CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT

Children are likely to be victimized violently in their own homes and on the streets. A survey of adolescent boys’ health revealed that one in eight high school boys had been physically and/or sexually abused. Forty-eight percent of physically or sexually abused boys said they had not talked to anyone about their abuse, and only 7 percent had discussed their abuse with a doctor. One in five high school girls surveyed reported that she had been physically or sexually abused. 65 percent of the girls said it happened more than once. Twenty-nine percent of girls who had been physically or sexually abused had not told anyone about the abuse.

Persons responsible for the child

Parents, guardians, foster parents, relatives, or other caregivers responsible for the child’s welfare.

The definition of child abuse

Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

The definition of sexual abuse also includes:

The employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct; or The rape, and in cases of caretaker or interfamilial relationships, statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children.

Recognizing child abuse

The following signs may signal the presence of child abuse or neglect. 

The Child: 

• Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance 
• Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents’ attention 
• Has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes 
• Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen 
• Lacks adult supervision 
• Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn 
• Comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home 

The Parent: 

• Shows little concern for the child 
• Denies the existence of—or blames the child for—the child’s problems in school or at home 
• Asks teachers or other caregivers to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves 
• Sees the child as entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome 
• Demands a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve 
• Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs 

The Parent and Child: 

• Rarely touch or look at each other 
• Consider their relationship entirely negative 
• State that they do not like each other 

Types of abuse 

The following are some signs often associated with particular types of child abuse and neglect: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. It is important to note, however, that these types of abuse are more typically found in combination than alone. A physically abused child, for example, is often emotionally abused as well, and a sexually abused child also may be neglected. 

Signs of Physical abuse

Consider the possibility of physical abuse when the child: 

• Has unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes 
• Has fading bruises or other marks noticeable after an absence from school 
• Seems frightened of the parents and protests or cries when it is time to go home 
• Shrinks at the approach of adults 
• Reports injury by a parent or another adult caregiver 

Consider the possibility of physical abuse when the parent or other adult caregiver: 

• Offers conflicting, unconvincing, or no explanation for the child’s injury 
• Describes the child as “evil,” or in some other very negative way 
• Uses harsh physical discipline with the child 
• Has a history of abuse as a child 

Signs of Neglect 

Consider the possibility of neglect when the  child: 

• Is frequently absent from school 
• Begs or steals food or money 
• Lacks needed medical or dental care, immunizations, or glasses 
• Is consistently dirty and has severe body odor 
• Lacks sufficient clothing for the weather 
• Abuses alcohol or other drugs 
• States that there is no one at home to provide care 

Consider the possibility of neglect when the parent or other adult caregiver: 

• Appears to be indifferent to the child 
• Seems apathetic or depressed 
• Behaves irrationally or in a bizarre manner 
• Is abusing alcohol or other drugs 

Signs of Sexual abuse

Consider the possibility of sexual abuse when the child: 

• Has difficulty walking or sitting 
• Suddenly refuses to change for gym or to participate in physical activities 
• Reports nightmares or bed wetting 
• Experiences a sudden change in appetite
• Demonstrates bizarre, sophisticated, or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior 
• Becomes pregnant or contracts a veneer disease, particularly if under age 14 
• Runs away 
• Reports sexual abuse by a parent or another adult caregiver 

Consider the possibility of sexual abuse when the parent or other adult caregiver:

• Is unduly protective of the child or severely limits the child’s contact with other children, especially of the opposite sex 
• Is secretive and isolated 
• Is jealous or controlling with family members 

Signs of emotional Maltreatment 

Consider the possibility of emotional maltreatment when the child: 

• Shows extremes in behavior, such as overly compliant or demanding behavior, extreme passivity, or aggression 
• Is either inappropriately adult (parenting other children, for example) or inappropriately infantile (frequently rocking or head-banging, for example) 
• Is delayed in physical or emotional development 
• Has attempted suicide 
• Reports a lack of attachment to the parent 

Consider the possibility of emotional maltreatment when the parent or other adult caregiver: 

• Constantly blames, belittles, or berates the child 
• Is unconcerned about the child and refuses to consider offers of help for the child’s problems 
• Overtly rejects the child

Abuse and neglect affect the way young people view themselves and the rest of the world. Many people who were abused as children find it hard as adults to like themselves or to trust other people.As children, they learned to expect very little from adults except pain. They may find it hard to believe that people can really care about them.Because of the long-term pain it produces, child abuse can have a serious impact on communities.

