Fear Of Violent Crime Geography Essay

Fear Of Violent Crime Geography Essay As a concept ‘fear of crime has caused much academic discussion since it was first developed as a school of thought in the 1960s. Even though interest in fear of crime has gone though peaks and troughs since its arrival in the social sciences, it has undoubtedly found its way into governmental thinking and subsequent policies (Lee Farrall 2008). There are those who claim that fear of crime is a larger problem than crime itself and this is largely due to anxieties over violent crimes such as sexual assault which is particularly salient (Warr 1995). The public are informed that official rates of crime are falling hence this appears to substantiate the claim that public fears are disproportionate to reality or even ‘irrational (Skogan 1987). For example, the latest British Crime Survey (BCS) undertaken by the Home Office (2009) revealed that peoples fear of violent crime in the UK out-weighs their chances of victimization. However a finding from the same survey showed that all regions in the UK experienced a reduction in the proportion of people with a ‘high level of worry about violent crime between 2001-2 and 2008-9 (Home Office 2009). Source: BCS, Home Office (2009) Percentage of people with high level of worry about violent crime, 2001-2 and 2008-9 There have been many disputes as to how to define fear of violent crime and as such, official statistics are subject to criticism. Lewis and Salem (1981) claim that emotional feelings alone define fear of crime whereas other scholars place emphasis on cognitive judgments or behaviours (Garland 2001). There are also mixed findings on the connections between socio-demographic factors and fears of violence. Differential fears of violent crime have been strongly attributed to factors such as age, sex, race, locality, personal experience and media consumption (Clemente Kleiman 1977). It has been posited that further research on the fear of crime ‘must be focussed spatially and socially upon particular populations (Weaver 2008: 4). This dissertation will investigate the often cited connections between fear of violent crime and locality focussing on the University of Nottingham student population. It will explore the impact these fears have on their use of public space and highlight any constraints on activities or opportunities as a consequence of behavioural modifications. Nottingham: safe for students? The City of Nottinghams violent crime rates are higher than the UK average. However, recorded violence in Nottingham against the person has decreased from a rate of 34.5 per 1000 in 2006/07 to 29.79 rates per 1000 in 2008/09 (Home Office 2009). As a consequence perhaps, headlines in the media portraying Nottingham as being notorious for gun crime or as being an ‘Assassination City (Sewell 2007) have decreased. Nevertheless the mass media continue to label Nottingham as being a hotbed of violence. It has been argued that Nottingham is ‘a victim of its own success (Tiesdell 1998). This can be attributed to the number of bars and clubs the city possesses, promoting a vibrant but volatile night-life. In 2008 Nottingham City Council announced that the city was an Alcohol Disorder Zone (ADZ). This declaration was met with disbelief and anger amongst the local press and the University of Nottingham. It was argued that the City Council had shot itself in the foot again. In 2002, the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire gave his opinion that the city was out of control; he referred to the frequency of violence and in particular, the use of firearms. ‘The City Council agreed with him before it quickly back-tracked, but it was too late, Nottingham acquired a reputation as a number-one crime city. The impact was stunning, with The University of Nottingham, one of the best in the country, losing approximately a third of student applicants (MC Report 2008). Avoidance actions can have negative impacts on cities. For example, avoidance behaviours can lead to significant financial costs as the ‘Nottingham Safer Cities Project (NSCP) discovered. The project conducted a public survey; the findings from which illustrated that a significant number of city residents usually avoided the city centre after dark. The project calculated that this avoidance strategy led to the loss of  £12 million in turnover and 442 job opportunities in Nottinghams central business district during the 6 months of the study (Beck Willis 1995). Though outdated the project indicates the importance of investigating fear of violence amongst Nottinghams university population as they are widely regarded to be a vital contributer to the citys income and infrastructure (Beck Willis 1995). Advancement of the Aims and Objectives AIMS  · To discover whether fear of violent crime amongst university students in Nottingham is dependent on a) gender b) place of domicile residence c) mass media consumption d) personal victimization  · To discover how university students react to fear of violent crime and how this shapes their use of public space in Nottingham Nottingham has higher levels of reported violent crime than the national average and is widely regarded amongst the mass media as being a particularly violent place. Furthermore students aged 16-24 years of age, statistically, are one of the most likely groups to fall victim to violent crime (Home Office 2009). Despite these findings, a thorough review of the previous literature showed that there are very few journal articles investigating fears of violence amongst university students and none were focussed on the city of Nottingham. Extensive research on gender as a correlate of fear pays most attention to the fear gap between men and women. Fear of sexual assault is often given as the main reason for differential levels of fear (Balkin 1979) and as a result mens fears are neglected (Goodey 1997). This dissertation will compare the fears of both male and female students whilst focussing on violent crimes. Most academics agree that being a victim of sexual assault leads to intensified fears (Box et al 1988). However, there are mixed findings on the