The legalization of marijuana in the U. S. has become one of the most debated topics in the last few years. Even though numerous studies have proved cannabis to be much safer than alcohol and tobacco, most U.S. states have strict laws with regards to marijuana use, possession, and distribution. Medicinal use of marijuana is legal in 25 states, and in 18 states, the possession of marijuana has been decriminalized. Legalization of marijuana in the U.S. would be beneficial for the economy and public health; moreover, it would help to decrease the presence and profitability of illegal drug distribution channels, resulting in lower street crime levels.
Increased revenues
With half of the American states not allowing the sale of marijuana even for medical use, all the money from the illegal distribution of cannabis goes to the criminal drug channels. However, if the sale of marijuana were to be legalized, the vast majority of current and potential users would obtain it from legal channels. Since sale and distribution taxes would be applied to the legal distribution channels, the legalization of cannabis would create an additional source of revenue for the government.
Better law enforcement
Secondly, the legalization of marijuana would increase the effectiveness of police and law enforcement services. Today, in the states where cannabis is illegal, many police officers spend a considerable amount of time following and arresting street marijuana suppliers, people who grow cannabis, as well as those in possession of the drug. While these offenses are relatively minor, they take a large share of the officers’ time. Legalization of marijuana would ensure that this time is spent on more serious offenses, such as violent crimes, hate crimes, theft, and burglary, thus leading to a more effective law enforcement system.
Medicinal use
Another argument for the legalization of marijuana is the evidence of its positive effect on the health of patients suffering from certain conditions. For instance, it has been proven that marijuana helps people who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are currently no medications that could provide relief to PTSD patients; however, cannabis can alleviate the symptoms by replenishing endocannabinoids, which can deactivate traumatic memories and decrease chronic anxiety, as well as to enhance the quality of sleep. Other medicinal uses of marijuana include the treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and even cancer: the U.S. National Cancer Institute has recently admitted that marijuana can indeed kill cancer cells, thus inhibiting tumor growth. Finally, marijuana is widely used as a pain suppressor, which means that is could potentially provide relief to patients suffering from painful chronic and incurable conditions.
The decrease in drug cartels’ presence
Lastly, the distribution of marijuana in the U. S. constitutes a significant share of business for drug cartels. The legalization of marijuana would shut off this revenue channel, which could potentially help to decrease the overall presence of drug cartels in the country.
Conclusion
All in all, I believe that marijuana should be legalized and sold across the territory of the U. S. under certain restrictions – for instance, to people over the age of 18. The legalization of marijuana will have several substantial advantages for the U. S. economy and the quality of life of people who could benefit from the controlled use of the drug. Furthermore, it would result in increased efficiency of law enforcement and help to eliminate some illegal drug suppliers from the U. S. drug market.
Gun control refers to restrictive efforts to control sales, ownership, distribution and use of guns among Americans. Gun control issue has divided the Americas into three groups with proponents, opponents and neutral people. People who support strict and tough measures on guns claim that the laws would restrict access by criminals and children and limit injuries and deaths from guns.
On the other hand, people against gun control laws believe that such laws will not have any meaningful effect on criminals, but rather violate their constitutional right. Many critics have noted that increased lawful access to guns would result in few cases of crimes and shooting. Gun control issue has become extremely difficult to tackle because of politics involved.
Access to guns has been a part of Americans’ tradition and history. In modern society, however, new issues about gun ownership and use have emerged, which have necessitated the call for gun control (Lexington, 2013). The US is regarded as a democratic society. In such societies, guns should have limited roles because their presence put the whole country at risk.
Politics has affected any potential contributions to workable solutions. The National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun stakeholders are major political financiers and lobbying against any controls of guns. Moreover, politicians fear that they could lose a huge number of voters and rate poorly in public opinion polls if they introduce stringent control over gun ownership and use. At the same time, politicians who support guns and push for Americans’ rights feel like they do not have sympathy for the families of mass shootings and gun deaths.
Issue Perspectives
Gun Rights
In 2008, the Supreme Court made a fundamental ruling that upheld the right of the US citizens to have arms for self-defence and hunting. It made a similar ruling in 2010 in which it expanded the right of people to bear arms in States and cities (Adams, 2013).
These rulings took place before the recent events of Colorado shooting and Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has expressed its opposition to federal regulations against gun ownership, whereas other bodies and the public have favoured federal gun control. Some of the gun control laws are in the Gun Control Act 1968 and the National Firearms Act 1934. These laws only accounted for sales, usage, ownership, and spread of arms.
These laws also aim to ensure that wrong people do not possess guns. Such people include people with questionable backgrounds, children, and mental health cases. Most gun-related attacks relate to guns in the wrong hands of children and juvenile. The law will ensure that minors do not gain access to guns. The laws will restrict access to guns. In addition, supports believe that the implementation of gun control policy would eliminate cases of criminals owning guns.
On the other hand, gun control laws cannot eliminate guns from the public or reduce their lethal consequences. People need guns in order to protect themselves and their property. Besides, it is a legitimate right for Americans to have guns and other weapons.
People are the sole culprit, and guns only act as weapons of murder or crime. In most cases, guns used in crimes are illegal, stolen, smuggled, or not registered. Gun control laws would make gun ownership difficult as opposed to the provision in the constitution. Therefore, many people will think that such controls deny them their rights.
Public Opinion
Since these two deadly events, the American support for gun control has grown steadily. According to some survey results by Huff Post, 55 per cent of the Americans believed in strict gun control laws, while 13 per cent claimed that such laws should not be strict. Still, 27 per cent of the respondents did not see the need to change gun control laws. Shootings in the recent past informed the decisions of most Americans to advocate for strong and strict gun control laws (Page, 2013).
Activists and the public have supported strong and strict gun control laws for a while. There are many reasons for gun control, but the chief reason is to ensure the safety of individuals. Supporters have claimed that such laws would reduce cases of rampant shootings and firearm-related accidents and deaths. There is a narrow opportunity for Americans to address the issue of gun control and violence.
While some of the lawmakers have expressed their strong opinions on gun control, others are reluctant. There are proposed laws to restrict and delay permits for people who have shown or complain consistency about mental disorders (E.B, 2014). Law enforcement officials should get court orders to restrict such individuals who have shown tendencies of gun violence or mental disorders from owning guns. This approach, however, has drawn criticism regarding civil liberties and the right to gun ownership among the mentally disabled.
Most Americans use firearms for suicide, too, especially people with mental problems. Gun control laws would make sure that people with mental trauma do not gain access to guns. Moreover, such people increase the chances of arming others with guns already in their possession.
