Saturday, January 25, 2020

Intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence Abstract Using four published articles this paper takes a look at gender differences in addressing intimate partner violence (IPV), the causes, whos at risk and what can prevent revictimization. Not only will this paper explore intimate partner violence (IPV) and the motives behind it, it will also discuss the court system, public policies, and the gender bias it holds. A portion of the studies analyzed in this paper used the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to gain research. This study is the largest annual crime victimization survey worldwide. The information used for analysis in these particular journals was gathered from 1987 to 2003, and participants in the study were interviewed once every six months for three years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper attempts to evaluate Intimate Partner Violence and compare the severity and frequency of male perpetrators and female perpetrators. IPV is defined by Cho and Wilke as â€Å"a violent crime, including rape, sexual assault, aggravated assault, and simple assault, committed by a current of former spouse or boy or girl friend†. This topic is important to study in order to reduce the prevalence of IPV and to be able to better help victims of IPV.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a 2004 study, Henning and Feder compared the demographic characteristics, severity of intimate partner violence and criminal histories of men and women arrested for assaulting an intimate partner in order to analyze the increase in female arrestees due to IPV. The study will evaluate if women offend as often and as seriously as men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The study analyzed 16,200 men and women from 1997-2001 that were arrested for misdemeanor or felony domestic violence assaults. Henning and Feder (2004) found 16.8% of people arrested during the four year period were women. It was found that females that were arrested were younger than male arrestees and were also young than the victim. In addition to this, the majority of men and women were African American. Additionally, female offenders were more likely to get arrested with their partner and also more likely than men to be charged with a felony assault and to have used a weapon. Contrary to this however, women were not more like to have injured their partner during the dispute. Males in the study were more likely to have had the police involved in a previous domestic abuse incident and also more than twice as likely to have prior arrests.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The study shows that while women do have a fairly high level of intimate partner violence, it was concluded that risk assessments associated with men that were arrested were much greater than risk assessments associated with women that were arrested. Furthermore, the criminal history of men that had been arrested previously for domestic violence and nonviolence charges may be more likely to continually be arrested for domestic violence, while women in the study â€Å"appear to be at low risk to engage in continued aggression or criminality† (Henning and Feder, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A significant weakness in this study is that it fails to take into account self defense from women. For example, if a woman was using violence as a form of self defense, she would still be included in the study. A major limitation of this study is that it only analyzes men and women in Shelby County, TN and may not be an accurate representation of all men and women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In research acquired by Muller, Desmarais Hamel (2009) it shows that women initiate physical aggression as often, or more often than men, rarely in self defense, and motivated for similar reasons, typically for the purpose of expressing frustration, to communicate or to control, our out of desire to retaliate. Our public policy focuses primarily on male- perpetrated domestic violence and the needs of female victims and their children (Muller et al., 2009). There are close to 2,000 shelters nationwide and only a handful offer beds or services to battered men and their children (Muller et al, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Muller et al. (2009) research reveals that women are significantly more likely to have their abuse protection request granted than men, with an approval rate of 91% versus men at 66%. Currently there are 227,941 active restraining orders against adults; almost all of them are domestic violence cases (Muller et al.,2009) Approximately 72% were protecting a woman from a restrained man, 19% restrained a same-sex partner, and 9% restrained a woman from a protected man according to Muller et al (2009). Female defendants were much more likely to use a dangerous weapon when attacking their victims and were also more likely to scratch or gouge their victims (Muller et al., 2009) In Hambys summary article she brings to light the fact that women perpetrate physical abuse against their children in roughly equal numbers, if not more than men. Along with Muller et al. (2009), Hamby research also complies that women report more victimization crimes with the police. Interestingly enough once the police were called they were more likely to arrest assailants of females (36%) versus males (12%) (Hamby, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The findings were parallel in both Muller et al. (2009) and