Law victims and criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law victims and criminal justice - Essay Example Although the courts serve as decentralised, semi-autonomous groupings of legal professionals, but that does not mean that victim support groups give up in confronting difficulties in predicting how they will follow a new law (Candace, 1993, p. 2). Victim support is criticised for it wishes to monopolise its' services provided to the nation. It is also said that this department is unable to tackle the problems of all of its victims (Duckett, 2003, p. 248). No doubt victim's expectations from the support departments and trial proceedings is to acquire justice while prosecuting and punishing offenders, but that does not mean that victim's sufferings should not be analysed in material form. Victims support organisations (VSO), groups and legal proceedings instead of claiming complete restitution for victim often seek justice alone. VSO does not consider reconciliation and mediation programs as alternatives to criminal punishment; therefore offenders' financial accounts are left untouched. VSOs does not support victim compensation programs, therefore victims who are ineligible for restitution through no fault of their own could be reimbursed at the same level, with their reimbursements paid from a pool of frees or restitution overages. VSOs go through the following processes while fighting for its' victim's justice. Methodological Issues: VSOs seeks evidence, including that from recorded crime, crime surveys, records of convicted offenders, accounts of emotional responses to crime, etc., on a socially constructed basis. Therefore what VSOs concentrate is the data on crime that reflects the way crime has been assembled and taken place. There is no concern about the improperly collected information that reveals the crime scene. However, the VSO team is criticized for working in the following way: Crime Scene Investigation: The VSO is quite popular in taking decisions whether or not to investigate the location of the criminal offense. In some 'incidents' VSOs are right in predicting that a crime has indeed been committed and it is a 'crime scene'. However, in many situations it is observed that VSOs fail to predict the seriousness of the crime and does not consider that one of the initial and primary tasks of the crime scene investigator is to determine whether or not a crime has been committed. In this context the blame must not be put on to VSOs alone as in many European countries including UK, National training centers only conduct short courses for creating Victim support officers and team. Resources, instead of basing on the complexity and seriousness of the alleged incident are dependant on their officers' decision. Crime scene is not analysed on the basis of its full potential. This is true as in many cases it is seen that the police, the field scientist, the laboratory scientist and the prosecutor instead of joining together to produce a set of facts that make it unreasonable to believe any conclusion other than the one the facts support, are giving individual facts. Therefore, the facts taken individually are not exposed to reasonable doubts, helpful in solving the crime.

Adherence Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Adherence Reaction Paper - Essay Example On Mondays and Fridays, I also include my vitamin B-6 tablet, which I am required to take twice per week. This concludes my morning routine, but not the medication regimen for the day. At night, I take another calcium carbonate and a capsule and a half of Zoloft, which, as it warns, does make me drowsy and helps me get to sleep at night. There are several things that help me adhere to this regimen. I have a pill caddy that I refill every week and carry with me everywhere I go. The rattle of it reminds me to check if I have taken my medication yet while the proper dosage of each pill for each day is already there for me. This is especially helpful for the odd B-6 pill that I am only supposed to take twice per week and is thus easy to forget. During the week, when I have a more regular schedule thanks to my volunteer job at the library, it is relatively easy to keep myself on this regimen. I have to get up at a specific time in the morning anyway in order to get ready for my ‘job’ and the evenings remain relatively quiet so that I can get enough sleep for tomorrow’s work. On the weekends, though, it becomes more difficult because I want to sleep in later, but still get hungry at the same time and I want to stay up later, but the Zoloft continues to make me sleepy. I am motivated to continue taking the medicine, though, out of fear of having a heart attack or simply not be capable of eating comfortably if that horrible heartburn feeling returns. At the same time, there are many things that make me wish I could just scrap the regimen altogether. When I am not volunteering, it is nice to lose all track of scheduling constraints. I like to sleep in late and take my time on various things. On these days, I am usually ravenously hungry when I wake up but have to put this on hold if I want my medications to be effective. This is

Service Recovery Effects on Customer Satisfaction Essay

Service Recovery Effects on Customer Satisfaction - Essay Example Further, the research results showed that their was a correlation between service recovery and customer loyalty. 1. Introduction The concept of service recovery is both a business function and a critical focus point from the marketing perspective. The hotel industry is majorly based on offering intangible services and this makes service recovery an important business strategy. Essentially, service recovery entails the measures that an organization puts in place to respond to failures in service delivery. The hotel industry is prone to several variables that make it necessary to put in place service recovery strategies. Therefore, the effect of service recovery on customer satisfaction and loyalty becomes an important topic of research. To gain insight into this topic, the researcher used questionnaires to collect data which was used to analyze the impact of service delivery on customer loyalty and satisfaction in the hotel industry. 1.1 Research Aim This report aims to examine the im pacts of service recovery on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the hotel industry. ... 2. Literature Review 2.1 Service Recovery According to Keith (2008), service recovery is the well thought out process solving the issues of aggrieved customer and returning the customer to a state of satisfaction with the product or company. Service delivery can also be thought of as the set of actions a firm takes as a response to poor service quality (Andreasson, 2000). Therefore, service recovery can be considered as the response of a firm to its clients after a product or service failure with the intention of appeasing the aggrieved client and maintain their business value. The ultimate goal of service recovery is to ensure that clients maintain their business relationships with the firm that caused them the initial problem. In every organization, things occur that may have undesired effect on the customer. Hence, a company needs to have systems in place to implement corrective measures whe n things go wrong. The ultimate test of a company’s commitment to quality service is how it handles issues concerning instances of provision of below per services (Craig. 1999). He further argues that organizations need to put in place effective recovery strategies to win back a customers trust after instances problems in service delivery. Service recovery strategies are necessary to ensure that the service failures do not fit into a pattern of failure which might have devastating effects on the business enterprise (Berry 1995). Some studies indicate that excellent initial service is much better than relying on service recovery. However, other studies point out that service recovery has a greater impact on the customer than even the initial service.