The NRA and people who are against gun control laws also have valid reasons for their positions. They believe that such laws shall only put pressure on ordinary citizens who abide by the law, but not the targeted criminals. Therefore, such laws do not have any beneficial use. Based on such notions, we have to look at the pros and cons of gun controls and develop stringent solutions, which can reduce deaths and accidents from firearms by a significant number.
Gun is a dangerous weapon that only serves the purpose of killing. It is, therefore, only reasonable if few people possess guns. Still, criminals have gained access to guns because of weak laws. However, if laws ban people with criminal records from owning guns, then criminals would find it difficult to have guns. This would also restrict cases of children possessing guns.
Video games, sport shooting, hunting, or some advertisements have glamorized possession of guns and their roles in society. These activities fail to account for the fatal consequences of recklessness with guns. The policy should address the gun culture among the public, as well as desensitize unnecessary ownership of guns. Gun control laws would ensure that people account for all firearms in their possession. This act would reduce cases of violent crimes and gun-related accidents and deaths.
The most cited reasons for gun control laws related to the number of deaths and accident-related to guns. Opponents of gun control laws claim that the implementation of gun control acts shall only affect law-abiding Americans. On the other hand, criminals will get their guns by other ways like smuggling, black market, or through theft from registered owners.
Given that the right to own a gun is a part of the American constitution and by extension, an individual’s right, it will be difficult to take that right way from citizens because gun owners will protest in order to protect their right. While the law provides the provision to own a gun, the focus should be on the personal responsibility of the gun owner. In the past, people have engaged in violence involving guns, which lead to deaths. The media have played their roles by claiming that such deaths result from sense use of guns.
One must question the role and responsibility of the gun owner. Gun owners should take control of the places in which they keep their weapons. In other words, we have to keep guns away from people who should not gain access to them. In most cases, minors who cause deaths and injuries by guns normally get them from their homes. This shows that guns in homes do not have secure places to restrict accessibility.
Gun owners need adequate training on handling guns because many people own guns, but they do not observe gun safety and usage. People must spend time in order to learn about proper usage and safety of guns. This is the only way to limit gun casualties.
Training on the safety of guns should also extend to kids. Proper training can reduce the mystery surrounding guns, which children wish to explore. Such approaches can reduce cases of minor shooting others. We have to note that many people rushed to purchase guns in the recent past for protection. Consequently, the government reacted by introducing strict gun control laws.
Challenges to Gun Control
From various reactions from different sections of the country, it would be difficult for Americans to achieve gun control policies. Many people who call for gun controls are racially and geographically diverse. These situations have hampered potential reforms in gun ownership and use. In addition, Americans have expressed diverse opinions. In other words, there is no consensus on the issue of gun control because Americans have different experiences with guns. In most cases, calls are mainly stronger after shooting has happened. However, any attempts soon fade away as the public and lawmakers turn to other issues.
Conclusion
The issue of gun control in the US remains extremely delicate. Gun ownership and use have become important issues because of the mass shooting that has left many people dead and badly injured. Politics has even escalated the issue further. Since guns are a part of Americans’ tradition and protected by constitutional rights, any attempts to pass new laws have been regarded as attempts to infringe on such rights.
Americans understand the role of the government in protecting the lives of its citizens, as well as protecting their constitutional rights. Although many lawmakers have opposed new laws on gun control, some have realised the need to introduce new restrictions, tightening existing gun laws, including background checks and mental screening for buyers. However, these potential reforms have slackened and weakened over time because of different public and political opinions.
Today, many Americans remain deeply divided about the issue of gun control. Meanwhile, mass shootings continue. It is imperative to understand current events and pass appropriate laws to control gun ownership and use with the aim of combating public mass shooting and gun massacres.
Appendix
Honesty Statement
This is my original research on the issue of Gun Control in the US.
According to Goff (2014), the tough on crime approach to criminal justice refers to the use of severe punishment on individuals that commit offenses. The approach emphasizes “punishment as a primary, and often sole, response to crime” (Goff, 2014, p. 15). A majority of people possess beliefs that are difficult to substantiate. One of the convictions is the tough on crime belief. It entails the credence that a criminal justice system, which uses severe punishment on criminals, helps to deal with lawbreakers. Fournier-Ruggles (2011) argues that the tough on crime approach relies on “retribution instead of rehabilitation and assumes a strong notion of individual responsibility” (p. 21). According to Fournier-Ruggles (2011), individuals embrace the tough on crime policies due to perceptions that the media propagate. The media raise concerns over an increase in crime rates and absence of tough sentences to punish the offenders. Eventually, people believe that the only way to curb crimes is by implementing stringent rules. The government of Canada believes in the use of the tough on crime approach to curb felony.
Characteristics of Tough on Crime Approach
According to Fournier-Ruggles (2011), the tough on crime approach has numerous features. The approach is characterized by a high number of arrests. The primary objective of the tough on crime method is to ensure that criminals pay for their mistakes. Consequently, the system results in an increase in the rate of arrests. For instance, the use of the tough on crime policy has led to many people being jailed in Canada (Goff, 2014). A majority of the Canadian federal prisons have witnessed an exponential increase in the number of prisoners since the enactment of the policy. Another characteristic of the tough on crime approach is punitive sentencing. The policy aims at punishing criminals and deterring people from engaging in illegal activities. Thus, individuals that are found guilty of any crime get punitive sentences as a way to discourage others.
Andrews and Bonta (2010) allege, “Increased racial profiling and community surveillance are some of the characteristics of the tough on crime approach” (p. 41). Criminals are profiled based on their race, which results in prejudice against particular races that are found to have a high number of offenders. Andrews and Bonta (2010) maintain that racial profiling is what made the Canadian government come up with Toronto Antiviolence Intervention Strategy. The strategy aims at mitigating crimes in high-risk communities through punitive measures. Indeed, there is a high presence of law enforcers in the communities that are considered to produce a large number of criminals. A majority of these communities comprise people of color and the poor. It signifies that the tough on crime policy is not race-neutral as the conservative government may claim. Other characteristics of the tough on crime approach include the “resurgence of the death penalty and a departure from the juvenile justice system” (Andrews & Bonta, 2010, p. 45).
