Depression among Pregnant Adolescents: Literature Review

Depression among Pregnant Adolescents: Literature Review Review of Related Literature and Studies Depression among pregnant adolescents as well as the factors that contributes to the said condition is being discussed in this review of literature. The things that could help prevent or lessen depression and the use of The Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale is also introduced. According to G. Tzilos et al,(2012). Depression during pregnancy is related to the increase number of mortality and morbidity among teenage mothers and infants. However, the cases of Adolescent pregnancy declined over the past years because of the strict implementation of contraceptive use in the United States still the number of occurring depression related to teenage pregnancy is alarming to the society nowadays. Early pregnancy does not only a threat to the mother but as well as the baby because when a teenager gets pregnant, it is expected that she will face many complications during and after her pregnancy and these complications could lead to death of her baby and herself. Adolescent Pregnancy is always perceived by the society as a major problem and a great threat that will add up to societal problems. These perceptions could make pregnant adolescents feel that they are being judged negatively by the society and could lead to depression. Majority of them felt that they are alw ays seen as persons who don’t know how to take good care of the upcoming baby because they are not yet fully matured. Some even relate teenage mothers to Erik Erikson’s Theory to illustrate that they are struggling in fulfilling two roles that they should take part. Pregnant Adolescents are not seeking for medical attention because for them they are mistreated and they are scared for the criticisms that they will receive from the people around them. That is why most pregnant adolescents’ faces problems and complications during labor because of lack of prenatal check-ups. Also in the studies planned pregnancy is compared to the unplanned of course planned pregnancy commonly happens to persons who went under the sacrament of matrimony and they unlikely to face complications and depression during pregnancy because of the support of their family as well as the society and those unplanned pregnancies are most likely to feel the opposite. The highest number of depress ion during pregnancy in found in the ethnicity of Latinas and a history of alcohol consumption and abuse whether it may be physical or sexual is found to be a significant contributing factors that could lead to depression. Pregnancy at an early age was commonly associated to poverty and societal issues. According to A. Katz, (2011) Majority of them voiced out that life before pregnancy was difficult and early pregnancy in their family was common so there is a possibility that they will follow the things that they have grown upon. Social connectedness plays an important role most specially the pregnant adolescent’s family. Some of the articles pointed out that the mother of the pregnant adolescent should be giving her more attention and support since she had been on the same experience before. Also, nurses were said to play a very important role in helping pregnant adolescents to prevent developing depression since they are the ones who will interact longer with their patients . One of the article’s main topic suggests that childbearing or being pregnant was the main reason why pregnant teenagers are experiencing depression. They say that depression seems to be linked with pregnancy because previous studies focus only on small populations. So what they did was they conducted a study with a big population between pregnant teens and pregnant adults. The questionnaires are given out to measure the level of depression inside it are questions such as things that bother them, how they manage feelings of sadness and concentration problems. The results showed that teenage mothers have an increase in depression incidence than adult mothers. However, carrying a child inside her womb was not the cause. They found out that even before they got pregnant, their level of depression was greater than compared to their friends and remained high even after giving birth to the baby. The results pointed out poverty and an existing stressor can predict adolescent pregna ncy because of the psychological thinking that if they become pregnant their life would be easier and the focus will be now given to the newborn baby. They observed that when they got pregnant, the chance is they become responsible for taking care of the baby inside her and the study suggested that research nowadays should focus on how the teenage mom going to pursue her ambitions in life after giving birth to the baby. Lastly, the study suggests that married teen pregnant mothers will likely develop a positive outcome in terms of behavior and decrease the likelihood of developing depression then unmarried teenage mothers. One study pointed out the factors that may increase the likelihood of teenage pregnancy. One factor that the researchers pointed to have a great impact on the incidence of teenage pregnancy was the age they started to engage in sexual intercourse they found out if a girl engages in sexual activity before 15 years old she is more prone in becoming pregnant. They al so pointed out United States as the most developed country with the highest incidence of adolescent pregnancy and one of the factors that causes early pregnancy was the number of sexual partners that an individual has. They say that if a girl had 3 or more sexual partners’ chances of being pregnant are high and if their partner’s age is more than 3 years of their age. The level of anxiety of a teenage father was discussed. Although there were only few studies about teenage fathers they found out that teenage father who became father for the first time has a high anxiety level compared to those who have been to the same situation before. The Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale is a tool that is used by clinicians and researchers to identify adolescents who are at risk for developing depression. It is created by Dr. Stan Kutcher, various clinicians and researchers and it is acknowledged to be an effective tool in assessing depression among adolescents around the globe. There are three different scales of KADS a 6-item which is designed to be used in different institutions such as schools, other health care professionals and primary health care settings to screen patients who are at risk for developing depression as well as to evaluate young people who are always in distress and can be seen with symptoms of mental health problem. The 11-item KADS is usually used by health care providers and different clinical settings to treat adolescents who are experiencing depression. On the other hand, the 16-item KADS is exclusively designed for clinical research purposes only. KADS is a simple tool that understandable by an indiv idual who has a grade 6 reading level and ages 12 to 22 years old. Aside from being less complicated, the tool has been translated into many different languages for better understanding and it is free of charge. It has been recommended by many experts such as National Institute for Clinical Evaluation. In using the KADS the person should be instructed carefully by the health care provider, educator or any responsible person and should be clarified that the tool is for better understanding of the difficulties that the individual is facing. The last item of the scale is very sensitive to suicidal risk. Any individual who answered 1 or a little bit higher should be undergoing a further assessment for possible suicide. The