Netball study - P.E coursework Essay Example for Free

Netball study P.E coursework Essay Netball is a fast skilful team game based on running, jumping, throwing and catching. Teams may consist of up to 12 players but only seven players may be on the court at one time, the extra players will be used if one of the players on court are injured or to tired. The aim of the game is to get the ball in the opposing goal ting as many times as possible throughout a match. The court is split by two lines that divide the court into thirds. At both ends of the court there is a shooting semicircle and a 10ft goal post with no back board. Each player has a playing position determined by the areas of the court where they may move. The playing positions are; Goal shooter (GS), Goal Attack (GA), Wing Attack (WA), Centre (C), Wing defence (WD), Goal Defence (GD), Goal Keeper (GK) Position responsibilities  GS  Her main job is to score goals and to work in and around the circle with the GA. She must be able to react quickly to things such as rebounds of the ring and quick passes into the circle.  GA  She is also allowed to shoot and must work closely with the GS to feed balls into the shooting area.  WA  Her job is to create as many shooting opportunities as possible. She has to have solid passing with a range of passes into the shooting area.  C  To take the Centre Pass and support the defence and attack. She must be swift and have sharp, quick movements. One of her main roles is to get the ball from the defending area through to the attacking area. She must be quick and have a good range of passing. WD  Her responsibility is to stop the ball getting to the oppositions shooting area. She must be good at intercepting passes. A good WD should be good at controlling the ball. She should be good at marking to prevent the WA feeding it to her shooters.  GD  Her job is to win the ball, and stop it going into the defending area as much as possible to prevent the opposition from scoring goals. She must be a good marker and stay close to the GA. She must be alert so she can collect rebounds and intercept passes so that she can get the ball back down the court into her attacking area. GK  She must guard the shooting area and closely mark the GS to stop her from scoring. Goal keepers are usually among the tallest on the team as it is a good advantage when marking the shooters. She must be alert so she can collect rebounds and intercet passes. She will also be responsible for taking throw-ins from the backline.  A bit about the rules  Centre passes Centre passes are taken alternately by the C, after a goal has been scored.  All players must start in the goal thirds in their starting positions, except for the two Cs who stay in the centre third. The Centre with the ball starts with either one or both feet in the Centre Circle. The opposing Centre stands anywhere within the Centre Third and is free to move and mark players form within. After the whistle is blown the footwork rule applies to the centre. Both feet should be in the circle, but if a player has only one foot in the circle, the other mustnt be touching ground outside the circle. The players outside the centre third must run into the centre to receive the ball. A Centre pass must be caught or touched by a player in or landing in the Centre third, if this does not happen then it is considered over a third and a free pass is awarded to the opposing team.  After receiving a pass  When a player receives a pass they are not allowed to run/dribble the ball. However they may only bounce or bat the ball once to gain control. Players have to be standing before they throw the ball.  Players have three seconds to make a pass or shot after catching the ball.  Balls may not be thrown over two third lines without being touched by at least one player; this will result in a free pass from the second third line the ball crossed.  Throw in  The ball is considered out of court when it hits anything outside the court area. The ball is returned into play by a Throw-In, this is taken by the opposite team to the one which touched the ball last before going out of play. It is taken from a point outside the line where the ball left the court. The player taking the throw in must have their feet up to but not over the line. The 3 second rule applies when the player is in position and holding the ball. Obstruction  If a player has the ball the defenders foot must be 0.9m (3ft) feet from the landing foot of the player with the ball. The defender can jump and spread their arms, as long as they do not move in towards the attacking player. The defenders are not aloud to deliberately block the attackers view by placing their hands in front of their face or eyes.  If a player does not have the ball the defender may be as close as they want, but not touching. The defender must have her arms in a natural position. They cant be outstretched.

