Examining Stress And Burnout For Law Enforcement Criminology Essay

Examining Stress And Burnout For Law Enforcement Criminology Essay This paper explores stress and burnout for law enforcement officers and correctional staff, the various causes of it, the effects, and possible solutions. Both law enforcement officers and correctional staff are possibly the most stressful occupations, and stress is a constant factor and part of each of these jobs. There are numerous causes of stress that include shift work, excessive overtime, organizational structure, and family problems. The effects of stress can be tremendous on both law enforcement and correctional officers. It can affect their overall mental and physical health, as well as their quality of life. It can eventually even lead to burnout. Stress and burnout not only affect the individual, but also family and friends, co-workers, and the organization. Over the past years, numerous research studies have been conducted on stress in both the law enforcement field and corrections that report similar findings for the causes of stress and its effects. While not all stress factors for law enforcement officers and correctional staff can be eliminated, there are possible solutions for mitigating the effects of stress that can improve their lives, mental and physical health, lower their changes of suicide, decrease divorce, and decrease burnout. Stress and Burnout for Law Enforcement and Corrections: A look at the Causes, Effects and Possible Solutions Stress and burnout occur in all different types of jobs and careers. However, some vocations are more prone to job stress and burnout than others are. Both police officers and correctional officers are exposed to work environments that are characterized by high levels of stress. Stress and burnout for both police officers and correction workers can greatly affect the field of criminal justice. According to Karen Hess (2009), stress can be both positive and negative, and this stress or excitement is why many police officers enter the law enforcement field (p. 464). Any given day, a police officer may have to shoot someone, be shot at, chase down a robber, deal with child abuse, and see death. Additionally, a correctional officer may also have to encounter a violent prison conflict or riot, encounter dangerous offenders and numerous other potentially dangerous situations. With the increasing prison population and never end sprees of crime, the stress for correctional officers and polic e officers is also increasing. Both law enforcement and the correctional field are widely considered some of the most stressful occupations, and both are associated with high divorce rates, alcoholism, suicide and other emotion and health problems. According to O. Ramos (2010), stress in the law enforcement field is unique because it is a constant factor with only changes in the degree and duration of the stress. Over the years, numerous research studies and projects have been performed to investigate how stress affects police officers and correctional workers physical and mental health by agencies such as the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the National Institute of Justice. Through this research and studies, researchers have been able to indentify stress factors that are unique and more pronounced in these career fields, as well as their effects on the lives, jobs and the field of criminal justice. Stress can have numerous causes and can differ from individual to individual. According to Lambert, Hogan, Hiang, and Jenkins (2009, July), stressors are conditions that place excessive demands on an individual and can lead to discomfort, strain and conflict for the individual. While both the police officers and correctional officers are frequently faced with high levels of stress, the causes of the stress differ between the two groups with the job differences they face. Causes of Stress for Police Officers Stress factors for police officers can vary from pressures of the job, attitude of the public towards police officers, the operation of the criminal justice system, the law enforcement organization itself and the officers personal life. According to Burke and Mikkelsen (2005), police stressors fall into two major categories. The first category stems from the nature of the job, and the second category involves the organizational aspect of law enforcement. The stress of the job involves the physical aspects of the job and includes threats, use of force, exposure to violence and danger, dealing with uncertainty, shift rotations, inadequate or broken supplies, low pay, excessive overtime, and constant fear of injury or death. On the other hand, the organizational aspect of law enforcement that contributes to job stress involve the poor management, inflexible hierarchical structures, roles, inadequate communication, and organizational structure (Burke et al. 2005). In fact, Burke et al. ( 2005) discusses how the bureaucratic nature of the law enforcement organization obstructs police officers from feeling as if they have input in changing the policies sand procedures. There is also conflicting policies, poor supervision, and endless rules that create a tense and stressful work environment. McCarty, Zhao and Garland (2007) also discuss how job stress can differ between male and female police officers. For instance, female officers may be subject to gender discrimination from male officers and supervisors, which could increase their job related stress. Female officers also feel additional pressure that they have to prove themselves more on the job, as well as feel their male partners provide inadequate backup and question their abilities more frequently (McCarty et al., 2007) Additionally, individual stress factors can play a factor in a police officers stress levels due to their personal life. Some individual stress factors include family problems, financial problems, health problems, and taking on a second job for extra income. In fact, many officers are willing to put their health at risk for overtime or another job for the additional income (National Institute of Justice). Causes of Stress for Correctional Officers Correctional officers face some of the same and similar job stressors as police officers as well. Correctional