Attachment Theory And Risk Assessment

Attachment Theory And Risk Assessment Linking Theory, Research, and Practice: Risk-Assessments and Child Protection. The primary goal of this paper was to broaden my knowledge and understanding around the theory, research, policies, and procedures guiding risk-assessment decision making within child protection service. Individuals and group identified as at-risk-, for one or more myriad reasons have been the broad focus of a decade s worth of academic and professional purists. Although the initial concern for all at-risk individual remains, practical and academic experiences have narrowed the scope to include children under the age of twelve, at risk- of, or currently residing out-of-home-care placements (hereafter referred to as care environments). Of all at-risk- populations, I believe these children are the most vulnerable to negative outcomes in the near and distant futures. Substantiated allegations of child maltreatment1 are responsible for 80% of child protection investigations, and preceded out-of-home care placements of at least 90% of the current care-population (Gough, 2000; Wiley, 2009). For several helpless years, I witnessed the devastating consequences for those children that child protection services failed. When child protection workers would report risk-assessment results, I was repeatedly astonished by outcomes, which failed to remove from unhealthy home environments. Consequently, I developed an interest in contributing factors in risk- assessment. To convey the complexity of competing factors that influence risk-assessment outcomes, the following section provides some brief background information about child protection services and additional information around the risk-assessment process. Background Canada s Child, Family, and Community Services Act (CFCS) (1996), is the major source of information that guides each province in the development, regulation and implementation of child protection services. Recent amendments to the Canadian Criminal Code (1985), such as the controversial) legal obligation to report suspected child abuse/maltreatment, provide additional legal guidelines. In British Columbia (BC), the Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD), is responsible for overseeing the quality and delivery of Child Protection Services. Independent arrangements exist between the MCFD and twenty-four separate Aboriginal child protection Agencies. National estimates suggest that on any given day, more than 67 000 Canadian children (9.2 children per 1000) will be living in out-of-home care (Garrison, 2004; Gough, 2007; Trocm , Tourigny, MacLaurin, Fallon, 2003) British Columbia`s contribution to this figure represents 1% of the province`s children, although a disproportionate amount of these children are Aboriginal2. Approximately equal numbers of females (48%) and males (52%) live in care settings with a combined average age of 9.0 years (Child and Youth Officer for British Columbia, 2005; Connolly, 2007; Hardiker, Exton Barker, 1991). Risk-assessment and Decision Making Out-of-home care environments primarily refer to kinship care (family member), foster care, and residential/group care facilities, independent or assisted living facilities, and formal institutionalization (e.g., hospitals or mental health institutions) (Rosen 1999; Trocm et al, 2003; Waechtera et al, 2009). Child in short-term care (awaiting a permanent placement) comprise 40% of this population, and the remaining 60% represents children in long-term care placements (minimum of five uninterrupted years) (Fisher, Burraston, Pears, 2005; Kelly Milner, 1996; Solomon, 2002). Research has identified areas of significant concern associated with each of these environments, including but not limited to child maltreatment from caregivers, isolation, inadequate foster parent screening, training, poor parenting skills, negative peer influences, deviant peer clustering, and instability (Garrison, 2004; Okagaki Luster, 2005; Rosen, 1999; Solomon, 2002). Risk-assessment refers to the decision making process of child welfare workers investigating the potential dangers associated with a child s primary care environment (Connolly, 2007; Kelly Milner, 1996). Typically, these assessments are intended to validate allegations of child maltreatment (Gilbert et al., 2009; Wiley, 2009). Despite the high stakes associated with each of these outcomes, there are no mandated procedural standard associated with the assessment process. This assessment is a largely subjective judgement or evaluation of the severity of potential harm to the child (Drury-Hudson, 1999). There are three possible outcomes of a risk assessment corresponding to perceived severity of the risk and age of the child (see Figure 1). Family Development Response (FDR) is likely when the risk- is considered high, yet manageable through interventions that target adult behaviours. If the risk is moderate or higher (and the child is old enough) Youth Services Response may be considered. When the risk- is immediate, and severs, the only available recourse is to begin a child protection investigation. Child Protection: Goals Child protection services are one way that childrens rights are enforced and upheld and to the increase the likelihood of the child to develop the characteristics (personality and behavioural) associated with success and wellbeing in adulthood. The intended purpose of child protection is to safeguard children from immediate and future harm. The focus of most protection investigations is on the efforts and ability of caregivers to provide a supportive environment that does not threaten the safety and wellbeing of the child, and promotes cognitive, physical, and emotional developmental process (Waechtera et al., 2009). Unfortunately, these goals rarely achieved. When compared to non-care population, research