Hamby (2005) articles, concluding that due to the size differential injury rates are much higher in assaults against women. Research demonstrates that men far more hesitant to report domestic violence than women, even in the more severe cases (Muller et al., 2009). Muller et al (2009) also showed that male plaintiffs are more likely to drop a case given the decreased likelihood that they will report their abuse. This can be due to prevailing norms regarding masculinity, men may be opposed to convey their fear or to call the police even when they have every reason to do so (Muller et al.., 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cho and Wilke (2010) examined the effects an arrest has on a domestic violence offended and revictimization. Cho and Wilke analyzed men 18 and over who reported being a victim of IPV from a female perpetrator (female victims were also analyzed for sake of comparison).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the study, Cho and Wilkes found, there are 8 times as many female IPV victims as male IPV victims, which highly contrasted with Hambys findings. Female victims in this study were younger than male victims. Similarly to Henning and Feders 2004 study, female victims reported more minor injuries while male victims endured more aggravated assaults (Cho and Wilkes, 2010). Also, as Henning and Feder reported, Cho and Wilke found â€Å"more female perpetrators used severe violence and weapons than did male perpetrators†. Male victims were revictimized less frequently than female victims; which may be in part due to what was suggested in Henning and Feders 2004 study, that women are less likely to be repeat offenders, and also with Hambys research that women report more victimization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the study, there appeared to be no significant relationship between perpetrator arrest and reducing revictimization of males. However, perpetrator arrest reduced the odds of female revictimization by 45% (Cho and Wilkes, 2010). Also, while Cho and Wilke found there was no difference in revictimization in cases with or without weapons, it was found that victims of rape/sexual assault were three times more likely than victims of simple assault to be assaulted again. Like Henning and Feder, Cho and Wilke concluded that men are IPV victims much less frequently and they confirmed that IPV is mainly male violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A significant limitation in this study is that only 33 of the 298 men study were revictimized, and out of those 33 men, only 7 had perpetrators that were arrested (Cho and Wilkes, 2010). Since this number is so small, it would be hard to link arrests to the reduction of revictimization. Another limitation is that the study did not take into account the context of the violence, or what â€Å"type† of violence it was, much like Henning and Feders 2004 study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A more conclusive study of IPV would provide a better insight to the understand of male vs. female perpetrators. However, based on the studies analyzed, one can assume that women are much more likely to be the victim of IPV than men. Muller et al. 2009 research deviates from these findings, but it is in the minority. This was the main concern in comparing the four studies, as it seemed like it would be very clear as to which were more likely to be perpetrators men or women. For the reason that only one of the four studies found that women perpetrate more than men, it is safe to assume that women are more frequently victims of IPV.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As suggested, services and after care for victims of domestic violence is much more geared toward women. Research in the studies proposes men may be less apt to look for help after IPV as well as less likely to report IPV, which can be a severe factor in the skewing of information. Although research suggests that men are more capable of hurting women in IPV disputes, women and men both need to be held to the same standards when it comes to arrests and seriousness of the offenses. In order to more accurately assess the prevalence of IPV against men vs. against women the same action must be taken to each offender. References Cho, H, Wilke, D. (2010). Gender differences in the nature of the intimate partner violence and effects of perpetrator arrest on revictimization. Journal of Family Violence, 25. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/content/g66p6m7l17h04783 Hamby, S. (2005). Measuring gender differences in partner violence: implications from research on other forms of violence and socially undesirable behavior. Sex Roles, 52(11), Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/content/n73725h872gn7564/fulltext.pdf Henning, K, Feder, L. (2004). A Comparison of men and women arrested for domestic violence: who presents the greater threat?. Journal of Family Violence, 19(2), Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/content/mju9703751346711 Muller, H, Desmarais, S, Hamel, J. (2009). Do judicial responses to restraining order requests discriminate against male victims of domestic violence?. Journal of Family Violence, 24(8), Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/content/r8j8u66319rl13j7/

Friday, January 17, 2020

The Bra Boys