Adherence Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Adherence Reaction Paper - Essay Example On Mondays and Fridays, I also include my vitamin B-6 tablet, which I am required to take twice per week. This concludes my morning routine, but not the medication regimen for the day. At night, I take another calcium carbonate and a capsule and a half of Zoloft, which, as it warns, does make me drowsy and helps me get to sleep at night. There are several things that help me adhere to this regimen. I have a pill caddy that I refill every week and carry with me everywhere I go. The rattle of it reminds me to check if I have taken my medication yet while the proper dosage of each pill for each day is already there for me. This is especially helpful for the odd B-6 pill that I am only supposed to take twice per week and is thus easy to forget. During the week, when I have a more regular schedule thanks to my volunteer job at the library, it is relatively easy to keep myself on this regimen. I have to get up at a specific time in the morning anyway in order to get ready for my ‘job’ and the evenings remain relatively quiet so that I can get enough sleep for tomorrow’s work. On the weekends, though, it becomes more difficult because I want to sleep in later, but still get hungry at the same time and I want to stay up later, but the Zoloft continues to make me sleepy. I am motivated to continue taking the medicine, though, out of fear of having a heart attack or simply not be capable of eating comfortably if that horrible heartburn feeling returns. At the same time, there are many things that make me wish I could just scrap the regimen altogether. When I am not volunteering, it is nice to lose all track of scheduling constraints. I like to sleep in late and take my time on various things. On these days, I am usually ravenously hungry when I wake up but have to put this on hold if I want my medications to be effective. This is

Morality, Ethics & Human Behavior and Determining Moral Behavior Essay

Morality, Ethics & Human Behavior and Determining Moral Behavior - Essay Example These rules are applicable for a single class of human action like political ethics, social ethics and medical ethics. Values are the set ethical ideals which are being created before developing an ethical program (ERC, 2009). A person’s value system helps to built moral beliefs, thus they are integral part of ethical system. Ethical systems are moral theories or philosophies through which one approaches toward making moral decision. These approaches are universal and can be divided into certain categories like Utilitarianism and Deontology. All these ethical systems follow rigid rules and they are highly regulated; these systems are reliable and dependable for asserting moral behavior, they reflect moral thoughts and they are logically impartial (universal), they does not have any value until and unless they are employed thus they not self-servicing. Both teleological and deontological systems are the two most common theories which provide conflicting answer regarding morality. Teleological system takes into account result of the act. Thus consequence of an action is taken into consideration while making decision, in spite of the intention behind the act. Deontological system takes nature of the act into consideration while judging an act, thus they are duty based. If intention behind a decision is morally correct, then what ever be the outcome, it will be considered as a moral decision (White,

Free

Freedom Road Term Paper Essay Howard Fast, the author of the book Freedom Road, was born on November 11, 1914 and died at the age of 89 on March 12, 2003. Fast lived a long and adventurous life. A few of the things he did throughout his lifetime were; joining the American Communist party in 1943, serving a prison term in 1950 for refusing to cooperate with the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and his books were purged from American school libraries. On the other hand some of the positive things that happened in his life was that in 1953, he was rewarded the Stalin Peace Prize and in June of 1937 he married his first wife, Bette Cohen. In adjunction with his adventurous lifestyle, Fast spent most of his time writing. He wrote seven works of nonfiction, two autobiographies, fifty-two novels, five short stories one essay, and seven Masao Masuto Mysteries under the Penn name E.V. Cunningham. As well as writing, he created two films based off novels. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Fast) In the book Freedom Road, Howard Fast tells a fictional story based off the true events that occurred during the Constitutional Convention. The beginning of the book does not start the way most books start. This novel starts by talking about the main character, Gideon, as if we are supposed to know who he is. At first, this is confusing but after a couple of pages, you catch on and start to understand a lot easier. The first thing we are told about in the book is how all of the freed men from the small town of Charleston, had left a few weeks back to go vote. However, neither the town nor the men who left knew what voting actually was. Not knowing what voting was, made everyone who stayed in town very nervous and worried, they were not sure whether or not those men would be coming home or not. Therefore, when they men were spotted walking back into town everyone was extremely excited and could not wait to hear all about this voting thing. However, it seemed that none of the men were really talking, until one of them tells the town that they have some big news to share with everyone. Thus far, into the book, we have yet to hear from the main character, and we have actually been reading from his wives point of view. Once the returning men started talking, the book transitions from the wives point of view to Gideon’s, and that is when things start to pick up. We learn that the men’s big news is the fact that Gideon was elected to be a delegate. Because of his prowess in battle, the other ex-slaves looked to him as their leader in peacetime, but he was an uneducated man who felt himself unsuited for leadership. Yet knowing that his people wanted and needed him, he was determined to make himself fit into the pattern their hopes had cut out for him. However, none of them truly knew what a delegate was or what exactly a delegate did. The only thing they really knew was the Gideon would be receiving a letter once all the votes were counted to tell him if he had won the election. Several months go past in the book and nothing happens, no one in the town hears anything about Gideon being elected. Then one day, the postal man comes around and hands Gideon the letter that he had been waiting for. At this point in the book, we find out how afraid he is to go to Charleston because he is a â€Å"nigger.