Relationship Between Gender And Crime

Relationship Between Gender And Crime Its often thought that when females commit a crime they are often given a lesser sentence than if they were a male and that more males commit crimes than compared to females. It is also often thought by females that feminists if tried by a male may get longer than they should because of what they stand for. This can also apply when the situation is turned around where the male is standing up for what they believe in. Most people believe that the only reason females commit a crime is to provide for her family and make sure her children are brought up in a stable environment. On the other hand females are portrayed are the people that are more likely to shoplift and other crime that are unlikely to be noticed. The work carried out on the area of females and crime is very limited as there are fewer reports. 1. Gender and Patterns of crime. Carol Smart has given a number of reasons as to why she thinks crime rates for females are neglected. Carol Smart indicates that because females commit so few crimes they as not seen as much of a threat as males are because they commit more serious crimes therefore females are considered to be less of a threat to society. She also says that in both sociology and criminology professions there are more males employed than women therefore more studies have been on a males state of mind for crime instead of womens state of mind. Also criminology is stimulated by a desire to control, behaviour that is regarded as challenging. Females have been seen as less problematic then men so they are given less attention for the crimes they have committed. Carol Smart has quoted judges who are being biased against females: It is well known that women in particular and small boys are likely to be untruthful and invent stories (Judge Sutcliffe 1976) how would the female fell in this case? She would fell like it was her fault like he had committed a crime. She also asks three very interesting questions about females and what crimes the commit and why they do: Do females really commit fewer crimes then males, or are the figures misleading? Some Sociologists have suggested that females offences are constantly under-recorded by the authorities Although females continue to commit comparatively few crimes, some people have suggested that the proportion of crimes committed by females has been increasing. According to a number of commentators this alleged increase has resulted from Womens Liberation. Is this so? Why do females who break the law commit crimes?. 2. Official Statistics, Criminality and Gender. Otto Pollak helps explain the answers to the above questions. He has looked at the figures of crimes committed by females over different countries so it is not as accurate as it would be if the U.K statistics were used.  Pollak insists that the official figures are very vague level of female criminality. He further indicates that he thinks that a large amount of petty theft crimes are committed by females, and the asserted that such crimes that were improbable of coming to the awareness of the system.  Many unreported crimes were committed by  female household servants. Otto Pollak also insinuated that a females household roles gave them a considerable opportunity to commit such crimes like Poisoning Loved ones and sexually abusing their children. The police, Magistrates and other law enforcement officials have a tendency to be male. Raised to be courteous, and are usually compassionate towards female offenders so that smaller quantity of females becomes apparent in the statistics. 3. Criticism of Otto Pollak Frances Heidensohn used the statistics for the U.K to point out the major flaws in Otto Pollaks argument. Frances Heidensohn point out flaws in the statements above with his research. Most shoplift is actually done by middle ages males rather than females. That the time Pollak was writing there was a cut in the number of female household Servants. Heidensohn draws awareness to the quantity of crimes performed against prostitutes by male clients, and the occurrence of male crimes in domestic life, all the evidence point towards males being significantly more likely than a female to commit aggressive and sexual offence in the solitude of their own home. Otto Pollaks statistical study is based on insignificant data and unconfirmed statements. Heidensohn notes that the disguise of menstruation is by no means collective and changed sexual society have long since made gibberish of his view of passive, friendly females threatening revenge. 4. Evidence against the Chivalry Thesis Steven box has re-examined the statistics from self-report studies in Britain and the USA. A few of these studies show some compassion regarding females, the greater part do not. The Mass of verification on females committing serious offences does not give obvious foundation to view that they get given a degree of difference and more positive conduct from members of the community, police and judges. Abigail Buckle and David P. Farrington preformed a small-scaled surveillance study of shoplifting in a British department store in southwest England in 1981. Shoplifting is one crime where the female offenders nearly match the male offenders in the official statistics. This study found that two point eight percent of the one hundred and forty-two males observed shoplifted but only one point four percent of the three hundred and sixty-one females shoplifted. Evidently this study uses far too small a sample to get an accurate assumption, but as one of the very few attempts to measure crime precisely it does prove some evidence against the Chivalry Thesis. In 1983 David P. Farrington and Allison Morris conducted a study off sentencing in magistrate courts. They started out by noting the some official figures did imply more compassion towards females. E.g. In 1979 six point six percent of males were found guilty of indictable where as only two percent of females were convicted. Farrington and Morris examined data in sentencing for four hundred and eight offences of theft in Cambridge in the same year. Some one hundred and ten of these offences were committed by females. Although males receive more severe sentences than females, the study found that the differences disappeared when the harshness of offences was taken into account. Farrington and Morris came to the conclusion that there was no self-sufficient effect of sex on sentencing seriousness. Roger Hood on the West midlands in 1989 carried out a more recent study the used a sample of two thousand eight hundred and eighty-four male and four hundred and thirty-three female defendants in crown courts. Hood compared the sentencing of males and females, controlling for variables which he had found affected the sentencing of men. He found that white women were give custodial sentences thirty-four percent less often than men in similar cases and black women thirty-seven percent less often. 