Criticism of Tough on Crime Approach
Opponents of the tough on crime approach maintain that severe punishment does not deter crimes. Instead, it may intensify crimes. Individuals convicted for minor offenses that get severe penalties might come out of prison as hardened criminals. The critics claim that the use of punitive measures to deal with criminals is barbaric, archaic and simplistic. It demands “a lot of policy analysis and creative thinking to reduce the recidivism rate and ensure fewer people engage in criminal activities” (Andrews & Bonta, 2010, p. 48). Thus, severe punishment is not the ultimate solution to crimes. Instead, the government should deal with unemployment, poverty, systemic racism, and substance abuse. These are some of the factors that contribute to increasing crimes.
According to Eilkann (2007), perpetrators of crime are rather rational actors when they organize and commit criminal acts. Criminals are likely to commit an offense if the marginal benefits of executing the felony exceed the marginal loss. Eilkann (2007) argues that criminals are liable to committing crimes even after their release from prison if they realize that the chances of benefiting are high. The tough on crime approach does not boost the marginal advantage of living a life free of crimes. Critics of the approach claim that crime prevention policies can only be effective if they augment the secondary benefit of living a crime-free life. The use of tough on crime approach does not help to curb crime. Instead, it adds to the cost of controlling crimes at the expense of the citizens.
According to the humanitarian point of view, crime is a social challenge that should be resolved by focusing on its basic causes. Rather than using punitive measures to curb crimes, the governments ought to concentrate on creating employment, lessening cultural deprivation, and offering human services. In other words, the states ought to look for ways to give criminals a chance to reform. According to Goff (2014), the United States has realized that strict punishment does not help to curb crimes. Goff (2014) argues that a majority of the Canadian judges do not prefer severe punishment.
The judges feel that the sanctions deny them an opportunity to sentence lawbreakers according to their offenses. The tough on crime approach ravages families, lives and limited public resources (Eilkann, 2007). The method leads to the conviction of non-violent drug offenders but does not address the problem of drug addiction. An analysis of the United States’ criminal justice system concluded that the money spent to jail drug offenders is adequate to facilitate drug rehabilitation programs.
Opponents of the tough on crime approach argue that the method leads to increase in the number of individuals under pre-trial custody. The antagonists argue that the approach violates the constitutional assurance of supposed innocence. Besides, the tough on crime approach denies offenders the right to reasonable bail. Goff (2014) maintains that a majority of the aboriginal juveniles are denied bonds in Canada. People criticize the tough on crime approach because it aims at protecting the society and not rehabilitating or taking care of the criminals (Mauer, 2010). In return, juvenile offenders end up getting adult sentences if convicted of violent crimes. Mauer (2010) alleges that the tough on crime approach distorts the difference between juvenile and adult offenders. Consequently, the approach deprives the juveniles of the opportunity to join rehabilitation centers. The juveniles are incarcerated together with adults leading to their hardening.
Conclusion
The tough on crime approach is not effective in curbing criminal activities. Consequently, I disagree with this method of dealing with crimes. Using severe punishment like long sentences acts a temporary solution. Individuals that go to prison are bound to come out at one point. Once the criminals come out of prisons, they reunite with the community only to find the conditions that made them commit crimes unchanged. Eventually, they end up engaging in the same crimes. Incarceration does not address the factors that lead to people engaging in crimes. Instead, it only stops people from engaging in crimes temporarily.
The increase in unemployment rate, poverty, and racial segregation are some of the factors that force people to commit crimes. Hence, if a government wishes to fight crimes, it should focus on these factors. Proponents of the tough on crime approach do not acknowledge that the method contributes to increasing in overall recidivism. The financial implications of this process are unjustifiable. Rather than spending a lot of money to incarcerate juvenile criminals, it would be imperative to take them to rehabilitation centers where they can be molded and become influential people in the future.
The tough on crime approach leads to the rise in the number of prisoners. Consequently, the method is expensive as a government is forced to increase the budget spent in running prisons. Apart from the increase in government expenditure, the tough on crime approach contributes to increasing poverty level in the society especially if a breadwinner to a family is arrested. Petty offenders spend a long time in prison denying them an opportunity to engage in economic activities. Once a person comes out of jail, they depend on their relatives for a long time since it is hard to get a job. Such individuals become a burden to the families. The tough on crime approach is premised on malicious “realistic” and vengeance-oriented model. The use of the approach leads to increase in insecurity within the society. Petty offenders who receive serious punishment get annoyed and harbor a grudge against those that resulted in their arrest. Once they are out of prison, they become a threat to the society.
References
Andrews, D., & Bonta, J. (2010). Rehabilitating criminal justice policy and practice. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 16(1), 39-55.
Eilkann, P. (2007). Tough-on-crime myth: Real solutions to cut crime. New York: Insight Publishing Co.
Fournier-Ruggles, L. (2011). The cost of getting tough on crime: Isn’t prevention the policy answer? Journal of Public Policy, Administration and Law, 2(1), 19-27.
Goff, C. (2014). Criminal justice in Canada (6th ed.). Toronto, Ontario: Nelson Education.
Mauer, M. (2010). Why are tough on crime policies so popular? Stanford Law and Policy Review, 11(1), 9-15.
Nowadays, the existence and operation of a juvenile justice system is an inseparable constituent of the state. However, it is a relatively recent legal invention because up to the beginning of the nineteenth century, young criminals were judged under the same system as adults. In the late 1800s, the system of delinquent behavior was designed to become the foundation of the juvenile justice system (Whitehead & Lab, 2015).
The specificities of determining the term “delinquency” and designing justice systems vary across countries about the historical development of different countries and the primary features of their legal environments. This paper will investigate the development and special aspects of the juvenile justice system adopted and operating in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Specific attention will be paid to studying its emergence and the alterations it witnessed over time as well as comparing it to the American system.
Historical Makeup
The concept of juvenile justice was introduced to China relatively recently. The primary reason for the short history of its development is the fact that the Republic was created in 1949. Before the establishment of the PRC, the first reference to juvenile justice dates back to the 1936 Department of Justice order, which highlighted differences between adult and juvenile criminals. However, this document did not require creating a special system for judging them. Instead, it mentioned the necessity to involve experienced judges to work with juvenile cases. In 1946 the Prison Law ruled the requirement to keep children younger than 18 years old in separate cells (Winterdyk, 2015).
Once the new country, the PRC, was founded, the new era referred to as the Cultural Revolution began. For the next 25 years, juvenile crimes were hardly a problem because crime rates across China were extremely low. However, as they started growing in the 1980s, it required vigorous actions. The growth of juvenile crimes’ share in the general crime rate led to the foundation of the Chinese Juvenile Delinquency Association in 1981 and declaring the creation of the Chinese juvenile justice system in 1984. Since then, it has experienced numerous changes and improvements. Nowadays, there are more than 180 juvenile judges and clerks representing 17 pilot courts (Cao, Sun, & Hebenton, 2014).
