Defilement: Human Sexual Behavior and Child

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY BACCALAUREUS LEGUM – LLB LPR 205 JUDICIAL ATTACHMENT REPORT PRESENTED IN FULFILMENT OF PART OF THE COURSE REQUIREMENTS TITLE OF REPORT: STUDENT NAME: MUTITU EVELYNE . W. STUDENT REGISTRATION No: L95S/7061/2009 WORD COUNT: 4480 ————————————————- DATE OF SUBMITTING REPORT: ————————————————- THURSDAY, 29TH SEPTEMBER 2011 ————————————————- ————————————————- I am aware of academic rules on plagiarism and state that the work covered by this report is my own and does not contain any unacknowledged work from other sources. ————————————————- PRINT NAME: MUTITU EVELYNE . W. ————————————————- SIGNATURE: ————————————————- TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. 0: ABSTACT 1. 1: Objectives 1. 2: Method 2. 0: INTRODUCTION 3. 0: BODY 3. 1: Definition of defilement 3. 2: Background of defilement in Kenya 3. 3: Statistics on defilement in Kenya 3. 4: Perpetrators of defilement in Kenya. 3. : Age of defilement victims in Kenya 3. 6: Possible explanations as to why defilement is on the rise 3. 6. 1: Gender inequality and patriarchal notion s 3. 6. 2: Cultural practises 3. 6. 3: Poverty 3. 6. 4: Cultural and social stereotypes 3. 6. 5: Failed institutions 3. 7: Laws governing the prosecution of sexual violence against children: 3. 7. 1: The constitution 3. 7. 2: Sexual offences act, 2006 3. 7. 3: The children’s act 3. 7. 4: The criminal procedure code 3. 7. 5: The employment act 3. 8: Challenges for seeking redress in sexually assaulted children: 3. 8. 1: Slow judicial system . 8. 2: P3 and PRC form 3. 8. 3: Poor investigation and prosecution 3. 8. 4: Conflicting medical reports 3. 8. 5: Cultural and social stigma in reporting cases 3. 8. 6: Ignorance of the public 3. 8. 7: Gender desks 4. 0: CONCLUSION: 4. 1: Possible avenues of dealing with defilement 4. 1. 1: Applying the equality provisions in the new constitution 4. 1. 2: Civic education 4. 1. 3: Advanced technology in collecting evidence 4. 1. 4: Legislation to curb cultural practises encouraging defilement 4. 1. 5: Special desks in police stations for sex ually assaulted victims 4. . 6: Homes for abused children 4. 1. 7: The sexual offences act 4. 2: In summery 4. 3: Acknowledgement 4. 4: Recommendation 5. 0: References: 5. 1: Statutes 5. 2: other sources DEFILEMENT MENACES A FREQUENT GUEST IN THE CORRIDORS OF JUSTICE: 1. 0: ABSTRACT: 1. 1: OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to find out why the number of defilement cases is increasing daily yet most of the other crimes are decreasing. It is also meant to find out if the judiciary is doing enough to curb this social evil and if has played any role in its rise. 1. 2: METHOD: I spent two months at Limuru law court and I listened to numerous defilement trials. I held several discussions with the Magistrate and children officers and consulted numerous researches done on the same. 2. 0: INTRODUCTION: Under the SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT (2006) a person who defiles a child aged eleven years or below shall upon conviction be sentenced to imprisonment for life; if the child is aged between 12 and 15 years, the term of imprisonment shall not less than 20years; and if the child is between 16-18 years old, the defiler faces a term of no less than 15 years behind bars. These are penalties that one would hope would scare the wits out of any person who is at least of reasonably sound mind from conceiving the slightest idea of defiling a minor in Kenya, but judging from the rampant cases of defilement this is not so. The make-up of the society is that a parent gives birth to a child and natures it, teaching it to grow into a responsible human being. The teacher then takes up the responsibility of nurturing when the child is about four years of age impacting knowledge on the child. The church impacts moral values on the child and the rest of the society moulds this child in preparation for greater responsibilities in the future. A child is a vulnerable member of society as they can barely survive on their own. The society is mandated with the responsibility of protecting the child but it has abandoned that responsibility and even those closest to these children are hurting them. About one in every five reported crimes around Limuru area was a sexual offence and most of them being defilement cases. This disturbing practise has not only affected the girl child but even the boy child is no longer safe. The shocking revelation is that half of the defilement cases are by a relative followed by Close family friends, teachers and very few have strangers involved. Most of the children are defiled at their homes, at a relative’s house, on their way to school or to the shop. The home which was a safe heaven for every child is no longer safe and neither are the schools where these children spend the better part of their day. Several questions linger in the mind as one tries to figure out why Kenyan society has seemingly turned this way. Was this evil ever-present but just not reported in the way it is today? Is it a sad reality recently revealed, or a growing modern menace? Does it derive from ignorance, perversity, or just plain evil? Are these the tell-tale signs of the last days as described in the Book of Revelations as some would have it, or are they just illustrations of a decaying society? And how do we stop this abomination? One does not have to be a devout Christian to hope a millstone will be cast about the neck of each and every perpetrator before they are thrown into the water. Neither does one have to be a reactionary to believe that the development of our modern society has had a role to play. Either way, this appalling issue has to be urgently addressed. 3. 0: BODY: 3. 1: DEFINATION OF DEFILMENT: Oxford dictionary: to damage the purity or the appearance of something. Sexual Offences Act: S. 8 a person who commits an act which causes penetration with a child. . 2: BACKGROUND OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN KENYA: The African man has always been viewed as superior to the woman. Most of the African cultures portray the man as a superior being who should be obeyed without question. On the other hand the woman is painted as a submissive creature availed for the pleasure of men. This is aptly demonstrated in most of the Kenyan cultures. For example, the kikuyu culture calls the man mundu murume the word murume is derived from the word urume which means extremely courageous. In contrast, the woman is known as mutumia which is derived from the word tumia which means use. This is a major reason why the kikuyu man not only considers himself as the dominant sex but also sees a woman simply as a vessel for his use (Kariuki 2004). Most cultures portray the girl child as an investment and usually when her time to get married comes what matters is the bride price they will receive. Often when a girl is getting married her parents will advise her to obey her husband and take care of him lest he will demand back the bride price (Davison 1989). The boy child on the other hand is brought up being taught that it is weakness for a man to succumb to emotion as it makes you like a woman. And as most men age, they learn to cancel out or deny erotic sensations that are not specifically linked to what they think a real man is to feel (Stoltenberg 1989:33). The boys are raised up learning that a man gives instructions that should be followed without question and even couple of Kenyan communities have encouraged chastising of women. Being a man is measured through violence and sex capability. So, when masculinity is associated with aggression and sex conquest ,domineering sexual behavior and violence become not only a means of structuring power relations between men and women , but also a way of establishing power relations among men (Heise 1995). In Kenya, it reaches its most extreme expression possibly among the Gusii, for which LeVine (1959) wrote that all sexual intercourse was played as rape with women even in marriage expected to resist 3. 