How Far Does Luck Explain the Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte Essay

How far does luck explain the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte? Napoleon Bonaparte like many others rose to prominence during the turbulent times of the French revolution- he was therefore lucky to have been born at such a time in to justify his advancing position. However his reputation as a skilled tactician and strategist enabled him to initially capitalize on the reforms of the French Revolution to improve the lives of French citizens. Napoleon Bonaparte emerged as an important figure for re-establishing order in France and initially gained the trust and support of his countrymen, winning many great military victories against the nations of Europe. But over time, Napoleon’s lust for power overcame his good economic, political and military accomplishments, and his transformation into a selfish dictator led to his fall. To say he was unlucky at this point is an understatement. Napoleon’s upbringing is one that could be considered unconventional (at first) for a successful ruler of France. Napoleon was the son of a middle class Corsican family, at a time when Corsica had not even been French for long. Being formerly subject to Genoa, the Corsican people did not speak French but a dialect of Italian. They were, and are, a fiercely independent Mediterranean people, with a Mediterranean temperament. Napoleon was always self-conscious about his humble origins and provincial background. He came from a mediocre family and went to a mediocre military academy, where his schoolmates made fun of his thick Corsican accent. Despite this however he was lucky in a sense that his noble background afforded him more opportunities than were available to a normal Corsican at the time. In January 1779, Napoleon was enrolled at a religious school in Autun, mainland France, to learn French. In May he was admitted to a military academy at Brienne-le-Chateau. He excelled in various subjects including mathematics and was viewed by one examiner as a candidate for an â€Å"excellent sailor†. Napoleon was the first Corsican to graduate from the Ecole Militaire, a testament to his intellectual abilities in the field. Of course his application to maths determined his specialisation as an artillery officer. This can be considered a stroke of luck in his favour, – one of many that he benefited from – inasmuch as the artillery was the most prestigious branch of the army under the old regime. But the biggest stroke of luck Napoleon had was to be born when he was – in the age of the French Revolution. Napoleon, like many others, was made by the Revolution. The Revolution turned the whole world upside down and presented an ambitious young man (he was always ambitious – a consequence of his resentment at his inferior status) with new and vast opportunities. Looking again at the perspective of Napoleon’s capabilities as a man rather than his luck during his ascension we must also consider his fluidity. Despite his early one sidedness and his view of himself as a devout Corsican, he was ostracized by his countrymen when trying to attempt to instil himself as the head of the Corsican national government. The Corsican nationalists were inclined to reactionary and monarchist ideas and distrustful of the ideals of the Revolution. They were also distrustful of Napoleon, who had the misfortune of being seen as a Corsican provincial to the French and a French interloper to the Corsicans. Rejected by his compatriots, Napoleon abandoned all his nationalist ideals. He later became transformed from an ardent Corsican patriot to a fervent advocate of French centralism. In a sense it was luck that Napoleon now saw France as an area would he could advance to power, but there nothing surprising about this sudden turnabout. Napoleon never had any fixed principles about anything, except his own advancement. His early Republican sympathies may have been genuine but they were certainly tempered with a heavy dose of opportunism. He specialised in currying favour with his superiors in order to climb the ladder of careerist advancement. When it was advantageous to appear as a Jacobin, he donned the tricolour, but later he swung against the Jacobins with equal alacrity when their star waned. Napoleon’s big opportunity came in 1794 at the siege of Toulon. This key Mediterranean port had declared for the English and allowed British forces to occupy it. England was the real bulwark of reaction and bankrolled the wars against revolutionary France that others fought. Napoleon saw his chance to make a mark and did so by conspicuous bravery and a high degree of skill in the use of artillery, which decided the battle in France’s favour. His rapid rise to fame and success had begun. His next big military success came with the invasion of Italy in the strategic campaign against Austria. It was at this point Napoleon demonstrated excellent qualities as a tactician and a politician. Napoleon vetoed the idea of the Directory atheists to march on Rome and dethrone the Pope as he reasoned this would create a power vacuum which would be exploited by the Kingdom of Naples. Instead, in March 1797, Bonaparte led his army into Austria and forced it to negotiate peace. The resulting Treaty of Leoben gave France control of most of northern Italy and the Low Countries, and a secret clause promised the Republic of Venice to Austria. Bonaparte marched on Venice and forced its surrender, ending 1,100 years of independence; he also authorised the French to loot treasures such as the Horses of Saint Mark. His application of conventional military ideas to real-world situations effected his military triumphs, such as creative use of artillery as a mobile force to support his infantry. He referred to his tactics thus: â€Å"I have fought sixty battles and I have learned nothing which I did not know at the beginning. Look at Caesar; he fought the first like the last. † His decision to record his exploits through two newspapers he founded for the army and circulation in France earned him wide critical acclaim. But again he was known to sacrifice military glory in favour of preserving his position, as shown by negotiations in Austria and the treaty of Campio Formio in response to Barras and the French republican allies in control of the French government becoming dependent on Bonaparte following the Coup of 18 Fructidor in order to depose the French royalists who feared Napoleon was becoming a dictator. It was not unlucky that this happened, as Napoleon handled the situation effectively and was able to continue his quest for power. His capacity as a strategist in military campaign against nations hostile to France continued to shine when he conceived an expedition into Egypt in order to seize it and thereby undermine Britain’s access to it’s trade interests in India. Although this invasion failed, mostly due to his loss in the battle of the Nile against Horatio Nelson, Napoleon- unlike his later years was able to take defeat well, speeding up the retreat by poisoning plague stricken men- this supposed act of fratricide was deemed necessary