KADS is free to use however it should not be copied or distributed without a written consent to Dr. Stan Kutcher. The people who created KADS appreciate receiving feedback on the said evaluation to determine whether KADS is still suitable or needs to be developed for better assessment. There are a lot of different studies regarding depressions among teenage pregnancy. Different methods were done to gather results and data. Participants are usually drawn to conduct different methods such as interviews and surveys. Different factors are studied to determine factors what depression can bring to pregnant adolescents. The most critical factor in health problems among adolescents are incidence and in labor and delivery. Complications that can be prevented by this studies. Young mothers should be educated in controlling depression because in can lead to different problems like diseases and suicidal tendencies. Different studies show that it occurs more in pre-developed countries. So comparative studies in the Philippines in specific rural and urban areas. Findings have shown that counseling and nursing interventions and services of preparing adolescents in motherhood. Teenage mothers shows higher rate of depression. One study shows that depression after likely to become d epressed after their babies were born than lower- or higher-resource adult mothers. Finding the root cause of depression of adolescents could help in a big way. Guiding 12-22 year old adolescents can prevent unwanted pregnancies and give them a reason to think this situation can affect them and their newborns. As researchers, information and statistics would be key in doing this comparative study in rural and urban areas. In Nigeria, the most important problem in health in adolescents especially in developing countries is from preterm labor and delivery. A teenage girl who is pregnant has a 40 % chance of women in Nigeria are 17.9 and 20.1 years and the incidence of abortion is about 25%. Millions of girls aged 15-19 have babies yearly but 10% of pregnancy due to the effect of early motherhood. Probably the cause of poverty in Africa. So the researchers assessed and explored the occurrence of complications in adult pregnancies and adolescents. The Philippines is a slightly developed country than Africa. Couples who have a lot of children is very common in both countries. Most of the started at the age 17-19 years. A study in Taiwan showed what risk factors and birth outcomes affect adolescent pregnancies. Fertility rates declined in Taiwan recently even thou birthrate in teenagers is highest in Asia. It remains a challenging issue for Taiwanese to control adolescent pregnancy. Ages 12-22 is critical year for an individual in exploring various curiosity that can affect negatively and positively. Smoking had significant higher rates of smoking during pregnancy for adolescent mothers but in drinking it was almost alike. These are causes that affect a mother dramatically and especially the baby upon birth. This could different deformities and even miscarriage. In tends to be worse especially in communities of the third world. Another study pointed out that in view of socio-cultural factors and good nutrition in early life for girls is essential. Programs that can guide them in different ways would be key to prevent early conception. In India, nearly one third of babies are low in birth weight. The main cause would be poverty which leads to under nutrition and diseases. Kumar et al. (2007) showed a high result of (26.1%) and stillbirths (4%) while Bhalerao et al. (1990) have reported a significantly higher proportion (8.6%) of spontaneous abortion in addition to premature labor (14%) in teenage pregnancy. It is said that better planning of appropriate measures to improve the situation. Studies show that individuals living in rural areas are undernourished throughout childhood and adolescence. About 36% women of reproductive age in India have low body mass index (BMI 2. Poor prepregnancy nutritional status of young rural girls is a result of nutritional as well as social factors and therefore, it is necessary to examine their interactive effect on reproductive health. According to ( Echa Kai,2008) who conducted a research on teenage pregnancy in Rajavith Hospital in India. Pregnancies occurring in adolescent girls have a higher risk than in adult females. Women ages According to the study (A.Katz,2011 and K Mccormick,2012) teenage pregnancy decreased because of the strict implementation of contraceptives in the United States. The US being a first world country, its resources are expandable and can be able to focus on different problems that country encounter. The United States was able to control teenage pregnancy because of health education by the use of contraceptives. Sex education is thought during high school to show teenagers the risk of unwanted pregnancy physically and mentally. The proper use of contraceptives is shown in order for them to be aware how unwanted pregnancies and diseases unsafe intercourse can affect an individual. As early as this age students are sexually aware. Pregnant adolescents are having difficulties in terms of playing 2 roles in life, being a mother and in the process being fully matured ( B.Tumage et al,2013 and J Magness 2012). Being a mother is big transitional change in a teenager. For her, able to care for the baby and herself would be a difficult task. At the adolescent age, an individual is starting to be mature enough in everyday responsibilities. Having a baby can affect an individual physically and mentally. At this young age, a drastic change can cause negative effects which can lead to depression. Guidance by family, counselors and health providers would be a key factor for them to be able adapt to this changes. Nurses play a vital role in preventing the development of depression by being approachable and providing assistance to them without any negative judgment (J.Magness, 2012). As health care providers. Nurses are aware how depression affects an individual. A nurse will be able to do interventions that will benefit the patient. Giving assistance without any judgment, for a nurse being a professional it is strictly not a personal matter but the goal is to provide care. The Patient-Trust relationship would be a vital key .Depression can lead to negative effect physically and mentally so it is necessary to prevent this. Unplanned pregnancy are most likely to develop depression (M. Phipps et al, 2012, K and Mccormick, 2012). An accidental pregnancy would be drastic change in lifestyle. Nowadays, people tend to hide if they are accidentally pregnant especially if they are young of age. For a person not be ready to bear child would be very difficult in the shift of living. It is common that both partners who did not planned for a baby tend to separate thus, the mother would suffer and she alone would give care and provide for the baby. This things could lead to depression that may lead various effects on the mother and the baby. Poverty was the main cause of teenage pregnancy and depression (G,Tzilos et al (2012), M Phipps,(2012) J Collingwood (2010). For an individual who is not educated, having a sexual relationship is some sort of pleasure without any consequences. Poverty, the most common problem of countries causes a negative effect in every aspect. Third world countries are usually the ones with the biggest population. Those not being able to afford contraceptive and the lack of health education causes unwanted pregnancy. An unwanted baby would cause depression. Gathering resources for the baby’s need would be a difficult task and would lead crimes and desperation. The baby would be most certainly affected by these by having inadequate care and nutrition.

