Violence

UNICEF is a world-renowned organization that strives to give a voice to those who go unheard: the children of the world. UNICEF or the United Nations International Emergency Fund was originally created in 1946, following World War II, in an effort to provide assistance to the European children who faced starvation and disease. It was through these efforts that UNICEF began to present itself as one of the nations leading advocacy groups for children’s rights. Then, in 1953, UNICEF was given permanent status by the General Assembly. UNICEF made its mark by assisting the U. N.

Commission on Human Rights in the creation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1959, which ensured a child’s right to shelter, education, healthcare, and protection. In 1965, UNICEF added to their ever-growing list of accolades with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 for “the promotion of brotherhood among nations. ” Following this, the organization began to devote its time to promoting proper medication and sanitation for children worldwide. These efforts included encouraging women to breastfeed their children, promoting a breast milk substitute, and helping children obtain proper vaccinations.

Throughout their years of service, UNICEF has grown to serve over 190 countries and has developed focus areas to ensure child survival and development, basic education and gender equality, child protection, and HIV/AIDS prevention in children. Each country’s UNICEF office carries out the organizations missions and objectives with help from its government, with its regional offices offering assistance whenever it is needed. The head management of UNICEF and its overall administration reside in the organizations main office in New York.

UNICEF has 36 National Committees, which promote the rights of children throughout the world and raises national awareness of issues related to the protection of human rights for children. The Committees also collects funds and develops partnerships and affiliations of UNICEF with other organizations and institutions around the world. All the work and programs of UNICEF are monitored by a 36 member Executive Board. The Executive Board ultimately controls the financial basis of the organization, and reviews its policies and procedures.

The Board is elected by members of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and primarily serve three terms. UNICEF focuses on making sure children survive their adolescent years and develop into young adults. This is an extremely difficult task due to all the diseases that effect children in less developed countries. While diseases such as malaria and pneumonia will kill millions and millions of young children, these diseases are preventable. Over half of the millions of children that die from these diseases are preventable.

UNICEF is using its research and funding to develop low cost innovative technologies to produce vaccines and antibiotics to these developing countries to ensure children can live a full and healthy life. In addition, UNICEF tries to ensure that children have access to basic education so that children can learn about these preventable diseases, along with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Just implementing organizations which channel basic information to these children can be a successful tool in ensuring that these young children live a healthier and safer life.

Education is a human right which every child should be given the right to, and UNICEF is making strides toward achieving this goal. Not only does UNICEF work to facilitate children’s knowledge and learning, but it also works to develop a protective environment for children as well. Hundreds of children in the world face exploitation and are subject to violence. Whether it be exploitation from the labor force or institutions, to brutality and abuse from conflict within communities, children need some form of protection in society.

Children have the right to survival and development, and UNICEF advocates for protective measures in governments to provide a safe environment for children. Responses taken by UNICEF towards the fight against child protection include the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Millennium Declaration. These responses taken by UNICEF use legal systems and a given set of standards that governments must respect with regards to the human rights of its children and citizens. The governments and individuals of states cannot take away or violate the rights of its people.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an important measure towards UNICEF’s fight against child protection. The principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are legally binding, making it unlawful if a state does not adhere to its protocols. “The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights. ” Governments of states have now taken responsibility to guarantee and protect children’s rights.

National governments are obligated to implement all the policies and standards of the convention, and must be accountable for their actions if there are cases of children’s rights being disregarded. The convention covers all the basic human rights from the right to survival and protection from violence to the right of a child to grow and develop. UNICEF makes sure that there are standards being met with regards to education, health care and other legal and social services, and that governments are committing to these efforts.

UNICEF makes it clear that violence against children is not justifiable, and states must implement and uphold policies and programs to insure the safety and nonviolence among children. This reassures the binding principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which acknowledges that states have the obligation to ensure accountability in all cases of violence. The UNICEF’s worldwide efforts and initiative to elevate the status of children and give them a voice is a detrimental part of improving the world as a whole.

Children are the key to the future. The children of today are going to be tomorrow’s leaders and important figures. Also, in order to fight and reduce the conditions of poverty in the world, children should be looked upon as the first step. Poverty is the root cause of children being denied their rights as a human. Poverty leads to a less protective childhood environment, and less resources for education and health concerns. It hinders the ability of a child to grow and develop.