Legal System and Traditions
The Chinese juvenile system is closely connected to traditions and religion. Because Confucianism has a significant impact on the development of society, it could not but influence the operation of this area of social relations. This philosophy emphasizes the importance of family ties and the interconnectedness of groups and rulers. It also focuses on the critical role of education. These aspects were transferred to the Chinese juvenile system based on reinforcing participation (i.e., promoting the involvement of society in juvenile cases), which results in the number of judges and clerks involved (Winterdyk, 2015).
In addition to this, the system is characterized by educational doctrine, implying the significance of educating young people on the negative consequences of committing crimes and giving them the chance to change their lives. It means that they are strictly punished only after they have been allowed to atone for their crimes. This aspect of the Chinese juvenile system resembles family relations and the process of bringing up children, which is a common feature of Confucianism.
Sanctions
The Chinese Juvenile System is based on several types of sanctions and punishment depending on the criminal’s age and the severity of the committed crime. Moreover, they are determined by the area of law infringed: administrative or criminal. Some administrative punishments include warnings, fines, detentions, correction through work, and rehabilitation. If a criminal is younger than 15 years old, administrative responsibility is transferred to parents or guardians. As for criminal responsibility, it involves pre-trial detention and sentencing to imprisonment. The most severe cases end up in life-long confinement (Winterdyk, 2015).
If a criminal was sentenced to prison confinement, keeping him or her with other young people is required (i.e., prison cells are divided between youngsters and adults). That said, there are two levels of corrections determined by the Chinese legislation: community and institutional. Community corrections include penal detention, probation, and public surveillance. Speaking of institutional corrections, these are either fixed-term or life-term imprisonment.
Juvenile Justice System
The system operates under the provisions of the 1999 Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Law, 2012 Criminal Procedure Code, 2011 Criminal Code, and 1982 Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. The juvenile justice system functioning in the PRC is made up of several constituents. The first element is the police department. Its primary role is to determine the area of responsibility by pointing to the breach of administrative or criminal law.
The police department is free to choose whether to arrest a juvenile or release him or her with a warning. The second element of the system is procuratorate. It is given the role of finding out the details of law violation and proving or disproving that it had elements of a crime. If prosecutors rule that a crime was committed, the case is transferred to the juvenile court for judicial considerations. If the court denies dismissal, a criminal becomes a subject of juvenile correction, including whether community or institutional corrections.
Juvenile Court System
In the PRC juvenile court system, there are two types of juvenile courts: juvenile collegial panels and juvenile tribunals (Winterdyk, 2015). Juvenile tribunals are divided into tribunals of general jurisdiction and criminal ones. The only difference between the two is specialization in cases under judicial consideration because juvenile criminal tribunals deal with criminal cases only. As for juvenile collegial panels, they are characterized by the absence of an independent organizational system. It means that they operate under the regulations of criminal tribunals and cannot review cases without the participation of tribunals.
There are several working practices in the Chinese juvenile court system. They include round-table trial, social inquiry investigation, appearance with eligible adults, conditional non-prosecution, suspended judgment, mitigation, and standardization of penalty, psychological correction and treatment, different forms of education and relief, and sealed criminal records for minors (Cao, Sun, & Hebenton, 2014).
A round-table trial is a special form of judicial consideration characterized by reviewing a case as a discussion instead of holding a traditional court hearing. Social inquiry investigations focus on identifying social factors that might have led to delinquent behavior and violating rules. These forces are upbringing, family environment, and some personal character traits of a juvenile. Appearance with eligible adults is required if adults are the juvenile’s accomplices. Conditional non-prosecution is pre-trial detention permitted if the time for questions has expired but the decision to prosecute has not been reached and procuratorates need more time for considering the case.
Suspended judgment is a dismissal of a juvenile with the further monitoring of his or her behavior. Mitigation and standardization of penalty aim at avoiding sentencing imbalances and imply the establishment of the universal system of penalties. The juvenile justice system is also characterized by different forms of psychological corrections and education, which derive from the influence of Confucianism and the promotion of family values mentioned above. Finally, sealed criminal records is a practice stipulating the abolition of cases involving those that served less than five years with the purpose of protecting them.
Rehabilitation System for Juvenile Delinquents
Rehabilitation is a critical milestone of reintegrating juveniles that committed crimes into society. The focus is made on education and psychological methods instead of severe punishment. They work not only with those that are dismissed but also with juveniles that are sentenced to fixed-term or life-term confinement. There are a number of rehabilitation institutions across China. Educative instructions can be provided by parents and guardians in case of minor violations (Winterdyk, 2015).
Reasoning Behind Juvenile Delinquency
The reasoning behind juvenile delinquency is simple. There are two types of behavior falling under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system. Illegal acts are either criminal offenses or violations of the law. The first ones lead to criminal responsibility, while the second ones entail administrative punishment. Social factors stimulating delinquent behavior as well as recurrence of illegal acts are also taken into consideration during case consideration (Winterdyk, 2015).
Comparison of the Chinese and U.S. Juvenile Justice Systems
Juvenile justice systems adopted in the PRC and USA share numerous similarities. Evidently, it is caused by the fact that the Chinese regulations were borrowed from Western counterparts even though they have many peculiar aspects. Both systems recognize the difference between judging adults and juveniles as well as the necessity for establishing different rehabilitation and correctional institutions for crimes of different ages.
Moreover, both acknowledge that juveniles are people under 18 years old. Both were established relatively recently. However, it is paramount to note that some states of the USA judge those younger than 21 years old as juveniles (Bartollas & Clemens, 2014). Other differences derive from the consequences of illegal acts. In the USA, probation, incarceration, alternative schooling, and community service are practiced.
Furthermore, the focus is made on punishment instead of education, while the situation is antipode in China, emphasizing the significance of education and granting a second chance. In addition to this, one of the most critical distinctions between the two systems is the fact that the American system is not universal because each state is free to develop its own juvenile legislation, while the Chinese legal environment is homogenous. Finally, the role of religion in the development of the American juvenile justice system is less influential as compared to China.
Conclusion
The juvenile justice system operating in the People’s Republic of China is a new phenomenon because, for most of China’s history, juveniles were judges under the same legislation as adults. The development of the modern system began in the 1980s. Even though it was established based on numerous borrowings from the Western systems, there is a significant distinction between the two because Chinese legal institutions emphasize the role of religion and education, focusing on the participatory model of justice.