investigations consistently describe children in care as more aggressive, antisocial and are more likely to demonstrate pathological and or problem behaviours (Chamberlain, 2003; Simms, Dubowitz, Szilagyi, 2000; Rosen, 1999). Additionally, children in care are four times as likely (65% of children in care) to be diagnosed with one or more clinical mental health condition (e.g., Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) (Three, 2001; Provincial Health Officer of BC, 2001; Wiggins, Fenichel, Mann, 2007). Furthermore, children in care are prescribed more pharmacological treatments (e.g., Ritalin) for longer periods, at higher dosages (Vitally, 2001). The purpose of this paper is to examine theoretical and empirical support for the practices associated with the risk-assessment process and outcomes. Attachment Theory has been extensively applied within social services practices and research. Direct references to Attachment Theory are found throughout practice guidelines for child protection services. Attachment Theory Attachment Theory has traditionally been regarded as the theoretical bridge between early childhood development research and clinical social work practices (McMillan, 1992). The influence of Attachment Theory within child protection services is pervasive to the point of being indistinguishable (Byrne, 2005; Haight, Kagle, Black, 2003). According to Attachment Theory, critical, developmental periods in the first years of life where the quality of a child-caregiver attachment relationship is crucial for health development (Bowlby, 1999; Bretherton, 1992). Bowlby believed that the critical function of the parent-child attachment relationship was the formation of an internal working model that formed the basis for lifelong patterns of interpersonal behaviours and shaped all aspects of subsequently formed relationships (Bacon Richardson, 2001). Attachment Theory and Child Protection Practices: Summary of Research It is evident that Attachment Theory has exerted considerable influence upon child protection practices (Axford, Little, Morpeth, Weyts, 2005; Schore Schore, 2008). Child protection guidelines frequently and specifically refer to Attachment Theory when describing theoretical support for recommended practices (Bacon Richardson, 2001; Trevithick, 2000). For example, practitioners guidelines recommend that when child welfare workers respond to allegations of abuse, the risk-assessment should consider the style of the attachment relationship between a child and mother, and balance the consequences of breaking a secure attachment against the consequences of perceived risk- (Harris, 2009; Simms et al., 2000). Consistent with central tenants of Attachment Theory, the importance of familial relationships is emphasized throughout policies and practices, including the screening of adoptive parents (e.g. the recommendation that child welfare workers assess adoptive parent in terms of the att achment potential), child custody determinations, therapeutic support (i.e., Family focused therapy), and risk- assessment (Barth, Crea, John, Thoburn, Quinton, 2005; Lopex, 1995; McMillen, 1992). Moderate evidence indicates that under specific conditions, there is empirical evidence to support assessment of attachment relationship (Axford et al., 2005; Byrne, OConnor, Marvin, Whelan, 2005). These conditions include risk assessment involving infants and/or children less than two year of age, availability of high quality alternative care environment, use of standardized attachment measures (i.e., Ainsworth s Strange Situation test) and sufficient time available for a minimum of two assessment opportunities (OConnor Byrne, 2007). Unfortunately, there appears to be little research support for the above recommendations in all but the specific conditions described above. Recent research indicates that key elements of Attachment Theory are often misinterpreted by practitioners and inappropriately applied to situations that contradict research recommended parameters (Holland, 2001). No evidence links style of attachment with a course of action in risk- assessment (Barth et al., 2005). Practitioner guidelines seem to overstate the extent of empirical support justifying use of attachment assessment in high stakes decision-making processes (Connolly, 2007; Trevithick, 2000). Additional concerns have been raised around a concerning tendency in the attachment research to draw unsupported conclusions, an erroneous use of correlational research designs (vs. experimental), inappropriate use of assessment methods, discounting environmental confounds, a lack of regard for extra-familial relationships, and a tendency to attr ibute problems to deficiencies in parenting (Harris, 2009; Solomon, 2002) Final Remarks Overall, Attachment Theory is consistent with the family focus of child protection practices, however, there is no evidence linking this framework with improved long-term outcomes. Reported benefits and related successes appear to occur almost randomly, and rare, and often are limited to unrealistic example of care environments that in no way represent the much harsher reality. There appears to be a need for practitioner education to improve their understanding and interpretation of Attachment Theory. It appears there is also a need to establish standardized assessment procedures, including the development and introduction of research validated assessment tool. As it currently exists, the range, severity, and prevalence of developmental problems noted among children in care, the high financial costs to society, the lack of intervention strategies, and the twenty years of negative growth, are undeniable evidence of our dismal failure as a society to protect our most vulnerable members (Chamberlain, 2003; Farruggia, Greenberger, Chen, Heckhausen, 2006; Okagaki Luster, 2005; Sims, Dubowitz, Szilagy, 2006).

