PRAYER PHOTO ESSAY

As Facebook Takes Over Their Lives, Some Teens are Pulling the Plug

With more than 350 million active users worldwide, the social networking site Facebook  has become a household name. But some households are pulling the plug.

For Michigan 10th grader Neeka Salmasi, chatting and messaging with her friends on Facebook had become a huge problem.

In the beginning, she said she’d be online for as little as 20 minutes a day, but then those minutes grew into a couple of hours on weekdays and sometimes as long as six hours on the weekend.

She wasn’t doing other tasks, and her grades were slipping.

“It’s like an addiction,” the teen said. “You look up one moment and it’s day and you look up another moment and it’s night.”

 

 

For Some, Facebook Becomes an Obsession

So in order to put Facebook in its proper place, Salmasi took action. She asked her sister to change her Facebook password at the beginning of each week and keep it hidden from her until weekends.

Neeka isn’t the only teen backing away from the Web site.

Monica Reed and Halley Lamberson quickly realized that they too were wasting too much time on Facebook.

 

So the teens — best friends from California — decided to limit their use to one Saturday per month.

 

Teens Learning to Balance Facebook, Lives

Like so many teenagers across the country, the girls were struggling to find a balance between social media and their everyday lives.

Sherry Turkle, a professor of psychology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said people are now dropping in and out of Facebook, and learning how to integrate it into their lives in better ways.

“We’re not going to be taking away the Internet,” she said. “It’s more a question of living with these devices that so compel us, in a way that serves our human purposes.”

Salmasi seems to have found the right balance.

“(The) first week was hard,” she said. “My friends didn’t know how I could do it but my studying habits improved.”

Internet safety expert Parry Aftab says that a teen’s Internet use rises to the level of addiction when “things are out of balance.”

“They aren’t doing things offline,” she said, or they don’t have any friends offline. “They’re all-consumed.”

If you suspect your teen has a problem, she recommends looking at their page. “How often are they posting? If it gets really bad you can use monitoring software,” she said. “You have to determine whether they like it a lot, they’re obsessed, or they really are addicted.”

Parents have to recognize that “the kids don’t see it as a site, they see it as life,” she said. “It’s how they live, and what we need to do is find balance.”

 

By ALBERTO ORSO and SUZAN CLARKE

 

How to Deal With Backstabber >:/

1. All backstabbers share a common denominator; they all want something from you. Whether it is money, homework, a house to trash, your computer, your style, practically anything, varies from person to person.
2.  Be aware of your surroundings. If you have a bad feeling about somebody, listen to your instincts!
3. 
   
   Pay attention to red flags.
   • If somebody betrays you, don’t trust that person again without extensive consideration.
   • If the other person doesn’t have friends of his or her own, there may be a reason. Perhaps other people know something that you don’t.
   • If someone is mean to you one minute and nice to you the next, there is definitely something wrong.
   • If someone is too aggressive or tries too hard to sell you on something, he or she is likely setting you up.
   • Trust your real friends. They’re here to help you.
   • Notice the other person’s work ethic. If he or she is lazy and irresponsible, stay away from the person as far as anything that requires hard work goes. If you work hard, he or she will use you in a heartbeat!
4. Notice how they treat the things you care about. For instance if you really care about your room’s cleanliness and you’ve explained this to them but they still come over, throw their backpack on the ground, take their shoes off in the middle of the room and so on; this means they don’t really care about you.
5. Try to detect from an early stage what the backstabber is interested in sucking from you.
6. If the backstabber persists in pestering you, either ignore them or tell them dispassionately that you do not want to do (insert activity here). Be polite, but extremely firm. If they detect a weakness in your firmness, they will try as hard as they can to puncture it.
   
   Tips :
   
   
   • Get away from these people as soon as possible and convince others not to associate with them. Just say that ‘they aren’t the best person to hang out with.’ Take care if you choose to do that.
   • Don’t hesitate to ask questions. If somebody seems shady in any perspective, ask them about it but pay close attention to their answers. More often than not, they will try to pull one over you.
   • There is a difference between friends and acquaintances. This means that even though he might be fun to talk at in classroom or at lunch, he might not be the kind of person you would like to hang out with after school.
   • Don’t rely on the backstabber for anything; even the tiniest of things. In this way, you will avoid situations where you owe him/her a favor. This technique takes patience, practice and goes completely against your better nature. The backstabber will get the hint and move on the next sucker/victim.
   • Also do not tell them any secret that you want kept hidden, as they will tell it to another one of their “friends” the moment it will gain them something.
   • Treat him/her like you would any other snake. Be polite when in his/her area but keep to the path, and maintain your distance.
   • Make sure not to reduce to his level by saying untrue and bad things about him behind his back (this is a huge no-no!) as it will only spur him to action against you.
   • Try to avoid revenge. This will create more problems. But if you simply have to get even, remember that the best revenge in this case would be hanging out with your best friends right in front of their face.
   Warnings :
   • Never let the backstabber know that he/she has gotten to you.
   • Do not underestimate his power. Try not to offend or hurt him, but be merely polite and refuse him anything he asks that you are not willing to give.
   • Do not get angry when he backstabs you. Realize from the start it will happen eventually. Don’t form any deep relationship with him. He’ll suck you dry.
   • And don’t confront him, just smile knowingly and take action to prevent further damage.
   • Be careful when you talk to backstabbers, they might be recording you.
   • Don’t talk to the backstabbers friends, they could be spies.