impact personal victimization of other violent crimes has on the individual. Some scholars argue that all physical assaults and muggings lead to greater fear of crime (Tulloch et al 1998) whilst others argue that they actually reduce fears (Sparks et al 1977). These inconsistent findings show that there is room for further research into the effects of violent victimization on public fears, which this dissertation aims to do. Social scientists, on the whole, accept that fear of violent crime is place-dependent and as such; how individuals relate to ideas of place and community is an important indicator of fears (Girling et al 2000). However, studies in the UK examining the relationships between fear of violence and familiarity with place of residence are lacking. This dissertation will investigate the impact familiarity of place has on fears by comparing the fear index of students whose domicile residence is in Nottingham to those who lived somewhere else prior to attending University of Nottingham. The mass media provide the public with much of their information. This information is often distorted through ‘popular tabloids which tend to sensationalise crime. It has been argued that the media cause fears of violent crime to increase (Gunter 1987) but findings are mixed. First year students, many being new to the city, will be an interesting focus group as many of them would have received much of their knowledge about ‘Assassination City through the media. As aforementioned, modifications of behaviour in response to fears can have a significant impact on a citys income hence research in this area (the second main aim) could arguably be important for future policy initiatives attracting more students to Nottingham. There may also be wider social consequences for individual students with high levels of fear as it could limit opportunities, ultimately affecting well-being. OBJECTIVES 1. To review existing literature to acquire an understanding of the different theories and views on fear of violent crime 2. To conduct quantitative surveys on male and female University of Nottingham first year students followed by statistical analysis to determine the relationship between fear of violent crime and the following variables: a) gender b) place of domicile residence c) mass media d) personal victimization 3. To conduct group discussions with first year Geography and Law students at the University of Nottingham to gain a more thorough insight into their fear of violent crime and whether it effects their use of public space in Nottingham Fear of Violence: Academic discussion Gender Research into the thorny issue of gender and fear of violent crime has found that women are much more fearful of violent crime than men yet women are less likely to be victims (Hale 1996). This fear amongst women was primarily viewed as being irrational by some scholars as womens high levels of fear do not equate to actual risk of victimization (Clemente and Kleiman 1977). It is widely acknowledged, however, that women have different experiences in public spaces than men. The BCS shows that young men are at greatest risk of victimisation for overall violence, although women are more likely to experience domestic violence and sexual assault (Home Office 2009). ‘In public, fear of rape is a cardinal fear for women (Riger et al 1994: 78) and is widely acknowledged as being the greatest factor leading to ‘men and women sharing a consensus that females are much more fearful than males (Sutton Farrall 2008: 15). The shadow of sexual assault hypothesis (Ferraro 1996) states tha t womens fear of sexual assault shadows their fear of other types of crime, particularly violent crime. This dissertation aims to uncover the influence all violent crime has on female and male university students. The gendered stereotypes of ‘fearless male/fearful female (Goodey 1997) are challenged by academics who suggest that men are socialised in society to be less fearful than women hence men have a tendency to minimise and hide their fears. This recent theory of the ‘Socially Desirable Responding (Farrall et al 2009) has important implications for research findings as it has been suggested that men are more likely to under-report their concerns in order to fit the hegemonic masculine ideal (Goodey 1997). This could be to such an extent that when this was taken into account, mens fear outstripped womens (Sutton Farrall 2005). This is in contrast to the view that women report higher fears because they are physically weaker than men and may have rape foremost in their minds when answering questions about violent crime (Stanko 1990). It has been posited that fear declines with age amongst girls and to a greater extent, boys. Young boys are relatively open about their fears yet as they mature their fears are somewhat ‘downplayed as normative adult identities are adopted (Goodey 1997: 402). This dissertation compares female fears of violent crime with the ‘neglected arena of male fears (Goodey 1997: 52) focussing on first year university students who are in a liminal stage of neither being viewed by wider society as children nor adults. First Year University Students and the Fear of Violent Crime First year University students, being young adults, are often stereotyped as ‘strong, fearless and are often construed as the offender rather than the victim (Tulloch 2000: 452). However a comprehensive report by Tulloch et al (1998) found that young adults are more fearful of crime than previously recognised. In addition statistical analysis has indicated that they have the greatest fear of violent crime when compared to other age groups (Ferraro 1995). These fears are arguably justified by The British Crime Survey (Home Office 2009) which asserted that reflecting their younger age profile, students (8.6%) had a higher than average risk of being a victim of violent crime throughout the year 2008/09. The BCS claim this is likely to be related to lifestyle. For example, people who visited nightclubs more than once a week in the month prior to interview had a higher risk of violent crime (12.4%) than those who had visited nightclubs or discos less than