To deal with child abuse, we must recognize it and report it. Reporting child abuse can be difficult, but it is the first step toward stopping it. Many teenagers who are abused feel the only thing they can do is run away from home, which can cause more harm than good.

Abuse can and should be reported to teachers, guidance counselors, or law enforcement officers. Reports also can be made to child protective services, a unit of government that usually can be found in a local social services agency.

It is important to tell someone who can help you decide if there is abuse in your family. If you tell someone who does not believe or help you, tell someone else. It takes courage to ask for help, but if you are abused and you tell someone, things can change. 

HYPERTENSION OR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in blood vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. Blood pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the heart. Hyper tension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. The higher the pressure in blood vessels the harder the heart has to work in order to pump blood. if left uncontrolled, hyper tension can lead to a heart attack, an enlargement of the heart and eventually heart failure. Blood vessels may develop bulges (aneurysms) and weak spots due to high pressure, making them more likely to clog and burst. the pressure in the blood vessels can also cause blood to leak out into the brain. this can cause a stroke. Hyper  tension can also lead to kidney failure, blindness, rupture of blood vessels and cognitive impairment.

How hyper tension is defined?

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and is recorded as two numbers usually written one above the other. The upper number is the systolic blood pressure - the highest pressure in blood vessels and hap-pens when the heart contracts, or beats. The lower number is the diastolic blood pressure - the lowest pressure in blood vessels in between heartbeats when the heart muscle relaxes. Normal adult blood pressure is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 120 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure of 80 mm Hg. However, the cardiovascular benefits of normal blood pressure extend to lower systolic (105  mm  Hg) and lower diastolic blood pressure levels (60 mm Hg). 

Hyper tension is defined as a systolic blood pressure equal to or above 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure equal to or above 90 mm Hg. 

Normal levels of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure are particularly important for the efficient function of vital organs such as the heart, brain and kidneys and for overall health and well being.

Causes of hyper tension

There are many behavioural risk factors for the development of hyper tension including :

• consumption of food containing too much salt and fat, and not eating enough fruit and vegetables
• harmful levels of alcohol use 
• physical inactivity and lack of exercise 
• poor stress management.
• these behavioral risk factors are highly influenced by people’s working and living conditions.

In addition, there are several metabolic factors that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other complications of hyper  tension, including diabetes, high cholesterol and being overweight or obese. Tobacco and hyper tension interact to further raise the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.

Social determinants of health, e.g. income, education and housing, have an adverse impact on behavioural risk factors and in this way influence the development of hyper tension. For example, unemployment or fear of unemployment may have an im-pact on stress levels that in turn influences high blood pressure. 

The symptoms of high blood pressure

Most hypertensive people have no symptoms at all. There is a common misconception that people with hyper tension always experience symptoms, but the reality is that most hypertensive people have no symptoms at all. Sometimes hyper tension causes symptoms such as headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, palpitations of the heart and nose bleeds. It can be dangerous to ignore such symptoms, but neither can they be relied upon to signify hyper tension. Hyper tension is a serious warning sign that significant lifestyle changes are required. The condition can be a silent killer and it is important for every-body to know their blood pressure reading.

Hypertension and life-threatening diseases

It is dangerous to ignore high blood pres-sure, because this increases the chances of life-threatening complications. The higher the blood pressure, the higher the likelihood of harmful consequences to the heart and blood vessels in major organs such as the brain and kidneys. This is known as cardiovascular risk, and can also be high in people with mild hyper tension in combination with other risk factors e.g.,  tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, low socioeconomic status and family history of hyper tension. Low socioeconomic status and poor access to health services and medications also increase the vulner-ability of developing major cardiovascular events due to uncontrolled hyper tension.

Diagnosing hyper tension

Blood pressure measurements need to be recorded for several days before a diagnosis of hyper tension can be made. Blood pressure is recorded twice daily, ideally in the morning and evening. Two consecutive measurements are taken, at least a minute apart and with the person seated. Measurements taken on the first day are discarded and the average value of all the remaining measurements is taken to confirm a diagnosis of hyper  tension.

If hyper tension is detected early it is possible to minimize the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure. All adults should check their blood pressure and know their blood pressure levels. Digital blood pressure measurement machines enable this to be done outside clinic settings. If hyper tension is detected people should seek the advice of a health worker. For some people, lifestyle changes are not sufficient for controlling blood pres-sure and prescription medication is needed. Blood pressure drugs work in several ways, such as removing excess salt and fluid from the body, slowing the heartbeat or relaxing and widening the blood vessels.