5. Female Crime and Womens Liberation. Freda Adler claimed that womens liberation had shown the way to a modern form of female criminal and has amplified females involvement in crime. Freda also thinks that the biological theories are not precise and she believes that is has nothing to do with a females hormones, aggression and criminality. In the USA between 1960 and 1972 robberies by females went up by two hundred and seventy-seven percent males by only one hundred and sixty-nine percent. Embezzlement by females rose by two hundred and eighty percent in the same period of time, whereas for males it rose by as little as fifty percent. Overall arrests rates for females rose three times as fast as those for males and particularly among female delinquents. Why then were women becoming so much more involved in crime? Adler believed the main reason was that females were taking on male social roles in both legitimate and illegitimate areas of performance. She stressed the pace and extent of change saying: there is a tide in the affairs of females as well as males, and in the last decade it had been sweeping over barriers which have protected male prerogatives and eroding the conventional differences which once nicely defined the gender roles. Adlers views proved to be very contentious, for the most part as they could be used to imply that the womans liberation was a bad thing. They replicated Substantial research into the question on whether female crime is increasing or not. Adler is relying on statistics which are clearly unreliable as they are not recorded properly as stated earlier by Carol Smart and Frances Heidensohn. They believe that that system is too soft on females and that they are more likely to get away with petty crimes than males are. Sources Smart, C. Women, Crime and Criminology 1976 Pollak, O. The Criminality of women 1950 Heidensohn, F. Women and Crime 1985 Box, S. Recession, Crime and punishment 1987 Adler, F. Sisters in crime 1975

Magnet Status Essay

A Magnet Recognition Program recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Consumers rely on Magnet designation as the ultimate credential for high quality nursing (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2008). Magnet status is becoming the â€Å"gold standard† for nursing excellence and as more hospitals seek the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s desired Magnet recognition, more hospitals are requiring their nurses to either return to school for their bachelor’s degrees or have a BSN before applying. The Institute of Medicine, Future of Nursing Initiative recommended that organizations should strive to achieve 80% BSN prepared nurses by 2020. Educational criteria for nurse leaders and managers require at least a BSN (Institute of Medicine, 2010). Magnet hospitals are an inspiration for nurses looking for a quality institution in which to practice. This status translates into a hospital that values nurses and promotes excellence. Nurses play a significant role in the whole hospital experience for patients and their families. They are the primary source of care and support during some of the most vulnerable times in a person’s life. Studies show Magnet hospitals have higher percentages of satisfied registered nurses, lower turnover and vacancy, improved clinical outcomes, greater nurse autonomy, and improved patient satisfaction (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2008). When nurses are happier and more engaged, patients and families are happier. At Magnet hospitals, nurses are able to spend more one-on-one time with their patients providing compassionate care than at most other hospitals. This doesn’t mean that nurses at other hospitals provide poor care, this is not the case at all, but the nurse-to-patient ratios at a Magnet Hospital is more manageable. This allows the nurse to have more time with each patient, instead of running around trying to take care of an excessive amount of patients, it is unrealistic for a nurse to have one-on-one time with so many patients, when she has to do assessments, pass  medication, and everything else that comes up during a shift. Hospitals that achieve Magnet recognition, display it proudly and there is good reason for this. Magnet status does not come easily, it’s a lengthy and costly process. Hospitals must work hard, prove a deep commitment to nursing, and often undergo major organizational change to meet the strict requirements (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2008). Since Magnet hospitals are designated for four years, Magnet recognition must be maintain. This is an ongoing process in which the organization will repeatedly review and revise its programs. One of the Forces of Magnetism that provides the conceptual framework for the Magnet appraisal process is Quality Improvement . Nurses play a key role in Quality Improvement as they are essential to hospitalized patient care, they spend the most time at the patient’s bedside and are in the best position to affect the care patients receive during a hospital stay. Hospitals face increasing demands to participate in a wide range of quality improvement activities, and they are reliant on nurses to help address these demands (Draper, 2008). Quality Improvement information pressures hospitals not only to participate by reporting, but also to perform well relative to competitors and show improvement. This is often one of the incentives behind hospitals seeking Magnet Program status (Draper, 2008). Another Force of Magnetism is Professional Development. The health care organization values and supports the personal and professional growth and development of staff (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2008). Yale-New Haven Hospital is continually developing and enforcing quality and safety measures aimed at pre venting and minimizing errors at all levels of the organization. One of the Quality Initiatives is minimizing infections. This is done by maintaining good hand hygiene. Good hand hygiene is an important and effective way to prevent germs being spread in the hospital. Yale-New Haven Hospital, makes sure that sinks, soaps and alcohol-based sanitizers are readily available throughout the hospital for patients, staff and visitors. An audit for hand hygiene performance is done and the information obtained is used to make improvements. Another way to minimize infection is by maintaining isolation precautions in place when necessary, this is to protect patients, staff and visitors. Everyone must follow any precautions listed on the sign outside the patient’s room. Yale-New Haven Hospital has a quality assurance team  that continually monitors and measures performance across the entire Yale New Haven Health system. They evaluate and survey patients and staff at all levels to create hospital â€Å"scorecards.