3: STATISTICS ON DEFILEMENT IN KENYA: * In 1991- in a mixed boys’ school, boys invaded girls’ dormitory and raped 70 girls leading to 19 deaths. 2 May 1992, 15 girls were raped at Hawinga Girls, Nyanza province. * A joint report by TSC and a non-profitable organization revealed that 12660 students were sexually abused by their male teachers from 2003-2007. Out of all these only 633 teachers were charged with sexual abuse. * In 2010 more than 1000 teachers were fired for sexually abusing girls. * In a standard newspap er article published on 09/02/2010 there was a story of a teacher who defiled a deaf girl getting her pregnant. * In 2004, 140 cases of students being defiled by teachers were reported, in 2008, 100 cases were reported and in 2009, 122 cases were reported. Out of every 100 rape cases handled by police, child rights groups, and selected hospitals, 40 were committed by fathers; according to the study conducted by the Chambers of Justice * Police statistics showed that rape and defilement were the most prevalent crimes in 2010 even as other offences reduced by 5%. * Out of 57826 crimes reported in 2010, 785 were rapes and 2660 were defilements. In 2009 729 were rapes and 2242 were defilements. * A report given by the media in 2005 showed the following results: MONTH| RAPE| DEFILEMENT| July| 33| 51| August| 10| 22| September| 3| 28| October| 0| 15| November| 7| 18| December| 6| 27| TOTAL| 59| 161| * 42 cases of sodomy were also reported between July and December of 2005. 3. 4: PERPETRATORS: Several researches have shown that fathers are the greatest perpetrators out of 100 reported cases 40 are by fathers. Other family members, neighbors, teachers and gangs are also topping the list. A research paper titled, â€Å"A media coverage on sexual violence and its implication on educational leadership† carried out by J. wanjiku Khamasi & Wanjiru Muita showed the following results. OFFENDER PROFILE BY NUMBER OF INCIDENCES REPORTED: In R v MICHINO NJOROGE, LIMURU SPM, CR 69 OF 2011, 08/06/2011. The accused person was a cousin to the victim. In R v GODFREY MUGENDI NYAGAH. LIMURU SPM, CR 926 0F 2011, 27/06/2011, the accused was a neighbour. In R v JOHN NJIHIA KAHURO. LIMURU SPM, CR 256 OF 2010, 30/06/2011, the accused was a cousin to the victim and he even impregnated her forcing her to procure an abortion as she had a heart problem which couldn’t allow her to carry the pregnancy at her age. In R v MOSES WAFULA. LIMURU SPM CR 451 OF 2011,28/07/2011 The accused was a father to the victim. These are just a few examples of the many defilement cases in Limuru carried out by either a family member or a neighbour. 3. 5: AGE OF DEFILEMENT VICTIMS: Defilers are going for younger girls every single day. In Limuru the victims were aged between 9 to 15 years. In R v ANTHONY NJIHIA WANGARI. LIMURU SPM CR 401 OF 2011 29/06/2011. The victim was a 9year old girl. In R v CHARLES KIEMO LIMURU SPM CR 1130 OF 2010, 18/07/2011. The victims were boys aged 12 and 14 years. In R v MOSES WAFULA. LIMURU SPM CR 451 OF 2011. 28/07/2011, the victim was a 10 year old girl. Researches have shown that even one month old babies are being defiled. ( J. wanjiku Khamasi & Wanjiru Muita) in a research paper titled â€Å"violence against women† by Winnie . v. mitulla show that in 1996, 9 children of age 2 – 4; 12 of age 5 – 7; 10 of age 8 – 10; 8 of age 11 – 13 and 6 of age 14 were defiled; whereas in 1995, 7 children of age 2 – 4; 13 of age 5 – 7; 22 of age 8 – 10; 7 of 11 – 13 and 10 of 14 – 16 were defiled. hese may not be the exact numbers but they paint a vague picture of how children are suffering in the hands of defilers. 3. 6: POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS OF WHY DEFILEMENT IS ON THE RISE: 3. 6. 1: GENDER INEQUALITY AND PATRIACAL NOTIONS: The Kenyan society has been natured in a way suggesting that the man is superior while the woman is inferior and is meant to be submissive to the man. As a result most women lack the ability to protect their children from their abusive husbands. Some even leave their matrimonial homes due to the degree of suffering inflicted by their husbands leaving behind their children. I was reading a blog ion the internet where a girl narrates her ordeal after her mother left due to constant beating by her father. As the first born she assumed her mother’s duties which included having sex with her father who forced her to share a bed with him. In R v MOSES WAFULA, LIMURU SPM CR 451 OF 2011, 28TH JULY 2011. The accused person actually threatened to kill the victim, who was his daughter, and her mother if he was sent to jail. The mother to the accused was quoted saying that his son was the man of the house and his wife had no right to question his actions 3. 6. : CULTURAL PRACTISES: Some of the cultural practises in Kenya have done more harm than good to the Kenyan child. An example is the Samburu community which practises a cultural practise known as beading. They justify this practise claiming it prevents promiscuity when instead it encourages incest. Beading means that a girl as young as 9 years old is engaged to a relative sometimes as old as her grandfat her by use of traditional attires popularly referred to as beads. During the engagement, the admirer places a special necklace around the girl's neck to signify he has officially booked the young one. He follows this by bringing beads in large quantities which are also put in girl's neck as a sign of official commencement of intimate relationship though it does not lead to marriage as the two are related. The â€Å"couple† is allowed to have sexual intercourse but pregnancy is highly forbidden. Incas it does happen, it has to be terminated immediately despite the high risks involved. Early marriage which has been a widely practised culture is also defilement in its own sense because girls as young as 5years are forcefully married to older men. In a research paper entitled ‘gender, sexuality, and HIV’ a girl from Amhara Ethiopia is quoted saying that,† she hates early marriages as she was married off at five years and first had sex at 9 years. She says that her in-laws forced her to sleep with her husband who made her suffer all night and after that night whenever day became night she was worried that she would go through the same ordeal. † In R v MOSES WAFULA, LIMURU SPM CR 451 OF 2011, 28TH JULY 2011. The victim while giving her evidence tried to withdraw her statement that her father had defiled her. On realising this, the prosecutor informed the magistrate and when they carried out an inquiry it came to their attention that the victim and the mother had been threatened by the accused’s mother. When we were in chambers the magistrate told us that in some customs fathers have sexual intercourse with their daughters as a way of appreciating themselves for raising them up. It sounds so absurd but it’s actually happening. 3. 6. 3: POVERTY: Poverty in Kenya has become a reason for every social evil. Children have to look for casual work in order to assist their parents in meeting basic needs. Incidences where a student was defiled while cleaning or fetching water for their teachers are very common. Aside from that some children are defiled and their defilers offer compensation to their parents who quickly take their money focusing on their economic problems. In R v JOHN NJIHIA KAHURO, LIMURU SPM CR 256 OF 2010, 30/06/2011. The accused was the victim’s cousin and he actually impregnated her. The father of the accused offered to compensate but luckily the victim’s mother in this case refused to accept it. However very many defilement cases go unreported as parents prefer to take the money leaving this social evil unpunished. Powerful men in the society also defile young girls and go unpunished as they are able to bribe the police and magistrates earning their freedom. This encourages people with power and money to take advantage of children as they know they can easily get away with it. 3. 