Self-monitoring of blood pressure is recommended for the management of hyper  tension in patients where measurement devices are affordable. As with other noncommunicable diseases, self care can facilitate early detection of hyper tension, adherence to medication and healthy behaviours, better control and awareness of the importance of seeking medical advice when necessary. Self-care is important for all, but it is particularly so for people who have limited access to health services due to geographic, physical or economic reasons.

How to tackle hyper tension?

While some people develop hyper tension as they get older, this is not a sign of healthy ageing. All adults should know their blood pressure level and should also find out if a close relative had or has hyper tension as this could place them at increased risk.

The odds of developing high blood pressure and its adverse consequences can be minimized by : 

Healthy diet

• promoting a healthy lifestyle with emphasis on proper nutrition for infants and young people
• reducing salt intake to less than 5 g of salt per day
• eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day
• reducing saturated and total fat intake.

Alcohol

• avoiding harmful use of alcohol.

Physical activity

• regular physical activity, and promotion of physical activity for children and young people. WHO recommends physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day five times a week. 
• maintaining a normal body weight. 

Tobacco

• stopping tobacco use and exposure to 
• tobacco products 

Stress

• proper management of stress

If proper diet and regular physical activity are not enough to keep your blood pressure within safe limits, your doctor will prescribe a medication.

Diuretics

Diuretics, or “water pills,” are often the first medication chosen. These drugs help control blood pressure by ridding the body of excess salt and water. If diuretic therapy doesn't bring your blood pressure down to normal, your doctor may have you take other medications. 

Beta Blockers

Beta blockers lower blood pressure by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force of the heartbeat, easing the heart’s workload.

Calcium Channel Blockers

Calcium channel blockers can decrease the heart’s pumping strength and relax blood vessels.

ACE Inhibitors

ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors interfere with the body’s production of angiotensin II, a chemical that causes the arteries to narrow.

ARBs

The ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) block the effects of angiotensin II.

Vasodilators

Vasodilators, another useful group of drugs, can cause the muscle in blood vessel walls to relax, allowing the vessel to widen. They’re especially effective in the arterioles, very small arteries that connect larger arteries to the tiny capillaries. 

In most cases, these drugs lower blood pressure. Quite often, however, people respond very differently to them. That’s why most patients must go through a trial period to find out which medications work best with the fewest side effects. Patients frequently must take two to three medications to control their blood pressure.

LEG CRAMPS AND HOW CAN YOU STOP THEM?

Leg cramps are a common and usually harmless condition where the muscles in your leg suddenly become tight and painful. Almost everyone experiences a muscle cramp at some time in their life. It usually occurs in the calf muscles, although it can affect any part of your leg, including your feet and thighs. After the cramping has passed, you may have pain and tenderness in your leg for several hours.

Research has found that:

• three out of four people only have leg cramps at night
• one out of five people have leg cramps during the day and night
• one out of 14 people only experience leg cramps during the day

Leg cramps can be caused by many conditions, ranging simply from dehydration to something much more serious such as kidney disease. Cramps often result from vigorous exercise, trauma to the muscle, or keeping the leg in an awkward position for too long, such as sitting in a crowded theater. Other causes can include medications such as birth control, diuretics (which are often prescribed for people with high blood pressure) and steroids. A lack of potassium or calcium can also be the underlying cause, as well as cold weather.

Most cases of leg cramps can be treated with exercises.

Exercises during cramps

During an episode of leg cramp, stretch and massage the affected muscle.

For example, if the cramp is in your calf muscle:

• Straighten your leg and lift your foot upwards, bending it at the ankle so that your toes point towards your shin.
• Walk around on your heels for a few minutes.

Exercises to prevent cramps

To reduce your risk of getting leg cramps in the future, you should do exercises to stretch the affected muscles three times a day.

For example, if your calf muscles are affected by cramps, the following exercise should be beneficial:

• stand about a meter away from a wall
• lean forward with your arms outstretched to touch the wall while keeping the soles of your feet flat on the floor
• hold this position for five seconds before releasing
• repeat the exercise for five minutes
  

For the best results, you should repeat this exercise three times a day, including one session just before you go to bed.

The following night-time advice may also help:

• If you lie on your back, make sure that your toes point upwards –placing a pillow on its side at the end of your bed, with the soles of your feet propped up against it may help keep your feet in the right position.
• If you lie on your front, hang your feet over the end of the bed – this will keep your feet in a relaxed position and help stop the muscles in your calves from contracting and tensing.
• Keep your sheets and blankets loose.

If you have leg pain that persists after an episode of cramping, an over-the-counter painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen may help reduce the pain.

