We Need Stronger Child Support Laws Essay -- Argumentative, Persuasive

The amount of child support cases in arrears would decline if a few things were changed, hopefully providing incentives to pay child support on time and regularly. There are also harsher consequences that could be carried out to prevent future mistakes. There are things being done, but is it enough? As it stands the noncustodial parent can face loss of visitation, probation, and even jail time for none payment of child support. By not enforcing court ordered child support and making examples out of those who are not in compliance, we are sending out a message that child support is more of an option than a legal obligation. Think about the ones who are really suffering here, the children involved. There are many low-income families who are not receiving court ordered child support simply because they cannot afford the legal representation and court costs to fight for what they are legally entitled to. What should be done to start helping in these cases? The Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division is set up to help parents locate non-custodial parents who have not paid their child support. This is a free service; they also help provide the custodial parent with information regarding government programs including: Medicaid, TANIF, Food Stamps, and WIC. They can help you get health insurance if the non-custodial parent is not covering those expenses. The government help is easy to obtain only requiring information that would be easily obtained like proof of income, household members, SSN, expenses, and other personnel information. Once you have filed a case with them they will send paperwork to fill out, this will consist of; the noncustodial parents full legal name , last known address, last known telephone number,... ...e best interest of their children. It’s not the amount of child support that is being paid that is important while you are doing the best you can for your children and supporting them the best way you can. Enforcing child support and having greater punishments are not just to make the nonpaying parents lives more difficult but to ensure a better life for their children. Works Cited (Texas Child Support Enforcement Resource Center, 2011) Retrieved from http://www.supportcollectors.com/resources_texas.php#stats (Huffington Post UK, 2011) Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/09/02/child-support-dodgers-mos_n_946102.html#s348352&title=Ive_Become_A (Texas' child support collection data presents varied picture, 2010) Retrieved from http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/legislature/stories/080310dntexnuchild.2b72be0.html

Finding Truth in Constructivist Psychotherapy Essay -- Psychotherapy S

Finding Truth in Constructivist Psychotherapy Science is a construction of the human mind. The theories, approaches, and methods that are used in any scientific field have gradually developed over time to become an objective standard of evaluation. As science continues to evolve, new approaches to obtaining knowledge about the world around us must be considered, and at the same time these new approaches must be evaluated within the present context of what is considered to be science. In doing so, conflict and confusion will arise as new concepts meet the critical evaluation of the old. The appraisal of and criticism of a new approach to psychological therapy is one example of such a situation. By looking at the evaluation of constructivist psychotherapy, one can bring this conflict and confusion into the light of understanding. Since its dawning at the turn of the century, psychotherapy has faced a myriad of objections in regard to its validity as a scientific practice. With the introduction of psychoanalysis in the late 1800’s, Freud opened the doors to a field that would mature as the next one hundred years progressed. Throughout its evolution, psychotherapy has been evaluated for its capacity to deal with clients on an individual basis and at the same time maintain the objective viewpoint which science requires. In what Robert Neimeyer considers a "postmodern context" of scientific, social and political themes, a new philosophical approach to psychotherapy has developed. This approach, called constructivism, is based on a subjective interpretation of reality and how that interpretation affects human thought processes. In "An Appraisal of Constructivist Psychotherapies", Neimeyer looks at how constructivism has devel... ...ury. The world of classical Newtonian physics was turned upside down and inside out with the arrival of a new class of physicists and astronomers. At the head of that class was a young German scientist named Einstein, who with his theory of relativity redefined our concept of mass, energy, and the like. Now that we bring the second half of this century to a close, perhaps psychology is also ready for such a revolution. Certainly, parallels can be made to what is currently going on in the world of psychotherapy. New approaches are developing under the influence of a changing social conscience. The classical approaches to patient therapy revolve around traditional cognitive perspectives, which follow a linear, systematic set of guidelines. The constructivist approach to is a much more complex, yet encompassing form of psychotherapy that deserves continual exploration.

