My Personal Faith Essay Example for Free

My Personal Faith Essay My personal faith and beliefs contribute to every aspect of my life. I come from a Christian family and a congregation of baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. My parents have always given me unconditional love and dedication, while teaching me healthy boundaries pertaining to life. Such as always putting the Lord first, being more concerned about the pain of consequences for irresponsibility, the rights and wrongs of my behavior, and what pain any of my actions may cause for others and God. My faith has enabled me to handle life challenges from my past and present. Some of these challenges have been series of events that I could hardly believe were happening, while others came with great joy. At five years old, my younger brother, Chandler, died unexpectedly. This was a tough challenge for my whole family to face. This challenge could have easily torn my family apart but together, as a team with God, we worked hard at picking up the pieces and moving forward even when there were days that seemed to be impossible. In the fifth grade, I was diagnosed with a common learning disability known as Attention Deficit Disorder. I am faced with this challenge on a daily basis. I have learned to cope with this disorder over the years by making prayer and patience priorities in helping me conquer this challenge. This challenge was especially difficult during my SAT and ACT tests. Certain scores on these tests were required to get into college and play NCAA football. The stress and pressure of taking these tests felt unbearable at times. While studying and before and during each test, I would remind myself that, through God, all things are possible. With God by my side, I was able to achieve the scores needed to reach my college and athletic goals. Varsity football has had an enormous impact on me during high school because it taught me how dedication and determination would help me succeed in academics as well as in extracurricular activities. Being part of a team helped me develop leadership skills within myself. Each time I step on the field, I put forth an effort to play my best. For me, each game started with a prayer that God would help me make good decisions and keep me and my team safe, win or lose. I earned many Regional and State awards for my achievements in football. All District First Team Defense 2011 and All Region Second Team Defense 2011 were two of my greatest achievements. Again, through God, all things are possible. Strong faith, good character and determination to succeed and live â€Å"a life that matters† can help anyone overcome any challenging situation that they are faced with in their lifetime. They also produce hope within oneself and set the foundation for an integral person to build on their morals and values. I plan to influence others to live â€Å"a life that matters† by staying true to my faith and hope within myself and allowing patience and perseverance to always be a strong characteristic of my character. I am going into the nursing program at Shepherd University in the fall. I plan to further my education into physical therapy. After my education is finished and I enter the working world, I want my greatest accomplishments to be encountering someone daily that I can portray my faith and integrity to that will make a difference in both our lives. I want to be able to reflect back on myself as a person who lived my entire life as one that mattered regardless of what stage of life or challenge that I am faced with at that time. As Christians, we are called and obligated to serve God with our time, talents, and material possessions but we must also recognize these areas as being entrusted to us to be used for the glory of God and helping others. God wants us to seek to bring others under the sway of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love.

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Document Analysis Paper Frederick Douglass made the most of his years after escaping from slavery in 1852. Douglass spread his words against slavery through being a well-known writer. Douglass was one of the most prominent reform leaders of his era (Foner, 481). A popular document written by Frederick Douglass on July 5th, 1852, spread some powerful words among the nation. Douglass’s speech was titled â€Å"What to the slave is the Fourth of July†. When his speech was published, his intended audience was his â€Å"fellow citizens† and those unaware that the Fourth of July was a day of mourning for slaves; unlike white Americans celebrating the day of freedom. The reason Douglass’s speech was published was to bring attention to the separation on the Fourth of July between white and black Americans. Even though Frederick Douglass was free he could not celebrate but mourn the day for horror of the past and presence of slave cruelty. Frederick Douglass’s speech was given to so many of his own people. The fact that Douglass speaks so harshly to them proves that he has passion for what he talks about through-out. â€Å"What to the slave is the Fourth of July†, compares and contrasts the different meanings the Fourth of July shared between Whites and African Americans. Douglass says â€Å"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim†. Frederick Douglass was not striving for the attention, he just wanted to get across that the Fourth of July is not a day of celebration to African Americans and the respect he shared with them, having once being a slave himself. Frederick Douglass was asked by Rochester cit... ...ederick Douglass once said, â€Å"From the time that I can remember having any thoughts about anything, I recall that I had an intense longing to learn to read† (Douglass, 13). He always was determined and came a long way. He took his opportunity to give a speech during the celebration of the Fourth of July. Though to Douglass â€Å"Celebrations are a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages†. (Foner, 481). He made it clear of these crimes to those who wanted a speech to be given. He ends his amazing speech with a statement he has been working to prove all along†¦ The Fourth of July is a dissatisfying reminder to him and his people of the cruelty and pain he has been through and what is going on. Frederick Douglass knows the past cannot be undone, but he will not celebrate, he will mourn for those who have been forced to sacrifice their freedom.

Examining the Consequences of School Bullying and Provocation

BULLYING A Research Paper Presented To Prof. Ma. Victoria R. Protacio City University of Pasay (CUP) In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements For English II Submitted by: Ailyn Catolico BPG 1-1 March 4, 2013 Table of Contents Pages I. Acknowledgment 1 II. Introduction 2 III. Body A. The Problem and its Background 4 * Statement of the Problem/Objectives 4 * How does it affect the teaching of the teachers in the future 6 * Why is it the topic important 6 * Implication for Future Teaching 7 * What led them to this research 7B. Compilation of Philippine Laws on Discipline and Punishment of Children 9 * The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines 9 * Rights of the Accused 9 * Court Order for Disciplinary Measures 9 C. Methodology 10 D. Related Literature 11 * Local Literature 11 * Foreign Literature 12 IV. Conclusion 13 V. Definition of terms 15 VI. Reference/Bibliography AcknowledgementThe researcher’s wishes to express their deepest gratitude to the special people who have extended their assistance for the success of this study; The Almighty God, who is the source of life and strength of knowledge and wisdom. To the fellow classmates, for sharing their knowledge and idea in helping the researchers in the construction of the project and for their genuine apprehension, encouragement, patient and guidance and whose expertise and knowledge were generously shared. To the beloved parents and guardians for untiring love and support. The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this piece of work was heartily offered.Introduction The aim of this research was to determine the bullying and effects of it in classroom. Although it is not always obvious, students are bullied as early as elementary school. Instances of bullying make take place in school, during after-school programs, on the school bus, and in neighborhoods. This research focuses on the occurrence of bullying in classroom. It also focuses on ways to help students cope with the incidents of bullying. T he impact of bullying and victimization is assessed by taking into account the relative buffering effect of a positive relationship with one or both parents.Internalizing symptoms such as withdrawn behaviors, somatic complaints, and anxiety and depression. Bullying others directly by hitting, threatening, or calling names is not a significant predictor the poor mental and somatic health of youngsters, whereas indirect bullying (spreading rumors or not talking to someone on purpose) does significantly predict anxiety and depression, as well as withdrawn behaviors. The negative impact of victimization and bullying is buffered by youngsters’ positive relationship with one or both parents.Recommendations are provided with regard to possible intervention strategies underlying the importance of distinguishing between different forms of bullying and victimization and providing social support in each different case. Unfortunately, bullying is an unavoidable part of life for children, but what it is the best way to deal with bullying so that both the bully and the victim can grow from the experience and become better people? Before this question can be answered, it is important to explore every aspect involved with bullying.Specifically, we need to look at everything that bullies do, the way it affects both the victim and the bully, and exactly how much bullying currently occurs in schools. Bullying is very frequent and since the beginning of time it has plagued schools all over the world. It is a major issue in today’s world and is well-worthy of discussion. Most of the time when people think of bullying going on in schools, one generic picture comes to mind; a big, scary boy coming along to a younger, punier child and saying, â€Å"Give me your lunch money dork! then the bully proceeds to turn the victim upside down to empty his pockets for lunch money. However, bullying is not always that simple, and there does not necessarily need to be physical viol ence involved in order for something to be considered bullying. The Problem and its Background Statement of the Problem/Objectives There are different types of bullies that are common in schools today; physical bullies, verbal bullies, and relational bullies. Physical bullies are just what they sound like, physical.These types of bullies tend to hit, kick, punch, shove, or use any other type of physical exertion of energy towards other. Verbal bullies are the types of bullies that use harsh words such as name-calling, insults, racial comments, or comments about another student’s physical appearance in order to degrade their victim. Verbal bullying is the most commonly reported type of bullying. Finally, relational bullies will act by singling out their victim from their peer group. This is mostly done by the bully using verbal threats or spreading undesirable rumors about their victims.While these types of bullying are not necessarily the stereotypical pictures that come to m ind when thinking about bullies, they are all very serious and can possibly have some serious detrimental effects on both parties involved. This research was to investigate the impact of physical, verbal and social bullying in school, thereby improving the knowledge base and insight of counselors who work with victims of bullying. The study was feasible, as it was within the financial and practical means of the researcher. This quantitative study endeavored to answer the following research question: * What is the impact of bullying in the students? Is bullying in school a normal part of life? * Do the independent variables – perceptions of school climate variables and school membership (the school a student attends) – have a significant relationship with the students reporting being involved in bullying at all, whether as a bully or as a victim? The problem of bullying at school is a complex problem that emerges from social, physical, institutional and community contex ts, as well as the individual characteristics of the students who are bullied and victimized (Swearer & Doll (2001)).A useful framework for understanding bullying is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory (1979; 1993). When the ecological perspective is applied to bullying, a bullying interaction occurs not only because of individual characteristics of the child who is bullying, but also because of actions of peers, teachers and school staff, and physical characteristics of the school environment. How students perceive all these factors will be referred to as school climate in thus study. Families, cultural factors, and even community factors also play a role in the occurrence of the bullying interaction.The ecological system theory, as conceptualized by Bronfenbrenner, has been used to study complex behaviors of children and adolescents. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory is a useful framework in this study for several reasons. This ecological system theory takes into account that the student is not merely acted upon by the environment. The student is both active and reactive. Strength of framing this study using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory is that it takes into account not just the environment, but student’s perceptions of the environment.This is important, because it accounts for why two students in similar environments may exhibit wildly different behaviors (Thomas, 1996). In summary, bullying is best conceptualized as intrinsic factors in the student interacting with the social environment, which then serves to reinforce bullying and/or victimization behaviors. Bullying is a serious problem that can dramatically affect the ability of students to progress academically and socially. A comprehensive intervention plan that involves all students, parents, and school staff is required to ensure that all students can learn in a safe and fear-free environment.How does it affect the teaching of the teachers, and how wil l it affect the teaching of the teachers in the future? One of core beliefs as students is that students need a safe, comfortable environment in order for learning to occur. The researcher feels that if students are being bullied in school and in school-related situations, then their attention is not focused primarily on learning; it is divided between academics and concern about negative social situations that are associated with schools.In order to create a safe environment where the students can thrive as learners, they have decided to inquire into a phenomenon that often precludes students from thriving – bullying. It is their hope and intention that by learning more about the phenomenon of school bullying, they can take measures to prevent bullying in schools. These preventative measures include fostering positive attitudes and empathy in schools to reduce the occurrence of bullying that the students face and teach those coping strategies with which they feel comfortable using when they are bullied.Why is it the topic important? In the past, bullying was considered a part of growing up; now, psychologists are warning parents and teachers that bullying is a problem that could result in serious consequences for victims and bullies alike. One reason that bullying is a problem in schools is because people have not changed their thinking from that of the past – which bullying is simply a part of growing up, and kids need to learn to deal with it. They want you to believe that if cognitions about bullying were changed, the occurrence of bullying would decrease.They would agree: â€Å"If students attend schools in which bullying behaviors are accepted by adults and peers, it is plausible that they will engage in