The Horror of Child Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church. Essay example

The Horror of Child Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church. Early Sunday morning, people shuffle in through the mahogany doors as the smell of Frankincense and Myrrh tickle the nose. Rays of sunlight beam through the stained glass windows, making rainbow images on the red velvet carpet. What sounds like the voices of angels singing praise to the lord harmoniously circulates in the air. A mighty voice roars from the altar, â€Å"Now, let us bow our heads in prayer.† This is a majestic place where one can find peace, confess sins and thank the lord for all of the blessings he has bestowed upon them. In May of 1992, all of this would change, as Catholicism would be thrust to its knees. A story concerning a Catholic Priest sparked the headlines. The Boston Globe newspaper reported, â€Å"Nine allege priest abused them, threaten to sue church† (â€Å"Spotlight Investigation†). The article was a steppingstone for what triggered an intense investigation, extending from Massachusetts to Washington State, into allegations of child sexual abuse and the Catholic Church. For decades the Catholic Church has tolerated and silenced accusations of sexual misconduct by its priests. This essay discusses the link between the Roman Catholic Church, child sexual abuse and the possibility of a cover-up. Are the Archdiocese and the Catholic Church guilty of covering up accusations of child sexual abuse? If so, could the church have stopped the abuse before it became an epidemic? And why have multiple victims come forth alleging sexual abuse after so many years? In order to answer these questions, we must first identify the circumstances surrounding the scandal. First and foremost, the Archdiocese and the Catholic Church spawned a culture of secrecy whe... ... â€Å"Asked to help, priest allegedly abused.† Boston Globe. 05 June 2002 http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories2/060502_matte.htm â€Å"Five Principles to Follow in Dealing with Accusations of Sexual Abuse.† United States. Office of Catholic Bishops. June 1992. http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/kit4.htm â€Å"Major settlements in Catholic sex abuse cases† USA Today. 9 Sept. 2003 http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-09-09-catholic-church-settlements_x.htm â€Å"Spotlight Investigation: Abuse in the Catholic Church.† 2003. 20 Oct. 2003. http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/ Turner, Maureen. â€Å"Telling Secrets.† Valley Advocate. 19 Dec. 2003 http://www.valleyadvocate.com/gbase/News/content.html?oid=oid:763 United States. Office of Catholic Bishops. 08 Oct. 2003. 20 Oct. 2003. http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/restoretrust.htm

Criminals are made or born Essay

An understanding of criminal behaviour has been attempted by psychologists through many different theories. The three theories I will discuss are: the biological theory, the psychological theory and the social theory of crime. Each theory provides a thorough explanation of why people carry out criminal behaviour, however, which theory offers the better explanation? Are criminals born or made? The biological theory of crime suggests that it is very likely that biological factors play a significant role in criminality due to the fact that criminal behaviour tends to run in families. Adoption studies provide psychologists with the information required in order for them to discover whether criminal behaviour patterns are the result of the child’s genes or their surrounding environment. For example, if a child’s behaviour resembles that of their adoptive parents then this could suggest that criminality is a product of the environment. Mednick et al. (1987) studied the criminal convictions of over 14,000 people who had been adopted and found greater evidence to suggest that biology had more influence over their behaviour. To further support this theory, Bohman (1996) replicated Mednick at al’s study by comparing the percentages of sons with a biological parent with a criminal record to boys with an adoptive parent with a criminal record. Bohman also found that genetic factors were more significant compared to environmental influences. The psychological theory of crime suggests that negative expectations cause certain individuals to behave towards others in a criminal way because their stereotypes alter their social interactions (self-fulfilling prophecy). This theory was supported by Jahoda’s (1954) study of names. Jahoda studied Ashanti people who give boys ‘soul names’ when they are born which supposedly alters their characters. For example, boys born on a Wednesday are called ‘Kwaku’ and are expected to behave in an aggressive, violent way. Jahoda discovered that 13. 5% of boys referred to court had ‘Wednesday’ names, yet they were responsible for 22% of violent crime. This implies that expectations of the boy’s behaviours due to stereotypes caused differential  treatment and therefore they fulfilled the expectations caused by their names. The social theory of crime suggests that learning occurs when an individual (the learner) observes and copies another person (the model). Motivation to reproduce what the learner has observed from the model must be internal or external. Internal motivation may come from identification with the model, or external motivation can be obtained fro m direct or vicarious reinforcement. Children with criminal parents or who have other surrounding role models are very likely to be internally or externally motivated to copy behaviour, i. e. carry out criminal acts. Evidence to support this theory can be found using correlational data about exposure to media models and criminal acts. Eron et al. (1972) discovered a positive correlation between the violence level in television programmes watched by 7-8 years olds and their level of aggression. This violence was shown to progress (especially within males) as they became older. In my opinion, all three theories provide a valid approach and each are supported through evidence. I do not believe that one theory provides a significantly better argument than others, therefore, a combination (if possible) of each of the three theories would perhaps provide a more thorough answer to why people participate in criminal behaviour.

Big Geography And The Peopling Of The Earth - 2489 Words

Name: _____Elizabeth Tilley______ Period 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations, to c. 600 B.C.E Key Concept 1.1. Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth TERM Definition Significance Paleolithic Period The first period of the Stone Age During this period, humans first figured out how to use stones as tools, and hunter-gatherers grouped together to form small bands. They migrated from East Africa, and the tools they used changed as they adapted to the different climates. The majority of all of human history took place during this period. Hunter-forager society a society that finds food by hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants Until the Neolithic revolution, the people on earth were hunter-gatherers. They were†¦show more content†¦Kinship a group of people that are descended from a the same person Hunter-forager bands were made up of people that believed they shared kinship Self-Sufficient Able to provide for one’s self Hunter-gatherer groups were not self-sufficient, therefore they shared innovations, tools, and even members. Key Concept 1.2. The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies Settled agriculture the domestication of crops; people stayed in the same place People switched from the nomadic life of hunting and gathering to settling down and planting their own crops. This allowed for a surplus of food, population growth, and the creation of cities. Agriculturist people who cared for crops They chose which crops to cultivate, based on what was best to eat and easier to care for. They made food production more reliable, which allowed for populations to surge. Intensive cultivation An agriculturalist fills all of the land with the most productive crops Agriculturalists used this method to increase the stability of food supplies. Irrigation The watering of plants Agriculturalists created irrigation systems to increase the stability of food supplies. Domesticated animals A species of animal that has been tamed People used domesticated animals for food, and for doing work such as pulling plows. This increased the production of food. Village life A group of people, larger than a band, that are sedentary, and that