry into the fashion industry. The fashion industry has very high barriers to entry suc h as the fake Prada china handbags because the prices are normally very expensive for the newly established firms such as authentic designer handbags to gain entry. On the other hand, where the fashion industry has minimal barriers to entry such as Louis Vuitton handbags are cheap relatively for new firms to enter.

European Currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Currency - Essay Example To reflect on the future of the European currency, it is necessary to consider first steps to the European Monetary Union; the reasons of occurrence, problems of creation and functioning of new model of the European currency system. "In its 1990 White Paper, the European Commission argued that deeper economic links would be a major goal of EMU, and many observers accept the view that the elimination of exchange rate risk and the lowering of transaction costs will indeed deliver more integration" (Wyplosz, 2001: 9). It is necessary to understand what we should expect from euro in the future, whether it can make a competition to dollar in the world currency markets, and may be even to replace it as a reserve currency in many countries. Interest to the given questions is caused by the point that introduction of new currency has no analogues not only in the Europe, but also all over the world. The given event needs to be considered as movement aside bipolar world currency system that creates preconditions for redistribution of forces on a global scale. On January, 1st, 1999 within the limits of the European union (EU) are created the European Economic and Monetary Union and the uniform currency for the member-states of European Economic and Monetary Union named euro, which during the certain period of time has replaced national currencies of the corresponding countries. This event is natural, rather important and in the certain sense the closing stage in the development of the West-European integration process, the beginning to which was put with the Treaty of Rome signed on March, 25th, 1957 on creation of the European Economic Community ("the Common Market") in structure of six countries: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Since then the process of integration in the Europe, despite of considerable difficulties and contradictions in general successfully developed as in breadth (with 6 up to 15 countries), and in depth (in direction to an overall objective - to formation of uniform economic space, in wh ich it would be carried out, irrespective of national borders, free movement of the goods, capitals and people, and in which would operate equal for all subjects of economic activities conditions of competition). The principle of the Common Market, on which the European Economic Community was based, assumes for the free movement of the goods and the capital if not the general currency, but at least significant stability of rates of exchange. Instability of rates of exchange did conditions of competition uncertain and for this reason destabilized trade relations. Besides, stabilization of rates of exchange is necessary for coordination of economic policy of the Union member-states. EMU, the decision on which creation was accepted on December, 5th 1978 has started to operate on March, 13th, 1979. It included Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, and the Great Britain, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg have joined later. EMU establishes the base for measuring costs, intended to become money - European Currency Unit (ECU), and a system of stable, but ordered rates of exchange between the countries of European Economic Community. "The rapid development of the ECU in private markets had been a surprise. By March 1986, European banks held ECU assets worth 61 billion and ECU bonds of 7 billion. Private banks also had established a

Comparing Classic Folktales Essay Example for Free

Comparing Classic Folktales Essay Before reading and writing were common practice; history was told in the form of legend; fiction was told in the form of myth; and lessons about life were taught to children through folktales and fables. Folktales not only served a role in teaching children, but often helped define the common themes of life in general for that particular culture. Most folktales have a specific message which they try to portray through symbolism, writing style, and plot. Many folktales from different cultures are very similar and present the same main ideas and messages. Today folktales are popular mostly as a way of teaching morals and life lessons. They are often compilations, or illustrated books made for children. Two popular folktales that are very similar are, Frans Timmerman’s, â€Å"The Frog and the Fox† and a story we all know, originally from the book, Aesop’s Fables, â€Å"The Tortoise and the Hare†. In the folktale, â€Å"The Tortoise and the Hare† Aesop masterfully demonstrates what we all consider to be a classic folktale. The story begins with a hare who makes boastful claims about how swift he is, and how no animals could run faster than he could. The hare teases a tortoise for his slowness; the tortoise, annoyed by the hare’s claims, agrees to a race that they plan the next day. The next morning the hare comes to the race half asleep and unprepared. Hare sees how slow tortoise is and decides to take a nap. When he awakes, he notices tortoise is only one third of the way through the course, and decides to have a quick breakfast. The meal made hare sleepy and seeing tortoise was not yet half done with the course, hare decided to take another quick nap. The hare oversleeps and tortoise wins the race against the boastful, overconfident hare. Aesop’s story can be related to by people all over the world and many cultures have adopted the story. Today it is pu blished in over thirty languages, and sells in bookstores worldwide. A lesser known American writer named Frans Timmerman has a remarkably similar story that was published in 1911. The story is about a frog, he is in the jungle minding his own business when a fox passes by. The fox makes fun of the frog because he is such a strange specimen; she asks how frog is able to move about with one long pair of legs, and one short one. The fox is very amused when frog tells her that he is the fastest frog in the whole jungle. The fox is almost insulted when frog thinks he can beat her in a race, and begins to boast about her speed and running skills. They plan to have the race the next day, and set up a course through the jungle. The next day the frog and the fox meet with a friend, duck, and get ready to race. When the race begins frog jumps onto the tail of fox and holds on while fox sprints as fast as she can. Fox does not notice the small frog on her tail and already believes she has won the race. As fox approaches the finish line, frog makes a mighty leap onto her back, and then across the finish line, just before fox makes it across. Fox says frog didn’t win but duck, as the referee, claims frog to be the winner as he had barely passed the finish line first. At the end fox accepts that she was outsmarted and realizes that her overconfidence was the root of her downfall. This story is not identical to the story in Aesop’s Fables, but has many of the same characteristics, as well as a similar overall message and symbolic meaning. Historians agree that Aesop’s Fables was written around 500 B.C. by a slave living in Greece. It was originally written in Greek; European versions were not printed until the early 1800’s. English versions were printed in the 1900’s, and it is likely this book was at least one inspiration to Frans Timmerman’s work. Timmerman’s book was released in 1911 just a few short years after English prints of Aesop’s Fables were available in the United States. Each story shares similar characteristics in plot, style, technique, and symbolism, but there are also more superficial similarities and differences. In both stories the authors choose to use animals as a form of symbolism to tell their story. Animals are commonly used as characters in folktale; however, the animals each author decides to use are very specific. Each author chooses animals that have traits and characteristics that are familiar to most people, regardless of age or education level. In Aesop’s folktale the animals used are a tortoise and a hare. In Timmerman’s story the animals used are a frog and a fox. When people think of a tortoise they generally have images of a very slow moving land creature. Similarly Timmerman’s character frog brings thoughts of a water dwelling species, clumsy and slow on land. The same idea spreads to the fox and the hare; both are considered to be quick and cunning species and the authors use them in this light. It is likely these animals were common where each story was written. These animals also share similar more transparent symbolic meaning. Although time, and simple cultural differences likely led to the different characters and context of the stories, they still share many similar traits in there symbolism and morals. Because the symbolism is easily identified, and the message is easily related to, nearly all people can apply this story to life. It is easy to see how nearly every culture has embraced a version of this story, or come up with a similar version of their own. Today Aesop’s Fables is printed in 31 languages. The tortoise is symbolic in Aesop’s story for a wise, slow moving, dedicated creature. He uses the tortoise to help portray the message that â€Å"slow and steady† can persevere over an overconfident, boastful opponent. Likewise, Timmerman chooses to use a frog, which sometimes symbolizes the same things as the tortoise in folktales and fables. A frog additionally represents transformation. The frog is shown in his story to be very intelligent and the message is that you can overcome a problem even when the odds are against you if you use your head. By using his intelligence he defeats the overconfident, boastful opponent. Timmerman decides to use a fox in his story as a quick, overconfident, somewhat ignorant character. He portrays the fox in this way as a symbol for this type of person, whom everyone has encountered at some point in their lives. Aesop similarly chooses a hare and uses the same technique of making the hare somewhat ignorant and cocky. Using this writing style effectively makes the fox and the hare the antagonist in the story without specifically portraying them as a â€Å"bad guy†. They further this technique by having these characters use condescending dialogue in the beginning of the story. Despite the two authors cultural differences, the human qualities of the characters are nearly portrayed identically. The writing style, and technique used by the authors helps us to identify with the characters. It also helps us identify personally with the plot. Both stories have plots that follow the same basic ideas. One animal is different physically from another, so naturally that animal thinks that he is superior the superior creature. They use animals that everyone would consider to be the obvious winners and losers in a race. They portray the animals in a unique way that gives them human qualities that we are familiar with. The underdog is considered the protagonist in these fables and both authors portray them as likely losers in a physical challenge. However, as the story unfolds the obvious winners change due to the negative human qualities the antagonists possess. The messages of the stories are both related to perseverance, and that sometimes being conceded and boastful about your skills can end in disaster. There is also the message that one should not judge others simply by how they look. There are many other interpretations of this story as well, and this just scratches the surface of the symbolism in the two folktales. The messages of the two stories are values that everyone can apply to their daily lives. When the stories reach their conclusions the readers are left with many options on how they choose to interpret the message. The theme of both stories are the same, however the differences allow them to be interpreted many ways. It is mostly agreed upon by literature experts that the message in â€Å"The Tortoise and the Hare† is that slow and steady wins the race, and taking your time to do things right the first time is worth it. The message in â€Å"The Fox and the Frog† the message is that it is sometimes better to work smarter, not harder. Both stories share the message that judging others by their appearance is not an intelligent thing to do. They also share the idea that being boastful and conceded can end in embarrassment.

