Descartes on the Distinction Between Body and Mind

Name Tutor Course Date Descartes Premise for Distinguishing Body and Mind In the Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes discusses the nature of the body and mind. By drawing from three lines of thought, Descartes launches a powerful premise that the body is something distinct from the mind. He conceptualizes his argument by using the uncertainty of knowledge argument, appealing to God’s omnipotence, and describing the indivisibility of the body and mind. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze Descartes’s premise for distinguishing the body and mind. In the first Meditation, Descartes begins by discussing a topic that seems far removed from the subject, yet instrumental to his argument. He questions the†¦show more content†¦However, unlike most his colleagues, Descartes defended dualism by basing his arguments on metaphysics and epistemology (Cress 79). While most philosophers seem to believe Descartes premise that the body and mind are distinct and can exist without each other, I disagree with Descartes proposition on knowledge and reality. Just because he thought that his mind could exist without his body does not mean the possibility is a reality. Maybe there is a metaphysical relationship between his body and mind that could have made it possible. There are two main difficulties facing Descartes argument. It is clear that he is using his thoughts to conclude what is plausible. If the body is the mind, then the body cannot exist without the mind. In addition, if the body can exist without the mind, then they are not the same things. From Descartes’ conception, we cannot conclude this. His conception is wrong because he argues that the mind and the body are the same yet he concludes that they exist independently. I disagree with Descartes’s use of clear and distinct ideas to support his premise because his inferences on the ideas are wrong. In this argument, Descartes claims that the ideas of body and mind are clear and distinct. In addition, he presents a scenario of thought and extension in the mind and body respectively. In this argument, it is clear that he isShow MoreRelatedDescartes: Knowledge is Truth Essay1202 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes: Knowledge is Truth With the emergence of the scientific revolution in the 17th century, views of society and nature were transformed throughout Europe. There were great developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry. The world and its views were changing, and with that change, came a new change in thought, a new change in philosophy. Apart from ancient Greek philosophy, which was centered on finding order in a vast variety of things by searching for a fundamentalRead MoreThe Mind / Brain Identity Theory1718 Words   |  7 PagesA person relates to the world through different mental and corporeal experiences. The former is associated with one having a (non-physical) mind, which contains beliefs, desires, feelings and so on, while the latter involves having a (physical) brain. The Mind/Body problem questions whether the mind and brain are the same or different objects. For a long time, the interpretation of these experiences has been much debated by philosophers and scientists. One influential interpretation is Descartes’sRead MoreRene Descartes: Cartesian Dualism Essay example1625 Words   |  7 Pageslasting legacies of Rene Descartes’ philosophy. He argues that the mind and body operate as separate entities able to exist without one another. That is, the mind is a thinking, non-extended entity and the body is non-thinking and extended. His belief elicited a debate over the nature of the mind and body that has spanned centuries, a debate that is still vociferously argued today. In this essay, I will try and tackle Descartes claim and come to some conclusion as to whether Descartes is correct to sayRead MoreHow Successful Are Descartes Arguments for the Real Distinction of Mind from Body?1659 Words   |  7 PagesHow successful are Descartes arguments for the real distinction of mind from body? Upon which problem would you put the most weight? Descartes says the mind is distinct from the body, or anything physical for that matter. He says, a thinking substance is nonphysical or spiritual in nature (mind), and an extended substance is physical, but not capable of consciousness or thought (body). 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It would beRead More Descartes Sixth Meditation Essay1136 Words   |  5 Pages In the Sixth Meditation, Descartes makes a point that there is a distinction between mind and body. It is in Meditation Two when Descartes believes he has shown the mind to be better known than the body. In Meditation Six, however, he goes on to claim that, as he knows his mind and knows clearly and distinctly that its essence consists purely of thought. Also, that bodies essences consist purely of extension, and that he can conceive of his mind and body as existing separately. By the power ofRead MoreHow The Mind And Body Are United Based On Rene Descartes Argumentations1523 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscuss how the mind and body are united based on Rene Descartes’ argumentations in The Meditations Of First Philosophy. First, I am going to introduce a few of Descartes’ arguments and his position on the matter. Then, I will pick the most questionable argument and put it up against logical reasoning with evidence. Finally, I am going to conclude how the 17th-century philosopher proposes a fallacious argument which interferes with his Cartesian dualism theory. The Position Rene Descartes believed inRead MoreEssay on Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes1561 Words   |  7 Pages In his work, Meditations on First Philosophy, Renà © Descartes writes to rid pre-conceptions, and disprove all belief in thoughts that are not certain, accepting only what can be known for sure. In his Meditation VI: Of the Existence of Material Things, and the Real Distinction between the Mind and Body of Man, he discusses his belief that the mind and body are two separate substances, claiming that the nonmaterial mind and the material body, while being ontologically distinct substances, causally

The Enlightenment For Independence And The Enlightenment...