once a week on average (6.6 %) or not at all (2.5%). First year university students or ‘Freshers do not fit into one clearly defined category or stereotype. Some see university students as belonging to a ‘problem population inducing moral panics through binge drinking and yobbish behaviour. ‘As city centres are perceived to be dangerous, they are given over to gangs of revellers and drunkards after dark (Trench et al 1992). Others see students as law abiding citizens who are likely to be victims of violent crime at the hands of excluded local youths who, like students are demonized through the media. Place of Domicile Residence and Fear of Violent Crime ‘Perception of community has a strong influence on subjective estimates of being a victim of violent crime (Jackson 2004) Literature on fear of crime has shown that it is an absorbent topic bound up in how individuals relate to ideas of place and community (Farrall et al 2009). In a recent study Farrall et al (2009) use in-depth qualitative interviews to explore the connections people make when talking about crime, their environment and community. The study suggested that at the root of fear of crime is public unease about the health of local neighbourhood order and concerns about social decline and community fragmentation. They concluded that public perceptions of crime are strongly linked to objective and subjective assessments of community, environment and change. It was also acknowledged that this can have varying degrees of significance for respondents ‘depending on a participants own circumstances or history (Farrall et al 2009: 137). Due to university students varied experiences and histories they will be an interesting population to explore. There is a sufficient gap in research on dimensions of place and fear of violent crime; there are few place-based studies that have considered relationships between fear of crime and familiarity with place of residence. Nevertheless, an example of one such study in Washington DC found that the percentage of a residents life spent in the same neighbourhood was associated with a decrease in fear of violent crime (Roman Chalfin 2008). Mass media consumption and fear of Violent Crime ‘It is widely recognised that crime stories and discussions about ‘law and order are the staple diet of the written press (Sparks 1992). The mass media provide a major source of our knowledge. As such there is much academic debate as to what extent media in the UK influences individual fear of violent crime. Academics such as Jewkes (2004) have argued that that the mass media harbours the power to instil fear in the public by the way in which it presents crime. Such arguments fit the ‘Hypodermic Syringe Model which focuses on the mass media representation of crime and how that representation is perceived by the public. It is argued that ‘the media inject values, ideas and information directly into the passive reader or viewer (Jewkes 2004: 9). The information that the ‘popular media ‘inject into the public is often distorted as they tend to sensationalise crime by following the rule that ‘if it bleeds it leads. They pay privileged attention to some crimes at the expense of others, often violent crimes at the expense of non-violent (Keating 2002). ‘In Britain, readers of tabloid newspapers which have more sensational crime coverage reported higher levels of fear than readers of broadsheet papers, whose crime coverage is less predominant and less dramatic (Grabosky 1995). By exaggerating the risks of violent crimes the media may orchestrate ‘moral panics or ‘media panics (Cohen 1972). These moral panics often correspond to BCS statistics. The popular press use one statistical area such as Nottingham and distort the truth by sensationalising the factual data using terminology such as ‘epidemic, which in turn, may lead to moral panics. Although there is some basic truth to what the media are presenting to the public, it usually becomes dramatised to the point of disconnection from the truth. This may lead to a ‘deviancy amplification spiral (Cohen 1972) inferring that the area is particularly dangerous. Another consequence for such localities is that, once the decline begins, the community becomes part of the media generated folklore on crime and rare events such as firearm offences seem to be commonplace (Keating 2002). Fear of violent crime levels can also be rationalised by using Post-Modernist approaches. Hall et al (1978: 46) suggest that the public are interested in the mass media representation of crime, especially violent crime, as ‘violence represents a basic violation of the person. The public are therefore more affected by violent crimes, as they worry for their own safety. The BCS (Home Office 2009) statistics show that the number of violent crimes is decreasing annually, but this data is not yet reflected by public opinion. The ‘Hypodermic Syringe Theory, ‘Moral Panic Theory and Post-Modernist approaches have been widely criticised by researchers who have found the causal relationship between media and fear of violent crime to be at best, inconclusive. One key finding from Tulloch et al (1998) stated that the media are not as influential as previously thought. It has been suggested that the media alone can not cause fear of crime but ‘they can address fears, play upon them, exploit or reassure them (Sparks 1992: 155). Behavioural Responses to Fear of Violent Crime A review of the quantitative evidence to date illustrates that the findings for a causal relationship between fear of violent crime and modification of behaviour are somewhat inconsistent (Foster Giles-Corti 2008). Numerous studies exhibit that people often avoid actions which they view as being dangerous such as travelling on public transport or going out after dark (Box et al 1988). On the contrary an important finding from Tulloch et al (1998) found that even though young adults are more fearful of violent crime than any other age group, they still go out at night and use public transport. Episodes of being afraid of violent crime are often short lived. For example, one may become fearful if they hear footsteps behind them when walking