by his supporters given the continued harassment of stragglers by Ottoman forces, and indeed those left behind alive were tortured and beheaded by the Ottomans. Back in Egypt, on 25 July, Bonaparte defeated an Ottoman amphibious invasion at Abukir. The coup of Brumaire in 1799 while being the main event for Napoleon’s ascension to ruler of France largely defines how far his luck went in his rise to power. The reasons for General Bonaparte’s coup may have lain more in his defeats than by his victories. In November 1799, France was suffering the effects of military reverses brought on by Bonaparte’s adventurism in theMiddle East. The looming threat of opportunistic invasion by the Second Coalition had provoked internal unrest, with Bonaparte stuck in Egypt. When he returned he stormed into the chambers escorted by grenadiers. At this point his ineptitude at speechmaking failed to impressed the dissolutioned directory, and he was heckled out and even assaulted at the council of Five Hundred. It was only by the intervention of his brother Lucien that he was spared great injury or death, and lucien’s skill at organising the troops to expel the violent deputies from the chamber shouting â€Å"kick ‘em all out! † and dispersing the council. This spelled the end of the directory and the establishment of the consulate. Napoleon had hoped that the his French empire would last for centuries, but the reality was much more disconcerting. His downfall however was not so much attributed to bad luck as it was his ego and complacency due to his earlier military successes. Two main things contributed to his downfall, Economics and Military failure. In the Treaty of Tilset, Napoleon established the continental system which basically was a boycott of selling and buying of goods with the British. He realized that England depended heavily on other countries to buy from and sell to. However Napoleon underestimated the fact that England could trade with the U.  S and controlled India (even though he tried to stop British Trade with India in his invasion of Egypt) and was not limited to Prussia, Russia and Austria. The continental system did not hurt England as much as he had hoped, but it hurt other countries because they loved English goods and got them any way they could. This was also just another reason for the Austrians, Prussians and Russians to rebel against him. Napoleon tended to try and get his way in negotiations by shouting at those who didn’t agree with him, and on one occasion physically assaulted an Austrian diplomat who disagreed with his demands. Napoleon believed military dominance was sufficient to impose his will on Europe, but this necessitated constantly keeping a large army in the field, which strained French finances and alienated the ordinary population of Europe, as French troops lived off the country when campaigning or stationed abroad. His failure to compromise through diplomacy after military victories meant he was never able to consolidate his gains long term and confirm them through any prolonged period of subsequent peace. Napoleon was never accepted as ‘one of them’ by other European rulers. His practice of dethroning monarchs and replacing them with members of his own family, who had no right to them and who were certainly no better as rulers, scared all other European monarchs, who were afraid they might be next. Napoleon didn’t really understand seapower, nor its importance and how to use it effectively. The French navy got few resources-manpower and money being directed mainly to the army. This left the French fleet underequipped, undermanned, and undertrained, which led to a drop in morale and its easy defeat in battle. No attempt was made to rebuild the French fleet after Trafalgar, global naval supremacy being left wholly in British hands. Napoleon didn’t realize that this would have long term economic effects as well as military ones. In the Treaty of Tilset, Napoleon established the continental system which basically was a boycott of selling and buying of goods with the British. He realized that England depended heavily on other countries to buy from and sell to. However Napoleon in a moment of political ineptitude underestimated that though was that England could trade with the U.  S and and controlled India (even though he tried to stop British Trade with India in his invasion of Egypt) and was not limited to Prussia, Russia and Austria. The continental system did not hurt England as much as he had hoped, but it hurt other countries because they loved English goods and got them any way they could. This was also just another reason for the Austrians, Prussians and Russians to rebel against him. Instead of crippling the British economy, it crippled that of much of Europe. Britain had responded with Orders in Council, a close blockade of Europe’s major ports that cut off all foreign seaborne trade to continental Europe. This impoverished many people, denied Europe’s aristocracy luxury goods, and led to endemic smuggling that undermined the economy of France and other European states. When Napoleon created the Continental System, Portugal refused to comply with a treaty that would severely weaken its trade. Promptly, the French marched in with their armies and overran Spain and Portugal. The Spanish people feared that the Catholic Church would be thrown aside by the French, causing unrest. In addition, Napoleon further humiliated the Spanish by deposing their king, to whom the Spaniards were loyal, instead putting his brother on the throne. This was the spark that would set off the true Peninsular War with constant guerrilla warfare that would end with Napoleon losing 300,000 troops by 1813, after 5 years of fighting. Harsh treatment of the population, in particular atrocities committed by French troops against any resistance by the peasantry, led to a opular Spanish uprising against French occupation forces in 1808. A British army sent to Portugal invaded Spain in support of the uprising,and its operations in conjunction with Spanish guerrillas caused the so called â€Å"Spanish ulcer† which diverted troops and resources away from Napoleon’s main army and forced France into a war on 2 fronts. But possibly the greatest blunder of Napoleon was his decision to invade Russia. Under pressure from important nobles who were losing money, the Tzar withdrew from the Continental System. Napoleon determined to invade Russia in 1812 so as to force Russia back in. ossibly due to his inflated ego in becoming the superior leader and incessant wanting of more land, he was convinced that Moscow was the heart of Russia and was determined to march there directly and take control. Napoleon was overconfident in that he allowed himself only nine weeks to defeat Russia and return to Italy and so did not provide cold weather gear for his soldiers nor frost nails for his horses. At the point of his expedition he was initially unlucky that the Russian army did not decide to fight face to face, although their initial retreat and the Russian Autumn inticed Napoleon too much, and he was lured deeper into Russia. The Russians instead implemented a scorched earth