In the eighteenth century, Enlightenment ideas of universal human rights inspired the American and French Revolutions. Following Napoleon’s invasion of Spain, such ideas also ignited independence movements in Spanish America in the early nineteenth century. Simà ³n Bolà ­var, the â€Å"Liberator† of much of Spanish South America, cited Enlightenment ideology to justify independence. In his â€Å"Cartagena Manifesto† and â€Å"Jamaica Letter,† Bolà ­var used Enlightenment political ideology to promote criollo ¬-led centralized authority and to inspire criollos to support independence. In his letters, Bolà ­var championed criollo-led centralized authority rather than decentralized federalism, which he assailed as the cause of the first Venezuelan Republic’s demise†¦show more content†¦Most importantly, such a contract created what Rousseau called the â€Å"general will,† a people’s common interests, which Rousseau charged governments and their people with the responsibilities to uphold and obey respectively (Friend). Bolà ­var’s criticisms regarding federalism echoed such ideas: â€Å"by authorizing self-government,† the federal system â€Å"disrupt[ed] social contracts and reduce[d] nations to anarchy† because each province developed and chased its own interests at the expense of a â€Å"general will† (6). A â€Å"single authority,† however, would be able to enforce—or even unite—the people under such a â€Å"general will† (8). Bolà ­var also pointed to missing political virtues and experience for federalism’s unsuitability in Venezuela, something for which he blamed Spanish rule; thus, his criticism of federalism also rallied his criollo audience against Spanish rule through Enlightenment rhetoric and appeals to criollos’ hostility towards peninsular discrimination. In his â€Å"Cartagena Manifesto,† Bolà ­var argued that federalism did not suit Venezuela (nor other Spanish American viceroyalties) because the Venezuelan people â€Å"lack[ed] the political virtues† which would allow them to exercise their rights and carry out their civic duties â€Å"to the fullest measure† (7). In his â€Å"Jamaica Letter,† Bolà ­var explained why: the â€Å"greed[y]† Spaniards â€Å"removed† the criollos from â€Å"the administration of the state,† preventing them from managing high-levelShow MoreRelatedThe Age Of Enlightenment By Thomas Jefferson1002 Words   |  5 PagesAs Pema Chodron once said, â€Å"whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment†. Our knowledge of self leads us on the path to awareness, wisdom, and understanding. The Age of Enlightenment emphasized solely on humanism through aspects of great thinkers. The 18th century movement was to improve how humanity operated as a whole. However, establishing a governing system was also important. Today the â€Å"Declaration of Independence† would be known today as our nation’s foundation. Established July 4thRead MoreJohn Locke And Thomas Hobbes1262 Words   |  6 PagesIndependence from England became a possibility for the colonists after the French and Indian War, which took place from 1754-1763. 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Effective Business Communication and Chalanges †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Effective Business Communication Chalanges. Answer: Diagnosis and Reflection The diagnostic tools are important determinants of exploring the personal capability of the communication process effectiveness (Davenport, 2013). The set of five diagnostic tools would be used to determine my communication style and identify any short comings. A combination of tools has been used for this purpose namely Assertive Questionnaire, Johari Window, Communication Style Questionnaire, Non-Verbal test and Listening Test. I am confident that these tools would help me to identify my communication style, which would help me to face professional world with confidence. I have performed the analysis and found out that I have passive aggressive behavior and average level of patience. I am sure that I display passive assertive behavior from the answers of the assertive questionnaire and communication style behavior. I am confident that I have displayed passive behavior in the past. This is because of the fact that I have the tendency of giving more importance to others judgment. In this process, I often neglect my own views. There are instances when I am too embarrassed to share my own views in front others as I feel the need to be dejected. I feel that my viewpoint may be wrong and hence I refrain from making a statement in public, especially when I am with a group of people. I also suffer from lack of confidence at times and I am unable to put my opposing views. However, I keep thinking about the untold points in my own minds, which even lower my self-esteem and increases my stress levels. I have faced such incidents frequently. I have maximum probl ems in this regard when I am in a group. The group can be a professional group or a personal one. But, I have found out that I am not able to put my opinion before others successfully. This has made me bad speaker as the other members often think that I do not have sufficient contributions. I feel bad in such situations when I think I would be able to say lot of things on the topic but actually fail to do so. When I am interacting with people in my daily life, I often feel the urge of speaking up my mind and sometimes I am successful in doing so. However, there are instances when I am unable to comment appropriately which makes my anxious. I always appreciate others but I am not able to comment about my achievements. This is the evidence that I display passive behavior. There are also personal evidences which show that I display aggressive behavior at certain point of time. There are instances when I behave rudely as well as strangely in public. After the incident, I often regret my behavior and feel sorry about myself. There are instances when I engage in critical thinking on simple matters which make me react weirdly. There are instances when I have made sarcastic comments and this have offended people, who have reduced their communication with me. I react all of sudden without thinking, for which I am ashamed of. If I heard any negative comments about myself, I react out of an instance and this has created issues in my life. I have related criticisms with aggressive behavior. This aggressive behavior has distanced me from my close relations. I have also engaged in cold war with my office colleagues due to this behavior. I have understood the fact that I have tendencies to display average levels of patience. I am neither too patient nor impatient when dealing with others. In my personal as well as professional lives, I strive to be patient; however, there are times when I am unable to do so. Patience is one of the most important ingredients for achieving success in life (Moran, Abramson Moran, 2014). I have found out about this communication imparity of mine from the active listening skills test that I have taken in this assessment. This is especially true when I am expecting something. I am unable to keep my cool and I become anxious, which I cant express to others. I have also faced this issue when I was in my academic life. I was unable to concentrate