Changes to Assist in Immigration Integration

Changes to Assist in Immigration Integration To what extent will recent and proposed changes to the immigration system assist in successful integration of new immigrants? UK Immigration law has recently seen a metamorphic transition. The new Immigration Rules are now in full swing. It is inevitable that any system that is introduced for the first time will either be very beneficial in the successful integration of new immigrants or will have devastating consequences. The introduction of the Points Based System (PBS) for new immigrants seeking to work, train or study in the UK replaces the approximate 80 routes of doing either of the above under the present regime. These Immigration categories have now been streamlined into one single immigration system. Adopting the single system provides clarity in the law and secures a carefully controlled integration of new immigrants. The system is much more straightforward in application. New immigrants can easily ascertain whether they meet the necessary criteria for a particular visa, which will save them time and prevent wastage of costs. The PBS is divided into 5 Tiers. Tier 1 (General) took effect from June 2008.[1]. Tiers 2 5 have been in force since November 2008. Tier 3 has been temporarily suspended and Tier 4 aims to be incorporated by March 2009. Under each Tier, any prospective immigrant would need to score points in order to attain entry clearance. The points have been set by the Migration Advisory Committee. Instrumental to the PBS is the involvement of sponsorship[2]. Another change is the requirement of the entry clearance and the knowledge of the English Language. The objective of Tier 1 is aimed at Highly Skilled Workers (HSW) and the Post Study Work (PSW) schemes, which replaces the former Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, (HSMP) the International Graduates Scheme, (IGS) The Fresh Talent Working in Scotland Scheme and the rules for business-people and innovators, investors, writers, composers and artists[3]. This Tier has been formed in line with bringing in the, â€Å"brightest and the best†[4]. This is good news for some workers, particularly those that do wish to enter on the PSW. The PSW allows a new worker to remain in the country for a period of 2 years and will benefit from good quality training. Employers were previously reluctant to invest in resource training of new recruits who were required to leave the country after 12 months. The process under the old HSMP scheme and the new HSW scheme is very different. Points are given on a sliding scale against requirements such as a degree qualification. The new immigrant needs a score of 75 points or more in order to qualify on the scheme and additional 10 points for the knowledge of English. There is also requirement for those that apply outside the UK; that they must have a bank balance of  £2,800 and those within the UK must have  £800. The purpose is to ensure that the new immigrant is able to support him/herself up until the first salary is received and not be dependant upon Government resources. This minimum financial requirement may appear to be a hindrance for those residing outside the UK. Tier 1 was questioned where foreign Doctors are concerned in the BAPIO[5] case. The House of Lords held that the Department of Health guidance defeated a legitimate expectation held by Doctors in training on the previous HSMP that they would not be prevented from undertaking work. Tier 1 states that a doctor will not be able to undertake employment as a doctor in training up until entry clearance is granted. This is therefore, another procedural obstacle for a UK Immigrant. Tier 2 applies to skilled workers with a job offer and replaces the concept of work permits completely. A skilled foreign worker will obtain 50[6] points and this will depend upon factors such as the person already being in skilled work as well as having an earning capacity of  £24,000 or having a recognised qualification. One way for an immigrant to earn 50 points immediately will be if the UK employer in can show that they cannot fill the required skilled post with a British worker and that the job vacancy has been advertised in the UK. This leads onto the employer passing the Resident Labour Market Test, which refers to the job being in shortage occupation. Tier 2 does not include overseas qualified nurses and midwifes, ground staff of overseas owned airlines, exchange teachers, and language assistants. The list includes a wide range of professionals in the cross section of society, which does not help with the integration of new immigrants with these qualifications. In R v SSHD[7] the Judge raised a concern with the new law regarding highly skilled migrants and those immigrants who have already obtained entry clearance and have not secured a job will constitute as racial discrimination. The Home Office has incorporated the judgement. The previous rules will apply to those UK immigrants who have been adversely affected by the change in law. This is good news for those immigrants that fall under this category. Alongside Tier 2 is the requirement of the certificate of sponsorship which has to be issued to the prospective employer. Prior to this, the Company will have to firstly be registered with the UK Border Agency so that it can obtain a sponsorship license. Skilled workers will be discouraged from coming to the UK and if an organisation is called into question, if faces losing its license and any immigrant working would be required to leave the country within a period of 28 or 60 days. The procedure of carrying out this process is set to cause serious delay to the recruitment of key immigrants and employers will risk losing access to a pool of talent on an international level. Tier 4 only applies to students as overseas ‘adults’. The immigrant must pass a maintenance test and produce supporting documents such as educational qualifications. The long term plan for Autumn 2009 is the emergence of the an IT system to support the student visa route. Whether the overseas ‘adult’ option excludes a section of student is yet to be decided. Tier 5 is currently in existence where temporarily workers wish to come to the UK for primarily non-economic reasons. UK Immigrant must be awarded 30 points and savings of at least  £800. This again may be difficult for some workers who only essentially work on a ’temporary’ basis. The actual criteria to meet has not considerably changed but what has reformed is the legal process. This will have a negative affect on those immigrants that will want to appeal against the decisions and the Asylum Immigration Tribunal(AIT). The Government has produced a consultation paper[8], which proposes to revise the scope for Judicial Review, which will have the prevent the applicant’s right to appeal to the High Court, following a decision of the AIT. The law could deter new immigrants from applying and discriminates against highly skilled individuals who hold the qualifications but not the job to go with it or the financial standing . The law has already been ’tweaked’ in its initial stages that could open up the floodgates for UK immigrants to question other areas of the new law. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books 1. Clayton, G (2008) Immigration and Asylum Law (3rd Edition) Oxford University Press, Oxford 2.Jackson, D Warr, G, Cole, J.0., Middleton, J (2008) Immigration Law and Practice, (4th Edition) Tottel Publishing Journals/Articles Home Office Border Immigration Agency, (2008) The Path to Citizenship: next steps in reforming the Immigration System Home Office Border Immigration Agency (2008) Students under the Points Tier System -(Tier 4)- Implementation Plan Home Office UK Border Agency, Consultation: Immigration Appeals, Fair Decisions; Faster Justice, August 2008 Berry, M (2007) Are your employees eligible to work in the UK?-EEF, the manufacturers organisation Broadway House Tothill Street London Websites http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/ http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199238668/ -updates on Clayton, G (2008) Immigration on Asylum Law (3rd Edition) Oxford University Press, Oxford Legislation Immigration Rules Border Immigration Agency 2007 Case Law R (on the application of BAPIO Action Ltd another) v SSHD and another [2008] UKHL 27 R(on the application of HSMP Forum Ltd v SSHD [2008] EWHC 004 (Admin) Footnotes [1] Application and requirement methods set out HC321 [2] Tier 1 is exempt from this requirement. Under Tier 5, Youth Mobility, the Government will take the role of a sponsor. [3] Rule HC 607 [4] Home Office Border Immigration Agency, The Path to Citizenship: next steps in reforming the Immigration System, February 2008 [5] R (on the application of BAPIO Action Ltd another) v SSHD and another [2008] UKHL 27 [6] Immigration Rules -Appendix A [7] R(on the application of HSMP Forum Ltd v SSHD [2008] EWHC 004 (Admin) [8] Home Office UK Border Agency, Consultation: Immigration Appeals, Fair Decisions; Faster Justice, August 2008