Obesity

Obesity Facts
A child carrying around a few extra pounds is not judged obese, but may show a tendency for easy weight gain. Typically, a child considered obese when their weight is at least 10 percent higher for the height and body type as recommended by their doctor. Childhood obesity usually begins between the ages of 5 and 6 and during adolescence. Pre-teens who are obese between the ages of 10 and 13 have an 80 percent chance of growing an obese adult.

 

The Cause of Obesity
Complex causes of obesity in children includes genetic, biological, behavioral and cultural factors. Having one obese parent equals a 50 percent increase their child will be overweight. When both parents are obese, the chances their kids will be obese increases to 80 percent. Less than 1 percent of all obesity in adolescents is caused by physical problems. Simply stated, when a teenager eats more calories than their body burns up, they become obese. Generally, obesity in childhood and adolescence results from:

• poor eating habits
• overeating or binging
• lack of exercise or physical activity
• history of obesity in the immediate family
• endocrine, neurological, or other medical conditions
• side affects from steroids or some psychiatric medications
• stressful life events or changes (separations, divorce, moves, deaths, abuse)
• low self-esteem, depression or other emotional problems

Health Risks and Complications of Being Obese
There are many risks and complications with being overweight and obese. Physical consequences include:

• risk of heart disease
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• respiratory problems
• sleep apnea

Obesity in children and teens also causes emotional problems. Boys and girls with weight problems typically have lower self-esteem and unpopular with their peers. It is also common for kids with weigh problems to suffer from depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

How To Manage and Treat Obesity in Adolescents
A family physician or pediatrician should perform a thorough medical evaluation to determine any physical causes of obesity in children. When there are no physical disorders behind the excess weight, the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories through activity than what is consumed by food. A combination of diet and exercise will ensure lasting weight loss. Often, obesity affects many family members, so a family that can exercise together will improve the chances of long term success for everyone.

Ways To Manage Obesity

• start a weight-management program or join a support group
• eat healthy, nutritious meals, avoiding junk and fast food, and limit snacking
• eat less calories and watch portion sizes
• increase physical activity
• eat meals as a family away from the TV and computer
• find other rewards than food

Battling obesity often becomes a lifelong struggle. Most overweight adolescents gain back lost pounds by returning to their old habits of poor diet and lack of exercise. An obese adolescent must learn about healthy foods, portion control and exercise plans to maintain their desired weight. By emphasizing their child’s strengths and positive qualities, parents will help improve their child’s self esteem.

A child psychiatrist can also help a family deal with the emotional issues of being obese. By working with the family physician, an adolescent psychiatrist can help develop a comprehensive treatment plan that includes attainable weight loss goals; diet, nutrition and exercise programs; and behavior modification, counseling, and family involvement.

Source :http://www.byparents-forparents.com

The History of Bottling (Coca-Cola)

Coca-Cola® originated as a soda fountain beverage in 1886 selling for five cents a glass. Early growth was impressive, but it was only when a strong bottling system developed thatCoca-Cola became the world-famous brand it is today.

1894 … A modest start for a bold idea
In a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi, brisk sales of the new fountain beverage calledCoca-Cola impressed the store’s owner, Joseph A. Biedenharn. He began bottling Coca-Cola to sell, using a common glass bottle called a Hutchinson.

Biedenharn sent a case to Asa Griggs Candler, who owned the Company. Candler thanked him but took no action. One of his nephews already had urged that Coca-Cola be bottled, but Candler focused on fountain sales.

1899 … The first bottling agreement
Two young attorneys from Chattanooga, Tennessee believed they could build a business around bottling Coca-Cola. In a meeting with Candler, Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead obtained exclusive rights to bottle Coca-Cola across most of the United States (specifically excluding Vicksburg) — for the sum of one dollar. A third Chattanooga lawyer, John T. Lupton, soon joined their venture.

1900-1909 … Rapid growth
The three pioneer bottlers divided the country into territories and sold bottling rights to local entrepreneurs. Their efforts were boosted by major progress in bottling technology, which improved efficiency and product quality. By 1909, nearly 400 Coca-Colabottling plants were operating, most of them family-owned businesses. Some were open only during hot-weather months when demand was high.

1916 … Birth of the contour bottle
Bottlers worried that the straight-sided bottle for Coca-Cola was easily confused with imitators. A group representing the Company and bottlers asked glass manufacturers to offer ideas for a distinctive bottle. A design from the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana won enthusiastic approval in 1915 and was introduced in 1916. The contour bottle became one of the few packages ever granted trademark status by the U.S. Patent Office. Today, it’s one of the most recognized icons in the world – even in the dark!

1920s … Bottling overtakes fountain sales
As the 1920s dawned, more than 1,000 Coca-Cola bottlers were operating in the U.S. Their ideas and zeal fueled steady growth. Six-bottle cartons were a huge hit after their 1923 introduction. A few years later, open-top metal coolers became the forerunners of automated vending machines. By the end of the 1920s, bottle sales ofCoca-Cola exceeded fountain sales.

1920s and 30s … International expansion
Led by longtime Company leader Robert W. Woodruff, chief executive officer and chairman of the Board, the Company began a major push to establish bottling operations outside the U.S. Plants were opened in France, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Belgium, Italy, Peru, Spain, Australia and South Africa. By the time World War II began,Coca-Cola was being bottled in 44 countries.