on the lectures for longer duration and became impatient. I deviated from the topic and I used to think about something else. This often prevented me from focusing on the topic and I did not have a clue about the subject that is being taught. This a ffected my academic grades and I am afraid that this trait would also affect me in my professional life. I have always felt that I am not very patient when I interact with people from different backgrounds as I am not very familiar with them. This often disrupts the interpersonal relationships, which is not desirable. I have felt that I possess the identified communication challenges in two professional instances. I was attending a board meeting when my colleague made a personal attack on me. I was unable to keep my cool and I reacted in a rather aggressive manner. This reduced the impact of my viewpoint and people started sympathizing on me. I have realized that I should have tackled the situation in a calm or composed manner and give the person an appropriate answer. In the second instance, when my supervisor was sharing some details with me, I somehow lost my concentration level as I lost my patience level. I started to look at my mobile which made my supervisor scold me a lot. This incident arises due to the lack of patience in me. I was confident that I do possess the communication challenges that were detected in the diagnostic test. In the first instance, I was unable to refrain my temperament, which made me to display aggressive behavior. I realized that such behavior is not good for my professional career. I have average patient level which made me to display poor listening skills when I was interacting with my boss. This made my impression bad. I realize that I need to develop myself so that I can get rid of these two communication challenges. Literature Review According to Wang (2016), the patience level can be defined as the capacity to accept or delay the process of suffering without becoming anxious. It can be compared to a state of fortitude where the person would be able to remain composed even in difficult circumstances. This factor is tested when the individuals are provoked for some or the other reasons. In the studies of psychology, patience is associated with decision making in which there is involvement of the small reward or long reward in the short term or long term respectively (Ahmadi, Nami Barvarz, 2014). The world religions have placed enormous interest and emphasized on practicing patience. There are several benefits of being a patient person (Mearns, Thorne McLeod, 2013). Patient people are able to keep their calm even in adverse situation. This ensures that they do have high levels of mental health (Moran, Abramson Moran, 2014). They have the power of feeling more gratitude and hence they can be more connected to the mankind. They have the feelings of greater sense of abundance. The act of patience improves the employee performance in a professional environment (Hyland, Lee Mills, 2015). The equitable, empathetic and cooperative nature of people enhances their productivity. The degree of patience helps the individuals to achieve their goals (Ahmadi, Nami Barvarz, 2014). They would be able to see the results instantly. The act of patience is synonymous with good health as this attribute relaxes their mind. It also reduces the stress levels of the individuals and hence they enjoy optimum mental health. According to Seligman and Csikszentmihaly (2014), the psychological study of patience revealed that the patience is essentially related with the optimal human functioning. It is considered as the tendency to be restrained, deliberate and is able to endure the given set of difficulties. This study distinguishes between the patience as well as the impulse, delay of gratitude, procrastination and control (Ahmadi, Nami Barvarz, 2014). Patience has shown overlapping with the other character strengths of the individuals. There is strong interconnection between the self-regulation, open mindedness and persistence (Corral-Verdugo, Tapia-Fonllem Ortiz-Valdez, 2015). Evidences shows that there is an indirect relationship between patience with depression and direct proportion with the patience with negative health outcomes (Comer Sekerka, 2014). There have also been evidences that show that the self-control is strong parameters of patience which predicted better grades, higher self-esteem an d less psychopathology. The passive-aggressive behavior is considered to be synonymous with the expression if hostility, stubbornness, procrastination, sullen behavior and others that prevent the accomplishment of the requested task (Lewis, 2017). It is also considered as a pervasive standard of the negative attitude as well as passive resistance to the various demands which are expected for better performance in occupational and social situations. As opined by Norman et al. (2015), the passive aggressive behavior is directly related with the malicious compliance, which is concerned with the veiling of the intent of not doing something in the path of performing the particular tasks in such a manner in which there is possibility of unwanted results (Comer Sekerka, 2014). This affects the productivity of the employees in an organizational scenario. This often results in the fact that the individuals are afraid to perform specific tasks so fearing that an unwanted outcome is achieved (Hosie et al., 2014). Acc ording to McKenzie and Twose (2015), the conflict theory is considered with the fact that the passive-aggressive kind of behavior is able to resemble a particular behavior that is described as active and deliberate. It is important to prevent the negative attributes of the passive aggressive behavior and practice great degree of patience. It is important to consider practicing behavioral skills which should be used to improve the different negative traits of the behavior. I have understood the fact that I need to acquire some important skills so that I am able to handle my two communication lags in a better way. I should have high degrees of patience and I should refrain from displaying aggressive behavior. I should practice deep breathing exercises that foster my patience level. I should try to be calmer and composed in situations. It is important that I practice managing my own emotions. I should also focus on practicing active listening as well as empathetic listening. I must join a stress management class. I should slow down myself in thinking and giving reaction. I should practice delaying the gratification process. It is important that I should try to think more before I actually start spe aking. This would prevent me to avoid situations in which I have said something wrong without pondering upon the consequences. Evidence shows that having patience level results in better decision making (Tschannen-Moran, 2014). It also helps in compassion, understanding and empathy, which is important in professional atmosphere. I should take active steps in dealing with the passive-aggressive behavior. It is important that I properly understand the situations in which I am displaying this kind of behavior. I should start to maintain a behavior journal so that I can write down the instances and frequency