officers have to deal with the never-ending demands of inmates. Correctional officers are also responsible for large array of responsibilities and duties to ensure the correctional facility is properly maintained in an organized manner. Aside from police officers, the workplace nonfatal violent incidents are higher per 1,000 employees for correctional officers than any other profession (Finn, 2000, p. 2). Additionally, according to Childress, Tallucci, and Wood (1999), while a correctional officer operates in a high stress work environment much like a police officer, there have been minimal examinations of the correctional environment in comparison to the voluminous research conducted on the causes and consequences of stress for law enforcement officers. However, it has been determined that some of the job related stresses include inmate demands, low pay, excessive overtime, poor public image, shift rotations, threat of violence, understaffing, amount of contact with inmates, role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload. The major forms of stress in the work environment can be categorized into organizational structure and job characteristics (Lambert, Hogan Allen, 2006). According to Lambert et al (2006), organizational structure deals with how an organization or agency is arranged, managed and operated, and it normally throughout the entire work environment and therefore influences all employees that work there. Lambert et al (2006) cite a study by Stohr, Lovrich and Wilson that the lack of participation in decision-making caused increased stress for correctional officers. Additionally, the lack of control over the work environment due to the centralization of decision-making can increase the levels of stress. In fact, Lambert et al (2006) performed a study at a Midwestern correctional facility that showed workers who perceived a lack of input into decision- making or a lack of job autonomy had increased levels of stress. Furthermore, lack of information or being kept in the dark is another stress factor for correctional staff caused by the organization structure. Inadequate communication about their jobs is major stress factor. Correctional staffs need clear communication about their tasks, jobs, and issues in order to complete their job and be an effective member of the organization (Lambert et al, 2006). Additional organization-related conditions that can cause increased stress for correctional officers are understaffing, mandatory overtime, understanding, and unreasonable demands. Finn (2000) describes how understaffing can create different types of stress such as lack of time to complete tasks, overload of work, apprehension, and inability to get time off (p. 12). Understaffing also causes the need for extensive overtime from the correctional staff. On the other hand, there are job characteristics that cause stress. Job characteristics are specific to certain jobs; therefore, they are not always found throughout the entire field. Job related stressors included the threat of inmate violence, inmate demands, and problems with coworkers. Lambert et al. (2006) identify some job characteristics as job variety, skill variety, role conflict, role ambiguity, task significance, task identity, and supervision. The roles that correctional officers have to assume can create considerable stress for the officer. According to Lambert et al (2006), role strain is liked to increased stress and role conflict occurs when behaviors for a given job or position are inconsistent with another. Correctional officers also face stress from outside sources other than the prison or jail that they work at. One cause of outside stress is their public image. A lot of the time correctional officers or prisons and jails in general are portrayed in a negative light. This negatively comes from the fact that many people do not know or understand the role and jobs of correctional officers. Sometimes this negatively even forces correctional officers to discuss or talk less about their jobs with others. Another outside source of stress is their pay. Correctional officers do tough work for little pay. Effects of Stress Stress, whether caused from job characteristics, organization factors, shift changes, or family problems, it affects everyone differently. A persons stress tolerance depends on the frequency, severity, types of stress, personal aspects, past experiences, personal values and attitude, sense of control, personality, residual stress level and state of health (Schmalleger Smykla, 2011, p. 321). Stress has great implications for anyone, and police officers as well as correctional staff are not immune to the effects of stress. According to R. Nauert (2008), pressures of the badge put officers at risk for high blood pressure, insomnia, increased levels of destructive stress hormones, heart problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. Additional effects of stress can be high suicide rates, mental and physical health issues and relationship problems. The National Institute of Justice (2009) states that enduring stress for long periods can lead to anxiety, depression or posttraumatic stress disorder in police officers. Posttraumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur after someone has seen or experienced trauma. In fact, it is estimated that one-third of law enforcement in the United States suffer from PTSD. (Hess, 2009, p. 465) Symptoms of PTSD include diminished responsiveness to their environment, apathy, disinterest, pessimism, and diminished sex drive. (Hess, 2009, p. 465) Other mental health issues that stress can induce include increased mood swings, impaired judgment, decreasing an officers adaptability to certain situations, heightening an officers sense of threat, and increasing anxiety or depression (National Institute of Justice). Some of these feelings and mental issues could lead to even suicide or thoughts of suicide. According to Childress et al. (1999), the clinical supervisor of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Stress Unit stated that correctional officers are three times more likely to commit suicide than they are to be killed on the job. Increased suicidal thoughts are also another implication of stress in police officers. In his article, R. Nauert (2008) discusses the research conducted by John M. Violanti, Ph.D., a research associate professor at the University of Buffalo. Violanti conducted a clinical examination of the affects of stress and indicated that the data showed that 23 percent of male and 25 percent of female officers reported more suicidal thoughts than the general population (13.5 percent). (Nauert, 2008) Furthermore, Nauert (2008) indicated that Violantis previous study that he performed showed that suicide rates were three times higher in police than in other municipal worke r. This higher rate of suicide in law enforcement officers and correctional staff is alarming and shocking. In fact, according to Karen Hess (2009), police officers are eight times more likely to kill themselves than be a victim of homicide (p. 468). However, suicide and mental health problems are not the only adverse outcomes that stress from police work can induce. Physical health issues can arise from the constant stress that police officers experience. Some physical health issues that may develop from increased stress include weight gain, inability to relax, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and damage to the cardiovascular system (National Institute of Justice). In fact, a study conducted by the University of Buffalo showed that officers over the age of 40 were at a higher 10-year risk for having a coronary event than the national average and 72 percent of female officers and 43 percent of male officers have a higher than recommended cholesterol level (Page, D. 2010). Additionally, Page (2010) states that police officers as a group showed higher than normal pulse rates and diastolic blood pressure. According to Lambert et al. (2006), correctional officers have higher risks of hypertension, heart attacks, and other stress- related illnesses. In fact, Check and Woodruff reported, correctional officers die far sooner than expected as compared to the national life expectancy, and stress is the leading reason for the shortened life expectancy. (as cited in Lambert et al., 2006) Emotional problems may also surface from the constant high levels of stress. Emotional problems could possible include increased irritability, feelings of tension, depression, and mood swings. Additionally, addictive behaviors such as gambling, overeating, or substance abuse may also emerge as a result of stress. Stress and the effects of stress can also lead to family problems for both law enforcement officers and correctional staff. Both of these professions sometimes feel distant from their family, are not open about their jobs, and stress with their families. Families themselves can also feel the effects of the stress with the long work hours, excessive mandatory overtime, and shift rotations, as well as also having the constant fear that something may happen to their loved one. Stress could also be a potential cause of the high divorce rates. The divorce rate for police officers is double the national average (Hess, 2009, p. 468). Correctional staff also have a higher than average divorce rate as well. In an interview with Officer Josh Taylor of the Escambia County Sheriffs Office, he discussed how the dissolution of his previous marriage was partly attributed to his occupation as a police officer. Police officers sometimes feel distant from their family and do not want to share all aspects of their jobs and stress with their family. The stress and effects of stress can exacerbate an already strenuous marital relationship to its breaking point. Burnout Job stress and burnout may be used interchangeably. However, they are two distinct and different terms. Lambert et al. (2010) define job burnout as the withdrawing emotionally, psychologically, and socially from the job, and generally results after prolonged exposure to stressors, including ob stress, and/or the removal of valued resources. According to Schmalleger and Smykla (2011), when stress reaches an unbearable level, burnout can occur. (p. 320) It is a physical and mental state that is caused by the severe strain and stress placed on the body (Burke, 2009). All with the effects of stress, the symptoms of burnout are gradual and differ from person to person. However, some symptoms of burnout may include lack of enthusiasms and interest, decreased job performance, short tempers, and loss of motivation (Hess, 2009, p. 466). Burnout can contribute to decline in work performance, withdrawal from others, and diminished work life. With the high levels of stress faced on a daily basis and the nature of their jobs, both law enforcement officers and correctional staff are susceptible to burnout. Burke et al. (2005) discusses the six areas of organizational life that is connected to burnout: workload, job control, rewards and recognition system, responsiveness to staff needs, respect and fairness, and fit of the individual and organizational values at work. Lambert et al. (2009, July) discusses Cherniss view on the three stages of burnout. The first stage involves an unfair distribution of work forces, demands and resources, resulting in an emotional and psychological strain on the worker. As a consequence of the strain for the worker, the next stage is where the strained worker treats co-workers and clients in an detached, impartial or insensitive manner. The final stage involves the strained worker feeling inadequate in dealing with others, retreating from others, and ultimately becoming detached, cynical and disengaged. Additionally, Maslach and Jackson (1981) argued that the three dimensions of burnout included emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced sense of personal accomplishment and theorized that work related stressors and organizational factors were primary care for job burnout (as cited in Lambert, et al., 2009). In recent years there has been a small number of studies and research done on burnout n the criminal justice field. Lambert et al. (2009) discusses how research has examined whether personal characteristics were related to burnout, such as sex, age, position, tenure, education level, and race. According to Lambert et al. (2009), work environment factors, not personal characteristics, are more likely to contribute to burnout. In law enforcement officers, burnout can affect the quality