...Social Work Research on African Americans and Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic 25-Year Review Sean foe and Danielle M. Niedermeier Suicide among African Americans is a neglected topic. Social workers practice in both clinical and nonchnical settings, and as the largest occupational group of mental health professionals, they have a unique opportunity to reach this underserved group. However, little is known about social work's empirical knowledge base for recognition and treatment of suicidal behavior among African Americans.The authors performed a systematic critical review of published articles by social workers on African American suicide and suicidal behavior, to ascertain the state of social worker's contribution to and knowledge of suicide risk factors and effective treatments. They conducted Web-based (for example. Social Work Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed,JSTOR) and manual searches of suicide research conducted by social work investigators and pubhshed in peer-reviewed journals from 1980 to 2005. References cited in the articles were used to identify candidate articles. According to the search results, social workers contributed only 11 empirical research articles focusing on African American suicide or nonfatal suicidal behavior. Risk factors for suicide are reviewed, and the implications for clinical social work practice and research are addressed. KEY WORDS: African Americans; clinical knowledge; ethnic minority populations; suicide S uicide is one of the leading...
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...1 Occupational Health and Safety Issues of Police Officers in Canada, the United States and Europe: A Review Essay © Jennifer R. L. Parsons June, 2004 2 Introduction Police officers play a pivotal role in North American and European societies. They are involved in many aspects of North American and European life. Officers’ involvement ranges from general, daily, proactive patrol activities to specific criminal activities such as narcotic investigations. Because there is such a wide range of activities involved in police work, there are many health and safety issues surrounding policing as an occupation. Police officers may be exposed to different health and safety risks in their occupation. For example, police officers are at risk of assault and homicide; the dynamics of policing as an occupation creates opportunities for them to experience many psychosocial hazards such as stress, suicide, sexual harassment, and discrimination. It is important that research be completed on the health and safety issues of police officers in order to identify hazards and identify ways to reduce risk. The failure to identify and solve health and safety concerns of officers has potentially serious consequences for the health and well being of officers and their families. These consequences can include depression, divorce, suicide, and disease. Not addressing the health and safety issues associated with policing may also impact the general public. For example, if an officer is...
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...The Tall-Tall Tale of William Faulkner Gavin D. Respress ENG 1102 Troy University The Tall-Tall Tale of William Faulkner The brilliant author William Faulkner stood only five feet, six inches tall, but he is enormous in size in relations to American literature. Faulkner was a prominent writer from the state of Mississippi, who became a Nobel Prize winning novelist and an excellent short story writer who is admired worldwide as one of the best writers of the twentieth century. He is giving credit for transforming the deep-south region of Mississippi in to a fictional setting, where he explained, tested and explored “the old verities and truths of the heart.” In less than a decade, Faulkner accomplished more artistically than most writers have accomplish in their entire lifetime. In fact, his greatest creative triumph is during the period of The Sound and the Fury in 1929 to Go Down, Moses in 1942. This essay will discuss how William Faulkner became a legend of American literature, writing a series of novels, in spite of never graduating from high school or attending college, while living in the poorest state in America and balancing a large family and financial setbacks during the Great Depression. William Faulkner was the first of four sons born to Murry and Maud Butler Falkner in New Albany, Mississippi on September 25, 1897. His parents named him after his great-grandfather who was killed eight years prior in a battle in the streets with a former business...
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...Synopsis Born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue and richly detailed black characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved. Morrison has won nearly every book prize possible. She has also been awarded honorary degrees. Early Career Born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison was the second oldest of four children. Her father, George Wofford, worked primarily as a welder, but held several jobs at once to support the family. Her mother, Ramah, was a domestic worker. Morrison later credited her parents with instilling in her a love of reading, music, and folklore. Living in an integrated neighborhood, Morrison did not become fully aware of racial divisions until she was in her teens. "When I was in first grade, nobody thought I was inferior. I was the only black in the class and the only child who could read," she later told a reporter from The New York Times. Dedicated to her studies, Morrison took Latin in school, and read many great works of European literature. She graduated from Lorain High School with honors in 1949. At Howard University, Morrison continued to pursue her interest in literature. She majored in English, and chose the classics for her minor. After graduating from Howard in 1953, Morrison continued her education at Cornell...