Discussing Principles And Importance Of Good Record Keeping Nursing Essay

Discussing Principles And Importance Of Good Record Keeping Nursing Essay This essay aims to focus on record keeping. It will briefly discuss the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) guidance for nurses and midwives and the importance of good record keeping in the health care setting. This literature will also discuss four of these principles. The first principle is of detailed assessment and reviews which helps set up a care plan. It then moves on to the next principle which discusses hand writing and how it should be written legible. The next principle that has been discussed is the one that records should be accurate and recorded in a way that meaning is clear. Finally the last principle that has been discussed is that records should be factual and not include unnecessary abbreviations, jargon, meaningless phrases or irrelevant speculation. It then progressively moves on to discuss how these four principles impact on a care plan and how they are maintained. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2009:1) have guidelines for good record keeping, this helps nurses maintain good record keeping skills. Good record keeping skills is an important part of a nurses role in the health care setting. It helps nurses provide the correct and safe care towards a patient. Computer documentation is used in many of the health care settings, however hand writing in documentation is still widely used. The guidelines are used for both written and electronic record keeping. The process of record keeping is every bit as important as hands on clinical skills to helping maintain patients safety within the health care setting. It is not only important for monitoring a patients treatment and medical condition, it is also important for any legal issues that may arise when providing care to a patient regarding any care or treatment they have received when in a health care setting (Griffith 2007:363 ). There is a principle in the NMC 2009 for good record keeping that states you should record details of any assessment and reviews undertaken and provide clear evidence of the arrangements you have made for future and ongoing care. This should also include details of information given about care and treatment (NMC 2009). This principle can help when putting a care plan in place for the care needs of a patient. When a patient first comes into any health care setting the first form of documentation is a written assessment of the patient and what their care needs are. This is a very important part of record keeping as it is the beginning of the care planning process. Assessment forms will include vital information on the patients medical condition and what their care needs are. It is also important to have all information regarding next of kin in case a patients condition was to deteriorate (Miller and Gibb 2007:250). A part of an assessment that is vital to a patients safety can be infor mation regarding any medication. This can highlight what a patient may be taking at the present time or any medication that they have an allergy to. If information regarding allergies is clearly documented then all care staff involved are aware when delivering care to the patient (Diamond 2005:460). The next stage in the care planning process is to put a plan into action to what treatment is best for the patients needs. All aspects of the patients care needs get reviewed so that all the patients care needs can be met. Implementation moves on from the planning stage in a care plan. This stage involves the nurse in charge of the patient getting referrals from other care professionals to meet the care needs of the patient. Evaluation is the final part of a care plan which looks at all the information recorded in a care plan. If the care needs of the patient have not been met then the health care professionals are able to make changes to the care plan for the best interest of the patient. This may include professionals at a different skill level, specificaly to deliver that care and treatment. It is the health care professionals responsibility to record and review all information regarding patients care. This enables care progress and makes sure the patients care needs are being met safely (Brooker and Waugh 2007 358). One of the principles for good record keeping is regarding handwriting hand writing should be legible (NMC 2009). A way in which badly written documents can cause problems is if prescribed medication that has been recorded is not written clearly, not only the type of medication but also information on administering medication. If a patients records are written clearly there is less risk to the patients safety (Reddy 2006:330). In any care setting good writing skills are very important as other multidisciplinary teams can be involved in a patients care. It is important that they can easily read any treatment and care a patient is receiving and that all needs of the patient are being met. A care plan is a legal document so it is vital that all information can be easily read. Any care professional who writes any information in a care plan is personally responsible for the information that they have written (Powell 2009:300). When a nurse writes in a care plan regarding treatment to a patient they may make a mistake and need to correct what they have written, this is the only reason why information can be changed. Correction fluid should never be used in a care plan to cover any written mistake. A line should be put through the error that has been made and the appropriate notes should be written in. The person making the change to the care plan should sign and date when they made the correction so other health care professionals can see why the correction was made to the care plan (Diamond 2005:261). This makes all written information in a patients or clients care plan more easily to read and any individual who writes in the care notes should try and use a black ink pen on white paper. A patients care plan is the main tool used in a care setting to communicate with different care professionals and services who may be involved in the care of a patient. In a variety of different care settings different colo ured paper is used for certain medical interventions. It is important that any paper and ink that is used in a care plan can be easily photocopied, as at times copies of some of the patients care plans may be needed (Griffith 2004:123). There is also a principle in the NMC that states your records should be accurate and recorded in a way that the meaning is clear. All notes that are written about a patients care should be clear so that any other care professionals who need to read the care plan know and understand what has been written. If a nurse was to write settled day what meaning does that actually have to other care staff. Care plans are helpful at finding out any care issues a patient may have. If there has been a problem regarding a patients care and it has been resolved then this has to be clearly documented. When a nurse comes on shift and takes over the care of a patient and the patients care notes may read awake most of the night due to being in pain and then did not write how she helped the patient overcome this problem then this is poor record keeping skills. Highlighting every intervention while delivering care is vital and information should not be missed out. It may be the case that the patient rece ived pain relief medication at the end of that previous nurses shift. If this was not documented in the patients care notes or kardex then the nurse who has taken over care of the patient may administer pain relief again, putting the patients safety risk. Documenting and recording clear and meaningful information regarding a patients care and any changes in a patients condition is a skill, and it is essential care professional in a care setting get it right. All written and computerised notes should be spelt accurately and have a clear meaning. Spelling may not always put a patients