of service provided by a police officer and his inter-personal relationships. Burke et al. (2005) reviewed a small number of studies that considered the impact of burnout on the job behaviors of police and other service providers. It was found that burned out police officers were more likely to demonstrate a more negative mood, react to civilians more negatively, have reduced problem-solving skills, and increased likelihood of using force (Burke et al, 2005). According to Jerry Carlton (2009, March), burnout is something that most in the law enforcement professional will experience at some point in their career. The dangers of burnout in police officers can be very real and dangerous for the individual with it affecting their job performance. For correctional staff, researchers have found that some of the same job stressors, such as perceived dangerousness of job, increased contact with inmates, role overload, role conflict and role ambiguity have all been linked to burnout of correctional staff (Lambert et al., 2009). Burnout is a huge problem in the corrections field. In fact, Lambert et al. (July 2009), report that correctional employees have higher levels of burnout than the levels found in the general population, even higher than police officers. A study by Lindquist and Whitehead (1986) showed that approximately 33% of Alabama correctional officers in their study were suffering from burnout ( as cited by Lambert et al., 2010). Additionally, a study by Hurst and Hurst (1997) demonstrated half of Kentucky correctional officers in their study were suffering from emotional exhaustion, a form of burnout (as cited by Lambert et al. 2010). Burnout is not only harmful for the correctional officer, but also the correctional agency or organization. Lambert et al. (July 2009) report that burnout can cause decreased work performance, withdrawal or reduced interaction with other employees, increased absenteeism, substance abuse and greater turnover. Lambert et al. (2009, July) performed a study on the burnout rates at a private Midwestern maximum-security facility to examine the associations between burnout and contact with inmates, role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and perceived dangerousness. In this survey, out of the 160 surveys that were completed, 18 percent responded that they felt burned out from their job, 26 percent responded they were emotionally drained to some degree at the end of the day from their job, 23 percent felt they had become insensitive to coworkers, 33 percent indicated they were less sympathetic, 13 percent felt they were not valued, and 12 percent felt they did not have positive influence (Lambert et al., 2009, July). According to this survey, tenure was the only one among the control variables that had a statistically significant relationship, and role ambiguity and overload also have a significant positive association with burnout for correctional staff (Lambert, et al. 2009, July). Lambe rt et al. (2009, July) suggests that the results show that correctional staff wants clearly defined roles and guidance and not to be overloaded in their assigned job tasks. Also, surprisingly perceived dangerousness of the job was not connected to burnout. According to Lambert et al. (2009, July), dangerousness may be expected ad perhaps may give some employees a sense of duty and even excitement rather than being stressed over it. Contact with inmates was also not found to have a noticeably connection to the study; however, Lambert et al. (2009, July) note that it could be the type of contact and the need for additional research to determined if it is associated with burnout. Furthermore, work-family conflict can lead or contribute to burnout. According to Lambert et al. (2010), work-family conflict involves the family/home life interfering with work and work life interfering with home life. Family on work conflicts involve conflicts that the family causes that impact work life, such as having a sick child to take care of or a conflict with a spouse. On the other hand, Lambert et al. (2010) describe work on family conflicts as having three different forms: time-based conflicts, strained-based conflicts, and behavior-based conflicts. Time-based conflicts occur when time demands for work interfere with home life and an individuals personal time. For instance, both correctional institutions and law enforcement require staffing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays. They may also be required to work mandatory overtime. Strained-based conflicts occur when demands and tensions of work negatively affect the quality of the individ uals home life. When work behavior interferes with home life and is incompatible, behavior-based conflict occurs. For example, both law enforcement officers and correctional staff work roles require them to be suspicious of others and this may not be acceptable with family members and friends and can lead to conflict(Lambert et al., 2010). Lambert et al. (2010) notes that only a handful of studies have been conducted o examine the work-family conflict in correctional staff. Burnout not only negatively affects the individual, but also impacts co-works and the organizations themselves. It can cause decrease work performance, withdrawal or reduced interaction with co-workers, increased absenteeism, substance abuse, and frequent turnover (Lambert et al., 2009, July). In the end, burnout ends up costing the organizations additional funds. Burnout is not something that happens overnight, and in can be avoided with proper maintenance and care. Possible Solutions to Job Stress and Burnout Ideally, to address all the job stress and burnout for law enforcement officers and correctional staff would be to institute changes that would stop it from occurring or minimize it from happening. However, this is not always necessarily possible in their work environments and in the criminal justice field. With all of the implications and effects stress and burnout can have on law enforcement officers and correctional staff, there are several initiatives or solutions that have been pursued to help reduce or mitigate stress and burnout. Hess (2009) discusses some strategies for reducing stress and avoiding burnout that could be useful for both law enforcement officers