Personal Statement On Social Work - 1740 Words

Empowerment is something that is a top priority when working with people. While many love helping people, empowering them at the same time is my ultimate goal. Throughout this essay, I hope to show how vital it is for me to obtain a Masters in Social Work. I will be doing this by presenting my experience and relationships that have influenced my selection of the social work career, my understanding of the responsibilities of the profession, my role and responsibilities that I assume in the profession, my reasons for selecting the program and thoughts, and thoughts on how the mission statement addresses my career goals. Experience and Relationships Experience is vital in knowing what profession you choose. Throughout my bachelors, I have†¦show more content†¦The most recent experience that I have achieved is the internship at the Superior Court. At this internship I am constantly helping individuals. There are many positions I do at this internship including, working at the information desk, escorting customers around the court house, helping one find the correct document at the Law Library, helping individuals file for an order of protection, or simply talking with customers about their options. Individuals who come into the courthouse at the Law Library are self represented litigants. These people do not have the funds for a lawyer to help them and are doing everything on their own. Many times they are overwhelmed, upset, angry, and confused about what to do. The purpose of interns being at the court is to help them through their issues. One example of this is to simply find the right cou rt file to fill out for a divorce or child custody modification. I love being able to help these individuals because many times I am making their day by helping them find the right form. It sounds simple, but to them it is enormous help. Additionally, the protective order center serves women who are experiencing domestic violence. Within this part of the court house, I have learned to be patient and use empathy to help them through the forms. Many times they are disheveled and cannot fill out forms. When I started my degree, I focused my research on the children and

Climate Change Is A Serious Problem For The Planet Earth

Climate change is the rise in the temperature of the earth’s surface mainly credited to the increased levels of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Climate change is a serious problem for the planet earth that have leaders from around the world worried about its effects. The rise of sea level, the melting of the glaciers on Antarctica due to the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is threatening the life of people living in many different big cities around the world. Climate change is the cause of many natural disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, snowstorms and typhoons. In the fall of 2012 a very powerful hurricane Sandy swept the East coast of the United States, mainly the New York and New Jersey area, leaving many dead, homeless and heartbroken. In May 2016, a wildfire destroyed the community of Fort McMurray, in northern Alberta a province in Canada. The damage reported by the Calgary Herald is estimated to $6.9 Billion. Over the last three years the US has experienced Snowstorms in the Northeast, heat waves in the Midwest and Wildfire in the West coast. Those natural disasters related to climate change are also happening in other countries all over the world. If we don’t react quickly, climate change will destroy our planet. In his 1992 book â€Å"Global Warming, understand the forecast†, Revkin argues that if we don’t act quickly and continue to burn fossil fuel at the same pace, we will raise the earth temperature by anotherShow MoreRelatedClimate Change Is A Serious Problem1123 Words   |  5 PagesClimate Change is a Serious Problem to the Planet â€Å"Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think it is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us.† This quote from Bill Nye illustrates the serious nature of climate change. Climate change is the most serious issue that is plaguing the world. Global temperatures have been increasing in recent years and it is clear that our climate is changing. Climate change is the change of temperature and weather in our environmentRead MoreThe Issue Of Global Warming1338 Words   |  6 Pagescause of rising average global temperature. The climate on the Earth is changing and there is no big surprise. It is believed that global warming is caused by many natural and manmade activities, which is affecting the planet by the seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years. Many may not even care about this serious issue, but others harm for the future generations. Global warming has become a serious threat to everything and every human being on earth and demands ou r immediate attention. The authorRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment906 Words   |  4 PagesClimate is consistent behavior of temperature, precipitation, humidity, atmospheric pressure and other related environmental factors. Around the globe, temperature a re climbing, sea levels are rising, and season are changing, which means that climate change is transforming our Earth. Climate change indicates negative consequences on the impact to humanity and on the factors of the climate system. By climate change the most endangered is atmosphere, because it changes the composition of uncontrolledRead MoreClimate Change Is A Real Threat1105 Words   |  5 PagesClimate Change is a Real Threat â€Å"Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think it is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us.