Bram Stokers Dracula :: Bram Stoker Dracula Essays

Bram Stoker's Dracula In act 2 scene 6 and act 3 scene 6 of the play ‘Dracula’, the playwrite creates impressive tension by using spine-chilling, ghostly settings, and slyly showing us situations in which characters such as vampires, prey on vulnerable characters such as Mina. Also, he uses soliloquies to give the opposing character no power. Also, by using soliloquies in these scenes he gives the point of view from the weak characters’ eyes. Firstly, the playwrite creates impressive tension by using shadowy, ghostly settings. This is shown in the line â€Å"she took me through the abbey and into the churchyard†, from act 2 scene 6. Act 2 scene 6 is set in the graveyard. Lucy is at home in the graveyard when she says â€Å"I like it here, don’t you ? Among the dead. It’s so peaceful†. This creates a creepy atmosphere as at night time humans avoid visiting graveyards. Also, in this scene the child is shown to be scared by saying, â€Å"It’s dark† and â€Å"I ought to go home now.† The setting could be improved by adding tomb-stones and mysterious dark shapes in the background. Act 3 scene 6 is set in Jonathan’s bedroom at night. Mina says in the play â€Å"flowers of garlic were hung from the window frames†, which suggests she was scared of Dracula. She also has a crucifix on the table. Mina says â€Å"the night air touched my face†, setting a ghostly scene. The setting could be improved by having Dracula bursting his way in through a locked door. This would cause shock and increase the feeling of tension. Secondly, the playwrite creates tension by showing us situations in which characters prey on other characters. In act 2 scene 6 Lucy is preying on a child. She talks sympathetically in the line â€Å"Do you want to go for a walk?† The child has not really been given any choice by Lucy, but to accompany her. She then takes him to the graveyard and sits him on a bench and lulls him to sleep. When the child is asleep, Lucy bends over him and intends to do some harm. Luckily Seward and Van Helsing are there to stop her. You could improve this scene by making the child more reluctant to go with Lucy, thus creating more tension. In act 3 scene 6 Dracula preys on Mina, who is vulnerable and he thinks she will go with him easily. He uses persuasion at first in the quotes â€Å"No need to fear me, it is our destiny to walk together† and â€Å"I bring you life†. It does not work

Phobias Essay -- essays research papers

Phobias Phobias are a very common disorder in the United States these days. The definition for phobia is "an abnormal or morbid fear or aversion" ("Oxford" 655). To be considered a phobia, a fear must cause great distress or interfere with a person’s life in a major way. The word phobia is Greek, therefore, any word that proceeds it should be Greek too. To coin a new phobia name, it is proper and only accepted to follow this rule. The rule has been broken many times in the past, especially by the medical profession. The medical profession is steeped in Latin and many times when forming a name for phobia, they use Latin. There are three kinds of phobias: simple phobia, social phobia, and panic attacks. Simple phobias, also called specific phobias, are fears of a specific thing, such as spiders or being in a closed place. Most simple phobias develop during childhood and eventually disappear. Specific phobia is a marked fear of a specific object or situation. It is a category for any phobias other than agoraphobia and social phobia. The categories of specific phobias are 1. situational phobias such as: fear of elevators, airplanes, enclosed places, public transportation, tunnels, or bridges; 2. fear of the natural environment such as: storms, water, or heights; 3. animal phobias such as: fear of dogs, snakes, insects, or mice; 4. blood-injection-injury phobia such as: fear of seeing blood or an injury, or of receiving an injection. (Wood 520). Social phobias are fears of being in situations where your activities can be watched and judged by others. People with social phobias try to avoid social functions at all costs and find excuses not to go to parties or out on dates. This avoidance is the difference between having a social phobia and simply just being shy. Panic attacks are the third kind of phobia. They can change the quality of a person’s life. Someone with a phobia this bad may be shopping at the supermarket and suddenly experience dizziness and a feeling of being out of control. At that moment, the person experiences a fear of dying, with no safe place to go. When this happens more than once, the person might think they are going crazy. Someone with panic attacks soon won’t leave the house because of fear of a panic attack happening outside the house. Soon, depression s... ...6. Generalization from the original phobic stimulus to stimuli of a similar nature will occur; 7. Noxious experiences which occur under conditions of excessive confinement are more likely to produce phobic reactions; 8. Neutral stimuli which are associated with a noxious experience, may develop motivating properties. This acquired drive is termed the fear drive; 9. Responses (such as avoidance) which reduce the fear drive are reinforced; 10. Phobic reactions can be acquired vicariously (Rachman 31). These theories are used to identify how people obtain phobias and other situations that may occur with phobias. In conclusion, phobias are a big part of many people’s lives these days and a growing medical condition. People do not realize how badly phobias can affect their lives so they don’t receive medical attention. There are no cures for phobias but there are treatments which will help the phobic get over their fear. I personally believe that if people care enough about their lives, they will treat their phobias. Phobias can totally alter your life so if you have any of the symptoms I have listed above, please go and get treatment.