† They also rely on reporting from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and The Joint Commission. Performance reports and scores are circulated to leadership, physicians, nurses, administrators, and other key staff members so they can monitor progress and make informed decisions on where and how improvements should be made. The benefit of this is that when problems are identified, they investigate the causes and adjust practices to prevent the problem from happening again. This helps to maintain a culture of safety and continuous improvement (Yale New Haven Hospital, 2014). After writing this paper, I’ve realized that continuing my education and getting my Baccalaureate degree in nursing, whether mandated or not, will open many doors in my future career as a nurse. Achieving higher educational goals not only serves patients more effectively, it also prepares nurses to be leaders in their profession and to participate not only in direct patient care, but also in policy and governance as a career unfolds. References American Nurses Credentialing Center â€Å"Magnet Recognition Program.† American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2008 available at http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet/ accessed Apr 15, 2014. Draper, DA., Felland, LE., Liebhaber, A. and Melichar, L. (2008, March). The Role of Nurses in Hospital Quality Improvement, available at http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/972/ accessed April 25, 2014. The Future of Nursing: Focus on Education – Institute of Medicine. (2010, October). Retrieved from http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health/Report-Brief-Education.aspx/ accessed April 15, 2014 Yale-New Haven Hospital How & Why We Measure Performance. Retrieved from http://www.ynhh.org/patient-information/minimizing_infections.aspx accessed Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” and Forces Against Brown

Do you remember your first day of school ? How was it ? Was it scary? I bet going to a segregated school where you were getting all types of looks , its way different the early 1900's. from people judging you about the clothes you were to the style of your hair. This article discusses Richard M . Nixon , the United States President in 1968 gave birth to the modern reform movement through public vouchers and other educational reform measures under his † Southern Strategy † that was designed to gain the votes of individuals who oppose school desegregation . The political activities in school desegregation after Brown by the two major political parties , namely the democrats and the republicans are discussed. President Richard Nixon reacted to the 1971 court decision on Swann verses Charlotte- Mecklenburg school district , a school desegregation case that approved to use of race to assign students to school by the use of busing , by instructing the U.S. justice department to draft a constitutional amendment to nullify the court's decision. (Kruger 1975 ) In my view President Richard Nixon was just trying to get white American votes . Bussing is still going today for example ; where I stay I'm between two elementary school's and you would think that my children could attend both schools but that's not the case . I guess the way the school district resolved the issue was by halving up the neighborhood. Which I consider crazy because back when I was going to school my road in particular wasn't considered a bus stop and our parents were able to choose whichever school .they wanted us to attend . Now , the way they separated the neighborhood the cut off spot or road I should say is the road right before mine . We didn't have that problem because we had to go to the next road anyway to catch the bus the same exact road they use as a cut off for the first elementary school. I think its so selfish how we as a people can't get along enough to join and become equal enough to get an education . I thought that was the reason for the separate but equal doctrine . Opposition to school desegregation was intense from the beginning and continues to this day ; and the results are clear , that is , the whitest American do not support school desegregation ( Jeffries , 1994 ; Motley , 1998 ; Olgetree , 2004). This is so true because In 1970 , Vigor High School on Wilson Avenue , which had been Prichard's white high school during segregation , was 70% white . By 1980 , It was 80% black . Although most of Prichard's remaining majority-white areas were in this district , many families had put their students into parochial or private schools . Before this came about Prichard was predominately white until they move black in the area to work at the paper mill. I totally agree with frank browns argument favoring integration on buses and in all areas of public accommodation and travel . Human beings have struggled with / on centuries to gain equal rights . Western civilization has been characterized by the hegemonic domination by white males. This power structure has frequently and historically excluded women and minorities . In the United States , despite the foundational creed that † all men are created equal , † it has taken centuries of struggle to gain equal rights . Equal rights , of equality before the law , means that all individuals are subject to the same laws of justice. People must be treated equally with / as / for regard to race , gender , national origin , skin color , religion or disability. African Americans were one of the first groups granted equal rights in the United States , through the passage of the 14th Amendment , which outlawed slavery . Achieving equal rights in reality took another century of struggle . Women , as well , although granted the right to vote for / by 1920 , continue to work towards equal rights , most recently through pay equity . Congress should terminate all programs because of the harm they caused minority students. I am so glad they passed the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that No person in the United States shall , on the ground of race , color , or national origin , be excluded from participation in , be denied the benefits of , or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance . Equality means everyone has an identical quantity of everything ; no one is considered superior or inferior. Equality means that all children can grow up and go to school with equal access to the English language here in America . Everyone should be treated as fairly and as worthy of respect and basic rights as their peers from the moment they are born . People being able to be themselves , walking through life with inherent characteristics that should be considered neutral such as ethnicity , skin color , gender , physical disabilities , mental disability without having to face discrimination based on their presence or characteristics.