and police officers (p. 466). Physical exercise, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, social outlets, relaxation techniques and time management are all ways to reduce stress and avoid burnout in these fields (Hess, 2009, p. 466). Many organizations are also starting to recognize the hazards of stress for both the individuals and the organizations. Stress-management programs are starting to be implemented; however, the individual must want to take charge of their own stress management to be successful. Additionally, both professions have taken different, but similar measures to address the issues of stress and burnout. Law Enforcement Officers Often law enforcement officers are not open or speak about their stress and how it may be affecting their lives. The National Institute of Justice notes an unspoken code of silence exists for police officers about the stress that comes with the job. With the nature of the work environment, it is sometimes hard to mediate and spot stress before it is too late. One of the keys to finding a potential solution for stress is looking for the warning signs. Ramos (2010) discusses how training for law enforcement personnel and their families is critical in addressing the problem of police suicide with teaching others how to look for the warning signs and risk factors. Law enforcement personnel and families should also be trained to identify the signs and factors of basic stress to combat that before it leads to issues that are more serious. Additionally, Ramos (2010) notes that agencies need to encourage officers to seek assistance from personal physicians, employee assistance programs, peer support and crisis intervention counselors. According to Burke (2009), a knowledge manager is the best prevent for burnout. Police managers should be trained to detect the subtle personality changes that could indicated a problem. Early detection could help to avoid the most serious affects of burnout and from burnout consuming the officer. Burke (2009) points out that it near impossible for every police manager to know every officer under his or her supervision to be able to detect all signs; however, a team concept would allow the police manager to educate team members about the signs and symptoms of burnout so that team members known how to properly respond when the signs are detected. It also helps provide an open field of discussion among the team members. Additionally, an article in Call and Post discusses how polices are using military techniques to combat on the job stress (Anonymous, 2008, October). It involves an innovative program to train police leadership to recognize and address stress through a unique collaboration between military combat stress experts and local police forces. Clevelands D ivision of Police, Case Western Reserve University, the Partnership for a Sager Cleveland the U.S. Department of Defense have partnered together to try to combat on the job stress (Anonymous, 2008, October). Supervisors and patrol officers are provided tri-fold laminated cards that have the warning signs of stress to help identify operational stress early on. Awards were adapted from the United States Military to acknowledge the officers as well. Medals shaped like dog tags, as well as bronze medals, are also used to reinforce the training and honor those that have participated in the program (Anonymous, 2008, October). Having available mental health and stress management programs to police officers can also be beneficial. According to Macmillan (2009), these programs need to be utilized more often, and the law enforcement field relies on three types of these programs: external, internal and hybrid. The external program involves an officer receiving treatment from an outside source. This allows the officer to keep anonymity. Internal programs are those that are ran from within the department or agency, and hybrid programs are a mixture of external and internal. In fact, Macmillan (2009) notes that departments and agencies can work around having limited funding for these programs with sharing the programs with other local government departments and agencies, such as with the fire department or paramedics. Macmillan (2009) also discusses the advantages of having peer counseling as an effective way to manage stress. Peer counseling programs allow officers with similar experiences and tensions to offer assistance and aid to follow officers who may be suffering from stress. Additionally, it is sometimes easier for officers to talk and share with fellow officers than a psychologist or therapist (Macmillan, 2009). Departments can also often obtain assistance with wellness through local health departments or through their insurance carriers at little to no costs (Anonymous, 2009). Sometimes police stress programs are not able to address the needs of a police officer or his or her family. Non-profit organizations such as the Central Florida Police Stress Unit, which have not affiliation with any police department or agency, can also be beneficial in dealing with stress. Organizations, such as the Central Florida Police Stress Unit, are established to help both law enforcement and their families deal with stress that is directly or indirectly associated with the law enforcement profession. This type of organization is great tool for officers and their families that want to maintain confidentiality and are fearful of speaking out or others learning of their problems. Central Florida Police Unit provides a range of services, and has licensed mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers and consulting police psychologist to help police officers and their families deal with a wide range of issues from marriage counseling to finan ce and retirement problems. Correctional Staff As with law enforcement officers, correctional staff are often not open about their stress and how it may be affecting their lives. In fact, correctional officers often deny that they are under stress in fear that it might be looked at unfavorably or make them seem weak (Schmalleger Smykla, 2011, p. 319). With the nature of the work environment, it is sometimes hard to notice and mediate stress before it is too late. One of the keys to finding a potential solution for stress is looking for the warning signs. Correctional personnel, their families, and co-works should be trained to identify the signs and factors of stress to combat it before it leads to issues that are more serious. According to an article written in Corrections Today, correctional agencies are losing money, losing good employees, and jeopardizing officer and public safety due to work-related stress. (Anonymous, 2007) Correctional officers should also be encouraged to seek outside assistance from p