policy, destroying and burning anything worthy of supply and nourishment for Napoleon’s men, stretching the French emperor’s supply lines still further and demoralising his army. When the French and Russians finally met head on at the Battle of Borodino on 7 September, it was the largest and bloodiest single-day action of the Napoleonic Wars; it involved more than 250,000 soldiers and resulted in at least 70,000 casualties. The French captured the battlefield, but failed to destroy the Russian army. Moreover, the French could not replace their losses whereas the Russians could replace theirs. Napoleon was caught out by the Russian tactics, but could not adapt to them effectively due to his overreliance on previous tried and tested techniques, thinking he could still win the war on his standard strategy, he was badly wrong. Napoleon entered Moscow on September 14, after the Russian Army had again retreated. But by then the Russians had largely evacuated the city and even released criminals from the prisons to inconvenience the French; furthermore, the governor, Count Fyodor Rostopchin, ordered the city to be burnt. Alexander I refused to capitulate and the peace talks that Napoleon initiated failed. In October, with no clear sign of victory in sight, Napoleon began his disastrous Great Retreat from Moscow, during the usual autumn Russian mud season. Napoleon at this point found himself amongst a disorganised militant force that could only retreat via a single route easily blocked by the Russian army thanks to inadequate maps and intelligence gathered on the Russian geography and Topography: the aforementioned mud made the retreat slow and bloody, with better clothed Cossack troops able to strike with impunity against the confused French army. In the following weeks, the Grande Armee underwent catastrophic blows from the onset of the Russian Winter, the lack of supplies and constant guerilla warfare by Russian peasants and irregular troops. When the remnants of Napoleon’s army crossed the Berezina River in November, only 27,000 fit soldiers remained; the Grand Armee had lost some 380,000 men dead and 100,000 captured. Napoleon then abandoned his men and returned to Paris to protect his position as Emperor and to prepare to resist the advancing Russians. This disaster encouraged the formation of the Sixth Coalition, Prussia and Austria quickly joining Russia and Britain in arms against Napoleon. The strain of fighting a multi front war became apparent to him The Peninsular War (known to the French as the Spanish ulcer) combined with the Russian disaster of 1812 to weaken him so much that he was exiled, for the first time. When he returned in the Hundred Days, Napoleon’s downfall was that he did have so much power. He promised peace to the other European Powers if they let him have the throne. However, no-one could bear to see the man who once ruled most of Europe in power again, so it was off to war. This conflict led to Waterloo, and his final exile. In conclusion it was a combination of luck based on skill and merit that allowed Napoleon to ascend to power from such a foreign position leading the French to establish great military successes In his early years. The great French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte had initially capitalized on the reforms of the French Revolution to improve the lives of French citizens. However his focus on conquering Europe had eventually overridden his economic and military accomplishments. His previous successes exacerbated his ego to the point at which he became complacent with his standard tactics both on the battlefield and in the council. A sequence of poor diplomacy and belief that he could hold the European countries together by sheer force led to European countries rising in vengeance, such as the Spanish ulcer. Napoleon’s failure o deal with these threats and subsequent failing to enforce the ill fated continental system meant his empire was being dismantled piece by piece. Another reason for his downfall was his war tactic of constant Napoleonic Warfare. His main goal was to completely destroy the enemies army to the point where they no longer had the men to fight. But, this also caused heavy causualities on his side. Also, during his Invasion of Russia, he was hurt by the infamous Russian winters. When he retreated from Russia, almost all of his men got left behind (along with Michael Ney) and were completely annihilated by the enemy forces. After this, he suffered because of his army, or lack thereof. The resultant strain of fighting a multi front war against the united European forces was more failure of effective leadership than simple bad luck. Although he successfully returned from exile in the Hundred Days, his military defeat at Waterloo was the final nail in his coffin.

Financial Accounting Standards Boards’ Codification Essay

For my role as a staff accountant, I was assigned to research the appropriate accounting for revenue treatment of construction contracts for a client, LabCo. In specific, I was assigned to oversee LabCos’ contract involving a six-axis laser-cutting machine with Halibut Co. After researching and developing a theory based on the Financial Accounting Standards Boards’ Codification, I have concluded that LabCos’ treatment of revenue was reasonable; however, they should have changed revenue recognition principles sooner. In this situation, there are three possible ways they can handle changing their accounting method: Retrospective Application, Change in Accounting Estimate Method, or Change in Estimate Affected by Accounting Principle. The revenue treatment principle for a construction type principle states, â€Å"In accounting for contracts, the basic accounting policy decision is the choice between two generally accepted methods: the percentage-of-completion method including units of delivery and the completed-contract method. The determination of which of the two methods is preferable is based on a careful evaluation of circumstances because the two methods should not be acceptable alternatives for the same circumstances (ASC 605-35-25-1).† LabCo agreed to build a six-axis laser-cutting machine for Halibut. The contract entered into was a fixed price contract. A fixed price contract is, â€Å"An agreement to perform all acts under the contract for a stated price† (ASC 605-35-15-4). LabCo decided to use the percentage of completion method for recognizing income. â€Å"The percentage of completion method recognizes income as work on a contracts progress† (ASC 605-35-25-51). Income recognized shall be that percentage of estimated total income, either: â€Å"That incurred costs to date bear to estimated total costs after giving effect to estimates of costs to complete based on most recent information, or that may be indicated by such other measure of progress toward completion as may be appropriate having due regard to work performed (ASC 605-32-25-52).† It is appropriate to use the percentage of completion method when, â€Å"The ability to make reasonably dependable estimates, which, for purposes of this Subtopic, relates to estimates of the extent of progress toward completion, contract revenues, and contract costs (ASC 605-35-25-56.)