I have displayed passive aggressive behavior. I should be honest at this place as it would help in controlling the number of times I display such behaviors. I should also try to identify the irrational thoughts which are triggered by some stressful instances. I should also know the stages of the passive aggressive behavior so that I can deal with it effectively. It is important that I devise suitable strategies to deal with these kinds of situations in the future. I should also try to identify instances in which I have displayed passive-aggressive behavior. I should also try to identify the patterns in which the behavior is manifested in me and hampering my professional life. I should also record the informa tion that has happened. I should also try to analyze the reactions of the passive-aggressiveness behavior during these incidents. The identification of behavioral patterns is also important (Montano Kasprzyk, 2015). I should also try to make more self-awareness so that I can get rid of the negative feelings in the long run. Action Plan I have identified communication issues and I should make positive contribution in developing an action plan that would help me to improve my current situation. This would also help me in the increasing the amount of skills, knowledge and various expertise of the different individuals. The following action plan would help in the improvement of my communication issues identified above- Practicing aerobic exercises, meditation and deep breathing Enroll in stress management classes Write down instances of aggressive behavior in behavior journal Initiative of developing interpersonal relationships Enroll inprofessional behavior management classes that help in the identification of the negative traits and improvement of the same Watch Youtube videos about anger management Seeking professional help for behavior enhancement and amicable relationships Inculcate hobbies that gives me happiness Engage in more levels of physical exercises Stay away from negative minded people Join laughter therapy classes that would help in reducing the stress levels Create a group of positive and cheerful people Practice active listening skills Avoid saying sarcastic comments under any circumstances ACTION PLAN 1st month 2nd month 3rd month 4th month 5th month 6th month Practicing aerobic exercises Enroll in stress management classes Maintain behavior journal Developing interpersonal relationships Enroll in professional behaviormanagement classes Watch Youtube videos about anger management Seeking professional help for behavior enhancement Inculcate hobbies Engage in more levels of physical exercises Stay away from negative minded people Join laughter therapy classes Create a group of positive and cheerful people Practice active listening skills Avoid saying sarcastic comments Fig: Gantt Chart for implementing action plan Source: Created by author It is important to measure the successful achievement of the action plan by measuring different attributes. The self-evaluation should be done which would help in the determination of the actual progress. After the 6th month of the implementation of the action plan, the above tests should be taken again so that there can be evaluation of the present skills. Any improvements made by the implementation of the communication plan can be determined. It would also help in understanding of the degree of self-improvement. I should check if I am able to control my patience level and aggressive behavioral attributes. I should check these attributes in both the personal as well as professional lives. I should also analyze the degree of changes that is inherent in me. I should also engage in taking feedbacks from my supervisors so that I can understand the level of improvement of my overall communication style. It would also give me the current scenario of my communication skills, which I can us e in the future interview process or include in my resume. References Ahmadi, S., Nami, Y., Barvarz, R. (2014). The Relationship between spirituality in the workplace and organizational citizenship behavior.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,114, 262-264. Comer, D. R., Sekerka, L. E. (2014). Taking time for patience in organizations.The Journal of Management Development,33(1), 6-23. Corral-Verdugo, V., Tapia-Fonllem, C., Ortiz-Valdez, A. (2015). On the relationship between character strengths and sustainable behavior.Environment and Behavior,47(8), 877-901. Davenport, T. H. (2013).Process innovation: reengineering work through information technology. Harvard Business Press. Hosie, J., Gilbert, F., Simpson, K., Daffern, M. (2014). An examination of the relationship between personality and aggression using the general aggression and five factor models.Aggressive behavior,40(2), 189-196. Hyland, P. K., Lee, R. A., Mills, M. J. (2015). Mindfulness at work: A new approach to improving individual and organizational performance.Industrial and Organizational Psychology,8(04), 576-602. Lewis, J. (2017).Coping with Aggressive Behaviour. SPCK. McKenzie, J., Twose, G. (2015). Applications and Extensions of Realistic Conflict Theory: Moral Development and Conflict Prevention.Norms, Groups, Conflict, and Social Change: Rediscovering Muzafer Sherif's Psychology,1. Mearns, D., Thorne, B., McLeod, J. (2013).Person-centred counselling in action. Sage. Montano, D. E., Kasprzyk, D. (2015). Theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, and the integrated behavioral model.Health behavior: Theory, research and practice. Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., Moran, S. V. (2014).Managing cultural differences. Routledge. Norman, R. E., Moreau, B. J., Welker, K. M., Carr, J. M. (2015). Trait anxiety moderates the relationship between testosterone responses to competition and aggressive behavior.Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology,1(3), 312-324. Seligman, M.E. and Csikszentmihalyi, M., 2014.Positive psychology: An introduction(pp. 279-298). Springer Netherlands. Tschannen-Moran, M., 2014.Trust matters: Leadership for successful schools. John Wiley Sons. Wang, A., 2016. Patience Moderates the Class Cleavage in Demand for Redistribution. Awais, M., Malik, M. S., Qaisar, A. (2015). A Review: the Job Satisfaction Act as Mediator between Spiritual Intelligence and Organizational Commitment.International Review of Management and Marketing,5(4). Berman, E. (2015).Performance and productivity in public and nonprofit organizations. Routledge. Reijula, J., Nevala, N., Lahtinen, M., Ruohomki, V., Reijula, K. (2014). Lean design improves both health-care facilities and processes: a literature review.Intelligent Buildings International,6(3), 170-185. Svare, B. B. (2013).Hormones and aggressive behavior. Springer Science Business Media. Tilcsik, A. (2014). Imprintenvironment fit and performance how organizational munificence at the time of hire affects subsequent job performance.Administrative Science Quarterly,59(4), 639-668

Problems of Juvenile Delinquency