more of these behaviors. † The opposite would likewise be true – if students attend a school where bullying is not accepted, then it is possible that there will be fewer occurrence of bullying in that school over time. Implica tion for Future Teaching From this research, they want you to learned several things about the practice as students.They want you have a good communication between home and school so that parents and teachers understand your beliefs as students and that they feel the schools should be a safe environment in which you can learn. This way, you will feel comfortable sharing your feelings with us and to your parents and teachers, and you will model giving compliments and have your practice giving compliments to your parents in order to help facilitate more frequent use of the compliment and proposal study. You can also try using other activities in the meetings to help the students understand the different aspects of the bullying problem.You can use role play scenarios to give the students the opportunity to practice their responses to bullying situations and to help them understand how it feels to be â€Å"in the shoes† of everyone involved in a bullying situation. They also want you to realize that no matter what school levels we are, it will be important to address these issues as well as other issues such as general community-building and character education in order to guide the students to appropriate social behaviors. What led them to this research?They have been interested in bullying since they heard it in news. They were originally interested in how teachers and school staff helped children to cope with and understand the effects of bullying in schools. In their research for this, they found that many teachers were using similar strategies for coping with bullying. Their interest narrowed down to bullying in schools. The more they earned about bullying, the more interested in it they became because bullying is so embedded in our society that many adults and children do not recognize its many forms.Manifestations of bullying are overt as well as covert. The physical bullying and verbal harassment are considered overt forms of bullying, but bullying also includes covert behaviors such as spreading rumors and social exclusion. At the end of their secondary school, they submitted an honors thesis proposal indicating research topic for senior honors thesis for the High School. They continued to do more research and read books and articles about the topic of bullying. The literature suggests that bullying is a salient problem in the country, ven in elementary school, and it can have negative effects later in life. According to the article â€Å"Bullying: Facts for schools and parents,† â€Å"bullying is the most common form of violence in our society† (Cohn & Canter, 2003, p. 1). Although bullying has negative consequences for everyone involved in a bullying situation, Banks’ article â€Å"Bullying in schools† states that there is a strong correlation between bullying during school years and having criminal or legal problems in adulthood (1997).As a people who were educated in the Philippines, they can a ttest to having different types of bullying experiences throughout school, and they believe that most people would admit to experiencing a bullying situation at some point in their life. Considering their position as a secondary high school for the entire year, they realized that not only did they need to think of ways to help children cope with bullying situations in their own lives; they needed to also consider ways to prevent it from occurring.After some thinking, they decided that if they could find a way to foster empathy in schools, then the students would feel compassionate toward victims of bullying and come to their aid, as well as not want to bully someone because they can imagine what it must be like to â€Å"be in that person’s shoes†. Compilation of Philippine Laws on Discipline and Punishment of Children THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILLIPINES The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines (Constitution) is the supreme written law in the countr y and it serves as the basic framework for any act or rule of any branch or agency of the government.All laws must comply with its provisions, otherwise it will be declared as void. Hence, it is necessary to refer to the Constitution and examine how it views the development of children in the context of the family and educational institutions. Rights of the Accused The Bill of Rights (Article III, Constitution) enshrines the rights of any person, including children in conflict with the law, under investigation for the commission of an offense. Article III, Section 12 specifically prohibits the following: 2. No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidations, or any other means hich vitiate the free will shall be used against [any person under investigation for the commission of an offense]. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or other similar forms of detention are prohibited. Court Order for Disciplinary Measures As a means of assisting parents in imposing discipline on a child, Article 223 provides that parents or, in their absence or incapacity, the individual, entity or institution exercising parental authority, may file a petition before the proper court of the place where the child resides, for an order providing for disciplinary measures over the child.The article also provides that the â€Å"child shall be entitled to the assistance of counsel, either of his choice or appointed by the court, and a summary hearing shall be conducted wherein the petitioner and the child shall be heard. † The court is authorized to adopt such other measures as it may deem just and proper, including the â€Å"commitment of the child children’s homes duly accredited by the proper government agency. † Related Literature Upon researching the bullying and how it has become a common issue in schools today, the following literature was found through the search.To address the issue of bullying, the interventions and roles of school counselors ne ed to be considered. In order for this to be done, a clear understanding of how prevalent bullying is, the intervention strategies used, and the roles that school counselors play in this terrifying act needs to be addressed. Local Literature In 2001, the United Nations General Assembly, upon the request of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, called for the conduct of an in-depth study on violence against children through a resolution.The study seeks to provide an in-depth global picture of violence against children as well as propose clear recommendations for the improvement of legislation, policy, and programmed relating to the prevention of and responses to violence against children. Save the Children UK in the Philippines was greatly involved in the research initiatives of the Alliance on the physical and emotional punishment of children through its Research on the Physical and Emotional Punishment of Filipino Children, which was conducted in Cebu City in the Visayas and in Caloocan City in Metro Manila.The research provides information on: (1) What children think about physical punishment; (2) The types of punishment inflicted on children; (3) The context of punishment (settings such as homes, schools, streets, institutions, and juvenile justice); (4) Who punishes children and why; (5) What adults think about physical punishment and discipline; and (6) Local means of non-violent conflict resolution, which can be used in programme interventions and advocacy (Save the Children UK, 2006).According to the National Parent Teacher Association (2000) research has shown that effectively engaging parents and families in the education of their children has the potential to be far more transformational than any other type of educational reform. Foreign Literature In October 2004, according to Helen Phillips, San Diego, the age at which kids first fall victim to bullying could influence how strongly they are affected, suggests a new study. And, surprisingly, it is not the youngest kids who are hurt the most in the long term.Bullying can have long-lasting effects, but particularly when it begins in adolescence, the researchers say. People subjected to either verbal or physical bullying are known to be at greater risk for developing depression, anxiety disorders or to behave violently. But not everyone reacts in this way. Children bullied for the first time before they hit puberty seem to get over it, but those are victimized for the first time late on in puberty seem to become more aggressive or are more likely to turn to drink as a means of coping. Much research has been devoted to the subject of parental involvement and how it affects the lives of children.Major legislation such as the Goals 2000, the Educate American Act and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) have made parental involvement a national priority (Kyle, McIntyre, Miller, & Moore 2002). Methodology This research will address a problem that facing c hildren of all ages; this serious issue is bullying. The problem of bullying in schools is an important issue that needs to be further addressed. The specific aspects of bullying that need to be further studied are what causes bullies to bully peers and how victims cope with the way they are being treated by classmates at school.When teens bully, it is likely they are experiencing some sort of personal problem that needs treatment, and those who are victims develop problems that need to be treated. All students who are involved with bullying, regardless of whether they are bullies or victims, need interventions before more serious issues develop. The problems both victims and bullies face can affect society as a whole since they can lead to more violent acts, suicides, and an increase in substance abuse.The more that is known about the issues associated with bullying, the more social workers can do to prevent it and develop better understandings of how to treat bullies and victims. This research will further explore causes of bullying behaviors and the coping mechanisms victims’ issue. The information gathered can potentially be useful in raising awareness on this topic and for creating new policies on bullying. Conclusion Based on the findings, the following conclusions are given concluded: Bullies react aggressively in response to provocation or perceived insults or slights.It is unclear whether their acts of bullying give them pleasure or are just the most effective way they have learned to get what they want from other. Bullying negatively affects both the child being victimized and the child who is the bully. There are always short-term affects and if the bullying is severe enough there can also be long term effects. Children who are bullied can suffer from low self esteem and other emotional problems and children who do the bullying are much more likely to have problems with drugs and alcohol later in life.The victims of bullies often loose self e steem, start having trouble in school, and withdraw from friends and activities. If it is not stopped and continues for long enough, children can suffer these problems permanently. Not being able to understand the harm they do to themselves, psychopathic bullies are particularly dangerous. Bullying should not be taken lightly as it can cause serious problems for all the children involved. Being bullied is a very stressful ordeal for children. Many bullying victims are reluctant to talk about their experiences making it even harder to help them.Never tell the child just to ignore the bullying. They will feel as if you are just going to ignore it and they should not have bothered to tell in the first place. Make contact with bully’s parents. Often they are unaware of their child’s behavior and will want to help work with you to make positive changes. Do not allow your child to hang around empty playgrounds or stay late at school alone. Teach them to always use the buddy system. Sometimes children exhibit certain behaviors that irritate or provoke others.If this is the case, help the child to find more suitable ways to interact with friends and peer groups. Bullying will forever plague schools all over the world and it is vital to know ways in which teachers and parents can work together in order to lessen the blow bullying has on society, and keep our children safe and happy. A higher quality of life for students where they can focus on their academics at school rather than on bullies will provide them with less stressful lives and prevent many of the problems, such as depression and suicide, which can oftentimes be linked to childhood violence.Definition of Key Terms * Anxiety – a nervous feeling caused by fear that something bad is going to happen; worry. * Buffering – a person or thing that reduces a shock or protects somebody or something against difficulties. * Bully – a person who uses his or her strength or power to frig hten or hurt weaker people. * Bullying – is a form of aggressive behavior manifested by the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when the behavior is habitual and involves an imbalance of power. * Depression – to make somebody sad and without enthusiasm or hope. Detrimental – harmful. * Feasible – that can be done; practical. * Impact – a strong effect or impression. * Institution – an organization established for social, educational, religious, etc. purposes. * Intervention – to become involved in a situation, especially so as to prevent something happening or to try to help somebody. * Recommendation – to suggest a course of action; to advise something. * School – educational institution for pupils up to 19 years of age. Reference/Bibliography Website/Internet * http://www. olweus. rg/public/authors. page * http://www. google. com. ph/url? sa=t&rct=j&q=research%20paper%20about%20bullying&source=web&c d=5&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CGwQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Feportfolios. ithaca. edu%2Fcmoses1%2Fdocs%2Fbullying. doc&ei=bsM1UaT4K4iOiAfv6IHgAg&usg=AFQjCNEwrr4Ecj-700ei_BMFwMutkTIhcA&bvm=bv. 43148975,d. aGc * http://www. slideshare. net/victoriasantos9822924/bullying * http://www. ed. psu. edu/educ/pds/teacher-inquiry/2006/plackek. pdf * http://www. rb. se/eng/Programme/TheUNStudyonViolenceagainstChildren. htm Examining the Consequences of School Bullying and Provocation BULLYING A Research Paper Presented To Prof. Ma. Victoria R. Protacio City University of Pasay (CUP) In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements For English II Submitted by: Ailyn Catolico BPG 1-1 March 4, 2013 Table of Contents Pages I. Acknowledgment 1 II. Introduction 2 III. Body A. The Problem and its Background 4 * Statement of the Problem/Objectives 4 * How does it affect the teaching of the teachers in the future 6 * Why is it the topic important 6 * Implication for Future Teaching 7 * What led them to this research 7B. Compilation of Philippine Laws on Discipline and Punishment of Children 9 * The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines 9 * Rights of the Accused 9 * Court Order for Disciplinary Measures 9 C. Methodology 10 D. Related Literature 11 * Local Literature 11 * Foreign Literature 12 IV. Conclusion 13 V. Definition of terms 15 VI. Reference/Bibliography AcknowledgementThe researcher’s wishes to express their deepest gratitude to the special people who have extended their assistance for the success of this study; The Almighty God, who is the source of life and strength of knowledge and wisdom. To the fellow classmates, for sharing their knowledge and idea in helping the researchers in the construction of the project and for their genuine apprehension, encouragement, patient and guidance and whose expertise and knowledge were generously shared. To the beloved parents and guardians for untiring love and support. The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this piece of work was heartily offered.Introduction The aim of this research was to determine the bullying and effects of it in classroom. Although it is not always obvious, students