Bra Boys From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search The Bra Boys is an Australian gang founded and based in Maroubra, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. Dating back to the 1990s, the gang has gained notoriety through violent clashes with members of the public and police. The gang achieved national and international attention in 2007[1] with the release of a feature-length documentary entitled Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water, written and directed by members of the gang. Contents 1 Origins Notoriety and violence 2. 1 Criminal matters 2. 2 General community activism 2. 3 Art imitating life 3 Documentary 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links Origins The Bra Boys are held together by surfing as well as community ties. [2] The group is often linked with the Maroubra Surfers Association, with which a number of its members are associated. [citation needed] In an interview on Triple J radio, Koby Abberton pointed out the â€Å"Bra† is a reference to the gang's suburb, Maroubra,[3] and partly after the street slang for brother. 1] Some members of the gang tattoo â€Å"My Brother's Keeper† across the front of their chest,[4] â€Å"Bra Boys† and Maroubra's postcode â€Å"2035† on their backs. [citation needed] With a reputation of being territorial,[1] the group is known to have taken control of a Sydney reef break, known as ‘Cape Solander', located in Kurnell, and renaming the break ‘Ours'. In July 2007, The Sydney Morning Herald reported an altercation that took place between professional bodyboarder Mitch Rawlins and a group of several Bra Boys members, including Koby Abberton.Rawlins was allegedly approached by a Bra Boy member and told to â€Å"fuck off†. It is believed an argument broke out and then turned physical with Rawlins being punched in the head. A spokesman for the Bra Boys confirmed there had been â€Å"some sort of small incident† but denied any major vi olence. [5] Notoriety and violence Prominent Bra Boys members include rugby league players Reni Maitua, John Sutton, as well as the Abberton brothers, Sunny, Jai, Dakota, and Koby, with the latter being the most notorious of the brothers. 6] Criminal matters A syndicate with alleged links to members of the Bra Boys were caught smuggling cocaine following interceptions of conversations dating back to 1997. It was alleged that the syndicate was granted security passes to restricted areas within Sydney Airport, by-passing Australian Customs, enabling the prohibited narcotics to be smuggled from Los Angeles by being concealed in on-board catering refuse. [7] In 2005, Jai Abberton was acquitted of the 2003 murder of stand-over man Anthony ‘Tony' Hines. 8] However, his brother Koby was handed a suspended nine-month jail sentence after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice in the same matter. [9][10] In November 2008, Koby Abberton was jailed for three days by a US c ourt after being found guilty of assaulting an off-duty police officer in a fight outside a nightclub in Honolulu, Hawaii. [6] In November 2009 Jai Abberton was jailed for eight months for breaching a good behaviour bond. [11] General community activismIn late 2002, around 160 members of the gang attending a birthday party at the Coogee-Randwick RSL Club were involved in a brawl with off-duty Waverley police officers leaving a Christmas party on the same premises. News reports numbered the combatants in the incident at around 120, with 30 police officers left injured after the event. [12] In August 2005, the Bra Boys led a 100-person non-violent protest against plans by Randwick Council to introduce parking meters near the local beaches. [13]In the lead up to the 2005 Cronulla riots in Cronulla, Koby Abberton spoke to The Daily Telegraph about the assault of a lifeguard that sparked the incident, claiming: â€Å"The reason why it's not happening at Maroubra is because of the Bra Bo ys. Girls go to Cronulla, Bondi, everywhere else in Sydney and get harassed, but they come to Maroubra and nothing happens to them. I read all this stuff about kids getting harassed because they want to have a surf and I say ‘are you kidding? ‘ The beach should be for Aussie kids. But if you want to go to beaches and act tough in groups you better be able to back it up.If these fellas come out to Maroubra and start something they know it's going to be on, so they stay away. â€Å"[14] Following the riots, in which the Bra Boys did not claim any involvement, Maroubra was the target of retaliation by Middle Eastern gangs. The Abberton brothers then held well-publicised meetings with other groups to help ease tensions. [15] â€Å"I think that this is the start, the boys have agreed to come down and talk to us, to start some dialogue between the groups, you know, to try and ease some tension†, said Sunny Abberton in a group interview on The 7. 30 Report. [16] Art imi tating lifeThe Bra Boys were made the subject of satire by The Chaser's War on Everything, episode 29, aired on 11 April 2007. [17] In the skit Julian Morrow approached gang members while wearing a pill-filled brassiere and sporting a tattoo similar to Koby Abberton's saying â€Å"mybrothersalibi†. A gang member responded by slipping off one of his thongs and flinging it at Morrow. Long-running Australian television soap opera, Home and Away has produced a thinly veiled reference to the Bra Boys in the fictional storyline of the River Boys that was broadcast in Australia commencing 16 February 2011. 