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...Raven Burgess Dr. Degout English 003 10 February 2012 Gloria Naylor’s Linden Hills: Resistance of Luther Nedeed In Linden Hills, Gloria Naylor illustrates the resistance of Willie K. Mason and Luther Nedeed’s wife, Willa, of the ideology of Linden Hills develops the rhetoric that they serve as the downfall of the generations of Luther Nedeed. Willie was an anchor that brought people of Linden Hills of their high horse and into the reality of the world. Willie resists the white hegemony and status of the residents of Linden Hills. Some critics believe that Willa served as the messiah for Linden Hills. Willa resists the western aesthetics of patriarchy. With the opposition of Linden Hills’ ideology, Luther Nedeed’s founding values crumble in one season. Willie is a fail Luther’s scheme of life. Willie wants to be successful, but not at the price of selling his soul. Willie’s debates about the world black people live in brings insight to the residents that live by the white hegemony present in Linden Hills. Willie attempts to explain the white hegemony that Xavier and Maxwell live by with the statement “Then I guess it’s just a coincidence—that the majority of black folks in this country are poor, have been poor, and will be poor for a long time to come.” Making an issue about the way Luther sets up the goals and status of life threatens his community. With no knowledge of his influences over the residents of Linden Hills, Willie contributes to diminishing legacy of Luther...
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...A Analyzing a Major Issue: Bullying Starts at Home Week 8 Assignment 2 Submission Alexandria DeAngelo June 15, 2014 People argue that bullying starts in the home, but what if it’s bigger than that? Some cultures are known for their hierarchy of the family model. The man is at the head of the family; he and his sons are of the most importance, and the mother and children are secondary. This type of hierarchy often leads to bullying that begins in the home, and leaks out into the community, sometimes even an entire culture. What evidence the literature available to date demonstrates ethnic groups, or culturally identified customs that promote bullying behaviors in men? When someone thinks of bullying, a typical image that comes to mind is a school hallway, a bigger kid throwing a smaller kid into a locker, and some belittling phrases. However, bullying can occur in many different forms, and on different levels of severity. In some cultures, men are taught growing up that they are dominant over females. “Many have debated the definition of culture. Overall, most agree with the definition that culture is an acquired and transmitted pattern of shared meaning, feeling, and behavior that constitutes a distinctive human group” (Ayman & Korabik, 2010). As these young boys grow up, become husbands and fathers, these men begin to treat their wives poorly, often bullying them verbally, mentally, or even physically. This bullying can lead to violence. When young children...
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...DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS 2. Table of Contents Introduction …………………………………………………………………………….…....3. Background of Depression in Adolescence…….…………………………………………….4. Causes ...............................................................................................................................…...5. Symptoms………………………………………………………………………………….…6. Diagnosis….…………………………………………………………………………………. 7. Treatment……………………………………………………………………………………..7. Epidemiology of Depression in Youth……………………………………………………….9. Contextualised issues pertaining to Depression in Adolescence……………………………10. The impact of Culture on Adolescent Depression…………………………………………...10. Abnormal behaviours associated with Adolescent Depression….…………………………..11. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………...11. References…………………………………………………………………………………...12. DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS 3. This research paper will address depression in adolescents. Depression is often labelled as ‘the sickness of our time’ due to its prolific nature. Some of the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of depression in adolescents as well as the contextualised issues, cultural implications and other abnormal behaviour associated with the disorder will be discussed. DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS 4. Background of Depression in Adolescence Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, a stage of major growth and development in which significant physiological, cognitive, psychological...