In the end, “poverty is transmitted from one generation to the next. If there are any intentions of breaking the increasing sequence of poverty, then investments by governments and other private sectors must spent towards children’s health, education and overall development. Investing in the health and safety of the worlds youth can lead to great returns in the future. In the end, the decline of world poverty starts by implementing standards and institutions for the well being of the nations youth.

The tasks and goals of UNICEF cover an enormous focus ranging from child education and equality, to child protection and development. These issues entail many programs and much funding, which is why UNICEF is closely connected to many other organizations. Other organizations such as the World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the International Labour Organization are some of the many organizations which are closely connected to UNICEF.

These organizations all come together to tackle numerous issues such as disease control, better education and nutritional practices, implementing children welfare services, providing food and health to areas in the developing world and many other functions. UNICEF teams up with numerous other organizations to offer humanitarian aid and development to assist children in impoverished countries. UNICEF also works with the International Red Cross on emergency relief assignments in places like Cambodia which has experienced a domestic upheaval , as well as working to make child rights constitutional in Brazil.

UNICEF partners with United Nation agencies and governments to provide support and assistance to children during emergency conditions. During the first weeks of crisis, UNICEF works to assess the situation that children and women are experiencing, provide necessary immunizations and nutrition, support mother-child feeding and monitoring, provide sanitary and safe drinking water, prevent sexual abuse and exploitation, and resume education. In order to facilitate proper assistance, UNICEF has set up an Office of Emergency Programmes (EMPOS), which coordinates UNICEF’s partnership with other agencies, and provides staff support.

Within the EMPOS resides UNICEF’s Operations Centre which serves as a 24-7 information gathering center in order supervise staff, monitor world events, and insure safety of all UNICEF members. UNICEF has successfully provided humanitarian aid and helped improve the welfare of children all around the world. For instance, UNICEF has helped keep peace in Sri Lanka while educating the youth. While Sri Lanka suffered civil war and violence for over a decade, the UNICEF helped to educate children non-violent ways to resolve conflicts and disputes by launching the Education for Conflict Resolution.

UNICEF trained principles, teachers and pupils to use innovative techniques to emphasize passivity and nonviolence. In addition, UNICEF aided in achieving community-based health care in Indonesia. In 1973, Indonesia suffered from more than 10 million of its children under five years-old being undernourished. UNICEF countered this epidemic by supplying Indonesia with nutritional first aid packages for the villages, which provided scales to weigh babies as well as rehydration salts and iron supplements. A network of village health posts were formed, here mother could bring their infants for nourishment or go to meetings and receive important information regarding the health of their children. This is much like Mother Centres, which were created under UNICEF in Central and Eastern Europe. This provides woman with a social network to communicate and deal with issues such as poverty. It also provided education to girls and mothers regarding health concerns and gender discrimination. However, UNICEF has also encountered efforts that proved to be unsuccessful.

For example, while providing humanitarian aid to the people of Sudan during the civil war, the agency poorly managed the aid operation. UNICEF offered aid to the Sudan people, but failed to make sure the aid was distributed to the Sudan population. As a result, corrupt officials were taking most of the aid, leaving the people and children with little to no resources. Weak management of this massive relief operation led to an unsuccessful distribution of aid for the citizens of Sudan.

With all the focus and aid the UNICEF provided among its universal operations, sufficient funding was a key component to its success. The budget of UNICEF was provided primarily through government contributions and donations, along with private donations from numerous interest groups. However, without U. S. involvement and funding, UNICEF would not be as successful as it is today. The United States generous contributions to UNICEF portrays the United State’s worldwide investment in children.

Within the last fiscal year (2009), the United States Congress voluntarily contributed 130 million to UNICEF, which is critical to UNICEF’s budget. The U. S. fund for UNICEF consisted of just about a million individual donors along with other organizations and well-know businesses providing contributions to the fund. With the United State’s advocacy and large funding of UNICEF, it allows the organization improve its measures of child survival and development internationally throughout the world.

Since its conception in 1946 UNICEF has consistently ranked among the world’s strongest charitable organizations. Over these past decades UNICEF has established one of the top charitable business models. In 2008 UNICEF reported total revenues at $453,900,000 yet its administrative and fundraising expenses were less than $42,000,000 thus allowing UNICEF to spend over $400,000,000 on its various international relief efforts. Unlike other charities that face administrative and technical walls, UNICEF is able to use $. 90 of every dollar raised on the world’s most desperate children.