How Technology Has Positively Impacted Society on Defense :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

How Technology Has Positively Impacted Society on Defense Defense Technology has come a long way since the early nineteen hundreds.With the invention of tanks and planes our country felt it had an adaquate defense, but as technology improved on the opposition side so came the demand for more improved defense measures. For instance in World War II Germany was developing mass amounts of war machinery that was bigger and better than ours. The Invention of the radar played a significant role in defense against these odds. Radar was fully developed by 1942 and was extremely instrumental in Britains defense against German bombers. This technology was developed into anti ship and submarine radar, by the United States Navy, which has been used successfully since then. The US Army also used radar, initially to aim searchlights so the soldier aiming the gun could see where to fire, but the systems evolved into fire control radar that aimed the guns automatically. When the United States came under attack by the Japanese in 1941 all of North America became concerned about homeland defense and imminent attack,society demanded protection. The Japanese had a large Navy very capable of just such a task. As the war escalated it was clear that the US had to develop better technology and fast. In the skies Japanese planes were anilating American aircraft. Technology was again depended upon by society to find a match for the zero, thus came about the F4U corsair. This had a positive effect on society as it created a more secure feeling of defense. US citizens still demanded a quick end to the war so the defense department went to work on the atomic bomb, of course the results would change the world forever. As Americans felt more secure with its new technology in defense a new danger developed in Russia, thus was the beginning of the cold war, perhaps the worst scenario of all. As the world entered the 1950's it was commonplace to see bomb shelters in a lot of backyards. Propaganda was at a new high and fear spread throughout the world. Regardless both countries felt confident of the latter. Society demanded again that higher technology was there only defense. The United States started to develop spy techniques as did the Russians to keep a close eye on each other's progress, this seemed to be the only way to keep the power in balance.

“A Rose For Emily” by Willam Failkner Essay

In the story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner, the use of foreshadowing is used truly conspicuously. To foreshadow is to provide advanced indications to a future event or discovery.. The extremely strong dank scent about Ms. Emily’s house, the second floor of this residence being locked and the discovery of the iron grey hair, all are strong foreshadowing incidents that achieve this surprising and strong but also believable ending. Faulkner use of foreshadowing is used ingeniously to achieve a shocking and powerful yet certain ending Ms. Emily lived in a white, square, seventies style house that is now rundown, un maintained, rotting and decaying. The inside of the house was said to smell like â€Å"dust and disuse – a close, dank smell.† Yet the scent smelt by 3 different neighbors was stronger than this, the stench was so rotten that it traveled into neighboring homes. As one neighbor complained and described the smell she said â€Å"†¦ they were not surprised when the smell developed. It was another link between the gross, teeming world and the high and mighty Griersons.† Faulkner was trying to develop a scent so strong that it could only be that of a dead body. As Ms. Emily’s husband, Homer Barron had gone unseen ever since they were married, it foreshadows to the discovery of his dead body in the house. The foreshadowing helps to bring certainty and believability to the ending of this story. Ms. Emily was occasionally seen through windows in her home sometimes on the second floor and sometimes on the main floor. As Ms. Emily grew old she started only to be seen on the main floor of her house, not ever on the second. People who would watch the house said â€Å"†¦she had evidently shut up the top floor of the house†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Faulkner wanted to make the reader wonder why the second floor was locked and not used. What could Ms. Emily be trying to hide? This is a development in the foreshadowing of the scent in the house, as this foreshadows the discovery of Homer Barron’s dead body locked away, upstairs in Ms. Emily’s house. Again this foreshadowing strengthens the certainty and believability to the ending of this story. As Ms. Emily grew old, her hair turned gray. Her hair was described as â€Å"pepper-and-salt-iron-gray.† The eventual death of Ms. Emily would end the  mystery of her life that all of the society had once wondered about. After her funeral and her burial, the town’s people broke down the locked upstairs door. Found was the deceased and decaying body of Homer Barron, but more closely on the pillow beside where his body laid, an indentation of a head and some strands of hair. The hair was shockingly described as â€Å"†¦a long strand of iron-gray hair.† All of Faulkner’s foreshadowing lead to this point, where the story came together. This hair foreshadows the untold part of the story, where Ms. Emily had kept Homer Barron’s body after he had died and had been sleeping with the body. This foreshadowing is extremely strong and serious as it is un-realistic in our ‘normal’ society. Through the helpful foreshadowing events that lead to a strong and serious example, one can see how the use of foreshadowing brings about a cunning and serious yet a truthful ending. The use of foreshadowing can have a strong impact on story’s and novel’s it can change predictions, alter thoughts on characters and could leave an impression on the reader. In today’s ‘normal’ society this discovery in the story would mostly be seen as a weariness, but to the ‘macabre’ society this story may have been interpreted differently and would possibly appear normal to them.