† He feels as though he is not very smart. He does not want to go â€Å"to city full of white houses†¦ full of white folks making fun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 16-17). So in order to help him overcome that fear Brother Peter tells him the people need a leader and because of how strong Gideon is physically and mentally, he was chosen to represent them. Because of Brother Peter, Gideon decides to go to Charleston. When he arrives in Charles and he realizes that, he has no money and no place to sleep, so he ends up sleeping under a hay barrel for the first night. It is the next morning when Gideon is offered a couple of cents for some physical labor, he reluctantly accepts the job realizing that he has no other option but to. Because of that money he is able to rent a room for the nights he will be at the convention, buy some food, and clothes that will look appropriate for the convention. Moreover, this is when we start getting into the convention. For the first couple of days Gideon was determined not to speak at the convention, in fear of making a fool of himself in front of all the educated white folk. Yet one day he is outraged and just cannot help himself, he gets up and speaks. Nevertheless, he was still embarrassed that he could not find the right words for what he was saying and for the fact that he sounded very uneducated compared to some of the rest. However when he was given some books that taught him how to read and speak properly, he began to speak out more and voice his opinion. To his surprise he was heard, people started to listen to what he was saying, and even siding with him. Fast explains that the Constitutional Convention worked because, though neither black nor poor whites were overly fond of each other, both realized they had a common enemy in a planter group. With the help of Gideon’s voice, and many others they fought against the planter group. The fought for a system of public schools, the abolition of imprisonment for debt, a simple and fair divorce law, a statute making it impossible for a wifes property to be sold in settlement of her husbands debts, and a measure for universal suffrage – which, came as close as man had ever come to giving women a break and land. Even though he fought for all of these things, the most important ones for Gideon were fair and equal education, and land. Throughout his time at the convention lets his wife slip away from him and stands by while a white northerner helps Gideons oldest son, Jeff, through medical school in Scotland; there was no medical school in America free enough from prejudice to accept him. Gideon loses site at what he loves the most in his life, and lets them all slip away because freedom seems more important than family. Some of the themes of this book are love and understanding, vigilance and perseverance, and hope. The reason why I say that a theme is love and understanding is because in the beginning of the book we hear about how his wife has stayed by his side through thick and thin. She waited for him though the war that he willingly signed up to go fight for. She let him go vote because she realized that even though no one knew exactly what it was, it was something of importance to her husband. In addition, though she has just gotten her husband back and did not want him to leave again; she understood that t his was something that he needed to do. She stood by his side, maybe not physically but mentally, throughout the entirety of the convention. Although this theme is not a main theme in the book, I think that it is a rather important one. The other theme I had mentioned was vigilance and perseverance. I believe these two themes are the main themes of the book, because everyone in this book is persevering in one way or another. Brother Peter insists that Gideon goes to the convention. Everyone at the convention is pushing for exactly what it is that they want written down, and his son is moving to a land unknown to him for an education that he cannot receive where he is. The last theme I had mentioned was hope. I believe that hope is the most predominant theme throughout the book, because every single person has hope. In the beginning, the town and the men who left were hoping that this voting thing was not going to get them killed. Gideon’s wife hoped that he would not leave her again, and when he did, she hoped that he would be okay and that she would get to see him again. The people of the convention all held on to the hope that what they say and what they want will be written down into a law. Then we have Gideon himself, he has hope that he will be able to read, write and give all freed slaves the right to an education. The theme of hope plays repeatedly throughout the story. All of the stories characters played a large role in the book, everyone influenced the book in one way or another, but a few of the characters that stood out to me are Brother Peter, Gideon, and Cardozo. The first character that really stands out to me is Brother Peter. I think the fact that he did not stand up and ask people to vote for him, as a delegate was a selfless act. All of the people in town look up to him and ask him for advice, they would have easily voted for him as they did Gideon, but brother Peter knew that Gideon would have more to learn from being a delegate than he would. Brother Peter also knew that Gideon would have more of a fight in him than he would. I th ink the reason why Brother Peter was so pushy about Gideon going to the convention was that he knew that Gideon would get things done. The other character that stands out to me is Gideon. Gideon starts in the beginning of the book being illiterate, but pushes though the struggle of learning how to read and write by himself. He also struggles with the fact that he is poor and does not measure up to some of the other people in the convention. Gideon fights for education and freedom so much that he lets go of everything that he truly loves. He lets his wife slip away and his son leaves. He forgets that he has people waiting for him back home. Even though I hate that he loses sight of the place he came from and his family, he over comes many struggles and fights to achieve his