6. 4: CULTURAL& SOCIAL STEREOTYPES: According to the Pocket Oxford Dictionary, a stereotype is a ‘person or thing seeming to conform to a heavily accepted type’. Sex-role stereotypes have also been defined as ‘the rigidly held and oversimplified beliefs that MALES & FEMALES possess distinct (and similar) psychological traits and characteristics. ‘Traditionally, the female stereotypic role is to marry and have children. She is also to put her family's welfare before her own; be loving, compassionate, caring, nurturing, and sympathetic; and find time to be sexy and feel beautiful. The male stereotypic role is to be the financial provider. He is also to be assertive, competitive, independent, courageous, and career-focused; hold his emotions in check; and always initiate sex. Owing to the expectation that men should be breadwinners in the family, men turn to aggression in an attempt to suppress their status and continue dominating their wives or their close female relations when they perceive an economic rise by them. This means that the woman remains dependant on the man and condones his violent acts. This affects the children as they have no one to protect them as their mothers are week. Most of these girls believe they should be submissive and end up not even telling anyone their ordeal. Which is why some cases will go undiscovered unless the girl gets pregnant or contracts a disease. The woman is meant to keep herself for her husband and society views a lady who is not a virgin as lose. The value attached to female chastity is so high that even where a woman is a survivor of sexual abuse, the typical community response is to isolate and stigmatise her. The shame and stigma attached to sexual violence, and the lenient penalties meted out on offenders in formal and traditional judicial systems, silences survivors. 3. 6. 5: FAILED INSTITUTIONS: The collapse of the rule of law in conflict situations encourages sexual crimes on a massive scale. The difference between the protector and the perpetrator is not clear anymore. The perpetrators and perpetuators of sexual violence in conflict and non-conflict settings are categorised into three groups. First the disciplined forces e. g. the police, army et. al. secondly family members and the community and thirdly the structures and institutions of protection (the government and its organs, UN, AU, and other humanitarian organisations). It is often difficult to tackle impunity for sexual crimes committed during conflict because perpetrators and perpetuators often take up powerful positions in post-conflict governments. This gives them an avenue to intimidate their victims. The UN and similar institutions refuse to take responsibility for these crimes. Their correction policy often entails forwarding offenders together with reports on them to their respective countries’ judicial systems. This practise takes away any hope of justice for the survivors. This is very evident in Kenya as very many children were defiled during the 2007-2008 post-election violence and 4 years down the line no justice has been granted. We are only hoping that the ICC can give the survivors some peace of mind but we all know that, that is still miles away from happening. 3. 7: LAWS GOVERNING THE PROSECUTION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN: 3. 7. 1: The Constitution of Kenya: the bill of rights S. 53(1) (d) states that every child has a right to be protected from abuse, neglect, harmful cultural Practises, all forms of violence, inhuman treatment and punishment and hazardous or exploitive labour. . 7. 2: Sexual Offences Act, 2006: defilement of a child: * Aged 11 years or less- life imprisonment. * Aged between 12-15 years- not less than 20years. * Aged between 16- 18 years- not less than 15 years 3. 7. 3: The Children’s Act, 2001: S. 13(1) provides that a child is entitled to protection from physical and psychological abuse, neglect and any oth er form of exploitation including sale, trafficking or abduction by any person. 3. 7. 4: The Criminal Procedure Code, cap 75 of the laws of Kenya: S. 186 3. 7. 5: The Employment Act, 2007: S. 6 3. : CHALLENGES FOR SEEKING REDRESS IN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED CHILDREN: 3. 8. 1: SLOW JUDICIAL SYSTEM: It becomes very frustrating for the complainant, the children, and those filing the suit on behalf of the children when a matter takes over two years to be resolved. The prosecution tends to seek endless adjournments for various reasons to wit, lack of police file, witness not being in court, absence of the doctor or the investigating officer amongst other things. Courts are supposed to be liberators but instead they have become instruments of subjugation. 3. 8. 2: P3 AND PRC FORM: Defilement victims are required to fill a P3 form after being examined at a government hospital however the P3 form is not detailed and is inadequate to fill. The PRC form was introduced during the national reproductive health strategy 2009-2012 it was meant to replace the P3 form but some doctors have said it’s too detailed and it feels like a research tool, whereas the P3 Form is very basic as it catches the physical state and any injuries to the genitalia, with special reference to the labia majora, labia minora, vagina, cervix and also notes presence of discharge or venereal diseases. The P3 form is supposed to be given free of charge but in some hospitals in rural areas it is sold at ksh. 1500 which they say is the doctor’s fee to go and testify in court and this makes some people prefer to spend that money on other basic needs rather than on a document. 3. 8. 3: POOR INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS: Police prosecutors have little knowledge on the essentials of evidence. This makes their prosecution very poor and the experienced advocates have a very easy time defeating the prosecution case. The police also tend to mishandle exhibits and there are endless incidences of missing police files. There is also a lot of corruption within the police circles especially if the accused person is influential or one of them. 3. 8. 4: CONFLICTING MEDICAL REPORTS: When the victim is defiled they go hospital for first aid, they are then sent to a government hospital for the P3 form to be filled. In most cases the doctor who treat the victim and the one who fills the P3 form give conflicting reports putting reasonable doubt in the prosecution case. 3. 8. 5: CULTURAL AND SOCIAL STIGMA IN REPORTING CASES: In most Kenyan cultures topics on sex are still discussed in hushed tones. The importance of a girl being married as a virgin is still over emphasized. This means that a defiled child is unclean and is hence stigmatised. In some cases the child is even blamed. Some parents silence their children as they believe if people know no one will want to marry them and if anyone does the bride price will be very little. This makes most people opt for other methods of conflict resolution. 3. 8. 6: IGNORANCE OF THE PUBLIC: Despite the many awareness programs and campaigns carried out most Kenyans still have no idea of what they should do in the case of sexual violence. Most will not go to hospital as they do not know about the 72 hours policy. Others will clean the defiled child and the clothes they were wearing hence destroying evidence, making the police reluctant to prosecute due to lack of physical evidence. 3. 8. 7: GENDER DESKS: Police have no skills on how to handle cases of sexual abuse. There are minimum resources to equip and train police officers on how to effectively manage gender desks. 4. 0: CONCLUSION: 4. 1: POSSIBLE AVENUES OF DEALING WITH DEFILEMENT: 4. 1. 