† LabCo believed they could correctly estimate the cost to build a laser cutting machine because they had completed similar contracts in the past for Halibut. After the contract went into effect, LabCo experienced difficulties designing and manufacturing the laser cutting machine. They were forced to redo initial designs, outsource engineering costs, and the price of steel used to construct the cutting machine unexpectedly rose. LabCo had to re-estimate their costs to complete the project and concluded that the excess costs would exceed the total fixed fee contract price they negotiated with Halibut. To update their estimated costs, LabCo continued using the percentage of completion method. LabCo appropriately recorded a loss in the period in which they became aware. â€Å"When the current estimates of total contract revenue and contract cost indicate a loss, a provision for the entire loss on the contract shall be made. Provisions for losses shall be made in the period in which they become evident under either the percentage-of-completion method or the completed-contract method (ASC 605-35-25-46.)† LabCo experienced another setback which delayed their process six more months. When the cutting machine was finally complete, they delivered it to Halibut to have it tested. During the final test, the machine failed to meet the specifications of Halibut. LabCo was forced to redesign and fix the various problems with the machine. At this point, LabCos’ chief accounting officer decided to switch to the completed contract method, which says, â€Å"Under the completed-contract method, income is recognized only when a contract is completed or substantially completed. Accordingly, during the period of performance, billings and costs are accumulated on the balance sheet, but no profit or income is recorded before completion or substantial completion of the work (ASC 605-35-25-88).† â€Å"The completed contract method is preferable when lack of dependable estimates or inherent hazards cause forecasts to be doubtful (ASC 605-35-25-90)†, which was the case in the situation. The two methods, percentage of completion and completed contract, are not acceptable alternatives for the same situation (ASC 605-35-25-1). LabCo should have realized after running into unexpected costs the first time that they should have switched to the completed contract method. â€Å"An entity using the percentage-of-completion method as its basic accounting policy shall use the completed-contract method for a single contract or a group of contracts for which reasonably dependable estimates cannot be made or for which inherent hazards make estimates doubtful (ASC 605-35-25-61).† LabCo is able to handle this change in of accounting principle in one of the three methods; Retrospective Application, Change in Accounting Estimate, or Change in Accounting Estimate Affected by Accounting Principle. It is clear that the percentage of completion method was not the acceptable alternative because LabCo could not effectively estimate costs. The completed contract method is the preferable method because there was a lack of dependable estimates. LabCos’ decision to switch from percentage of completion to completed contract method is in accordance with FASB Codification because this transition can be handled by the Accounting Staff to apply a retrospective application to the previous year’s financial information. â€Å"The application of a different accounting principle to one or more previously issued financial statements, or to the statement of financial position at the beginning of the current period, as if that principle had always been used, or a change to financial statements of prior accounting periods to present the financial statements of a new reporting entity as if it had existed in those prior years. (ASC 250-10-20)† Since the retrospective application is applied to this situation to show the effect of the change to completed contract method; the estimated contract costs were no longer reliably determinable, therefore, disclosure for the reasons behind this change must be included within the year’s financial statements when the change actually is incurred. The situation can also be handled with a Change in Accounting Estimate approach. When LabCo incurred significant difficulties with the design and manufacturing of the laser machine, they decided to update their estimates used in the percentage of completion method to reflect both the cost overruns incurred as well as the cost overruns expected to be incurred. Handling it with this approach prohibits the retrospective treatment to the situation. It will affect only the period of change and future periods, if the change affects both, in which case it does. â€Å"The effect on income from continuing operations, net income (or other appropriate captions of changes in the applicable net assets or performance indicator), and any related per-share amounts of the current period shall be disclosed for a change in estimate that affects several future periods.† (ASC 250-10-50-4) The final approach that could have handled this situation is the Change in Estimate Affected by a Change in Accounting Principle. Due to LabCo dealing with continued problems with the Halibut contract, and prior estimates adjusted previously during the contract period, it forced the Chief Accountant of LabCo to allow the change in accounting principle from percentage of completion method to completed contract method. LabCo can make this change by it being impossible to determine whether a change in principle or a change in estimate has occurred. â€Å"If it is impracticable to determine the cumulative effect of applying a change in accounting principle to any prior period, the new accounting principle shall be applied as if the change was made prospectively as of the earliest date practicable.† (ASC 250-10-45-7) After much continued research and intellectual thought, we have concluded that the Retrospective Application is not sufficient in this matter because the estimates have been altered drastically; to retrospectively apply the changes this year would distort Net Income figures to the point where timeliness and consistency will no longer apply. The Change in Accounting Estimate would seem sufficient to apply to this situation, but it will not work because a change in estimate cannot be applied retrospectively. Therefore, I have concluded that the best way to handle this issue is the Change in Accounting Estimate affected by the Change in Accounting Principle approach. I have come to this conclusion based on the facts that due to a change in accounting principle and change in accounting estimate both being involved in this situation, and retrospective application not being applicable, the entire effect of the two changes should be applied in a prospective method. This free SWOT analysis shows strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We cover over 40,000 companies and industries. This SWOT analysis for Labco can provide a competitive advantage. Strengths|

National Security Structure Development in Steven Hook and...