Mississippi Burning

The 1988 movie â€Å"Mississippi Burning† directed by Alan Parker, is loosely based on true life events surrounding an FBI investigation that followed the 1964 murder of three civil rights activists by members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in a small Mississippi town.   The investigation led to the conviction of some prominent figures in the town including members of both the sheriff’s and mayor’s offices who were also members of the KKK. The movie documents the methods used by the KKK to control the black community at that time.   The well masked intimidation, violence and murders of black people in the community by the KKK must be seen as acts of terrorism and therefore, the unorthodox methods employed by the FBI to uncover the crime can be justified as necessary and appropriate given the circumstances. The movie portrays a war waged by the KKK against non-Anglo Saxon people in the South during the early 1960’s.   Blacks, Jews, Catholics, Turks, Mongols were all targets of the KKK.   In fact, the list of unacceptable races or origins was extensive, but in the South at that time, the main target of KKK aggression was black people. The KKK used violence, intimidation and coercion as means of controlling the black people and creating a culture of fear in the community.   So effective were these tactics that even non-racist members of the community, such as the deputy’s wife in the movie (played by Frances McDormand), who were sympathetic to the plight of the black people, were afraid to speak up or voice their opinions for fear of backlash and reprisal. While an all-encompassing definition of terrorism is difficult to pin down, the Jackson, Mississippi Division of the FBI defines terrorism as â€Å"the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.† The United Nations goes further to state that terrorists are usually clandestine and that â€Å"the immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly or selectively from a target population, and serve as message generators.†Ã‚   Based on these definitions, it is clear that the actions of the KKK were indeed terrorism.   The violence perpetrated by the KKK against the black people in the community was unlawful, intimidating to the civilian population, anonymous (KKK members wore cloaks), and random means of sending a message to the larger population. In the movie, two very dissimilar FBI agents head the investigation into the disappearance of the three activists.   In the beginning, the investigation is lead by Agent Ward (played by Willem Dafoe), a young, very correct and by-the-book northerner.   He does not understand the unwritten rules of the South and therefore, his methods fail to yield the results that he hopes for or has achieved elsewhere in his short but successful career. In fact, his investigative techniques actually jeopardize the safety of the black people in the area because the KKK, watching every move the FBI make, go to great and sometimes violent lengths to make sure no one speaks to the investigators.   Agent Anderson (played by Gene Hackman), on the other hand, is from Mississippi and understands more about the culture of the South.   Only when he employs more extreme and rather questionable methods that mirror the methods of the Klan themselves, do the FBI close the case and convict the killers. If the KKK is to be classified as a terrorist group, then it must follow that all members of the Klan assume some of the responsibility for the crimes they committed.   In the case of this film, one could extend the guilt even further to include the entire community.   It was clear that the actions of the Klan were cruel, deadly and well known amongst the townsfolk and yet almost everyone stood back and allowed them to continue their reign of terror.  Ã‚   In light of the greater good therefore, the FBI were justified in taking the actions they took to stop the KKK and thus hopefully curtail further violence and intimidation in the community. The atrocities committed by the KKK against non-white members of the community were more than crime.   These actions were terrorism and all members of the group played a role in perpetuating the terror.   We are all responsible for hatred. References Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Division. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2006 from http://jackson.fbi.gov/cntrterr.htm Definitions of Terrorism.   United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2006 Zollo, Frederick and Robert F. Colesberry. (Producers), & Parker, Alan. (Director). (1988). Mississippi Burning [MotionPicture]. United States: MGM.      