1: APPLYING THE EQUALITY PROVISIONS IN THE NEW CONSTITUTION: S. 9: entitles everyone to the right of freedom and security. Which includes the right not to be subjected to any form of violence from either public or private sources. S. 53: Every child has a right to be protected from abuse, neglect, harmful cultural practices, all forms of violence, inhuman treatment and punishment, and hazardous or exploitative labour S. 27: states that everyone is equal before the law and have a right to equal protection and equal benefits under the law. These provisions emphasize that a child is as important as every other person and should be protected. If we emphasize these provisions then we will all take it upon ourselves to protect children from this inhuman practise. Each one of us will know we have a responsibility to protect the child. 4. 1. 2: CIVIL EDUCATION: We need to educate Kenyans that defilement is not the victim’s fault and that emergency measures need to be taken in the case of a child being defiled. they need to understand that it is in the best interest of the child to be taken to a hospital within the first 72 hours as it makes it possible to prevent some sexually transmitted infections. It also ensures that there is unquestionable evidence making prosecution easier. 4. 1. 3: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN COLLECTING EVIDENCE: It may be definite that a child was defiled but at times it becomes hard to connect the accused person to that crime. Measures like DNA need to be incorporated in collecting evidence in defilement cases. This is to ensure that the defence has very little avenues to create doubt as the burden of proof in criminal cases is very high. It will also add weight to the P3 form evidence. 4. 1. : LEGISLATION TO CURB CULTURAL PRACTISES ENCOURAGING DEFILEMENT: As earlier stated in this paper some of our cultures are the reason why we are still struggling with defilement in Kenya. It’s about time parliament enacted laws that curb practises that infringe the rights of children exposing them to sexual violence and exploitation. The government has a responsibility to protect its citizens and children are part of that responsibility. Severe punishments should b e set for parents who marry off their young daughters, those carrying out FGM, those practising things like beading among others. We are our culture however that does not justify inhuman practises that ruin tomorrow’s generation. 4. 1. 5: SPECIAL DESKS IN POLICE STATIONS FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTED VICTIMS: The government needs to train some officers to specifically deal with sexual assaulted victims. There should be a special desk for sexually assaulted victims where they will be accorded special care and advised on the measures they should take. They should also accord these victims protection from further abuse. 4. 1. 6: HOMES FOR ABUSED CHILDREN: Children being abused in their own homes should be taken away by children officers and placed in homes. This way they will be protecting these children from more harm. They will also give these children counselling and hopefully these children can live a normal life someday. 4. 1. 7: THE SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT: I still feel like the life sentence is too lenient. A person who defiles a child as young as 3months old is not any better than a murderer because a child this young has very few chances of a normal life after that ordeal. I strongly feel castration is a punishment that should be incorporated into the act. No disorder or any other explanation people have attempted to offer can justify this inhumanity and with the rate at which it’s raising people need to realise the seriousness of their actions. 4. 2: IN SUMMERY: Defilement is an evil that’s on the rise every day in this country. And it’s not just the girl child crying out but even the boy child is no longer safe. Children are Kenya’s future and if we don’t destroy this villain called defilement in a few years we will be having a generation of abused, angry and people craving for revenge. This will breed a generation of criminals which means we are destroying Kenya’s tomorrow. So we all have a mandate to stop this evil. I hope by the time i am admitted into the bar I will not experience what I saw during my judicial attachment. 4. 3: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I would like to thank the school for the chance and support through my judicial attachment. I would also like to thank madam Ireri, Limuru resident magistrate, for her devoted support and all the Limuru court staff in general. 4. 4: RECOMMENDATION: I recommend this this report to NGOs dealing with sexual violence and children rights, Legal scholars and the public in general. 5. 0: REFERENCES: 5. 1: STATUTES: 1. The Sexual Offences Act,2006 2. The Children Act 3. The Constitution 2010 4. ANPPCAN Kenya chapter. 5. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 6. Limuru Law Courts Case Law 5. 2: OTHER SOURCES: 1. J. Wanjiku Khamasi & Wairimu Muita. (1991). WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION. Media Coverage of Sexual Violence and its Implications on Educational Leadership. retrieved August 08,2011, from www. kaeam. r. ke/e-journal/articles/vol1/wanjikufulltext. pdf 2. Kenya country profile. (April 2009). Retrieved August 08, 2010, from www. cartercenter. org/peace/human_rights/defenders/†¦ /kenya. html 3. Sasha Hart. (August 9 2011). Police (in)action as an access to justice barrier for â€Å"defilement† victims. Retrieved august 12, 2011, from www. blogs. mcgill. ca/humanrightsinterns/2011/08/09/police-inaction-as-an-access-to- justice-barrier-for-defilement-victims/ 4. Christine Kung’u. (January, 24 2011). â€Å"160 Girls† University of Toronto, IHRP Panel Presentation. Retrieved August 12 2011 from, www. theequalityeffects. org/pdfs/160%20girls. pdf 5. Standard team. (June 1 2005). Shocking statistics on fathers defiling daughters. Retrieved August 13 2011 from, www. groups. yahoo. com/group/MahdiUnite/message/7472 6. Winnie V. Mitullah. (July 1997). violence against women. Retrieved August 15 2011 from,www. ieakenya. or. ke/documents/Profiling%20Women%20in%20Kenya. pdf 7. Gender sensitivity. (February 2000). Retrieved on August 17 2011 from, www. unesco. org/education/mebam/module_5. pdf

Mount & Blade Warband Faction

Mount and Blade: Warband Quick Guide to the Nations Mount and Blade: Warband already from the start throws you into somewhat deep waters, asking you where do you wish to begin your adventure. The choice might feel like purely a â€Å"starting point†, since you can go anywhere you wish on the map, do whatever you like, without any â€Å"national constraints†. But to the more careful observer, each nation, both as a starting point, ally and unit choice has its individual strengths and weaknesses. In this guide we will look briefly at each nation, so that you might have an easier choice deciding who is best sided with, at the beginning.Map of Caldaria. Orange- Swadia, White- Vaegirs, Blue- Nords, Yellow- Sultanate, Purple- Khergit, Green- Rhodok. Mount and Blade: Warband Quick Guide to the Nations Kingdom of Nords These merry fellows, who look like Vikings, are the strongest shock troops you can find. A Nord Huscarl might not have a war-horse like a Swadian Knight, but his axe does the talking. When gathering a Nord force you will immediately notice a substantial lack in cavalry, as well as a general lack in proper ranged units. What they lack in those two areas they make up in high quality infantry. Nord infantry uses axes.Be it battle axes, two-handed axes, throwing axes, or forks with axes. They will also have a selection of blades and other thrown weapons. They will use exclusively round shields, and an orderly round shield wall will never be pierced by any attack. Nord Infantry also uses quality armour, which gives them a decent edge against enemy infantry and cavalry, while their shields will block most types of ranged weapons with ease. Due to their sturdiness and weapon choice Nords are useful both as an attack, and a defense force. A dense group of