are bullied as early as elementary school. Instances of bullying make take place in school, during after-school programs, on the school bus, and in neighborhoods. This research focuses on the occurrence of bullying in classroom. It also focuses on ways to help students cope with the incidents of bullying. T he impact of bullying and victimization is assessed by taking into account the relative buffering effect of a positive relationship with one or both parents.Internalizing symptoms such as withdrawn behaviors, somatic complaints, and anxiety and depression. Bullying others directly by hitting, threatening, or calling names is not a significant predictor the poor mental and somatic health of youngsters, whereas indirect bullying (spreading rumors or not talking to someone on purpose) does significantly predict anxiety and depression, as well as withdrawn behaviors. The negative impact of victimization and bullying is buffered by youngsters’ positive relationship with one or both parents.Recommendations are provided with regard to possible intervention strategies underlying the importance of distinguishing between different forms of bullying and victimization and providing social support in each different case. Unfortunately, bullying is an unavoidable part of life for children, but what it is the best way to deal with bullying so that both the bully and the victim can grow from the experience and become better people? Before this question can be answered, it is important to explore every aspect involved with bullying.Specifically, we need to look at everything that bullies do, the way it affects both the victim and the bully, and exactly how much bullying currently occurs in schools. Bullying is very frequent and since the beginning of time it has plagued schools all over the world. It is a major issue in today’s world and is well-worthy of discussion. Most of the time when people think of bullying going on in schools, one generic picture comes to mind; a big, scary boy coming along to a younger, punier child and saying, â€Å"Give me your lunch money dork! then the bully proceeds to turn the victim upside down to empty his pockets for lunch money. However, bullying is not always that simple, and there does not necessarily need to be physical viol ence involved in order for something to be considered bullying. The Problem and its Background Statement of the Problem/Objectives There are different types of bullies that are common in schools today; physical bullies, verbal bullies, and relational bullies. Physical bullies are just what they sound like, physical.These types of bullies tend to hit, kick, punch, shove, or use any other type of physical exertion of energy towards other. Verbal bullies are the types of bullies that use harsh words such as name-calling, insults, racial comments, or comments about another student’s physical appearance in order to degrade their victim. Verbal bullying is the most commonly reported type of bullying. Finally, relational bullies will act by singling out their victim from their peer group. This is mostly done by the bully using verbal threats or spreading undesirable rumors about their victims.While these types of bullying are not necessarily the stereotypical pictures that come to m ind when thinking about bullies, they are all very serious and can possibly have some serious detrimental effects on both parties involved. This research was to investigate the impact of physical, verbal and social bullying in school, thereby improving the knowledge base and insight of counselors who work with victims of bullying. The study was feasible, as it was within the financial and practical means of the researcher. This quantitative study endeavored to answer the following research question: * What is the impact of bullying in the students? Is bullying in school a normal part of life? * Do the independent variables – perceptions of school climate variables and school membership (the school a student attends) – have a significant relationship with the students reporting being involved in bullying at all, whether as a bully or as a victim? The problem of bullying at school is a complex problem that emerges from social, physical, institutional and community contex ts, as well as the individual characteristics of the students who are bullied and victimized (Swearer & Doll (2001)).A useful framework for understanding bullying is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory (1979; 1993). When the ecological perspective is applied to bullying, a bullying interaction occurs not only because of individual characteristics of the child who is bullying, but also because of actions of peers, teachers and school staff, and physical characteristics of the school environment. How students perceive all these factors will be referred to as school climate in thus study. Families, cultural factors, and even community factors also play a role in the occurrence of the bullying interaction.The ecological system theory, as conceptualized by Bronfenbrenner, has been used to study complex behaviors of children and adolescents. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory is a useful framework in this study for several reasons. This ecological system theory takes into account that the student is not merely acted upon by the environment. The student is both active and reactive. Strength of framing this study using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory is that it takes into account not just the environment, but student’s perceptions of the environment.This is important, because it accounts for why two students in similar environments may exhibit wildly different behaviors (Thomas, 1996). In summary, bullying is best conceptualized as intrinsic factors in the student interacting with the social environment, which then serves to reinforce bullying and/or victimization behaviors. Bullying is a serious problem that can dramatically affect the ability of students to progress academically and socially. A comprehensive intervention plan that involves all students, parents, and school staff is required to ensure that all students can learn in a safe and fear-free environment.How does it affect the teaching of the teachers, and how wil l it affect the teaching of the teachers in the future? One of core beliefs as students is that students need a safe, comfortable environment in order for learning to occur. The researcher feels that if students are being bullied in school and in school-related situations, then their attention is not focused primarily on learning; it is divided between academics and concern about negative social situations that are associated with schools.In order to create a safe environment where the students can thrive as learners, they have decided to inquire into a phenomenon that often precludes students from thriving – bullying. It is their hope and intention that by learning more about the phenomenon of school bullying, they can take measures to prevent bullying in schools. These preventative measures include fostering positive attitudes and empathy in schools to reduce the occurrence of bullying that the students face and teach those coping strategies with which they feel comfortable using when they are bullied.Why is it the topic important? In the past, bullying was considered a part of growing up; now, psychologists are warning parents and teachers that bullying is a problem that could result in serious consequences for victims and bullies alike. One reason that bullying is a problem in schools is because people have not changed their thinking from that of the past – which bullying is simply a part of growing up, and kids need to learn to deal with it. They want you to believe that if cognitions about bullying were changed, the occurrence of bullying would decrease.They would agree: â€Å"If students attend schools in which bullying behaviors are accepted by adults and peers, it is plausible that they will engage in more of these behaviors. † The opposite would likewise be true – if students attend a school where bullying is not accepted, then it is possible that there will be fewer occurrence of bullying in that school over time. Implica tion for Future Teaching From this research, they want you to learned several things about the practice as students.They want you have a good communication between home and school so that parents and teachers understand your beliefs as students and that they feel the schools should be a safe environment in which you can learn. This way, you will feel comfortable sharing your feelings with us and to your parents and teachers, and you will model giving compliments and have your practice giving compliments to your parents in order to help facilitate more frequent use of the compliment and proposal study. You can also try using other activities in the meetings to help the students understand the different aspects of the bullying problem.You can use role play scenarios to give the students the opportunity to practice their responses to bullying situations and to help them understand how it feels to be â€Å"in the shoes† of everyone involved in a bullying situation. They also want you to realize that no matter what school levels we are, it will be important to address these issues as well as other issues such as general community-building and character education in order to guide the students to appropriate social behaviors. What led them to this research?They have been interested in bullying since they heard it in news. They were originally interested in how teachers and school staff helped children to cope with and understand the effects of bullying in schools. In their research for this, they found that many teachers were using similar strategies for coping with bullying. Their interest narrowed down to bullying in schools. The more they earned about bullying, the more interested in it they became because bullying is so embedded in our society that many adults and children do not recognize its many forms.Manifestations of bullying are overt as well as covert. The physical bullying and verbal harassment are considered overt forms of bullying, but bullying also includes covert behaviors such as spreading rumors and social exclusion. At the end of their secondary school, they submitted an honors thesis proposal indicating research topic for senior honors thesis for the High School. They continued to do more research and read books and articles about the topic of bullying. The literature suggests that bullying is a salient problem in the country, ven in elementary school, and it can have negative effects later in life. According to the article â€Å"Bullying: Facts for schools and parents,† â€Å"bullying is the most common form of violence in our society† (Cohn & Canter, 2003, p. 1). Although bullying has negative consequences for everyone involved in a bullying situation, Banks’ article â€Å"Bullying in schools† states that there is a strong correlation between bullying during school years and having criminal or legal problems in adulthood (1997).As a people who were educated in the Philippines, they can a ttest to having different types of bullying experiences throughout school, and they believe that most people would admit to experiencing a bullying situation at some point in their life. Considering their position as a secondary high school for the entire year, they realized that not only did they need to think of ways to help children cope with bullying situations in their own lives; they needed to also consider ways to prevent it from occurring.After some thinking, they decided that if they could find a way to foster empathy in schools, then the students would feel compassionate toward victims of bullying and come to their aid, as well as not want to bully someone because they can imagine what it must be like to â€Å"be in that person’s shoes†. Compilation of Philippine Laws on Discipline and Punishment of Children THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILLIPINES The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines (Constitution) is the supreme written law in the countr y and it serves as the basic framework for any act or rule of any branch or agency of the government.All laws must comply with its provisions, otherwise it will be declared as void. Hence, it is necessary to refer to the Constitution and examine how it views the development of children in the context of the family and educational institutions. Rights of the Accused The Bill of Rights (Article III, Constitution) enshrines the rights of any person, including children in conflict with the law, under investigation for the commission of an offense. Article III, Section 12 specifically prohibits the following: 2. No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidations, or any other means hich vitiate the free will shall be used against [any person under investigation for the commission of an offense]. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or other similar forms of detention are prohibited. Court Order for Disciplinary Measures As a means of assisting parents in imposing discipline on a child, Article 223 provides that parents or, in their absence or incapacity, the individual, entity or institution exercising parental authority, may file a petition before the proper court of the place where the child resides, for an order providing for disciplinary measures over the child.The article also provides that the â€Å"child shall be entitled to the assistance of counsel, either of his choice or appointed by the court, and a summary hearing shall be conducted wherein the petitioner and the child shall be heard. † The court is authorized to adopt such other measures as it may deem just and proper, including the â€Å"commitment of the child children’s homes duly accredited by the proper government agency. † Related Literature Upon researching the bullying and how it has become a common issue in schools today, the following literature was found through the search.To address the issue of bullying, the interventions and roles of school counselors ne ed to be considered. In order for this to be done, a clear understanding of how prevalent bullying is, the intervention strategies used, and the roles that school counselors play in this terrifying act needs to be addressed. Local Literature In 2001, the United Nations General Assembly, upon the request of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, called for the conduct of an in-depth study on violence against children through a resolution.The study seeks to provide an in-depth global picture of violence against children as well as propose clear recommendations for the improvement of legislation, policy, and programmed relating to the prevention of and responses to violence against children. Save the Children UK in the Philippines was greatly involved in the research initiatives of the Alliance on the physical and emotional punishment of children through its Research on the Physical and Emotional Punishment of Filipino Children, which was conducted in Cebu City in the Visayas and in Caloocan City in Metro Manila.The research provides information on: (1) What children think about physical punishment; (2) The types of punishment inflicted on children; (3) The context of punishment (settings such as homes, schools, streets, institutions, and juvenile justice); (4) Who punishes children and why; (5) What adults think about physical punishment and discipline; and (6) Local means of non-violent conflict resolution, which can be used in programme interventions and advocacy (Save the Children UK, 2006).According to the National Parent Teacher Association (2000) research has shown that effectively engaging parents and families in the education of their children has the potential to be far more transformational than any other type of educational reform. Foreign Literature In October 2004, according to Helen Phillips, San Diego, the age at which kids first fall victim to bullying could influence how strongly they are affected, suggests a new study. And, surprisingly, it is not the youngest kids who are hurt the most in the long term.Bullying can have long-lasting