goals. The other character that stands out to me is Cardozo. Cardozo is the first person at the convention that comes up and talks to Gideon. I like the way Cardozo sees things differently, he is a black man that has been free all his life, got an education, socialized around white people his entire life. Therefore, when he first talks to Gideon he wants him to explain why black people should have en education. Once Gideon explains himself Cardozo understands, and helps Gideon as much as he can. He introduces him to all the right people, he supports him in the convention, and most of all he gave Gideon books that taught him how to read and write. He gave Gideon what he had come to fight for. I think it takes very kindhearted people to stand by someone who cannot even form the words to fight by themselves. Before I actually started reading this story, I thought it was going to be another extremely boring history book, however once I started I could not put it down. The way this story was written was fabulous. The way Fast incorporated Gideon’s thoughts, his writing and speaking was interesting. I loved that the real facts of what happened during that time was not just thrown in our faces, it was mixed into the fictional story that kept you interested. I think the way that we are lead through the past so effortlessly was a fascinating way to keep reader interested. I like the way Fast incorporated all the different kinds of people at the convention. In the story, the laws of freedom, education, and land would not have got through without the black folks and poor white folks being there. I think the way Fast portrayed Gideon, as a strong illiterate freedman was a great way to grab the reader’s attention and walk us through the past in a wonderful way. I think the only thing that Fast is really missing is more of Gideon speaking. Fast does an excellent narration of illiterate folks, but he does not do enough of it. Overall, this book was great, I will most likely be keeping it, and not reselling it so I can re-read it repeatedly.

Clients Description And Functioning Social Work Essay

Clients Description And Functioning Social Work Essay The client is a sixteen-year-old African American female who is pregnant with her second child. The client attends junior high school. The client lives with her mother, age unknown, who is unemployed. B. Setting Peak View Behavioral Health is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Peak View Behavioral Health is a psychiatric hospital dedicated to providing quality care to promote growth and structure for clients and families (Peak View Behavioral Health, 2012). Peak View Behavioral Health treats adults ages eighteen and older and, in January 2013, will begin to serve children ages four to seventeen. The hospitals services include acute psychiatric care, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient services, substance abuse, twenty-four hour assessment and Electroconvulsive Therapy. C. Reason for Referral The client was referred to Each One Teach One, an alternative school, by her prior public school principal. The client is pregnant with her second child and has been suspended from the public school. Adolescent pregnancy, intended or not, can have negative consequences. Common consequences of adolescent pregnancy include dropping out of high school, living in poverty, relying on public welfare, and experiencing higher levels of psychological distress, as compared to their same age peers (Stoiber, 2005). The consequences of the clients pregnancies are reflected by her situation. She has been referred to an alternative school and experiences psychological stress which impacts her relationships. The principal was aware of the clients first pregnancy, although no previous interventions were attempted. The principal suspects the client is having difficulty in her home life, although she will not disclose to the principal how she became pregnant twice. Client is not happy about the suspension from public school. Client does not understand why she is being suspended because she feels as though she has not done anything wrong. Although she is upset about the suspension from her public school, she does seem interested in the referral to the alternative school as evidenced by her accepting the referral and attending Each One Teach One. One of the highlighted strengths in the lives of African Americans is their strong educational or achievement orientation (Boyd-Franklin, 2006). Although the client is experiencing a negative social and economic environment, she appears to be motivated to better herself. The clients mother does not support the referral for client to attend the alternative school. The clients mother encourages the client not to attend school and get on the Welfare. D. Clients Description and Functioning Client is of average height and pregnant. Client attends school well groomed, e.g, hair brushed, teeth brushed, showered, and wears clothes that are clean and well-fitted. Although the client is pregnant, she is able to walk to school and walk up and down the stairs to her apartment without difficulty. Client took necessary testing precautions to be tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) after learning her father passed away from Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Consequently, client tested positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Client does not speak grammatically correct English as evidenced by client stating sentences such as I is learning, I does my work, and what this one is? Although client reports she sits in the back of the classroom, does not open a book and does not participate, clients math teacher reports client does well in math. Client has difficulty reading. The clients mother reports client as stupid and not ever amounting to anything. Client identifies one of her strengths as cooking. Client reports auditory and visual hallucinations in the form of vampires telling her you are one of us. Client fantasizes about being white, living rich and famous, and being saved from her current situation. E. Physical and Economic Environment The clients mother is unemployed and receives welfare of an unknown monthly amount. Clients mother has custody of clients first child in order to receive aide on that child. Client attended public school until suspended and will be attending Each One Teach One. In the evenings, client cooks and cleans for the household. Client describes her mothers day as a beached whale lying on the couch. Client