† This quote from Bill Nye illustrates the serious nature of climate change. Climate change is the most serious issue that is plaguing the world. Global temperatures have been increasing in recent years and it is clear that our climate is changing. Climate change is the change of temperature of our environment. A majority of scientists suspectRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects On The World Essay919 Words   |  4 Pagesgood way that it can end in the extinction of the planet earth. â€Å"Earth Hasn’t Heated Up This Fast Since the Dinosaurs’ End† (Lavelle). Carbon is growing so fast in the atmosphere faster than in the past 66 million years since the dinosaurs went extinct (Lavelle). All the presidents hold a position of power that could change this big problem that the planet is having, behind this problem there is other problems that are causing a much bigger problem in all the country. â€Å"By year 2100, the average temperatureRead MoreThe Effects Of Air Pollution And Climate Change1560 Words   |  7 PagesThe Drastic Effects of Air Pollution and Climate Change Air pollution and climate change have an extensive backing from environmentalists and people in general who care about the effects that has on earth. Air pollution is the world s biggest environmental health risk, with some of the worst problems in developing nations such as China and India. Air pollution is a vast problem which can be fixed, although it will take time. Air pollution kills 3.3 million people a year, including 55,000 in theRead MoreTaking a Look at Climate Change1400 Words   |  6 PagesClimate change is a very real and prevalent issue in today’s society. So what can we do to stop it? Can we reverse the effects that have already taken place? This essay will address the issues of climate change, answer questions and talk about prevention. It is said that the Earth’s climate has been changing for the past century (State Government of Victoria, 2014). There is new found, stronger evidence that there have been increases in the average temperature across the globe and that the believedRead MoreImportance Of Environment Essay1395 Words   |  6 PagesThe environment plays a significant role in life. It is an essential part of our life. A clean environment is very necessary to live a peaceful and healthy life. An environment is the natural surroundings which help life to grow and nourish on this earth. It helps human beings, animals and other living things to grow and develop naturally. But now days,our everyday actions and decisions are negatively impacting the environment, causing pollution, deforestation, overfishing.We are disturbing our environmentRead MoreThe Big Freeze1218 Words   |  5 Pagesof the other sciences by relating different sciences to another. The Big Freeze is a film about the climate change that is happening and has happened to the earth. We’ve all been wondering why these things happen and what caused it to happen. These past few years, especially in the Philippines, programs have been implemented like the eco bags, The Reuse, Reduce and Recycle to stop the climate change we have been experiencing. The film entitled The Big Freeze is also close to one of the possible scenariosRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effect On Communities, Health, And The Climate972 Words   |  4 PagesThere is a serious situation is occurring on planet Earth that is causing a significant and harmful effect on communities, health, and the climate. It is Global Warming which can be defined as the constant heating of Earth s surface, oceans and atmosphere. In order to understand global warming, the most important basic is to figure out how the of greenhouse effect plays an important part in its development. The greenhouse effect is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) that trap heat

Perspective of Deviance in Society Free Essays

Introduction Sociologists define deviance as actions or behaviors considered to be against the cultural norms and formally accepted rules like laws as well as going against the social norms of a particular society. Sociologists consider deviance to be the opposite of conformity; the two opposing behaviors are what characterize social life. To sociologists, the term deviance behavior is conferred on individuals based on some acts by social definition. We will write a custom essay sample on Perspective of Deviance in Society or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, these social definitions of what constitutes deviant behaviors would vary from time to time, society to society and from place to place (Schaefer, 2008). In this paper I will undertake to explain the perspective of two different authors – Rosenhan and Eqbal about what constitutes deviance behavior as far as different societies are concerned. Rosenhan was bother by how society labeled those they considered insane and therefore undertook a study to find out how hospital authorities treated those admitted as insane (Rosenhan, 1973). From his analysis of what transpired when his associates were held in the hospitals for much longer period despite the fact that they were never insane, he concluded that the staff officials were perpetuating the societal definition of insanity. According to rosenhan, the staff cannot to be blamed at all neither can they be considered incompetent nor dishonest because they were carrying out their work effectively (Rosenhan, 1973). The staff officials were not concerned with making conscious efforts to overturn the label which the society had accorded these individuals. He argued that the label given to these individuals were so strong that it influenced how information about