Nord warriors will create an impenetrable wall of shields and axes in the open.During an attack, Nords will storm a castle, and with mild ease destroy any shields the defenders could be using. Mea nwhile, a Nord defense force guarding a castle might as well be outnumbered 10:1, given the right circumstances, and still win. A Nord shield wall awaiting a worthy foe. The Nord lack of cavalry and proper ranged weapons does mean they are slow on the outside map and during a battle. When commanding a Nord force, keeping a tight formation means everything. Dispersing your force could mean that enemy ranged weapons or cavalry will cut down individual warriors with ease.If you are severely utnumbered, or forced to fight a force made up of cavalry, your only hope is to bunch up as closely together as possible, and hope for the best. Hide behind a hill, so that enemy archers are not as effective, and once the enemy is a short distance away, charge. As a starting point, the Kingdom of Nords is a good location. You can easily find good deals for Salt with your neighbours, as well as obtain cheap Iron and Raw Silk from the Kingdom of Vaegirs. Based on my experience, most business types do not work out in â€Å"Nordland†, so stick to trading goods.The main danger of Nordland are Sea Raiders. These are nigh tier outlaws which can witn ease take out an inexperienced company of warriors. Stay clear of them untill you are certain you can fight them. As an ally, the Nords have a mildly good position. They have only two neighbours, and a sea behind them. Kingdom of Swadia Swadians are something between the English, and the French. They rely on their cavalry, which in a full charge can break even the toughest foes. Although other nations have equally effective â€Å"Knights†, the Swadians appear to excel stat wise, and overall use better equipment.In other areas the Swadians do not appear to be that ar off from other nations. Their higher tier infantry is decent in combat, and the Swadian sharpshooters make for decent ranged units. However, if you rely on Swadian cavalry too heavily you could wake up in a number of horror scenarios. For example, running out of funds, fighting on hilly terrain, fghting a highly experienced Rhodok force or being forced to â€Å"Auto Battle†. Training Swadian Knights is expensive, and their upkeep is terrifying. Their need for flat terrain makes them useless on hilly terrain, and against a forest of spears they will often get bogged down and killed.Often the best technique to win a battle as a Swadian force is to create an infantry main force to occupy the enemy. Then, while the enemy is fighting your infantry, flank with your Knights. Swadians make fine castle defenders and attackers. Although they lack the push of the Nords, or the spears of the Rhodoks, their armour and training cannot be underestimated. Swadian Knights and Men at Arms, preparing for their charge. On the other hand, Swadian cavalry *is* expensive. Rebuilding a lost force will cost you a fortune, and up keeping it might drain your coffers entirely.If you are poor, or have problems btaining a decent income, you might wish to look for alternatives. As a starting point, Swadia is in the centre of everything. This means you have equally far to all the other towns and nations, but it lacks any â€Å"special produce† which you could produce cheaply. As an ally, Swadians can shock, in the positive and negative way. Since they are surrounded from all sides, a war on multiple fronts will leave them broken and divided. On the other hand, when Swadians do come around to attacking a single nation, they can overwhelm with ease. Kingdom of Rhodoks The Kingdom of Rhodoks are a fun bunch.Fun, because they are affordable and incredibly disciplined. Rhodoks have two strengths: their spears and their crossbows. Although it is easy to dismiss Rhodok units as â€Å"Core Infantry' that only means you fought against the A1. Rhodok crossbowmen are a terrifying sight to behold. Combined with your Rhodok infantry forming a shield and spear wall almost no force can push through them. Cavallery will be annihilated witn a well pla ced R concentration. Much like the Nords, you do not want to spread your infantry too far. Unlike the Nords though, the Rhodok are not that good on the attack.Their weapons re not designed for assaulting but defending. On the other hand, Rhodok shields offer excellent cover during a siege attack or defense, allowing them to survive for much longer than usual. The strength of Rhodok Crossbowmen cannot be underestimated. They have incredible ranged abilities, while also being half-decent in combat, making it possible to use them as improvised close combat infantry. Rhodok Infantry countering a Sultanate charge. Rhodoks do lack cavalry. You might have incredible infantry, but you will be slower on the world map, and you will need to lend some horsemen from another nation if you ant to flank the enemy.Rhodok forces can â€Å"turtle† forward. Taking on wave after wave of attackers, as they move steadily forward. The problem is that the A1 often does not think that way. The Rhodoks , Just like the Nords, are in a nice tight corner. Their nation is often plagued by mountain bandits, and they lack a proper cheap trade good, but their natural terrain works well with their spears, creating a living nightmare for their neighbours, who incidentally rely on cavalry heavily: Swadians, Khergits and the Sultanate. Kingdom of Vaegirs The Vaegirs are an interesting force to use.They have Infantry, Ranged and Cavalry nits, on the other hand their elite units often lack shields, making them a force highly vulnerable to ranged attack. Vaegir archers are also the best foot bowmen in the game, as such you have a force which is mildly vulnerable to a ranged attack, while also being able to retaliate with their own barrage. Unlike other armies, Vaegir top-tier units prefer two-handed weapons, making them highly dangerous units to face off against, if outnumbered. Both Vaegir Knights and the Vaegir Guards will chop away at the competition. The question is how penalizing is their lack of shields?It all depends on the situation. When faced against Rhodoks you could find yourself losing more men due to the crossbow barrage, on the other hand you have something to counter ranged units, Vaegir cavalry. Vaegir warband. In a siege assault situation your main weakness is a possible lack of shielding, making you lose units much more quickly. In an open field that could also be a problem if you want to play defensively Use terrain to your advantage, or use your force Just like you would play as the Swadians. Make your â€Å"main force† occupy the enemy while you tan w n the cavalry.As a starting point, the Kingdom ot Vaegirs is not a bad place to be at. They might have tundra bandits and initially some very weak units, but the trade benefits are very high. Vaegir ports tend to have some lower priced Raw silk, making it a good place to trade for higher cash. Finding some cheap iron will also take you a long way. Trading with the Nords for Salt will only make yo u richer. Vaegirs tend to have little to no problems with neighbours. Although they could be considered surrounded they can cope with a single or two opponents at the same time.Khergit Khanate The Khergits have one strength no other army can match, almost every single one of their units is on horseback. A fully developed Khergit force will have Lancers and archers on horseback, making it the most mobile force in the game. On the world map they will move quicker than other armies, and on the battlefield, open fields is what a Khergit commander would love most. However, this reliance on cavalry is risky, and although Khergits excel on the field of battle, during a siege they are much weaker than one would wish.The Khergits are masters of firing off horseback. Under the player's control they can circle an enemy force indefinitely, untill the foe is so badly bloodied that