safety at risk but its not always that way regarding miss spelt medication. Many medications do sound the same when you say them but they are spelt differently and this can put a patients safety at risk (Diamond 2005:568). To keep records accurate all information written in a patients care plan must have a date with the day, month and year the staff member who has documented the information in the care plan. The time of documentation should also be added using the 24 hour clock. If all information in a patients care plan is accurate and up to date it helps maintain good communication between all care professionals involved in the patients care (Griffith 2004:124). Moving on to another principle in the NMC for maintaining good record keeping is the one that states records should be factual and not include unnecessary abbreviations, jargon, meaningless phrases or irrelevant speculation. One way this can cause a problem is if a nurse were to write in a patients care notes using abbreviations or jargon. Nurses who come on to a shift to take over the care of patients have to be able understand what has been written to help them deliver care effectively. Records are an important part of a patients care in which various health care professionals are involved in. Using abbreviations or jargon can put a patients safety at risk as it may have a totally different meaning to another person (Brooker and Waugh 2007:154). The NMC try to advice health care staff not to use abbreviations and follow the principles for record keeping. In some health care settings abbreviations will be used and nursing students need to be aware of what they mean to avoid any confusion. One of the abbreviations that are used safely in a health care setting is BP which means blood pressure. Abbreviations get used in health care settings to try and save time on record keeping as it does take up a lot of the health care staffs time (Diamond 2005:665). When care professionals follow these four principles of good record keeping it has an impact on a patients care plan in many ways. A care plan has all the relevant information regarding a patient. Having the correct and up to date information regarding a patient helps maintain a patients safety. Good record keeping has an impact on a patients health and helps recognise any sudden changes in a patient condition. If all information is written clearly with the correct spelling then other care professionals involved in the care of the patient can clearly understand what has been written. A well documented care plan helps maintain good communication between all care staff involved in the care of the patient. Some care staff who are involved in the patients care never see each other and a care plan is the only tool they have and would use for communicating and knowing what treatment and care the patient has been given and what care still needs to be delivered to the patient (Greyer 2005:24). A care plan is a legal document and all written information has to be accurate, clearly written and should not have any jargon or abbreviations contained in it. If a care plan is clearly documented with all the relevant information it impacts on the healthcare staff by safe guarding them in regards to any legal issues involving patients including the care staffs involvement (Diamond 2008:119). A care plan is maintained by reviewing this document at regular intervals. Reviewing care plans helps maintain accurate and safe care towards a patient. The main purpose for reviewing care plans is to maintain continuity of care. A review will help care staff determine if all care needs of the patient are being met and to notice if any of the care needs of the patient have changed from the initial assessment (Miller and Gibb 2007:272). An audit is another way to help maintain good record keeping of a care plan. An audit will check that all information is written clearly, with meaning, up to date and its accuracy. Audits can help highlight any inaccurate documentation and changes that can be made to rectify the inaccuracies within a document (Anderson 2000:355). Throughout this essay record keeping has been discussed and the importance of record keeping in the health care setting. It looked at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) guidance for nurses and midwives and four principles of record keeping. It later discussed how these principles impact and are maintained in a care plan. Record keeping is an important skill that nurses should have to maintain good communication between other care staff members regarding care needs of a patient. All care professionals involved in the care needs of a patient may never meet and only communicate through what they write in a patients care plan. It is important that all information is written clearly and can be easily understood to help maintain continuity of care towards the patient. There could be a problem for some nurses when it comes to writing information in a patients care notes. One way of doing this is if a nurse comes from another country and English is not their first language then they mi ght have some difficulty writing care notes and they need to be assessed to see if they are capable to write up notes correctly. Writing up care notes regarding a patient does take up time, many nurses feel the time used documenting information could be time used to treat a patient, but care plans are very important in the health care setting. Nurses should try and not leave writing up care notes to near the end of their shift, they should try and set aside time to document all relevant information regarding care given and nursing interventions of patient. If nurses leave writing up care notes to near the end of their shift and rush through what they are recording then this may cause them to miss out important information and could put a patients safety at risk. A care plan is a legal document and nurses should be aware of this when writing any care or treatment in a patients care notes. If all care notes are written clearly with no jargon then all other care professionals can easil y read what the care needs are of the patient. Student nurses should be aware that good record keeping is a skill and it is every bit as important as clinical skills they will learn. If a nurse finds it difficult to read any information in a care plan, they should inform the person in charge. Care notes are vitally important to protect healthcare staff in the event of any legal allegations that a patient has made regarding care or treatment they have received from the nurse. A care plan is a very important document for a variety of different reasons so good record keeping is important in all health care settings. Anderson E (2000) Issues surrounding record keeping in district nursing practice. British Journal of Community Nursing 5 (6) 297-299. Brooker C, Waugh A (2007) Foundation of Nursing Practice. Edinbrugh, Mosby Elsevier 154-358. Diamond B (2005) Exploring the principles of good record keeping in nursing. British Journal of Nursing 14 (8) 460-462. Diamond B (2005) Exploring common deficiencies that occur in record keeping. British Journal of Nursing 14 (10) 568-570. Greyer N (2005) Record keeping. South Africa. Juta and co ltd: 24. Griffith R (2007) The importance of earnest record keeping. Nurse Prescribing 5 (8) 363-366. Griffith R (2004) Putting the record straight: the importance of documentation. British Journal of Community Nursing 9 (3) 122-125. Miller J, Gibb S (2007) Care Practice for Higher 2nd edition. Paisley, Hodder and Gibson 205-272. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) Record Keeping: Guidance for nurses and midwives [Internet]. London, Nursing and Midwifery Council. Available: http://www.nmc-uk.org/aDisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=6269 [Accessed 19 January 2010]. Powell S (2009) Study skills: clinical writing; what is best practice? British Journal of Healthcare Assistants 3 (6) 300-301. Reddy B (2006) Prescription writing standards: why they are important. Nurse Prescribing 4 (8) 330-335.