states her mother eats, watch T.V., eats, watch T.V. The client and mother live in a two bedroom apartment, rent unknown, in Harlem. Client describes the neighborhood as the ghetto and consumed with crack heads. The clients apartment building is sprayed with graffiti. Americans visualize the ghetto as where the black people live representing a poor, susceptible to crime, drug-infected and violent part of the city (Anderson, 2012). The client defines her neighborhood as the ghetto due to drug activity and crime. F. Current Social Functioning 1. Family Situation. The client and mother live in apartment together. The clients mother has custody of the clients first born child and claims that child for welfare purposes, although the child actually lives with clients grandmother. The clients father previously lived in the home with client and mother prior to moving out. Clients relationship with her mother is volatile. The clients mother reported she should have aborted her. Client cooks for her mother, cleans the home, and runs errands for her mother when needed. Client fantasizes of wanting to be on the cover of a magazine or in a music video. Client has current and past history of sexual and physical abuse. Client was raped by her father. The clients first child, and the second child she is pregnant with, are products of rape by the clients father. The clients mother is aware of the rape of the client by her father but blames the client for taking my man. The clients mother also blames the client for clients father moving out of the house. The clients mother also admitted to sexually abusing client, stating who was going to please me. Client has also experienced physical abuse at the hands of her mother. The clients mother has slapped her and thrown a frying pan towards her head. The clients mother is verbally abusive calling client names such as bitch, whore, good for nothing and stupid. 2. Current Sexual/Emotional Relationship. Client reports never having a boyfriend but wishes she had a light skin boyfriend with nice hair. 3. Occupational/School Situation. Client has been suspended from public school and referred to Each One Teach One, an alternative school, due to her second pregnancy. Client enjoys math and does well in math, as reported by her math teacher. Client has difficulty reading and tested at a second grade reading level. Client has difficulty with her peers as evidenced by clients physical aggression towards peers, i.e., slapping, punching, and cursing at her peers. Client has obedient relationships towards teachers and principal as evidenced by following directions without defiance. 4. Other Social Relationships and Social Roles and Satisfaction. Client reports never having a boyfriend and does not have any friends. Client takes pride in being a mother but is not able to be a mother to her first child due to her own mother not allowing her child to live in their home because of the childs developmental disability. Client has expressed wanting to get her child back. Client does not currently attend a church but fantasizes of participating in the church choir. For generations, African Americans have used spirituality and religion as a crucial instrument for survival (Boyd-Franklin, 2006). One role of the African American church is to act as a refuge, as a sanctuary in an often times unfriendly world (Boyd-Franklin, 2010). Although client does not currently attend church, in her fantasies, she finds the church as a safe place from her negative and hostile environment. 5. Medical/Psychological. Client is pregnant with her second child. Clients first pregnancy resulted in a female with developmental disabilities. At time of clients referral to Each One Teach One, client had not yet seen a doctor for her second pregnancy. Client found out from her mother her father passed away from AIDS and client tested positive for HIV. Clients mother refuses to be tested for HIV because she believes she has not contracted the disease because she and clients father did not engage in anal sex. 6. Legal Issues. Client does not have any legal issues at this time. G. Personal and Family History relevant to current focus Client was born in November 1971 in Harlem. Mother reported client would sleep in the bed with her and the clients father. Client was bottle fed as a baby, as clients father would drink the breast milk from clients mothers breast. The clients mother reported client was three years old at the time of her first sexual abuse by her father. Client has experienced sexual abuse by her father and mother, and physical and verbal abuse from her mother. Individuals who are of lower economic status are more likely to experience traumatic events, and African Americans are more likely to be of lower socioeconomic status (Gapen et al., 2011). Clients mother reports there is no alcohol or substance use in the home. II. Assessment Psychological Functioning The clients intellectual functioning is at a moderate level as evidenced by grammatically incorrect language and a second grade reading level. In terms of the clients psychological functioning, her ego functions are moderately compromised. The egos ability to unify and combine mental processes is called ego functions (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011). Reality testing is the egos ability to recognize and agree with physical and social reality. The most important aspect of this function is the ability to tell the difference between internal reality and external reality (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011). The clients function of reality testing is compromised at times, as evidenced by auditory and visual hallucinations and retreats to her fantasy world. The clients ego function of controlling impulses is also compromised, as evidenced by aggressiveness towards peers. The egos attempt to maintain an accurate level of positive self-worth in the face of stressful or aggravating circumstances is self-esteem regulation (Berzoff, Flanagan, Herzt, 2011). The clients self-esteem could be defined as low due to physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. The clients low self-esteem can be seen through her fantasies of wanting to be someone else, e.g White, famous. Defense mechanisms guard the self from danger, actual or perceived (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011). In terms of defense mechanisms, the clients defense mechanisms could be classified as immature. The clients immature defense of dissociation, where a painful memory is detached