1940s … Post-war growth
During the war, 64 bottling plants were set up around the world to supply the troops. This followed an urgent request for bottling equipment and materials from General Eisenhower’s base in North Africa. Many of these war-time plants were later converted to civilian use, permanently enlarging the bottling system and accelerating the growth of the Company’s worldwide business.

1950s … Packaging innovations
For the first time, consumers had choices of Coca-Colapackage size and type — the traditional 6.5-ounce contour bottle, or larger servings including 10-, 12- and 26-ounce versions. Cans were also introduced, becoming generally available in 1960.

1960s … New brands introduced
Following Fanta® in the 1950s, Sprite®, Minute Maid®, Fresca® and TaB® joined brandCoca-Cola in the 1960s. Mr. Pibb® and Mello Yello® were added in the 1970s. The 1980s brought diet Coke® and Cherry Coke®, followed by POWERADE® and DASANI® in the 1990s. Today hundreds of other brands are offered to meet consumer preferences in local markets around the world.

1970s and 80s … Consolidation to serve customers
As technology led to a global economy, the retailers who sold Coca-Cola merged and evolved into international mega-chains. Such customers required a new approach. In response, many small and medium-size bottlers consolidated to better serve giant international customers. The Company encouraged and invested in a number of bottler consolidations to assure that its largest bottling partners would have capacity to lead the system in working with global retailers.

1990s … New and growing markets
Political and economic changes opened vast markets that were closed or underdeveloped for decades. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Company invested heavily to build plants in Eastern Europe. And as the century closed, more than $1.5 billion was committed to new bottling facilities in Africa.

21st Century …
The Coca-Cola bottling system grew up with roots deeply planted in local communities. This heritage serves the Company well today as people seek brands that honor local identity and the distinctiveness of local markets. As was true a century ago, strong locally based relationships between Coca-Cola bottlers, customers and communities are the foundation on which the entire business grows.

 

Source: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com

Top 10 Benefits of being Single

The single life is replete with liberties that you could not imagine. Here are the top 10 reasons you should consider taking a hiatus from the relationship arena and remain single.

10. You don’t have to tolerate moodiness & nagging

Fellas, how many times have you been in the doghouse because your woman was livid for reasons you still don’t understand? Relish not being the target of her inexplicable mood swings, and the calm that comes when there’s no nagging. When you wake up on the couch, you’ll know it’s because you chose to pass out there.

9. You can gain weight without worrying

Just as you can spend more time buffing up at the gym, you can also just chill and let yourself go for a little while. When you’re not on the market, you don’t have to worry about looking like an Adonis every day. Go ahead and wear that threadbare Metallica T-shirt and those holey boxers. Enjoy the pleasure of occasionally being a slob. Just don’t go so far that you can’t trim down in time for when you decide to start hunting.

8. You can appreciate your independence

You can use your newfound free time for solitary fun, as well as self-improvement. Being single forces you to do things for yourself, like cook, do laundry and tidy up your pad. Being skilled at many things makes you a more complete, well-rounded person — a great card to hold when you decide to reenter the dating market.

Furthermore, independence is a great trait, and women will likely notice that you’re not the needy, clingy type.

7. You can control your finances

If you’ve ever been in a serious relationship, you know that, sooner or later, a good chunk of your budget goes into steady lady-maintenance costs. Bachelorhood gives you full financial freedom, and you never have to worry about paying for dinner or buying presents.

However, understand that this does not mean that you will save money — on the contrary; you might be spending more on partying, buying drinks, dressing well, and so on. But at least you are the master of every single dollar you spend.

6. You have more time for activities

When you’re single, you have no reason to sit around doing nothing. Want to harden your body at the gym? Play a new instrument? How about watch the Die Hard trilogy for the 11th time? Who’s stopping you?

You can even use the time that you’d spend pleasing a demanding girlfriend to hang with the boys. After all, isn’t neglecting your friends one of the biggest sacrifices of couplehood?

Look forward to being spontaneous, not having to answer to anyone and flirting like crazy…

5. You don’t have to deal with another’s personal habits

You used to cringe when she used your razor to shave her legs, and the scented candles she burned in every room made you sick. Now there’s no irritating habits to tolerate. You can sleep peacefully without her snoring and hog all the blankets without a care in the world. You have no one to pick up after but yourself. Give your patience a well-deserved break and live in unflustered.

4. You can be spontaneous

Being single lets your break out of the numbing cycle of routine. Be daring while you can. Go on a fishing trip with your crew at the drop of a hat. Push it further and head out on a wild Spring Break surrounded by gorgeous college women. Not only will you be doing something out of the ordinary, you can do it without double-checking with someone else first. This is the height of freedom.

3. You can focus on your career

Life is a juggling act in which you have to keep the many elements aloft, paying equal attention to each one. But if you let one drop, you can channel your forces to the remaining parts. In the absence of a relationship, you’ll have much more time to devote to your work. You can put in those extra hours on a project to impress your boss, and even take on something else. And you don’t have to worry about sacrificing your love life, as you’ll be single and vigorous.

2. You can be your own boss

Relationships are synonymous with compromise. You eventually have to sacrifice something you really like — a football game or extra cheese on your pizza — for the good of the pair. Use your single time to treat yourself a little more. In small doses, selfishness is good for the soul.