Feasibility Study Essay

1. 1 Tourism Profile Long Meadows is located in Mahabang Parang , Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Mahabang Parang is1. 0466 squared kilometer and as we saw the ranking of barangays in Sta. Maria we saw that Mahabang Parang is in the 19th place. First it was owned by Mrs. Luzviminda Aguirre. When Mrs. Luzviminda Aguirre past away, her husband Mr. Bonifacio Aguirre and their children Armine Aguirre Garcia and Jayson Adlai Aguirre manage the resort. Established in 1988, Long Meadows Country Resort started as a private Guest’s house and opened to the public as a resort. It is less than 30 minutes away from Balintawak toll Entry going to North It sits on a 3-hectare property, more than a hectare of which is properly developed. The resort features two (2) adult Pools, two (2) kiddie Pools, a private Pool with Villa, 17 air-conditioned rooms and open cottages, Bowling Center and Restaurant and Praderas Garden Pavillion The place exudes that rustic yet charming appeal of a countryside resort complete with quality service and facilities. Long Meadows Country Resort is also Affiliated with Bulacan Association of Resort Owners ( BARO ), Sta. Maria Business Association ( SMBA ) and Tourism Projects.. 1. 2 Geography Mahabang Parang is generally flat. The source of living here in Mahabang Parang are agriculture and sewing or tailoring. And also this is the best place to build a resort. CLIMATE Santa Maria has a climate â€Å"first type† which is defined as having two pronounced seasons: Dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. During the dry months, precipitation is less because of the prevailing easterly wind blow to produce rainfall in its leeward side. Santa Maria’s most perceptible months start from May and may have its maximum in August, which gradually decreases until December. During these most months, thunderstorms and rain showers causes precipitation in May and June while the rest is primarily due to the southeast monsoon that prevails on this particular part of the year. Others which occur in November and December are caused by tropical cyclones that pass through the area. Temperature The annual mean temperature in the area is 27. 7  °C. The warmest month is May with mean temperature of 29. 9 0 C while the coldest is January at 25. 2  °C. 1. 3Demographics Language As it is part of the Tagalog cultural sphere (katagalugan), Tagalog is the predominant language of Bulacan so in Mahabang Parang we used Tagalog. Population During the census year of 2010, there were 3,411 people residing in Mahabang Parang and grew to 3,628 in 2013. CHAPTER II: OBJECTIVE SETTING To rehabilitate Long Meadows Country Resort because we want this to be on the popular tourism spot located in Sta. Maria and to grow the economics of the town. Also to set up and develop new amenities of this resort and meet customer needs. To construct recreational resort to gain more guest. We construct new and relaxing amenities to provide relaxation and recreation to the guest. To rehabilitate recreation and leisure because we want to develop new amenities and meet customers need. Also to construct resort and gain more guest, visiting the resort. Having the marketing strategies to increase the sales of recreational activities and accommodation of the resort and to be as one of the competitors here in Bulacan. Lastly, to become â€Å"catchy† in terms of different new trending activities and known the resort through this. CHAPTER IV: FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION (Including 30% labor) Pool 2 Slide & concrete stair – 150,000 Wall Climbing 50ft. – 120,000 Bowling Center – 1,500,000 Gate 2 – 26,000 ______________ Total Amount:1,796,000 CHAPTER V: APPENDICES MAIN GATE ENTRANCE ONE OF THE COTTAGES POOL 1 PRIVATE POOL JACCUZI VACANT LOT FOR WALL CLIMBING POOL SLIDE POOL STAIR GATE 2 BOWLING CENTER INSIDE BOWLNG CENTER.