down a dark alley. Farrall et al (2009) describe these fears as ‘experiental. Experiental fears are short-lived episodic experiences that are in response to external direct stimuli bound up in details of time and place. It has been argued, however, that although there may be heightened awareness in situations whereby one perceives there to be a potential threat of violence, this does not necessarily lead to outright fear but a calculated set of behavioural responses (Garland 2001). By conducting in-depth interviews, Farrall et al (2009) found that many participants believed it was their responsibility to protect themselves from violent crime and that precautionary behaviour is a necessary part of every day life. Some modified their behaviour, avoided certain places at certain times and purchased security equipment. It has been suggested that fear of violence is not always detrimental to an individuals well-being. Some degree of fear might be healthy in certain situations as it creates a natural defence against crime. When there is a perceived risk of actual violence, a certain amount of fear might actually be beneficial. Experiental fears of violent crime stimulate ‘responsiblization which leads to precautionary behaviours, makes people feel safer and ultimately lowers the risk of victimization. This has been described as ‘functional fear (Jackson Gray 2009). This ‘functional fear can be illustrated in the ‘Health Belief Model (Rosensto ck 1974). This model has been applied by social scientists to explain why some people change their behaviour to combat violent crime (Hammig Moranetz 2000). The model asserts that individuals who fear being a victim of violence will change their lifestyle habits if they believe that altering certain behaviours will enhance their overall well-being. ‘For women, crime is a considerable reason as to why they do not go out after dark at night (Crawford et al 1990: 49). As aforementioned, social scientists have indicated that gender is one of the strongest predictors of fear of violence; women are more fearful of violent crime than men. Some scholars such as Warr (1985) and Ferraro (1995) have suggested that this differential ‘irrational fear among females is mostly due to their fear of sexual victimization. As a result of this fear women restrict their lives in private and public spaces due to the perceived threat of criminal victimization (Gilchrist et al 1998). Findings from Warr (1985) substantiate this claim revealing that 40% of women do not go out at night compared with 9% of men. This indicates that fear of violent crime could have real consequences for female university students, limiting their use of public space and restricting them from fulfilling numerous opportunities in Nottingham. However, findings from studies can vary depending on the different behaviours that are measured. For example, a study in the US which investigated yo ung male preventive behaviours against violent victimization found that 27% of respondents reported practicing preventive behaviours against violent crime regularly (Hammig Morinetz 2000). Existing studies therefore do not provide concrete evidence for a strong relationship between fear of violent crime and modifications of behaviour. Victimization and the ‘Irrational Fear of Violent Crime Tulloch et al (1998) found that peoples fear of violent crime depends on personal experience and that an individuals fear of violence is likely to be heightened if the individual has been victimized. However, past research on the issue has been surprisingly inconclusive. In a review of the research, DuBow et al (1979) concludes that there has been no convincing evidence that victimization increases ones fear of violent crime. In a more recent study using qualitative analysis, Farrall et al (2009) reach a similar conclusion that many who had experienced violence didnt admit to amplified levels of fear. Furthermore, they found differential levels of fear between ‘isolated and ‘repeat victims with the latter reporting greater fears. Skogan (1987) claims that due to the lack of a strong relationship between fear and direct experience of violent crime, some peoples fears such as womens has been branded ‘irrational. ‘Interest in the ‘irrationality of high levels of fear of violent crime was fuelled by the weak correspondence of many survey measures of fear of crime to peoples self reported victimization experiences (Skogan 1987: 112). Rifai (1982: 193) denotes that fear of crime is ‘irrational simply because many people dont do much about it; ‘There is usually little behavioural change that is reflected in what could be termed crime preventative or victimization preventative behaviour (Rifai 1982: 193). As previously discussed, however, findings on behavioural changes are mixed and inconclusive. Violent crime does not impact on all members of society in the same way. A controversial argument put forward by Rifai (1982) stated that victimization and fear are not strongly linked because most crimes and a large proportion of violent crimes are trivial in their consequences hence they arent fear provoking. ‘A number of case studies have suggested that in most occurrences of victimization there is little effect on the daily lives of the victims (Rifai 1982: 199). The experience of victimization can serve to dispel some of the myths and anxieties about what becoming a victim of crime might feel like. The latest BCS statistics for 2008/09 indicate that, continuing a similar pattern to previous years, assault without injury accounted for the largest proportion (40%) of all violent incidents (British Crime Survey 2009). Perhaps then, Sparks et al (1977) are justified in arguing that victimization by assault reduces fear. They explained a negative correlation between victimizati on and fear by hypothesising that people ‘fear the worst before they have any direct experience with crime, but when they are victimized and are physically unharmed, their anxieties may be alleviated. Furthermore, it has been suggested by Skogan (1987) that the exclusion of non-victims from most of the literature has left unanswered the question of to what extent victims