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...Andy, who generously gave me his kindly help and instructions during the whole process of my paper-writing. Then I’d like to give my many thanks to my classmates who helped me a lot with my information collecting and paper-polishing. Most important of all, I want to give my thanks to my mother university and all the teachers in the English Department, who educated and cultivated me to be a qualified graduate in the future. Abstract When Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, the novel was a huge success. It talked about the slavery which was a controversial issue at that time. Many critics made comments on this novel. With the passage of time, attitudes to the book changed considerably. The history of African American in US has always been considered as a bitter story. In recent years, their status...
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...Chapter 1: Introduction Background Few in modern society argue that gun related violence is not a problem that requires attention. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firearm homicides account for roughly 11,000 of the 16,000 homicides that occur the United States annually (2013). The subject of gun control has been a topic that has generated an enormous amount of controversy and attention. When one hears the term “gun violence”, vile acts against humanity, such as the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary and Columbine High School, come to mind. More recently, the rise in extremist acts of terror has heightened the public’s concern over gun control. In the aftermath of multiple occasions, President Obama has publically called for stronger gun control laws, specifically calling for stricter background checks among other provisions. In response to the public’s concern for safety, the president used executive action which increased the number of businesses which require federal licenses to sell guns, thus increasing the number of dealers requiring background checks when selling firearms (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016). This is, of course, not a one-sided argument. The subject creates strong feelings across the political spectrum. Gun rights groups, such as the NRA, suggest that gun control laws are not only unconstitutional, but actually leave citizens in more danger by preventing them from using their best form of protection (National Rifle...
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...will explore the cause and impact of domestic violence in the lives of black women in the U.S. It will provide general information, such as the definition of domestic violence, statistics, and resources to help survivors leave domestic violence relationships. Following the review of the literature I identify areas which need further research. Since I can remember black women have been characterized as mean and argumentative, but also strong and self-sacrificing for their families. Black families on TV were always portrayed as single mother households. In my community there was also a reoccurring reality of domestic violence against women. This was is in direct contrast to stereotypes I heard about white women, who were portrayed as weak, frail and needing to be protected. Examples include June Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver and the Brady Bunch. But what justified the brutality of domestic violence against black women then and now? In 2011, black females were murdered at a rate more than two and a half times higher than white females: 2.61 per 100,000 versus 0.99 per 100,000. [1] In the U.S. domestic violence against black women has escalated. In 2010, Marissa Alexander an African American woman shot a warning shot at the wall in order to scare Rico Gray, her estranged, abusive husband. Marissa was a 29-year-old mother, who had just given birth to her youngest daughter prematurely, nine days earlier. For trying to protect herself, she was sentenced to 20 years...
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...RESEAR CH AR TICLE Psychosocial Distress and Alcohol Use as Factors in Adolescent Sexual Behavior Among Sub-Saharan African Adolescents RANDY M. PAGE, PhDa COUGAR P. HALL, PhDb ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: This study examines the relationship between sexual behavior, alcohol use, and indicators of psychosocial distress (mental health) of adolescents in 6 sub-Saharan African countries using the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). METHODS: The sample consisted of 22,949 adolescents from Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe who participated in 2003 or 2004 GSHS surveys. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether sexual behaviors increased with levels of psychosocial distress and alcohol use. RESULTS: Sexual behaviors (having sex or having sex with 2 or more people) were associated with both psychosocial distress and alcohol use. Odds ratios showed that both boys and girls reporting psychosocial distress and alcohol use were at higher risk for having sex. Results also indicated that the likelihood of sexual behaviors increased when there was an increase in the number of psychosocial indicators and frequency of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSION: The results of this study are consistent with those conducted in the United States suggesting that sexual behavior, psychosocial distress, and substance use are interconnected. These findings highlight the need for school health education and health services in sub-Saharan Africa...