Key Provisions of Contemporary Social Policy

â€Å"Social Policy is the way that governments attempt to ensure that all citizens can lead a fulfilling and responsible life. † (Mullard, 1995) So what is Social Policy? – When asked this question I find it quite difficult to explain in terms that are easy enough for everyone to understand, therefore I have done research in order to find a simple explanation. I particularly like Hartley Dean’s definition, ‘Social Policy is the study of human wellbeing’ he also states that ‘Social Policy, involves the study of human wellbeing, the social relations necessary for wellbeing and the systems by which wellbeing may be promoted. In my opinion this explanation is clear, concise and makes it easy to understand. (Dean, 2005). Our thoughts and ideas of childhood as a social construction have altered noticeably over the last ten years. The development of constructions of childhood has steadily become more intricate as the numbers of theories rise. Through research of early examples of childhood this essay sets out to describe how contemporary thinking of childhood has developed through complex patterns of sociological deliberation and political, cultural and historical pressures. (Kehily, p. 2-12). During the past 10 years, the changing attitudes and arising problems within the state-parent-child relationship has stirred a vast amount of concern leading to the need for further research; which in turn has lead to new policy proposals. It is widely believed that the lack of support given to families, due to the collapse of communities working together in harmony, is impacting on the current, wider spread, social problems within our families. It has become more predominant that state-parent-child relationships play an important role in the wellbeing of today’s children. Barnes et al. 2006). Having an understanding of Social Policy offers us guidelines which in turn promotes our abilities to ensure the well-being, needs and rights of children are being met. Working towards these guidelines set by the government we are able to help change and reduce the power disparity between children and adults; allowing children to have a say on decisions that will impact on their future l ives through listening to the individuals thoughts and opinions whilst considering that children have rights too. It is of upmost importance, that those working with children use this approach, continually keeping up-to-date with current laws and legislation within this area. Having an understanding of how social policy has changed over the years is also an important factor to consider; giving us a clear understanding of how policies and legislation have changed in order to improve outcomes for children in relation to available resources, shared responsibilities and managing risk. Yet social policy, unlike law, has the potential to be proactive – to set in place a series of principles that define a just and inclusive society and practical but flexile ways of implementing them†. (Hendrick, 2008, p. 336) In the UK, Parliament is responsible for making changes to law. Parliament is made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Queen, they must all agree to any new law before it can be passed and become an Act of Parliament. There is not just a single law in place to prote ct children but a multitude of laws, legislation and guidance which cover all aspects of children’s care in the UK. (Alcock et al. 008, p. 19-25). Past information about social policy offers us a view of the past and how it has changed, as Harold Perkin said â€Å"We want to know not only what laws were made or battles fought or even how men [sic] got their living, but what it felt like to be alive, how men [sic] in history – not merely kings and popes, statesmen and tycoons – lived and worked and thought and behaved towards each other. † (Perkin, 1981, p. 24) In 1945 the Welfare State was created, this offered a new focal point towards the children’s physical health to coincide with earlier worries about the mind and mental health of children’s development. At this time a rising importance on preventive care became prominent, looking at the family and its relationship with the State. These ideas developed slowly during the 1960’s – 70’s and it was recognised that a child should be dealt with â€Å"as a whole and continuously developing person† (Hendrick, 1994, p. 263). At this point in time the child became more permitted to have individual rights, giving them responsibilities and freedom from â€Å"traditionally passive and often repressive protection† (Hendrick, 1994, p. 57). Worries cropped up with regard to the â€Å"balance between too much and too little intervention† and particularly between â€Å"competing claims of parents, children, social workers and local authority social services departments† (Hendrick, 1994, p. 273). The Prevention of Cruelty to and Protection of Children Act 1889 was the first law to enforce criminal penalties in the hope to discourage abuse and neglect of children. This legislation is contained within the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 which was introduced to protect children from ‘cruelty and exposure to moral and physical danger’ (p. ), some parts of this act are still used today but more current guidance can be found in the newer Children’s Act 1989. (Youth Justice Board, 2006). This act was set up to help improve and simplify the overabundance of laws concerning children. Lord Chancellor Lord Mackay of Clashfern had said it was â€Å"the most comprehensive and far-reaching reform o f child law which has come before Parliament in living memory†. The Children’s Act 1989 set out to help keep children safe and well, within their environment and to provide the necessary provisions where possible, to allow the child to live within their own family structure. Today’s child protection system has been developed from the Children’s Act 1989. The Children’s Act 1989 requires local councils to make available a variety of services to all children especially those with disabilities, health and