A Summary and Critical Evaluation of the Key Issues In Post-World War II National Security Structure Development Steven Hook and John Spaniers 2012 book titled â€Å"American foreign policy since WWII serves as one of the most important texts that can be used in understanding the underlying complexities on American foreign policies. Like the first readings that are analyzed in class (American Diplomacy by George Kennan and Surprise, Security, and the American Experience by John Lewis Gaddis), this text also brings history into a more understandable context. Aside from being informative and concise in its historical approach, Hook and Spanier also critiques the several flaws and perspectives that occurred in the American foreign policy†¦show more content†¦The concept is also very evident from the choice of opening quote from Hook and Spaniers book. This quote is specifically delivered by George W. Bush for the introduction of the National Security Strategy of the United States of America. In this quote, he mentioned that We [the U.S] seek instead to create a balance of power that favors human freedom... We will actively work to bring the hope of democracy, development, free markets, and free trade to every corner of the world (2002). This quote mirrors the concept of American Exceptionalism in a way that Bush recognizes that the U.S. is a separate country that needs to salvage the remaining nations of the world through foreign policies. In Hook and Spaniers words, [t]hese words capture the global ambitions of an American president who, despite his optimistic tone, was still recovering from the deadliest attacks ever on his country (2012, p.1). The authors also discussed how the negative things that happened to the Bush administration transpired into Obamas government. Among the earliest effects are the threats on the classic American dream of unending prosperity and opportunity (Hook and Spanier, p.1). On the other hand, the book also discussed how American foreign policies and the overall American exp erienced are affected by the prevailing cultural attitudes and beliefs. On the other hand, David Rothkopf book titled Running the world: The inside story of the National Security

The Burden Sharing Behavior Of Gulf Cooperation Council (...

The purpose of this paper is to examine the burden-sharing behavior of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members and their response to the military burden of Iran. Quantitative methods are used to test the study’s hypothesis. The findings suggest that the large GCC member (Saudi Arabia) is in military burden- at a greater rate than smaller GCC members. In accordance with the logic of collective action, I tested the hypothesis that small alliance members will be free riders. I show that the Vector Auto Regression (VAR) model captures the dynamic feature of GCC’s behavior. The findings show non-cooperative behavior among GCC members concerning their level of military burden towards Iran, and small members of GCC who are free riders on the†¦show more content†¦Because of this, the Arabian Gulf States should work collectively to fill the power vacuum and increase the level of security in the Arabian Gulf region. This study would focus on the effects of free-riding on security arrangements among the Arabian Gulf states. Finally, applying the same framework of the NATO on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) could help the Gulf States play a larger role in their region. There is serious concern for the entire world about the Arabian Gulf security. Iran’s expanding ambition rose to new heights when its nuclear ambitions were revealed to the world. In fact, Iran’s nuclear ambition has alerted regional and international concerns about the future stability and security. This paper is important because it will contribute to the existing literature of collective action studies in general and the Arabian Gulf in particular. This study would provide valuable information to many stakeholders. First, this research will give scientific predictors of future procedures that should be taken to improve the regional security. It will also shed light on identifying the type of course of action to help identify the best policies in dealing with the security dilemma. This paper consists of two major sections: First, describe some aspects of the different concepts of security in the Arabian Gulf region, evaluate a collective action framework with an

Juvenile Crime and the Influence of Media Violence

Juvenile Crime and the Influence of Media Violence With several arguments for both sides can we truly determine if there is only one main role in juvenile crime? There are many statistics that show there is a higher aggression level formed in people who watched a great deal of violent television or played violent video games as a child. People must begin to consider that there are several contributors to youth crime and violence. Youth crime is often fueled by media violence and can depend on how a person is raised and the adult influence that, while growing up, surrounds them. Youth crime is far to present in the current generation. There are children harming each other at school and harming their families at home and unfortunately it†¦show more content†¦In 1960 Prof. Leonard D. Eron who represents the American Psychological Association began a study on 875 children, ages 8 and 9. Eron later performed follow up researches in 1970 and 1982 that shared results with the original research done. In one of the findings that were done in 1970 it showed that there was a direct correlation between violent television viewing at approximately age 8 and an elevated aggression level when the subject is age 19. There were also studies done that showed that boys with an originally low level of aggression who watched excessive violent television were more aggressive later in life then boys who originally had a higher level of aggression but did not watch violent television at the younger age (Citizen 1992). These finding also showed that different variables suc h as IQ, social status, social mobility, parents aggressiveness, etc., did not have as vast of a baring on the results as media violence. 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However, politicians changed this with â€Å"tough on crime† policies for election. Many juvenile criminals became labeled as â€Å"superpredators† and were thus deemed beyond any help and were tried as adults. Fortunately, not everyone in the criminal system believes that juvenile criminals are beyond help. Some of the people that believe that there is

Social Media Website

Question: Task 1 Consider what you expect from a social media website. Does the website have an obligation to take reasonable steps to protect your data from hackers? Does the website have a right to sell your data without paying you? Or can it just give your information away? Or can it keep your data as its own to do with whatever it wants? What about the information you provide when you sign up, such as your birthdate or home address or phone number? What about information you post after setting up security controls on your account? What basic protections do you have a right to expect from the website? Are there some things you should be able to do, such as when you log in, that should be no one elses business? Should you be able to delete information you posted? What other things should you be able to do with your own information? Go to the Discussion Board called Website Expectations and list 3 DIFFERENT expectations you have about what data a social media website should protect and what i t should allow you to control. Consider both data you post and behaviors you may do. Task 2 Review Facebook's Privacy Policy (actually, Facebook has gone so far as to even remove the word 'Privacy' from the policy's name. It is now called the Data Use Policy). As you read through the policy, think about how it compares/contrasts to your expectations for privacy on the Internet. The Privacy Policy can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/full_data_use_policy Facebook's Privacy Policy is long and hard to get through. Facebook buries a lot of important information that they would just as soon you not find. Since using the website constitutes your agreement to the policy, it's smart to know what it says. Here are some resources to help you weave your way through Facebooks policy: https://time.com/4695/7-controversial-ways-facebook-has-used-your-data/ https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/terms-conditions-facebooks-data-use-policy-explained/ https://policyreview.info/articles/ne ws/new-facebook-data-policy-or-dislike/341 This task requires you to investigate and think. But there is nothing for you to submit. Task 3 How does Facebook's Privacy Policy stack up against your thinking about what's