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 8~10

Chapter 8 Dinner with the Vampire â€Å"Is there something wrong with your food?† â€Å"No, I'm just not very hungry.† â€Å"You're going to break my heart, aren't you?† Chapter 9 He Knows If You've Been Bad or Good, So You'd Better†¦ For the few days he had been in San Francisco, because of the newness of it all, because of the mystery of the flowers and the worries of finding a job, Tommy had completely forgotten that he was horny. He had always been horny, and had accepted that he always would be horny. So when Jody sat down across from him and the tsunami of hormones washed over him, he was quite shocked that he had ever forgotten. Through dinner he missed most of her small talk and bought all the polite lies she told about her eating habits because his mind was busy with a single obsessive thought: She must move that scarf so I can see her breasts. When Tommy finished eating, Frederick came to the table. â€Å"Was there something wrong with your food?† he asked Jody. â€Å"No, I'm just not very hungry.† Frederick winked at Tommy and took their plates. Jody sat back, unwrapped her scarf and threw it over the back of her chair. â€Å"What a nice night,† she said. Tommy ripped his gaze from the front of her blouse and pretended to look out over the street. â€Å"Yep,† he said. â€Å"You know, I've never asked a man out before.† â€Å"Me either,† Tommy said. He had decided that he would throw himself at her feet and beg. Please, please, please, take me home and have sex with me. You have no idea how badly I need it. I've only done it twice in my life and both times I was so drunk that I had to be told about it the next day. Please, for the love of God, end this suffering, fuck me now or kill me! â€Å"Would you like a cappuccino?† he asked. She shook her head. â€Å"Tommy, can I trust you? Can I be honest with you?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Look, I don't want to be too forward, but I think I have to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I knew it.† He fell forward until his head hit the table, rattling the silverware. He spoke into the tablecloth. â€Å"You just broke up with a guy, and this date seemed like a good idea at the time, but you think that you're still in love with him. And I'm a really nice guy and you'll always be my friend. Right?† â€Å"No. I wasn't going to say that.† â€Å"Oh, then you've just gotten out of a bad relationship and you're not ready to get into another one. You need to be alone for a while and find out what you really want. Right?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Right,† Tommy said into the tablecloth. â€Å"But things are moving a little too fast and maybe we should see other people for a while. I knew it. I knew you would break my – â€Å" Jody whacked him on the back of the head with a soup spoon. â€Å"Ouch!† Tommy sat up, rubbing the rising lump. â€Å"Hey, that hurt.† â€Å"Are you okay?† she asked, holding the soup spoon at ready. â€Å"That really hurt.† â€Å"Good.† She put the spoon down. â€Å"I was going to say that I don't want to be too forward, but you and I both need a place to live, and I need some help with some things, and I like you, and I was wondering if you wanted to get a place together?† Tommy stopped rubbing his head. â€Å"Now?† â€Å"If you don't have other plans.† â€Å"But we haven't even, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We can just be roommates if you'd like. And if you need to think it over, I'll understand, but I really need your help.† Tommy was stunned. No woman had ever said anything like that to him before. In just these few minutes she had come to trust him enough to lay herself open to total rejection. Women didn't do that, did they? Maybe she was nuts. Well, that would be okay; she could be Zelda to his F. Scott. Still, he felt as if he owed her some sort of confession that would leave him equally vulnerable. â€Å"Five Chinese guys asked me to marry them today,† he said. Jody didn't know what to say, so she said, â€Å"Congratulations.† â€Å"I didn't accept.† â€Å"Thinking it over?† â€Å"No, I wouldn't two-time you.† â€Å"That's sweet, but technically you'd be six-timing me.† Tommy smiled. â€Å"I like you, I really do.† â€Å"Then let's move in together.† Frederick appeared at the table. â€Å"Well, I can see things are going along just swimmingly between you two.† â€Å"Check, please,† Jody said. â€Å"Right away.† Frederick headed back into the cafe in a bit of a snit. Tommy said, â€Å"You're going to break my heart, aren't you?† â€Å"Irreparably. Would you like to go for a walk?† â€Å"Sure, I guess.† Frederick returned to the table with the check wallet. Jody pulled a wad of cash out of her backpack and handed him a hundred-dollar bill. As Tommy started to protest, standing to dig money out of his jeans pocket, Jody picked up her soup spoon and brandished it threateningly. â€Å"I'll get this.† Tommy sat back down. To Frederick, Jody said, â€Å"Keep the change.† â€Å"Oh, you are too generous,† Frederick gushed. He started backing away from the table in a half-bow. â€Å"And, Frederick,† Jody added, â€Å"Batman is far more over-accessorized than I am.