from the feeling, is evidenced by the clients fantasies of herself leading a different life (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011). B. Emotional Functioning Between nine and twelve months of age children begin to develop Internal Working Models to characterize emotions and expectations resulting from interactions and communication between infant and caregiver (Riggs, 2010). Consistent with the notion emotional abuse negatively impacts Internal Working Models and the ability to regulate affect, research suggests emotional abuse places children at risk for poor self-concept and disorders of emotional regulation and impulse control (Riggs, 2010). In regards to the clients emotional functioning, her limited range of emotional expression and poor impulse control are demonstrated by her use of aggression and anger towards peers. The clients negative coping responses can be seen through her fantasies, as she cannot verbally express how she is feeling. According to attachment theory, insecure attachment styles are used because they are adaptive in relation to the behavioral responses of their attachment figure (Riggs, 2010). One type of insecure attachment pattern is disorganized attachment. Disorganized attachment can be connected to child abuse, lack of resolution to trauma or loss by parent, and maternal frightening behavior and psychopathology (Riggs, 2010). The clients attachment pattern can be classified as disorganized due to her experience of sexual abuse, by her mother and father, and physical abuse, by her mother. The clients disorganized attachment can also be attributed to her mothers lack of support in regards to her sexual abuse by her father, i.e., blaming the client for the abuse. Evidence of clients insecure attachment in early childhood can also be seen, currently, through clients dismissiveness, i.e., that she takes care of her mother despite the abuse, low self-concept (Berzoff, Flanagan, Hertz, 2011). C. Social/Behavioral Functioning Attachment insecurity, due to emotionally abusive parenting, adds to poor social functioning. In early attachment relationships, children begin to develop the skills needed to build future social relationships, such as self-awareness, empathy, negotiation, and conflict resolution. The security of attachment influences many areas of interpersonal relationships, including effectiveness in peer groups, reciprocity in relationships, empathy, problem solving, conflict resolution, and establishing close and intimate relationships with peers (Riggs, 2010). The clients social isolation, as evidenced by her lack of peer group, demonstrates the clients insecure attachment with caregivers. The clients lack of distrust in peers and adults is displayed through clients aggressive behaviors. D. Environmental Issues and Constraints Affecting the Situation The client lives in a neighborhood in which she would consider the ghetto. Client lives with her mother, although the relationship is unstable. Children with a very insecure attachment to their mothers are more likely than other children to live in high-risk families and environments (Kwako, Knoll, Putnam, Trickett, 2010). The client has experienced sexual, physical, and verbal abuse from her caregivers. African American families experience higher rates of poverty than families of other races. Living in poverty increases the risk of exposure to trauma and trauma is found more often in African American populations (Graves, Kaslow, Frabutt, 2010). The clients turbulent home environment, unsafe neighborhood, and lack of social supports and resources exacerbates clients distrust in others, social isolation, and negative self-concept. E. Motivation and Commitment to Services The clients mother does not support client attending school and would rather client take welfare services. Despite the clients mothers lack of support, the client is motivated to attend school to continue her education and be a positive mother for her children. F. Workers Understanding of Clients Presenting Situation/Problem The client is a sixteen year old, African-American teenage mother of two. The client has experienced severe childhood sexual trauma by her mother and father. The clients two pregnancies are results of sexual abuse from the clients father. The client lacks emotional support from her mother and is often ridiculed by her mother in terms of her appearance, intellectual functioning and overall being. Emotional abuse in the attachment relationship significantly increases the likelihood of developing insecure attachment, which is proven to be linked to low empathy and reciprocity, hostility or aggression and impulsivity, exploitation or ridicule by peers, social withdrawal or exclusion from group activities, and general patterns of un-relatedness and isolation (Riggs, 2010). The client lacks any type of social support from peers and, often times, interactions with peers result in aggressive confrontation. Clients distrust in peers and adults is evidenced by lack of nurturing relationships. Up to this point, client has not accessed community resources. Previous experience with racism frequently prevents African Americans from accessing assistance and/or services from organizations which historically have safeguarded Caucasians (Graves, Kaslow, Frabutt, 2010). Clients mother is distrusting of community institutions which may lead to clients inability to access support. According to attachment theory, a child forms representational models, i.e., internal working models, of attachment figures, of the self, and of self-in-relation to others based on their relationship with primary caregivers. When a childs caregiver responds in a sensitive, loving, and consistent manner, a working model of other as loving, reliable, and supportive is internalized. On the other hand, experiencing emotional abuse and neglect may instill damaging beliefs about the self, e.g., I am stupid, I am not worthy of attention, which may result in maladaptive models of self, other, and self in-relation to others. Instead of developing a working model of the self as worthy of love and attention, negative models of the self as worthless, incompetent, or powerless may result (Wright, Crawford, Castillo, 2009). Due to the clients mothers unstable and inconsistent caregiving patterns, client has developed a low concept of self, as evidenced by the clients feelings of unworthiness to h ave or accept any type of relationships. Although the client has experienced severe childhood trauma, insecure attachments with