Deities and Lesser Spirits Essay

Deities and Lesser SpiritsGods represented in mythology possess different characteristics. Lesser gods or deities may have ultimate power, finitude, good, or evil tied to the stories that tell about their lives and existence. The purpose of this paper is to define the terms ultimate power, finitude, good and evil and identify four mythological deities that personify these terms. Apollo, who is also referred to as Apollon, was a Greek Olympian god. His mother was Leto, a bride of Zeus. Apollo was a god of prophecy, healing, disease and plague, music, song and poetry, archery and he protected young life. He had ultimate power as a god. Ultimate power is defined as Gods are considered immortal and in control of lesser life forms (Theoi Greek Mythology, 2000-2007). Apollo had invented the flute and the lyre. Suprisingly, he had built the walls of Troy while simply playing the lyre. The Theoi Greek Mythology (2000-2007) stated, Apollo guarded the cattle of Laomedon in the valleys of Ida. In these two examples, it appears he in fact was the god of music, song and protection of young life. Finitude means being finite. Therefore, a god that personifies finitude is one whom only existed for a limited time (Language of Light Glossary, n.d.). The god that was chosen that represents finitude is Christ. Christ represented God during his tenure on earth and all the finite limitations that humans, created by God, face. Life with its choices puts a black or white finish on an individuals moral standing. Death representing the end of the opportunity to make those choices was experienced by Christ himself. Christ while interacting with both the Jews and Gentiles admonished individuals for a variety of sins and life styles that were uncharacteristic of a godly life. Measures were not applied to actions (i.e. tithing) but standards were applied to acts (the act of giving). The life Christ lived provided an example of finiteness people live with during their short lives but the reward as seen through Christs resurrection is infinite life in the realm of heaven. The definition of good as it relates to the gods is sometimes hard to define. Good is defined as having sought-after qualities, kind, merciful, high  morale values, religious, successful, fair to mention a few. With regard to the gods, a good god represented the positive, non-evil powers. Having a bountiful harvest, producing many children, finding love, and being successful in business could be tied to a god protecting the people. Although when researching good gods there seemed to be a shortage as compared to the gods associated with power or evil. A god that represented good was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who was one of many gods in the Aztec belief system. Quetzalcoatl is reported to have given man the science of agriculture and writing as well as being the god of the morning and evening star and the wind. Quetzalcoatl was considered a hero among those who worshiped him and he fought with other gods for what he thought was right. Evil is defined by one source as morally bad or wrong (WordNet Search, n.d.). An evil deity is therefore, one whose actions are morally wrong. An example of a deity that personifies evil is the Devil. The Devil is a deity in Christianity that is described as a fallen angel who rebelled against God. The Devil best represents the term evil because of his hatred for humanity and all things created by God. According to Bible stories, throughout the history of mankind, the Devil has tempted humans to rebel against God and follow him. To achieve that end, the Devil is said to tell to tell lies and intentionally deceive people. The Devil promotes of deceit, sin, and other morally wrong behaviors. In fact, the devil is said to be the cause of original sin, which is the reason for the Apocalypse, or the second coming of Christ. The Devil rewards those who turn against God with eternity in Hell. In conclusion, the gods of mythology possess different characteristics. The story of Apollo is example of a god with ultimate power as he had healing power and could protect young life. Quetzalcoatl shows us good as he was considered a hero and worshiped for fighting for what was right. Christ represented God during his tenure on earth and all the finite limitations that humans face, such as death. The Devil is the ultimate example of evil as he intentionally deceives and promotes deceit, sin, and other morally  wrong behaviors. Stories tell about the existence and lives of deities and lesser gods and from those stories, one must decide which powers they possessed. References Davies, N. (1973). The Aztecs. Norman, Oklahoma, University ofOklahoma PressLanguage of Light Glossary. (N.D.). Retrieved November 4, 2007 from http://www.goddirect.org/glossary/f.htmTheoi Greek Mythology. (2000-2007). Apollon. Retrieved November 2, 2007, from http://www.theoi.com/WordNet Search. (n.d.). WordNet Search. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=evil&sub=Search+WordNet&o2=&o0=1&o7=&o5=&o1=1&o6=&o4=&o3=&h