Analysing Film Posters

The main purpose of film posters is to attract the targeted audience to watch a particular film. Film posters try to be as intriguing as possible and use many techniques to persuade the audience to go and watch the film. Some of these techniques are using bold colours which stand out from the background, persuasive language such as reviews form critics and pictures of the central characters. A successful film poster will accomplish attracting the target audience and persuade them to come and watch the film. A film which tries to achieve what is mentioned above is ‘Bend It Like Beckham'. This film concentrates on how a young female who is growing up in a traditional Indian family, struggles to achieve her dreams of becoming a successful footballer due to her parents strict traditional values. This essay will analyse how effectively three posters emphasize different aspects of this film. On the first poster, there is a central image of a woman who has her back turned to the audience and is holding a pair of football boots behind her. The audience may feel a sense of secrecy involving the lady as she is trying to avoid revealing the pair of football boots. We can assume that the central image has some sort of connection to football but is unable to reveal her interest in it. It appears that she is wearing a pink traditional Indian saree which is very womanly, however, as she is also holding a pair of football boots, this may connote that there is conflict between her tradition and her desire to play football. In the background we are able to see the sky, which represents her ambitions to become a footballer. Also, the sky shows that someone may be able to rise up into the sky, and in the central characters case, to fulfil her ambitions. The contrast between the boots and the Indian clothing may suggest that she cannot completely break away from her traditional values. The words â€Å"Bend It† written on the poster means to literally bend the ball into the goal, however, it may connote that the central character has to ‘Bend' certain things for her to achieve her ambitions; this is most likely to be her family. Under the film title we can see that there is a review made by a critic ‘A winning comedy' which is an illusion as in football one team either wins or loses. Correspondingly, we are able to see the two central characters in the second poster ‘Jesse' who is played by Parminder Nagra and ‘Joules' played by Keira Knightly. They appear to be wearing western clothing which shows their interest in football. The mood of the poster is happy and upbeat as we can see both characters holding each other and laughing, this illustrates that their relationship in the film is very close. The way they are standing is sort of an angle which a ball may bend towards. It is clear that this film has a lot to do with traditional values in a family, and we can see in the background, characters who play the central characters family. They are wearing traditional Indian clothing with the character in the middle wearing a wedding saree which is a contrast between the Indian culture and the western. The family in the background are creating a ‘wall' which in football is used to stop the ball from entering the goal, in the central characters it has a symbolic value, as her family are trying stop her from playing football as they want her to be more traditional. The main reason ‘Bend It' is used in the title of the film is because it connotes that the teenager will try to ‘Bend' the rules of her tradition in order to achieve what she aspires. Also, in the background we can see that her family seem to be confused by her action and are pleading with her to stop playing football. Another connotation is the green colour used in the font of ‘Bend It' which represents the green football pitch. Lastly, the reviews of critics are used to attract the targeted audience such as ‘Hilariously funny and fresh'. Correspondingly, in the third poster there is also a central character ‘Jesse' who appears to be at the corner of the poster and most of her face is obscured. She is also holding a ball over her head as if she is going to throw the ball. The reason that her face be concealed may be because she is trying to hide something from her parents which may upset them; this gives a sense of secrecy. The football may symbolise her desire to play football. The audience can surely notice that there is an Indian piece of jewellery on the girl's forehead which tells that she comes from a traditional background but also the same pattern of the jewellery is printed on the football, this may contrast her desire to play football and her tradition. Similarly to the second poster, there are the central characters family who are all wearing traditional clothing and have a puzzled expression on their faces. They all seem to be in the way of the goal, which may connote that they are trying to stop her from what she wants to do. Next to the family members is a white teenager who the audience assume to be the girls friend. Oppositely to the family her friend is wearing very sporty western clothing which is a contrast between both cultures. The background colour of the poster is blue which represents the sky; however, it also connotes the central characters ambitions to achieve her dream of becoming a footballer. There is a substantial amount of critical reviews on the poster which adds to its appeal to attract the audience. All three posters have some similarities and differences, some of which may not be visible. It is obvious that the issue of tradition and culture it represented on each poster and they all try to emphasize it as much as possible. In the first poster we notice that the central character is wearing traditional Indian clothing, similarly, in the second and the