18] Inspired by the friendship and brotherhood codes instilled by the Bra Boys, the Abberton brothers created a clothing line to reflect the importance of solid bonds between friends and family entitled MyBrothersKeeper Clothing, sometimes referred to as MBK Clothing. MyBrothersKeeper is a reference to the unspoken motto of the Bra Boys and can be somewhat translated as the uncond itional love, respect and support of those close to you regardless of race, gender and age. [4] DocumentaryA 90 minute documentary film about the surf gang, entitled Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water premiered in Sydney on 7 March 2007 and was released on 15 March 2007. The film details a story of the Bra Boys from the viewpoint of the gang, particularly the Abbertons. Sunny Abberton wrote and co-directed the film with Macario De Souza. Actor Russell Crowe provided narration. The film's official cast included 49 well known surfers from Bra Boys members Evan Faulks and Richie ‘Vas' Vaculik to ten-time world champion, Kelly Slater,[19] and surfing legends including Mark Occhilupo, Bruce Irons, and Laird Hamilton. 20] Australian reviewer Margaret Pomeranz gave the movie an overall positive review, while her At the Movies co-host David Stratton criticised Sunny's amateurish direction and questioned how objective a documentary can be when it is directed by its subject. [21] The documentary became Australia's highest-grossing non-IMAX documentary film[22] and won the Best Documentary at the 2008 Movie EXTRA Filmink Awards. [23] The movie saw a limited release in the United States that began on 11 April 2008, in 23 select locations in Southern California, New York and Hawaii. 20] The film was distributed in Australia by Hopscotch Films and internationally by boutique distributor, Berkela Films. [24] The film was released on DVD on 16 August 2007 with extras including the documentary, The Making of Bra Boys, extended surfing footage, coverage of the film's premiere, history of Australian surf culture, a fitness program presented by one of the Bra Boys, and music videos. [25] References ^ a b c Marks, Kathy (19 March 2007). â€Å"Sydney's notorious surf gang turns tide of violence into big-screen adulation†. The Independent (United Kingdom).Retrieved 16 November 2008. ^ Carroll, Nick (9 March 2007). â€Å"Bra Boys World Film Premier in Sydney, Austral ia – Movie review†. Surfing Magazine. Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ Warhurst, Myf; Whalley, Jason; McDougall, Lindsay (7 May 2007). â€Å"Myf, Jay and the Doctor: Interview with Koby Abberton† (radio). Triple J (Australia). ^ a b Minion, Lynne (8 August 2009). â€Å"Brothers in Arms†. Canberra Times. Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ Gilmore, Heath (15 July 2007). â€Å"Bra Boys say it's Ours and we'll fight for it†. The Sydney Morning Herald. ^ a b Hellard, Peta (21 November 2008). Guilty Bra Boy Koby Abberton in Honolulu jail for three days†. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). ^ McKenzie, Nick (24 September 2009). â€Å"Cocaine gang had security clearance†. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ Wallace, Natasha (6 May 2005). â€Å"Surf gang member cleared of standover man's murder†. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ â€Å"Bra Boys: The often maligned surf brotherhood's new movie†. Surfer M agazine. 22 July 2010. ^ Jones, Caroline (7 November 2005). â€Å"Sons of beaches† (transcript). Australian Story (Australia). Retrieved 6 February 2011. â€Å"Jail for Bra Boy Jai Abberton, Pussycat Doll Melody Jail for Bra Boy Jai Abberton, Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton dines with Sonny and Koby Abberton†. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). 12 November 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2011. ^ Kennedy, Les (24 December 2002). â€Å"Night the thin blue line ran into the Maroubra stomp†. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ Cuming, Angela; Munro, Catharine (7 August 2005). â€Å"Rage over 7000 meters for beaches†. The Sun-Herald (Australia). Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ McIlveen, Luke (9 December 2005). â€Å"A beast surfaces†. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). Silkstone, Dan (14 December 2005). â€Å"When two tribes go to war: a culture clash†. The Age (Australia). Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ â€Å"Emergency powers to crack down on riots† (transcript). The 7. 30 Report (Australia). 13 December 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ â€Å"The Chaser vs. The Bra Boys – Hilarious Gags† (video). The Chaser. Australia. 11 April 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ Casamento, Jo (6 February 2011). â€Å"Bra Boys amused by Home and Away homage†. The Sun-Herald (Australia). Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ Howard, Jake. â€Å"Kelly Slater wins his 10th world title†. ESPN Action Sports (United States). Retrieved 6 November 2010. a b â€Å"Bra Boys†. Internet Movie Database. Amazon. com. 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2011. ^ Pomeranz, Margaret; Stratton, David (14 March 2007). â€Å"Bra Boys†. At the Movies (Australia). Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ â€Å"Bra Boys breaks box office record†. ABC News (Australia). 27 March 2007. ^ â€Å"‘Bra Boys:’ Best Documentary at Movie EXTRA Awards†. Transworld Skateboarding (United States). 17 March 2008. Retrieved 6 Fe bruary 2011. ^ â€Å"Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water†. Berkela Films. Retrieved 6 February 2011. ^ Idato, Michael (27 August 2007). â€Å"Bra Boys – DVD review†. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 February 2011.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Transcendental Meditation Alternative Therapy for...