a Lancer charge will finish them off. Under the A1, Khergits under perform, since they will often charge into an ene my force, making them easy prey for Rhodoks or Nords. The Khergit Lancers are weaker and less armoured than other cavalry formations, but they can still hold their ground, and during the initial charge, take out a number of foes with their lances.Khergit Lancers awaiting the enemy. Khergits are very poor while defending or attacking a castle. Their lancers will be outperformed by most equal or higher tier infantry. Although their archers will pepper away at a foe, it is a bad idea to assume that you can take out the enemy uicker than they can take out your infantry. As such, when protecting your castle, always include infantry from another nation. Lancers are simply unreliable. Meanwhile, if you face against them, bring a fast(er) horse, a high concentration of infantry or a very big shield.As a starting point, the Khergits have the best towns to produce and sell dyed textiles. Although it is the most expensive business type, it is the most profitable in Khergit lands. Trade in thei r territory is risky on lower levels, due to Steppe Bandits. If you have a small caravan, or poorly trained men, Steppe Bandits will mob you with their horses. They are also incredibly quick, making it very hard to outrun them. As an ally Khergits are surrounded by foes all around. Swadians, Sultanate and Veagirs are all risky sparring partners.As a commander, you will have access to the fastest army around, so if you do not want to fight enemy armies, you might as well hit and run weaker lords or raid villages and flee before the enemy can retaliate. Sarranid Sultanate The Sarranid are a new addition to Mount & Blade. Some would say that they are a mirror image of the Swadians. The Sarranid Mamluke and Swadian Knight go head in head for the title of the best cavalry in Mount and Blade. However, unlike the Swadians, the Sarranid suffer from a sub-par high-tier infantry. The Sarranid Guard is considered the weakest high level infantry in the game.This is because they lack any apparen t weakness, while also lacking any strength. They are considered generalists, but as such, they can be adapted tor ditterent tasks. Meanwhile, Sarranid Master Archers are devastating ranged units. On the level, if not above, of the Veagir Marksman, Sarranid Master Archers are well armoured, with excellent ranged abilities. However, Just like all other ranged unit types, the Master Archers lack any lose combat abilities. Remnants of a Swadian force are about to learn why does the desert belong to the Sultan. What is the weakness of the Sarranid?Their infantry for one, but Just like the Swadians, it is easy to be carried away and invest your money into elite cavalry. Not only that, but the upkeep will be comparable of a full Swadian force. If you do not have a substantial income you will become a very poor lord, very quickly. As a starting point, Sarranids suffer a bit from the same problem as the Swadians. They lack any specific low-cost and profitable good. Another problem is the si ze of the Sultanate. Villages and towns are often dispersed, and reaching one end of the Sultanate from the other could take even two days.This is also a problem when fghting wars. Reacting quickly to events on either side of the Sultanate is nearly impossible. Among their neighbours you have the Khergits, Swadians and Rhodoks. With a trained force a war against the Khergits does not pose any threat, however Swadian and Rhodok forces will stand on equal terms with you. Let us also not forget about Desert Bandits, who, Just like Steppe Bandits, will outrun you, and if you lack an experienced force, annihilate you. Alexander â€Å"WriterX† Bielski

Child Study Report Essay

Introduction Early childhood educators play an important role in observing, recognizing, and supporting children’s development (Charlesworth, 2014). In this report, child E has been chose to be observed with different observing methods including running record, anecdotal record and learning story. Child E is a 3 years old boy. His father is a New Zealander, and his mother is from China. He is the only child in his family. Child E dose not speak Chinese but only English, this is due to the reason that both his parents speak English at home and his mother does not want him to learn Chinese. Child E was born in New Zealand and he dose not know much about Chinese cultural. He attends at the center five days per week. His mother often drops him in the morning around 10am and the father picks him up around 6pm. Moreover, child E has just been transferred from the toddler room to the pre-school room two weeks ago. Child E and I know each other in the toddler room. In my report, I will focus on physical and socio-emotional developments and link them with development theories and concepts. I will also discuss how these two domains inter-related to the children’s holistic development. Read more: Factors that influence child development essay Physical Development Physical development is an essential domain that is extremely important for children’s development. The physical development of child E can be seen in all the observations. G. Stanley Hall and Arnold Gesell developed Maturation theory. According to the theory, maturation and growth occur together and they are interrelated. In another word, while a child is physically growing up, the nature and quality are changing as well. â€Å"Growth is what happens; maturation is how it happens† (Gordon and Browne, 2014). Furthermore, Gessell transferred his ideas of maturational process into the developmental milestones. The milestones indicate a child’s ability achievement at a certain age (Petty, 2010). The developmental milestone is a useful tool for early childhood teachers due to the reason that teachers can know what a child should achieve at specific ages. This can help teachers to plan and implement learning experiences for children. Also, the physical growth and deve lopment are closely related to children’s essential health and wellbeing  (New Zealand Tertiary College [NZTC], 2014). The physical experience supports children’s motor skills development. Using touching as an example, in observation one, child E patted the teacher and other children to get their attention. Instead of hitting or grabbing hardly, he patted gently. Child E experienced and developed the skill of controlling his motor when touching other people. Moreover, it is stressed in Te WhÄ riki (Ministry of Education [MoE], 1996), although there is a pattern of learning and development, teacher should see each child as an individual and every child follows their own rate of development. Thus, the physical development is not always predictable. To further explain this, in observation one, the action of poking shows the skill of using fine and gross motor. Child E and children J both can poke with the brush well, but their ages are different. In observation three, all the children joined the activity (musical statues) are 3 or 4 years old. They have different levels of balancing skills. In addition, Freud’s psychosexual stages also indicate deferent stages’ main development. He stressed the daily events and experience help children’s physical development in every stage (Berger, 2001). Child E is learning and developing his physical skills in every day life. Besides the theories discussed above, there are also some other factors that influence children’s physical development. Genetic make-up is the internal factors, and there are external factors include nutrition, exercise, social-cultural context, family care and health care services (NZTC, 2014). Genetic factors have impacts on many areas of development. In observation two, child E asked for more food is an example of his body’s natural needs. Social-cultural factor plays a significant role in the physical development. A child’s family vale and believe will influence the