them was processed and perceived which therefore explained why the officials were reluctant to release them from hospital. According to him, the wrong perception of the behavior by the staff officials led to the labeling which profoundly affected other’s perception about his associates. He concluded that had the officials observed the same behaviors from a different perspective, the interpretation about these people would have been entirely different (Rosenhan, 1973) Eqbal’s â€Å"Terrorism: Theirs and Ours† offers a thorough analysis of the term deviance (Eqbal, 1998). The man who had an Arabic origin was greatly disturbed by people’s perception of the term terrorism. He argued the world societies lack consistency in defining terrorism and had therefore come up with different definitions that suit their interest and appeal to their cause. According, to him the definition has always changed over the years with the new developments in the world and has been use to further some people’s cause. He argued that people have missed the point when it comes to the definition of the term terrorism as some people are labeled terrorist by others. From Eqbal speech, it is clear to understand that what people consider deviance may change with time and place. For instance, he argued today’s terrorist was a yesterday’s hero and a hero today is a yesterday’s terrorist. Therefore, society’s definition of deviance behavior will always be inconsistent because what one group of people considers deviance may not be viewed the same by another group of people not only in place but also over time (Eqbal, 1998). Authors Views of Deviance The two authors share the same view of what constitutes deviance. Rosenhan is concerned with the tendency of the society to make rash judgment of what is deviance. He considered the definition of normal and abnormal behavior by the society as what would determine how a person is treated by those around him (Rosenhan, 1973). Like Rosenhan, Eqbal agrees that the society would be quick to judged others and condemn them as deviants based on generalizations or unfounded rumors. The two authors were very much concerned about the consequences of labeling on the individuals as well as the society as whole. According to Eqbal, the western misconception of terrorism had led to the continued attacks by the Arab world. He said that the western world had continually considered terrorism as an attack against western civilization which therefore vindicates the terrorist’s ideologies of using it to justify their cause. In a nutshell, eqbal considers deviance as a making of the society. He argued that while there are various forms of terrorist, the world has totally lost the meaning of the term and has therefore embarked on what he considers as labeling others’ behavior as abnormal to suit our cause. He considered the western political tyranny over other nations and the bloody attacks perpetuated by the Arab world as one and the same thing – terrorism and what differentiate them are probably the western society’s emotive definitions (Eqbal, 1998). Rosenhan made a point in his analysis of how society discriminatively separates the â€Å"normal† from the â€Å"abnormal†. He argued that erratic labeling of others as acting or behaving abnormally may have serious repercussions on the societal wellbeing as well as on an individual’s life (Rosenhan, 1973). According to him the society’s misconception of what is abnormal behavior may lead one to a condemn life of loneliness. As his analysis of erratic diagnosis of sane persons as insane shows, one may be wrongfully put under rehabilitation program when actually the person is sound in mind. If professionals like psychiatrists, counselors, and psychologists can wrongfully diagnose a person and put him in a mental hospital what would the society become if we start labeling others based on unsubstantiated rumors? (Rosenhan, 1973). Deviance and Society Rosenhan views deviance as a product of the societal misconception of what truly constitutes unwanted behaviors (Rosenhan, 1973). He considered the labeling of others as either deviant or normal as a manifestation of the society’s rash judgment of behavior. If only the society can observe the behaviors of others correctly, then the labeling would cease to be. His analysis takes into account the role of place and time as a factor in determining what deviance is and is not. Any person going into a mental hospital is considered abnormal by the society and as long as one is admitted he would remain to be so no matter his improvement or current state. Eqbal understands that deviance is not only a product of a difference in social and cultural background, but also a product of evolution. To him what one society considers deviance is considered normal in another society and what is celebrated today as a good act is today frown upon as an abnormal behavior. He said that what we presume as terrorist acts today may not be so tomorrow (Eqbal, 1998). Conclusion Every society and group of people has got social and cultural norms which define what constitutes abnormal and normal behavior. However, the norms and rules are subjects of change and just as they are varied across societies, they would be varied across time within the same society. As the societies evolve, the social norms and rules would also change and therefore definitions of deviance. References Eqbal, A. (1998, October, 12). Terrorism: Theirs and Ours. A Presentation at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Retrieved on July 16, 2010, from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:72B6RATUyqAJ:www.sangam.org/ANALYSIS/Ahmad.htm+Ahmad,+Eqbal.+1998.+%22Terrorism:+Theirs+and+Ours.cd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=keclient=firefox-a Rosenhan, D. (1973). On Being Sane In Insane Places. Science, 179, 250-258. p. 253. Schaefer, R.T. (2008) Sociology Matters 4th edition, McGraw-Hill: New York    How to cite Perspective of Deviance in Society, Papers