Being your own boss also means answering to no one. You went to a strip club? You got the scent of some woman’s perfume all over your clothes? Enjoy not having to explain your actions.

1. You can flirt as you please

Nothing is worse than that nagging voice in your head telling you that you shouldn’t be talking to this killer brunette in front of you. Being single gives you the complete freedom to flirt with whomever you want, whenever you want.

It also gives you the chance to sharpen your mojo so that, before you know it, you’ll be the master player on your block. Since you’re unattached, take this opportunity to master the art of seduction, and who knows what rewards you’ll reap.

 

Written by: Jaypee Habaradas 

Being in Love with two pople

Falling in love can be very difficult as strong feelings are often plagued by uncertainty and anxiety while circumstances may push a very special person away. Of course, it is even more problematic when someone is in love with two people at the same time. Although we often use the very rare special emotion of love to describe how we feel about a person during a particular momentum in our lives, it is possible to be in love with two individuals at the same time and saying goodbye to one is not so easy when this is true.

The most important element in love is happiness. Unfortunately, we often fail to understand happiness is not about feeling good now, but rather, contentment and enjoyment over a lifetime. When we look to short-term satisfaction instead of happiness, we act on feel-good impulses that often booby trap our pursuit of happiness and leave us unhappy. This means acting on the feelings of love must revolve around the lasting good feelings a person instills in our lives while deciding between two lovers requires a great deal of foresight.

On the other hand, companionship is another element of love that cannot be overlooked. Companionship is about devotion, thus both people in love must be devoted to each other for a meaningful, healthy relationship to develop. This is not to confuse devotion for security as many people form and grasp onto romantic relationships, which should be friendships, to avoid loneliness, financial worry, uncertainty, or pain instead of pursuing true love. Some people are better companions than others, so this element of both emotional connections must be weighed.

In general, people who feel they are in love with more than one person often mistake lust for love. True love does contain a very strong element of passion, but not just passion for the other person. Love drives passion for life and ambitious undertakings. Lust, however, pushes people to engage in unhealthy, self-indulgence that is purely about selfishness. When supposed feelings of love are based on a compulsion to act without consequence or to simply consume someone, love is not possible as selfishness is the motivation.

Building an honest relationship based on the feelings of being in love can only happen when such a relationship results in happiness, companionship, and passion for both individuals. If truly in love with two people at the same time, acting on those feelings will likely cause a lot more unnecessary pain than letting go, so it is a decision that cannot be made so freely. Hopefully, strong feelings for one person will go away before disastrous mistakes are made as often love fades for a person long before the consequences of foolish decisions.

CHILD ABUSE IN THE PHILIPPINES

The efforts of the United Nations and the international community of non-governmental organizations to promote and protect the rights of the child have generated a wealth of information on the challenges facing the world’s children.  Researches on the situa­tion of children has revealed that among these challenges is the fact that millions are exposed to the dangers of abuse, whether it be physical, mental, emotional or sexual.  But studies on child abuse thus far have been largely exploratory to a great extent because of the apparently more urgent aims of fact-finding and exposure of the issue.  While this may have facilitated the inarguably pressing need for campaign and service-delivery, it is time to generate a more systematic and comprehensive knowledge of child abuse in the Philippines. 

 

            This study on child abuse in the Philippines was undertaken at the request of PLAN International, an international, humani­tarian and child-focused development organization.  PLAN intends to support programs and services for victims/survivors of child abuse in the Philippines.  But for PLAN to develop a pro­gram of action to combat child abuse, it must under­stand the complexities of the problem and analyze the range of intervention programs already existing, establish the ingredients of successful interventions and identify the gaps which still need to be addressed.  The following summarizes the salient points of the review.

Understanding the Phenomenon of Child Abuse

 

The study raised some conceptual issues regarding child abuse.  As it is widely understood is synony­mous with the concept of children in especially difficult circum­stances (CEDCs) popularized by the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the mid 1980s.  Child abuse is seen not as a distinct social phenomenon but often as a feature of the other phenomena or situations such as child labor and child prostitution. 

 

            The development of the discourse on child abuse has been along its specific categories including sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, child labor exploitation. where much of the literature has fo­cused and which we already have a profound understanding of.  This has encouraged conceptual debates in each category of abuse.  Terminologies are coined and distinct groups of children are identified based on the unique and common characteristics of children.  This, in turn, has served to refine intervention work and has proven to be successful in calling public attention to each of the phenomenon. 

 

            The study noted with serious concern that most of the literature is written in  English.  The development of the discourse on child abuse is not in the local language in which children develop a profound understanding of themselves and construct their daily lives.

 

            The conceptual issues raised and the problem of definition have concrete implications in terms of accurately monitoring the incidence of child abuse.  Because of these still unresolved issues, current monitoring work leaves much to be desired in terms of establishing the true scale and magnitude of the prob­lem.  For monitoring work to be effective, it should also look into the dimensions of historicity, frequen­cy, severity and range.

 

            The question of incidence is generally limited to the ques­tion of the number of children involved.  Even in this limited frame, a number of problems were identified.  These were the frequent use of (gu)estimates, differences in terminology, unde­fined and overlapping scope, different age grouping and a bias towards the situation in the urban centers.  These basic problems or inadequacies seriously undermine the capacity for analysis, com­parison and integration of information over time.