Transcendental Meditation: Alternative Therapy for Alcohol Abuse Proponents of the Transcendental Meditation program initiated by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi have expressed their ideas in various web sites on the World Wide Web, through pages such as The Transcendental Meditation Program at http://www.tm.org and the Scientific Research on Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program of the Maharishi University of Management at http://www.miu.edu/TM_Research. In these sites positive messages are conveyed about the benefits of meditation to its practitioner within the physiological, psychological, sociological, intellectual, and interpersonal realms. Within these sites, the web-browser is presented with an abundance of information relating†¦show more content†¦Over time, proponents purport, the mental orderliness and physical calm achieved through the technique result in higher overall levels of both physical and psychological health. Included within the web sites are lists of documented scientific research which advocates of the Transcendental Meditation technique use to support their claims. In providing concrete references to such scientific studies, proponents of TM present the information in a persuasive manner which may seem to substantiate their claims to potential practitioners. In this report, research involving the use of Transcendental Meditation as an alternative therapy for alcoholism and the prevention of alcoholism will be highlighted. TM as an Alternative Therapy for Alcoholism Numerous studies have been conducted which focus on the benefits of regular practice of TM as an lternative therapy for the treatment of alcoholism. Within these studies the general findings convey lower rates of alcohol consumption and higher rates of total abstinence from alcoholic beverages for individuals who who regularly practice TM as compared to individuals comprising the control groups. 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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Reform our Criminal Justice System - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 553 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/02/20 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Criminal Justice Essay Did you like this example? The justice system in America is outdated and requires a reform. This should be a concern to all Americans because your taxpayer money is used to keep prisons running and inmates fed. A big issue with our justice system here in America is that prisoners struggle to reintegrate with society onced released. Legal reform is a very broad topic but the three areas i think we are start focusing on are; overcrowding in U.S. jails, public defenders vs. private lawyers and rehabilitation. â€Å"The United States has 5% of the worlds population, but holds 25% of its prisoners. Because of this mass incarceration rate, a lot of prison facilities across the U.S. are operating way obove, or are close operating at maximum capacity. Overcrowding is prisons poses great risks for not only inmates but correctional officers as well. Evidence has shown that inmates in overcrowded prisons suffer an increase in stress and racial tensions often lead to inmate-on-inmate crimes and violence towards the correctional officers. Disease and illnesses are able to spread much faster in overcrowded jails affecting both inmates and correction officers. Many prison facilities in the U.S. do not allow their prisoners any time outside and they are kept indoors 24/7. This affects the prisoners mental health and allows for sickness to spread more rapidly. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Reform our Criminal Justice System" essay for you Create order Many of the prisoners in jail today are in there for a drug offense. The number of people incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses skyrocketed in the 1980s during the Nixon administration. Nixon brought â€Å"The War on Drug† and his administration made harsh policies to combat the distribution and use of illegal substances. In 1980 there was 40,900 people incarcerated for a drug offense, and in 2016 that number has climbed too nearly 500,000. Mandatory minimums is a predefined term for certain crimes. For drug offenses mandatory minimums are decided by the amount of illegal substance you are caught with. For example if you are caught with five grams of cocaine, the mandatory minimum for your sentence starts at five years. Mandatory minimums forces a judge to hand down a minimum prison sentence based on the charges, and this issue a flaw because not all drug offenses are the same. If you are a first offender and the judge believes you deserve one year in jail plus community service, he cannot give you that sentence because of the mandatory minimum. In an article â€Å"The GOP Argument Against Criminal Justice Reform†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Senator Tom Cotton argues that reduces the mandatory minimums will increase recividism, which is the rate at which released felons commit new crimes. According to the bureau of Justice Statistics public defenders on average have only about 75% of the required time to go over a case. Those that can afford better private lawyers are more likely to beat the case, and they have more time available and the necessary resources to defend you. This system favors those with money, and those without are usually the ones that get trapped in the system. Prisons in America do not promote rehabilitation to society. Boasting the longest sentences, America does little to provide much needed work experience to prisoners. We can fix some of these issues with our justice system by implementing these solutions; remove mandatory minimums, expand on rehabilitation program, and improve public defenders so they have more time to defend you in court.