third poster we see that the family in the background are all wearing traditional outfits. Both the first and the last poster have a sense of secrecy in them, this is shown as in one poster the girl is turning her back away from the audience and in the last one most of the central characters face is obscured. However, the second poster is not as secretive as we see both of the main characters holding each other playfully and wearing western clothing. This poster seems to be more open about the central characters ambitions and they are not afraid of hiding it. The title of the film ‘Bend It Like Beckham' has a very sporty portrayal to the audience, this is also shown in the images used in each poster, such as, the first poster the girl is holding a pair of football boots, in the second poster they are wearing quite sporty clothing and in the last one the girl is holding a football over her head. Each poster tries to depict a mood to the audience as they want to let them know what kinds of emotions are shown in the film. As it appears, the first poster does not seem to have a very upbeat mood about it and seems to be more tense which may suggest that there may be some conflict in the movie. correspondingly, in the third poster the central character is smiling as she is holding the ball which shows an upbeat mood however as her face is not completely unveiled the audience may suspect that there may be conflict in the film. Whereas, the second poster is completely different as both main characters appear to be happy and open about their emotions rather than keeping them hidden. A wide variety of people are represented in the posters and the most noticeable would be the central character ‘Jesse' who appears on every poster. The audience may assume that she is young teenager who has ambitions to do something she enjoys. On the first poster we see her carrying a pair of boots, in the second poster she is playing around with her friend and in the third poster she is holding a ball. Also, in the second poster the clothes she is wearing may indicate that she prefers to be more western than completely following her tradition. On the other hand, her family in the background are all wearing traditional clothing and want ‘Jesse' to dedicate herself to their tradition rather than playing football. We see on the third poster that there I a close friend of ‘Jesse' standing next to her family wearing sporty clothing which may represent a more western culture. As mentioned before the whole purpose of a film poster is to attract a particular audience. Each poster tries to target a specific group of people. In the first poster the central character is wearing traditional clothing and the mood does not seem to be happy, so I would guess that this poster is targeting a more mature audience like adults rather than teenagers. However, the second poster appears to be doing completely the opposite by using very bright colours and the font is more appealing to a younger audience. Also, the characters ‘Jesse' and ‘Joules' are both acting in a childish manner by play fighting which may suggest that it is targeted at young teenagers. Similarly, the last poster portrays the main character as being more upbeat and happy and the background colours seem to be brighter which may appeal to younger people. On the whole, each poster was successful at accomplishing what they want but I think the last poster is the most encouraging in terms of attracting more people as it uses a range of different colours and the characters, especially the main one, is portrayed as being more accurate at showing the audience what the film is about.

Adolescence & Transition

Adolescent development does not necessarily follow a similar pattern for every individual as the multidimensional phase spans through in a quite complex way. At a time of transition from childhood to adulthood traditionally, a period of rapid physical growth is flung upon the individual amidst brief periods of remission.In the last century however, the onset of physical change has occurred at increasingly younger ages, increasing the likelihood that the psychosocial and cognitive changes will lag behind (Neinstein, 2002). Physical changes thereby vary among adolescents as children of the same age critically vary in the growth and sexual development.For some, the rates of change occur and happen at different times as adolescents experience puberty in his/her own way and time. While it is interesting to observe pubertal changes in adolescents, the tremendous cycle brings about a cacophony of questions among the concerned age group. Some teens develop earlier than others and deal with c hanges earlier than others.For others, maturity may occur later than others and more pronounced is the variation of pubertal changes between males and females (Lerner and Galambos, 1998: 414). Adolescents of the same age do not necessarily follow a similar pattern of change and the comparison is quite pronounced between both genders.In females, the Luteinizing Hormone stimulates the ovarian cells to produce androgens and progesterone and stimulates ovulation and FSH increases estrogen production earlier compared to males whose LH stimulates testosterone production and FSH stimulates gametogenesis at a later stage (Neinstein, 2002).The onset of puberty varies, as female pubertal development begins on average at 11.2 years of age (range 9.0 – 13.4) and lasts about 4 years while male puberty development begins on average at 11.6 years of age (range 9.5 – 13.5) (Rosen and Foster, 2001:310.Up to and during puberty, girls develop physically and mature much faster than the ma le counterpart (Brayer, 1986:247).To say that adolescents encounter a lot of changes and challenges during this period of human development is an understatement. When each gender is marauded with varying levels of change, one goes through a critical stage in a short period of transition from childhood to adulthood. We shall identify the changes for males and females across this developmental stage in order to arrive at a comparison between both sexes.Physical ChallengesThe earliest signs of puberty for females include the emergence of physical changes that occur at different rates and intensity. On the average, breast budding along with pubic hair