Still, the system faces numerous challenges because, in most cases, running a system resembling a family unit does not achieve the desired objectives (i.e., does not lead to the decrease of juvenile crimes). That is why it is in a process of continuous reforms concentrating on shifting the emphasis from educational instruction to punishment as the primary tool for making it more effective.
References
Bartollas, C., & Clemens, S. (2014). Juvenile justice in America (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Cao, L., Sun, I. Y., & Hebenton, B. (2014). The Routledge handbook of Chinese criminology. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Whitehead, J. T., & Lab, S. P. (2015). Juvenile justice: An introduction (8th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Winterdyk, J. A. (2015). Juvenile justice: International perspectives, models, and trends. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis Group.
The decision by Fare Work Australia (FWA) to lower the minimum working shift for school students from 3 hours to 1.5 hours has been met with mixed feelings by the students themselves, the retail industry, and the unions. The research paper is an endeavor to explore why employer associations in the retail industry have decided to pursue a reduction in the minimum shift for school students to 1.5 hours.
The research paper further explores whether the shorter minimum shift will create more jobs for young people, and why unions are opposed to it. The views of students on the new development have also been reviewed, along with the writer’s position on FWA’s decision.
Why have employer associations in the retail industry pursued a reduction in the minimum shift for school students to 1.5 hours?
Employer associations in the retail industry have been pursuing a reduction in the minimum shift for school students on grounds that this is a chance for the young people to pursue various career paths in future. Then new decision means that school students can now complete small shifts within the retail businesses once they have completed normal school hours (Fair Work Australia 2011).
In this regard, it portrays a level of common sense and flexibility in as far as the relations regime in the workplace is concerned (National Retail Association 2011). This is an important arrangement for the retail industry. This is because the retail sector is often characterized by peak periods whereby the demand for human resource is high. Sometimes, the peak demand can be quite intense but short (Wooden 2011). Traditionally, the retail sector has willingly offered school students a head start in the workforce whereby they get a chance to learn valuable skills that they cannot get at the classroom. In addition, students also have the chance to get some independent income. This is a role that the retail industry is only too willing to assume once more (Burke & Davey 2011).
At the moment, we have a number of small businesses within the retail industry who cannot accept shifts since the time between the end of school hours and the time when businesses close is quite limited. For instance, before the reduction of minimum the shift for school students to 1.5 hours, a student whose classes ended at 3pm would not be allowed to work for a shift ending at 5 pm.
Once the shorter shift provision is being implemented in July, it shall be a win-win situation for both retailers and students alike. In addition, it would also ensure that the jobs of thousands of students are saved, in addition to enabling the creation of others (Stewart 2011).
If the shorter minimum shift will create more jobs for young people, why are unions opposed to it?
Although the shorter shift is bound to create more jobs for students, nonetheless, unions are opposed to it on grounds that the retail industry may exploit them. Not only are the students likely to earn less (because they are working for less hours anyway), but even the insufficient earnings may very well be eclipsed by the travelling costs incurred. However, the introduction of the three hours minimum shift did not elicit resistance from the unions.
At the time, many young people had to be sacked. There are also those who opted to quit their jobs because they were not prepared for the three hour minimum shift. Another reason why unions are not happy with the new rule is because for the 1.5 hours that students work, they can only take home $ 11, and it is barely enough to even cover their transport costs. Therefore, it will not be easily for students to accept working for a 1.5 hours shift.
Unions are also skeptical of the retail industry employing teenagers cheaply in order to replace adults. Already, a majority of the adult workers are casual employees. With the daily increase in living pressures, a loss in say, 1.5 hours would mean that the workers sinks deeper into poverty and despair. Finally, the decision is seen by unions as an attempt to cut out the protection that workers have enjoyed for many decades (Lawrence 2011).
The Burke and Davey article presents the perspective of students at one workplace who are pleased with the change to minimum shift requirements. Do you think all school students would share their view?
The minimum 1.5 hours shift is a welcome respite for school students because it allows them to strike a balance between their school work and working. After putting in several hours a day at school, students are normally very exhausted and when they have to put in an extra 3 hours, this is bound to impact negatively on their concentration in class the next day. When a student has an assignment to hand in the next morning, most of them would opt to leave a little bit earlier so that they can attend to it.
The same case applies to when they have to sit for examinations. This way, they can prepare adequately for the assignment or the examination. With the new 1.5 hour shift rule, students are more flexible. Even when a student wishes to work for fewer hours, this is not possible because of the minimum three hour shift rule. However, the students have now been granted a lifeline in that they have the choice to work for a shorter period of time.
On the other hand, a lot more students depend on the allowances from working after school for their upkeep. Therefore, once the minimum shift has been reduced to 1.5 hours, they are likely to earn less. Also, the academic schedule of students differs, and there are those who would still comfortably handle a 3 hour shift comfortably. With the new rule however, they are not able to do so.
After weighing up all the evidence and arguments, do you agree with the FWA decision? Explain your position
I agree with the decision by FWA to reduce the minimum working shift for students to 1.5 hours. I think that the decision by FWA to reduce the working hours for student workers to a minimum of 1.5 hours is the right one because there are still students who have no desire of working for 3 straight hours after school (Wooden 2011). There is a lot more that these students can accomplish with their extra time, besides working. After all, education should be their first priority because most of these jobs are temporary and at best, pay dismally.
Reference List
Burke, K., & Davey, M., 2011. Teenagers back in business with 90-minute shifts. Sydney Morning Herald.
Fair Work Australia., 2011. Fair Work Act 2009 s.158 – Application to vary or revoke a modern award. Fair Work Australia.
Lawrence J., 2011. Shorter shifts leave workers out of pocket. Newcastle Herald.
National Retail Association., 2011. Minimum Hours decision will open doors for young people. National Retail Association.
Stewart, D., 2011. Fair work for teens. Newcastle Herald.
Wooden, M., 2011. The after-school job is the comeback kid. The Conversation.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act or ObamaCare) is a health care law signed by President Barrack Obama in 2010 that marked a major turning point on the delivery of health care services in America (Sipes 18). The law was enacted to improve the accessibility of health care services by citizens. Its objectives are to increase access to health insurance, to improve the quality of health care, to lower health costs, and to decrease the number of uninsured Americans (Tate 22). The law introduced several mechanisms in order to ensure that its objectives are attained.