Understanding People With A Intellectual Disability

Understanding People With A Intellectual Disability Intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills before the age of eighteen (Luckasson et al.,2002 p.1). There are three characteristics identifying children with intellectual disabilities; mild, moderate, and severe disabilities. In the mild intellectual disabilities children in second or third grade are not identify until they enter school and formally mental retardation children master academic skills. The second characteristics is moderate intellectual disabilities is where the child experience a delay in development and adaptive functioning during their preschool years. As they get older they could experience health and behavior problems that could be sign of mental retardation. Lastly severe profound intellectual disabilities can cause central nervous system damage at birth in infants and other health impairments (Heikua et a l., 2005). The American Association on Mental Retardation (AARMR) in 1973 incorporated there definition of mental retardation with IDEA as a significant sub average general intellectual functioning existing concurrent within a adaptive behavior and manifest during the developmental period that adversely affects a child educational performance. (34 C.F.R., Sec 3000 9 (b) (5). The American Association of Intellectual and Developmental after many debates based their definition on needed support of intellectual disabilities that covers the same population of individuals who were diagnosed previously with mental retardation in number, kind, level, type, and duration of the disability and the need of people with this disability for individualized services and supports. Furthermore, every individual who is or was eligible for a diagnosis of mental retardation is eligible for a diagnosis of intellectual disability. Schalock, Luckasson, and Shogren (2007 pg. 116) Autism In 1990 IDEAs P.L. 101-476 defines autism as a developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three that adversely affects a childs educational performance. Autism is also known as Autism Spectrum Disorders has five subcategories; Autistic Disorder; Aspergers Syndrome; Retts Syndrome; Childhood Disintegrative Disorder; and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Some common characteristics of children with autism is communication, diagnosis, cannot speak (mute) gestures or gaze to share attention with objects or events (Jones Carr. 2004 p. 13), a child might not be able to stand sounds and intellectual functioning. The cause of autism is still unknown, but in 2007 researchers gave causes of autism as abnormal brain development structure and/or neurochemistry (Akshoomoff, 2000, Hyman Towbin 2007). They know that it is a brain disorder, usually present from birth, which affects the way the brain develops and process information related to language, memory, thinking and the senses. (National Research Council, 2001, p. 11). Severe Disabilities Severe disability has no specific definition that exists. Some are based on IQ scores, mental, emotional or physical abilities. The causes of severe abilities are environment, trauma at birth, delayed language, lack of nurturance or healthcare. Characteristics of severe disability can be positive and display warmth, humor, need life skills, diminishing cognitive functioning that affect thinking, learning, attention, and memory. Many have significant physical, health, and communication needs, significant developmental delays, difficulty in learning, self-care skills and need for repetition to acquire skills. Visual impairment causes deaf-blindness in functional hearing (Baldwin, 1995), communication and social skills. Children with this problem cannot learn because they need to be able to communicate and see in the classroom. Children with deaf-blindness interact with others inappropriately (e.g., hand flapping, finger flicking, head rocking) (Downing Eichinger, 1990, pp.98-99) and e xhibit behavior due to them not being able to communicate. Traumatic Brain Injury Traumatic brain injury is defined by IDEA, 1990 (P.L. 101-476) as an acquired injury to the brain caused by and external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a childs educational performance. It applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing, speech. Traumatic brain injury does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma. (20 U.S.C. 1401 [2004], 20 C.F.R. 300.8[c][12]) There are three causes of traumatic brain injury; a open head injury that penetrate the skull due from a bullet or blow to the head. The open head injury can result in specific deficits to sensory functions and behavioral. Then there is the closed head injury within the cranium of the brain that affect nerves, axons cause from a car, fall, or playing sport. Another cause is the shaken baby syndrome is when a baby is violently being shaken and cause brain injury to the baby. Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of death in children and one of the most common causes of acquired disability in children (Lenrow). Deaf Blindness Deaf blindness is a combination of hearing and visual impairments causing such severe communication, develop-mental, and educational problems that a child cannot be accommodated in either a program specifically for the deaf or a program specifically for the blind. The definition that IDEA gives for deaf-blindness is the concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. (20 U.S.C. 1401 [2004], 20 C.F.R.300.8[c][2]) Conclusion Finally, whether its intellectual disabilities, autism, severe disabilities or deaf-blindness, IDEA says a child with a disability with mental retardation, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities; and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. (IDEA Sec. 300.8 Child with a disability)

Practicing Theory :: essays research papers

Putting Theories into Practice In politics, humans seem to be very contradictory towards one another. Many situations allot for disagreement as well as interesting discussions and conversations. I was watching the presidential debate when my girlfriend started shedding her opinion, which I didn’t quite agree with. It was as if she ignored what one candidate said and believed the other because there was a bias in her thinking. That, along with what each candidate was saying was causing sway in my opinion and I felt discomfort. I chose Cognitive Dissonance Theory for this incident due to the conflicting ideas going on in my head during this situation. When she started making biased comments about whatever a particular candidate said, I had conflicting thoughts that go right along with the dissonant relationship aspect of the Cognitive Dissonance Theory. I thought that in order to make a decision you need to know everything that happens not just bits and pieces of it, but what conflicted with this thought was her biased comment that was based solely on one statement. What I was after to make my own thoughts and judgments agreeable was to arrive at some level of consistent thoughts within myself as to how I can alleviate the tension. The reason for this dissonance was because of outside sources that led me to take action that caused an effect. But after the discussion with the other person I found myself trying to achieve consonance and reduce dissonance because of my discomfort. In essence I was trying to co nvince myself that I should try and find some compromise with what she was saying so the conflict would cease to exist. In order for the conflict to stop and cope with the dissonance my attitude had to change, which led me after the conversation to seek out selective exposure. This meant I had to seek information not present at that time to help reduce the dissonance within myself and stop the arguing between her and myself. From what she was saying I also sought out a different type of perception, selective interpretation. From the ambiguous information she offered I tried to compromise and make some of it consistent to my own thoughts that could help further to end the dissonance. The ultimate tactic I used that I wasn’t even aware of until I saw this term was minimal justification. The minimal incentive given in this case was just me saying, â€Å"I’m not saying you are wrong, I just want you to see the whole picture before you pass judgment.