fair use of the personal data that you provide to a website? What level of accord is there between your expectations for privacy and what the website actually provides? Does Facebook restrict any of the behaviors that you believed users should control? Write a paragraph on Facebooks policy regarding each of the three points you listed in the Discussion Board. Is Facebooks policy consistent with your expectations (as you listed them in Task 1) for a website's treatment of you and your personal data? Discuss in a 1 page paper. [Using Arial font at 12 pt, one page is about 500 words.] Submit your written work to this Assignment Submission Box. Task 4 Make a list of up to 6 parts of Facebooks policy that surprise you. Make sure these are DIFFERENT from any parts you have d iscussed previously in any Tasks of this assignment. Answer: Task 1 Social networking sites such as Facebook needs users to sign their terms and condition at the time of registration and most of the users do agree to their terms and condition without going through it. These terms declares that site has right store users data and can use for any ethical purpose in the company. Facebook has policies that directly affect the data privacy such as it is difficult to delete an account as it can be de-activated and later can be restored. But, The question is who owns users personal data, where does the data goes when account is closed, will the company inform when their personal information has been used for marketing insight reporting or for other academic search purpose (Couts, 2012). These websites must provide some data privacy rights to their users because potential dangerous such as sexual predators, stalking and unintentional fame will harass the users not the company. So its users right to have full rights to manage their accounts on social media we bsites. Mentioned below are the three expectations or security controls that social media websites should provide. User can delete their data completely when they leave social media websites: Facebook has removed a clause from its terms and conditions where it mentions that all personal information and data of a user will be deleted when the account is closed. There could be so many reasons of closing an account and it is the right of user to delete all his or her information from the site. Tracking of user research behavior and telling friends what user is liking and searching for; sometime users dont want to share what they like or research for if they dont want to share it with friends then it should not be shared. Use of personal information of user without their permission Task 3 Deletion of account Deletion of account takes 90 days and reason behind that is not clear yet. If user dont has right to access the account after deleting it then why company has right to store it for 90 days and what will be its use. This is completely unfair and should be changed. Tracking, analyzing and using users behavior to target the right audience for third party; this is completely unfair as user is not aware about what his or her data is being used. Facebook reserves the right to use personal information of users without receiving their permission by saying that they have told this in data use policy which says they have right to use users information if they see it fit to their services and features and what services and products is just a guess. Facebook has been selling user informationto fulfill advertising agendas and this is how it makes money. Where on other side users dont know how their data is used in the company (Luckerson, 2014). Facebook needs to make clear statement about use of users data on applications and features it launches so that users can control their private data flow. Use of personal information of user without their permission If personal data such as education, gender and working status of users is helping in making academic reports and research to make something better than it is good to contribute in it. For example, research about education status and level is fine if purpose is to make new services and features for students but sharing very personal data such as relationship status, whose profile you check and what you search on web is completely unethical. The companies should not have access to pass personal information of a user to third party without their permission. After all, its the users who will be suffering with privacy threats. So it is better that user decide what and where the information about them should be shared. Expectation for privacy Vs. Actual privacy In use of data of Facebook it is clearly mentioned that users data can be used where it is suitable to their services and products. But they have not cleared what kinds of services and products. The user may not want to contribute in specific kind of service, but there is no choice for the user, even user will not be aware of all these activities as at time of registration they have agreed to their terms and conditions(Luckerson, 2014). Facebook launches so many apps and features for the users and these apps takes personal information about users, there is no clause if these information will be used for some specific purpose in future. If they do it then user may avoid using such features in order to control data privacy. User expects that everything on its account is under his or her control but it is not. However, it should be controlled by the user only. Task 4 Facebook has been in controversies because of its data privacy policies. The controversial ways of using users data has been topic of discussion in digital trends. The major issues are associated with use of users data without taking their permission. Mentioned below are the six different data privacy issues with Facebook that has been discussed in detail- Making users searchable even if they dont want: there is no feature in Facebook that can make users unsearchable in the searching list. You will be visible if the searching criteria include your name or user id or other information which is completely unfair. Facebook allows user to make some information private on their profile so that it can be only seen by the people you want or is completely hidden. However, there is still some information that will remain public no matter how much privacy you have applied. These types of information are Name, profile picture, username, User ID, Gender and cover photos. A user may expect to hide everything on its account so this should be allowed by the Facebook. Using your likes and shares in advertisement is also unfair sometime friends may find you associated with advertisement. As per the data use policy of facebook personal information can be used to Show and measure ads and services. It is like you are promoting something about which you are not aware and you will also not get credit for it as well. Using facial recognition software in order to spot user in a picture: A user may or may not want to be spotted in a group picture. It is completely unfair to use software to detect a person in a picture. Some features like sharing where your personal information is not controlled by you but by others. This feature needs to be changed as a user has right to control its information on social media websites (Luckerson, 2014). Facebook allows you to choose what to share and what to not but the problem is that your friends can also share information about you which you cant control and manage. Which means even if you have made tightest security on face book still you cant control data about you. It should allow managing any data about users by user itself rather than others. As per there policy the information that others have shared about you is not part of your account and will not be deleted when you delete your account. Tracking user searching behavior on World Wide Web is also unfair and it should be prohibited completely. A user may search anything and may want to make it private. Social networking site should not trace their searching behavior to use it in advertising and other marketing reports. Facebook has been a behavioral library which sells behavioral studies to third party. It is making money by using personal data and information posted by the users and unfair is that users are not aware with this fact. The personal information is also passed to government if needed which seems helpful for the society but user awareness is important for all these uses of data. References Couts, A. (2012).Terms Conditions: Facebooks Data Use Policy explained.Digital Trends. Available at: https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/terms-conditions-facebooks-data-use-policy-explained/ [Accessed 3 Jul. 2016]. Luckerson, V. (2014).7 Controversial Ways Facebook Has Used Your Data. TIME.com. Available at: https://time.com/4695/7-controversial-ways-facebook-has-used-your-data/ [Accessed 3 Jul. 2016].