differ from comparable non-victims as a result of that experience. For this reason my dissertation will compare the fears of both ‘victims and ‘non-victims of violent crime. Summary of Literature The literature I have reviewed covers the most relevant concepts on the fear of violent crime put forward by influential academics who have worked within the realms of this discourse. One may argue that due to the sheer abundance of research that has been advanced by leading scholars, a relatively minute project such as mine based on Nottingham university students would prove insignificant. It could also be suggested that the field has been exhausted hence there isnt any room for further research. Yet it is recognised by the majority of academics that there is always room for further exploration. This is particularly true for investigating the fear of crime as many findings are inconsistent or inconclusive. Girling et al (2000: 136) describe fear of crime as ‘a topic that never quite stays still and submits itself for dispassionate examination. My dissertation is therefore relevant as it is a contemporary investigation into an ever-changing topic that focuses on a previously ne glected group, university students, in the unexplored context of Nottingham. Methodology Overview There is much debate within the social sciences as to what ‘fear of violent crime actually means and how it should be measured. For example, numerous academics such as Hale (1996) believe it is primarily based on emotions i.e. actually feeling fearful. Other researchers criticise the emotional aspect of ‘fear and maintain that other aspects are more important such as what an individual ‘actually does to combat perceived threats of violence (Garland 2001). Alternatively, cognition i.e. what people perceive to be the risk of victimization has also been measured in previous studies. My research has investigated the complex relationships between the emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects discussed. By acknowledging all three elements, fear of violent crime will be measured more accurately (Weaver 2008). Data collection involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. Primarily, only fixed surveys (Farrall et al 1997) were going to be used as it would generate a large quantity of results for analysis. However, this method used alone has come under much criticism. It has been argued by leading academics such as Girling et al (2000) and Pain (2000) that the ‘tick-box survey is too blunt an instrument on its own to gain understanding of public fear of crime. Taking this into consideration, it was decided that fixed surveys would be used to cover a large sample of the first year student population in Nottingham. Focus groups would then be used to carefully uncover fears, behaviours and cognitive judgements that arguably do not become evident from analysing questionnaire results. A self-completion, closed ‘tick-box survey was assembled and distributed to first year students studying a wide range of academic courses at the University of Nottingham. Once surveys had been completed and returned, face-to-face discussion groups or ‘focus groups with first year Geography and Law students were then conducted. Collecting quantitative data from the surveys prior to the group discussions enabled the latter to delve deeper into students fears of violence and uncover any behavioural responses that could not be explained in the closed tick-box surveys. Some survey questions have a tendency to elicit socially desirable responses (Farrall et al 2009). These are answers that dont necessarily reflect the respondents real feelings but ‘the one which they feel best fits the image of themselves; the image which they wish to show to the person interviewing (Farrall et al 2009: 146). As aforementioned, men are particularly likely to give socially desirable responses. Sutton and Farrall (2005) make this point in a review of previous quantitative data on fear of crime. They suggest that when answering survey questions aimed at measuring fear of crime, men often suppress the extent of their anxieties. This may have implications for survey results. Furthermore, ‘it is not uncommon for people under the researchers gaze to feel self conscious or threatened (Flowerdew and Martin 1997: 129). For these reasons, questionnaires were not conducted face to face but were handed out and returned within a week to a ‘pigeon hole in the Uni versity of Nottingham main reception. Sampling Methods Focussing on first year students at the University of Nottingham placed constraints on possible sampling techniques. The dissertation, ideally, would have an equal number of female and male respondents, and an equal number of students whose domicile residence was in Nottingham and elsewhere. In the pilot test a quota sampling method was adopted. This sampling method was conducted at the University of Nottingham ‘freshers fair. This method encountered problems. Firstly, the survey did not result in a 100% response rate. Secondly, it proved almost impossible to find an equal number of respondents whose domicile residence was in Nottingham as those that werent. The final decision was to use cluster sampling. Cluster sampling was used as it was deemed to be an appropriate and realistic method of surveying first year university students. Study participants were thus recruited through the University of Nottingham. Questionnaires were distributed to the university, with permission, wh ich then handed them out to first year students for completion. As such, all participants met the study requirements. 200 surveys were distributed, 124 of which were returned projecting a 62% response rate. First year geography and law students were recruited for the focus groups by administering voluntary sign up sheets to the University of Nottingham which were then placed in the Geography and Law buildings of the university. Ethical Issue

Mathematical Logic :: essays research papers