recovery :: essays research papers

Disaster Recovery for Linux There is no bootable Linux system on HDD in a disaster situation; therefore it is always a good idea to backup the bootable Linux system on removable media for example on floppy disks. For example if the hard disk fails, or if an important file is accidentally deleted. No matter what the cause is some recovery procedures will be needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first step to recover from a disaster is to make a custom boot disk. It is not sufficient to just copy the standard boot disk image from the Linux cd rom because it will not necessarily have all the Kernal support configured. First log into the root shell session by using the cd / command and inserting a floppy disk. Then examine the /etc/lilo.conf to find the Kernal identity and use the mkbootdisk command and device /dev/fd0 with the string, example 2.2.5-15, found in the /etc/lilo.conf. The uname –a command can be used to display the Kernal version. After the successful completion of that step eject the disk and write protect it. Another way to recover from a disaster is to make a rescue disk. The rescue disk is taken from the image in the linux cdrom. It is not like the custom bootdisk where an examination of the /etc/lilo.conf is done. What makes the boot disk created for the system valuable is that it contains the special drivers, such as SCSI drivers, that may be required to boot the system. Another alternative to recover from a disaster is to create a Tom’s Root Boot Diskette. The tomsrtbt distribution may be done on the internet: A complete Linux system on a single diskette. To create the diskette set the browser to http://www.toms.net/rb/ and download the latest version. To prepare the emergency boot disk, place the zipped tar file into a directory such as /usr/local/src and follow the install procedures. The tar file is a versatile archiving utility that is not limited to strictly tape backup. TAR files can be stored locally as files, and sent over nertworks as a method of back up. recovery :: essays research papers Disaster Recovery for Linux There is no bootable Linux system on HDD in a disaster situation; therefore it is always a good idea to backup the bootable Linux system on removable media for example on floppy disks. For example if the hard disk fails, or if an important file is accidentally deleted. No matter what the cause is some recovery procedures will be needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first step to recover from a disaster is to make a custom boot disk. It is not sufficient to just copy the standard boot disk image from the Linux cd rom because it will not necessarily have all the Kernal support configured. First log into the root shell session by using the cd / command and inserting a floppy disk. Then examine the /etc/lilo.conf to find the Kernal identity and use the mkbootdisk command and device /dev/fd0 with the string, example 2.2.5-15, found in the /etc/lilo.conf. The uname –a command can be used to display the Kernal version. After the successful completion of that step eject the disk and write protect it. Another way to recover from a disaster is to make a rescue disk. The rescue disk is taken from the image in the linux cdrom. It is not like the custom bootdisk where an examination of the /etc/lilo.conf is done. What makes the boot disk created for the system valuable is that it contains the special drivers, such as SCSI drivers, that may be required to boot the system. Another alternative to recover from a disaster is to create a Tom’s Root Boot Diskette. The tomsrtbt distribution may be done on the internet: A complete Linux system on a single diskette. To create the diskette set the browser to http://www.toms.net/rb/ and download the latest version. To prepare the emergency boot disk, place the zipped tar file into a directory such as /usr/local/src and follow the install procedures. The tar file is a versatile archiving utility that is not limited to strictly tape backup. TAR files can be stored locally as files, and sent over nertworks as a method of back up.