Sexual Assault Essay Example

Sexual Assault Essay Sexual Assault Tre’shaun Hambrick CRJ308: Psychology of Criminal Behavior Instructor Tracey Mallett We will write a custom essay sample on Sexual Assault specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sexual Assault specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sexual Assault specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer October 6, 2012 Sexual Assault Whenever the term ‘sexual assault’ is mentioned, most people think about rape. While rape is falling within its context, sexual assault incorporates a plethora of unwanted sexual advances that include, rape, voyeurism, incest, exhibitionism, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse and any other nonconsensual sexual contact (Bartol Bartol., 2004). Due to wider scope and socio-cultural backgrounds of individuals, people may sexually assault another person without their knowledge. This could also be the reason why estimating its prevalence is near to impossible. This is because most people do not realize that they have been assaulted and they fail to report the sexual assault incidences. The fact that most of these assaults are normally committed by close relatives or friends could also be the reason why most cases go unreported (Clements et al., 2004). Either way, sexual assault causes serious physical, social, emotional and psychological damages to the victim. It is the ob jective of this essay to explore three of the psychological effects of sexual assault on the victims. It is important to note that sexual assault can cause harmful psychological effects that can become hard to correct or treat. Victims of sexual assault commonly experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is a psychological disorder characterized by severe feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress long after the ordeal. Female rape victims are especially vulnerable to this condition. A person is said to have acute PTSD when he or she manifests the symptoms for less than three months. The condition becomes chronic when the victim exhibits the symptoms for more than three months. A person develops PTSD symptoms immediately following the attack. About 94% of rape victims develop PTSD symptoms immediately following the rape ordeal. Although this percentage decreases over time, some victims are not able to overcome it, and their symptoms continue for many years after the traumatic event (Bartol Bartol, 2004). Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks of experience in the mind of the victim, repeated dreams or memories of the events, hyper-arousal, and frightening thoughts. Many victims do whatever they can to avoid anything or anyone that might remind them of the traumatic event. This leads to the victim experiencing feelings of isolation from friends. The person feels detached, and he or she might lose interest in things that he or she used to enjoy. Some victims change their routine to avoid a reoccurrence of the incident. Many victims also feel helpless, and they experience feelings of horror. In children, it can manifest through bedwetting, acting out during playtime or tendency to cling to their parents or other adults who, they trust. Another symptom of PTSD is anxiety, which in turn leads to other problems. Anxiety leads to difficulties in sleeping and concentration. Sexual assault victims with PTSD have negative thoughts. Some victims experience mental defeat. Their negative thoughts lead them to imagine negative response from others. Many of the victims tend to blame themselves, and even those who are around them for what they experienced. Victims with PTSD who receive little support tend to exhibit more symptoms, compared to the victims who receive support from their loved ones and others around them. Symptoms are usually strongest immediately following the traumatic event, but they diminish after a while. The severity and length of the symptoms also depends on the victim’s perception of the event. The victim’s symptoms will be more severe and will last longer, if he or she thinks that the trauma was intentional rather than accidental. Rape victims and other victims of sexual assault will have more severe symptoms of PTSD. Some people develop lifetime prevalence of the condition. Lifetime prevalence rates are higher among women. This is significant considering most sexual assault victims are female. If not treated early, the condition can become persistent (Bartol Bartol, 2004). People’s thoughts are important determinants of behavior. Sexual assault victims with PTSD have many negative thoughts, and this not only affects their perception of people, but it also determines their behavior. PTSD treatment includes cognitive behavioral therapy, which encourages the victims to talk more about themselves and other people. This form of therapy enables the victim to deal with his or her emotions and thoughts. The therapist exposes the victims to the feelings that he or she associates with the trauma. By re-exposing these feelings, the therapist is able to re-adjust the behavioral response of the victim. The victims are able to examine the consequences of their actions on their thoughts and feelings. It is important for the victims to feel that they have the support of those who are around them. Cognitive behavioral therapy enables the victim to relearn social skills. Treatment of PTSD also includes using medication. The medication helps in reducing the anxiet y and stress that the victim experiences. In treating PTSD victims therapists concentrate on the present situation. They do not focus on what the victim should have done to avoid the situation. Doing so will only enhance the negative emotions that the person feels, and this will lead to the victims blaming themselves. Second, sexual assault is also known to cause depression. Depression involves more than feelings of sadness, as it can cause a person to experience physical pain and it interferes with the victim’s daily life. Some victims do not realize that they are suffering from depression because of ambiguity of their symptoms. Some of the symptoms of depression are common occurrences to some individuals. Other symptoms are a reflection of another condition. This is a condition characterized by prolonged sadness, indecisiveness, loss of appetite, feelings of hopelessness and low self-esteem, prolonged headaches, lack of coordination, fear, anxiety and extreme worry. These symptoms affect a person’s daily life. Depression is a serious psychological condition since it lowers the body’s immunity, and can lead to suicidal thoughts and even death. It can affect any sexual assault victim regardless of their age, gender or religion (Clements et al., 2004). Victims lose interest in things that they used to enjoy, and they often feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Lack of interest, coupled with low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness contribute to the individual withdrawing socially. Some victims experience frequent crying spells, and others have suicidal thoughts. Victims become agitated, ad they experience extreme irritability. People with depression