How Could Religion Cause Violence Religion Essay

How Could Religion Cause Violence Religion Essay How could religion cause violence? Almost all religions around the world are based on love, peace and order. They all have certain rules and principles that hold love, peace, and order together within a society, but as the widely known saying states: Rules are meant to be broken; many people twist and misinterpret the sacred texts like the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, etc. Even though religions around the world are considered to be peaceful and harmless, still every single religion in the world and its texts have been misunderstood or misinterpreted. The results of this are motivation and justification for violence. This essay will explore the various causes for violence in the religions around the world, and it will closely discuss that violence is, in fact, caused by the people who practice religion, instead of religion itself, influenced by other factors outside of it. Religion does posses a potential for extremism because it deals with extreme things. People can compromise with small disputes over borders and territory, but people cannot compromise with the will of God since it is absolute. However, religion should be based on love, but it can quickly be transformed into the opposite-hatred. It is the same as the passionate love between a man and a woman can be transformed into murderous jealousy. Often enough religion has been viewed as the prime suspect for violence between ethnic groups or within them. Religion can cause violence by misinterpretation of the messages that the sacred texts are supposed to send, and a lot of the sacred texts are, in fact, misinterpreted and because of that, extremists find inspiration and justification that it is in their religion that they have to exercise violence upon others (Hitchcock). A lot of the ancient and modern, major conflicts are considered to be connected to religion in some way. Any religion can be used as an excuse for violence. For example, The Crusade Wars resulted in a lot of bloodshed on both Christian and Muslim sides of the mass conflict. Jews have committed genocide over nations for the sole reason to fulfill their cause. The war in 1991 in Yugoslavia pitted Catholic, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims against each other in a very bloody war. Violence in religion even exceeds conflicts between different ethnic groups; it also happens within the same ethnic groups. In Burma, thousands of monks are being tortured and executed. Also during the Christian Reformation thousands of people were killed because of their religious beliefs. All of the followers of these religions believed that they were doing the right thing by going to war to protect their religion, eradicate the heretics or non believers, or to gain control over the holy land (Hopfe). On the contrary, every religion in the world is a peaceful one. In not one single religion that exists or existed, in both past and present, preaches violence to solutions of existential problems. In every single one of the sacred texts, the Torah, the Quran, the Bible, the Theravadas and all the others, there are principles and rules that require people to abide by them. These principles forbid murder, stealing, or doing any harm to any human, and sometimes any other being in the world. They are based on justice and impartiality, they dont tolerate terrorism or any other kind of extremism, in fact, they condemn it. In all of the examples that were stated above, it would seem that religious beliefs of people are the reason for major conflicts and various violent acts. That is not the case; in fact, the true reasons violence ever happens are economic, political, and even ethnic disputes. Even in the cultures that religion plays a vital part of everyday life there is nothing like a pure religious conflict. There is always some other outside factors involved. It could never be, and it never has been broad enough to cause terrorism or any kind of extreme violence. People only use religion as a justification for a violence rhetoric or behavior (Cline). For example, economics play a major role in conflicts that are attributed to religion. Many soldiers that fought in the crusades went for the wealth they would acquire from all the plundering they would do, aside from liberating the holy land from the Muslims. The Muslims, on the other hand, they can also be seen fighting for the economic perspective. They fought to preserve their recently conquered land, to protect and harvest the resources from it and collect taxes from the people that live there. So if the sole reason people go into these conflicts is their economic gain, than when the economic factor is taken out of the equation, people wont have anything to conflict about; the justification would be removed. So this same example should be considered for religion also. Even if religion is not the factor, it could still be called a religious conflict, if justifications are provided by religion. The existence of other factors means that the removal of religion might not end the conflict, but the removal of the primary justifications and explanations would have to make significant changes in how the conflict is understood and pursued, not to mention its ultimate goals (Cline). This means that religion is only the justification for a conflict, and when religion is removed from a conflict the real reasons are exposed; the reasons like hatred and greed for power and wealth. In fact, just because a lot of the people who engage in violence, like warfare and terrorism in the world happen to be religious, or claim any kind of religion and religious doctrines as their reasons for acting, doesnt necessarily mean that religion caused them to do those things. Indeed, for every violent religious extremist, there are many more people living peacefully aside from them who exercise their same beliefs but just choose to act in a different way. For example, for every violent Al Qaida Muslim terrorist in the world, there are many more innocent, Muslim people simply trying to go about their lives, and if they sympathize with Al Qaida, they are not agreeing with any violent extreme, which makes a huge difference in perspective. What about people that say that they act in accordance with their religion and wage holy wars? Even if the people believe that statement, the religious doctrine itself is not the cause of violence; ins tead, the person that acts with that justification is the cause of violence. People wage wars, religions do not. They simply use it as a tool to bring and unite others so they can achieve their personal, egoistic goals. In other words, religion is being used as an excuse by holy warriors that do not tolerate other religions. If they understand any kind of free will or the concept of human individualism, than they will realize that it is not the doctrine, rhetoric or the religion, but it is the individual that is responsible for his or her own actions (Newell). Although religion is still considered to preach peace and love, some of the messages religion sends are misinterpreted by individuals, which is the cause of violence. The biggest reason violence is connected to religion is because individuals that are driven by greed and hatred towards other religions, twist the views of a particular religion, and present their deferred standpoint to others, so by involving God or any other supreme being they would get more followers. It is not the religion or the belief itself, but it is the actions of the individual that cause mass damage and violence between people. If perhaps people actually lived the good principles and not the interpretations of the principles of religion like charity, forgiveness, and personal accountability, the world might, it just might be a better place (Newell).