effects, but particularly when it begins in adolescence, the researchers say. People subjected to either verbal or physical bullying are known to be at greater risk for developing depression, anxiety disorders or to behave violently. But not everyone reacts in this way. Children bullied for the first time before they hit puberty seem to get over it, but those are victimized for the first time late on in puberty seem to become more aggressive or are more likely to turn to drink as a means of coping. Much research has been devoted to the subject of parental involvement and how it affects the lives of children.Major legislation such as the Goals 2000, the Educate American Act and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) have made parental involvement a national priority (Kyle, McIntyre, Miller, & Moore 2002). Methodology This research will address a problem that facing c hildren of all ages; this serious issue is bullying. The problem of bullying in schools is an important issue that needs to be further addressed. The specific aspects of bullying that need to be further studied are what causes bullies to bully peers and how victims cope with the way they are being treated by classmates at school.When teens bully, it is likely they are experiencing some sort of personal problem that needs treatment, and those who are victims develop problems that need to be treated. All students who are involved with bullying, regardless of whether they are bullies or victims, need interventions before more serious issues develop. The problems both victims and bullies face can affect society as a whole since they can lead to more violent acts, suicides, and an increase in substance abuse.The more that is known about the issues associated with bullying, the more social workers can do to prevent it and develop better understandings of how to treat bullies and victims. This research will further explore causes of bullying behaviors and the coping mechanisms victims’ issue. The information gathered can potentially be useful in raising awareness on this topic and for creating new policies on bullying. Conclusion Based on the findings, the following conclusions are given concluded: Bullies react aggressively in response to provocation or perceived insults or slights.It is unclear whether their acts of bullying give them pleasure or are just the most effective way they have learned to get what they want from other. Bullying negatively affects both the child being victimized and the child who is the bully. There are always short-term affects and if the bullying is severe enough there can also be long term effects. Children who are bullied can suffer from low self esteem and other emotional problems and children who do the bullying are much more likely to have problems with drugs and alcohol later in life.The victims of bullies often loose self e steem, start having trouble in school, and withdraw from friends and activities. If it is not stopped and continues for long enough, children can suffer these problems permanently. Not being able to understand the harm they do to themselves, psychopathic bullies are particularly dangerous. Bullying should not be taken lightly as it can cause serious problems for all the children involved. Being bullied is a very stressful ordeal for children. Many bullying victims are reluctant to talk about their experiences making it even harder to help them.Never tell the child just to ignore the bullying. They will feel as if you are just going to ignore it and they should not have bothered to tell in the first place. Make contact with bully’s parents. Often they are unaware of their child’s behavior and will want to help work with you to make positive changes. Do not allow your child to hang around empty playgrounds or stay late at school alone. Teach them to always use the buddy system. Sometimes children exhibit certain behaviors that irritate or provoke others.If this is the case, help the child to find more suitable ways to interact with friends and peer groups. Bullying will forever plague schools all over the world and it is vital to know ways in which teachers and parents can work together in order to lessen the blow bullying has on society, and keep our children safe and happy. A higher quality of life for students where they can focus on their academics at school rather than on bullies will provide them with less stressful lives and prevent many of the problems, such as depression and suicide, which can oftentimes be linked to childhood violence.Definition of Key Terms * Anxiety – a nervous feeling caused by fear that something bad is going to happen; worry. * Buffering – a person or thing that reduces a shock or protects somebody or something against difficulties. * Bully – a person who uses his or her strength or power to frig hten or hurt weaker people. * Bullying – is a form of aggressive behavior manifested by the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when the behavior is habitual and involves an imbalance of power. * Depression – to make somebody sad and without enthusiasm or hope. Detrimental – harmful. * Feasible – that can be done; practical. * Impact – a strong effect or impression. * Institution – an organization established for social, educational, religious, etc. purposes. * Intervention – to become involved in a situation, especially so as to prevent something happening or to try to help somebody. * Recommendation – to suggest a course of action; to advise something. * School – educational institution for pupils up to 19 years of age. Reference/Bibliography Website/Internet * http://www. olweus. rg/public/authors. page * http://www. google. com. ph/url? sa=t&rct=j&q=research%20paper%20about%20bullying&source=web&c d=5&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CGwQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Feportfolios. ithaca. edu%2Fcmoses1%2Fdocs%2Fbullying. doc&ei=bsM1UaT4K4iOiAfv6IHgAg&usg=AFQjCNEwrr4Ecj-700ei_BMFwMutkTIhcA&bvm=bv. 43148975,d. aGc * http://www. slideshare. net/victoriasantos9822924/bullying * http://www. ed. psu. edu/educ/pds/teacher-inquiry/2006/plackek. pdf * http://www. rb. se/eng/Programme/TheUNStudyonViolenceagainstChildren. htm

Children in Conflict with Law: Scenario of Crimes Committed and Justice Delivery System for Juveniles in India Essay

As per the recent report of the National Council for Protection of Child Rights (2013) that there are approximately 32,000 children a year at any point of time as ‘Children in conflict with the law‘. Within this smaller universe, looking at NCRB data for 2012 the report find that 8569 children were apprehended for murder, attempt to murder, rape and theft which is about 25.45 %. Further, as against all forms of crimes recorded each year, NCRB‘s compilation of data reflects that juvenile crimes for the years 2001 and 2012 accounted for 16509 and 33668 which is only 0.9 % and 1.3 % percentage respectively of the total crimes committed in the country. The fact that there is only a miniscule number of children in conflict with law and that too that they have not been given protection has to be factored in while discussing either reduction in age or increase in punishment of the juvenile (NCPCR, 2013). Juvenile delinquency during 2012 As per the data provided by NCBR, in 2012 there was increase in the number of juveniles apprehended for committing almost all the types of cognizable offences over 2002 and quinquennial average during that period (Table 1). From the table it appears that the increase in the juvenile apprehended for various offences in absolute terms is very less than what appears in percent. For example there were only 33 cases of counterfeiting recorded during 2012 but it shows increase of 1000 percent over 2002. Further there was 333.3 % increase in 2012 in death caused due to negligence over such cases recorded during 2002. Most of these cases were associated with rash motor vehicle driving. Table 1.1 Comparison of select offences committed by juvenile delinquents during 2007-12 in India |No. |Type of Offence |Quinquennial Average |Offences Recorded in|Percent increase |Percent increase | | | |offences recorded |2012 |over QA average |over crime recorded | | | |during 2007-11 | | |in 2002 | |1 |Murder |765 |990 |29.4 |86.4 | |2 |Attempt to commit murder |580 |876 |51.5 |86.8 | |3 |Preparation and assembly for |62 |92 |47.9 |100 | | |Dacoity | | | | | |4 |Dacoity |137 |174 |176.2 |176.2 | |5 |Robbery |516 |767 |270.5 |270 | |6 |Death due to negligence |161 |260 |61.3 |333.3 | |7 |Counterfeiting |14 |33 |132.4 |1000 | Causes of juvenile delinquency: Of the various factors affecting the juvenile delinquency socio-economic conditions of the children are considered to be of most importance. In the year 2012 a total of 39822 delinquents were apprehended under various offences. It was found that there is direct correlation with the economic status of the delinquent. With increasing income of the family there was reduction in the number of delinquents apprehended for various offences. Fig. indicates that during 2012 of the total delinquents apprehended in the country 52 % were belonging to lower income group having annual income of less that Rs. 25,000/-. The percentage of delinquents reduced with the increase in the annual income of the parents. Thus there were only 0.84 % delinquents belonging to upper income group having annual income of more than Rs. 3,00,000/-. Similar situation was observed in Gujarat where of the total (2406) delinquents apprehended 71 % belonged to the lower income group having annual family income less than R s. 25,000/- while in the upper income group (annual income more than Rs.3,00,000) there was no child recorded to be in conflict with law. As per the data provided by NCRB (2012) delinquency in the children is also associated with the educational status of the children. The children who have never attended any school (illiterates) and those who have attended the school for a short period (having received primary education) represent 60 % of the total delinquents (illiterates -14 % and primary education- 46 %). As against earlier reports (Mishra—-), the NCBR report of 2012 states that during 2012 the percentage of illiterates in the total delinquents was a mere 14 %. The percentage of delinquent having received secondary education than was reported to be 31 %. The percentage of delinquents who have received higher education was least. Figure 1 shows the overall picture of educational status of the delinquents apprehended during 2012 in India. Similar situation was observed in the case of delinquents apprehended Also the age and sex of the delinquent plays a very important role. During 2012 of all the juveniles apprehended for various offences 66.5 % were belonging to the age group 16-18 years. Moreover, there was increase of 22.2 % in the juveniles of age group 16-18 years apprehended under IPC and other SLL in 2012 over 2011. Also of the total juveniles apprehended since 2001 to 2012 the percentage of girls has never exceeded 7 %. It was 5.9 % in 2012. The increase in number of juveniles of the age group 16-18 years associated with various crimes including murder; attempt to commit murder; rape; kidnapping; dacoity; burglary; theft; etc., and the gang rape of a girl in Delhi had led many activists to approach the Apex Court with a petition to reduced the age of juvenile as defined in S. 2(k) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2002. The event of gang rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi in December 2012 wherein a juvenile was one of the accused had created uproar. Among other things, petitions were filed in India’s Supreme Court to examine the constitutional validity of a provision of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 that treats a person younger than 18 years as a minor for crimes committed. The Supreme Court refused to reduce the age of juvenile from 18 to 16 years and dismissed a plea that minors involved in heinous crimes should not be protected under the law. On 17th July 2013 a bench headed by then Chief Justice Altamas Kabir said that interference in Juvenile Justice Act is not necessary and dismissed a batch of PILs which were filed in the aftermath of the December brutal gang rape and murder case in which a minor was also allegedly involved. The fact that of the percentage of delinquents in the total crimes committed in the country is around 1.0 % and that at the age of 16-18 years boys are more aggressive justifies the argument of keeping the age of juvenile as per the existing provisions of the JJ Act. An argument put forward by the sociologist that the child in care of parents is less likely to become delinquent than those having no parents or living with guardians or homeless is not applicable in cases of juveniles apprehended for committing various offences during 2012. There were more than 81 % of the delinquents (Fig.—-) living with their parent who were apprehended during 2012. Thus living without parents is not a cause for Disposal of del inquent’s cases: To ensure speedy proceedings, the JJ Act specifies that proceedings â€Å"shall be completed within a period of four months from the date of [their] commencement,† but with exceptions if the â€Å"period is extended by the Board having regard to the circumstances of the case and in special cases after recording the reasons in writing for such extension.† This discretion permits cases to languish in the system indefinitely (Rickard, 2008). The figures given by NCBR indicates that there are a total of 10721 cases pending with various JJ Boards that accounts for 36.84 % of the cases admitted in these boards. Thus there is a need for quick disposal of pending cases. The data provided by NCBR (2012) show that there are a few states where the rate of disposal of cases is very high (e.g. Tamilnadu- 81 %) where as in other states it is not so (Haryana – 38.15 %). In states like Jammu and Kashmir the disposal of cases is very slow (12.2 %). View of Apex Court on punishment Another important question that requires urgent attention is that large numbers of cases of juvenile were tried in regular Court having criminal jurisdiction and where ever the courts have found the accused guilty, sentences have been awarded. The provision of S. 7 of the JJ Act regarding determination of the age of the accused is overlooked in such cases. At later stages when the accused comes to know about his/her right as juvenile fresh appeals are filed in the High Courts or the Supreme Court. In one of such cases M B Lokur J. of the Apex court had to decide three issues (Jitendra Singh @ Baboosing and ors. Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh on 13th July 2013- unreported). 1. Whether the appellant was a juvenile or a child as defined by Section 2(k) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 on the date of occurrence of the offence he was charged with. 2. Whether the conviction of the appellant can be sustained on merits and, if so, the sentence to be awarded to the appellant. 3. Whether any appropriate measures can be taken to prevent the recurrence of a situation, such as the present, where an accused is subjected to a trial by a regular Court having criminal jurisdiction but he or she is later found to be a juvenile. Considering the facts of the case, provisions of the JJ (Care and Protection) Act 2002 and after taking in to consideration past judgements of the apex courts Lokur J. decided that: 1. The documentary evidences (school admission register) and medical examination proves beyond doubt that the appellant was about 17 years of age when the incident had occurred and that he had set up a claim of being a juvenile or child soon after his arrest and before the charge sheet was filed. In other words, the appellant was a juvenile or a child within the meaning of that expression as defined in Section 2(k) of the Act. 2. Also majority of children dealt with under the JJA come from the lowest wealth strata and do not have a birth certificate. The medical report provides a range of age and does not determine it accurately giving a wide discretion to the judges who determine the age using various factors (Ved Kumari, 2009). 