Comparison Of 1984 By George Orwell To The Actual 1984 Essay -- Compar

Comparison Of 1984 By George Orwell To The Actual 1984 Since the onset of the United States, Americans have always viewed the future in two ways; one, as the perfect society with a perfect government, or two, as a communistic hell where free will no longer exists and no one is happy. The novel 1984 by George Orwell is a combination of both theories. On the "bad" side, a communist state exists which is enforced with surveillance technology and loyal patriots. On the "good" side, however, everyone in the society who was born after the hostile takeover, which converted the once democratic government into a communist government, isn't angry about their life, nor do they wish to change any aspect of their life. For the few infidels who exist, it is a maddening existence, of constant work and brainwashing. George Orwell's novel was definitely different from the actual 1984, but how different were they? They were different in 3 ways: government, society, and thought.1984 starts out with a so called "traitor to the party," Winston Smith, walking through the streets nervously observing the video cameras that are watching his every move. He makes his way into his apartment and produces a journal from his coat pocket. He thinks that even this simple act of attempting to keep track of time and history could get him vaporized. This scene portrays the strong grip the government has on its patrons. A person either obeys them, or is killed, or put into a forced labor camp. After Winston starts an illegal affair with a younger woman he gets careless and "the party" finds out that he has committed what they call "thought crimes". A thought crime is the intent to do something illegal but not actually doing it. In Winston's world a thought crime is just as severe as a physical crime. They arrest him and his girlfriend and torture them until they realize what they did was wrong and that they love "the party" and will never do anything to hurt it again.The two governmental systems were different in a very major way. The actual government of England in 1984 was a democracy. This democracy's foundation was made up of a parliament and a prime minister. Most other nations of the time had the same set up. In Orwell's novel an oligarchic state existed. Airstrip One, which is the area we call England, was home to Winston and the central government of Oceania (a large natio... ...omething without actually doing it. In Oceania a "thought crime" is just as bad as a physical crime.The penalty for such an offense is that you are taken to the "Ministry of Love", but not killed. You are now brainwashed until you love the "Party." O'brien, an inner party member, justifies this by stating that all great nations of the past fell because they killed all people who didn't like them. The "Party" will never fall because they don't create martyrs. All people they eliminate love the "Party" when they are finally killed. For example: Winston is captured and brought to the "Ministry of Love," he then is brainwashed and released to society when he truly liked the "Party." Once he lived in the community for a while longer he is shot in the back of the head. The trains of thought, government, and society of the year 1984 versus George Orwell's 1984 are clearly different. After looking at the differences I stated, the reason why most people who have read the book feel sorry f or Winston should be more apparent than ever. The creation of books with story lines like 1984 help to shape our opinions of how the world should be, and make our views stronger than they have ever been.