Examples of these mechanisms include government subsidies and insurance exchanges (Sipes 21). The law has been a topic of heated debates since its enactment in 2010, especially due to its impact on public and political policies. Despite the prevalent criticisms, Obama Care has several advantages compared to its disadvantages. Americans have a lot to benefit from the law than they have to lose from it. Therefore, Obama Care is an important and beneficial law that lowers health care costs, increases access to health insurance, improves the quality of health care, and fosters the growth of the healthcare sector.
Advantages of the Affordable Care Act
First, Obama Care makes health care services affordable and accessible by Americans (Sipes 23). This is made possible by its numerous mechanisms that lower the overall healthcare costs and make insurance accessible to millions of Americans. In addition, it makes preventive carefree. Millions of uninsured Americans will be able to access high-quality and affordable health insurance (Anderson par. 2).
The law has put certain mechanisms in place that have expanded Medicaid, facilitated the insurance of employees by employers, and created the Health Insurance Marketplace for comparisons of different insurance premiums available to citizens (Tate 24). People can sue the Health insurance Marketplace to get assistance on out-of-pocket costs in order to lower the amount of money individuals pay for health insurance costs. This is possible through the Cost Sharing Reduction Subsidies (CSR) that are facilitated by the law (Tate 24). These benefits make the law indispensable in improving the lives of Americans with regard to their health and quality of life.
Second, the law will increase the number of insured individuals and thus improve their health (Sipes 27). This is facilitated by two mechanisms that include the expansion of Medicaid and the creation of state-based insurance exchanges. The expansion of Medicaid enables more people to access insurance, while the state-based insurance exchanges enable businesses and individuals to purchase health insurance plans at subsidized rates. The original estimates released by the Congressional Budget Office revealed that the law would probably lower the number of uninsured Americans by 32 million by the year 2019 (Tate 26).
The estimates also showed that the legislation would increase the number of insured people who are not covered by Medicare by approximately 11%. The legislation does not cover certain groups that include illegal immigrants, people who are not covered by Medicaid, and people who reside in states that oppose the expansion of Medicaid. The legislation aims to improve the quality of people’s lives and lower the number of medical bankruptcies cases. The law also allows children to access insurance and health care services under their parents’ plans until they attain the age of 26 (Sipes 28).
Third, the legislation contains several cost-cutting measures that lower the overall cost of health care (Tate 31). According to government reports, the legislation has resulted in the lowest health care price inflation in the last five decades. In addition, it resulted in the lowest health care spending in several decades because of cost-cutting measures. The law requires large employers to offer insurance cover to their employees. In addition, gender cannot be used to determine the amount of premium an individual will pay. Finally, the law protects citizens by giving them the freedom to repeal any decision made by an insurance company (Tate 31). Moreover, an insurance company is required to give an updated and comprehensible report about the coverage and benefits that a citizen will enjoy by buying into any of their health plans.
The legislation has put mechanisms in place to protect citizens from being dropped by their insurance providers when they get sick. In addition, they cannot be dropped for making an honest mistake during the application process. On the other hand, an insurance provider cannot charge more for a sick client or deny any citizen coverage or treatment on the basis of a sickness (Sipes 33). Insurance providers cannot raise premiums because a client gets sick and cannot apply any pre-existing conditions to drop anyone. The legislation prevents insurance companies from hiking premiums without proper legal justification and facilitates the use of premium dollars on providing health care (Tate 33).
Another aspect of the law that makes it beneficial to citizens is its tenet that requires all major medical coverage to fall under minimum essential coverage. Therefore, any insurance coverage must have ObamaCare’s protections and provide essential health coverage. In addition, it must not have annual or lifetime dollar limits in order to make it accessible to the poor from low-income families.
Disadvantages of the Affordable Care Act
One of the main disadvantages is that many people who had private health insurance had their plans nullified because many of the plans failed to meet the requirements of the legislation’s essential health benefits (Tate 37).
This has resulted in the high costs of replacing their plans. On the other hand, others could lose their insurance plans that are catered for by their employers. Many businesses could take advantage o the legislation by opting to pay the fine than insuring their employees. A short-term consequence of ObamaCare is the high costs of health care because of increased accessibility, which means that more people will receive free preventive care and other services (Sipes 38). However, this should not deter the im0pememntation of the legislation that has a long-term scope. The costs of healthcare will decrease after the Act has been implemented fully. More accessibility means that health care professionals will have more workload that will lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction (Anderson par. 11).
Another disadvantage is the introduction of new taxes in order to cater for the increased access (Tate 39). The taxes were levied mainly on high-income earners and the healthcare industry. The individual mandate and the employer mandate taxes will affect many Americans in significant ways. According to the individual mandate, any American who is able to purchase insurance should either pay a fee or get an exemption. This makes the process of filing taxes more complicated. On the other hand, many people barely live the Federal Poverty Level. This means that they do not get any assistance because the federal government considers them able to purchase insurance. The cost of offering insurance will rise because insurance companies are required by the legislation to cover even sick people (Sipes 41).
A large percentage of people will be required to obtain coverage or pay a certain monthly fee in order to ensure that they are fully covered and do not only buy insurance when they need it. According to the legislation, coverage can be obtained only during annual open enrollment periods that occur at certain periods (Tate 41). In case an individual forgets to pay their premiums, they will not be covered until they pay the premiums, which can only happen during the next open enrolment. This will disadvantage many people. Finally, the expansion of Medicaid is implemented using funds from the federal and state governments. This means that people from states that oppose the expansion will be left out without coverage options.
Conclusion
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is healthcare legislation that was passed in 2010 to increase the quality of healthcare and increase the accessibility to health insurance by Americans. Since its enactment, the legislation has elicited heated debates regarding its advantages and disadvantages. Opponents argue that it will increase healthcare costs in the short term, increase the overall costs of offering insurance because sick people are covered, and necessitate the introduction of new taxes to cater for the increased coverage. On the other hand, proponents argue that it will improve the quality of health care, increase access to health insurance, and improve the overall health of Americans.
Government reports have shown that legislation has decreased health care price inflation. In addition, it has encouraged stability in the issuance of insurance because insurance companies cannot hike premiums without legal reasons. Despite the raging debates, Americans have more to gain from the law than they have to lose. Therefore, the Affordable Care Act is good legislation for American citizens.
The following proposal focuses on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. It discusses the need for the implementation of recommended changes that provide an opportunity to prevent and overcome this problem. Those companies that do not pay enough attention to the cases of sexual harassment should follow the described action plan. The advantages of the recommended alterations are explained in detail in the text of this paper. A range of negative effects made by poor employee relationships and the presence of sexual harassment cases are mentioned for the management to realize the necessity to address this problem.