child. For instance, in observation two, child E left all the vegetables and only ate the rice and meat. Teachers already talked to his mother about this, and his mother believes the child know what to eat or not. She dose not want to encourage him to eat more vegetables. Instead, she asked teachers to give child E more meat. I also found that in the morning, when child E’s mother drops him at the center, E often has a chocolate muffin or other food high in sugar and fat as his breakfast. A current New Zealand research (Theodore, Thompson, Wall, Becroft, Robinson, Clark, Pryor, Wild & Mitchell, 2006) found that an  unhealthy diet would lead problems like diabetes, obesity, asthma and heart disease in young children, which will influence them a life-long time. Also, an unhealthy and unbalanced diet would cause undernourished problem of children. It has a huge impact on children’s physical development (Berk, 2013). The physical development is closely associated with other development domains. In terms of cognitive development, while children develop their fine and gross motor skills, the brain is stimulated and developed as well (Gordon & Browne, 2014). Take observation three as an example, while child E was finding his balancing with the motor skills, he also used his brain to control his gross and fine motor. Moreover, in the activity, he also used words like ‘move’ and ‘stop’ with his physical movements. His language learning was encouraged as well. Also, physical development inter-relate in relation to children’s social and emotional development, which will be discussed later. Social and emotional development Through all the four observations, child E showed his strong social skills and he was eager to communicate with others. A child’s social and emotional development is affected by both biological nature and the environment surrounds him or her. The different genetic factors and the other external factors influence children behave differently (NZTC, 2014). Building a positive relationship with children is essential for supporting emotions in young children. Supporting children’s emotions in a caring and social context can help the early childhood children to build a secure attachment relationship (Berk, 2013). It is stated in Te WhÄ riki (MoE, 1996), children will show their confidence only when they have built up the sense of belonging and secure at an environment. In observation one, child E chose to take a chair and set right next me. He is new to the pre-school environment, so he felt a little bit of insecure. He knows me from the toddler room a long time ago, so he feels emotionally safe and comfort around me. According to John Bowlby’s young children feels more comfortable around the person they attached to (Berger, 2001). Turning to Sigmund Freud’s theory, he considered personality as a key part of every child’s development. He  believes a newborn baby is governed by the id, which is the source of desire and motives that we born with (Berger, 2001). Erik Erikson further developed and modified Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective of development. Erikson sees the surrounding society as an important factor for every child. He believes that children develop from the interaction with surrounding environment, and a child and his/her environment have influence on each other (Berk, 2013). Most importantly, he added the parent-child relationship as a new interactive aspect. As we talked above, in the physical development part, child E’s mother’s believe obvious has an impact on child E’s eating habits. In the second observation, child E left all the vegetables in the bowl. This might be due to the reason that his parent’s allow him to choose what to eat at home. Different from both Freud’s and Erikson’s view, learning theorists emphasize the role of external forces in children’s social and emotional development. Behaviourism and social learning theory are the two most well-know learning theories. Behaviourism theory focuses on children’s behaviour and it sees culture as a key element of children’s learning. Behaviourism believes that environment can stimulate and elicit children’s responses (MacNaughton, 2003). From the four observations, child E was responding to his surrounding environment a lot. He was developing through interacting with his teachers, peers and toys in the environment. In the first observation, the teacher in pre-school room set up the painting activity to provide opportunities and encourage children to explore. Child E then chose to join the activity. E saw child J’s action and copied it. This is how child E learned from his surrounding environment. Social learning theory is closely linked with Behaviourism. It is because that socialization involves learning about how to behave in a social group. In social learning theory, children are active learners. They develop an understanding of self-awareness and social roles. Modeling, imitation, observation and self-efficacy are the main concepts of this theory. Children will then find out their abilities of doing a task. When they believe that they are good at the task, it is more likely they can overcome the difficulties. Otherwise, they could give up easily (Crain, 2000). In observation 2, child E was trying to keep balance. When he found out that balancing is little bit hard and his peers said he was out, he  stopped trying and felt emotionally uncomfortable. In the contrast, observation 3 shows that he was confident at building the station. Thus, when he needs to rebuild it, he did not give up. Same as physical development, Social and emotional development is also inter-related to children’s holistic development. It is emphasized in Te WhÄ riki (MoE, 1996) that a holistic curriculum is the development of a whole child in both individual and socio-cultural aspects. All the observations show how socio-emotional development and physical development happened in child E’s daily experience together. If E is emotional unwell, his physical development could be effect. Communication is an irreplaceable part of socio-emotional development, either verbal or non-verbal. Language skills are practiced through social experience. Cognitive domain is also influenced by socio-emotional development. Children’s brain is stimulated through interacting with others (Berger, 2001). Spiritual development is also a core part of holistic development. Children build up their sense of wondering and wisdom through social communication. Conclusion To sum up, I have discussed two developmental domains through analysing four observations. Child E has achieved a big improvement in both physical and socio-emotional developments. Moreover, all the developmental areas inter-related with each other, together, create a holistic curriculum for early childhood children. Reference list Berger, K. S. (2001). The developing person through the life span (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Berk, L. (2013). Child development (9th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Charlesworth, R. (2014). Understanding child development. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Crain, W. (2000). Theories of development: Concepts and applications (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Gordon, A., & Browne, K. (2014). Beginnings and beyond: Foundations in early childhood education (9th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. MacNaughton, G. (2003). Shaping early childhood: Learners, curriculum and contexts. Berkshire, UK: Open University Press. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te WhÄ riki: He whÄ riki mÄ tauranga mÃ…  ngÄ  mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. Petty, K. (2010). Developmental milestones of young children (1st ed.). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. NewZealand Tertiary College,(2014).Life Span Studies 2 study guide. Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Tertiary College.