Executive Summary The main aim of writing this paper is to carry out an examination of a juvenile delinquent in order to understand what pushes them into doing the act and applicable solutions which can be applied to correct the person. The behavior of the person will be compared to one of the theories used in explaining crimes. The next section will give a brief introduction of the person involved. The behavior of the person will be studied as well as the consequences which arise from his antisocial behavior.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Problems of Juvenile Delinquency specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The papers will examine reasons as to why the person engages in crimes. This is because some people are pushed by circumstances to engage in criminal activities. In addition, the person’s relationship with their colleagues will be examined. Whether they engage in criminal activities alone or in comp any of other people is a matter of concern. How and when they carry out their operations, what are some of the antisocial behaviors which they engage in. In order to maintain privacy, the first name of the person am conducting the study on will be used. This will make it difficult for other people to identify him. In conclusion, I will discuss the effects that environment, family and community have on the individual and how they have contributed to their immoral behavior. Introduction The act of engaging in crime for young people (juveniles) between a certain age limit usually ten to fifteen years is known as juvenile delinquency. However, the age limit varies from one state to another. Many countries throughout the world have well established legal procedures of dealing with youths who commit crimes. For instance, many countries have established youth detention centers in which rehabilitation programs are offered to help the youth change their behavior. It is in these courts that t heir cases are heard. The court system for the youths is different from that of adults. Many factors contribute to youths going against expectations of the society (Hagan, 2010). The effects of antisocial behavior among the youths are felt by individual people as well as the larger society. The society should therefore ensure that youths are brought up in the best way to avoid conflicts arising in the society. This can be achieved by ensuring that the society has well established rules and all people adhere to them. The media is very attentive in displaying crimes committed by youth’s. Morality levels and maintenance of law and order in a country is determined by the rate at which youths commit crimes. A high level of crime is an indication that immorality is high and law and order in the society is not maintained. Juvenile delinquency should be highly controlled because it would increase the rate of crimes in the future.Advertising Looking for case study on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is because most of the adult criminals started their behavior during their early stages of life. Acts committed by juveniles are crimes when performed by adults. This paper will focus of factors that contribute to delinquency behavior among the youths (Wilson, Gottfredson Stickle, 2009). Introduction of the Person The study is carried out on the twenty six year old Alex. His parents travelled most of the time during his early childhood before finally settling in Texas after which they divorced. Edward his father a Latin American was a drunkard and emotional militant who believed in corporal punishment. His mother Anna a woman from Polland was non-tolerant to her children and led a depressed life. Anna was uneducated and she married at an early age. Alex introduced himself to the use of drugs at the age of 12 years. Alex is Brother to Raymond who was short dead at the age of 16 years. The death of Raymond affected Alex greatly. He resulted to beer taking, use of cocaine and acid among other activities in order to cope with the situation. After some period of continued use of drugs, he became addicted such that he could not do without drugs. Later on he joined a group of street gangs which engaged in criminal activities. Resulting Consequences Alex engaged in extremely dangerous activities. He spent most of time hanging along the streets with other gang members during the night instead of attending classes. Alex could not go on with his studies because of his antisocial behaviors in school. He became a threat to other pupils in his class. It came to the knowledge of teachers and his fellow pupils that he was responsible for most of the things which went missing in school. He stole books and writing materials from other children. He also ate other pupils packed lunch out of their knowledge. As if this was not enough, he was frequently involved in fights with other children and he was always found to be the cause of the conflict. School life became hard for him and he decided to drop out with the belief that he will obtain general education from outside (GED), (Millie, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Problems of Juvenile Delinquency specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Life was as well difficult away from school. Alex was discharged from the United States Army the drug screening test. The process involves testing of the urine to determine whether the person consumes illegal drugs. His drug screening test turned positive. He returned home and joined a group of criminals who included people of his age and older people. They used to carry out criminal activities together. Some of the Alex’s criminal activities included alcohol and drug use, writing forged checks and theft. Alex became a drug trafficker. Drug trafficking is an illegal activity which many children engage in. It involves the act of buying and selling illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroine among others and also consuming them. It is against the law to consume these drugs because they have adverse effects on the health of the user. The government therefore takes strict measures against people found in possession of these drugs or consuming them. Alex sold drugs to earn himself some money. With time, Alex became a drug addict. He could not do without drugs. Theft and robbery became normal activities with Alex. He stole minor things like clothes from people and sold them at a throw away price. In the company of his colleagues, they rob big shops, supermarkets and households where they stole goods of high value, caused injuries and deaths to the owners. Car hijacking, kidnapping and arms trafficking were common activities among the group. His actions resulted to various conflicts with law enforcement bodies and he sometimes served short terms in prison as punishment for his cruel activities. Alex was frequently arrested by the police and spent most of his time confined in correctional facilities. Alex was taken to correctional facilities so that he can change from his bad behavior. However, this did not solve his problem. Immediately after his release, he joined his group and proceeded with his criminal activities (Wood, 2004). Alex and his group walked around the streets during odd hours of the night. It was so unfortunate to come across such a group of criminals because anything bad could have happened. They robbed, fought and sometimes killed people. His continued use of drugs led to his admission in a health facility