2. Based on the evidences presented by the prosecution it was held by both t he sessions and the High Court that the case of causing dowry death had convincingly been made out against the appellant. Therefore, the conviction was upheld by the Apex Court. 3. While awarding the sentence to the appellant who was juvenile on the date of commission of crime, the Apex Court noted that there existed many views: a. Conviction was upheld but the sentence quashed (Jayendra V. State of Uttar Pradesh (1981) 4 SCC 149). Similarly in Bhoop Ram v. State of U.P. (1989) 3 SCC 1, Pradeep Kumar v. State of U.P., 1995 Supp (4) SCC 419, Bhola Bhagat and other v. State of Bihar, (1997) 8 SCC 720, Upendra Kumar v. State of Bihar, (2005) 3 SCC 592, Gurpreet Singh v. State of Punjab, (2005) 12 SCC 615, Vijay Singh v. State of Delhi, (2012) 8 SCC 763. b. In another category of cases the Apex court had upheld the conviction but the sentence awarded was modified to the period of detention already undergone e.g. Satish @ Dhanna v. State of Madhya Pradesh, (2009) 14 SCC 187 and in Dharam bir v. State (NCT of Delhi), (2010) 5 SCC 344. c. In a third category of cases wherein the juvenile against whom conviction was proved, appeal against his conviction was allowed and the entire case remitted to the Juvenile Justice Board for disposal in accordance with law e.g. Hari Ram v. State of Rajasthan, (2009) 13 SCC 211 and Daya Nand v. State of Haryana, (2011) 2 SCC 224. d. In yet another category of cases the apex court upheld the conviction but sent the entire records of the case to Juvenile Justice Board for awarding suitable punishment e.g. Ashwani Kumar Saxena v. State of Madhya Pradesh, (2012) 9 SCC 750. Considering the provision made in Section 20 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 in the instant case the matter was referred back to the Juvenile Justice Board for award of punishment. Regarding the preventive measures to be taken to avoid such situation the Apex Court observed that every Magistrate before whom an accused is produced to ascertain, in the first instance or as soon thereafter as may be possible, whether the accused person is an adult or a juvenile in conflict with law. The reason for this, obviously, is to avoid a two-fold difficulty: first, to avoid a juvenile being subjected to procedures under the normal criminal law and de hors the Act and the Rules, and second, a resultant situation, where the ‘trial’ of the juvenile is required to be set aside and quashed as having been conducted by a court not having jurisdiction to do so or a juvenile, on being found guilty, going ‘unpunished’. This is necessary not only in the best interests of the juvenile but also for the better administration of criminal justice so that the Magistrate or the Sessions Judge (as the case may be) does not waste his time and energy on a trial’ . 1. Every Magistrate must ascertain that when an accused is produced before him, and if the Magistrate has any iota of doubt about the juvenility of an accused produced before him, Rule 12 provides that a Magistrate may arrive at a prima facie conclusion on the juvenility, on the basis of his physical appearance. In our opinion, in such a case, this prima facie opinion should be recorded by the Magistrate. An inquiry into the juvenility of the accused must be done at an early stage preferably on first production. 2. Due to the poor socio-economic condition of the juvenile the court observed that it is difficult to expect a juvenile in conflict with law to know his rights upon apprehension by a police officer and if the precautions that have been suggested are taken, the best interests of the child and thereby of society will be duly served. Therefore, it may be presumed, by way of a benefit of doubt that because of his status, a juvenile may not be able to raise a claim for juvenil ity in the first instance and that is why it becomes the duty and responsibility of the Magistrate to look into this aspect at the earliest point of time in the proceedings before him. We are of the view that this may be a satisfactory way of avoiding the recurrence of a situation such as the one dealt with. 3. Attention may be drawn to Section 41-B of the Code which requires a police officer making an arrest to prepare a memorandum of arrest which shall be attested by at least one witness who is a member of the family of the person arrested or a respectable member of the locality where the arrest is made. The police officer is also mandated to inform the arrested person, if the memorandum of arrest is not attested by a member of his family, that he has a right to have a relative or a friend named by him to be informed of his arrest. 4. Every police officer making an arrest is also obliged to inform the arrested person of his rights including the full particulars of the offence for which he has been arrested or other grounds for such arrest (Section 50 of the Code), the right to a counsel of his choice and the right that the police inform his friend, relative or su ch other person of the arrest. 5. According to the provisions of S. 54 of the CrPC when any person is arrested, it is obligatory for the arresting authority to ensure that he is got examined by a medical officer in the service of the Central or the State Government or by a registered medical practitioner. The medical officer or registered medical practitioner is mandated to prepare a record of such examination including any injury or mark of violence on the person arrested. 6. If these procedures are followed, the probability of a juvenile, on apprehension, being shown as an adult and sent to judicial custody in a jail, will be considerably minimized. If these procedures are followed, as they should be, along with the requirement of a Magistrate to examine the juvenility or otherwise of an accused person brought before him, subjecting a juvenile in conflict with law to a trial by a regular Court may become a thing of the past. 7. The Court also directed that whenever an accused, who physically appears to be a juvenile, is produced before a Magistrate, he or she should form a prima facie opinion on the juvenility of the accused and record it. If any doubt persists, the Magistrate should conduct an age inquiry as required by Section 7A of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 to determine the juvenility or otherwise of the accused person. In this regard, it is better to err on the side of caution in the first instance rather than have the entire proceedings reopened or vitiated at a subsequent stage or a guilty person go unpunished only because he or she is found to be a juvenile on the date of occurrence of the incident.† Conclusion Over the years the number of children coming in conflict with law is increasing and percentage children in the age group of 16-18 years apprehended for committing various offences is also on rise. Poor economic condition of the children coupled with no education or less education is considered to be the important factors for this. The demand for reducing the age of children coming in conflict with law from 18 years to 16 years has rightly been refused by the Apex Court. The Apex Court has also suggested that the provisions of Ss 41-B, 50 and 54 of the CrPC be followed strictly to avoid the trial of juvenile with regular Court. If the Magistrate before whom the delinquent is produced has slightest doubt about the age of the accused, he must ascertain it as per the provisions of S-7 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2002. References: 1. Altmas Kabir CJI, S S Nijjar J. And J. Chelameswar J (2013). Writ petition (C) N0. 10 of 2013. Judis.nic.in/supremecourt/imgd1.aspx?filename=40584. Last accessed on 13th Aug. 2013. 2. Mishra B N (1991) Juvenile Delinquency and Justice System, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, India. 3. National Crime Records Bureau (2013) Crime in India 2012, www.ncbr.gov.in/ Last accessed on 13th Aug. 2013. 4. NCPCR (2013) Status of Children in 14-18 Years: Review Of Policy, Programme and Legislative Framework 2012-2013. 5. Rickard Erika (2008) Paying lip service to the silenced: Juvenile Justice in India, Harvard Human Rights Journal 21: 155-166. 6. Supreme Court (2013) Jitendra Singh @ Baboosing and ors. Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh on 13th July 2013- unreported. www.indiankanoon.org/doc/70248453/ Last accessed on 13th Aug. 2013. 7. Ved Kumari (2009) Juvenile justice : Scuring the rights of children during 1998 – 2008. NUJS L. REV.557-572.

Oroonoko or the Royal Slave

Oroonoko or the Royal Slave Oroonoko: or the Royal Slave is a conceptual narrative about a royal slave. Aphra Behn, the author of this narrative is considered to be a fine novelist who wrote both poetry and story writing. Born in 1640 and she died at the age of forty eight, she decidedly wrote the factual account of Oroonoko as a royal slave, as one of her novels, during her writing career (Whisler.) The paper carries on to discuss the fact whether the story is fictitious, real or does it really matter whether it really is true or fictitious? The paper aims to emphasize on the idea whether the story was really a part of a life experience of the author. This can only be explicated at the end of the paper whether any of these facts matter for the reader to build interest in the book. Oroonoko Oroonoko: or the Royal Slave is a short novel, penned by Aphra Behn, the first ever written by a female author in the history of literature. The novels concept is about an African slave, placed in Surinam, in the era of 1660’s, along with the experiences of the author in the colonies of the South America. The account is of a slave who was treated very inhumanly in those times. The background of the story aims to actually emphasize on this theme and poses a lesson for people. The idea of the story, as Behn put it was actually to expedite the fact that slaves in those times were not considered as human as the people who owned those slaves. The story or the true account of the slave encompasses the main character which is Oroonoko himself as well other characters in the narrative (Behn) The account of the novel is about an African prince that falls in love with a slave called Imoinda. This story goes on to say that the prince had fallen in love with the girl but then the king, which was his grand father, had also had eyes for her. The paper is aimed at emphasizing each and every aspect of this novel and explains whether in the eyes of the critics, this novel is considered a fictitious story, or a true account of a royal slave (Behn) The falling in love of the grandfather was a tragedy for Oroonoko and then another tragedy that he had to face was that he heard that Imoinda was sold and sent to a place which was under the British rule. The prince’s tribe then set sail to a destination. His tribe was actually a supplier of slaves for trade purposes (Behn) â€Å"One day an English ship arrives and the captain invites prince Oroonoko to come aboard for a meal and drinks. After dinner, the captain takes advantage of Oroonokos trust and takes Oroonoko and his men prisoners. The ship then sets sail.† (Behn) Oroonoko: or the Royal Slave – True account or fiction? When we read Oroonoko: or the Royal Slave and then read accounts of critics evaluating this novel, we can come to a certain conclusion that the novel might be actually real life experiences of the author herself rather than fictitious accounts. However, it can be stated quite aptly that the author would be only presenting real life accounts if she had visited the places herself. Donald, a critic identifies that Behn has positioned at a number of times that she was an eye witness to a number of events as outlined in the book. And then she has at times stated that whatever accounts that were not her own, they were of the hero of the story. In this way, Donald emphasizes on the fact that some life accounts in the book were those which had never been recorded for the history of Behn and thus there might be an element of fiction in the narrative. (Donald) In the whole account, Donald emphasizes the fact that the narration is not of silent observation in case of the novel and its writing Behn in some cases, as Donald states, emphasized this fact that she was had in some way or the other, been an active participant and had an active role in the entire series of events. This enables us to actually reach a mindset that the novel’s narrative might actually be true rather than be a simple fictitious narrative based on some creative ideas of Behn (Donald) One of the things upon which ti should be concentrated is the fact whether or not she did go to Suriname which was the place where Imoinda had gone after she was sold. According to the author, she had gone there and thus had been inspired by the place. Donald in this regard states that Behn might really have been visiting Surinam during the years of the 1666s. Along with that, she states that she might have indeed encountered a slave who might have been an African prince. She says: Whilst the setting of the novel, the detailed descriptions of the Carib Indians and mention of contemporary figures, such as Trefry and Byam, involved in the colony suggests a certain familiarity with Surinam, the plot of the novel was not entirely original. (Donald) This gives us an idea that the narrative might indeed have been true. However, according to critics, this might be considered a baffling contradiction that there could be a possibility that the author could be lying about her life and about all her experiences that she has been inspired by, for the novels and for the stories that she has written. The researchers have decided that there is an extremely high probability that the author never really visited Surinam and that she has been lying about it all her life and about her inspiration (Donald; Donaldson) Donaldson on the other hand, does not aim to emphasize on a particular stand whether the narrative is true or a fictional account. On the contrary, she states that the entire account of Oroonoko is full of contradictions. The traveling accounts, the accounts of people, the different situations and scenarios present in the narrative are actually such that it is actually hard to believe that the entire account be true. However, there are certain elements in the book that make it seem real as well (Donaldson) One of the critics puts it aptly as It is of particular interest to literary history that such contradictions as these are situated at the beginning of modern novelistic discourse, and that they find their expression in such a seminal work as Behns Oroonoko. (Nestvold) However, it must be stated that there could be a possibility that the entire recollection or narrative true but it cannot be completely stated for sure, until there are facts and figures from dependable sources, who can claim to put up a stand to augment or contradict the entire argument. Even though the entire paper has provided quotations and research findings about how the author may have actually lied about her experiences and her inspirations for the novel or the factual account, I would still conclude that there is no requirement to know whether the story is false or true. There is just the need to understand that the narrative is a source of learning and knowledge about how the slaves were treated at those times. The reader need not understand or try to prove whether the author is guilty for lying. As a researcher says, The places and characters changed and the happy interlude was not present for most, but the basic story line was a common plot and hundreds of thousands of would-be princes suffered a fate similar to Prince Oroonoko. It is because of these others that we must stop spending time on the truthfulness of a single account and instead concentrate on the actuality of the accounts of the hordes of African men and women who suffered through the effects o f slavery. (Whisler) This is a sample Literature essay written from scratch by one of our academic writers. If you want to order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis/dissertation feel free to contact us now.