experience unexplained headaches and stomachaches. People who experience these symptoms for more than two weeks are said to be suffering from depression. Depression among women tends to be more common, and they experience depression symptoms in different severity from men (Lewis-Hall, 2002). Women are more likely to have appetite problems and frequent headaches compared to men. They are also more likely to feel exhausted and suffer anxiety than the men are. People having depression are frustrated because they feel that they are not performing to their capacity. Many people downplay the importance of seeking treatment when they are suffering from depression. This is because some people consider depression a sign of weakness, and others think that they will overcome it on their own. Leaving depression untreated can worsen and prolong it, and it can worsen other illnesses and conditions that the person might be having. Women respond differently to treatment differently, in that they take longer to recover than the men do (Lewis-Hall, 2002). It is possible to treat depression, and physicians and therapists use a variety of methods when treating depressed patients. They can use medication such as antidepressants, most of which are effective. However, many therapists do not recommend the use of antidepressants in children because of associated side effects. Although antidepressants benefit many people suffering from depression, many people who suffer from depression because of sexual assault find it more beneficial to go through therapy sessions. Therapists can use interpersonal therapy, which helps the victims improve their relationship with other people. The therapists focus on communication skills, and the victim’s relationships to other people. Through analysis, the therapist is able to determine the cause of a person’s sadness and loneliness, and she focuses on solving this problem. Therapists can also use psychodynamic therapy, which involves understanding the effects of the victims’ emotions on their behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy is also important in enabling the victim to refocus his or her thoughts. Finding the right treatment for depression is important in reducing chances of reoccurrence. Some people respond better when they talk about their experiences to people who have shared similar experiences. They feel that they can relate better because other victims know and understand what they are going through. Support groups enable people to cope with depression. The victims learn that the y are not weak because they are suffering from depression. They get to hear the experiences of other individuals who have gone through similar or worse situations. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), also referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder, is another psychological effect associated with sexual assault. It is a condition where an individual’s thoughts and feelings become detached from their immediate reality. Individuals with DID manifest different personalities, each with a different perception of self and environment. As such, a sexual assault victim suffering from this condition may in one occasion regard herself with high esteem but latter regard herself as worthless. Most cases of DID are reported in cases where the sexual assault experience occurred in their childhood. DID is a dangerous condition and it can persist for a long time (Petrack Hedge, 2003). Dissociation refers to a situation where a person’s thoughts, actions, memories, and feelings are different from his or her immediate reality. When children experience sexual abuse, they tend to go into dissociative states, which they create as an escape away from the current abuse that is their reality. They do this if they do not see any way of escaping their situation. The more the abuse continues, the more the children continue forming different realities. There are different forms of dissociation .depersonalization occurs because of fatigue, different psychiatric disorders, anxiety or stress. It happens when one changes perception of self and the person feels detached from his or her body. Derealization refers to a person’s perception of change in the environment. The person feels that the things surrounding him or her are not real. dissociative amnesia is temporal memory loss, which seems to occur naturally, and it is not triggered by factors such as intoxication or injury. Other forms include dissociative fugue and alteration of identity (Chu, 2011) Although DID cases exist in both sexes, they are more common among women. Common symptoms of this disorder include mood swings, depression, panic attacks, phobias, sleep disorders such as night terrors and insomnia, PSTD symptoms such as flashbacks, and eating disorders. The victims may experience severe headaches and other aches in different parts of the body. Some of the victims develop self-harming behavior and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The victims have difficulty remembering parts of their past. These symptoms are similar to symptoms of other psychiatric disorders. This makes it more difficult to determine the right diagnosis. Victims of DID should ensure that they get immediate help to maximize their chances of recovery. The most effective treatment in this case is psychotherapy. The treatment can be lengthy and painful for adults because it involves recalling past painful events. The therapists have to structure and pace the therapy in such a way that it will not overwhelm the victim. The therapist helps the patient come to terms with the feelings that they associate with the events. Some therapists use hypnosis to help the victims remember their childhood experiences. Although some therapists use medication to manage some of the symptoms, most of the therapists are careful about using medication because of the negative effects they have on the victims. In summary, it is apparent that the psychological effects of sexual assault are far reaching and can affect the victim’s social and physical life. While some of the conditions can be treated through therapies, others like DID, if not identified at an early stage, can lead to permanent damage of the victim’s identity and personality. It is also worth noting that the effects are not only limited to the victim but also affect to primary care givers. It also affects family members thus expanding the scope of their danger. References: Bartol, C. R., Bartol A. M. (2004). Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application. U.S.A: Sage Chu, A. J. (2011). Rebuilding shattered lives: Treating complex PTSD and dissociative disorders. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons Clements P. T., Speck P. M., Crane P. A. Faulkner M. J. (2004). Issues and Dynamics of Sexually Assaulted Adolescents and their Families. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 13(4) 138-274 Lewis-Hall, F. (2002). Psychiatric illness in women: Emerging treatments and research. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub Petrak J. Hedge B. (2003). The Trauma of Sexual Assault: treatment, Prevention and Practice. United Kingdom: John Wiley Sons