“The Boogeyman” – Stephen King (1978)

Summary: Lester Billings, the father of three children is talking to a shrink. He seems mentally disturbed. His first two children died of mysteriously courses, but both of the children had cried boogeyman right before their death. After Lester had his third son, one night the son screams and Lester sees that a boogeyman is killing his son, but Lester doesn’t help his son, instead he runs away and when he returns his son is dead. When Lester Billings leaves his shrink, he sees that the shrink is actually the boogeyman. Their marriage: Lester and Rita Billings' marriage has probably never been characterized by equality. He is the kind of man who believes that women's station in life is to follow their husbands. (page 5. ) When Rita denies that she has taught Denny the word â€Å"Boogeyman†, he calls her a liar and feels like â€Å"slapping her around. † This certainly indicates the opposite to a marriage based on mutual confidence, love, and support. Lester does not have very much respect for Rita. I think he has married her out of necessity. Now he tries to imagine that their marriage is happy, perfect and like his mother wanted it to be. Lester actually thinks that Rita is a jellyfish. I think he sees every woman as jellyfish -something, which is inferior. He has to control Rita: â€Å"She still wanted to do what I told her. That’s the wife’s place, right? This women’s lib makes people sick. The most important thing in life for a person is to know his place. † Page 5. Time Seen in a perspective of time the majority the American population regarded pregnancy before marriage as a grave matter. The marriage between Lester Billings and his wife does not seem to be the happy ending of some love story. They were both very young, and the reason why they got married was the unexpected pregnancy, LB left college to get a job and support the little family. The marriage was, somewhat, a solution to the situation at the time, a solution to keep an acceptable position in society. Lester billings Charact. : He is against women’s liberation, which takes place at the time. He wants to appear powerful and to possess the leading role of his marriage The way in which he has been raised has probably inspired him to develop this attitude. One attitude caused by the mother is the one towards his children concerning where they are to sleep. Billings believes that his mother has been too over-protective with him, and this has had a negative influence on him. He mentions the episode from the beach. Lester Billings does not really take notice of the rest of society. He does not choose a position in the matter of the Vietnam War or the black Americans' civil rights movement. He and Rita isolate themselves in the little family. He thinks highly of himself. He believes that his decisions and methods are the right ones because he is the man of the family. Lester Billings is not a soft family man. In the beginning of the story he claims that children tie a man down. He is not very gentle towards his first son Denny. He hits him if he does not stop crying. He says that it is actually impossible to remember your kids when they are lost at a young age because you have not come to feel very attached to them yet. This is an enormously cynical idea in my opinion. Dr. Harper: The psychiatrist is portrayed as a passive spectator. He only replies to Billings' story with a few comments. However, he makes Billings talk and perhaps he realises something from this monologue. The ending could symbolise the victory of anxiety, fear that he maybe have realized what he was afraid of realizing. Interpretation: I think the ending is a simple clue to the reader that suppressed anxieties and frustrations create these hidden boogeymen that are able to scare ourselves as well as others. They take many shapes and perhaps everybody has got one. Perhaps the doctor simply wears the mask of the boogeyman in the end, as a representative of LB's personal internal conflict. The boogeyman lives in our subconscious mind, it lives in children’s minds- in their fantasy. Small children are the most sensitive about fear. They need their parents’ protection and you cannot get too overprotective to children at that age. Lester cannot realise this. That is why he has to pay with the most precious in life- his own children and finally his own life. â€Å"I started to think, maybe all the monsters we were scared of then we were kids, Frankenstein and Wolfman and mummy, maybe they were real. Real enough to kill kids that were supposed to have fallen into gravel pits and drowned in lakes or were just never found. Maybe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Boogeyman represents many things, such as, anger, fear and paranoia. You think that it is only children who are afraid of â€Å"boogeymen†, but in this story we see that also adults get afraid and paranoid and believe that there is something in the closet, under the bed, down in the basement etc. It is fear of the unknown and the superstitions, which every human being has thought about, but some gets very paranoid and they think something is out to get them. I think King’s stories also appeal to the female readers and not just to men. I think that women would understand the stories just like men. But it is right to say that King uses Women like subordinate parts in his stories and it is mostly men who has the leading parts. The boogeyman represents Lester’s fear of being the father who gives his children a bad upbringing. I do believe that Billings has killed his children himself. Some of his statements indicate this. â€Å"Christ, kids drive you crazy sometimes. You could kill them. † (Page 4) The frustrations from his own childhood may have affected him so deeply that he kills his children.

Perception and/or Reception of the Naked Child and Teenage Body in Art and the Media

Introduction and Research Question: The topic, which, we will research, is the perception and/or reception of the naked child and teenage body in art and the media. The hypothesis that we have concluded is that ‘children and teenagers posing nude for art or in the media is seen as the cause for over-sexualization in children and teenagers’. The naked body has been a topic of art and seen in the media as an ongoing issue. Child and teenage nudity has been featured in art from the 14th and 15th century, as well as in renaissance art, controversially through Bill Henson’s photography and in modern fashion shoots featuring teenage celebrities such as Miley Cyrus. This research proposal will aim to find the viewpoint of University students when shown images of teenage nudity in art and the media. This issue is an important research topic as opinions have varied in society about the impact and appropriateness of teenagers featuring in these public platforms and whether this is a cause of over-sexualisation. The effect of this issue will rely on the individual opinions in society of the definition of art. The main people being affected by this issue are the teenage population who have access to any media forms and art. The artists, such as Bill Henson are also affected as they are accused of producing inappropriate