Centre. His mother had found him unconscious in the sitting room as a result of drug overdose after which she rushed him to the hospital. Alex woke up only to find himself in the hospital. Alex was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, Paranoia and Bipolar Disease. This time Alex realized his mistake but it was too late for him. His health is in dange r.Advertising Looking for case study on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Anna is fed up with her sons actions and has thrown him out of the house. Alex is in trouble because he has nobody to support him, he has no skills of his own to earn himself a living and finally he has no believe in himself. Alex is helpless, low-self esteemed and hopeless in life. Even with continued application of rehabilitation measures, Alex has not managed to stop using drugs. He has chosen to continue taking drugs and classified himself under gypsies. In addition to the above criminal activities, Alex engaged in irresponsible sexual behavior. Sometimes, he did it out of the influence of drugs. Cases of rape were high among the group. They raped the people they rob as well as the people they came into contact during the later hours of the day. Alex and his colleagues did not protect themselves while having sexual affairs. Because of this reason, most of them contracted sexually transmitted diseases sometime in their life and Martin were no exception. He severally contracted ST DS and visited the doctor who treated him. However, it was unfortunate for him that he was later diagnosed with HIV and Aids disease. Alex is now hopeless in life. He has no one to take care of him. He needs special medical attention but he cannot afford the high costs (Martin, 2011). The difficulties that Alex is going through are as a result of his antisocial behavior. He is recently regretting why he joined bad companies, which prompted him into bad behavior. If he could have been wise enough, he could have continued with his studies. Education is important as it is a gateway to quality living. Educated people secure good places in employment where they are well paid (Myers Farrell, 2008). Factors Contributing to Alex’s Antisocial Behavior According to Ryan, Marshall, Hertz and Hernandez (2008), the environment in which children are brought up determines their behavior in future. Parents should closely monitor the behavior of their children and correct them whenever they go wrong. It is therefore important for parents to ensure that they spend most of their time with their children. The responsibility of bringing up children lies on both parents. Lack of support and cooperation between the parents may affect the growth of the child. In many cases, men tend to neglect their responsibility of bringing up children. In addition to providing for their families, they should also help their spouse’s bring up children in the best way. In the case of Alex, his father did not take part in bringing him up because he was raise under the care of his mother alone after their divorce. His antisocial behavior resulted from failure of his mother to take full control of his movements. The mother disliked the boy and discriminated against him. Parents are supposed to be role models to their children so that they can take after them. His father did not set a good example because he divorced his wife. Alex did not have a father to take after his steps. If the fat her could have been around, he could have helped mould the behavior of his son. Poor parenting is a major problem in his life. Parents should not show differences between their children while bringing them up. They should all be treated equally. Alex’s mother is an example of a bad parent who favors some children while neglecting others. Alex’s mother contributed to his antisocial behavior because he made the boy feel that he was less important. John his elder brother was more favored by his parents. Denying him some of his rights like education contributed to his antisocial behavior. John was also ridiculed in school because of the large size of his family. This made his life in school uncomfortable. High levels of poverty and lack of employment encouraged Alex to engage in criminal activities. Alex lacked the necessities like clothing and he did not have someone to turn to because his mother neglected him. His family was generally poor and his parents had a burden of caring for fourteen children. This means that children lacked some of the necessities. Alex might have joined criminal groups to acquire the things he lacked. Being young, he could not be employed to earn himself a living. He engaged in harmful activities like theft so that he can get money and satisfy his needs (Ryan, Marshall, Hertz Hernandez, 2008). The company that people keep determines the behavior of an individual. Studies have shown that keeping the company of bad people influences good character. Alex’s behavior became worse when he gained the membership to a criminal group. Due to influence from each other, he went ahead to take part in more serious crimes like shoplifting and car hijacking which he could not do initially. Another contributing factor towards Alex’s antisocial behavior is effects from the use of drugs. Studies have shown people tend to commit crimes under the influence of drugs. Mostly, drug users are violent and the likelihood of causing co nflicts is high. For instance, there are rare incidences in which normal people commit rape cases. There are however many reported cases in which drug users rape even young children. Rape is an inhuman action whose punishment is severe. I suspect that Alex was driven by drug use to commit such crimes. (Ryan, Marshall, Hertz Hernandez, 2008). Alex’s parents contributed to his behavior because they did not take the necessary measures to comfort their son after his brother Raymond passed away. They could have advised him on how to forgo his grief over his brother’s death instead of engaging in drugs. Domestic violence which contributed to separation of his parents may be a major contributing factor. Finally, disunity in the society in which Alex and his parents lived encouraged his criminal behavior. The responsibility of caring for the child is not entirely the work of their parents. Parents should correct children whenever they find them in wrong deeds regardless of wh ether they know their parents or not. This will create fear in children not to engage in crimes while away from their parents because they will be punished. Ignorance and lack of education greatly affected his life. Education teaches expected morals in the society which makes it possible for people to differentiate between the right and wrong. Education makes people understand the consequences of immoral behavior and keep a distance. If Alex could have completed his education in college, the basic knowledge acquired would have been of great help to him. His mother discouraged him by telling him that she could not afford school fees for colleges. This discouraged Alex from working hard in school (Wood, 2004). Criminological Theories Social control theories of crimes among the youths associate occurrence of crimes with breakdown, weaknesses and lack of unity in the society. Permissiveness