Politics and the Media Essay -- Media Politics Political History Essay

Politics and the Media It is a reasonable expectation that the media will gather the facts and report the news fairly, accurately and responsibly. The American public relies on the media for a great deal of its information. "The role of the press in American politics has become a major source of discussion and controversy in recent years" (Davis, 1). The question raised in this paper is, "Does the media present the news fairly, accurately, and completely?" The short answer is no, the long answer will be examined throughout the following essay. This essay will examine the media and its influence and effects on politics and government. "Publick Occurrences" was the first newspaper to appear in colonial America. This publication begins the history of the media and its effects on politics and government in America. The paper was struck down soon after being published and its publishers arrested. Without the protection of the First Amendment, newspapers had little chance of survival; especially if they were critical of established authority. The first successfully published American newspaper came almost fifteen years later in 1704. It was entitled the "Boston News-Letter". Several other papers came into circulation in colonial America and just before the Revolution there were twenty-four papers in circulation. Articles in colonial newspapers were a major source of political pressure in shifting public opinion from reconciliation with England to complete political independence. Thus began the history of the media influence in America and its effects on American government and politics. The number of printed newspapers in America continued to grow and by the end of the Revolution there were approximately forty-three newspapers available to the public. They played an important role, informing the public, in the political affairs of the young nation. In 1791 the Bill of Rights was passed securing the freedom of the press. Protected by the First Amendment, American newspapers played an important and influential function in local and national politics. Newspapers were originally a luxury only enjoyed by the wealthy and the literate minority. It was during the era of Jacksonian democracy, the 1830's, that newspapers became more widespread. This resulted from the invention of the "Penny Press." It was now possible to sell newspapers for one cent a copy... ...e facts and report the news fairly, accurately and responsibly. It concludes with the assertion that although the media report the news it is not always fair and accurate. Yellow journalism, the Nixon-Kennedy debates, and advocacy journalism (broadcasting) demonstrate that the influence the media have on government and public opinion. In a democracy any attempt to regulate the influence of the media will conflict with the constitutional protection of the First Amendment. The antidote for an overly influential media is an educated public. Works Cited Coulter, Ann. "Ann Coulter on Liberal Bias in the Media." Interview with Katie Couric. Today. NBC. WNBC, New York. 26 June 1994. Davis, Richard. The Press and American Politics. New York: Longman, 1992. Graber, Doris A. Media Power in Politics. Washington D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc., 1990. Goldberg, Bernard. Bias. Washington D.C.: Regnery Publishing Inc., 2002 Kelly, Michael. "The Myth of Media Fairness." New York Post 21 Dec. 2002: 17. Streitmatter, Rodger. Mightier than the Sword. Colorado: Westview Press, 1997. White, Theodore H. The Making of the President 1960. New York: Antheneum Publishers, 1961.

WWII Research Paper

WWII Research Paper: Oskar Shindler During a very dark time in history, during World War II, Oskar Schindler saved the lives of thousands of Jews by employing them in his factories, he had little to gain and everything to lose by saving these Jews but he was a courageous individual who did the right thing when others wouldn’t. Oskar Schindler was and opportunist and a businessman. He was one of many who sought to make a profit from the German invasion of Poland. He gained ownership of an enamelware factory and he employed around 1,000 Jews, At first he was only otivated by money, Jewish labor was extremely cheap, but it later turned into him helping and shielding his workers without regards of the cost. Oskar would claim to SS officers that unskilled workers were essential to his factory even though they were not.Under his employment his workers were treated with somewhat respect and were never beaten, let alone killed. The special status of his factory also became a big facto r in his efforts to help save his workers from the work and death camps. When his workers were hreatened with deportation to these camps, he would simply claim exemptions for them, stating that even women, children and handicapped persons were necessary for his workforce. Schindler’s Jewish workers weren’t just things to him, they were human beings and he used all his skills to help protect them. He called them his Schindlerjuden, (Schindler’s Jews) and he often got them out of very difficult situations. After he witnessed the 1942 raid on the Krakow Ghetto, where he was appalled to see many of hisJewish workers being murdered, he began to work increasingly hard to help protect his workers. One-account states that two Gestapo men came to Schindler demanding he give up a family who he had forged identify papers for. After three hours, some drinking and his charm the two Gestapo men left without the family or the incriminating documents. Schindler is also said to have smuggle Jewish children out of the ghettos by giving them to polish nuns who would hide them. Schindler talked the commander of the Plaszow amp, Amon Goth, into making his factory a sub camp of Plazow and having a few hundred Jews work there. In this way the workers would be relatively safer from the German guards. Schindler’s mastery of persuasion and charm saved many Jews lives.In the beginning it was only about making money and becoming rich for Schindler, but it became something much more to him and in the end he died a penny- less hero. Oskcar would constantly buy supplies and extra food off the black market for his workers. He was caught numerous times, but each time he paid off SS officials and as never punished. Towards the end of the war, with Russia drawing nearer, he bribed and convinced SS officials to let him move his work force of over a thousand Jews to another factory. Thus he saved their lives from certain death in the extermination camps which were work ing on the double to eliminate Jews before Russia was upon them. In the new factory Schindler was supposed to be producing weapons and ammunition for the war effort. In the eight months of operation there the barley produced anything.Schindler made now money and his once fortune grew smaller and smaller as he bought supplies for his workers and bribed officials. In the end though it wasn’t about money for Oskar Schindler, it was about helping out his fellow human beings thorough one of the most horrific time periods in history. To him it was about preserving human life and doing the right thing.Bibliography 1)†Oskar Schindler. † United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 2004. 10 May 2009 . 2)†Oskar Schindler, rescuer of Jews during the Holocaust. † . 10 May 2009 . 3)†Oskar Schindler. † . 2005. 10 May 2009 .