Foods That Heal

The key: Eat foods that contain potassium, a mineral that helps your body break down carbohydrates and build muscle. A daily serving of a high-potassium food—a handful of dried fruits; a glass of tomato juice, citrus juice, or milk; a slice of melon, an orange, or a banana—can help banish leg cramps and prevent their recurrence. Drink a lot of water too: It maintains circulation and helps flush cramp-causing waste products from your muscles.

Foods That Harm

Caffeine, usually found in coffee, tea, and soda, can contribute to cramps by constricting your blood vessels and decreasing circulation in muscles. Switch to decaf, herbal tea, or water.

MOVIE TO WATCH: SCHINDLER'S LIST

Schindler's List (1993) is Steven Spielberg's unexpected award-winning masterpiece - a profoundly shocking, unsparing, fact-based, three-hour long epic of the nightmarish Holocaust. [Italian-American catholic Martin Scorsese was originally slated to direct the film, but turned down the chance - claiming the film needed a director of Jewish descent - before turning it over to Spielberg.] Its documentary authenticity vividly re-creates a dark, frightening period during World War II, when Jews in Nazi-occupied Krakow were first dispossessed of their businesses and homes, then placed in ghettos and forced labor camps in Plaszow, and finally resettled in concentration camps for execution. The violence and brutality of their treatment in a series of matter-of-fact (and horrific) incidents is indelibly and brilliantly orchestrated.

Plot

In 1939, the Germans move Polish Jews into the Kraków Ghetto as World War II begins. Oskar Schindler, an ethnic German, arrives in the city hoping to make his fortune. A member of the Nazi Party, Schindler lavishes bribes on Wehrmacht (German armed forces) and SS officials and acquires a factory to produce enamelware. To help him run the business, Schindler enlists the aid of Itzhak Stern, a local Jewish official who has contacts with black marketeers and the Jewish business community. Stern helps Schindler arrange loans to finance the factory. Schindler maintains friendly relations with the Nazis and enjoys wealth and status as "Herr Direktor", and Stern handles administration. Schindler hires Jewish workers because they cost less, while Stern ensures that as many people as possible are deemed essential to the German war effort, which saves them from being transported to concentration camps or killed.

SS-Untersturmführer (second lieutenant) Amon Goeth arrives in Kraków to oversee construction of Płaszów concentration camp. When the camp is completed, he orders the ghetto liquidated. Many people are shot and killed in the process of emptying the ghetto. Schindler witnesses the massacre and is profoundly affected. He particularly notices a tiny girl in a red coat – one of the few splashes of color in the black-and-white film – as she hides from the Nazis. When he later sees the red coat on a wagon loaded with bodies being taken away to be burned, he knows the girl is dead. Schindler is careful to maintain his friendship with Goeth and, through bribery and lavish gifts, continues to enjoy SS support. Goeth brutally mistreats his maid and randomly shoots people from the balcony of his villa, and the prisoners are in constant daily fear for their lives. As time passes, Schindler's focus shifts from making money to trying to save as many lives as possible. He bribes Goeth into allowing him to build a sub-camp for his workers so that he can better protect them.

As the Germans begin to lose the war, Goeth is ordered to ship the remaining Jews at Płaszów to Auschwitz concentration camp. Schindler asks Goeth to allow him to move his workers to a new munitions factory he plans to build in his home town of Zwittau-Brinnlitz. Goeth agrees, but charges a huge bribe. Schindler and Stern create "Schindler's List" – a list of people to be transferred to Brinnlitz and thus saved from transport to Auschwitz.

As Schindler's workers begin to arrive at the new site, the train carrying the women is accidentally redirected to Auschwitz. Schindler bribes the commandant of Auschwitz with a bag of diamonds to win their release. At the new factory, Schindler forbids the SS guards to enter the production areas and encourages the Jews to observe Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath). To keep his workers alive, he spends much of his fortune bribing Nazi officials and buying shell casings from other companies; his factory does not produce any usable armaments during its seven months of operation. Schindler runs out of money just as Germany surrenders, ending the war in Europe.

As a Nazi Party member and war profiteer, Schindler must flee the advancing Red Army to avoid capture. The SS guards have been ordered to kill the Jews, but Schindler persuades them to return to their families as men, not murderers. He bids farewell to his workers and prepares to head west, hoping to surrender to the Americans. The workers give Schindler a signed statement attesting to his role saving Jewish lives, together with a ring engraved with a Talmudic quotation: "Whoever saves one life saves the world entire." Schindler is touched but is also deeply ashamed, as he feels he should have done even more. As the Schindlerjuden (Schindler Jews) awaken the next morning, a Soviet soldier announces that they have been liberated. The Jews leave the factory and walk to a nearby town.