and lack of cohesion in the society is a major contributing factor towards the high rate of crime s among the youths in many countries. They act as motivational theories inspiring the youths to avoid engaging in criminal activities which ruin their lives. Many youths engage in criminal activities as an immediate source of conflict resolution or gratification. Instead of looking for convenient means of solving problems, many youth resort to criminal activities. Travis Hirschi, the most prominent social theorist in the 20th century argues that people result to law breaking in order to solve conflicts and therefore, explaining antisocial behavior does not require any special motivation (Hagan, 2010). Alex’s behaviors can be explained by some of the criminological theories. An example is the broken window theory and social bond theory. The social bond theory was propagated by Travis Hirschi in 1969. The theory was later developed into a social control theory. Historically, social control theory is recognized as an efficient way of explaining and approaching problems arising i n the society. According to Hirchi, social bond theory is composed of four main elements. They include family attachments, commitment to societal and institutional laws like employment and school institutions, participation in activities and strong belief in the importance of these elements. The theory has its basis in the general theory of crime. According to Hirschi, juvenile delinquents lack societal attachment. Adolescence is a critical stage that requires cooperation so that the society is represented to its maximum. Because of his behavior, Alex is completely detached from his society. He does not cooperate with students and teachers in schools because his actions go against the school laws. Instead of keeping the company of responsible people in the society, he engages in destructive activities. Alex does not commit his life to worthwhile activities. Instead of working hard in education to uplift his standards of living, he seems not to worry about it (Millie, 2006). As a res ult of lack of his cooperation with other members of the society, he has never been involved in the community’s activities. These include being a member of a religious organization, joining athletic clubs and engaging in community development projects like planting of trees. If Alex could have been a member of a religious group, his behavior could have been corrected. Religious institutions teach morally accepted behavior in the society. People are taught to live with each other peacefully as well as the importance of adhering to the laws of the society. Alex’s behavior could have been subjected to change if he joined a religious institution. Finally, Alex lacked the belief that he can keep up to the laws of the society. The social bond theory therefore explains his behavior (Young, Dembo Henderson, 2007). Dr. James Wilson and George Kelling are the proponents of the broken window theory. The theory is based on the assumption that a society that is not built on strong er laws has a high likelihood of producing many criminals. Based on conservative sociology, the main focus of the theory is maintenance of law and order in the society which leads to social cohesion. Wilson and Kelling argued that breakdown of neighborhoods; disorderliness and unfriendly atmosphere in the society contribute to crimes and delinquent behaviors. Children need support from their parents and other society members failure to which they will be tempted to engage in crimes to satisfy their needs. For instance, if they lack food and nobody is willing to provide for them, they will be forced to steal. In addition, the theory is based on the assumption that societies which lack unity and mutual interest witness high rates of crime rates (Moore, 2011). Wilson and Kelling applied the example of a building whose windows are broken and unrepaired to explain the concept of their theory. The appearance of the house conveys some message to neighbors and passersby by that the owner of the house does not care. In the same way, if the society shows no interest in correcting people with irresponsible behavior, then the behavior will keep spreading further within the society. It is easy to correct a criminal in the initial stages of their evil deeds than later in life when it has already developed into a habit. The broken window is a metaphor referring to evil deeds in the society like drug use and abuse, theft, loitering in the streets, corruption among other immoral deeds (Bender, 2010). Broken window theory best explains Alex’s antisocial behavior. The society in which Alex and his parents lived is not well integrated. If her mother had corrected him in the initial stages of his criminal behavior, it would have been easy for him to change. The teacher in the school he was schooling did not take full responsibility on the young boy. Schools and churches are considered to be institutions in which children are molded into respectable and responsible adults. T he teacher should have monitored the behavior of Alex closely. Instead of putting him on frequent punishments, he should have studied him carefully to understand the reasons behind his immoral behavior. Since Alex stole from children because he lacked the necessities, this is a minor problem which I believe the school institution with the help of his parents could have solved. Criminals begin their activities with minor activities and then keep on advancing. If corrected before it becomes a habit, it’s easy for them to change (Hagan, 2010). According to Wilson, Gottfredson and Stickle (2009), the positivist school of thought argues that internal and external factors which are beyond human control are the main causes of crimes. Based on the sociological positivism, poverty, membership in groups, illiteracy, unemployment and other societal factors expose people to high risks of engaging in crime. Studies have shown that the above factors are the main contributing factors toward s the high rate of crimes in the modern world. People are engaging in crimes in order to survive. A study carried out by Adolphe Quetelet to determine the relationship between crime and sociological factors showed that alcohol consumption, lack of education, poverty and gender are leading causes of crimes. Also the study showed that men engage in crimes more than women do. Population density is also related to crime rates. Crime rates are higher in densely populated areas than areas in which people are few. For instance, the rate of crime is higher in overcrowded cities and especially among slum dwellers. This is because the resources are not enough to cater for the large numbers of people. Many take up crimes as a means of survival. Social factors contributed to Alex’s irresponsible behavior (Gaik, Abdullah, Elias Uli, 2010). Parenting methods determine the behavior of the child. In addition to providing children with the basic necessities, parents should be role models to their children. Alex’s irresponsible behavior is as a result of poor parenting method. The father was no longer there to see to it that his child grew up well. The foundation of his behavior was weak because he was left in the hands