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 12

I'm not sure if it was the fresh air or the flowers Emily had brought me, but I slept soundly that night. The next morning I woke up to bright sunlight in my chambers and, for the first time since Rosalyn's death, didn't bother to drink the concoction Cordelia had left on my nightstand. The smell of cinnamon and eggs floated up from the kitchen, and I heard the snort of the horses as Alfred hitched them outside. For a second, I felt a thrill of possibility and the nascent bud of happiness. â€Å"Stefan!† my father boomed on the other side of the door, rapping three times with his walking stick or riding crop. Just like that, I remembered all that had transpired in the past week, and my malaise returned. I remained silent, hoping he'd simply go away. But instead he swung the door open. He was wearing his riding breeches and carried his black riding crop, a smile on his face and a sprig of a violet flower in his lapel. It was neither pretty nor fragrant; in fact, it looked like one of the herbs Cordelia grew down by the servants' quarters. â€Å"We're going riding,† Father announced as he swung open the shutters. I shaded my eyes against the glare. Was the world always so bright? â€Å"This chamber needs to be cleaned and you, my boy, need sun.† â€Å"But I should really attend to my studies,† I said, gesturing limply to the volume of Macbeth open on my desk. Father took the book and closed it with a definitive clap. â€Å"I need to speak to you and Damon, away from any prying ears.† He glanced suspiciously around the chambers. I followed his gaze but saw nothing except for a collection of dirty dishes that Cordelia hadn't yet cleared. As if on cue, Damon strode into the room, wearing a pair of mustard-colored breeches and his gray Confederate coat. â€Å"Father!† Damon rolled his eyes. â€Å"Don't tell me you're on about that demon nonsense again.† â€Å"It's not nonsense!† Father roared. â€Å"Stefan, I'll see you and your brother at the stable,† he said, turning on his heel and striding out. Damon shook his head, then followed him, leaving me to change. I put on my full riding costume–a gray waistcoat and brown breeches–and sighed, not sure I had enough strength to ride or to endure another marathon bickering session between my father and brother. When I opened the door, I found Damon standing at the bottom of the curved staircase, waiting. â€Å"Feeling better, brother?† Damon asked as we walked out the door and across the lawn together. I nodded, even as I noticed the spot under the willow tree where I'd found Rosalyn. The grass willow tree where I'd found Rosalyn. The grass was long and bright green, and squirrels were darting around the tree's gnarled trunk. Sparrows chirped, and the drooping branches of the weeping willow looked lush and full of promise. There was no sign that anything had been amiss. I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the stable, inhaling the familiar, loved scent of well- oiled leather and sawdust. â€Å"Hi, girl,† I whispered into Mezzanotte's velvety ear. She whinnied in appreciation. Her coat seemed silky-smooth, even more so than the last time I'd brushed it. â€Å"Sorry I haven't come to visit you, but it looks like my brother's taken good care of you.† â€Å"Actually, Katherine's taken a shine to her. Which is too bad for her own horses.† Damon smiled fondly as he jerked his chin to two coal- black mares in the corner. Indeed, they were stamping their feet and staring at the ground dejectedly, as if to express just how ignored and lonely they were. â€Å"Y ou've been spending quite a bit of time with Katherine,† I said finally. It was a statement, not a question. Of course he had been. Damon always had an ease around women. I knew he knew women, especially after his year in the Confederate army. He'd told me stories about some of the women he'd met in cities like Atlanta and Lexington that had made me blush. Did he know Katherine? â€Å"I have been,† Damon said, swinging his leg over the back of his horse, Jake. He didn't elaborate. â€Å"Ready, boys?† Father called, his horse impatiently stamping its feet. I nodded and fell into stride behind Damon and Father as we headed to the Wickery Bridge, all the way on the other end of the property. We crossed the bridge and continued on into the forest. I blinked in relief. The sunlight had been too bright. I much preferred the dark shadows of the trees. The woods were cool, with wet leaves covering the forest floor, even though there hadn't been a rainstorm recently. The leaves were so thick, you could see only slight patches of blue sky, and occasionally I'd hear the rustle of a raccoon or badger in the underbrush. I tried not to think of the animal noises as coming from the beast that had attacked Rosalyn. We continued riding into the forest until we reached the clearing. Father abruptly stopped and hitched his horse to a birch tree. I obediently hitched Mezzanotte to a tree and glanced around. The clearing was marked by a collection of rocks set up in a rough circle, above which the trees parted to provide a natural window to the sky. I hadn't been there in ages, not since before Damon went away. When we were boys, we used to play illicit card games here with the other fellows in town. Everyone knew the clearing was the place boys came to gamble, girls came to gossip, and everyone came to spill their secrets. If Father really meant to keep our conversation quiet, he'd have been better off taking us to the tavern to talk. â€Å"We're in trouble,† Father said without preamble, glancing up at the sky. I followed his gaze, expecting to see a fast-moving summer storm. Instead, the sky was spotless and blue. I found no solace in this beautiful day. I was still haunted by Rosalyn's lifeless eyes. â€Å"We're not, Father,† Damon said thickly. â€Å"Y ou know who's in trouble? All of the soldiers fighting this godforsaken war for this cause you've made me try to believe in. The problem is the war and your incessant need to find conflict everywhere you turn.† Damon angrily stomped his feet, reminding me so much of Mezzanotte that I stifled the urge to laugh. â€Å"I will not have you talk back to me!