In addition to its preeminent business model UNICEF has also perfected its fundraising techniques spending only six cents per every dollar raised. As a result of its successful fundraising and financial planning UNICEF received top ratings for its efficiency and organization. While UNICEF maintains itself as a top charity its greatest strength lies within its ability to change. Unfortunately the disasters of the world rarely come with a warning thus requiring organizations to create effective and rapid response programs for such things as natural disasters and wars.

Emergency response has become one of UNICEF’s greatest strengths and it has become a world leader in the development of newer, more effective response strategies. UNICEF has also been able to successfully change with the tide of power throughout the world’s hotspots; which tend to be the most desperate. UNICEF, because of its connection with the United Nations, has been able to maintain regional offices and treatment centers throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Southeastern Asia. Since 1946 UNICEF has been a constant light for the children of the world.

It has established itself as on the top international charities. As a result of its concrete business model, efficient fundraising, and ability to change UNICEF will undoubtedly continue to provide relief for all children in need. UNICEF’s success has also created some drawbacks that should be expected with an ever-growing organization. UNICEF’s success has led it towards a results-based management style. Results-based management can be inefficient for it only cares about the bottom line and not necessarily about the means to get the bottom line.

This can lead to such inefficiencies as over-spending and a lack of precision in order to get things done quicker. In addition, due to UNICEF’s size, it has become a victim of the bureaucracy and the complexities of a large corporation. Time and money is frequently wasted on simple internal processes that become complex due to a drawn out power structure. UNICEF’s weaknesses lie within its ability to grow. Like any private or government institution UNICEF must continue to adapt and evolve to the constant changes occurring in the 21st century.

While conditions are improving for children, there are still millions of children dying each day, especially in areas of the world where there is insufficient leaderships. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the worlds worst catastrophe, and some feel that UNICEF has done enough work to help the countries in Africa that are greatly effect by it. Wendy McElroy, who believes UNICEF’s focus is all wrong, contributes some of its failures to the fact that UNICEF leaders always tend to be American.

This, she states, tends to result in the organization to convey and lean towards American interest. However, UNICEF’s strong organization and track record will undoubtedly aid itself in correcting its flaws in the coming years. UNICEF has agencies in more than 150 developing countries with the goal of helping children survive and reach their adolescent years. It looks to implement programs and policies to overcome the everyday obstacles that children is the world struggle to overcome, ranging from discrimination, violence, inequality, poverty and disease.

UNICEF has made fundamental strides in child survival and development with the use of low cost health programs, resulting in child deaths being reduced by 20 percent in the last three years. Also, UNICEF is “the world leader in vaccine supply and immunization,” helping to protect the world’s youth from preventable diseases. This alone has helped to prevent the deaths of more than 2 million children in the world each year. The promotion of basic education is also a detrimental aspect of UNICEF.

UNICEF has helped Afghanistan build more than three thousand schools to educate more than 140,000 children. These are just a few examples of UNICEF’s policies that have helped save millions of children’s lives. However, even with UNICEF’s aid and successes, more than an estimated 9. 2 million children will die this year, many due to preventable diseases. UNICEF has taken significant measures to shed light upon the issues that effect not only children, but many others throughout the world. This alone has brought about change to millions who suffer in the world today.

Protecting the world’s youth who do not have the ability to help themselves is a key step in maintaining a bright and prosperous future, since today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. The vision and goals of UNICEF have stayed consistent since its formation in 1946, always striving towards helping reduce hunger, increase vaccinations and treatments, and ultimately protect the rights of children. UNICEF is in no way a perfect organization, but its policies and programs have constructed a world in which children can further develop into the leaders of tomorrow.

Questions: Answer the following questions. Name three consequences for women victimized by male partner violence. ? Describe the following three theories: traumatic bonding, Stockholm syndrome, ND attachment. How do these theories explain a victim’s entrapment in the relationship? Why can’t battered women count on the criminal Justice system to protect them from an abusive male partner? Chapter 9 Review – Abusive Heterosexual Partners: Primarily Men Discuss at least three different types of definitions of partner violence. Discuss blame. Evaluate how it affects battered women and partner violent men. Discuss what is known about female partner abuse offenders.

Compare and contrast differences with male offenders. Assignment – Due: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 Discuss the meaning and importance of practice, policy and prevention issues. Evaluate agency services versus individual counseling services. What problems do agencies appear to have? Discuss cultural competence and why is it needed in practice, policy and prevention. Discuss the controversy over treatment of male abusers. What is your opinion? Assignment – Due: Wednesday, April 1 1, 2012 Chapter 4 Review – Child Physical Abuse Should corporal punishment be outlawed?