Comparing Negativity in Utopia, Christian Liberty, and The Prince :: compare and contrast essay examples

Negativity in Utopia, Christian Liberty, and he Prince More in Utopia, Luther in Christian Liberty, and Machiavelli in The Prince all say that people are bad-that no matter what is done bad things will happen; however, all three authors approached the subject differently. Machiavelli has hardest "people are scum" message. The entire book outlines ways to take advantage of other people. Through examination of history, Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a handbook of how things had worked in the past, and-he believed-would work again in the future. Machiavelli makes suggestions like if one wished to eliminate their competition the should do so quickly instead of allowing deaths and trials to drag on forever, because people are more likely to forget something that happened quickly. Machiavelli believed that people are bad, and that to get ahead in life one should take advantage of others. If it were capable to ask Thomas More directly if he believed people were scum he would most likely say no. He believed that if people were treated openly and honestly they would do the same for you; More is definitely very non-Machiavellian. However, More also accepted that people would do bad things. In his perfect societies mentioned in Utopia he set forth ways which people who did not follow the rules were dealt with-and most often this retribution was quite harsh. From the monologue of Raphael in the first part of the book it is obvious that More believes that at the time of his writing the world was not in good condition; however, he believed that people could be reformed. The last paragraph of the book exposes this belief: "But I freely admit that there are many features of the Utopian Republic which I should like-though I hardly expect-to see adopted in Europe." In Christian Liberty, Luther states his belief that all people will sin-in other words human are incapable of not doing bad things. Within the first few paragraphs of Christian Liberty, Luther states the entire problem with human existence: the two-fold nature of the man. Man has both a bodily component and a spiritual component. Luther quotes Galatians 5:17 to support his argument: "for the desires of flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh." Luther's belief is that the bodily side of man will cause him to bad things and that is inevitable.

A Continuous Decline In India, Without Modernization :: essays research papers fc

A Continuous Decline in India, Without Modernization Hypothesis: Modernization is the Key to economic growth for India. If modernization occurs, then the economic status of India will increase tremendously, even if the price India has to pay is a change in culture, and tradition. India has remained financially stagnant since its beginnings. One may argue that non-modernization has plagued this sub-continent in economic growth and development since early times. One may continue to argue that if modernization occurs, India will achieve in many different ways, including economically, socially, and nationally. In order for modernization to occur, India must move from small scale industrialization to large scale industrialization. If this occurs India will become much more financially sound and achieve a higher status in the world. Modernization will bring many positive change to India, but people may argue that "modernization" will bring destruction to the Indian civilization. By bringing modernization, many jobs will be taken over by machines. Unfortunately, this process will result in the elimination of jobs done by local peasants. There are many additional prices India will have to pay to be able to modernize, including: (1) a loss of culture and tradition; (2) probable religious conflicts; (3) loss of caste; (4) social divisions; and, of course (5) TAXES. With modernization, taxes will definitely increase for India to pay for the new advances in industry and technology. Taxes are the primary means for any government to raise money and support its programs. However, the overall price that India will have to pay will be relatively small compared to the positive changes modernization will bring. When India became independent its leaders recognized the urgency of strengthening the Indian economy. The leaders of new India were determined to raise the standard of living, which was among the lowest of the major nations in the world. Indian leaders agreed to establish a "mixed economy," which combines the use of private capital and public in he development of industry, mining and farming. If modernization occurs there will be change from traditional order. The model of change assumes: (1) a sharp dichotomy between the traditional and modern order, including the order of mutual exclusiveness, and (2) the change from one to another is predicted in terms of a historically deterministic pattern, that is, it must take place in a certain predetermined sequence. If this happens, India will have a better economy and a higher standard of living. Through greater economic prosperity, India will also obtain better health care. Also industry will promote a better education system by encouraging students to study for more technical and professional jobs. Finally modernization will foster a better sense of nationalism, as future generations