† Father said, shaking his fist at Damon. I glanced back and forth at the two of them, as though I were watching a tennis match. Damon towered over Father's sloping shoulders, and for the first time I realized that Father was getting old. Damon put his hands on his hips. â€Å"Then talk. Let's hear what you have to say.† I expected Father to shout, but instead he crossed to one of the rocks, his knees creaking as he bent to sit. â€Å"Y want to know why I left Italy? ou I left it for you. For my future children. I knew I wanted my sons to grow and marry and have children on land I owned and land I loved. And I do love this land, and I will not watch it be destroyed by demons,† Father said, flinging his hands wildly. I stepped back, and Mezzanotte whinnied a long, plaintive note. â€Å"Demons,† he repeated, as if to prove his point. â€Å"Demons?† Damon snorted. â€Å"More like big dogs. Don't you see it's talk like this that will make you lose everything? Y say you want a good life ou for us, but you're always deciding how we'll live that life. Y made me go to war and made Stefan ou get engaged, and now you're making us believe your fairy tales,† Damon yelled in frustration. I glanced at Father guiltily. I didn't want him to know I hadn't loved Rosalyn. But Father didn't look at me. He was too busy glowering at Damon. â€Å"All I wanted was for my boys to have the best. I know what we're facing, and I do not have time for your schoolboy arguments. I am not telling tales right now.† Father glanced back at me, and I forced myself to look into his dark eyes. â€Å"Please understand. There are demons who walk among us. They existed in the old country, too. They walked the same earth, talked like humans. But they wouldn't drink like humans.† â€Å"Well, if they don't drink wine, that would be a blessing, wouldn't it?† Damon asked sarcastically. blessing, wouldn't it?† Damon asked sarcastically. I stiffened. I remembered all the times after Mother had died that Father would drink too much wine or whiskey, lock himself in the study, then mumble late into the night about ghosts or demons. â€Å"Damon!† Father said, his voice even sharper than my brother's. â€Å"I will ignore your impudence. But I will not have you ignore me. Listen to me, Stefan.† Father turned toward me. â€Å"What you saw happen to your young Rosalyn wasn't natural. It wasn't one of Damon's coyotes,† Father said, practically spitting out the word. â€Å"It was un vampiro. They were in the old country, and now they're here,† Father said, screwing up his florid face. â€Å"And they are doing harm. They're feeding on us. And we need to stop it.† â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked nervously, any trace of exhaustion or dizziness gone. All I felt was fear. I thought back to Rosalyn, but this time, instead of remembering her eyes, I remembered the blood on her throat, having flowed from the two precise circles on the side of her neck. I touched my own neck, feeling the pulse of blood beneath my skin. The rush below my fingers sped up as I felt my heart skip a beat. Could Father be †¦ right? â€Å"Father means that he's been spending too much time listening to the church ladies tell their tales. Father, this is a story that would be told to scare a child. And not a very clever one. Everything you're saying is nonsense.† Damon shook his head and angrily stood from his perch on the tree stump. â€Å"I will not sit around and be told ghost stories.† With that, he turned on his gold- buttoned boot and swung his foot up over Jake's back, gazing down at Father, as if daring him to say one more thing. â€Å"Mark my words,† Father said, taking a step closer to me. â€Å"Vampires are among us. They look like us and can live among us, but they are not who we are. They drink blood. It is their elixir of life. They do not have souls, and they never die. They are forever immortal.† The word immortal made me suck in my breath. The wind changed, and the leaves began rustling. I shivered. â€Å"Vampires,† I repeated slowly. I'd heard the word once before, when Damon and I were schoolchildren and used to gather on the Wickery Bridge, trying to scare our friends. One boy had told us of seeing a figure kneeling down in the woods, feasting on the neck of a deer. The boy told us he had screamed and the figure had turned to him with hellred eyes, blood dripping from long, sharp teeth. A vampire, he said with conviction, glancing around the circle to see if he'd impressed any of us. But because he'd been pale and scrawny and not any good at shooting, we'd laughed and mocked him mercilessly. He and his family had moved to Richmond the next year. â€Å"Well, I'd take vampires over an insane father,† Damon said, kicking Jake's flanks and riding off into the sunset. I turned toward Father, expecting an angry tirade. But Father simply shook his head. â€Å"Do you believe me, son?† he asked. I nodded, even though I wasn't sure what I believed. All I knew was that somehow, in the past week, the whole world had changed, and I wasn't sure where I fit in anymore. â€Å"Good.† Father nodded as we rode out of the forest and onto the bridge. â€Å"We must be careful. It seems the war has awakened the vampires. It's as if they can smell blood.† The word blood echoed in my mind as we directed our horses to walk away from the cemetery and toward the shortcut through the fields that would lead to the pond. In the distance, I could see the sun reflecting on the pond's surface. No one would ever imagine this verdant, rolling land as being a place where demons walked. Demons, if they existed at all, belonged in the old country, amid the decrepit churches and castles Father had grown up with. All the words Father said were familiar, but they sounded so strange in the place where he was saying them. Father glanced around as if to make sure no one was hiding in the bushes near the bridge. The horses were walking alongside the graveyard now, the headstones bright and imposing in the now, the headstones bright and imposing in the warm summer light. â€Å"Blood is what they feed on. It gives them power.† â€Å"But then †¦,† I said, as the information whirled in my brain. â€Å"If they are immortal, then how are we to †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Kill them?† Father asked, finishing my thought. He pulled the reins on his horse. â€Å"There are methods. I've been learning. I've heard there's a priest in Richmond who can try to exorcise them, but then people in town know †¦ some things,† he finished. â€Å"Jonathan Gilbert and Sheriff Forbes and I have discussed some preliminary measures.