Is it effective? Why or why not? List five general categories of the effects of CPA on children. Describe a prototypical adult who abuses children. Assignment #5 – Due: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Chapter 12 Review – Abuse of Elderly and Disabled Persons How does elder abuse compare with abuse of younger adults? What is elder self- neglect? What sorts of individuals are most likely to abuse elders? What are some of the forms of abusing disabled persons that appear to be unique? What elder abuse problems and responses to abuse occur in nursing homes?

As difficult as it may be to imagine a violent act-taking place at work, in these times it is an eventuality that cannot be ignored. Too frequently, these days, the evening news leads off with a report about a disgruntled employee committing some horrifying act of violence in the workplace. Something like that could never happen here, is what most assumes. Unfortunately, the statistics show that violence can and does happen in the workplace. In fact, the chances of violence occurring in the workplace are shockingly high and increasing. An important question that should be asked is, what causes violence in the workplace?

The answer to this question is very complex. There are numerous contributing factors that can push an employee to the point that may seem unbearable. To an employee, being perceived unfair is one of the significant factors. Many times the organization is looked upon as not treating their employees properly. Other contributing factors are, but not limited to, an unstable economy, downsizing, layoffs – each causes fear, depression, and paranoia, evaluations, lack of promotion or advancement, authoritarian management, relationships brought to the workplace, and stress (Liabig 33).

Stress is one of the more common causes of violence at any place of employment. The body”s response to any demand on it for adaptation is called stress. A stressor may be acute or chronic. Stress can also be both good and bad. Examples of good stress are reasonable deadlines and competition. This type of stress if needed to function, without stress people become stagnates. The level of anxiety caused by a good stressor is usually in the low moderate range. Levels of high anxiety are okay for short periods of time.

If levels of high anxiety last for an extreme period then the stressor is bad, and the person functioning becomes impaired and overwhelmed (NIOSH 1). The failure to adapt to stress can cause clinical depression. Clinical depression is a depression that is organic in nature whose origin is usually a chemical imbalance or caused by outside factors. It is obvious that these circumstances may result in subsequent aggression. In turn, such feelings may produce intense emotions of anger and resentment, which may lead to the feeling of needing to harm the people that is responsible in some manner.

Other contributing factors that may trigger workplace aggression and violence frequently are related to three types of workplace changes.

1. The increased use of part-time and temporary workers. This causes aggressions for two reasons. First, the increased use of contingent workers makes existing employees feel threatened. Secondly, a revolving door of temps can make employees uncomfortable.
2. Management turnover and change. When bosses start changing, the workplace aggression level increases. This is because employees may not like the new boss style, they may feel uncertain about their own job security or they may view the new managers as an opportunity to act out.
3. Major schedule changes. Employees who suddenly find themselves working a new shift after getting comfortable with a certain set of hours can become uneasy. Detecting the characteristics of an employee that may display some of the above attributes should certainly be continuously in effect (Caudron 51). It is important that data that is collected be as specific as possible and focus on job performance or any unusual behavior on the job.

Recurring patterns should be noted. Everyone has an off day once in a while so observation or documentation should go on over a period of time. Collection of data helps the supervisor make a fair and impartial assessment of job performance. It also guards against remembering only the peaks of performance, the good days and not the bad days. There are several characteristics that should alert an employer of possible signs of workplace aggression. Individuals who commit violence tend to fit a pattern. Often, they are loners, and the main focus of their lives is their job.

Absenteeism, which consist of frequent absences or days off with vague or unlikely excuses. Also included would be excessive use of sick leave, tardiness and early departures are some things to look for. There is also the factor of on-the-job absenteeism. This may entail an employee being regularly absent from post, long lunches and always preoccupied. Then there is the issue of personal appearance, attitude and behavior. An employer should take notice when the personal appearance becomes untidy and when distinct mood swings occur during the day for no apparent reason.

If the smell of alcohol and or excessive use of breath deodorizers are used and repeated unusual accidents on or off the job occur, yes the employer should take notice. Another issue that may create workplace aggression would be interpersonal relations. If there are complaints from co-workers and from clients on a regular basis, and if the employee has a tendency to avoid associates. Direct threats of violence, verbal abuse or intimidation toward employees. An intense anger that does not defuse over time or a fascination with the killing power of weapons that go far beyond a hobbyist gun collection.