The 10th Amendment The Basis of Federalism

The often overlooked 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution defines the American version of â€Å"federalism,† the system by which the legal powers of governance are divided between the federal government based in Washington, D.C., and the governments of the combined states. The 10th  Amendment states, in full: â€Å"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.† Three categories of political powers are granted under the Tenth Amendment: expressed or enumerated powers, reserved powers, and concurrent powers. Expressed or Enumerated Powers Expressed powers, also called â€Å"enumerated† powers, are those powers granted to the U.S. Congress mainly found in Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution. Examples of the expressed powers include the power to coin and print money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, declare war, grant patents and copyrights, establish Post Offices, and more. Reserved Powers Certain powers not explicitly granted to the federal government in the Constitution are reserved to the states under the 10th  Amendment. Examples of reserved powers include issuing licenses (drivers, hunting, business, marriage, etc.), establishing local governments, conducting elections, providing local police forces, setting smoking and drinking ages, and ratifying amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Concurrent or Shared Powers Concurrent powers are those political powers shared by both the federal government and the state governments. The concept of concurrent powers responds to the fact that many actions are necessary to serve the people at both the federal and state levels. Most notably, the power to impose and collect taxes is needed in order to raise money needed to provide police and fire departments, and to maintain highways, parks, and other public facilities. When Federal and State Powers Conflict Note that in cases where there is a conflict between a similar state and federal law, the federal law and powers supersede state laws and powers. A highly visible example of such conflicts of powers is the regulation of marijuana. Even as a growing number of states enact laws legalizing the recreational possession and use of marijuana, the act remains a felony violation of federal drug enforcement laws. In light of the trend toward legalization of both recreational and medicinal uses of marijuana by some states, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a set of guidelines clarifying the conditions under which it would and would not enforce federal marijuana laws within those states. However, the DOJ has also ruled the possession or use of marijuana by federal government employees living in any state remains a crime. Brief History of the 10th  Amendment The purpose of the 10th  Amendment is very similar to that of a provision in the U.S. Constitution’s predecessor, the Articles of Confederation, which stated: â€Å"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.† The framers of the Constitution wrote the Tenth Amendment to help the people understand that powers not specifically granted to the United States by the document were retained by the states or the public. The framers hoped the 10th  Amendment would allay the people’s fear that the new national government might either try to apply powers not listed in the Constitution or to limit the states’ ability to regulate their own internal affairs as they had in the past. As James Madison said during the U.S. Senate’s debate on the amendment, â€Å"Interference with the power of the States was no constitutional criterion of the power of Congress. If the power was not given, Congress could not exercise it; if given, they might exercise it, although it should interfere with the laws, or even the Constitutions of the States.† When the 10th  Amendment was introduced on Congress, Madison noted that while those who opposed it considered it superfluous or unnecessary, many states had expressed their eagerness and intent to ratify it. â€Å"I find, from looking into the amendments proposed by the State conventions, that several are particularly anxious that it should be declared in the Constitution, that the powers not therein delegated should be reserved to the several States,† Madison told the Senate. To the Amendment’s critics, Madison added, â€Å"Perhaps words which may define this more precisely than the whole of the instrument now does, may be considered as superfluous. I admit they may be deemed unnecessary: but there can be no harm in making such a declaration, if gentlemen will allow that the fact is as stated. I am sure I understand it so, and do therefore propose it.† Interestingly, the phrase â€Å"†¦ or to the people,† was not a part of the 10th  Amendment as it was originally passed by Senate. Instead, it was added by the Senate clerk before the Bill of Rights was sent to the House or Representatives for its consideration.