growth signals the initial phase of a female’s growth spurt that reaches its peak about one year and one month after breast development begins.Menarche, or the onset of menstruation starts typically one year after at an average age of 12 years old (Brayer, 1986: 247). The male equivalent of menarche is spermarche which is characteri zed by the first ejaculation of sperm (Beckett, 2002:113).Testicular enlargement is the common physical sign along with pubic hair development which definitely varies among the male age group but interestingly, the onset is spermarche signals the initial phase of adolescent growth in males which is a stark comparison to the female gender.Females marked the initial stage of puberty with physical changes while males mark the onset of change through the development of secondary sexual and reproductive characteristics (Brayer, 1986:248). The appearance of spermatozoa in males appears at a mean chronologic age of 13.4 as sperm begins to appear present in urine samples among teenage males (Greenspan and Gardner, 2004:610).As adolescents increase in height and weight during this stage, growth is rapid where females tend to typically experience this growth spurt one-and-one-half to two years earlier than males and on average grow 23-28cm. Males experience a 2-year delay in bone closure as c ompared to females, and this accounts in part for their greater growth in height.Females increase in body fat while males increase in lean body mass that can often lead to tripping and clumsiness. The variability of changes can be anxiety provoking for adolescents who tend to remain shorter than their friends as some experienced delayed puberty (Beckett, 2002: 114).Cognitive ChallengesDuring adolescence are often unable to deal with remote, future or hypothetical problems and often encounter difficulty in predicting and anticipating future experiences. Such is consistent with Jean Piaget’s conception pf cognitive development as a rational process with rational outcomes (Moshman, 2005:1).Often, the adolescent have problems effectively dealing with abstract ideas and resort to daydreaming and increased self-interest. Adolescents likewise assume that others are as interested in them as many have an unrealistic view of themselves that can commonly lead them to believe they are in vincible and immune to the dangers that befall others (Beckett, 2002:114).Young adolescents, at the beginning of this cognitive shift, have unrealistic career plans and for those who are exposed to disadvantaged situations, would lead to the beginning of feelings of hopelessness (Moshman, 2005:2).Moral and Psychosocial ChallengesAdolescence marks the movement from the conventional level of moral judgment to post-conventional (Neinstein, 2002). Early adolescents are typically in the conventional level of moral development as they are commonly motivated by the need to meet expectations of external factors such as opinion of friends (Strasburger, 2000: 802).They have a particular simple idea and concept and thought as they are heavily motivated on pleasing others. As a continuous process of experience boys and girls may follow a different thought pattern in moral development as most adolescents experience a moral crisis and breakdown (Adams and Berzonsky 2003:247).In the 80’s an d 90’s, many in the society had maintained that the society was in a moral crisis brought about by juvenile delinquency, adolescent drug and alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy (Berzonsky, 2003:248). Society has however neglected the fact that transformations in moral judgment take on focus during adolescence.The central developmental task during adolescence is developing a sense of identity with significant turning points of shaping and reshaping different roles, beliefs and commitments (Lerner and Galambos, 1998:441). In a distinctly technological society, adolescents are faced with confronting the tasks and decisions amidst changing roles.At the early age of 11-13, females tend to start a separate identity from the family and build close relationships with peers primarily of the same sex (Scales, et al, 2000:29). For males, such challenges are encountered at the age of 12-14 year old as they become preoccupied with questions of normalcy yet begin concerning themselves with separation from members of the family. At a peak age of 14-16, most experiment with sexual experimentation, omnipotence leading to risky behaviors (Strasburger, 2000:789).

Gun Control And Its Effect On Acquiring Firearms - 1623 Words

Would relaxing current restrictions on acquiring firearms for individuals in NSW, therefore leading to an increase in guns, cause a reduction in crime? Gun control and restrictions on acquiring firearms has been a topic that has been disputed heavily in NSW since the 1980s. Similar to various other nations, Australia has seen a number of high profile shootings, resulting in a tightening of gun control laws. One may believe by instinct that relaxing current restrictions on acquiring firearms would lead to more crime, as more guns are readily available. This paper will explore this debate, to investigate if an increase in guns will truly lower crime levels. NSW doctrine on gun control is ruled by the Firearms Act 1996, Weapons Prohibition Act 1998, and other associated regulations (Gun Laws In Australia† 2016). By definition, owners of a firearm must have a license, be at least eighteen years of age, have safe storage for their guns, each gun must be registered to the owner by serial number, and have completed a firearm safety training course (Gun Laws In Australia† 2016). When acquiring a license, applicants must complete a personal history check, and a license can be denied if there is evidence of mental or physical conditions suggesting an individual is unsuitable to own a gun (Gun Laws In Australia† 2016). Following the Port Arthur massacre of 1996 in which 35 people were killed and 23 were wounded, Prime Minister John Howard evoked a national policy, in which allShow MoreRelated The Right To Own Guns Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pages The Right to Own Guns As American citizens, we have more rights and freedoms than any other group of people in the world. 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