 

            There is abuse that is hidden, and thus  escapes the current monitoring and intervention work of government and non-government organizations.  These are the cases of child­ren in bonded labor and the child domestic workers, two issues which have received interest of late.  Other forms of  abuse remain hidden under the protective mantle of the social institutions where they occur.  Examples of these are abuse in the school-setting and abuse perpetuated by members of the clergy.

 

            A study of child abuse would not be complete without attention to the abusers or the perpetrators of child abuse.  In tackling this, the study adapted the frame  used in the study of sex exploiters, and termed it the “triangle of abusers” to refer to the “users”, “suppliers” and “protectors”.   The literature on the perpetrators is most developed in the issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children .Often blame is cast on the “other” (e.g. foreign pedophiles, tourism) for the rising incidence of child prostitution.  However, recent studies have established that there is an increasing number of “users” in our midst, i.e. in our family, neighborhood and com­munity.  Distancing from the “other” also entails a look at the elements in our social and cultural milieu that allows the per­petuation of the phenomenon of child abuse.  The triangular network of abusers have become so viciously entangled and complex that it renders intervention and policy work more difficult. 

 

            Looking at the perpetrators in the context of a network, and not as an error confined to a single person or a family, refines the analysis of the phenomenon of child abuse.  It suggests that there is a vast, complex, and sometimes, organized network of abusers with each one reinforcing each other’s interests, thus perpetuating the abuse of children.  Aside from the more common profile of abusers, the study highlighted the role of the media, service-providers, family-members and the government and how they become part of the network of abusers.  The triangle of abusers frame reinforces the idea that one need not have a direct hand or participation in the abuse of the child.  Whether as “user”, “supplier” or “protector” or simply by allowing the culture of silence, fear and apathy to reign, everyone can contribute to the perpetuation of the phenomenon of child abuse.  Corollarily, combatting child abuse is a social responsibility.  It requires the dismantling of the network of abusers.

 

            There are  six elements that constitute child abuse and understanding these helps us better understand child abuse as a distinct social phenomenon and, concomitantly, to determine the type, method and extent of intervention to be used.  The six elements are: type of abuse, circumstance of abuse, degree and duration of the abuse, age, gender, and the perpetrator.

 

 

The Programs and Methods of Intervention

 

There are programs and services for the victims/survivors of child abuse in different places and in various settings.  These are delivered by non-government organizations and govern­ment institutions, particularly the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation.  Notable are the initiatives in training the police and other law enforcers in the sensitive handling of abused children.  Medical institutions, e.g. hospitals, have offered specialized treatment of  physical and psy­chological trauma of the victims, and have networked closely with the government and non-government communities in bringing the abusers to court.

 

            The programs and services for the victims/survivors of child abuse intend to: respond to the physical and psychological ef­fects of abuse; rescue the children victims from their abusers; bring child abusers to court; reach out to potential victims of abuse, e.g. through street-based education; and, organize and mobilize the communities in  detecting, responding to, and pre­venting child abuse.

 

            But there are still problems and gaps in the implementation of programs and services.  The following are the most significant:

 

            * Though the Barangay Council for the Welfare of Children is one of the first agencies to receive reports of child abuse, it is  not adequately equipped to handle such cases. 

            * The conduct of interviews needs to be improved .Child victims are asked the same questions by the police and health professionals, among others.  More emphasis should be given in child-sensitive interviewing skills, and the more basic listen­ing skills.

            * Despite declarations and initiatives of the PNP in assist­ing the child victims of abuse and in prevention efforts, there are still documented cases of child abuse perpetrated by the police themselves. 

            * Because  most abused children are seen by doctors and other health professionals either for treatment or for medi­co-legal purposes, more emphasis should be given to  training more health professionals in the detection and sensitive handling of child abuse cases.

            * Casework and documentation of child abuse cases are not­ably below par due to the heavy caseload of social wokers and other child care workers.  A pressing need therefore is a “care for caregivers” program to ensure quality of casework.

            * The cultural and gender elements that cause and perpetuate child abuse are not adequately addressed in the existing programs and methods of intervention for child abuse.

            * Terms in intervention work are often used interchangeably and loosely, with no elaboration provided.  Documentation of intervention methods and strategies is wanting.  Any revisions or innovations on the methods used, applied or adapted are lost.

 

            The interventions as discussed in the literature have basi­cally focused on the psychosocial needs of the victims/survivors of child abuse.  There is a need to emphasize the physical ef­fects of abuse on the child which may range from slight nutri­tional deprivation to crippling injuries.  For obvious reasons, cases of children with serious physical injuries are often high­lighted and  the fact that most cases of child abuse involve mild to moderate physical injuries is often overlooked.  No matter how slight, the physical effects of abuse can affect the physical and intellectual development of the child.  More emphasis therefore should be given on the bio-psychosocial needs of the victims/survivors of child abuse.

 

            Education is the most widely practiced form of preventive intervention.  It is used in both formal (e.g. scholarships) and informal (e.g. street-based education) settings with a satisfac­tory degree of success.  Training programs for child care workers and other professionals have likewise been generally successful. However,  the conduct of these tends  to be “donor-driven” or directed by what intervention is currently “in vogue” and not based on a thorough assessment of training needs.