caregivers, and family and community instability, the client appears to be moderately resilient. Resilience refers to patterns of positive adaptation during or following major adversity or risk (Lopez Snyder, 2011). Faced with two pregnancies, unsupportive and abusive caregivers, and lack of social support, the client continues to be motivated to pursue her education, regain custody of her first child, and become a caring and loving mother to her children. III. Evidenced Based Practice Search This author began the search using the Google Scholar search engine with the term psychodynamic treatment for female African American adolescents of sexual abuse. This search yielded articles related to interventions for substance abuse. The same search term was used again but the term intervention was exchanged for the term treatment. This search yielded articles on cognitive behavioral interventions. This author then moved to using the search engine PsyhInfo. Terms including psychodynamic treatment, psychodynamic intervention, African American, adolescent and sexual abuse were again interchanged to aide in the search. This author then added the term sexual abuse survivor to the search. This search began to yield interventions related to psychodynamic interventions. This author began finding articles related to psychodynamic groups as a psychodynamic intervention. Continuing to use the PsychInfo search engine, this author then used search terms psychodynamic groups, adolescents, sexual abuse survivor and African American. This author was able to yield articles related to psychodynamic groups. This author then moved to using the University of Southern California Library to continue the search. This author again used the terms psychodynamic groups, adolescents, sexual abuse survivor and African American to yield further articles in regards to psychodynamic groups. This author was able to accumulate six articles in regards to psychodynamic group intervention. Overall, this author found it extremely difficult to find, in the literature, psychodynamic interventions specific to African American adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse. IV. Intervention Plan In the first years of childhood, the family is responsible for the care and development of the child. In healthy families, children learn they can depend of their environment to provide emotional security and physical safety. Children then gain behaviors which allow them to nurture their own emotional and physical health free from parents or caregivers. Poor health also can develop early in life. Children who live in families with characteristics such as family conflict, i.e., frequent episodes of anger or aggression, and lack of nurturing, i.e., relationships which are cold, unsupportive, and neglectful, can have negative consequences on mental and physical health (Repetti, Taylor, Seeman, 2002). Unfortunately, due to clients exposure to an abusive and un-nurturing environment, she has developed poor mental health, as seen by her moderate level of defense mechanisms, poor self-concept and lack of support. Due to the clients insecure attachment with caregivers, which has led to lack of support and untrusting nature to others, the intervention employed will be psychodynamic group psychotherapy. Because of clients young age, client will be more suitable for time limited psychodynamic group psychotherapy, which occurs between twelve and thirty sessions (Wise, 2009). The format used for psychodynamic group psychotherapy is verbal. The basis of the group should be to feel and talk, rather than act. Because it is a psychodynamic therapy, the therapist should wait for the group interactions to occur freely and then comment when appropriate (Wise, 2009). During the process of psychodynamic group psychotherapy, the therapist will attempt not to set agendas but follow the suggestions of the group. The belief is the group process will eventually lead to the most emotionally charged subjects if allowed to proceed without interruption. The therapist in the psychodynamic group psychotherapy session will attend to the group and individual members based on how the session begins (Rutan, 1992). The implementation of the psychodynamic group psychotherapy intervention is community based, therefore the client will need to access community organizations to utilize the treatment intervention. As previously noted, the client has not accessed community resources thus far. Another hurdle the client will have to overcome in order to maximize optimum results from the psychodynamic group psychotherapy intervention is a proper match to therapist leading the group and participation. Because client is untrusting of other others it may be difficult to engage client in group psychotherapy process. A therapist who creates an environment of acceptance, understanding and trust, and provides empathy and responsiveness will have a better chance of keeping and engaging challenging members (Gans Counselman, 2010). The goal of psychodynamic group psychotherapy is to make aware parts of the unconscious which result in negative distortions in present day perceptions (Rutan, 1992). Furthermore, goals of treatment are to assist in overcoming resistance to experiencing, expressing and understanding emotion. The psychodynamic group psychotherapy model allows for resolving the tension between suppression of emotions and explosiveness. The group format also allows for members to work together to manage and contain feelings (Wise, 2009). This aspect of psychodynamic group psychotherapy will be beneficial to client, as she has difficulty expressing her emotions, as evidenced by aggression towards peers. Although the client will gain emotional regulation skills through the psychodynamic group psychotherapy intervention, this will not be her main treatment goal. Psychodynamic group psychotherapy is also another way for individuals to interact within a system of relationships. This is beneficial due to most presenting problems having a relational context. Allowing individuals to interact and then reflect gives the individual the opportunity to use the group as a place to observe and change patterns (Wise, 2009). The client has expressed a desire to have safe, nurturing and loving relationships with others, but due to low self-concept does not feel worthy of such relationships. The clients goal for psychodynamic group psychotherapy will be to increase number of quality relationships from zero to at least two by the conclusion of the group sessions. The