Mathematical logic is something that has been around for a very long time. Centuries Ago Greek and other logicians tried to make sense out of mathematical proofs. As time went on other people tried to do the same thing but using only symbols and variables. But I will get into detail about that a little later. There is also something called set theory, which is related with this. In mathematical logic a lot of terms are used such as axiom and proofs. A lot of things in math can be proven, but there are still some things that will probably always remain theories or ideas. Mathematical Logic is something that has a very long history behind it. It has been debated on for many centuries. If someone were to divide mathematical logic into groups they would get two major groups. Both groups are very long. One is called â€Å"The history of formal deduction† and it goes all the way back to Aristotle and Euclid and other people who lived at that time. The other is â€Å"the history of mathematical analysis† which goes back to the times of Archimedes, who was in the same era as Aristotle and Euclid. These to groups or streams were separate for a long time until Newton invented Calculus, which brought Math and logic together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Somebody who studies mathematical logic and gives his or her own concepts about it is called a logician. Some well known logicians include Boole and Frege. They were trying to give a definite form to what formal deduction really was. Aristotle had already done such a thing but he had done it with language, Boole wanted to do it with only Symbols. Frege came up with â€Å"Predicate Calculus†. As time went on people did not make new theories as much as they used to in the time of Aristotle. They mostly concentrated on expanding on theories that have been said centuries ago, proving those theories or putting them into symbolic form. Table of Logicians* Boole Frege Newton Gà ¶del Aristotle Euclid Archimedes Leibnitz *This Table has a few of the Logicians listed in my book Words that have to do with logic like and, or, not are given symbols like &, V, or an upside down L reversed. The Letters X, Y, Z and so on are commonly used as variables and P, Q, R are used as predicates, properties or relations. Sometimes there are theories that have to do with machines that do not exist and usually have things in them that are infinite and they usually work with letters and numbers.

Understanding The Principles Of Developing Postive Relationships With Children, Young People And Adults

Why effective communication is important We are more likely to communicate information to one another if we have positive relationships. Parents and other adults who come into the school are more likely to give beneficial support if communication is strong and effective – this, in turn, benefits pupils. It is also important for pupils that we model effective communication skills. This means checking what we are saying sometimes in moments of stress or excitement, so that they can understand what our expectations are in school.If we ask pupils to behave in a particular way when communicating and then forget to do so ourselves, they will find it harder to understand the boundaries of what is acceptable. Effective communication and positive relationships do not happen by chance. You should think about the way you relate to others and the messages that this sends out. In situations where communication breaks down, misunderstandings can lead to bad feeling.1. 1:2 The principles of relationship buildingThe principles of relationship building with children  and adults in any context are that if others are comfortable in our company, they will be more likely to communicate effectively. Where people do not get along or are suspicious of one another, they are likely to avoid one another wherever possible. Positive relationships are not something which should be left_ to chance and it is important to consider the ways in which we can develop them. We build relationships with others in school on a daily basis in a number of different ways.Although you may do some of these without necessarily thinking  about it, it is worth taking time to consider whether you do all of the following? Effective communication – this is the key area for developing relationships with others and also covers many different forms of communication (see below)? Showing respect – in order to develop positive relationships with others, it is very important to be courteous and respectful, and to listen to their points of view. Adults and pupils with whom you work may also be from different cultures and have different beliefs or values from your own.You  should ensure that you acknowledge and respect the views of others at all times and take time to remember names and preferred forms of address? Being considerate – take the time to consider the positions of others. You may be working with a child or adult who is under particular pressure at a given time and need to understand why they may have behaved or reacted in a certain way or out of character?Remembering issues which are personal to them – it will always help to build positive relationships if you enquire a_er particular aspects  of another person’s life – for example, if you know that a colleague is concerned about their child getting into a particular secondary school, or if you are aware that it is a child’s birthday? Taking time to listen to others – make sure that you take time to listen to other people, in particular if they are asking for advice or help, or if they need to confide in you. You should always show that you are interested in what they have to say and respond appropriately?Being clear on key points – when you have conversations with others in which you are giving  them information, you should always ensure that they are clear what you have said at the end of the discussion. This is because it can be easy to be distracted from the main point of the conversation. When talking to children, always ask them to repeat back to you what they need to do? Maintaining a sense of humour – although the nature of our work in school is important, we should also sometimes take time to see the funny side of different situations. Laughter can be a good icebreaker and is also a great way of relaxing and relieving stress.