These behaviors are observable warning signs of violent behaviors. Having the ability to recognize is one thing but what counts the most is being able to prevent workplace violence. If it is not understood what triggers violence then it is difficult to prevent it. Although many acts of workplace violence appear completely random, there are actually many things companies can do to prevent violent outbreaks from occurring. The initial step would include the screening of potential employees thoroughly.

If the resources are not there, an outside service should be hired to conduct criminal background checks for a nominal cost. The implementation of a zero-tolerance policy with harsh repercussions for violent or threatening behavior at the workplace should be established. All threats of violence should be reported to the police immediately. Certain circumstances may even warrant the temporary use of a security firm. It is significant for an employer to create a workplace culture that encourages mutual respect and open communication.

It would be essential to conduct training for employees and supervisors that covers conflict resolution, how to report and handle complaints of unfair treatment and how to recognize signs of a potentially violent employee. The use of the Employee Assistance Program, which is a plan that provide employees with assistance for various problems, as a means to prevent workplace violence due to stress. All employees should be trained in methods to handle stress. When firing or disciplining a potentially violent employee, the employer should be sensitive.

To sound as if the employee is being accused, is not a good approach. An example is to simply state that other employees have begun to feel fearful and that according to the company policy, it is required to take action. This approach will avoid blame. Also when firing or disciplining a potentially violent employee, the manager should make sure that they find something good to say about the employee (Liabig 33). By building up the persons dignity, it decreases the likelihood that the employee will see the manager as part of the larger corporate conspiracy that is out to get him or her.

Last but not least, it is very relevant for the employer to provide job counseling for terminated employees. Termination is a traumatic change and counseling can help these individuals cope. It is a fact that an individual can exhibit one or more warning signs and never resort to violence. It is important to remember that people have different levels of sensitivity. What is a violence-triggering event to one person may not be to another. Each case must be examined on an individual basis and, to the extent possible, viewed from that person’s perspective.

Explain policies and procedures that are in place to protect children and young people and adults who work with them Policies and procedures in place at Northfield primary to protect the children and those that work with them are the child protection policy, equalities policy, PSHE and citizenship policy safeguarding policy and anti-bullying policy. Strategies from all of these policies are combined in all areas of the school day to protect all who work and learn in school.

Northfield believes that promoting positive behaviour is the way forward as children learn best and behave best when they know what is expected of them and when they are positively encouraged to behave well. They need to have opportunities to experience success and also need to be aware that if they do not behave appropriately they will be consistently but fairly treated. Each child knows the code of conduct which is displayed around the school, included in the home/school agreement and is reiterated during assembly/PHSE times.

Children that are bullied are not singled out or treated differently, they are comforted and encouraged to talk openly about what has happened and reassured that everything will be done to resolve the situation with the best possible outcome. Buddy systems are in place so that no one has to be alone at playtimes and older children look out for children on their own and help them to join in with others.

As well as the children the policies and procedures are there to also protect the adults that work with children. It is essential that all professionals follow safe working practices too, as this protects everyone. For example if a disclosure is made by a child it must always be taken seriously and the correct procedure followed as in the safeguarding policy even if this turns out to be a mistake or untrue.

An example of this happened to a friend of mine a few years back who is a nurse, her daughter had gone back to nursery school after the weekend having been absent for a few days beforehand, when asked what the children had been doing over the weekend the child had replied “Daddy been putting smarties up me bum”. Child services were called in and in the end it turned out that my friend had been doing the weekend shift at the hospital and her husband had been left the job of administering the suppository when required.

This turned out to be a misunderstanding but was taken seriously as it could quite easily have been sexual abuse and was quickly sorted out. The child should be listened to in a calm, supportive manner and they should be allowed to speak openly. They should be reassured and the designated safeguarding officer should be told as soon as possible. When adults working within the school adhere to the policies and procedures while working they are not putting themselves into a position where allegations can be made true or false.

For example if a child needs a nappy change there should always be two members of staff present, or if a child has an injury the adult should query it if it has not happened at school and inform the class teacher or safeguarding officer as necessary. If the injury has occurred at school then an accident form should be filled in and the appropriate first aid carried out by the designated first aider. All injuries should be timed and dated and an explanation or drawing of the injury should be documented for future reference.