development issues; these services are intended to help keep children safe and well. Following the Children Act 1989 many new laws have been passed to improve the ways in which children are protected. (NSPCC, 2010) In September 1989 the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was introduced – as the first legally binding treaty that was to be used internationally. This treaty gave children and young people under 18 years, throughout the world, human rights (civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights) equal to those over 18 years; giving them the extra care and protection which was much needed. The UNCRC set out what rights children have, along with how the government should safeguard those rights. This allows children and young people around the world to have an authoritative way to preserve their human rights, allowing them to act in accordance with the law if their rights within this act are not met. The UK Government did not agree to follow the UNCRC until 1991. Below are just a few of the rights of children under the Convention on the Rights of the Child which can be found at http://www. unicef. org/crc/files/Rights_overview. pdf. (Fact Sheet) Article 3. The best interests of children must be the primary concern in making decisions that may affect them. All adults should do what is best for children. When adults make decisions, they should think about how their decisions will affect children. This particularly applies to budget, policy and law makers. Article 6. Children have the right to live. Governments should ensure that children survive and develop healthily. Article 27. Children have the right to a standard of living that is good enough o meet their physical and mental needs. Governments should help families and guardians who cannot afford to provide this, particularly with regard to food, clothing and housing. Article 36. Children should be protected from any activity that takes advantage of them or could harm their welfare and development. There are a total of 54 articles contained within the UNCRC, all of which are equally important and linked with each other, therefore working well together and easy to understand. Every child should be made aware of their rights (article 42), as it is our duty to safeguard their rights and ensure they have opportunities to live in a safe environment with all of their needs being met. In my opinion if a child is aware of their rights they are less likely to be exploited, giving them an understanding of how they can expect to be treated and hopefully have a voice that can be heard. A child friendly poster has been produced with the articles set out in laymen’s terms allowing children to understand their rights more easily. (UNICEF). Children around the world are subject to neglect and abuse and all because adults are failing to protect them. Throughout the UK during the past years progressions in human rights and civil rights have improved alongside those rights of the child. The eradication of physical punishment in schools and attempts to ban the smacking of children by parents shows us that the rights of the child are being listened too. It has been argued by Kay that until recently children didn’t really have individual rights; she believed that their rights were ‘conferred via their parents’ (2001, p. 14). This is where children’s rights were ignored, not allowing the child to have a say or be listened to. Social work has been critiqued by Smith for ‘lagging behind legal expectations of consultation with children’. (1996, pg 55). Some of the criticisms have been focused around the lack of taking into account the needs of each child as an individual and not fully listening to the child’s own wishes during proceedings. Social services have regularly been criticised for failing some children through lack of support and services to the families when they were needed. Even turning a blind eye in some cases, thus having a detrimental effect on children, predominantly ‘looked after’ children and those in need, unfortunately some cases have resulted in devastating circumstances for some children. Victoria Climbie is one of those unfortunate children; she died at the age of 8 years in February 2000 while living with her carers. She was subjected to physical and mental abuse but no-one noticed. Her death led to an independent inquiry which helped shape and change safeguarding polices for children in England. The inquiry was chaired by Lord Laming in April 2001 (alongside 4 other professional assessors). Laming carried out his research by contacting all that were involved in the care of Victoria before her death, this involved 277 witness statements and 158 witnesses. Through these inquiries it was established that her bereavement was avertable on 12 individual instances. Through Laming’s inquiry it came to light that services involved in the care of children were not working together or sharing information, some difficulties had arisen due to low staffing levels and available resources. Lord Laming gave a speech about his inquiries on 25th January 2003 saying â€Å"I well recognise that the frontline services charged with the protection of children have a difficult and demanding task. Adults who deliberately harm, neglect or exploit the vulnerability of children often go to great lengths to conceal their behaviour. (Laming, 2003). Laming found that if services had intervened just a little in the case of Victoria her death could have been avoided. As a result of the inquiry, 108 recommendations were made to change to local services; these recommendations had to be acted on swiftly. Following Lord Laming’s report on Victoria Climbie’s death the government responded by writing two reports, the Keeping Children Safe report (DFE, 200 3) and the Every Child Matters green paper (DFE, 2003) which resulted in the Children Act 2004. This act introduced further laws and legislation in respect of protecting children from harm and neglect, particular emphasis was put onto safeguarding children requiring local authorities to implement Local Safeguarding