Pensin alimenticia nio en Mxico y pap en EEUU

Si tu hijo mexicano en Mà ©xico que no recibe pensià ³n alimenticia de su papà ¡ que està ¡ en Estados Unidos y quieres obtener de à ©l apoyo econà ³mico, esto es lo que tienes que hacer. Aunque en este artà ­culo se habla de cà ³mo reclamarle al papà ¡ que vive en Estados Unidos y que no contribuye a los gastos de su hijo que vive en Mà ©xico, hay que entender que exactamente lo mismo aplica a los casos en los que las madres son las que emigran y no pagan a los hijos que dejan en Mà ©xico. La razà ³n por la que hablo de papà ¡ es porque las estadà ­sticas nos dicen que en el 90 por ciento de los casos son los padres los que no hacen los pagos a los que està ¡n obligados. Si se desconoce dà ³nde se encuentra el progenitor que no paga, puede buscà ¡rsele en varias bases de datos de los Estados Unidos y tambià ©n siguiendo la estrategia correcta en los motores de bà ºsqueda de internet. Asegà ºrate de cumplir dos requisitos bà ¡sicos para reclamar la pensià ³n alimenticia Antes de iniciar el proceso para solicitar oficialmente apoyo econà ³mico por parte del papà ¡ que se encuentra en Estados Unidos, asegà ºrate de que: 1. Tu hijo o hija menor de 18 aà ±os. Puede ser hijo biolà ³gico o adoptado del padre al que se le exige que contribuya econà ³micamente. En el caso de hijos biolà ³gicos no es necesario que sean fruto de un matrimonio. Es mà ¡s, incluso se puede reclamar cuando el papà ¡ no ha reconocido legalmente al menor. Si bien en estos casos habrà ¡ que practicar una prueba de ADN al padre y al hijo. 2. Que el papà ¡ viva en uno de los siguientes estados de EEUU: AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaCarolina del NorteCarolina del SurConnecticutDakota del NorteDakota del SurDelawareHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNuevo HampshireNueva JerseyNueva YorkNuevo Mà ©xicoOhioOregà ³nPensilvaniaRhode IslandTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginia OccidentalWashingtonWyoming En Estados Unidos el asunto del pago de pensiones alimenticias corresponden a los estados, no al gobierno federal. Por ello, sà ³lo es posible reclamar de la manera que se explica en este artà ­culo si el papà ¡ reside en uno de los estados que tiene un acuerdo sobre este asunto con Mà ©xico. Ocho estados no tienen acuerdo. Entre ellos Colorado, Florida y Iowa. Para saber si la lista se ha actualizado recientemente o para buscar informacià ³n verdadera sobre inquietudes que puedan surgir, se puede contactar con el telà ©fono del Centro de Informacià ³n y Ayuda a Mexicanos. Està ¡ en Estados Unidos, pero tambià ©n se puede marcar desde Mà ©xico. Cuatro pasos para la tramitacià ³n de la solicitud de la pensià ³n alimenticia A continuacià ³n debes seguir estos cuatro pasos: 1. Averiguar la direccià ³n donde vive el padre en Estados Unidos. Ni el gobierno americano ni el mexicano pueden hacer esto por ti. Si te es imposible saberlo, podrà ­a ser suficiente si sabes dà ³nde trabaja o si sabes dà ³nde viven familiares o amigos en la misma ciudad y que està ¡n en contacto con à ©l. 2. Reunir toda la documentacià ³n necesaria: Acta de nacimiento del nià ±o. Puede ser original o copia certificada.Fotografà ­a reciente a color del menor de cuerpo completo.Si el nià ±o para el que se reclama la pensià ³n alimenticia fue fruto de un matrimonio, es necesario presentar el acta del matrimonio (original o certificada).  