art even though they are trying to portray youth. This topic interests a large percentage of the population including teenagers, parents, media viewers and media producers. To carry out this research a focus group will be held involving undergraduate Mass Communications and Media students from Murdoch University. The opinions, beliefs and attitudes will be gathered concerning the chosen topic to then be able to compile a research report based on the findings of the focus group. Literature Review: Child and adolescent nudity has taken commonplace in art throughout history, from Renaissance paintings and sculptures to religious masterpieces. As time has gone on and technology has advanced these depictions of child and teen nudity have changed, and are often frowned upon in today’s society; today photographs, artworks and media of teenagers and children naked are often challenged as being sexualized or pornographic and nudity has become a highly controversial area with regards to children. For centuries naked children have been depicted in religious painting and scenes in the forms of cherubs, which are usually naked, posed winged toddlers. In the 14th and 15th centuries these biblical children were not seen as ‘real’ children but as symbolic religious representations of children, and this distinction was very clear. In these depictions, presenting children nude was usually seen as presenting them in the form that God had made them and was done to highlight their purity. But with the development of realism and photography this line has now become blurred. Due to the realism of photography it has lead people to believe that it is ‘real’, and as a result there is confusion between iconic symbolic children, and the general child. Gittins 1998, 119) During the Italian Renaissance era nude boys were often featured in paintings, especially in those with biblical themes. However, centuries later many artists began to depict paintings of nude children that carried no religious reference or context. For instance, Henry Scott Tuke painted nude adolescent boys doing everyday activities and although these paintings were not overly erotic and showed no genitalia they were a step away from the traditional biblical naked children. Johnson 2005, 102-104) Just a century after Tuke started depicting nude children in everyday activities professional photographers presented photographic exhibitions and books of posed naked children and adolescents. When Bill Henson’s exhibition opened on the 22nd of May 2008 many articles were written expressing the controversy and public opinions of the featured child nudity. An article written by David L. Isaacs and Thomas G. Isaacs titled â€Å"Is child nudity in art ever pornographic† was published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. This article discusses the important debate on censorship, which followed Bill Henson’s exhibition. This debate between the two authors resulted in the view that censorship laws regarding the depiction of children in art are needed to stop the exploitation of children. Yet a strong belief was evident that censorship is not needed to protect the public from being corrupted by viewing pornographic material. The knowledge and opinions of a pediatrician enables a professional opinion, which reflects the concern for childrens wellbeing. The opinion of a Fine Arts Honours graduate provides the knowledge of what art is and what role it plays within society. The focus group planned will effectively explore University students views on censorship. This literature provides an interesting debate, which our focus group will aim to further with a sample of students to give a broader opinion than what is present in this journal article. The month following Bill Henson’s controversial exhibition, June 2008, an Australian Government Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts released a report titled Sexualisation of Children in the Contemporary Media. This Government document stated that the inappropriate sexualisation of children in Australia is an increasing concern. It acknowledged the complexity of defining clear boundaries and accepted that it is a significant cultural challenge. The research planned by our team will respond to the lack of research, which was acknowledge in the Government report, on the effect of child sexualisation in the Media by providing a current viewpoint of University students. University students will be able to express the viewpoints, which for ethical reasons cannot be acquired from minors. Since 2008 many photos of Miley Cyrus some intended and some not have surfaced on the Internet. Numerous articles of the Disney star who plays â€Å"Hanna Montanna† have appeared. In the June issue of Vanity Fair 2008 a photo of Miley topless, clutching a silk bed sheet to her chest, with only her bare back exposed featured. Factors of these photos lead to controversy, even though it was an artistic piece and she was predominately covered. The article titled â€Å"Miley Cyrus’ embarrassing photo shoot† written by Courtney Hazlett discusses how It didn’t take long for Miley Cyrus fans (and their parents) to become outraged over racy photos of the 15-year-old that appear in the June issue of Vanity Fair. â€Å" Miley has commented in the article produced by the MSN Entertainment that â€Å"I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed†¦ I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about. â€Å" There has been an increase with teenagers taking part in these â€Å"artistic† photo shoots but is it really art? Many reviewers argue that this is not, and that the teenagers are being taken advantage of by their parents making these decisions for them. Also stating that later on in life these photos could have a bad effect them. Psychologists are saying that it may bring on the over sexualisation of teenagers, by not giving them the opportunity to go through their teenage years naturally and mature with age not acting older than they are with sexual expectations that they are not ready for. (American Psychological Association). With the availability of the internet other personal photos of Miley were released where she is showing her green bra and also her stomach is out as she is wearing a midriff laying on a boy does this have a link to the Vanity Fair shoot and is it a result of the medias pressure taking a toll on her personal life as her parents where not happy with the nude shot. In Disney’s release of its own statement about the Vanity Fair story, the Disney Channel, which broadcasts Cyrus's series Hannah Montana, said: â€Å"Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines. However in the Vanity Fair issue â€Å"Miley knows best† Miley comments that the pose was Annie Leibovitz’s idea. The topless but demure portrait accompanying this article could be seen as another baby step, toward a more mature profile. â€Å"I think it’s really artsy,† Cyrus says. â€Å"It wasn’t in a s kanky way. And you can’t say no to Annie. She’s so cute. She gets this puppy-dog look and you’re like, O. K. † Leibowitz has chimed in, too, saying that it was never her intent to portray Cyrus in any negative light. â€Å"I’m sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted,† Leibovitz said in a statement released by Vanity Fair. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful. † (â€Å"Miley Cyrus’ embarrassing photo shoot† The Scoop 2008) Research Method: The research method of focus group interviewing has been assigned. This method entails qualitative research. The aim is to find out the opinions and attitudes of the interviewees, who are selected as a purposive sample of the target market. The focus group interviewees are lead with open-ended questions that will be asked through out the discussion. A focus group includes a role of a moderator and a researcher. The moderator conducts the focus group serving as discussion leader to the other members. The moderator is briefed by the researcher and provided with a moderators â€Å"discussion guide. † The role of the researcher involves many preparatory and other activities including, obtaining ethics and clearance of the project, finding suitable group members, they deal with all booking and hiring of the venues and moderator, they tape all audio/ visual recordings, analysis the data and prepare the summary report of findings. This process of interviewing and gathering research is a valuable way of collecting data, because it is a direct way of finding answers to specific questions, which may not be obtainable through other research methods. A structured interview is especially good when discussing controversial sensitive issues, such as the issue we are focusing on in our research question. From our group interview we are hoping to gain information and people’s views of teenage and child representation in art and the media today, and whether they think children are being sexualized or it is the natural and reasonable extension of art. Each person in our group focused on a specific area of our research question. Chelsea looked at the history of naked children and teens in art and the media. Millie focused on nudity and the sexualisation of children and teenagers in art today, using bill Henson as an example. Whilst Deanna looked at the sexualisation of teenagers in today’s media, focusing on the Miley Cyrus vogue photo shoot. Focus Group Draft Questions: Has society’s view on nudity drastically changed in the last century? Do you think one of the major reasons for these different views are the advances in technology eg mass communication, photography) Is society as a whole more sexualized than it was several centuries ago? Do you think Renaissance art was completely asexual as critics say it is, or do you think that perhaps even then there was a sexual element to the depiction of naked children? Is there any context in which you believe it is appropriate today to depict naked children? What do you define as being art? What do you define as being pornographic material? Showing a Bill Henson photograph of a young nude girl) In your personal reaction do you consider this photograph to be artistic or pornographic? And why? Do you believe parental consent should allow 12-13 year old to participate in nude photography? Do you believe that the children in these photographs will be affected by this experience in the future? Why or why not? Do you think that this photo of Miley is provocative or artistic? As Mi ley Cyrus is a child role model/ celebrity do you think it is a good idea for photos like this to be taking or do you think it sets a bad example for the younger children that admire her so much? When this photo shoot was taken Miley was 15 years of age do you think this photo is age appropriate for her? Do you think that the media has placed pressure on Miley to produce a photo like this at her age? When looking at this photo what age do you think Miley looks and what do you feel that the photo is portraying? References: American Psychological Association, Report of the APA Task Force. Sexualization of Girls, 2007 (accessed August 28, 2010) D, Isaacs, T, Isaacs. 2010. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. Is child nudity in art ever pornographic? Blackwell Publishing Inc. www. scopus. com. prospero. murdoch. edu. au (accessed August 28, 2010) Grittins, Diana. 1998. The Child in Question. London: Macmillan Press LTD Johnson, Geraldine A. 2005. Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts. Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media, Commonwealth of Australia 2008 published June 2008. (accessed August 28, 2010) Annotated Bibliography: American Psychological Association, Report of the APA Task Force. Sexualization of Girls, 2007 This report was written by a task force which was created in the response to journalists, child advocacy organisations, parents and psychologists who have argued that the sexualisation of girls is a broad issue in society and that it is an increasing problem which harms girls. This report gave an overview of psychological theory to assist in the understanding of the psychological harms of the over sexualisation of young girls and teenagers. It defines sexualisation and gives examples of it appearing in society. D, Isaacs, T, Isaacs. 2010. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. Is child nudity in art ever pornographic? Blackwell Publishing Inc. www. scopus. com. prospero. murdoch. edu. au This article written by David L. Isaacs and Thomas G. Isaacs titled â€Å"Is child nudity in art ever pornographic† was published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. This article discusses the important debate on censorship, which followed Bill Henson’s exhibition. This debate between the two authors resulted in the view that censorship laws regarding the depiction of children in art are needed to stop the exploitation of children. Yet a strong belief was evident that censorship is not needed to protect the public from being corrupted by viewing pornographic material. Grittins, Diana. 1998. The Child in Question. London: Macmillan Press LTD This Book Focuses on children and their place in the past and in today’s society. The book focuses on the innocence of children and how that innocence has changed over time. It also explores the rights that adults hold over children and other theories that society has of children. Johnson, Geraldine A. 2005. Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press This Book focuses on Renaissance art and the part it played in European art. It does focus on particular areas of Renaissance art such as the techniques used and how stories were told through the art. The book draws on many famous Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts. Sexualisation of children in the contemporary media, Commonwealth of Australia 2008 published June 2008. The Australian Government Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts developed this report, titled Sexualisation of Children in the Contemporary Media. The report acknowledged the issue of the sexualisation of children in the media and the complexities of defining clear boundaries. This report has enabled us to acquire a Government perspective on the issue. The research carried out in this report outlined professional opinions of psychologists, pediatricians as well as the viewpoint of Australian parents.