Children Boards. The Children Act 2004 did not substitute or modify much of the Children Act 1989, but improved and expanded it, offering guidance on how services could work together to improve outcomes for children. (Barker, 2008) The Every Child Matters green paper was intended to look at how to prevent incidents like that of Victoria’s instead of picking up the pieces nd was built around four key issues. (Cleaver & Walker, 2004, p. 7) * Strengthen the support available to those around the child, families and carers. * Make sure intervention takes place before it’s too late for the child, protecting them from harm and slipping through the net. * Looking at the problems acknowledged and failings for Victoria within Lord Laming’s report. * Making sure that those working with children are valued, rewarded, trained and kept up-to-date with current policy. It also identified five outcomes for children; this set out guidelines to enable every child to reach the Every Child Matters outcomes: to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. The themes and outcomes set out within the Every Child Matters were put in place to ensure that no child/young person should fall through the net again and so all children have opportunities to achieve their full potential no matter what their circumstances. This has been done by looking at failures in education, reducing health problems, addressing substance/drug abuse and tackling anti-social behaviour amongst young people and adults. Research shows that early involvement and support is vital in improving the well-being of children. Proposals set out to offer much needed support for parents and carers so that children can receive the protection and assistance from the onset of difficulties no matter what their background. Services were improved by setting up Children’s trusts with multi-agencies working closely together with other services, offering better services to families in local areas. Through the closer network of services (multi-agency) working together information can be closely monitored and shared between all professionals connected to the child, giving a clearer picture of the child’s story. (Barker, 2008). Hopefully as services are now working closer together, the case of Victoria will not be repeated, Lord Laming’s report highlighted so many poor judgment calls that could have been avoided. â€Å"On each occasion that Victoria was admitted to hospital vitally important information went unrecorded and staff failed to act on their suspicions and observations. Telling marks on Victoria were seen and then all but ignored†. (Laming, 2001) To make certain the Every Child Matters targets are met, the government established a new set of regulatory plans and forms of inspection using the Care Standards Act 2000. This act created the National Care Standards Commission, setting out national minimum standards which were to be used in children’s homes, fostering services, boarding schools and residential special schools. Regulatory frameworks were also created, e. g. National Service Frameworks to be used for children in health care settings. (DFE, 2003). The Warner Report set out new guidelines for recruiting staff to work within child care homes at the end of 1992. This report set out to lessen the risk of abuse to children who were in care and was produced due to a string of high profile court cases. It was hoped that by introducing a Criminal Record Check on possible staff would help to find the ‘right’ kind of person to work with children in care. CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks are used to verify details of the individual, establishing whether a perspective employee has any convictions that prohibit them from working with children or other vulnerable members of society. Anyone that works regularly with children or is in contact with children (including foster care, adoption or childminders) must have a CRB check to ensure there suitability in order to protect the child. In 1999 the Protection of Children Act was approved and offered a legal foundation for lists to be produced of unsuitable people who had in the past been registered on an informal basis. The Department of Health was satisfied that all councils had produced policies and procedures in 2002 which met the requirements of the Warner Report but not all were consistent in their implementation of these requirements. Wilson & James, 2007, p. 186-8). The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 arose from the Government’s White Paper, Care Matters: Time for change, (DFE, 2007), the purpose of the act was to offer higher quality care, outcomes and services for those children in care. The intention of this Act was to modify the legislative framework for the care system in England and Wales, it formed part of the Government’s programme to guarantee children and young people are always able to access high quality care and support. It also included the requirements set out so that children and young people’s well-being needs were met in all forms of care. It requires public officials to notify the Local Safeguarding Children Board of all child deaths so they can be fully investigated to ensure there has been no wrong doing, allowing the Secretary of State to carry out research and requests for the release of Emergency Protection Orders. (The National Archives, 2008) The Equality Act 2010 was brought in to replace all previous equality legislation, providing some of the changes that schools should be aware of. The majority of the new laws and legislation are the same as previously, for example, schools must not ‘unlawfully discriminate against pupils because of their sex, race, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation’. Some changes include; it is now unlawful to discriminate against a transgender pupil, it is now ‘unlawful to discriminate against a pupil who is pregnant or has recently had a baby’. Further details can be found through the Department of Education. (DFE, 2011). In June 2010 Professor Eileen Munro was commissioned to write a review