Esto es asà ­ tanto si los papà ¡s continà ºan casados, se han separado o se han divorciado.Fotografà ­a del papà ¡ del nià ±o a color y de cuerpo completo. No puede tener mà ¡s de nueve aà ±os de antigà ¼edad.Comprobantes de todos los gastos que genera el menor en un mes, por ejemplo, comida, transporte, mà ©dico, ropa, calzado, estudios, etc.Orden judicial anterior de Mà ©xico o de EEUU donde se obliga al padre a colaborar econà ³micamente en los gastos de manutencià ³n del nià ±o. Esto sà ³lo en los casos en los que hay tal orden. No es un requisito necesario. 3. Traduccià ³n al inglà ©s del acta de nacimiento del nià ±o y si està ¡s o estuviste casada con el papà ¡ tambià ©n del acta de matrimonio. Puedes contratar a un traductor o que una persona con un buen conocimiento del inglà ©s realice una traduccià ³n jurada siguiendo este modelo de carta. 4. Agendar una cita con una delegacià ³n de la Secretarà ­a de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE). Una vez allà ­, entregar la documentacià ³n y llenar y firmar los formatos de solicitud de pensià ³n alimenticia para un hijo.  ¿Quà © pasa una vez que se ha presentado toda la documentacià ³n? La delegacià ³n de la SRE contacta con las autoridades americanas del estado en el que vive el papà ¡ e inicia la tramitacià ³n para reclamar el pago de la pensià ³n alimenticia. Si localizan al padre las probabilidades de que un juez americano ordene el pago de la pensià ³n es muy alto. En general antes del medio aà ±o a contar desde la presentacià ³n de la documentacià ³n en Mà ©xico comienzan a producirse los descuentos de la nà ³mina del padre. El pago al menor se efectà ºa en la forma en la que haya ordenado el juez y puede ser mediante un depà ³sito a una cuenta bancaria o mediante el envà ­o de un cheque o de cualquier otro modo que acuerde, si bien esas dos son las mà ¡s comunes. A tener en cuenta Puedes reclamar pensià ³n alimenticia para tu hijo sin importar el estatus migratorio del papà ¡ en Estados Unidos. Incluso se puede obligar a un indocumentado a que pague. Si bien es mà ¡s fà ¡cil con un ciudadano americano, residente permanente o persona con una visa de trabajo temporal. La razà ³n es que en estos casos es mà ¡s fà ¡cil ordenar un descuento de la nà ³mina y los indocumentados no siempre tienen una, aunque està ©n trabajando. Si el papà ¡ està ¡ desempleado y no tiene ingresos acumularà ¡ la deuda y se le descontarà ¡ una vez que comience de nuevo a generar ingresos. El pago de la pensià ³n alimenticia es una obligacià ³n de los padres hacia sus hijos. Cumplir no otorga ningà ºn beneficio migratorio. Pero incumplir si que puede tener consecuencias migratorias negativas. Aclaracià ³n Cuando hablo de un nià ±o en este artà ­culo obviamente me refiero a un varà ³n o a una nià ±a. No importa el gà ©nero, nià ±os y nià ±as tienen este derecho. Obviamente tambià ©n la solicitud se puede hacer para un menor o para mà ¡s. Por à ºltimo, recalcar que si bien en la mayorà ­a de los casos la reclamacià ³n se la hace la mamà ¡ al papà ¡, tambià ©n es posible que sea al revà ©s. Es decir, si la mamà ¡ està ¡ en EEUU y no contribuye al sostenimiento econà ³mico de los hijos tambià ©n se le puede reclamar. Si el papà ¡ o la mamà ¡ es ciudadano americano es posible que el nià ±o o nià ±a nacido en Mà ©xico sea tambià ©n estadounidense. Estos son los requerimientos para transmitir la ciudadanà ­a por sangre, que son diferentes si el americano es el papà ¡ o la mamà ¡ y si està ¡ soltero o està ¡ casado. Si ese es el caso, contacta con una oficina consular americana. Este artà ­culo no es asesorà ­a legal. Es simplemente informativo.