 

            In general, the theories, methods and approaches used in intervention work are dominantly based on western models.  Re­grettably, there is a dearth in local theorizing from a Philip­pine perspective.  Moreover, existing interventions work for child abuse cases is basically eclectic, with the government and non-government responding in different ways.  It can be said that intervention work is still at a stage of pakapa-kapa, an experimental stage where the most effective method still has yet  to be identified.  Intervention work on child abuse in the Philippines, then, needs to elevated to the next level, with proper documentation and impact evaluation as requisites:  the development of  localized theories and methodologies for helping the victims/survivors of child abuse.

 

 

Conclusion

 

The large body of literature gathered for this review (a total of 189 selected references were annotated) reflects the volume of interest the problem has generated over the years, no less sparked by the global rights consciousness.  It reflec­ts the spectrum of social, political, and economic actors, the producers of information dealing with the issue of child abuse, and indicative of their varying, and often contra­dictory, views of the problem and of the variety of interven­tions, strategies, and actions developed in the  victim protection and rehabilitation, and prevention of child abuse.

 

            However, after more than a decade of involvement with the issue, whether it be in the form of intervention, advocacy or research, it is  time to evaluate what we know and identify what we still need to know.  It is only when  new and localized constructions or definition of the problem –and not what is the most convenient and readily available– are used that intervention and other support programs for children will make a qualitative difference.  It is hoped that this review has taken the crucial first steps towards this endeavor. (Reprinted from UP-CIDS Chronicle, January-June 1998)

 

By: Elizabeth Protacio-Marcelino, Ph.D., Maria Teresa C. de la Cruz,Faye A. G. Balanon, Agnes Zenaida V. Camacho, Jay Yacat

About Valentines day movie

It’s Valentine’s Day inLos Angeles, florist Reed Bennett Ashton Kutcher) proposes to his girlfriend Morley (Jessica Alba) who accepts, much to the surprise of Reed’s closest friends Alphonso (George lopez) and Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer garner). Morley changes her mind and leaves Reed later in the day. Alphonso tells Reed he and Julia knew it would never work out between him and Morley, and Reed wishes they had told him. On an airplane to Los Angeles, Kate Hazel tine(Julia Roberts), a captain in the U.S. Army on a one-day leave, befriends newly single Holden Wilson (Bradley Cooper). Kate and Holden chat, play backgammon, and tell jokes. When the plane lands, and Kate has to wait hours for the taxi, Holden offers his limousine, which Kate accepts, as she only has one day to spend with her family before she has to go back to the army. 

Julia, an elementary school teacher has fallen in love with Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey), but does not know that he is married to his wife Pamela (Katherine Lanasa). Reed finds out when Harrison orders flowers for his wife and girlfriend (Julia). Harrison tells her that he needs to go to San Francisco for a business trip. Wanting to surprise him and following Reed’s advice from earlier on in the day, Julia buys a plane ticket to San Francisco. Reed quickly comes to the airport and warns Julia, and she refuses to believe it and gets on the plane. She goes to the hospital where he said he would be after flying to San Fransisco, but the location of the hospital is in Los Angeles, and inquires after him in. The nurses at the counter reveal to her that he is married and tell her the name of the restaurant where he and his wife will be dining that evening. As she teaches the owner’s son, the owner allows her to dress as a waitress. Julia makes a scene at the restaurant, and gives back the toy Harrison gave her that morning. Harrison’s wife, Pamela, becomes suspicious when Julia makes a comment referring to Harrison’s ability to juggle, and Harrison is seen eating pizza alone in a condo later on that evening, implying that Pamela has left him right after Julia’s scene. One of Julia’s students, Edison (Bryce Robins), orders flowers from Reed, to be sent to his teacher. There is a delay in the delivery of flowers, but Edison insists that Reed delivers the flowers the same day. They are for Julia; however, she suggests to Edison to give the flowers to a girl Rani in the class whom he likes a lot and who also has a crush on him, which he does.

Edison’s babysitter Grace (Emma Roberts) is planning to lose her virginity with her boyfriend Alex (Carter Jenkins). The planned encounter goes awry when Grace’s mom discovers a naked Alex in Grace’s room rehearsing a song he wrote for Grace on his guitar. Meanwhile Edison’s grandparents, Edgar (Hector Elizondo) and Estelle (Shirley Mclaine) are facing the troubles of a long marriage. Grace explains to them that she wants to have sex with Alex, and says, “It’s not like I am going to sleep with one person for the rest of my life.” This upsets Estelle and leads to her telling Edgar about an affair she had with one of his business partners. The affair was while he was away, and it didn’t last long. Although she is deeply sorry for what she did, Edgar is deeply upset. Grace’s high-school friends, Willy (Taylor Lautner) and Felicia (Taylor Swift), are experiencing the freshness of new love, and have agreed to wait to have sex. On Valentine’s Day, Willy gives Felicia a large white bear that she carries around with her everywhere and Felicia gets him a gray running t-shirt (which was his) and ironed the number 13 on the back for “good luck”. They are interviewed on the news and advertise their love and support for each other.

Sean Jackson (Eric Dane), a closeted gay professional football player, is contemplating the end of his career together with his publicist Kara (Jessica Biel) and his agent Paula (Queen Latifah). Kara, a close friend of Julia’s, is organizing her annual “I Hate Valentine’s Day” party, but is becoming interested in sports reporter Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx) who has been sent out by his producer Susan (Kathy Bates) to cover Valentine’s Day because of a lack of sports news, and they share their mutual hatred of Valentine’s Day. Paula has hired a new receptionist named Liz (Anne Hathaway) who has started dating mailroom clerk Jason (Topher Grace). Jason is first shocked when Liz turns out to be moonlighting as a phone sex operator. Liz explains that she is only doing this because she has a $100,000 student loan to pay off, has no health insurance, and is completely broke. Jason decides that her job is too much for him to handle, but eventually comes back to the relationship after seeing Edgar forgive his wife, Estelle.