Angels Demons Chapter 3235

â€Å"Sorry for the slow flight,† the pilot apologized, emerging from the cockpit. â€Å"Had to trim her back. Noise regulations over populated areas.† Langdon checked his watch. They had been airborne thirty-seven minutes. The pilot popped the outer door. â€Å"Anybody want to tell me what’s going on?† Neither Vittoria nor Langdon responded. â€Å"Fine,† he said, stretching. â€Å"I’ll be in the cockpit with the air-conditioning and my music. Just me and Garth.† The late-afternoon sun blazed outside the hangar. Langdon carried his tweed jacket over his shoulder. Vittoria turned her face skyward and inhaled deeply, as if the sun’s rays somehow transferred to her some mystical replenishing energy. Mediterraneans, Langdon mused, already sweating. â€Å"Little old for cartoons, aren’t you?† Vittoria asked, without opening her eyes. â€Å"I’m sorry?† â€Å"Your wristwatch. I saw it on the plane.† Langdon flushed slightly. He was accustomed to having to defend his timepiece. The collector’s edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a childhood gift from his parents. Despite the contorted foolishness of Mickey’s outstretched arms designating the hour, it was the only watch Langdon had ever worn. Waterproof and glow-in-the-dark, it was perfect for swimming laps or walking unlit college paths at night. When Langdon’s students questioned his fashion sense, he told them he wore Mickey as a daily reminder to stay young at heart. â€Å"It’s six o’clock,† he said. Vittoria nodded, eyes still closed. â€Å"I think our ride’s here.† Langdon heard the distant whine, looked up, and felt a sinking feeling. Approaching from the north was a helicopter, slicing low across the runway. Langdon had been on a helicopter once in the Andean Palpa Valley looking at the Nazca sand drawings and had not enjoyed it one bit. A flying shoebox. After a morning of space plane rides, Langdon had hoped the Vatican would send a car. Apparently not. The chopper slowed overhead, hovered a moment, and dropped toward the runway in front of them. The craft was white and carried a coat of arms emblazoned on the side – two skeleton keys crossing a shield and papal crown. He knew the symbol well. It was the traditional seal of the Vatican – the sacred symbol of the Holy See or â€Å"holy seat† of government, the seat being literally the ancient throne of St. Peter. The Holy Chopper, Langdon groaned, watching the craft land. He’d forgotten the Vatican owned one of these things, used for transporting the Pope to the airport, to meetings, or to his summer palace in Gandolfo. Langdon definitely would have preferred a car. The pilot jumped from the cockpit and strode toward them across the tarmac. Now it was Vittoria who looked uneasy. â€Å"That’s our pilot?† Langdon shared her concern. â€Å"To fly, or not to fly. That is the question.† The pilot looked like he was festooned for a Shakespearean melodrama. His puffy tunic was vertically striped in brilliant blue and gold. He wore matching pantaloons and spats. On his feet were black flats that looked like slippers. On top of it all, he wore a black felt beret. â€Å"Traditional Swiss Guard uniforms,† Langdon explained. â€Å"Designed by Michelangelo himself.† As the man drew closer, Langdon winced. â€Å"I admit, not one of Michelangelo’s better efforts.† Despite the man’s garish attire, Langdon could tell the pilot meant business. He moved toward them with all the rigidity and dignity of a U.S. Marine. Langdon had read many times about the rigorous requirements for becoming one of the elite Swiss Guard. Recruited from one of Switzerland’s four Catholic cantons, applicants had to be Swiss males between nineteen and thirty years old, at least 5 feet 6 inches, trained by the Swiss Army, and unmarried. This imperial corps was envied by world governments as the most allegiant and deadly security force in the world. â€Å"You are from CERN?† the guard asked, arriving before them. His voice was steely. â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You made remarkable time,† he said, giving the X-33 a mystified stare. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Ma’am, do you have any other clothing?† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† He motioned to her legs. â€Å"Short pants are not permitted inside Vatican City.† Langdon glanced down at Vittoria’s legs and frowned. He had forgotten. Vatican City had a strict ban on visible legs above the knee – both male and female. The regulation was a way of showing respect for the sanctity of God’s city. â€Å"This is all I have,† she said. â€Å"We came in a hurry.† The guard nodded, clearly displeased. He turned next to Langdon. â€Å"Are you carrying any weapons?† Weapons? Langdon thought. I’m not even carrying a change of underwear! He shook his head. The officer crouched at Langdon’s feet and began patting him down, starting at his socks. Trusting guy, Langdon thought. The guard’s strong hands moved up Langdon’s legs, coming uncomfortably close to his groin. Finally they moved up to his chest and shoulders. Apparently content Langdon was clean, the guard turned to Vittoria. He ran his eyes up her legs and torso. Vittoria glared. â€Å"Don’t even think about it.† The guard fixed Vittoria with a gaze clearly intended to intimidate. Vittoria did not flinch. â€Å"What’s that?† the guard said, pointing to a faint square bulge in the front pocket of her shorts. Vittoria removed an ultrathin cell phone. The guard took it, clicked it on, waited for a dial tone, and then, apparently satisfied that it was indeed nothing more than a phone, returned it to her. Vittoria slid it back into her pocket. â€Å"Turn around, please,† the guard said. Vittoria obliged, holding her arms out and rotating a full 360 degrees. The guard carefully studied her. Langdon had already decided that Vittoria’s form-fitting shorts and blouse were not bulging anywhere they shouldn’t have been. Apparently the guard came to the same conclusion. â€Å"Thank you. This way please.† The Swiss Guard chopper churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached. Vittoria boarded first, like a seasoned pro, barely even stooping as she passed beneath the whirling rotors. Langdon held back a moment. â€Å"No chance of a car?† he yelled, half-joking to the Swiss Guard, who was climbing in the pilot’s seat. The man did not answer. Langdon knew that with Rome’s maniacal drivers, flying was probably safer anyway. He took a deep breath and boarded, stooping cautiously as he passed beneath the spinning rotors. As the guard fired up the engines, Vittoria called out, â€Å"Have you located the canister?† The guard glanced over his shoulder, looking confused. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The canister. You called CERN about a canister?† The man shrugged. â€Å"No idea what you’re talking about. We’ve been very busy today. My commander told me to pick you up. That’s all I know.† Vittoria gave Langdon an unsettled look. â€Å"Buckle up, please,† the pilot said as the engine revved. Langdon reached for his seat belt and strapped himself in. The tiny fuselage seemed to shrink around him. Then with a roar, the craft shot up and banked sharply north toward Rome. Rome†¦ the caput mundi, where Caesar once ruled, where St. Peter was crucified. The cradle of modern civilization. And at its core†¦ a ticking bomb. 33 Rome from the air is a labyrinth – an indecipherable maze of ancient roadways winding around buildings, fountains, and crumbling ruins. The Vatican chopper stayed low in the sky as it sliced northwest through the permanent smog layer coughed up by the congestion below. Langdon gazed down at the mopeds, sight-seeing buses, and armies of miniature Fiat sedans buzzing around rotaries in all directions. Koyaanisqatsi, he thought, recalling the Hopi term for â€Å"life out of balance.† Vittoria sat in silent determination in the seat beside him. The chopper banked hard. His stomach dropping, Langdon gazed farther into the distance. His eyes found the crumbling ruins of the Roman Coliseum. The Coliseum, Langdon had always thought, was one of history’s greatest ironies. Now a dignified symbol for the rise of human culture and civilization, the stadium had been built to host centuries of barbaric events – hungry lions shredding prisoners, armies of slaves battling to the death, gang rapes of exotic women captured from far-off lands, as well as public beheadings and castrations. It was ironic, Langdon thought, or perhaps fitting, that the Coliseum had served as the architectural blueprint for Harvard’s Soldier Field – the football stadium where the ancient traditions of savagery were reenacted every fall†¦ crazed fans screaming for bloodshed as Harvard battled Yale. As the chopper headed north, Langdon spied the Roman Forum – the heart of pre-Christian Rome. The decaying columns looked like toppled gravestones in a cemetery that had somehow avoided being swallowed by the metropolis surrounding it. To the west the wide basin of the Tiber River wound enormous arcs across the city. Even from the air Langdon could tell the water was deep. The churning currents were brown, filled with silt and foam from heavy rains. â€Å"Straight ahead,† the pilot said, climbing higher. Langdon and Vittoria looked out and saw it. Like a mountain parting the morning fog, the colossal dome rose out of the haze before them: St. Peter’s Basilica. â€Å"Now that,† Langdon said to Vittoria, â€Å"is something Michelangelo got right.† Langdon had never seen St. Peter’s from the air. The marble faà §ade blazed like fire in the afternoon sun. Adorned with 140 statues of saints, martyrs, and angels, the Herculean edifice stretched two football fields wide and a staggering six long. The cavernous interior of the basilica had room for over 60,000 worshipers†¦ over one hundred times the population of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Incredibly, though, not even a citadel of this magnitude could dwarf the piazza before it. A sprawling expanse of granite, St. Peter’s Square was a staggering open space in the congestion of Rome, like a classical Central Park. In front of the basilica, bordering the vast oval common, 284 columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size†¦ an architectural trompe de l’oiel used to heighten the piazza’s sense of grandeur. As he stared at the magnificent shrine before him, Langdon wondered what St. Peter would think if he were here now. The Saint had died a gruesome death, crucified upside down on this very spot. Now he rested in the most sacred of tombs, buried five stories down, directly beneath the central cupola of the basilica. â€Å"Vatican City,† the pilot said, sounding anything but welcoming. Langdon looked out at the towering stone bastions that loomed ahead – impenetrable fortifications surrounding the complex†¦ a strangely earthly defense for a spiritual world of secrets, power, and mystery. â€Å"Look!† Vittoria said suddenly, grabbing Langdon’s arm. She motioned frantically downward toward St. Peter’s Square directly beneath them. Langdon put his face to the window and looked. â€Å"Over there,† she said, pointing. Langdon looked. The rear of the piazza looked like a parking lot crowded with a dozen or so trailer trucks. Huge satellite dishes pointed skyward from the roof of every truck. The dishes were emblazoned with familiar names: Televisor Europea Video Italia BBC United Press International Langdon felt suddenly confused, wondering if the news of the antimatter had already leaked out. Vittoria seemed suddenly tense. â€Å"Why is the press here? What’s going on?† The pilot turned and gave her an odd look over his shoulder. â€Å"What’s going on? You don’t know?† â€Å"No,† she fired back, her accent husky and strong. â€Å"Il Conclavo,† he said. â€Å"It is to be sealed in about an hour. The whole world is watching.† Il Conclavo. The word rang a long moment in Langdon’s ears before dropping like a brick to the pit of his stomach. Il Conclavo. The Vatican Conclave. How could he have forgotten? It had been in the news recently. Fifteen days ago, the Pope, after a tremendously popular twelve-year reign, had passed away. Every paper in the world had carried the story about the Pope’s fatal stroke while sleeping – a sudden and unexpected death many whispered was suspicious. But now, in keeping with the sacred tradition, fifteen days after the death of a Pope, the Vatican was holding Il Conclavo – the sacred ceremony in which the 165 cardinals of the world – the most powerful men in Christendom – gathered in Vatican City to elect the new Pope. Every cardinal on the planet is here today, Langdon thought as the chopper passed over St. Peter’s Basilica. The expansive inner world of Vatican City spread out beneath him. The entire power structure of the Roman Catholic Church is sitting on a time bomb. 34 Cardinal Mortati gazed up at the lavish ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and tried to find a moment of quiet reflection. The frescoed walls echoed with the voices of cardinals from nations around the globe. The men jostled in the candlelit tabernacle, whispering excitedly and consulting with one another in numerous languages, the universal tongues being English, Italian, and Spanish. The light in the chapel was usually sublime – long rays of tinted sun slicing through the darkness like rays from heaven – but not today. As was the custom, all of the chapel’s windows had been covered in black velvet in the name of secrecy. This ensured that no one on the inside could send signals or communicate in any way with the outside world. The result was a profound darkness lit only by candles†¦ a shimmering radiance that seemed to purify everyone it touched, making them all ghostly†¦ like saints. What privilege, Mortati thought, that I am to oversee this sanctified event. Cardinals over eighty years of age were too old to be eligible for election and did not attend conclave, but at seventy-nine years old, Mortati was the most senior cardinal here and had been appointed to oversee the proceedings. Following tradition, the cardinals gathered here two hours before conclave to catch up with friends and engage in last-minute discussion. At 7 P.M., the late Pope’s chamberlain would arrive, give opening prayer, and then leave. Then the Swiss Guard would seal the doors and lock all the cardinals inside. It was then that the oldest and most secretive political ritual in the world would begin. The cardinals would not be released until they decided who among them would be the next Pope. Conclave. Even the name was secretive. â€Å"Con clave† literally meant â€Å"locked with a key.