After some scenes depicting Goeth's execution and a summary of Schindler's later life, the black-and-white frame changes to a color shot of actual Schindlerjuden at Schindler's grave in Jerusalem. Accompanied by the actors who portrayed them, the Schindlerjuden place stones on the grave. In the final scene, Neeson places a pair of roses on the grave.

Regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, Schindler's List  was also a box office success, earning $321.2 million worldwide on a $22 million budget ($35.9 million in 2014 dollars). It was the recipient of seven Academy Awards (out of twelve nominations), including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score, as well as numerous other awards (including seven BAFTAs and three Golden Globes). In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked the film 8th on its list of the 100 best American films of all time. The Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2004.

TO SEE TRAILER OF THIS FILM VISIT: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwfIf1WMhgc

VIOLENCE

Violence has probably always been part of the human experience. Its impact can be seen, in various forms, in all parts of the world. Each year, more than a million people lose their lives, and many more suffer non-fatal injuries, as a result of self-inflicted, interpersonal or collective violence. Overall, violence is among the leading causes of death worldwide for people aged 15–44 years. Although precise estimates are difficult to obtain, the cost of violence translates into billions of US dollars in annual health care expenditures worldwide, and billions more for national economies in terms of days lost from work,law enforcement and lost investment.

Defining violence

Any comprehensive analysis of violence should begin by defining the various forms of violence in such a way as to facilitate their scientific measurement. There are many possible ways to define violence. 

The World Health Organization defines violence as:

"The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation."

So 'Violence is an extreme form of aggression, such as assault or rape or murder'. 

Types of violence

We can divide violence into three broad categories according to characteristics of those committing the violent act:

• —self-directed violence;
• —interpersonal violence;
• —collective violence.

This initial categorization differentiates between violence a person inflicts upon himself or herself, violence inflicted by another individual or by a small group of individuals, and violence inflicted by larger groups such as states, organized political groups, militia groups and terrorist organizations.

These three broad categories are each divided further to reflect more specific types of violence.

Self-directed violence

Self-directed violence is subdivided into suicidal behaviour and self-abuse. The former includes suicidal thoughts, attempted suicides – also called ‘‘parasuicide’’ or ‘‘deliberate self-injury’’ in some countries – and completed suicides. Self-abuse, in contrast, includes acts such as self-mutilation.

Interpersonal violence

Interpersonal violence is divided into two sub-categories:

. Family and intimate partner violence – that is, violence largely between family members and intimate partners, usually, though not exclu-sively, taking place in the home.

. Community violence – violence between individuals who are unrelated, and who may or may not know each other, generally taking place outside the home.

The former group includes forms of violence such as child abuse, intimate partner violence and abuse of the elderly. The latter includes youth violence, random acts of violence, rape or sexual assault by strangers, and violence in institutional settings such as schools, workplaces, prisons and nursing homes.

Collective violence

Collective violence is subdivided into social, political and economic violence. Unlike the other two broad categories, the subcategories of collective violence suggest possible motives for violence committed by larger groups of individuals or by states. Collective violence that is committed to advance a particular social agenda includes, for example, crimes of hate committed by organized groups, terrorist acts and mob violence. Political violence includes war and related violent conflicts, state violence and similar acts carried out by larger groups. Economic violence includes attacks by larger groups motivated by economic gain – such as attacks carried out with the purpose of disrupting economic activity, denying access to essential services, or creating economic division and fragmentation. Clearly, acts committed by larger groups can have multiple motives.

The nature of violent acts

 The nature of violent acts can be:

• —physical;
• —sexual;
• —psychological;
• —involving deprivation or neglect.

     (THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN WRITTEN WITH THE HELP OF WHO PUBLICATIONS)

KHAZAHAR ALI MOMO FOUNDATION

In 2009, when good days were with me along with my few friends we had started a charity organization for the poor people of Rangpur, shapla chottor area, Bangladesh, named "Khazahar Ali Momo Foundation". Now I'm trying to run this foundation for the better future of the backward poor people of my local community.
From the foundation we are running a blog. Its address is http://khazaharalimomofoundation.blogspot.com
Its an interesting site. Hope you will visit it regularly.

I"M BACK

Always I took a faith upon wrong one. As a result I became failure every time. May be I'm an idiot or not for this world. But I've a family. I love my kids & only love is not going to enough for their future. I need money...money & money.