† â€Å"If there's anything I can do †¦,† I offered finally, unsure what to say. â€Å"Of course,† Father said brusquely. â€Å"I expect you to be part of our committee. For starters, I've been talking to Cordelia. She knows her herbs, and she says there's a plant called vervain.† Father's hand fluttered to the flower on his lapel. â€Å"We will come up with a plan. And we will prevail. Because while they may have immortality, we have God on our side. It is kill or be killed. Do you understand me, boy? This is the war you're being drafted to fight.† I nodded, feeling the full weight of the responsibility on my shoulders. Maybe this was what I was meant to be doing: not getting married or going off to war, but fighting an unnatural evil. I met Father's gaze. â€Å"I'll do whatever you want,† I said. â€Å"Anything.† The last thing I saw before I galloped back to the stable was the huge grin on Father's face. â€Å"I knew you would, son. Y are a true Salvatore.†

Child abduction Essay

Kidnapping is any illegal capture or detention by any strangers for criminal and mischievous purpose. In criminal laws, kidnapping means taking away or asportation of a person against the person’s will. These problems are usually caused by parental child abduction, children abduction for slavery and abduction results from parents to bring up as their own. Now, here are some preventions for these particular circumstance from occur. First of all, parents ought to give guidelines to their children. They should play their very important role to build up a family safety plan. Parents need to educate their kids to think logically, in order to do so, kids must be taught that questioning, reasoning, and criticizing are good requirement to stay safe. They have to stay aware of the surrounding issues and keep alert. For example, teach the kids about stranger and common lures used by kidnapper such as giving sweets to seduce them and many more. Other than that, parents should also listen to their kids’ problem. Ask if they have question, and listen carefully to their answer. Parents have to put themselves into their children’s shoes. Moreover, it is essential to know where the kids are going, who is with them and when they are suppose to return home. Parents can check on the location of their children if they keep a list of acquaintance’s phone numbers. Besides that, an implantable chip touted is another effective solution for child kidnapping. The chip can be surgically planted under a child’s skin, putting it into the fabric of clothes or inserted under the skin by injection. With this chip, parents can easily detect their children’s situation, once they are out of the certain area the special alarms will send out a SOS signal. This is because it has an SOS button, which sends an SMS and position coordinates to a predefined mobile number if the child is in trouble. A parent can call the child back to find out what the problem is. Kidnapping can be controlled if the laws are strong and if you inform your parent or guardian where you are going.

Are Ghosts Real or Not

Ghosts are real. First, the most important thing to know is that ghosts are just human beings not living in physical bodies. These are people just like you and me. Like people everywhere, ghosts can be friendly, scary, smart, and stupid and everything in between, but they're just people. Both skeptics and ardent believers in the paranormal admit that supernatural and unexplainable activity—sightings of ghost, spirit and/or aliens is on the rise. If there is no supernatural, what are these apparitions?Millions of eager viewers are gobbling up popular movies such as Ghost, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Beetle juice, Ghost Rider, and Ghost Busters. Video fantasy and arcade games featuring ghosts, skeletons, and mummies and beings alive after death are the rage. ? The most logical place to go to get the facts about supernatural things is the Bible. the one authority on things that cannot be seen or explained by natural earthly laws. And indeed, the Bible does indicate that paranorma l activity and interest in the spirit world would increase at the very end of time.Even more alarmingly, the Bible warns that these spirits will lure multitudes into world wide deception. â€Å"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. † Revelation 16:13-14. With this in mind, how vital it is that we understand what the Bible says about ghosts, spirits, and the afterlife. ___________________ Bruce A. Moen, Voyage Beyond Doubt , (1996-2003) http://www. afterlife-knowledge. com/bnddoubt. html ? Ghosts are the mind's way of interpreting how the body reacts to certain surroundings, say UK psychologists. A chill in the air, low-light conditions and even magnetic fields may trigger feel ings that â€Å"a presence† is in a room – but that is all they are, feelings. This explanation of ghosts the result of a large study which researchers led hundreds of volunteers around two of the U.K’s supposedly most haunted locations – Hampton Court Palace, England, and the South Bridge Vaults in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dr Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, and his colleagues say their work has thrown up some interesting data to suggest why so many people can be spooked in the same building but provides no evidence that ghosts are real. Science accept it will never know everything about the universe. Science also accepts that without evidence there is no knowledge, only guesses. Ghosts might exist, so might Bigfoot, Nessie, and David Icke. We need evidence to demonstrate it, though.The possibility is not enough to warrant belief, as a whole bunch of things could be possible – science is the system of weeding out the actual from th e possible. ____________________ ? http://www. bookrags. com/researchtopics/ghosts/sub7. html Lights turning off and on – likewise, these events are seldom seen actually occurring, but the lights are switched on or off when the experiencer knows they were not left that way. This can also happen with TVs, radios and other electrically powered items. Unexplained shadows – the sighting of fleeting shapes and shadows, usually