† The cardinals were permitted no contact whatsoever with the outside world. No phone calls. No messages. No whispers through doorways. Conclave was a vacuum, not to be influenced by anything in the outside world. This would ensure that the cardinals kept Solum Dum prae oculis†¦ only God before their eyes. Outside the walls of the chapel, of course, the media watched and waited, speculating as to which of the cardinals would become the ruler of one billion Catholics worldwide. Conclaves created an intense, politically charged atmosphere, and over the centuries they had turned deadly: poisonings, fist fights, and even murder had erupted within the sacred walls. Ancient history, Mortati thought. Tonight’s conclave will be unified, blissful, and above all†¦ brief. Or at least that had been his speculation. Now, however, an unexpected development had emerged. Mystifyingly, four cardinals were absent from the chapel. Mortati knew that all the exits to Vatican City were guarded, and the missing cardinals could not have gone far, but still, with less than an hour before opening prayer, he was feeling disconcerted. After all, the four missing men were no ordinary cardinals. They were the cardinals. The chosen four. As overseer of the conclave, Mortati had already sent word through the proper channels to the Swiss Guard alerting them to the cardinals’ absence. He had yet to hear back. Other cardinals had now noticed the puzzling absence. The anxious whispers had begun. Of all cardinals, these four should be on time! Cardinal Mortati was starting to fear it might be a long evening after all. He had no idea. 35 The Vatican’s helipad, for reasons of safety and noise control, is located in the northwest tip of Vatican City, as far from St. Peter’s Basilica as possible. â€Å"Terra firma,† the pilot announced as they touched down. He exited and opened the sliding door for Langdon and Vittoria. Langdon descended from the craft and turned to help Vittoria, but she had already dropped effortlessly to the ground. Every muscle in her body seemed tuned to one objective – finding the antimatter before it left a horrific legacy. After stretching a reflective sun tarp across the cockpit window, the pilot ushered them to an oversized electric golf cart waiting near the helipad. The cart whisked them silently alongside the country’s western border – a fifty-foot-tall cement bulwark thick enough to ward off attacks even by tanks. Lining the interior of the wall, posted at fifty-meter intervals, Swiss Guards stood at attention, surveying the interior of the grounds. The cart turned sharply right onto Via della Osservatorio. Signs pointed in all directions: Palazzio Governatorio Collegio Ethiopiana Basilica San Pietro Capella Sistina They accelerated up the manicured road past a squat building marked Radio Vaticana. This, Langdon realized to his amazement, was the hub of the world’s most listened-to radio programming – Radio Vaticana – spreading the word of God to millions of listeners around the globe. â€Å"Attenzione,† the pilot said, turning sharply into a rotary. As the cart wound round, Langdon could barely believe the sight now coming into view. Giardini Vaticani, he thought. The heart of Vatican City. Directly ahead rose the rear of St. Peter’s Basilica, a view, Langdon realized, most people never saw. To the right loomed the Palace of the Tribunal, the lush papal residence rivaled only by Versailles in its baroque embellishment. The severe-looking Governatorato building was now behind them, housing Vatican City’s administration. And up ahead on the left, the massive rectangular edifice of the Vatican Museum. Langdon knew there would be no time for a museum visit this trip. â€Å"Where is everyone?† Vittoria asked, surveying the deserted lawns and walkways. The guard checked his black, military-style chronograph – an odd anachronism beneath his puffy sleeve. â€Å"The cardinals are convened in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave begins in a little under an hour.† Langdon nodded, vaguely recalling that before conclave the cardinals spent two hours inside the Sistine Chapel in quiet reflection and visitations with their fellow cardinals from around the globe. The time was meant to renew old friendships among the cardinals and facilitate a less heated election process. â€Å"And the rest of the residents and staff?† â€Å"Banned from the city for secrecy and security until the conclave concludes.† â€Å"And when does it conclude?† The guard shrugged. â€Å"God only knows.† The words sounded oddly literal. After parking the cart on the wide lawn directly behind St. Peter’s Basilica, the guard escorted Langdon and Vittoria up a stone escarpment to a marble plaza off the back of the basilica. Crossing the plaza, they approached the rear wall of the basilica and followed it through a triangular courtyard, across Via Belvedere, and into a series of buildings closely huddled together. Langdon’s art history had taught him enough Italian to pick out signs for the Vatican Printing Office, the Tapestry Restoration Lab, Post Office Management, and the Church of St. Ann. They crossed another small square and arrived at their destination. The Office of the Swiss Guard is housed adjacent to Il Corpo di Vigilanza, directly northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica. The office is a squat, stone building. On either side of the entrance, like two stone statues, stood a pair of guards. Langdon had to admit, these guards did not look quite so comical. Although they also wore the blue and gold uniform, each wielded the traditional â€Å"Vatican long sword† – an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe – rumored to have decapitated countless Muslims while defending the Christian crusaders in the fifteenth century. As Langdon and Vittoria approached, the two guards stepped forward, crossing their long swords, blocking the entrance. One looked up at the pilot in confusion. â€Å"I pantaloni,† he said, motioning to Vittoria’s shorts. The pilot waved them off. â€Å"Il comandante vuole vederli subito.† The guards frowned. Reluctantly they stepped aside. Inside, the air was cool. It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined. Ornate and impeccably furnished, the hallways contained paintings Langdon was certain any museum worldwide would gladly have featured in its main gallery. The pilot pointed down a steep set of stairs. â€Å"Down, please.† Langdon and Vittoria followed the white marble treads as they descended between a gauntlet of nude male sculptures. Each statue wore a fig leaf that was lighter in color than the rest of the body. The Great Castration, Langdon thought. It was one of the most horrific tragedies in Renaissance art. In 1857, Pope Pius IX decided that the accurate representation of the male form might incite lust inside the Vatican. So he got a chisel and mallet and hacked off the genitalia of every single male statue inside Vatican City. He defaced works by Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini. Plaster fig leaves were used to patch the damage. Hundreds of sculptures had been emasculated. Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace. â€Å"Here,† the guard announced. They reached the bottom of the stairs and dead-ended at a heavy, steel door. The guard typed an entry code, and the door slid open. Langdon and Vittoria entered. Beyond the threshold was absolute mayhem. Angels Demons Chapter 3235 â€Å"Sorry for the slow flight,† the pilot apologized, emerging from the cockpit. â€Å"Had to trim her back. Noise regulations over populated areas.† Langdon checked his watch. They had been airborne thirty-seven minutes. The pilot popped the outer door. â€Å"Anybody want to tell me what’s going on?† Neither Vittoria nor Langdon responded. â€Å"Fine,† he said, stretching. â€Å"I’ll be in the cockpit with the air-conditioning and my music. Just me and Garth.† The late-afternoon sun blazed outside the hangar. Langdon carried his tweed jacket over his shoulder. Vittoria turned her face skyward and inhaled deeply, as if the sun’s rays somehow transferred to her some mystical replenishing energy. Mediterraneans, Langdon mused, already sweating. â€Å"Little old for cartoons, aren’t you?† Vittoria asked, without opening her eyes. â€Å"I’m sorry?† â€Å"Your wristwatch. I saw it on the plane.† Langdon flushed slightly. He was accustomed to having to defend his timepiece. The collector’s edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a childhood gift from his parents. Despite the contorted foolishness of Mickey’s outstretched arms designating the hour, it was the only watch Langdon had ever worn. Waterproof and glow-in-the-dark, it was perfect for swimming laps or walking unlit college paths at night. When Langdon’s students questioned his fashion sense, he told them he wore Mickey as a daily reminder to stay young at heart. â€Å"It’s six o’clock,† he said. Vittoria nodded, eyes still closed. â€Å"I think our ride’s here.† Langdon heard the distant whine, looked up, and felt a sinking feeling. Approaching from the north was a helicopter, slicing low across the runway. Langdon had been on a helicopter once in the Andean Palpa Valley looking at the Nazca sand drawings and had not enjoyed it one bit. A flying shoebox. After a morning of space plane rides, Langdon had hoped the Vatican would send a car. Apparently not. The chopper slowed overhead, hovered a moment, and dropped toward the runway in front of them. The craft was white and carried a coat of arms emblazoned on the side – two skeleton keys crossing a shield and papal crown. He knew the symbol well. It was the traditional seal of the Vatican – the sacred symbol of the Holy See or â€Å"holy seat† of government, the seat being literally the ancient throne of St. Peter. The Holy Chopper, Langdon groaned, watching the craft land. He’d forgotten the Vatican owned one of these things, used for transporting the Pope to the airport, to meetings, or to his summer palace in Gandolfo. Langdon definitely would have preferred a car. The pilot jumped from the cockpit and strode toward them across the tarmac. Now it was Vittoria who looked uneasy. â€Å"That’s our pilot?† Langdon shared her concern. â€Å"To fly, or not to fly. That is the question.† The pilot looked like he was festooned for a Shakespearean melodrama. His puffy tunic was vertically striped in brilliant blue and gold. He wore matching pantaloons and spats. On his feet were black flats that looked like slippers. On top of it all, he wore a black felt beret. â€Å"Traditional Swiss Guard uniforms,† Langdon explained. â€Å"Designed by Michelangelo himself.† As the man drew closer, Langdon winced. â€Å"I admit, not one of Michelangelo’s better efforts.† Despite the man’s garish attire, Langdon could tell the pilot meant business. He moved toward them with all the rigidity and dignity of a U.S. Marine. Langdon had read many times about the rigorous requirements for becoming one of the elite Swiss Guard. Recruited from one of Switzerland’s four Catholic cantons, applicants had to be Swiss males between nineteen and thirty years old, at least 5 feet 6 inches, trained by the Swiss Army, and unmarried. This imperial corps was envied by world governments as the most allegiant and deadly security force in the world. â€Å"You are from CERN?† the guard asked, arriving before them. His voice was steely. â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You made remarkable time,† he said, giving the X-33 a mystified stare. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Ma’am, do you have any other clothing?† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† He motioned to her legs. â€Å"Short pants are not permitted inside Vatican City.† Langdon glanced down at Vittoria’s legs and frowned. He had forgotten. Vatican City had a strict ban on visible legs above the knee – both male and female. The regulation was a way of showing respect for the sanctity of God’s city. â€Å"This is all I have,† she said. â€Å"We came in a hurry.† The guard nodded, clearly displeased. He turned next to Langdon. â€Å"Are you carrying any weapons?† Weapons? Langdon thought. I’m not even carrying a change of underwear! He shook his head. The officer crouched at Langdon’s feet and began patting him down, starting at his socks. Trusting guy, Langdon thought. The guard’s strong hands moved up Langdon’s legs, coming uncomfortably close to his groin. Finally they moved up to his chest and shoulders. Apparently content Langdon was clean, the guard turned to Vittoria. He ran his eyes up her legs and torso. Vittoria glared. â€Å"Don’t even think about it.† The guard fixed Vittoria with a gaze clearly intended to intimidate. Vittoria did not flinch. â€Å"What’s that?† the guard said, pointing to a faint square bulge in the front pocket of her shorts. Vittoria removed an ultrathin cell phone. The guard took it, clicked it on, waited for a dial tone, and then, apparently satisfied that it was indeed nothing more than a phone, returned it to her. Vittoria slid it back into her pocket. â€Å"Turn around, please,† the guard said. Vittoria obliged, holding her arms out and rotating a full 360 degrees. The guard carefully studied her. Langdon had already decided that Vittoria’s form-fitting shorts and blouse were not bulging anywhere they shouldn’t have been. Apparently the guard came to the same conclusion. â€Å"Thank you. This way please.† The Swiss Guard chopper churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached. Vittoria boarded first, like a seasoned pro, barely even stooping as she passed beneath the whirling rotors. Langdon held back a moment. â€Å"No chance of a car?† he yelled, half-joking to the Swiss Guard, who was climbing in the pilot’s seat. The man did not answer. Langdon knew that with Rome’s maniacal drivers, flying was probably safer anyway. He took a deep breath and boarded, stooping cautiously as he passed beneath the spinning rotors. As the guard fired up the engines, Vittoria called out, â€Å"Have you located the canister?† The guard glanced over his shoulder, looking confused. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The canister. You called CERN about a canister?† The man shrugged. â€Å"No idea what you’re talking about. We’ve been very busy today. My commander told me to pick you up. That’s all I know.