Sean comes out  on national television, and Holden (who is Sean’s lover) goes back to him. Kate goes home to greet her son Edison. Willy drops Felicia off at home after a date and they kiss goodnight. Kelvin and Kara hang out at Kelvin’s news station where they later kiss, Alfonso dines with his wife, Grace and Alex agree to wait to have sex, Edgar and Estelle retell each other their marriage vows and kiss in the theater, Jason goes back to Liz and they decide to keep a bond together but to also “keep it simple”, Morley is shown walking her Border collie while trying to call Reed and the movie closes with Julia and Reed beginning a relationship.

Teens problems (Dealing with may Issues)

 Problems that teenagers are faced with today can take so many forms. Even in stable, solid family units, teenagers will face confusion and uncertainty with themselves and life. But in todays world of divorce, broken homes, unsafe sex and alcohol abuse, teenagers face issues that show themselves in different ways to different individuals.

     Here is a look into problems and issues that teenagers deal with as they learn about life, choices and the power of their own voice and beliefs.

 

Common Teenager problem

 

-Healthy Body Image & Facts

Here are some interesting facts about Body Image and why many of us may be suffering from a poor body image:

* In 1920, women attained the right to vote. This was also the first year of the Miss America Pageant.

* A poll conducted by a popular women’s magazine found that 75% of women thought they were “too fat” (Glamour,1984). A large scale survey conducted by Garner (1997) found body dissatisfaction to be “increasing at a faster rate than ever before” among both men and women. He found that 89% of the 3,452 female respondents wanted to lose weight.

* Many women suffer from body dissatisfaction, and assiduous dieting and the relentless pursuit of thinness has become a normative behavior among women in Western society. Thinness has not only come to represent attractiveness, but also has come to symbolize success, self-control and higher socioeconomic status. Market data Enterprises, Inc. estimated the size of the weight loss industry for 1994 at $32,680 billion.

* Body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders are more prevalent among females than males. This gender specificity is apparent in that over 90% of patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa are women.

* Body image dissatisfaction and dieting behavior isn’t restricted to adolescents or adults. In a study of almost five hundred schoolgirls, 81% of the ten-year-olds reported that they had dieted at least once. A study of 36,000 students in Minnesota found that girls with negative body image were three times more likely than boys of the same age, to say that they feel badly about themselves and were more likely to believe that others see them in a negative light. The study also found that negative body image is associated with suicide risk for girls, not for boys.

* Wooley and Wooley (1980) found that girls are more influenced and thus more vulnerable to cultural standards of ideal body images, than boys are. A recent national health study, that studied 2,379 9yr and 10 yr old girls (approximately half White and half Black) found that 40 % of them reported that they were trying to lose weight (Striegel-Moore et al, 1996).

* Bar-Tal and Sax (1961) found that our culture places a higher value on physical beauty in the evaluation of females than males. Garner, Garfinkel, Schwartz & Thompson (1980), have found that the average size of idealized woman (as portrayed by models), has become progressively thinner and has stabilized at 13-19% below physically expected weight. Rodin, Silberstein, & Striegelmoore (1984), suggest that this thin ideal is unachievable for most women and is likely to lead to feelings of self-devaluation, feelings of dysphoria (depression) and helplessness.

* The discontent with one’s body shape and size doesn’t seem to be confined to White women alone. A survey conducted by the largest African-American women’s publication in the U.S. (Essence magazine) served as an eating disorders study. The results from over 2,000 respondents indicated that African American women are at risk for eating disorders in at least equal proportions to their White counterparts. Analysis of the results also revealed that African American women have adopted similar attitudes towards body image, weight and eating to White women (Pumariega, Gustavson, Gustavson, Stone Motes & Ayers, 1994).

* Shame seems to be another component of women’s attitudes toward their bodies. In a Kinsey survey it was found that women felt more embarrassed when asked about their weight, than when they were asked about their masturbation practices, or occurrences of homosexual affairs (Kinsey et al., 1953).

* Women and girls are also consistently taught from an early age that their self-worth is largely dependent on how they look. The fact that women earn more money than men in only two job categories, those of modeling and prostitution serves to illustrate this point (Wolf, 1992).

* In a sample of male and female high school students, two-thirds of boys and girls believed that being thinner would have an impact on their lives. The majority of girls believed that this impact would be positive, while the majority of the boys believed that the impact would be negative. The gender groups did not differ significantly in their weight distribution around the expected norm for their group. Girls had higher body dissatisfaction scores than boys on all measures. Girls reported magazines as their primary source of information regarding diet and health, whereas boys reported their primary source to be parents, followed by two other categories before mentioning magazines (Paxton, Wertheim, Gibbons, Szmukler, Hillier, & Petrovich, 1991).

 

-Teen Pregnancy & Parenting

 

For a teen who has decided to take that BIG next step and become sexually involved – pregnancy is a factor that you need to think about. There are some methods that you can use in order to prevent pregnancy once you start having sex (seeour section on conteception). However, accidents do happen and you risk becoming pregnant every time you have sex. It is important that you are informed in the what’s, where’s, how’s and when’s of pregnancy.