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 28

Matt had no idea what time it was, but it was deep dusk under the trees. He was lying sideways in Elena's new car, as if he'd been tossed in and forgotten. His entire body was in pain. This time he awoke and immediately thought, Elena. But he couldn't see the white of her camisole anywhere, and when he called, first softly, then shouting, he got no answer. So now he was feeling his way around the clearing, on hands and knees. Damon seemed to have gone and that gave him a spark of hope and courage that lit up his mind like a beacon. He found the discarded Pendleton shirt – considerably trampled. But when he couldn't find another soft warm body in the clearing, his heart crashed down somewhere around his boots. And then he remembered the Jaguar. He fumbled frantically in one pocket for the keys, came up empty, and finally discovered, inexplicably, that they were in the ignition. He lived through the agonizing moment when the car wouldn't start, and then was shocked to see the brightness of its headlights. He puzzled briefly about how to turn the car while making sure he wasn't running a limp Elena over, then dug through the glove compartment box, flinging out manuals and pairs of sunglasses. Ah, and one lapis lazuli ring. Someone was keeping a spare here, just in case. He put it on; it fit well enough. At last his fingers closed over a flashlight, and he was free to search the clearing as thoroughly as he wanted to. No Elena. No Ferrari either. Damon had taken her somewhere. All right, then, he would track them. To do that he had to leave Elena's car behind, but he had already seen what these monsters could do to cars, so that wasn't saying much. He would have to be careful with the flashlight, too. Who knew how much charge the batteries had left? For the hell of it, he tried calling Bonnie's mobile phone, and then her home phone, and then the boardinghouse. No signal, even though according to the phone itself, there should have been. No need to question why, either – this was the Old Wood, messing with things as usual. He didn't even ask himself why it was Bonnie's number he called first, when Meredith would probably be more sensible. He found the tracks of the Ferrari easily. Damon had sped out of here like a bat†¦Matt smiled grimly as he finished the sentence in his mind. And then he'd driven as if to get out of the Old Wood. This was easy, it was clear that either Damon had been going too fast for proper control or that Elena had been fighting, because in a number of places, mainly around corners, the tire tracks showed up clearly against the soft ground beside the road. Matt was especially careful not to step on anything that might be a clue. He might have to backtrack at some point. He was careful, too, to ignore the quiet noises of the night around him. He knew the malach were out there, but he refused to let himself think about them. And he never even asked himself why he was doing this, deliberately going into danger instead of retreating from it, instead of trying to drive the Jaguar out of the Old Wood. After all, Stefan hadn't left him as bodyguard. But then you couldn't trust anything that Damon might say, he thought. And besides – well, he'd always kept one eye out for Elena, even before their first date. He might be clumsy, slow, and weak in comparison to their enemies now, but he would always try. It was pitch-dark now. The last remnants of twilight had left the sky, and if Matt looked up he could see clouds and stars – with trees leaning in ominously from either side. He was getting toward the end of the road. The Dunstans' house should be coming up on the right pretty soon. He'd ask them if they'd seen – Blood. At first his mind flew to ridiculous alternatives, like dark red paint. But his flashlight had caught reddish brown stains on the roadside just as the road made a sharp curve. That wasblood on the road there. And not just a little blood. Being careful to walk well around the red-brown marks, running his flashlight over and over the far side of the road, Matt began to put together what must have happened. Elena had jumped. Either that or Damon had pushed her out of a speeding car – and after all the trouble he'd taken to get her, that didn't make much sense. Of course, he might have already bled her until he was satisfied – Matt's fingers went up to his sore neck instinctively – but then, why take her in the car at all? To kill her by pushing her out? A stupid way to do it, but maybe Damon had been counting on his little pets to take care of the body. Possible, but not very likely. Whatwas likely? Well, the Dunstans' house was coming up on this side of the road, but you couldn't see it from here. And it would be just like Elena to jump out of a speeding car as it rounded a sharp corner. It would take brains, and guts, and a breathtaking trust in sheer luck that it wouldn't kill her. Matt's flashlight slowly traced the devastation of a long hedge of rhododendron bushes just off the road. My God, that's what she did. Yeah. She jumped out and tried to roll. Jeez, she was lucky not to break her neck. But she kept rolling, grabbing at roots and creepers to stop herself. That's why they're all torn up. A bubble of elation was rising in Matt. He was doing it. He was tracking Elena. He could see her fall as clearly as if he'd been there. But then she got flipped by that tree root, he thought as he continued to follow her trail. That would have hurt. And she'd slammed down and rolled on the concrete for a bit – that must have been agony; she'd left a lot of blood here, and then back into the bushes. And then what? The rhododendron showed no more signs of her fall. What had happened here? Had Damon reversed the Ferrari fast enough and gotten her back? No, Matt decided, examining the earth carefully. There was only one set of footprints here, and it was Elena's. Elena had gotten up here – only to fall down again, probably from injury. And then she'd managed to get up again, but the marks were weird, a normal footprint on one side and a deep but small indentation on the other. A crutch. She found herself a crutch. Yeah, and that dragging mark was the mark of her bad foot. She walked up to this tree, and then around it – or hopped, actually, that's what it looked like. And then she'd headed for the Dunstans'. Smart girl. She was probably unrecognizable by now, and anyway, who cared if they noticed the resemblance between her and the late, great Elena Gilbert? She could be Elena's cousin from Philadelphia. So she'd gone, one, two, three†¦eight steps – and there was the Dunstan house. Matt could see lights. Matt could smell horses. Excitedly, he ran the rest of the way – taking a few falls that didn't do his aching body any good, but still heading straight for the back porch light. The Dunstans weren't front porch people. When he got to the door, he pounded on it almost frenziedly. He'd found her. He'd found Elena! It seemed a long time before the door opened a crack. Matt automatically wedged his foot in the crack while thinking, Yes, good, you're cautious people. Not the type to let a vampire in after you'd just seen a girl covered in blood. â€Å"Yes? What do you want?