Abnormal Psychology: Abuse, Addiction, & Disorders

Psychological Disorder Analysis ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY: ABUSE, ADDICTION, & DISORDERS Psy 270 Jalisa Cooper February 4, 2012 Final paper Psychological Disorder Analysis Psychological disorders can be very debilitating for those who suffer from them. Psychological disorders affect a person’s ability to function normally in their daily lives. In regards to the case study of Nicole the patient Nicole is a 40-year-old Hispanic female who comes to the mental health clinical complaining of trouble sleeping, feeling â€Å"jumpy† all of the time, and experiencing an inability to concentrate.These symptoms are causing problems for her at work, where she is a finance manager. Though the information in regards to Nicole is very limited and difficult to analyze, however the symptoms suggest that Nicole may be suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder can be difficult to diagnose and the symptoms are often unrecognizable. Posttraumatic stress disorde r is an anxiety disorder which can develop from having experienced a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened.Like many anxiety disorder they may cause jumpy and sleepless behavior depending on the anxiety disorder the individual may have. Traumatic disorders can be triggered by stress or any other event that may cause the individual to develop anxiety related symptoms. A traumatic event might be military combat experience, violent personal attacks, or even car accidents. Post-traumatic disorders can be triggered by something in their past that be generated from something major or insignificant.While Nicole’s profile within the case study does not state the existence of a traumatic event throughout her past or present life, however I can only assume that she many have experienced something in her past that may have been triggered by stress at work or another aspect in her life. It is common for the individual to withhold this informat ion as it may be extremely difficult for them to relive the event because it may be too traumatic.Victims that may have experienced an event such as rape or car accident resulting in death or severe injuries may not experience symptoms at the moment of the event however they may develop symptoms shortly or later after the event once it is triggered by stress or other traumatic events. Being that the case study did not present a in depth history on Nicole I would attempt to gather information form the patient such as â€Å"Have you experienced a traumatic event recently or in your past? † This would be to gather information about the patient to that I can pin point the origin of what is causing her symptoms.The case study regarding Nicole mentions that she is a 40-year old woman that is suffering from a great deal of symptoms. According to the Demographics of â€Å"Faces of Abnormal Psychology Interactive: for Post-traumatic stress disorder†, middle age adults are more adversely affected than older and younger adults. In addition she is a Hispanic woman meaning for whatever disorder it is important to take into consideration her culture in treating her conditions. The DSM-IV states one of the criteria of Post-traumatic stress disorder is increased levels of arousal including insomnia, irritability, and hyper vigilance. People with these disorders may feel overly alert, be easily startled, develop sleep problems, and have trouble concentrating† (Comer, 2005). When suffering from PTSD and individual may begin to display symptoms of avoidance of any stimuli that is in anyway related or associated with the traumatic event. These methods many even include avoidance of thoughts, feelings and activities associated with are resemble the event. As stated in the case study Nicole mentioned that she is having complications with getting to sleep or in general getting the significant amount of sleep needed to maintain her energy level throughout the day. Through her lack of sleep she is experiencing difficulty concentrating at her work facility, where her position requires a focused mind and attentiveness. She also experiences the feeling of being jumpy frequently throughout the day which relates to being easily startled or paranoid due to a past experience in relation to her current stress levels. She may have experienced something in her past that is being stimulated by her events she participate in during the day causing her to flash back to that moment and relive this event.It is common for individuals that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder to experience a sequence of involuntary flashbacks through thoughts and even dreams, which may also be an additional reason for Nicole’s lack of rest during the night. She may be involuntarily reliving her traumatic experience due to stress in her life preventing her to obtain the proper rest that she needs to function at work. The case study failed to explain her social life and the relationships she may have with others thus it does explain her detachment to her work assignments and her lack of focus to stay on task.Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms reflect emotional detachment from friends and family causing them to be unable to express loving feelings for them. Post- traumatic stress disorder individuals become hyper-vigilant which could cause them to become chronically un-alert to the things and events around them rendering them unresponsive. Which is another symptom that Nicole the case study patient displays throughout her explanation of her working abilities, she displays a lack of concentration to the tasks at hand and jumpy feeling all the time.Those that suffer from this disorder may often become startled easily and suffer from difficulty of sleeplessness. Those individuals with PTSD often develop other disorder such as depression; substance related disorders as well as anxiety disorders. Meaning those that suffer from severe Post-trauma tic stress disorders may often result to substance abuse and may of their symptoms may be influenced by the usage of these substances causing their condition to seem more extreme.As well as depression and anxiety disorders can in addition contribute to the symptoms PTSD raising the impact of each symptom to a higher level depending on the severity of each disorder. Many times individuals are misdiagnosed because of the commonality of symptoms between disorders. Studies have shown that 60% of adult men today have experience a traumatic even, whereas 51% of adult women have experience a traumatic event at least once in their life. It is common for many individuals that experience traumatic events sometime throughout their life to not be affected by these events.Of 50% of American that experience a traumatic event of any kind, only approximately 8% of them eventually experience Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms later in life. It is suggested that each event is different in their own way as well as has different impacts on each individual. There are factors that predict ones vulnerability of Post-traumatic stress disorder which would revolve around the nature of the event the individual experienced. The DSM-IV states the severity of the traumatic event in one of the leading factors that help predict whether an individual may be susceptible to later suffer from Post-traumatic stress disorder.The severe traumatic events that are more likely to induce PTSD are the events that are prolonged traumas that often affect ones family or self directly. Secondly the more likely trauma suffer that was experiencing pre-existing anxiety symptoms long before the severe traumatic event occurred is more likely to later develop Post- traumatic stress disorder symptoms. This is because the individual has already reached a point in their life that cause them to become worrisome making them unable to handle the pressures of a traumatic event of severe magnitude without having and episodes.These individuals are unstable to cope with whatever change this event has brought on causing them to develop additional anxiety disorders. Those individuals that have a history of mental illness are way more likely to experience PTSD symptoms. Third the individuals coping techniques play a large role in ones predictability of developing symptoms of PTSD. Traumatic events can take a toll on anyone and any magnitude of the event however ones predictability of developing PTSD is based on ones ability to cope with the tragic event.The individuals that lack the ability to move past the event often fall victim to this disorder. Those that dwell on the details of the event are at higher risk as well as those who refuse to discuss the events at all cost. Some events such as witness to death, accidents resulting in death and disastrous events could cause one to reframe communicating and expressing their feelings about the events. By reframing from acknowledging such event has occu rred I could cause a mental break. Finally support is an important factor when it comes to dealing with traumatic events much like any other disorder.Those that have a lack of support from friends, family, counseling or event therapy tend to be more susceptible to the developing the symptoms of PTSD. The lack of a support network is does not allow the individual to express their problems to someone that can understand or relate. And sufferer of a post-traumatic event needs to be able to reflect and vent some other emotions to someone close. They have to be a be to feel the support and encouragement of loved ones to keep them motivated to work through whatever they are experiencing.There have been a set of therapies to design to address this disorder to properly treat the symptoms. The three primary goals in theory are reducing the individual’s fear of provoking stimuli. This means that therapy will assist the individual in reducing the fear or unwillingness to address and con front activities and thoughts that trigger the traumatic event. Secondly, assisting the patient in modifying counterproductive thoughts, and lastly reducing stress are method used in therapy to assist the patient progress pass this event.The method of be reducing the individual’s fear of provoking stimuli are done through systematic desensitization, which is when an individual unlearns their fear thus reversing the classical conditioning process and eliminating the cause of them requiring the fear initially. The first phase is relaxation training of each muscle in the body while allowing the patient to then trained to calm themselves. The second phase is list of fear provoking stimuli descending from least threating and uncomfortable to more threating fears.The third phase us the desensitization phase where the patient is slightly provoke to introduce those thoughts or stimuli while remaining calm. It is often done through imagined stimuli and then they may introduce actual s timuli to the patient. In addition to this method therapist may use cognitive techniques which challenge ones irrational beliefs and unhealthy thoughts. Reference Comer, R. J. (2005). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (4th ed. ). New York: Worth. Fundamentals of Abnormal PsychologyFaces of Abnormal Psychology Interactive application at the McGraw Hill Higher Education Web site: http://www. mhhe. com/socscience/psychology/faces/http://www. mhhe. com/socscience/psychology/faces/# Melinda Smith, M. A. , and Jeanne Segal, Ph. D. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT, AND SELF-HELP, (2011), Retrieved February 4, 2012, http://www. helpguide. org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment. htm Resources: Appendix A, Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, and the Faces of Abnormal Psychology Interactive application at the McGraw Hill Higher Education Web