Domestic Violence: Violence and Children Domestic Violence Domestic Violence is defined as any violent or abusive behavior (whether physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, verbal, financial, etc. ) which is used by one person to control and dominate another with whom they have or have had relationship with. Every year, thousands of women are victimized at the hand of an intimate partner, making domestic violence one of the major crimes against women in the United States.

Despite the high rate of violence against women and the recent attention to the physical and emotional consequences of this abuse, until recently relatively little attention had been given to the unseen victims – the children. More than half the female victims of domestic violence live in a household with children under the age of 12 (United States Department of Justice – Violence by Intimates, 2000). Although estimates vary greatly, some research indicates that two – ten million children witness domestic violence each year in the United States (Rossman, Hughes, & Rosenberg, 2000).

Because children exposed to domestic violence may not necessarily be direct victims of abuse, they may be overlooked by helping professionals and, therefore their potential problems related to witnessing the abuse go unnoticed. Ignoring the consequences of exposure to violence on children can negatively impact their cognitive development as well as their emotional and physical health. Children exposed to domestic violence may be impacted in a variety of ways. Effects might be direct or indirect and one must consider prevention, intervention, and mediating factors.

Exposure may increase negative externalizing behavior, increase risk of aggressive behavior, cause anxiety and depression, lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or perpetuate the cycle of violence by increasing the probability that the child will grow up to be a perpetrator or victim of domestic violence. It is important to understand that children who are exposed to violence are each unique and despite the fact that many may display negative consequences or great resiliency, each must be assessed carefully and individually to determine the exact consequence of exposure.

What can be done? The first and most important intervention for children is to address the issues of safety for the family. With so many children exposed to domestic violence and with potentially dire consequences resulting, it is important for courts, practitioners and advocates to better understand how children are affected by such exposure and how that impact might be altered by protective factors, such as supportive relationships with a caregiver.

The community should hold perpetrators responsible for their abusive behavior and provide a variety of legal interventions and social services to stop this violence. Child protection services, domestic violence agencies, juvenile courts, and community-based services should design interventions to create safety, enhance well-being, and provide stability for children and their families. Child welfare administrators should try to keep children affected by maltreatment and domestic violence in the care of their non-abusing parent, therefore creating permanency for the child/children.

The child protection services should have well-trained full time service providers/advocates on staff to respond meaningfully to the safety of multiple victims within a family. They should respectfully and without blame offer their services to victims, and provide the necessary service as soon as problems are identified. Child protection services, domestic violence agencies, juvenile courts and even neighborhood residents should provide leadership to bring communities together to collaborate for the safety, well-being, and stability of children experiencing domestic violence.

What a child learns at an early age depends on the parent’s ability to maintain and monitor what the children see and hear from their surroundings. References Rossman, R. B. , Hughes, H. M. , & Rosenberg, M. S. (2000). Children and Interparental Violence: The Impact of Exposure. Michigan: Edward Brothers. United States Department of Justice. (2000). Violence by Intimates. Retrieved March 20, 2013, from: http://bjs. gov/content/pub/pdf/ipv. pdf

The Walking Dead AMC’s gritty and gruesome apocalyptic hit “The Walking Dead” places the blood thirsty, agonized groans of zombies right in our living rooms. The show follows a small group of survivors in the midst of a zombie apocalypse that has decimated some seventy-five percent of the population. The cable series which first premiered in 2010 made no bones about its weekly offering of flesh-eating, blood-splattered gore.

The opening sequence of the pilot episode features a virus-ridden little girl being thrust into the pavement when former sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) shoots a bullet into her skull as he struggles to ward off her flesh-hungry zombie attack. “The Walking Dead” has since amassed quite the following of fans who rave in equal parts about the show’s violent and spine-tingling special effects and its subtle commentary on hope and the human condition.

Watching the hour-long gorefest in which infected men, woman and even children are repeatedly shown receiving violent and bloody blows to the head, one cannot help but wonder, is “The Walking Dead’s” portrayal of violence harmful in its appeal to debased human interests or does it ultimately provide a hopeful look at the human spirit trying to survive in a bleak world? One look at primetime’s lineup of this or that network’s violent flavor of the week and it is not a stretch to surmise that the populace has not come very far since the gladiatorial games of the ancient Romans.

From a macro perspective, humans love gratuitous violence. The media is inundated with copious images of cold killings and moral depravity that serve no other purpose but to shock the masses. Violence tends to equate to ratings, which in turn leads to the exposure of more violence. Studies have shown, however, that continued and prolonged exposure to horrific images, like those in “The Walking Dead”, is not necessarily without consequence.