of his mother alone. In addition, he did not receive full parental care. He lacked care and moral support from his father who was away. His family was functionless the reason behind his immoral behavior (Button et al, 2009). The environment in which he grew up exposed him to engage in crime. In addition to the fact that his parents were poor, his mother discriminated against him. Poverty and discrimination prompted him to steal. Membership in criminal groups influenced his behavior to a great extend. Alex was also under the influence of peer pressure (Montgomery, Thompson Barczyk, 2011). Solution to his Behavior Alex is still young and he can still change from his destructive activities. Changing will be a difficult task but with determination he can succeed. One way is through joining rehabilitation centers in which he will be helped out on how to avoid some of his bad behaviors. Drug addicts find it hard to stop the habit because it has fully grown within them. Alex will however, be guided on how to do it. Avoiding the company of drug users and ensuring that he commits himself to beneficial activities is one of the solutions (Chabrol et al., 2009). Alex is still young to join educational institutions. He can join technical institutions in which he will gain skills and knowledge in various fields. Examples of such courses include carpentry, masonery and engineering works. With the knowledge and skills acquired, he will earn himself a living in a better way. Religious institutions may be of great help to him. Churches teach morals and expected behavior in the society. The teachings of the Bible, the Koran and other holy books encourage people to abide by the societal laws and avoid all kinds of vices. People are taught to l ove each other in the society, cherish and be cooperative in all activities. Being a committed member in a particular religious group would be of great help to him. Finally, Alex should seek for guidance and counseling services. He will be encouraged not to loose hope in life, and the necessary measure which he should take to improve the quality of his life. Alex should seek for medical assistance from a health institution where he will get advice on how to deal with his condition (Chanrol et al., 2009). Societal and Government Measures Applications of the following measures help in reducing crimes arising amongst the youths. The government should ensure that they have well established rehabilitation facilities where youths will be helped to correct their behavior. Detention should come as the last option after education has offered no assistance. Literacy programs should be channeled to the youths. Education will equip them with knowledge and skills required to acquire jobs. Gettin g means of living will discourage theft and other related crimes. Strict rules governing the use of drugs should be put in place. The society should set laws against drug users and other crimes like rape and clearly specify the punishment for such victims. This will create fear among the youths (Galk et al., 2010). Guidance and counseling should be offered to youths to enlighten them on the expected behavior. Knowing the effects of irresponsible sexual behavior, youths will avoid premarital sex. Rape cases and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases will be minimized. Finally, youths should not be allowed to view violent films in television because this will affect their behavior. The society should put into considerations orphans and children from poor families when allocating government resources. The government should ensure that such children are funded in academics. This is mainly because children from poor families drop out of school due to lack of school fees. Providing s upport to orphans and the poor is a limiting measure of crime rates (Doherty, Green Ensminger, 2008). Conclusion Increased rate of crime among the youth is a major problem facing many countries all over the world. The rate of illiteracy levels among the youths is high because most of them engage in crimes and drop out of schools at an early age. Due to lack of employment, they continue with their destructive activities throughout their adult life. The society should therefore be keen in addressing the issue of crimes among the youths because they are the future leaders. Failure to control them will lead to corrupt and destructive societies in future. It is a must for conflicts to take place in communities. This is mainly because a society accommodates people from different cultural backgrounds brought up in different ways. Since people are not the same, then problems will always occur. The most important thing is therefore how to manage problems arising in the society. In conclusio n, society should be concerned about the best ways to apply to minimize antisocial behavior among youths in all communities. Education programs should be offered to the youths so that they can be in a position to make sound decisions of what best fits them. The graph shows the results of a study carried out in the United States of America in a population of 1,000 youths to determine the rate of crimes in the period between 1995 to 2007 (National Centre for Education Statistics U.S., 2009, p.1). 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Introduction to criminology: Theories, methods, and criminal behavior. New York: SAGE. Martin, M. E. (2011). Introduction to human services: Through the eyes of practice setting. 2 Edn. Boston: Allyn Bacon. Millie, A. (2006). Anti-social behaviour: Concerns of minority and marginalized Londoners. Internet Journal of Criminology, 1, 1-20. Montgomery, K., Thompson, S. Barczyk, A. (2011). Individual and relationship factors associated with delinquency among throwaway adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1127-1133. Moore, S. (2011). Understanding and managing anti-social behavior on public transport through value change: The considerate travel campaign. Transport Policy, 18, 53-59. Myers, D. Farrell, A. (2008). Reclaiming lost opportunities: Applying public health models in juvenile justice. Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 1159-1177. National Centre for Education Statistics U.S. (2009). National statistics: Serious violent crime rate in the U.S schools. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 1995-2007. Ryan, J., Marshall, J., Herz, D. Hernandez, P. (2008). Juvenile delinquency in child welfare: Investigating group home effects. Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 1088-1099. Wilson, D., Gottfredson, D. Stickle, W. (2009). Gender differences in effects of teen courts on delinquency: A theory-guided evaluation. Journal of Criminal Justice, 37, 21â€⠀œ27. Wood, M. (2004). Perceptions and experience of antisocial behavior: Findings from the 2003/4 British Crime Survey, Home Office Online Report 49/04, London: Home Office. Young, D., Dembo, R. Henderson, C. (2007). A national survey of substance abuse treatment for juvenile offenders. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 32, 255-266. This case study on Problems of Juvenile Delinquency was written and submitted by user Kas0n to help you with your own studies. 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