Child Abuse and Tina S Case free essay sample

Tina’s story and possible effects of a traumatic experience 1. 2) The effects of: 1. 2. 1) Child abuse 1. 2. 2) Sexual abuse 1. 3) Possible effects of Masclow’s hierarchy of needs on Tina’s behavior Page 1 2 3 3 Section 2: Guidance for Tina: 2. 1) Counseling and support for learning problems 2. 2) Child trauma and the effects of trauma on Tina’s life 2. 3) Parental involvement and parental counseling 2. 4) Individual intervention learning program for Tina 4 4 5 6 Section 1: Background 1. ) I would like to report a case of sexual abuse against one of my students. One of my students, Tina, has approached me about a concerning matter, in which her stepbrother, has being sexually abusing her. Not only do I believe that Tina is sexually abused by her stepbrother, I am also concerned that she also suffers from emotional abuse from her mother. As she has pointed out, she is afraid to tell her mother about the abuse, as she fears that she will be blamed for splitt ing up the family. According to Tina, her mother has accused her of her father walking out on them when she was three. Due to these factors, I believe Tina’s mom is belittling and rejecting her. For these reasons Tina is afraid to approach her mother about this matter, and is concerned if she does, she will be blamed for splitting up the new family. As her class teacher, I am concerned about the possible effects that the trauma can have on her. I believe that Tina is feeling overwhelmed by the experience, and is feeling unable to cope with the situation. I am concerned about Tina’s emotional wellbeing and the impact it could have on her overall development, presently and in the future. According to Schoeman S, CA Jansen, JM Dreyer, JI Swanepoel, KH Van As, HM Vogel, HC Steyn and JS Kruger, (The Educator in a pastoral role, 2011:69), trauma can cause intense emotional wounding. This includes wounding a person’s emotions, spirit, will to live, belief about themselves and the world and a dignity of sense of security. It is further noted that a person may feel helpless or out of control, and the mental health of the person is damaged. As Schoeman notes (Schoeman et al. 011: 69) when a child has experienced sexual abuse, they are subject to a process called depersonalization; this strips away the child’s â€Å"personhood†, individuality and humanity. It is further stated that when a child traumatized by another person, the victim’s trust in other human beings and society is destroyed, which could have a great effect on the rest of the person’s life. According to Melinda Smith, (http://www. helpguide. org/mental//child/abuse. htm) a tra umatic experience can damage the child’s ability to function at home and at school. She goes on to note that an abused child can feel that he/she is worthless or damaged. In Tina’s case, her mother constantly accuses her of being the cause of her father walking out, and thus she feels that if she approaches her mother, she will be accused of breaking up the new family. Tina could also be feeling a sense of shame and guilt. Melinda Smith also concludes that when someone experiences repetitive trauma, such as abuse, they can feel helpless and develop extreme anxiety. Schoeman (Schoeman et al. 2011: 70) explains that victims of trauma reconsider that they are invulnerable, that the world is orderly and meaningful and that there are good, strong people. Through these findings, I believe that this could interrupt a person’s ability to function. Due to Tina’s mother’s marriage to the abusers father, I am not only concerned that Tina feels helpless and overwhelmed by the situation, but that she also may feel guilty and worthless. I am concerned about her academic development, as well as her ability to trust others in the future. I am also worried about her future mental health, and that she will feel intense anxiety and may lead to her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder sometime in the future. . 2) I have observed the effects of: 1. 2. 1) Child Abuse: According to the Child Welfare Information gateway (www. childwelfare. gov), the impact of child abuse can be measured up into categories, namely physical, physiological, behavioral and social. It is obvious to conclude that depending on the type of abuse, there will be physical effects, but according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, the physiologi cal effects can be more damaging long-term. The organization explains that the factors of abuse can contribute to a child’s resilience. This can affect the child’s ability to cope and thrive. The effects of abuse can lower the child’s optimism, self-esteem, intelligence, creativity, humor and independence. The organization explains that an abused child can have problems accepting peers and positive influences such as teachers, mentors and role models. The Child Welfare Information Gateway notes that immediate emotional effects of abuse results in isolation, fear and the inability to trust, and these effects can translate into long term consequences such as depression and relationship difficulties. It is further mentioned that an abused child can suffer from depression and become very withdrawn. They can also develop anxiety and could even attempt suicide. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (www. aacap. org), stipulate that children who are abused suffer academically. They have poor academic performance and classroom functioning. It is further noted that abused children are very withdrawn and struggle holding or making friends. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry further note that effects can also lead to delinquency, drug use and mental health problems. At school Tina’s school attendance has lowered, and her school grades have dropped. She is very withdrawn and has difficulties making and keeping friends. She also seems to be suffering with a low self-esteem, and seems to be very anxious. I have not noticed physical effects, but I have noticed the effects on her academic performance. 1. 2. 2) Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse in children shares some of the same effects as child abuse, but we can differentiate some of the effects. Some predominant behaviors of a child that is being sexually abused are such as mood changes or irritability, increase of fears which results in anxiety, reluctance towards some family members, self-destructive behavior, poor self-image, increased knowledge or inappropriate interest in sexual behavior, fear of being left alone, alcohol or drug abuse, refusal to participate in physical activities in school (Schoeman et al. 2011:76). There are also physical effects of sexual abuse. These can include injury in genital areas, swollen genital areas and semen around genitals. Others include STD’S, pregnancy, broken hymen, haematomas, difficulty in urinating and genital infections (Schoeman et al. 2011:76). I have found that some of these have affected Tina in her school life. She has a poor self-image and refuses to participate in any sports or physical activities. She also avoids her stepbrother where she can. 1. 3) Referring to Masclow’s hierarchy of needs, I believe Tina is and will be greatly affected if these needs are not met. I believe Tina is getting the appropriate physiological needs, however according to wikipedia (http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Masclow’s_hierachy_of_needs), the safety needs are also highly fundamental. Wikipedia explains that in the absence of physical safety, due to family violence, a person may suffer from post -traumatic stress disorder or transgenerational disorder. In Tina’s case, she lacks safety in her home due to sexual abuse and lack of support from her mother. I am concerned that this will relate to depression and post-traumatic stress. Wikipedia goes on to explain the next most fundamental need; love and belonging. It is explained that this need is especially strong in childhood, and lack of this level of needs can result in an individual’s ability to hold and maintain emotional relationships, such as friendships, intimacy and family. In Tina’s case, she has not received love and belonging as early as three years old. I have noticed that in school Tina struggles to make and keep friends. Tina also struggles with social anxiety, especially during group work situations. Wikipedia further explained the next most fundamental need, esteem. It is noted that all people need to feel accepted and valued. A lower self-esteem may result in a person feeling inferior and they can feel worthless. Wikipedia explain that if one does not feel their competence, independence and freedom, they may feel feelings of inferiority, weakness and helplessness. In Tina’s case I feel that she feels worthless and helpless, which may affect her further performance, not only at school but too in her occupational future. I believe that because Tina lacks love and belonging and suffers from a lower self- esteem, she will not reach the next most fundamental needs, namely Selfactualization and Self- transcendence. I am concerned that by not reaching these needs Tina will not reach her full potential in the future. Section 2: Guidance for Tina 2. 1) Due to Tina’s unfortunate events, I believe that she needs counseling. Due to these events, a child that has experienced abuse and/or neglect, may suffer from learning difficulties and due to this it is important that Tina receives learning difficulty support. According to Schoeman (Schoeman et al. 2011:98), counseling is a facilitative process in which the counselor develops a special relationship and uses specific skills to help young people to help themselves more effectively. Counseling is a process in which advice is given and the counselor determines the nature of a problem and in conjunction to this problem, finds a solution. Schoeman further explains counseling should allow young people with the coping mechanisms and resources to change their situations within themselves. Learners who suffer from trauma often have learning difficulties. Learners who suffer from learning disabilities may need counseling but a support is also needed. Support for learners with disabilities may include counseling, but they need a plan to help them cope with the work. According to BCED (http://www. bced. gov. bc. a/specialed/docs/learning_disabilities_guide) this support would include involving parents to help with the support, consulting with other teachers and colleagues, consolidating with other teachers and school-support systems and creating intervention programs. One can conclude that counseling is a process whereby the counselor attains a special relationship with a person, and helps the person to cope. Support for learning disabilities would entail involving the school, other teachers and other colleagues to create an effective intervention program to help the learner improve and cope with the challenges and demands of school. One could agree that Tina needs counseling and support with her learning difficulties resulting from her trauma. 2. 