Start-ups and those companies that already have a long history of performance can face the discussed issue while operating. As a result, their personnel becomes unable to perform their duties appropriately, which worsens organizational performance. Stating this position regarding sexual harassment and educating employees, companies can receive an opportunity to improve employee relations and increase their satisfaction, which will definitely affect their performance.
In this document, I provide a set of recommendations that can benefit any company. I believe that proper change can be implemented anytime. The enhancement of employee knowledge is the main element that requires the management’s attention.
Introduction
Employee relationships are often discussed by professionals because they have a great influence on the way a company operates and reaches their goals. In positive and supportive relationships, workers tend to be motivated to reach their potential. However, the same outcomes are never observed in those organizations where diverse workforce fails to have appropriate relationships. Some employers believe that workplace romances prevent their employees from being focused on their duties.
Even more adverse effects can be observed because of sexual harassment, as it does not involve mutual attraction, but it is based on unreciprocated advances (Mainiero & Jones, 2013). If such cases are overlooked, employee performance worsens, and they become less motivated to reach organizational goals (McLaughlin, Uggen, & Blackstone, 2012). A sexual harassment policy, consensual agreement forms, workshops, and dress codes are to be developed to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. In this way, they can ensure diversity, encourage gender equality, and develop a positive working environment.
Background
Sexual harassment is a critical issue that can be observed in a diverse workplace when employees of both genders need to cooperate in order to perform their duties. In the majority of cases, this type of gender discrimination targets females. It can involve physical abuse but can also deal with the use of social media and text messages (Nielsen & Einarsen, 2012). Even though it is not a direct representation of sexual harassment, this aspect of the issue cannot be ignored because employees have access to social media not only at home but also in the workplace.
Even though the management does not have an opportunity to control the presence of the whole personnel on social media, it can develop associated policies that are to be followed in the office. Without them, the whole company is likely to observe adverse influences of sexual harassment. A victim will be affected emotionally: she will lose her self-esteem, which will influence the way she communicates with clients and coworkers. As a result, she will have a poor appetite, suffer from headaches, and have sleep disturbances. Facing such issues, this person will become likely to look for another job. In this way, sexual harassment will also cause low productivity and morale in the organization. Employee turnover will increase as well as associated expenses.
Recommendations
First of all, a company should develop its sexual harassment policy and ensure that all professionals have an opportunity to access it. This information can be provided in a handbook or/and placed in the break room for it to be regularly observed (Letke, 2014). This policy statement should include the following information:
Company’s attitude towards discrimination and harassment as well as their definitions;
Employee’s rights and obligations;
Explanation of the violation of the policy;
Description of unacceptable behavior;
Outline of the way complaints are handled (confidentiality, protection, assistance, investigation, resolution, etc.);
Applied measures.
Even though it seems that in order to prevent sexual harassment, it is better to prohibit office romances, they are still likely to appear. The leaders of the organization can benefit if they develop consensual agreement forms that are to be filled in by those employees who entered the relationship willingly. As a result, an opportunity to prevent sexual harassment will be received.
The leaders of a company should always remember that employees follow their example. They should not be engaged in those behaviors they do not encourage. For instance, they should not laugh at inappropriate sexual jokes, reminding personnel that they are offensive (Letke, 2014). In addition to that, it is significant to let an employee know that those jokes one tells are inappropriate so that he/she can avoid such context in the future.
The management can also develop the office dress code to prevent sexual harassment. It especially deals with the way female employees dress up. Their clothes should not emphasize their bodies and attract additional attention to them.
It will be beneficial to develop anti-harassment workshops, during which problems that are associated with this issue are discussed. The upper-level employees are to be present at these meetings, as they are expected to share the obtained information with others.
Taking into consideration the fact that sexual harassment can deal with emails and social media, the management should encourage employees to follow particular standards of this communication. Moreover, corporate emails can be checked randomly. It is also vital to make all employees know that reporting of social harassment cases is appreciated. In this way, they will be less likely to become engaged in such actions.
If the management received sexual harassment complaints, they should respond to them as soon as possible. Immediate action ensures that inappropriate behavior will not last long, and adverse influences on a victim will not become even more critical. Moreover, such an approach ensures that no retaliation will follow harassment (Letke, 2014). An effective sexual harassment preventive plan should be developed to ensure a safe and comfortable environment.
In order to implement the discussed initiatives, the leaders of the organization should develop an action plan. Fortunately, such alterations can be done using minimum resources, which means that they can be used by any company regardless of its success. The whole process can last for a month approximately, but more time may be needed if some employees are not willing to accept changes and follow new instructions.
Week 1: gather information needed for the development of sexual harassment policy and consensual agreement forms. Identify those behaviors that should be appreciated. Develop a general plan for workshops. Reveal what kind of dress code is likely to be the most appropriate.
Week 2: prepare all materials that are to be studied by employees and ensure that all of them have access to it. Create a meeting that is focused on the sexual harassment and those initiatives the company is implementing in order to prevent it. Select those upper-level employees who will monitor the situation and make sure that the personnel follows new rules.
Week 3: observe changes. Identify those issues that occur as well as changes in the organizational environment. Prepare reports for the management team.
Week 4: create a meeting for the upper-level personnel to discuss observed obstacles and develop solutions to overcome them. Implement additional changes to minimalize employee resistance.
The management of any organization needs to realize that successful implementation of changes that address the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace can be done in four steps (see Fig. 1). At first, professionals should develop a strategy that they will use as a guideline for alteration. It is to point out how employees’ behavior will be made different, describing specific approaches that minimalize associated problems (Imran, Bilal, Aslam, & Rahman, 2017).
This strategy should be followed by the creation of a plan that can be used to recognize, approve, implement, monitor, and evaluate changes. With the help of this information, the management can pass to the second step and start educating its personnel. All employees should become aware of the existing problem and realize why it is critical for the company. They need to understand what behaviors and actions are associated with sexual harassment so that they can avoid them in the future. In addition to that, it will be advantageous for them to find out how this issue can be prevented and avoided, as well as how they should act if it is observed (Sikdar & Payyazhi, 2014).
When the main step to the change is made, the management should consider the ways to monitor alterations. It is the only possibility to find out if the implementation was successful and the alteration was useful for the organization. They need to focus on the prevalence of sexual harassment cases, employee relations, and performance. Finally, utilizing the data received through monitoring, the management should identify weaknesses of the implementation and cases of resistance to change (Jones & Van de Ven, 2016). Concentrating on them, they should develop a strategy to overcome these problems and execute it.