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 123

Essay Example the real account of plague to set a scene for seven ladies between the ages of eighteen and twenty eight and men over the ages of twenty five to unite away from Florence to lead their remaining lives in pleasure and happiness. Florence suffered through plague that killed the dwellers of the place at a tragic extent. The epidemic not only brought inevitable death to people, but also took away the emotional and social relationships from the people. They did not hold anyone dear to them whether he or she was related to them in any sense. Boccaccio writes, â€Å"This disaster had struck such fear into the hearts of men and women that brother abandoned brother, uncle abandoned nephew, sister left brother, and very often wife abandoned husband, and -- even worse, almost unbelievable -- fathers and mothers neglected to tend and care for their children, as if they were not their own.† (Bondanella and Musa 68) Inevitability of death became clear to everyone and people started living their lives as per their will and wish. All people were affected because of epidemic whether they were old or young, rich or poor, master or slave. People were not worried about their properties and possessions. Some shut them inside their houses, some started to live as vagrants, some indulged in all kinds of legal and illegal pleasures while many others left Florence in order to hide from death. Boccaccio was able to put forward his fictional accounts while taking support of real time situation that hit many cities. It was plague that allowed people to enjoy liberty and free will and without such setting, the living of noble young ladies and men with each other without social bounds was unimaginable. 2-Summarize the story of Saladin, Melchisedec, and the 3 Rings. What is Boccaccio’s overall message to his audience? Why is it significant that the main characters are a Muslim and a Jew and that Boccaccio’s Italian readers were almost entirely Christian? Don’t forget to summarize the 3