report on the current issues surrounding Child Protection the completed report, named the Munro Report, was published in May 2011. The completed report set out radical changes to improve the current systems in place for the protection of children. It was recommended that local areas should be given more freedom to build up their own effective child protection services, instead of having to concentrate on meeting central government targets. The report also outlines her concerns that â€Å"a one-size-fits-all approach to child protection is preventing local areas from focusing on the child†, highlighting the need for agencies involved in the protection of children to have a more open mind, dealing with cases individually and using past incidents for learning and development, ensuring future training is compliant with the new regulations making it easily accessible to all involved. It has come to light through the Munro Report that the needs of the child should come first, the amount of paperwork previously involved has been getting in the way of important children’s outcomes. (Munro, 2011) As Professor Eileen Munro said â€Å"A one-size-fits-all approach is not the right way for child protection services to operate. Top down government targets and too many forms and procedures are preventing professionals from being able to give children the help they need and assess whether that help has made a difference. (2011) Gordon Brown described child poverty as a ‘scar on the soul of Britain’ (2000). The lives of children and families living in poverty throughout the the UK are subjected to social exclusion. ‘In Britain and other English-speaking countries, the general public and its political representatives expect the child protection system to anticipate and prevent child abuse. Yet a major factor in many cases of child maltreatment is so mething that, except in marginal ways, child protection professionals can do very little about: poverty and social exclusion. ’ (Beckett, 2007, p. 69). Unfortunately professionals working in the child protection circle have their hands tied when it comes to dealing with ‘poverty and structural inequalities’ and are unable to do much about it, saying this it is of upmost importance that child protection workers do have an understanding of the implications poverty brings so that they can be supportive and considerate to the families they come into contact with. ‘Poverty is a source of stress – and stress, we know, can push people who otherwise would have coped quite adequately into abusive or neglectful parenting’. Beckett, 2007, p169). As we look at the social systems in place, it is more often than not impractical to expect to discover a prime cause of why neglect, abuse or poverty has emerged. It is an understandably known fact that poverty i s responsible for high levels of stress within the family and it is often found that stress is definitely a major cause of child abuse and neglect, leading us to possibly believe that children who are abused and neglected often do come from poor families. Children that do come from socially deprived backgrounds appear to suffer with considerably inferior mental and physical health issues, poverty is experienced in so many areas but do we really know how to deal with it? It is thought that the UK is a rich country with a high level of wealth compared to many international standards but many people in the UK are still tormented by economic and social deprivation. Child poverty levels within Britain are a particular cause for concern, with varying issues such as single parent families, unemployment and the cost of child care all of which play an important role, contributing to the ever increasing risks of poverty. Poverty has a detrimental effect on many aspects of people’s lives, from unemployment, leading to lack of money, poor housing, low or no self-esteem etc. , it doesn’t just affect the adults but children feel the knock on effect often suffering in silence. How can child protection workers protect the children of poor people without contributing to the stress that may be one of the major causes of child maltreatment in the first place? ’ (Beckett, 2007, p. 180). Understandably parents / carers often find the intervention of social workers too much to take, making them feel inadequate in caring for their own children, thus having a detrimental effect on the work social workers do to try and make family life more man ageable, giving children the pportunities to thrive within their family circle. Although the Convention on the Rights of the Child was introduced over ten years ago there are still areas in the UK which are still struggling to put into practice all of the guidelines. It is clear to see there have been vast changes for the better surrounding the protection of children over the years. Laws and legislation have improved dramatically placing a clearer awareness of children's rights since the Children Act was first put into practice. Typically, authors write from their own national perspective, with an historical overview of policy developments being presented along with a more detailed treatment of the most recent policy developments’. (Hudson, Kuhner ; Lowe, 2010, p. 7) It is interesting to see that some of the original ideas and guidelines are still in place today but it is equally important to remember there will always be room for further improvements. So therefore it is of u pmost importance to continually reflect on and act upon new laws and legislation as they arise. I particularly like the wise words of Sir Francis Bacon ‘knowledge is power’ and acting upon the knowledge we are given gives us the opportunities to help and improve the lives of children in our care. As Lord Laming said at the end of his report into the Victoria Climbie inquiry â€Å"I hope it will be used in the training of staff not least as a stark warning of the damage that can be done to children as a result of bad practice. Too many inquires have had to be held following terrible harm to a child. I and my colleagues hope that this will be the last†. (2001)