† â€Å"It's me, Matt Honeycutt,† he said to the eye that he could see peering out of the slit of open door. â€Å"I've come for El – for the girl.† â€Å"What girl are you talking about?† the voice said gruffly. â€Å"Look, you don't have to worry. It's me – Jake knows me from school. And Kristin knows me, too. I've come to help.† Something in the sincerity of his voice seemed to strike a chord in the person behind the door. It was opened to reveal a large, dark-haired man who was wearing an under-shirt and needed a shave. Behind him, in the living room was a tall, thin, almost gaunt woman. She looked as if she had been crying. Behind both of them was Jake, who'd been a year senior to Matt at Robert E. Lee High. â€Å"Jake,† Matt said. But he got no answer back except a dull look of anguish. â€Å"What's wrong?†Matt demanded, terrified. â€Å"A girl came by here a while ago – she was hurt – but – but – you let her in, right?† â€Å"No girl's come by here,† said Mr. Dunstan flatly. â€Å"She had to have. I followed her trail – she left a trail inblood , do you understand, almost up to your door .† Matt wasn't letting himself think. Somehow, if he kept telling the facts loudly enough, they would produce Elena. â€Å"More trouble,† Jake said, but in a dull voice that went with his expression. Mrs. Dunstan seemed the most sympathetic. â€Å"We heard a voice out in the night, but when we looked, there was no one there. And we have troubles of our own.† It was then, right on cue, that Kristin burst into the room. Matt stared at her with a feeling of d ¦j vu. She was dressed up something like Tami Bryce. She had cut off the bottoms of her jeans shorts until they were practically nonexistent. On top she was wearing a bikini top, but with – Matt hastily turned his eyes away – two big round holes cut just where Tami had had round pieces of cardboard. And she'd decorated herself with glitter glue. God! She's only, what, twelve? Thirteen? How could she possibly be acting this way? But the next moment, his whole body was vibrating in shock. Kristin had pasted herself against him and was cooing, â€Å"Matt Honey-butt! You came to see me!† Matt breathed carefully to get over his shock.Matt Honey-butt . She couldn't know that. She didn't even go to the same school as Tami did. Why would Tami have called her and – told her something like that? He shook his head, as if to clear it. Then he looked at Mrs. Dunstan, who had seemed kindest. â€Å"Can I use your phone?† he asked. â€Å"I need – Ireally need to make a couple of calls.† â€Å"The phone's been down since yesterday,† Mr. Dunstan said harshly. He didn't try to move Kristin away from Matt, which was odd because he was clearly angry. â€Å"Probably a fallen tree. And you know mobile phones don't work out here.† â€Å"But – † Matt's mind spun into overdrive. â€Å"You really mean that no teenage girl came up to your house asking for help? A girl with blond hair and blue eyes? I swear, I'm not the one who hurt her. I swear I want to help her.† â€Å"Matt Honey-butt? I'm making a tattoo, just for you.† Still pressed up behind him, Kristin extended her left arm. Matt stared at it, horrified. She had obviously used needles or a pin to prick holes in her left forearm, and then opened a fountain pen's cartridge of ink to supply the dark blue color. It was your basic prison-type tattoo, done by a child. The straggling letters M A T were already visible, along with a smudge of ink that was probably going to be another T. No wonder they weren't thrilled about letting me in, Matt thought, dazed. Now Kristin had both arms around his waist, making it hard to breathe. She was on tiptoe, talking to him, whispering rapidly some of the obscene things Tami had said. He stared at Mrs. Dunstan. â€Å"Honest, I haven't even seen Kristin for – it must be nearly a year. We had an end of the year carnival, and Kristin helped with the pony rides, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mrs. Dunstan was nodding slowly. â€Å"It's not your fault. She's been acting the same way with Jake. Her own brother. And with – with her father. But I'm tellingyou the truth; we haven't seen any other girl. No one but you has come to the door today.† â€Å"Okay.† Matt's eyes were watering. His brain, attuned first of all to his own survival, was telling him to save his breath, not to argue. Telling him to say, â€Å"Kristin – I really can't breathe – â€Å" â€Å"But Ilove you, Matt Honey-butt. I don't want you toever leave me. Especially for that old whore. That old whore with worms in her eye-sockets†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again Matt felt the sense of the world rocking. But he couldn't gasp. He didn't have the air. Pop-eyed, he turned helplessly toward Mr. Dunstan, who was closest. â€Å"Can't – breathe – â€Å" How could a thirteen-year-old be so strong? It was taking both Mr. Dunstan and Jake to pry her off him. No, even that wasn't working. He was beginning to see a gray network pulsating before his eyes. He needed air. There was a sharp crack that ended with a meaty sound. And then another. Suddenly he could breathe again. â€Å"No, Jacob! No more!† Mrs. Dunstan cried. â€Å"She let him go – don't hit her anymore!† When Matt's vision cleared, Mr. Dunstan was doing up his belt. Kristin was wailing, â€Å"Just youwaaa -hate! Just youwaa-haate! You'll besor- ry!† Then she rushed from the room. â€Å"I don't know if this helps or makes it worse,† Matt said when he'd gotten his breath back, â€Å"but Kristin isn't the only girl acting this way. There's at least one other one in the town – â€Å" â€Å"All I care about is my Kristin,† Mrs. Dunstan said. â€Å"And that†¦thingisn't her.† Matt nodded. But there was something he needed to do now. He had to find Elena. â€Å"If a blond girl does come to the door and asks for help, will you please let her in?† he asked Mrs. Dunstan. â€Å"Please? But don't let any guys in – not even me if you don't want,† he blurted. For a moment his eyes and Mrs. Dunstan's eyes met, and he felt a connection. Then she nodded and hastened to get him out of the house. All right, Matt thought. Elena was headed for here, but she didn't quite get here. So look at the signs. He looked. And what the signs showed him was that, within a few feet of the Dunstan property, she had inexplicably turned sharply right, deeply into the forest. Why? Had something scared her? Or had she – Matt felt sick to his stomach – somehow been tricked into hobbling on and on, until at last she left all human help behind? All he could do was to follow her into the woods.