Operation Anaconda 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operation Anaconda 2 - Essay Example ce inputs received from various agencies it was figured out that Afghanistan and the Taliban government is proving to be a big support for such elements. And the rest is history. When the war started off, it was perceived that once the Taliban government is over and the terrorists are flushed out of their safe heavens, the allied forces will hand over reins of power to the local government and make an early exit from the country. But the irony is, even after six years, no respectable exit route appears in sight and the allied forces appear to have stuck up in a catch-22 situation. The operation anaconda began well after a series of spirited air strikes on the pointed targets in and around Kabul and Kandahar. These airstrikes were to make the ground situation less troublesome for the allied, so that the mission of the forces could be accomplished in minimum possible time. Now, when after six years, the US has a new president, who has been critical of the erstwhile policies of his predecessor on many fronts, the situation doesn’t appear to be any different. Afghanistan is in the midst of the presidential elections and if media reports are an indication, notwithstanding the allegations of widespread fraud cases, the incumbent president is expected to be back as well. But, there’s still no ray of hope for the US forces. This certainly raises question marks on the efficacy of intelligence organizations like CIA and SOF in correctly analyzing the inputs. Today when the forces appear desperate to the leave the battlefield, the war seems to have become unwinnable amidst the dwindling support for these efforts amongst the citizens. It is quite apparent that the intelligence inputs proved inadequate on many counts. Just before the start of the operation anaconda, the Taliban militia was getting support from Pakistani military and their intelligence establishment. After the Pakistan government was coerced to support the allied forces efforts in digging out the

Is There A Future For Occupational Pensions, And How May They Change Essay

Is There A Future For Occupational Pensions, And How May They Change - Essay Example According to the study conducted occupational pensions and retirement are in tandem; an employer and his employees contribute to funds, which are in form of savings and are paid to the employee upon retirement. Therefore, it is wise to plan for one’s retirement and old age; here, pension benefits individuals once they have ceased receiving regular income. Pension plans are implemented by an employer, the government, insurance companies, or trade unions; however, the coverage of occupational pensions varies in different countries. Occupational pensions are compulsory in countries like Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Switzerland, and they cover approximately 80% of the working population; however, Iceland is rated the top with 82% coverage. In Britain, some employers may exclude some employees from occupational pensions, such as casuals or part-time employees. Needless to say, occupational pensions are viewed as compensation for the employees; however, â€Å"the eligibility for a n occupational pension can affect entitlement to the state benefits†. Different countries have different types of occupational pensions; these are determined by the laws governing pensions in these countries. The main type of occupational pensions include contributory pensions, which involves an employee having to part with some of his earnings for instance 5%-10% of the gross salary plus his employer’s contributions. According to Combat Poverty Agency, contributory pension scheme is accompanied by high benefits and tax relief. Non–contributory occupational pension schemes involve the employer’s contributions alone (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development & Private Pensions and Insurance Unit, 2001, p.208). Open stakeholder scheme is the third category of occupational pension, whereby, the employer does not contribute towards this pension; however, the law requires that this plan be established in a firm that has more than five employees (pe nsion sorter, 2012). Moreover, the United Kingdom law on pensions does not require employers to contribute towards the Open stakeholder pension scheme (pension sorter, 2012). Merits of occupational pensions Occupational pensions are established by the employer with an aim of benefiting the employee, and therefore, they offer tax relief for both the employer and the employee’s contributions. Needless to say, employees benefit from the opportunity to plan for their old age and retirement. In addition, in case a member of the pension scheme passes on, his beneficiaries will benefit from the occupational pension benefits. Nevertheless, an occupational pension scheme can act as a motivating tool for employees; this is because they are aware that their future is secured by their employer, especially in a non- contributory pension. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2003, p.64) argues that, an organization can use occupational pensions to amicably lay off old-ag ed employees. Such employees are entitled to pensions, which replace salaries. In addition, paying of pensions has proved to be less

Cooperative Learning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cooperative Learning - Research Paper Example ceptions towards school environment, engagement and academic performance was collected through face to face interviews and self-administered questionnaires. These data collection process took place in the comfort of the participant’s home where there was no pressure from school. The findings of the study indicated that the student’s perceptions of their school environment affected their school engagement (this was especially so for the seventh graders and it affected their eighth grade engagement in school) and also that perceptions towards different types of school engagement affected their academic performance directly and indirectly. If nothing is done to boost the morale of these students when it comes to school and especially by their teachers, then most adolescents will either leave school or end up as academic failures. Strategies to engage the students more in the classroom and school activities and ensure that their cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions concerning the school are addressed should be out in place. This way the adolescents will feel confident about their school engagement and this will lead to an improvement in their academic performance and change of perception of their school environment. The article findings and the implications it mentions are relevant for the education of most adolescents whose perceptions and attitudes towards the school are often mistaken as truant behavior and a reaction towards the adolescence period. The findings will ensure that closer attention is paid to the real reason for adolescents having perceptions about school and their academic performance. Wang, M. and Holcombe, R. (April, 2010). â€Å"Adolescents’ Perceptions of School Environment, Engagement, and Academic Achievement in Middle School.† American Educational Research Journal. Retrieved from:

Principles of Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Principles of Business - Assignment Example Q. How long did it take you to make a profit? A. In November 1970, I started working at Shelfstore. Ltd as Marketing Manager and became its owner after just one year in 1971 after buying it from its first owner. My first investment for the company was $17,000. Under my supervision Selfstore grew remarkably and within first year our sales increased from $800,000 to a level of $2.00 Million. Q. Why did you decide to go into business for yourself? How many years have you been in business? A. I could tell that Shelfstore had the potential to bring me business and it was the best opportunity for me as the actual founder of the company was planning to leave the country. It was my first business that I started in 1971 and still doing it after 40 years. Q. What is the main product or service that you sell? A. Shelfstore Ltd is a low scale furniture manufacturing company. Q. Who was your first client? A. John Michael, Inc. is the major furniture distributor company that sells Shelfstore, they were our first client too. Shelfstore’s distribution area is considered to be one of the smaller territories in the John Michael family. Q. Who are your customers? A. Our main customers are neighboring furniture outlets, of them the biggest name is of John Michael. Inc. We sell furniture to some locals too. Q. Do you enjoy working for yourself? Why? A. It is great experience to work for own self. Everyday when you work, you try to flourish your own self that is far gratifying than to work for someone else’s business. Q. What are 2 advantages of owning your own business? A. After owning a business individuals become skilled at building relationships with people. They become excellent in interpersonal skills, become more hard worker and eager to learn the most current trends of the market. Q. What are 2 disadvantages of owning your own business? A. The worst thing about owning a business is the risk connected with business failure. Another bad aspect is long working hou rs that are normally connected with business ownership. Q. In your opinion what is the best strategy to improve performance? A. Communication is of paramount importance in performance improvement. All stakeholders must continuously be informed of "what is happening" in the organization. Additionally, it is essential that feedback mechanisms be implemented to provide a sufficient information flow that will increase organizational performance. Q. How did you prepare for your business? Did you receive specific training or a degree? A. When I started my business I had already completed my Post Graduation in Business. Later on I did couple of more courses that are ‘Basics of Business and Organizations’ and ‘Organizational Management’. But I learned the most from everyday experiences. The changes that took place at Shelfstore could not have been accomplished without strong leadership. Q. How do you stay current with innovations and technologies in your industry a nd for your business? A. All businesses use informational technology; few integrate it well. Technologies posses the potential to improve speed, quality, efficiency and keeps you updated about current trends. The tools alone, however, no matter how sophisticated, would not guarantee high productivity. People also needed to be empowered through information access, continued skill development, and authority that match responsibilities. Shelfstore Ltd is trying to adjust