Being a Single Teen Parent:

Not only is it difficult to be a teen parent, but most teen parents end up being single parents. There are many tips that single parents can use to make sure that they remain happy and healthy and able to provide good care to their kid.
Here is some common information on pregnancy and getting pregnant:

Sex acts:

As a general rule, sexual intercourse (genital-to-genital penetration) between a guy and a girl is necessary for pregnancy to occur. You can use forms of birth control to reduce the risk of pregnancy by a lot, but no form of birth control is 100% guaranteed.Abstinence is the only way to avoid pregnancy.

The following activities could (theoretically) cause pregnancy:

* Intercourse (with or without protection)
* Any contact between the female genital area and male sperm or pre-ejaculatory fluid
* Anal sex (if any sperm makes contact with female genital area)

The following activities will not (ever) cause pregnancy:

* Abstinence
* Holding hands
* Dancing
* Kissing
* Heavy petting or making out with clothing on
* Making out in a hot tub or swimming pool
* Oral sex
* Touching of genitals with hands
* Homosexual relations
* You cannot get pregnant from making out with your clothes on; it is possible to get pregnant from making out while naked but the chances of this happening are highly unlikely.  **In order for pregnancy to occur there must be contact between the female genital area and male sperm and contact without penetration is unlikely to result in pregnancy. However, any contact between the female genital area and male sperm can, in theory, result in pregnancy and should be handled with caution.

 

-Teen Dating, Love & Sex

Dating:

What is one of the biggest milestones during your teenageyears that mark your change from a kid into an adult? Dating! Yes – dating and having relationships and all the stuff that goes with it. This is an exciting time – but for a lot of teens – it is really scary! No one ever teaches you how to talk to the opposite sex, how to flirt and how to ask someone on a date. The world of dating can be a confusing and mysterious place. Here are a few tips and ideas that can help you along the way to dating success!

What is a date?

Well, what is a date? It is many things to many people, but here are a few suggestions that may help you sort out whether or not you have ever been on one – or so that you can plan some future dates! A date is:

* A planned time with a single person or a group of people.
* Sharing an event – such as a lunch date, a movie date, or dance.
* Sharing time together – e.g. at a friend’s.

Why date?

Dating is a way to get to know people and to tell if you would like to become more involved in that persons life. There are so many people in the world, and everyone is unique, therefore dating is useful in that you get to meet different people and find the ones you would like to get to know better and possibly have a relationship with.

Other reasons that people go on dates are because:

* They are Fun!
* They are Exciting!
* Everyone is doing it.
* It is something to do.
* They create closeness between people.
* They are physically attracted.
* They want more popularity.
* They want to have sex.
* They want approval.
* They just want a friend.

-Teen Schooling & High-school

AGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

A big event in any teenager’s life is high-school! It may mean more freedom of choice in your education, more responsibility and maybe even leaving behind some of your friends. No wonder it is scary. You are suddenly in a huge new environment and there isn’t anyone to hold your hand! You have got to find your way around your own school, find your locker, meet tonnes of new people and deal with those older students that seem so confident and self-assured. Now you have to eat lunch in the caf and there is no such thing as recess! Ok, these are all aspects about high-school – but here is what most teens are afraid of – the work! High-school is gonna be a different type of work than you are used to, and you are expected to act more independently on you school work and create a higher standard of quality work. Here are some tips to help the average student with the academic aspects of starting high-school.

 

-Acne: Causes and Cures

 Acne is common among teens – 73% of teens between the ages of 12 and 19 have problems with acne. The cause of acne is heredity which determines skin type. During puberty hormones cause the oil glands in ones skin to become more active and this can produce blackheads and pimples.

For mild acne, a teen should wash their face daily to help keep pores open and remove oil. Also, washing their hair gets rid of excess oil around the face. For acne on the back, you teen should use an antibacterial soap and back scrub brush. For more sever cases of acne where washing isn’t enough, you should go see you physician or a dermatologist that will be able to prescribe gels, lotions and oral medications to help with the acne.

It is important for you as a parent to not think that you teen will simply grow out of their acne. If acne is left untreated it can cause scars, cysts and emotional problems that affect self-esteem. It is important that you get your teen help as soon as possible.

Teenage Acne Angst

If your teen is experiencing problems with acne – whatever you do, don’t respond by telling then “Everyone your age has that problem,” or “It doesn’t matter; it will go away eventually.” When you say it doesn’t matter, you are saying his or her feelings about it don’t matter either and discounting their feeling, not giving them the respect that they deserve. Teens want to know that you really understand how badly they feel.

To help them to realize that you understand what they are going through share some of your own memories as a teenager – for example talk to them about a time when you felt ugly or embarrassed as a teen. You could also gently point out that probably many of their peers their age have the same problem they do, and may feel the same way.

You should also try and comfort them by informing them that skin problems are normal and are not permanent – that duringadolescence nearly every part of the body is affected by hormone changes. Because the skin is such a large organ of our bodies it is bound to be affected. Also, inform your teen that eating right, drinking water and keeping clean will help, as will safe, over-the-counter remedies. A trip to the dermatologist could also be considered.

It is important for your teen to know that people care about them as a person – not just because of their appearances. To do so – pay compliments that aren’t overly generalized (i.e., smart, nice, cool). Give you teen specifics about what you think makes them awesome.