According to researchers Craig A. Anderson and Brad J.Bushman in the peer-reviewed “Effects of Media Violence on Society”, televised violence, as substantiated by six major professional societies in the United States including the American Psychiatric Association, is shown to adversely affect certain members of our society. Fictional violence across television waves has a very real human effect. The greater the exposure, the more pronounced the effect. Violent televised images, Anderson and Bushman continue, have been connected numerous times to a propensity towards violent behaviors such as assault, robbery and even childhood aggression (Anderson and Bushman).

Given this research, it is therefore reasonable to conclude that “The Walking Dead” will not leave all of its viewers unfazed. In all of its gore, blood and killing, “The Walking Dead” is yet another piece of the violent puzzle that contributes to the aggression of many in our society. Even those who do not respond to the viewing of violence with aggression are likely to experience some effects from watching “The Walking Dead”. Prior to the opening of the show each week, viewers are provided with a parental advisory which reads, “This program contains violent images which may be too intense for some viewers.

Viewer discretion is advised” (“The Walking Dead”). Disturbing images permeate the AMC hit drama. They are unsettling, unnatural and can lead to psychological trauma and fear. Current trends in media suggest our generation is obsessed with shows featuring a post apocalyptic world. We both fear and favor the dark. Like the tendency toward aggression that can be created from exposure to violence, other antisocial or anxiety related behaviors can manifest from such images.

According to Dimitri A. Christakis and Frederick J.Zimmerman in “Violent Television Viewing During Preschool is Associated with Antisocial Behavior During School Age”, exposure to violence can also result in a variety of anti-social behaviors including depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies (Christakis and Zimmerman). Again, we see a strong correlation between media violence and behavior. Perhaps the biggest fear, however, concerning viewership of “The Walking Dead” is the possibility it has of eschewing one’s moral compass. Viewers continually watch protagonist Grimes and his cohorts violently kill and maim the walking dead without pause and vice versa.

It leads one to wonder, if this prolonged exposure to killing without thought can also increase one’s own ability to exercise uncivil behavior without hesitation or remorse. If a society’s values are represented in what that society chooses to watch, should we be concerned that our viewing choices revolve around barbaric killer instincts? One too, however, could take the opposite look at what violent, post apocalyptic television, particularly “The Walking Dead”, reflects about our society.

Many critics argue that “The Walking Dead” is ultimately a tale of one man’s struggle to create peace and unity for his family amidst a world of terror and strife. Our society’s interest in disaster and cataclysm is likely synonymous with our feelings of isolation and duress omnipresent in this modern and technological age. The violence shown in “The Walking Dead”—the fight for survival, the loneliness, the internal struggles the characters face in response to the violence—can be compared to the challenges humans face every day.

In this society in which modernism distances humans from nature, each other, and often a connection to what is genuinely important, it is easy to feel as though we are living in a dark world in which many of its inhabitants are out to attack us. Pop Matters television critic Jesse Hicks defends “The Walking Dead” as an important character study about modern man in the article “The Walking Dead: Blurring Lines”. Hicks explains that, like any good horror tale, “The Walking Dead” effectively scares with its use of monsters but more importantly balances this fear with “a search for answers, a way to remain decent among the ruins” (Hicks).

Humans are calling out for more and more post apocalyptic examinations and thereby guides for how modern man can survive and ultimately succeed in a seemingly bleak world. Through all of its violence and grisliness, “The Walking Dead’s” dynamic characters and themes regarding a search for humanity among chaos do indeed offer such a guide. Among the layered personality struggles examined in “The Walking Dead” is Grimes’ and other characters’ quests to display bravery and self-sacrifice when faced with zombie attacks.

The images are often unsettling and even at times shocking. However, the feelings conjured up by such startling images illuminate the magnitude of just how dire the surrounding circumstances are and just how difficult the decisions the characters make must be. Through the violence, we see Grimes do nearly anything to protect his family. He struggles with the decisions he makes—killing an infected child, taking the life of persons who could potentially threaten those dear to him, and abandoning his best friend.

Grimes moral struggles to exhibit heroic character traits in the face of violence ultimately provides an uplifting tale of courage and principle regardless of how dire circumstances may appear. The violence in “The Walking Dead” might also provide some positive influences based on the various ways in which we watch different characters deal with that violence. Grimes’ opposing character, best friend and fellow officer Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), reacts to violence and aggression in stark contrast to Grimes.