Figure 1: Implementation Plan.
However, this approach works for a company that has not to face such issues yet. In cases of sexual harassment made the management implement changes, there would be a necessity to add an initial step to this process that deals with the evaluation of the current situation.
When the management is willing to alter something in the way the company operates, it should develop a change strategy, pointing out what should be done and how. As soon as all needed resources are gathered, it is possible to let the personnel acknowledge how they are expected to change their behavior. Additional education should be provided for them to be able to meet new requirements.
Then, the upper-level personnel or selected supervisors should monitor the situation, noting what alterations are observed and what effects they make. If some weaknesses of the plan or personnel resistance were seen, the management should design additional changes to overcome them. In case some employees do not agree to follow new instructions, regardless of the attempts to make them alter their position, it can be better for the management to fire them. Those adverse influences their obduracy creates can damage leaders’ reputation and make the rest of the personnel follow their negative example.
In this way, advantages are likely to be observed due to the creation of sexual harassment policy and consensual agreement forms for romances in the workplace. The management should organize anti-harassment workshops and remember that they are to lead their employees by their own example. It will also be advantageous to create address code that can minimalize risks of improper treatment of female employees. Emails and social media should be controlled, as well. Finally, even if cases of sexual harassment occur, they are to be responded immediately.
Benefits
If the management realizes how critical the cases of sexual harassment in the workplace are, its members will definitely implement changes to follow provided recommendations. As a result, the company is likely to observe numerous benefits. When no gender discrimination exists, and employees are not sexually harassed, they are likely to create a positive environment that encourages equity and cooperation.
The personnel will be able to share and accept varied viewpoints without being afraid to observe adverse consequences of speaking up their minds. Both men and women will improve workplace functionality (Clapon, 2015). They will not have any problems while cooperating and will stimulate each other to reach their potential.
Employee communication will definitely improve when no sexual harassment is observed. Female workers will not lose their self-esteem and will not be afraid to stand their ground or explain their ideas. In this way, it will be easier for them to find a conflict resolution.
Needless to say that the absence of sexual harassment will increase an opportunity for the employees to build a positive work environment that encourages support and respect. It will be more pleasant for all involved parties to work in such an environment as diversity will not cause any critical problems that prevent workers from performing their duties. Mutual respect is vital in this framework because it already presupposes the absence of sexual harassment, as they cannot coexist.
In this way, employees can have an opportunity to focus on the strengths of their colleagues, which will have positive effects on the allocation of tasks in the future (Mayhew, 2017). As a result, the whole personnel will be prepared to handle conflicts when they arise without affecting company morale adversely. All in all, job performance will be expected to enhance significantly.
When the management implements those initiatives that are targeted at the prevention of sexual harassment or when it tries to resolve an existing issue, it shows that it values its employees and is always ready to take care of them. This fact is critical for the successful cooperation of the whole personnel and for the enhanced working outcomes. In particular, realizing that they are supported by organizational leaders, employees tend to become more willing to work harder and improve the quality of their services. In addition to that, their job satisfaction will enhance because they will definitely see that they are highly valued, and their contribution is appreciated.
As it was already mentioned, customer performance has a positive influence on the performance of the whole organization. When the leaders of the company develop initiatives to prevent sexual harassment, they make their employees feel valued and respected. Gender equality and diversity is supported, which is definitely mentioned by the personnel. In this way, they become more motivated to work hard. Their enhanced performance ensures that the company enhances its competitiveness and manages to satisfy its clients. As a result, its reputation improves significantly, and its positive image is spread all over the world (NAWBO Publications, 2016).
In this way, more people will be willing to work for this company, as discriminatory work environments do not attract potential workers, as they are associated with additional stress. Equality, support, and reward are those things that attract people. Having an opportunity to develop them with the help of initiatives that address sexual harassment, employers can receive an opportunity to make their company outstanding.
In the same perspective, dealing with sexual harassment, the management can obtain an opportunity to minimalize turnover and reduce associated costs. If a woman is sexually harassed by her colleague and the management does not do anything to overcome this situation, she will be likely to leave her position and to look for another job outside of this company. The same can be said about men. Even if they are not victims, they may be willing to avoid the created environment because it is not positive.
Moreover, their relationships with female colleagues can worsen even if they are not involved in the very case of sexual harassment just because of their gender. However, emphasis made on care and support is likely to have good retention outcomes. Fostering gender diversity and equity, a company can spend less on recruiting because there will be no necessity to look for new employees all the time. In this way, expenses associated with advertising, resources needed for interviews, and termination pay, etc. can be minimalized. Observing decreased turnover, new workers will be less likely to change their job as well.
Conclusions
Thus, it can be concluded that sexual harassment in the workplace is a critical issue that has adverse influences on employee relationships and the overall performance of the whole organization. It prevents the creation of a supportive environment and does not provide employees with an opportunity to reach their potential. In order to overcome this problem, organizational leaders should develop and implement those initiatives that are expected to prevent sexual harassment or at least to point out the way such issues can be overcome. In this way, advantages are likely to be observed due to the creation of sexual harassment policy and consensual agreement forms for romances in the workplace.
The management should organize anti-harassment workshops and remember that they are to lead their employees by their own example. It will also be advantageous to create address code that can minimalize risks of improper treatment of female employees. Emails and social media should be controlled, as well. Finally, even if cases of sexual harassment occur, they are to be responded immediately. Only in this way, the leaders of the organization can obtain an opportunity to ensure diversity, encourage gender equality, and develop a positive working environment that motivates the personnel to cooperate and fulfill organizational goals.
Imran, M., Bilal, A., Aslam, U., & Rahman, U. (2017). Knowledge management strategy: An organizational change prospective. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 30(2), 335-351.
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Mainiero, L. A., & Jones, K. J. (2013). Sexual harassment versus workplace romance: Social media spillover and textual harassment in the workplace. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 27(3), 187-203.
McLaughlin, H., Uggen, C., & Blackstone, A. (2012). Sexual harassment, workplace authority, and the paradox of power. American Sociological Review, 77(4), 625-647.
Nielsen, M. B., & Einarsen, S. (2012). Prospective relationships between workplace sexual harassment and psychological distress. Occupational Medicine, 62(3), 226-228.
Sikdar, A., & Payyazhi, J. (2014). A process model of managing organizational change during business process redesign. Business Process Management Journal, 20(6), 971-998.