seen out of the corner of the eye.This phenomenon has also been discussed in some detail in â€Å"Shadow People. † Strange animal behavior – a dog, cat or other pet behaves strangely. Dogs may bark at something unseen, cower without apparent reason or refuse to enter a room they normally do. Cats may seem to be â€Å"watching† something cross a room. Feelings of being watched – this is not an uncommon feeling and can be attributed to many things, but it could have a paranormal source if the feeling consistently occurs in a particular part of the house at a particular time. hearing a door open or close is one thing. Actually seeing it happen is quite another. Feelings of being touched – the feeling of being watched is one thing, and actually feeling like you are being touched is quite another. Some people feel something brush past them, something touching their hair or â€Å"a hand† on the shoulder. Cries and whispers – on occasion, muffled voices, whispering and crying can be heard. Sometimes it's music from some unknown source.Cold or hot spots – cold spots are classic haunting symptoms, but any instance of a noticeable variance in temperature without a discernable cause could be evidence. Unexplained smells – the distinct fragrance of a perfume or cologne that you do not have in your house. Physical assault – scratches, slaps and hard shoves. This kind of personal assault is extremely rare, but obviously highly disturbing. Other physical evidence – un explained writing on paper or walls; handprints and footprints. Apparitions – physical manifestation of a spirit or entity. Are Ghosts Real or Not Ghosts are real. First, the most important thing to know is that ghosts are just human beings not living in physical bodies. These are people just like you and me. Like people everywhere, ghosts can be friendly, scary, smart, and stupid and everything in between, but they're just people. Both skeptics and ardent believers in the paranormal admit that supernatural and unexplainable activity—sightings of ghost, spirit and/or aliens is on the rise. If there is no supernatural, what are these apparitions?Millions of eager viewers are gobbling up popular movies such as Ghost, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Beetle juice, Ghost Rider, and Ghost Busters. Video fantasy and arcade games featuring ghosts, skeletons, and mummies and beings alive after death are the rage. ? The most logical place to go to get the facts about supernatural things is the Bible. the one authority on things that cannot be seen or explained by natural earthly laws. And indeed, the Bible does indicate that paranorma l activity and interest in the spirit world would increase at the very end of time.Even more alarmingly, the Bible warns that these spirits will lure multitudes into world wide deception. â€Å"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. † Revelation 16:13-14. With this in mind, how vital it is that we understand what the Bible says about ghosts, spirits, and the afterlife. ___________________ Bruce A. Moen, Voyage Beyond Doubt , (1996-2003) http://www. afterlife-knowledge. com/bnddoubt. html ? Ghosts are the mind's way of interpreting how the body reacts to certain surroundings, say UK psychologists. A chill in the air, low-light conditions and even magnetic fields may trigger feel ings that â€Å"a presence† is in a room – but that is all they are, feelings. This explanation of ghosts the result of a large study which researchers led hundreds of volunteers around two of the U.K’s supposedly most haunted locations – Hampton Court Palace, England, and the South Bridge Vaults in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dr Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, and his colleagues say their work has thrown up some interesting data to suggest why so many people can be spooked in the same building but provides no evidence that ghosts are real. Science accept it will never know everything about the universe. Science also accepts that without evidence there is no knowledge, only guesses. Ghosts might exist, so might Bigfoot, Nessie, and David Icke. We need evidence to demonstrate it, though.The possibility is not enough to warrant belief, as a whole bunch of things could be possible – science is the system of weeding out the actual from th e possible. ____________________ ? http://www. bookrags. com/researchtopics/ghosts/sub7. html Lights turning off and on – likewise, these events are seldom seen actually occurring, but the lights are switched on or off when the experiencer knows they were not left that way. This can also happen with TVs, radios and other electrically powered items. Unexplained shadows – the sighting of fleeting shapes and shadows, usually seen out of the corner of the eye.This phenomenon has also been discussed in some detail in â€Å"Shadow People. † Strange animal behavior – a dog, cat or other pet behaves strangely. Dogs may bark at something unseen, cower without apparent reason or refuse to enter a room they normally do. Cats may seem to be â€Å"watching† something cross a room. Feelings of being watched – this is not an uncommon feeling and can be attributed to many things, but it could have a paranormal source if the feeling consistently occurs in a particular part of the house at a particular time. hearing a door open or close is one thing. Actually seeing it happen is quite another. Feelings of being touched – the feeling of being watched is one thing, and actually feeling like you are being touched is quite another. Some people feel something brush past them, something touching their hair or â€Å"a hand† on the shoulder. Cries and whispers – on occasion, muffled voices, whispering and crying can be heard. Sometimes it's music from some unknown source.Cold or hot spots – cold spots are classic haunting symptoms, but any instance of a noticeable variance in temperature without a discernable cause could be evidence. Unexplained smells – the distinct fragrance of a perfume or cologne that you do not have in your house. Physical assault – scratches, slaps and hard shoves. This kind of personal assault is extremely rare, but obviously highly disturbing. Other physical evidence – un explained writing on paper or walls; handprints and footprints. Apparitions – physical manifestation of a spirit or entity.