Housing and Benefits for Asylum Seekers in UK Essay

Housing and Benefits for Asylum Seekers in UK - Essay Example Housing is at the very cornerstone of reception and resettlement (BRC 1987, 96-99; Carey-Wood etal. 1995, 66-72; Majke 1991, 267- 283; Refugee Council 1997; Robinson 1993, 170-186) and controlling access to housing has become an increasingly important part of the government's asylum and immigration strategy. Without adequate shelter, few other opportunities exist for those unfortunate enough to be destitute. With no permanent address, there is little chance of establishing the minimum rights of citizenship, which offer inclusion into the host society. Social exclusion has been a reality for many thousands of asylum seekers over a prolonged period of time. This was true even before the more draconian measures introduced in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. The prevailing environment of competition, performance review and value for money has had the effect of increasingly marginalising the most vulnerable groups in British society. In all but a few notable exceptions, the needs of asylum seekers have been inadequately addressed by either public or private sectors (Zetter and Pearl 1999a, 24-27). This has been due to a combination of institutional inertia and political sensitivity - both cock-up and conspiracy. The most recent legislative measures have further exacerbated the process of exclusion, generating additional hardship for an already overburdened group by extending uncertainty and increasing dependency. In reality, the rights and entitlements of refugees are little changed by the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. They remain eligible to receive support and assistance in terms of both benefits and housing from the public sector. This is an important distinction from asylum seekers. Refugees are individuals or households whose status under the 1951 Geneva Convention has been approved by the UK government: that is, their 'well founded fear of persecution' has been accepted. They are likely to have either permanent or long-term status of residence in the UK and generally share in the usual rights of citizenship. (Duke, 1995, 12-18) Those with refugee status are eligible for assistance under the homelessness legislation and qualify for the housing register. To a large extent, such households have fewer institutional barriers to overcome than asylum seekers. Asylum seekers have no such clarity of outcome, for which they depend on the result of their pending application. While in this state of limbo, they are disqualified from access to employment, benefits or permanent housing, and are thus placed at the very margins of society. Indeed, at certain times within the mid-1990s, large numbers of single asylum seekers were actually destitute. (Joly, 1996, 121-128) The political reality behind the asylum legislation appears, therefore, to indicate a reliance on two cardinal principles above all other considerations: 1. the control and limitation of public expenditure, particularly personal benefits 2. the maintenance of an image of political toughness. (Robinson, 1985, 305- 330) It seems likely that excessive zeal in investigating applications and a

International Politics on the World Stage Essay

International Politics on the World Stage - Essay Example The Iranian President's victory also a hardliner seems to reflect on my theory that what US seems to do is rather being counter productive and is winning more supporters for these hardliners. The Muslim brotherhoods popularity and victory is another example of the growing challenges. As theory in governance for the Middle East clearly shows that not one of the Middle Eastern states except Turkey and Israel is democratically ruled. The mode of extremism started right after the soviets invaded Afghanistan and the Americans led by the CIA in collaboration with states such as Pakistan and various warlords labeled the conflict as jihad calling on the Muslims who wished to fight for the new world a fight against the evil they said was communism. As the soviets were defeated and retreated in 1988 and as the Americans left these people who were religiously fervent began to settle in these areas branding their own version of Islam by enforcing the Shariah law. These people with weapons began to settle in their respective countries countering threats from their various governments, with no democracy in these middle eastern states new recruits seemed to fill in to these camps as unemployment and poverty was on the rise while as they saw the Americans as the enemy who had occupied the holy land of Mecca led by a Saudi billionaire fugitive who fought alongside the CIA before launched a whole scale war against the Americans in general leading to first the blowing up of US embassies to USS Cole disaster to the September 11 terror attacks on new York and Washington. What we see is a world where various circles claim it to be a clash of civilization where the ever growing insurgent activities in Iraq and other parts of the create an unholy environment for the Muslims in general. The Palestinian conflict remains the bone of contention between the west and not only amongst the Islamic Middle Eastern nations but the whole Islamic world to. The inhabitance of Israel of evacuating t he land it occupied in 1967 war and to a two state solution where the Palestinians and Israelis can live peacefully side by side is a distant dream away as Israelis refuse to give up control over Jerusalem which is sacred to both parties. While under patronage of UN a solution can be formed which can be acceptable to both parties where the Israelis have to leave the settlements in the west bank, while having the joint custody of Jerusalem under a UN peacekeeping umbrella guarding the new frontier laid between the leaning wall and the Al-Aqsa mosque. UNs incapability in solving the international conflicts fuelling in Palestine, Kashmir and Chechnya seems to give a rise in extremist activity as they see no hope from this world body to make a decision for their regard. Except for passing resolutions accustomed on a piece of paper this body hasn't taken any constructive decision in solving any of the conflicts regard. While the importance will be restored once as UN takes proactive measures in countering these tactics by ensuring that no innocent person is harmed especially by state form of terrorism which in return gives rise to a struggle with the force of the gun labeled as terrorism in the west as the person affected