Grimes is slow to anger and tends to make decisions based on morality and he interests of all involved parties. Walsh, on the other hand, takes a more pragmatic, militaristic view of violence and the challenges they face. While the two characters’ plights can be disturbing, acknowledging how they fail and succeed based on their interactions with violence offers thought provoking questions on how we as individuals can deal with violence and pressures. In Alan Sepinwall’s “The Walking Dead Review—Better Angels: What a Shane”, Sepinwall argues that in contrast to Grimes’ ultimately more ethical decisions “Walsh’s death was inevitable” (Sepinwall).

While a zombie apocalypse is hopefully not in our imminent future, the ways in which we deal with violence, aggression and personal struggle surrounds each of us. Though it is important to give sufficient attention to how violence in the media is affecting us as both individuals and a society, the dynamic character development as well as the various ethical questions raised by the violence in “The Walking Dead”, if viewed with care, ultimately offer a more positive than negative depiction of violence.

Violence in television, if served with purposeful intent, is an effective storytelling device for displaying the difference between good and evil. “The Walking Dead” effectively makes the distinction between gratuitous violence and violence necessary for plot and character development. In an apocalyptic world of isolation and gory yet morally charged killings, a small band of survivors in “The Walking Dead” are fighters for good amidst evil and a model for those seeking modern interpretations of what it means to survive in the real, and sometimes seemingly bleak, world in which we all find ourselves.

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who started his voyage in Spain and was the first explorer to circumnavigate, meaning to travel all the around the world. He was killed on April 27, 1521 by the natives on the island of Cebu in the Philippines while many of his own men stayed on the boat despite knowing their captain was in trouble. The question being asked was whether or not this captain was worth defending. This question could be answered either way but in this essay we are going to argue that Magellan was not worth defending.

Ferdinand Magellan was not worth defending because he was unorganized, he forced and threatened natives in the Philippines to convert to his religion of Catholicism and lastly, he was bossy and could care less about the crewmembers needs. Magellan wasn’t organized as a leader because during their voyage after they had crossed the Atlantic Ocean and had sailed down the coast of what we now call the countries of Brazil and Argentina, he noticed that the supplies might not last them the rest of their trip. Because of this Magellan put each crewmember on a limited about of food that they could have each day.

Many of the men grew ill, were very unhappy with this decision and wanted to return home, but Magellan refused to listen to any of their needs. This shows that Magellan was not a very organized leader because he didn’t bring enough food and supplies that could last for each and every crewmember during their many long years on sea. A mutiny was also organized against Magellan, and in self-defense he killed everyone who was against him including leaders and captains on the other ships. This shows he was not organized because if he was, his own men would not have gone against him and tried to kill him.

The decision that Magellan made that changed his life was also a very important reason that could support the argument that he was not worth defending. Magellan was killed in the Philippines after he forced all the natives to convert to Catholicism. Those who didn’t were threatened just like the village on Mactan that he burned down after they did not convert. If Magellan did not make that horrible decision he could have been with his remaining men as they completed the voyage. This decision he made shows he was probably not a very good leader, it also supports the reason he was norganized. Magellan should have made a better decision, which was to leave the natives alone in their home and try to accomplish his goal, which was to reach the Spice Islands. The fact that when the natives went up against Magellan and his men stayed in the ship knowing he was in danger shows his men disliked him and that he may of done other horrible things to them that we are not aware of. The last explanation that can support the argument on whether or not Magellan was worth defending was that he was very bossy, and careless of his men’s need.

The men on board played a very important role and greatly helped him become the first leader to circumnavigate. Without the men, this might have not been possible. In the documents there is no evidence that shows he was ever thankful for them. We are also not given much information on the men who liked him and thought of him as a great leader. The documents just explain to us how he was bossy and didn’t care about them. In Document D we are told how many of the men got very sick and their gums swelled up causing them to be unable to eat.

In these documents we are not told Magellan was ever starving or sick, that gives evidence that makes us predict he was selfish and kept the good food for himself and tried to keep only himself as healthy as possible. In conclusion, Ferdinand Magellan was once again, not worth defending. He was unorganized, made horrible decisions and was a very inconsiderate and selfish leader. The reasons explained above give evidence that can answer the question of whether or not Magellan worth defending.