An Evaluation and Analysis of the Effectiveness of Professional Training in Preparing Teachers for Dealing with bullying and Classroom Management

ABSTRACT Bullying is known to be a widespread problem in schools and also in workplaces. It is not confined to the U.S.A. and across the globe researchers have been examining the behavior of both perpetrators and targets of bullying for several INTRODUCTIONIntroduction to the studyThere is no universally accepted definition of bullying, although several descriptions have certain common elements. For example, Norwegian researcher Dan Olweus (1993) considers that bullying occurs when someone is exposed to negative actions, carried out by one or more people, repeatedly and over a period of time. Negative action may be described as harmful physical, verbal or other sorts of contact designed to intentionally inflict injury on another person. Bullying may be both overt and covert – for example, loud aggressive shouting in public places, or whispered threats and taunts in the classroom or workplace (Nishioka, Coe, Hanita and Sprague, 2011). A number of academic studies have demonstrated the emotional damage that bullying causes, for example, Schroeder (2010) suggests that bullied students experience disruption in learning, and Dempsey and Storch (2008), link being a target of adolescent bullying to increases in levels of de pression (as cited in Chambless, 2010). Extensive research has been conducted into bullying in schools, including studies by Olweus (1993), Winters (1997), Atlas and Pepler (1998), Brockenbrough (2001) and Natvig, et al. (2001), and these suggest that while certain anti-bullying interventions are deemed to be successful, for example, Olweus’ intervention program in schools in Norway and Sweden (Olweus 1993, pp 64-107), nevertheless further study is needed.Organization under studyFor this reason, conducting a study of teachers’ views on bullying and how they impact on classroom management could make a significant and relevant contribution to the development of effective anti-bullying programs. Conducting a study in middle schools in the Brentwood School District will supply relevant information and provide useful insights to aid further research.Problem statementBullying causes high levels of distress among school students, disruption to their education and increased st ress for teachers and school authorities; thus, there is an imperative to devise successful anti-bullying interventions (Olweus, 1993). Teachers are the ultimate authority in the classroom and they have responsibility for, and a duty to care for and protect, their students (Kendall, 2012). They may be the first adults to observe or become aware of bullying behavior at school, so it follows that teachers should have input into the creation of school anti-bullying programs in order to ensure the classroom environment, and the school as a whole, is safe for all students.Research objectiveConducting a study of teachers’ perspectives on bullying and their classroom management skills could make an important contribution to the creation of an appropriate, successful anti-bullying intervention. Olweus noted that to achieve this â€Å"adults at school and, to some degree, at home [need to] become aware of the extent of bully/victim problems in ‘their’ school; [and to] de cide to engage themselves, with some degree of seriousness, in changing the situation† (Olweus, 1993, p66). Bradshaw et al., (2011) confirm that an examination of staff members’ interpretations of bullying is important and constitutes a significant advance in improving how these are understood. Wright (2003) provides teachers with strategies and guidelines to assist them to understand, and improve their skills to manage, the problem of bullying in school settings. Thus, teachers’ knowledge, experience and skills in dealing with students are highly likely to make a useful contribution to the creation of effective interventions.Proposal structureThis research proposal contains an overview of the subject literature, followed by an outline methodology. The research philosophy, approach and strategy are explored; data collection and analysis is outlined and access and ethical issues are considered. Ideas for sample questions, definitions of terms and research variable s are contained in Appendix 1. LITERATURE REVIEW The literature on bullying is comprehensive and studies are now attempting to address why and how bullying occurs, and ultimately who is to blame. Bradshaw et al. (2011) suggest that teachers should fully comprehend a working definition of bullying and work with the Department of Education to carry out classroom procedures to deal with it. Some researchers suggest that students themselves should not be labeled as a bully or victim, and instead it is the behavior that should be labeled bullying or victim behavior (Burzinski, 2012). Overt or direct bullying behavior involves observable behaviors that are usually conveyed by verbal and physical means. Normally direct bullying takes place face to face and involves relatively blatant attacks on a victim; additionally, children may use disruptive acts that are just as hurtful, but are more difficult to detect. Covert or indirect bullying includes actions such as spreading rumors to damage another child’s character, deliberately excl uding others or encouraging other children to dislike another person. Such behavior may happen behind someone’s back, rather than face to face. Porter (2009) states that the intention to harm physically/emotionally is an essential component of bullying behavior. For example, a friend teasing another friend good-naturedly is not classed as bullying, while a person deliberately teasing another in order to upset them is classed as bullying. Further, bullying can be defined as a ubiquitous aggression, frequently occurring in schools, which has specific features that distinguish it from other aggressive behaviors, namely, it is repetitive, and the victims of bullying have less access to power than the perpetrators. Cyber-bullying is increasing but verbal abuse is still more common (Childnet International, 2007). During the last two decades researchers have focused on identifying the causes and results of bullying, however there are still significant gaps in the literature. While m any studies have investigated students’ views of school bullying, only very few have looked at these issues from staff members’ perspectives (Bradshaw, Sawyer and O’Brennan, 2007; Juvonen, Nishina and Graham, 2008; Goldstein, Young and Boyd, 2008). Newman-Carlson and Horne (2004) state that despite the existence of numerous commended programs in schools to confront the bullying problem, few empirical studies have evaluated or confirmed their effectiveness. Recording teachers’ views based on managing and monitoring behaviors in a classroom setting is therefore valuable in this context. Pellegrini and Bartini (2002) posit that research provides counselors with useful guidelines for developing successful bullying assessment programs. These programs deliver the most precise information when they are conducted over a considerable period of time. Members of a school team, including teachers, who work alongside counselors, may assist the process of creating a mo re integrated format for successful programs. However Lakewood (2012) notes that while during the last ten years bullying has become the central issue that schools have to tackle, and research has examined programs to assess successful and unsuccessful interventions, there appears to be no single program for bullying prevention or bullying intervention that is likely to work in every environment. Dan Olweus’ Swedish study of â€Å"mobbing†, a term for bullying most prevalent in the Scandinavian countries, as reported in â€Å"Aggression in the schools: Bullies and whipping boys† (1978) was the first notable study of school bullying. Subsequently many other countries have undertaken research to try to understand the bullying phenomenon including Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan and the United States (Porter, 2009). These studies show the problem of bullying is prevalent on a national and worldwide level. Increasing repo rts of bullying and its consequences have encouraged more research studies. Milsom and Gallo (2006) note that research demonstrates a tendency for bullying to reach its height in late childhood or early adolescence. This implies that taking steps for prevention and intervention in middle school is crucial. The findings from the National Education Association’s Nationwide Study of Bullying are that the views of bullying expressed by school staff members differ from those of students, who perceive that staff members do not respond adequately when told of bullying incidents (Bradshaw et al., 2011). The Office of Civil Rights (OCR), a sub-department of the Department of Education, has decreed that individual schools are responsible for devising policies and programs to tackle bullying. Data held by the OCR seeks to help school officials to better understand that some acts of bullying may effectively violate the civil rights of the victim, and that this can have an influence on th e way a bullying incident is reported.Literature review summaryBullying is not just a minor problem; the phenomenon has escalated in recent years to such an extent that community leaders, academic researchers, parents, school officials, teachers, and the media have recognized the need for prevention and intervention. The literature concludes that teachers and other school staff require training to acquire appropriate knowledge and skills to deal with the pervasiveness of bullying (Blosnich and Bossarte, 2011).Research questionTeachers and students have different views about how teachers handle bullying incidents. Commonly, victims of bullying fail to report it to a teacher. This is because, according to those who do, while some teachers may help, others are indifferent or even contribute to making the bullying more serious. Contrary to this, the teachers’ view is that they intervene in bullying incidents; students do not feel this is accurate (Porter, 2009). This study seeks to explore teachers’ attitudes to and perspectives on the bullying problem and to gain insights into their understanding of it. Further, this study will look at the different methods teachers use to manage their classrooms and the role of training in developing these methods. Through analysis of the collected data, the study will examine the research question: does teacher training adequately equip teachers with effective techniques to tackle bullying in the classroomThe objective of this study is to use the evidence gathered to arrive at sound conclusions that will help inform future anti-bullying programs. METHODOLGY Research philosophyThe majority of researchers agree that the most effective anti-bullying interventions are comprehensive (Espelage and Swearer, 2003), engaging adults and children at individual level, at classroom level and at whole-school level (Olweus, 1993, p64). There is a lack of research on how teachers understand bullying, and on the specific factors that influence their interventions and views (Mishna, Scarcello, Pepler and Wiener, 2005). This is a curious omission as teachers are in an important and influential position on the subject. If teachers feel respected and their point of view is valued, then intervention programs may be more effective. The planned research will adhere to a positivist philosophy, which holds that every rationally justifiable assertion is capable of logical or mathematical proof or can be scientifically verified and will examine teachers’ perspectives on bullying, and how they manage the phenomenon in their classrooms. Research ap proachThere have been many international media stories concerning high-profile events linked to behavioral problems in schools, such as the Columbine school murders in 1999 and the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, both incidents in which angry teenagers killed and injured fellow students on school premises. Subsequent investigations often