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...Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………………..11 Research Questions…………………………………………………………....11 Null Hypothesis………………………………………………………………..11 Significance of the Problem…………………………………………………....11 Operational Definition………………………………………………………….12 Chapter 2. Review of Literature……………………………………………………12 Chapter 3. Method…………………………………………………………………...20 Identification of the Research……………………………………………………20 Design……………………………………………………………………………20 Target Population………………………………………………………………..21 Sample of Participants…………………………………………………………...22 Sampling of Procedure…………………………………………………………..22 The Instrument…………………………………………………………………...23 Statistical Techniques……………………………………………………………27 Summary of Research Procedure………………………………………………..27 References……………………………………………………………………………28 Bullying in Schools 3 Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate third grade experiences, perceptions, and attitudes towards bullying at Academic Interdisciplinary Academy in the Academic Interdisciplinary Academy. A review of the literature...
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...harmful to the sufferer's personal health. Depression often leads to increased work absenteeism, temporary disability, and overall decreased productivity. It can also have harmful effects on the course and outcome of common chronic conditions, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity. According to the National Institution of Mental Health, depression can also be a major risk factor for suicide. (NIMH 2007) Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the consequences that depression may have on a student, as it may not only affects a student's current health condition, but may also result in a student having suicidal thoughts. According to the CDC 2009 report on the twenty leading causes of death among those of age 10 or above, suicide is ranked as the tenth leading cause of death in the Unites States, accounting for 36,891 deaths (CDC 2009). In a more narrow and specific research, the National Institution of Mental Health reported that suicide was the third leading cause of death among youth ages 15 to 24 in 2007 (NIMH 2007). In 2011, the American College Health Association (ACHA) performed the National College Health Assessment (NCHA), which was a nationwide survey of college students at two or four year institutions, and found that about 30% of them testified having felt so depressed at some point in the past year that they find it difficult to...
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...Albert Camus Biography Albert Camus was born November 7, 1913, and reared in Algeria, a country exposed to the blistering African sun and the plain by the Mediterranean sea. These roots — the sun and the sea — have spread into all of Camus' writings — the novels, the plays, and the essays. They are a part of his lyricism, his symbolism, and his values. The universe, it seems from his early notebook (Noces), was mother, father, and lover for the young Camus, and from the first, Camus was aware of the paradoxical aspects of his natural world. The sensual free pleasure of swimming and hiking was in continuous contrast to the bare stony earth that made living a matter of poverty and destitution. He was early aware of the absurd condition of humanity's being totally alone in a resplendent universe. This concept is Camus' equivalent of "In the beginning . . ." With this truth, all of his writings sound revolt, for he refused to be deceived by social, religious, or individual submissions that ignored or defied the irreducible truth that humanity alone is responsible for itself, its meaning, and its measure. Camus' writings are a testament to a continuing belief in humanity's exiled but noble condition. Lucien Camus, Albert's father, was killed in 1914, during World War I's Battle of the Marne, and the year-old child was reared by his deaf mother. She had little money and was apparently a rather joyless and boring companion for her son. It is little wonder that he spent much of his...
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...Homeless Youth: Research, Intervention, and Policy by Karen Spuriel Coleman- MBA Abstract Homelessness among youth in the U.S. is disturbingly common, with an estimated annual prevalence of at least 5 percent for those ages 12 to 17. Although homeless youth appear throughout the nation, they are most visible in major cities. Rigorous research on this special population is sparse, making it difficult to capture an accurate and complete picture. Despite its limitations, recent research describes homeless youth as a large and diverse group. Many homeless youth have multiple overlapping problems including medical, substance abuse, and emotional and mental problems. Literature suggests that comprehensive and tailored services are needed that address both the immediate and long-term needs of homeless youth. Where appropriate, services should include assistance with meeting basic needs as perceived by youth as a gateway to other needed services. In addition to serving those already homeless, interventions are needed to prevent homelessness among at-risk youth. Lessons for Practitioners, Policy Makers, and Researchers • As used here, the term “homeless youth” focuses on minors who have experienced literal homelessness on their own—i.e., who have spent at least one night either in a shelter or "on the streets" without adult supervision. On occasion, where warranted by the research being discussed, the term is also used to describe homeless young adults up to age 24. • Homelessness...
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