clients relationships will be measured by her own self-report, as well as therapist observations of her interactions and relationships with fellow members of the group and development of social skills. The catalyst for change in psychodynamic group psychotherapy includes change by imitation, i.e, learning by observing others, identification, i.e., unconsciously taking on traits or characteristics of others, and internalization. The therapeutic process develops using confrontation, explanation, interpretation and working through (Wise, 2009). Additionally, other therapeutic aspects which are addressed include support, self-revelation, learning, and self-understanding, with interpersonal learning as the utmost important (Wise, 2009). Because the client has developed negative internal working models, due to insecure attachment with caregivers, i.e. mother and father, the interactions with others in the group setting may begin to assist client in developing higher self-concept and more nurturing relationships. V. Discussion, Analysis and Rationale for Interventions Chosen Psychodynamic group psychotherapy was chosen as the intervention for the client due to her experience of sexual abuse by caregivers. Time limited, as well as ongoing psychodynamic group psychotherapy has been effective in treating women with a history of sexual abuse, due to the opportunity for the individual to reduce the feelings of isolation, guilt, and shame. An individual is able to effectively work through feelings when the individual is able to share their experience in a therapeutic environment comprised of compassion and acceptance. The psychodynamic group psychotherapy process provides an individual with the ability to incorporate a new object experience without devaluation or ridicule, while at the same time abandoning previous attachments which were associated with the original event and emotion (Nusbaum, 2000). When an individual is abused, the person tends to identify with the unloving, aggressive, and immoral characteristics of the superego rather than the gentle, loving and protective characteristics. The individual may interpret the caregivers failure to nurture and protect adequately as a sign they are unworthy and unlovable (Nusbaum, 2010). Evidence of these characteristics can be seen in the clients low self-concept and feelings of unworthiness to have any type of relationship. Within the psychodynamic group psychotherapy process, the group can demonstrate appropriate levels of protectiveness, love and concern to its members. Negative feelings often experienced by individuals with sexual abuse can often be eased through disclosure of the traumatic experience. The group can then provide corrective superego functions by not allowing its members to blame themselves for the experience, which may have been unavoidable and not their fault (Nusbaum, 2000). Psychodynamic group psychotherapy also deepens the alliance between group members and facilitates the development of relationships which can be observed and analyzed in the context of interpersonal fears and roadblocks. Furthermore, in psychodynamic group psychotherapy individuals can identify interpersonal conflicts and work through primary defense structures which are run by fears of trusting. Additionally, because abuse and neglect tend to occur in dysfunctional families, by successfully working through emotional conflict the psychodynamic group offers the opportunity for interpersonal learning and development of social skills, which are usually not modeled in dysfunctional homes (Nusbaum, 2000). This author is unable to implement the psychodynamic group psychotherapy intervention with the client but can visualize how the intervention would unfold with the client. In the first sessions this author would attempt to create a trusting, nurturing and safe environment where client would feel she could engage in the group process and share personal experience. According to psychodynamic theory, personality is formed developmentally. In this model each stage of development builds on the previous stage and each stage affects the following one. It is important to note in the therapeutic process, defects in earlier developmental stages can be corrected if that stage can be recalled, relieved and be affectively re-experienced and corrected in the here and now (Rutan, 1992). It will be pivotal for the clients treatment for her to share feelings, emotions and past experiences in order facilitate positive transformation. This author would predict the client would be difficult to engage initially due to her mistrust in others and feelings of unworthiness. After consistent nurturing, accepting, trusting and safe experiences in the psychodynamic group, this author would see the client begin to engage in the group process. Once the client begins to share personal experiences, feelings and emotions this author would utilize a specific intervention, the here and now. The here and now technique would allow this author to use the clients past experience to understand and explain occasions when she unconsciously repeats the past or misperceives the present based on what she has learned in the past (Rutan, 1992). This technique would allow self-learning and self-understanding in regards to how her past abuse and neglect as affected her current relationships. This author expects transference will likely surface in the therapeutic process with the client. Transference can be defined as the misrepresentation of present object relationships on the basis of early object relationships (Rutan, 1992). Transference will be beneficial in the therapeutic process with the client. It will allow for this author to gather information and explore the nature of early relationships based on the characteristics the client transfers on to this author (Rutan, 1992). Through the psychodynamic group psychotherapy process the clients main goal will to be to form quality, nurturing and trusting relationships. Relationships are important in forming personality, causing psychopathology, and curing psychiatric symptoms. As individuals develop in the psychodynamic group they are forming important relationships and, while doing so, every part of their character is emerging. Individuals reveal their defense mechanisms and transferences while, in turn, receiving feedback from the therapist and other members. There may not be any other therapeutic process where so much data is available to an individual about themselves as in psychodynamic group psychotherapy (Rutan, 1992).