reveal an element of revenge for bullying on the part of the perpetrators of such crimes. Then there are other incidents where students have died or committed suicide as a result of being bullied. Neil Marr and Tim Field coined the word ‘bullycide’ to describe these tragic deaths in their book Bullycide: Death at Playtime (2001) and the â€Å"bullyonline† website has a Bullycide memorial page listing the names and circumstances of many young people who have died in the UK and elsewhere as a result of bullying. Such events provide a focus on the seriousness of bullying and the extent of the problem, highlighting the enormity of th e emotional and physical devastation that the victims, and their families, experience. The planned approach for the research is to conduct a quantitative survey of teachers, collecting data and converting it into numerical form in order to make statistical calculations and draw valid conclusions. This will contribute knowledge that will enable improved strategies for classroom management across all schools, which could have a substantial effect on the frequency and severity of school bullying, and may prevent incidents escalating to such extremes.Research strategyThe Brentwood School district includes four middle schools – North, South, East and West – which have a total of about 150 teachers. With permission from the school administration and the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the research strategy is to conduct a survey of teachers’ views across these four schools. The researcher will use self-administered questionnaires to gather data, to analyze it across a number of constituent elements and to draw conclusions from the findings. Although a longitudinal study may deliver more detailed results, this would be time-consuming and onerous for participants as well as the researcher. As a research tool, a survey is cost effective, takes a relatively short amount of time to answer, and is more convenient and less stressful for the participants (Creswell, 2009). This study focuses on the attitudes and perceptions of teachers in regard to bullying and classroom management. Both male and female teachers will be recruited from the four middle schools in Brentwood, NY. All teachers will be invited to take part and the target is to achieve a 55% response rate, which is deemed to be sufficient for making sound judgments (Van Bennekom, 2011). School principals will be asked for permission to approach the teachers for this study and also asked to ensure the questionnaires are placed in the mailbox of the teachers, in each school listed.Data collecti onHaving obtained permission from the director of special programs via an introductory letter explaining the reason behind and the importance of the survey, the questionnaires and accompanying stamped, self-addressed envelopes will be placed in the teachers’ mailboxes. Participants will also receive a letter explaining the research, assuring them that responses will remain confidential and asking them to confirm their consent. No financial compensation will be provided for participation in the study; however, respondents will be able to receive a copy of the survey findings. Teachers will be asked to return the questionnaires within a two-week period in the envelopes provided. On completion of all the returned questionnaires, the data analysis will commence. The data will be stored in the office of the researcher in a locked cabinet.Data analysisA good survey design permits a clear and rigorous assessment process via a logical model (Babbie, 1990). The questionnaire for the s urvey will be designed to measure the attitudes of teachers concerning bullying; a series of questions will allow responses across a Likert scale ranging from 1 (disagree strongly) to 7 (agree strongly). Other questions will cover demographic information, such as age, gender, racial and ethnic background and length of time teaching in this district, as well as a series of questions about teachers’ experiences of observing and dealing with bullying in the classroom, and their perceptions of self-efficacy. A text analysis using a free online lexical analysis tool will be carried out on information contributed in these areas. Bandura (1994) defines perceived self-efficacy as the beliefs people hold concerning their capacity to produce certain levels of accomplishment that are known to â€Å"exercise influence over events that affect their lives† (Bandura, 1994, p. 71). Thus, self-efficacy beliefs govern how people think, feel, behave and motivate themselves. Banduraâ€⠄¢s instrument teacher self-efficacy scale will be used to measure responses in which teachers are assessing their own self-efficacy. Teachers will be asked to complete and return questionnaires within two weeks. This should give them sufficient time, without pressure on them, although a prompt may be provided closer to the deadline. The research will undertake coding and analysis of the returned questionnaires using a computer program specifically made for data analysis (SPSS). See Appendix 1 for sample questions, definitions of terms and research variables. Access As long as permission is obtained as planned, there are unlikely to be major access issues. The use of a postal questionnaire means that the geographic location of the participating schools can be overcome. For people with disabilities, additional steps can be taken to make the survey accessible. For example, large-print versions of the questionnaire could be issued for any participants with sight impairment. The two-wee k period during which forms can be returned is considered to be sufficient time to allow busy teachers to complete the form. Reliability, validity, and generalizability The range of questions asked allows for a correlation between several factors (see Appendix 1), including levels of teacher training, effectiveness of the schools’ anti-bullying programs and policies, and levels of teacher confidence in dealing with bullying behavior. Data on social and ethnic backgrounds is also being collected, in order to underline any specific trends that may emerge concerning how bullying is viewed in different parts of the district, for example, or by teachers of a specific age and background. A T-test can be used to assess whether the means of the different groups of teachers are statistically different from each other. The results will be representative of the district, and may be held to be valid for a large number of middle schools elsewhere in the USA.Ethical issuesBullying causes s tress and Blosnich and Bossarte (2011) propose that school bullying, as a form of low-level violent behavior that has been associated with negative outcomes for both physical and mental health, continues to be a serious public health issue. People dealing with bullying also suffer stress, and it will be important when conducting this research to ask questions in such a way as to elicit general information from teachers, rather than ask them to recall specific bullying incidents, which may be upsetting and uncomfortable. The same applies to questions of self-efficacy – being asked to judge their own competence in terms of classroom management is a delicate subject area and must be handled with care.Research limitationsDue to time constraints, and the ways in which schools function, it is not feasible or practicable to observe how anti-bullying programs within schools work at first hand. The study is thus limited to an analysis of data gathered via a survey of teachers’ views on the bullying situations in their classes; how they feel about the programs used in their schools; and their self-perceptions of their own confidence levels in dealing with bullying behavior. This data will be specific to teachers and will not reflect the views of students other than as perceived by teachers. The participating schools and teachers, and the information extrapolated from the resulting data, may not necessarily be typical of how all teachers in all schools view bullying. CONCLUSION Bullying is acknowledged as a widespread problem and the need for further research has been voiced consistently by academics in the field. This dissertation proposal offers the opportunity to design a new study focused on teachers’ views and attitudes. Its findings will inform current knowledge about interventions designed to mitigate school bullying, and may provide substantial new information that can be used to improve current policies, programs and the scope of teacher training. APPENDIX 1 An agreed definition of bullying would ensure that stakeholders have a shared understanding of the issue. Important questions to be considered are: What is the individual teacher’s definition of bullyingThis may indicate how the teacher approaches bullying in the classroom. A definition will be offered and individuals will be asked to score the extent to which they agree or disagree using a Likert scale. How does the teacher perceive the anti-bullying program that is in place in the schoolThis may indicate how bullying situations are approached across the whole school. Has the teacher had any training on bullying preventionThis may indicate if the teacher will properly implement the program. How does the teacher perceive the target of bullying and the bullyThe words used to describe the individuals will be counted as part of the text analysis. Is the teacher competent and/or confident in handling bullying situationsExamining the age and gender differences of teacher s, in the context of the extent of their anti-bullying training, could provide useful information on whether these factors influence approaches to dealing with bullying. These are the key questions that will be addressed during the development of the study. Definitions Bullying– behavior perpetrated by one or more students (the bullies) who single out a child (the target or victim) with an intention to harm that child. Bullying actions may include making threats, attacking someone physically or verbally, spreading rumors and deliberately excluding someone from a group. Teachers’ training– any training acquired as part of obtaining teaching credentials, including training about bullying; any additional anti-bullying training received within the current school. Training may include in school seminars and lectures; knowledge and information obtained through the Internet; workshops given by the school or any outside sources; continuing education credits (CEUs); any extra reading, or individual personal knowledge, or certifications, (there should be written documentation by the organization that gave the class or workshop). Teachers’ understanding– teacher’s understanding and interpretation of bullyi ng and anti-bullying terms according to the definitions used by the New York State Board of Education. Increased reporting– as measured by the teachers’ incident reports (counting increases in the report logs). Effective classroom management– decrease of bullying behavior as perceived by the teacher; evidence of the positive cooperation of students formerly involved in classroom aggression toward other students; increase in student work production. Fewer episodes– evidence of decrease in student involvement in name-calling, shoving, pushing, teasing, etc; evidence of decrease in classroom disruptions. Student trust– evidence that students feel more confident about telling the teacher of any uncomfortable circumstances; evidence that teacher is helping students gain access to needed services i.e., guidance counselor referrals; evidence that the teacher will discreetly attend to the bullying within the classroom and observe the victim and the bully, deflating any pending incidents. Confiding– evidence that the student trusts the teacher to help the student; increased disclosure of any problems they may be having concerning bullying or similar incidents within the school perimeter. Research variables The independent variables are: 1.Teacher training; 2. Teacher understanding; 3. Increased reporting by teachers; 4. Effective classroom management. The dependent variables are: 1. 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