† Vittoria gave Langdon an unsettled look. â€Å"Buckle up, please,† the pilot said as the engine revved. Langdon reached for his seat belt and strapped himself in. The tiny fuselage seemed to shrink around him. Then with a roar, the craft shot up and banked sharply north toward Rome. Rome†¦ the caput mundi, where Caesar once ruled, where St. Peter was crucified. The cradle of modern civilization. And at its core†¦ a ticking bomb. 33 Rome from the air is a labyrinth – an indecipherable maze of ancient roadways winding around buildings, fountains, and crumbling ruins. The Vatican chopper stayed low in the sky as it sliced northwest through the permanent smog layer coughed up by the congestion below. Langdon gazed down at the mopeds, sight-seeing buses, and armies of miniature Fiat sedans buzzing around rotaries in all directions. Koyaanisqatsi, he thought, recalling the Hopi term for â€Å"life out of balance.† Vittoria sat in silent determination in the seat beside him. The chopper banked hard. His stomach dropping, Langdon gazed farther into the distance. His eyes found the crumbling ruins of the Roman Coliseum. The Coliseum, Langdon had always thought, was one of history’s greatest ironies. Now a dignified symbol for the rise of human culture and civilization, the stadium had been built to host centuries of barbaric events – hungry lions shredding prisoners, armies of slaves battling to the death, gang rapes of exotic women captured from far-off lands, as well as public beheadings and castrations. It was ironic, Langdon thought, or perhaps fitting, that the Coliseum had served as the architectural blueprint for Harvard’s Soldier Field – the football stadium where the ancient traditions of savagery were reenacted every fall†¦ crazed fans screaming for bloodshed as Harvard battled Yale. As the chopper headed north, Langdon spied the Roman Forum – the heart of pre-Christian Rome. The decaying columns looked like toppled gravestones in a cemetery that had somehow avoided being swallowed by the metropolis surrounding it. To the west the wide basin of the Tiber River wound enormous arcs across the city. Even from the air Langdon could tell the water was deep. The churning currents were brown, filled with silt and foam from heavy rains. â€Å"Straight ahead,† the pilot said, climbing higher. Langdon and Vittoria looked out and saw it. Like a mountain parting the morning fog, the colossal dome rose out of the haze before them: St. Peter’s Basilica. â€Å"Now that,† Langdon said to Vittoria, â€Å"is something Michelangelo got right.† Langdon had never seen St. Peter’s from the air. The marble faà §ade blazed like fire in the afternoon sun. Adorned with 140 statues of saints, martyrs, and angels, the Herculean edifice stretched two football fields wide and a staggering six long. The cavernous interior of the basilica had room for over 60,000 worshipers†¦ over one hundred times the population of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Incredibly, though, not even a citadel of this magnitude could dwarf the piazza before it. A sprawling expanse of granite, St. Peter’s Square was a staggering open space in the congestion of Rome, like a classical Central Park. In front of the basilica, bordering the vast oval common, 284 columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size†¦ an architectural trompe de l’oiel used to heighten the piazza’s sense of grandeur. As he stared at the magnificent shrine before him, Langdon wondered what St. Peter would think if he were here now. The Saint had died a gruesome death, crucified upside down on this very spot. Now he rested in the most sacred of tombs, buried five stories down, directly beneath the central cupola of the basilica. â€Å"Vatican City,† the pilot said, sounding anything but welcoming. Langdon looked out at the towering stone bastions that loomed ahead – impenetrable fortifications surrounding the complex†¦ a strangely earthly defense for a spiritual world of secrets, power, and mystery. â€Å"Look!† Vittoria said suddenly, grabbing Langdon’s arm. She motioned frantically downward toward St. Peter’s Square directly beneath them. Langdon put his face to the window and looked. â€Å"Over there,† she said, pointing. Langdon looked. The rear of the piazza looked like a parking lot crowded with a dozen or so trailer trucks. Huge satellite dishes pointed skyward from the roof of every truck. The dishes were emblazoned with familiar names: Televisor Europea Video Italia BBC United Press International Langdon felt suddenly confused, wondering if the news of the antimatter had already leaked out. Vittoria seemed suddenly tense. â€Å"Why is the press here? What’s going on?† The pilot turned and gave her an odd look over his shoulder. â€Å"What’s going on? You don’t know?† â€Å"No,† she fired back, her accent husky and strong. â€Å"Il Conclavo,† he said. â€Å"It is to be sealed in about an hour. The whole world is watching.† Il Conclavo. The word rang a long moment in Langdon’s ears before dropping like a brick to the pit of his stomach. Il Conclavo. The Vatican Conclave. How could he have forgotten? It had been in the news recently. Fifteen days ago, the Pope, after a tremendously popular twelve-year reign, had passed away. Every paper in the world had carried the story about the Pope’s fatal stroke while sleeping – a sudden and unexpected death many whispered was suspicious. But now, in keeping with the sacred tradition, fifteen days after the death of a Pope, the Vatican was holding Il Conclavo – the sacred ceremony in which the 165 cardinals of the world – the most powerful men in Christendom – gathered in Vatican City to elect the new Pope. Every cardinal on the planet is here today, Langdon thought as the chopper passed over St. Peter’s Basilica. The expansive inner world of Vatican City spread out beneath him. The entire power structure of the Roman Catholic Church is sitting on a time bomb. 34 Cardinal Mortati gazed up at the lavish ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and tried to find a moment of quiet reflection. The frescoed walls echoed with the voices of cardinals from nations around the globe. The men jostled in the candlelit tabernacle, whispering excitedly and consulting with one another in numerous languages, the universal tongues being English, Italian, and Spanish. The light in the chapel was usually sublime – long rays of tinted sun slicing through the darkness like rays from heaven – but not today. As was the custom, all of the chapel’s windows had been covered in black velvet in the name of secrecy. This ensured that no one on the inside could send signals or communicate in any way with the outside world. The result was a profound darkness lit only by candles†¦ a shimmering radiance that seemed to purify everyone it touched, making them all ghostly†¦ like saints. What privilege, Mortati thought, that I am to oversee this sanctified event. Cardinals over eighty years of age were too old to be eligible for election and did not attend conclave, but at seventy-nine years old, Mortati was the most senior cardinal here and had been appointed to oversee the proceedings. Following tradition, the cardinals gathered here two hours before conclave to catch up with friends and engage in last-minute discussion. At 7 P.M., the late Pope’s chamberlain would arrive, give opening prayer, and then leave. Then the Swiss Guard would seal the doors and lock all the cardinals inside. It was then that the oldest and most secretive political ritual in the world would begin. The cardinals would not be released until they decided who among them would be the next Pope. Conclave. Even the name was secretive. â€Å"Con clave† literally meant â€Å"locked with a key.† The cardinals were permitted no contact whatsoever with the outside world. No phone calls. No messages. No whispers through doorways. Conclave was a vacuum, not to be influenced by anything in the outside world. This would ensure that the cardinals kept Solum Dum prae oculis†¦ only God before their eyes. Outside the walls of the chapel, of course, the media watched and waited, speculating as to which of the cardinals would become the ruler of one billion Catholics worldwide. Conclaves created an intense, politically charged atmosphere, and over the centuries they had turned deadly: poisonings, fist fights, and even murder had erupted within the sacred walls. Ancient history, Mortati thought. Tonight’s conclave will be unified, blissful, and above all†¦ brief. Or at least that had been his speculation. Now, however, an unexpected development had emerged. Mystifyingly, four cardinals were absent from the chapel. Mortati knew that all the exits to Vatican City were guarded, and the missing cardinals could not have gone far, but still, with less than an hour before opening prayer, he was feeling disconcerted. After all, the four missing men were no ordinary cardinals. They were the cardinals. The chosen four. As overseer of the conclave, Mortati had already sent word through the proper channels to the Swiss Guard alerting them to the cardinals’ absence. He had yet to hear back. Other cardinals had now noticed the puzzling absence. The anxious whispers had begun. Of all cardinals, these four should be on time! Cardinal Mortati was starting to fear it might be a long evening after all. He had no idea. 35 The Vatican’s helipad, for reasons of safety and noise control, is located in the northwest tip of Vatican City, as far from St. Peter’s Basilica as possible. â€Å"Terra firma,† the pilot announced as they touched down. He exited and opened the sliding door for Langdon and Vittoria. Langdon descended from the craft and turned to help Vittoria, but she had already dropped effortlessly to the ground. Every muscle in her body seemed tuned to one objective – finding the antimatter before it left a horrific legacy. After stretching a reflective sun tarp across the cockpit window, the pilot ushered them to an oversized electric golf cart waiting near the helipad. The cart whisked them silently alongside the country’s western border – a fifty-foot-tall cement bulwark thick enough to ward off attacks even by tanks. Lining the interior of the wall, posted at fifty-meter intervals, Swiss Guards stood at attention, surveying the interior of the grounds. The cart turned sharply right onto Via della Osservatorio. Signs pointed in all directions: Palazzio Governatorio Collegio Ethiopiana Basilica San Pietro Capella Sistina They accelerated up the manicured road past a squat building marked Radio Vaticana. This, Langdon realized to his amazement, was the hub of the world’s most listened-to radio programming – Radio Vaticana – spreading the word of God to millions of listeners around the globe. â€Å"Attenzione,† the pilot said, turning sharply into a rotary. As the cart wound round, Langdon could barely believe the sight now coming into view. Giardini Vaticani, he thought. The heart of Vatican City. Directly ahead rose the rear of St. Peter’s Basilica, a view, Langdon realized, most people never saw. To the right loomed the Palace of the Tribunal, the lush papal residence rivaled only by Versailles in its baroque embellishment. The severe-looking Governatorato building was now behind them, housing Vatican City’s administration. And up ahead on the left, the massive rectangular edifice of the Vatican Museum. Langdon knew there would be no time for a museum visit this trip. â€Å"Where is everyone?† Vittoria asked, surveying the deserted lawns and walkways. The guard checked his black, military-style chronograph – an odd anachronism beneath his puffy sleeve. â€Å"The cardinals are convened in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave begins in a little under an hour.† Langdon nodded, vaguely recalling that before conclave the cardinals spent two hours inside the Sistine Chapel in quiet reflection and visitations with their fellow cardinals from around the globe. The time was meant to renew old friendships among the cardinals and facilitate a less heated election process. â€Å"And the rest of the residents and staff?† â€Å"Banned from the city for secrecy and security until the conclave concludes.† â€Å"And when does it conclude?† The guard shrugged. â€Å"God only knows.† The words sounded oddly literal. After parking the cart on the wide lawn directly behind St. Peter’s Basilica, the guard escorted Langdon and Vittoria up a stone escarpment to a marble plaza off the back of the basilica. Crossing the plaza, they approached the rear wall of the basilica and followed it through a triangular courtyard, across Via Belvedere, and into a series of buildings closely huddled together. Langdon’s art history had taught him enough Italian to pick out signs for the Vatican Printing Office, the Tapestry Restoration Lab, Post Office Management, and the Church of St. Ann. They crossed another small square and arrived at their destination. The Office of the Swiss Guard is housed adjacent to Il Corpo di Vigilanza, directly northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica. The office is a squat, stone building. On either side of the entrance, like two stone statues, stood a pair of guards. Langdon had to admit, these guards did not look quite so comical. Although they also wore the blue and gold uniform, each wielded the traditional â€Å"Vatican long sword† – an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe – rumored to have decapitated countless Muslims while defending the Christian crusaders in the fifteenth century. As Langdon and Vittoria approached, the two guards stepped forward, crossing their long swords, blocking the entrance. One looked up at the pilot in confusion. â€Å"I pantaloni,† he said, motioning to Vittoria’s shorts. The pilot waved them off. â€Å"Il comandante vuole vederli subito.† The guards frowned. Reluctantly they stepped aside. Inside, the air was cool. It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined. Ornate and impeccably furnished, the hallways contained paintings Langdon was certain any museum worldwide would gladly have featured in its main gallery. The pilot pointed down a steep set of stairs. â€Å"Down, please.† Langdon and Vittoria followed the white marble treads as they descended between a gauntlet of nude male sculptures. Each statue wore a fig leaf that was lighter in color than the rest of the body. The Great Castration, Langdon thought. It was one of the most horrific tragedies in Renaissance art. In 1857, Pope Pius IX decided that the accurate representation of the male form might incite lust inside the Vatican. So he got a chisel and mallet and hacked off the genitalia of every single male statue inside Vatican City. He defaced works by Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini. Plaster fig leaves were used to patch the damage. Hundreds of sculptures had been emasculated. Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace. â€Å"Here,† the guard announced. They reached the bottom of the stairs and dead-ended at a heavy, steel door. The guard typed an entry code, and the door slid open. Langdon and Vittoria entered. Beyond the threshold was absolute mayhem.