2) According to Schoman (Schoeman et al. 2011: 68), a child’s objective experience of a sudden, unexpected incident that may be shocking, frightening or horrifying to the extent that it overwhelms and neutralizes the child’s ability to cope, may be seen as traumatic. It is further explained that trauma can be a single or ongoing incident. Schoeman further notes that trauma implies intense emotional wounding, and it is argued that if a body is traumatized, so to can the psyche. Schoeman also mentions that trauma can refer to the wounding of a person’s emotions, spirit, will to live, beliefs about themselves and the world, dignity and a sense of security. It is also noted that a trauma is not part of a normal experience, it is frightening and overwhelming. One can conclude that child trauma can affect a child so badly emotionally and physiologically that it can affect them in the present, as well as further on in life. As Tina’s class teacher I have noticed the effect that child and sexual abuse has on her. Tina’s school attendance and performance has dropped. When she does attend school, she seems unable to concentrate. She is withdrawn and struggles making and keeping friends. She seems reluctant to want to participate in group activities, especially physical ones, including sports. Her knowledge about sexual experiences is inappropriate for her age. She suffers form a low selfesteem, and is anxious answering questions or participating in class, as she seems to be ashamed. I believe that she feels worthless. I have seen her waiting around at school, and I believe that this is because she fears to go home and is avoiding her stepbrother. She is very tired at school, which makes me believe she is having problems sleeping and may be suffering from nightmares. As a result from the emotional abuse that her mother has enforced upon her, she believes in herself that she is responsible for her father walking out, and if she tells her mother she will be responsible for breaking up the new family. I sensed a feeling of guilt when Tina spoke to me. 2. 3) In situations such Tina’s, where she is sexually abused by her stepbrother, and therefore suffers from learning difficulties, it is important to involve the parents, as well as give the parents counseling. Children’s parents are often concerned about their child’s well -being, and when something traumatic happens to their child, or their child is not coping with their school work, they themselves don’t know how to cope with the situation. As Schoeman (Schoeman et al. 2011:105) notes, parents often become over-anxious about their child’s ability to cope. Counseling them will be reassuring them of their child’s success and difficulties, and explaining to them what you are going to do about it. It is important for parents to know that their child has support at school. Schoeman also explains that some parents do not want to acknowledge that their child has a problem, which can put unbearable pressure on the child. In this case I believe it is important to try to convince the parent’s of their child’s short fallings, so that the child gets more support at home. Once the parents are aware of their child’s problems or learning difficulties, it is important to get the parents support, and set out future plans for the child. In Tina’s case I believe it is vital for her mother and stepfather to get the necessary counseling, so that future involvement can be addressed. As Schoeman (Schoeman et al. 2011:106) explains, parental involvement would include the following: involvement in life-skills education, fundraising, involvement in sport, cultural and other extramural activities and the maintenance of equipment and facilities. In Tina’s case I believe parental involvement would be getting the parents to acknowledge her situation, and then getting them involved in a plan for her future, not only by addressing the abuse, but also getting Tina the necessary support and counseling. 2. ) Due to the above mentioned crimes against Tina, and the effects they will have on her life, I would like to develop an individual and learning intervention program for Tina. Firstly I would like to report the case. As Tina’s teacher I am legally required to report the suspected child abuse. I would like to report the abuse to both the Department of Welfare, as well as the South African Police Service. By reporting these allegations, investigation of the abo ve crimes can be brought to attention, and the sooner it is investigated, the sooner the crimes can be prevented. Bringing Tina to the authorities is the first step in preventing further abuse. Secondly I would like to involve her mother and stepfather. I believe that Tina’s mother might not want to accept the information, so I would like to involve a professional counselor or social worker from the Department of Welfare, to help with confronting the matter. Once Tina’s mother and stepfather have acknowledged the accusations, I would like to discuss further suggestions for preventing the abuse, getting the relevant emotional and physiological support and discussing a plan for addressing her learning difficulties. As I am concerned how Tina’s mother will address the matter, I will keep acknowledging Tina’s behavior at school to assure that she is getting the necessary support. As Tina is suffering with learning difficulties, I will confront other colleagues and teachers in giving Tina extra support. I myself will give Tina extra care and support at school. I will provide Tina with counseling to the best of my ability. I would like to set out an extra school curriculum for Tina, whereby she will receive one on one attention from me. These sessions will be specially planned out to deal with specific areas and problems.