† â€Å"I'm sorry you heard that,† Frederick said. â€Å"An overdeveloped sense of fashion will be my downfall.† He looked at Tommy. â€Å"You're right, she's going to break your heart.† â€Å"Have you seen Coit Tower?† she asked as they walked. â€Å"From a distance.† â€Å"Let's go there. It's all lit up at night.† They walked for a while without talking. Jody walked on the inside and dealt with the barkers with a shake of her head and a wave of dismissal. To one barker she said, â€Å"Thanks, but we're going to put on our own show.† Tommy coughed and tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. He looked at her as if she'd just announced the Second Coming. â€Å"I have to go to work at midnight,† he said. â€Å"You'll have to keep an eye on the time, then.† â€Å"Right. I will.† I can't believe I'm being this aggressive, Jody thought. I hear myself say these things and it's as if they're coming out of someone else's mouth. And he just agrees. I'd have become a tramp a long time ago if I'd known what a great sense of control it gives you. They passed two tall women with enormous breasts and impossibly narrow hips unloading wigs, wads of sequins, and a boa constrictor from the back of a rusted-out Toyota. Shift change at the strip joints, Jody thought. Tommy was riveted. Jody watched the heat rise in his face, just as it had when she caught him staring at her own breasts. He's so open, like a little kid, Jody thought. A cute little neurotic kid. I was lucky to find him. Lucky, considering everything that has happened. They turned on Kearny and Jody said, â€Å"So what do you think about my offer?† â€Å"It sounds okay, if you're sure. But I won't get my first pay-check for a couple of weeks.† â€Å"Money isn't a problem. I'll pay.† â€Å"No, I couldn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Look Tommy, I meant it when I said I need your help. I'm busy all day. You will have to find the place and rent it. And I have a lot of other things that you'll have to do. For one, my car is in impound and someone has to get it out during the day. If it would make you feel better, I can pay you so you'll have the money.† â€Å"Is that why you asked me if I had my days free in the parking lot last night?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So it could have been anyone who worked the right hours?† â€Å"Your buddy works the right hours, and I didn't ask him. No, I thought you were cute.† â€Å"I can't deal with that.† He walked along looking straight ahead, saying nothing. They had passed into a neighborhood of apartment houses with security bars on the windows and electric locks on the doors. Ahead, Jody saw waves of red heat signatures coming out of one dark doorway. They were too hot for one person and too cool to be a lightbulb. She focused and could hear men whispering. She suddenly remembered the phone call: â€Å"You're not immortal. You can still be killed.† â€Å"Let's cross the street, Tommy.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just come on.† She grabbed his jacket and yanked him into the street. When they were on the opposite sidewalk, Tommy stopped and looked at her as if she had just hit him on the head with a spoon. â€Å"What was that all about?† She waved for him to be quiet. â€Å"Listen.† Someone behind them was laughing. Laughing loudly enough to be heard without Jody's acute hearing. They both turned and looked back. A thin man dressed in black was standing under a street lamp a block away. â€Å"What's so funny?† Tommy asked. Jody didn't answer. She was staring at something that wasn't there. There was no heat signature coming off the man in black. â€Å"Let's go,† Jody said, hurrying Tommy up the street. As they passed the doorway across the street, Jody looked over and flipped a middle finger to the three toughs that had been waiting to ambush them. You guys are nothing, she thought. Laughter from the man in black still rang in her ears. It had been a long time since the vampire had heard the sound of his own laughter, and hearing it made him laugh all the louder. So the fledgling had found herself a minion. It had been a good idea to leave her hand partially exposed to the daylight. She had learned that lesson quickly. So many of them just wandered until daylight and burned to death, and he couldn't even enjoy the show unless he wanted to join them in perdition. This one was interesting: so reluctant to give herself to the blood. They only seemed to have two instincts, the hunger and the hiding. And this one had controlled the hunger on her first feeding. She was almost too good. So many of them, if they lasted the first night, went mad trying to live with their new senses. One night and he had to send them to hell with a snap of the neck and a fare-thee-well. But not this one. She had made him laugh; afraid of a few mortals whom she could crush like insects. Perhaps she was protecting her new servant. Perhaps he should kill the boy, just to watch her reaction. Perhaps, but not yet. Some other fly in her ointment then. Just to keep the game going. It felt so good to laugh after so long. Chapter 10 Walking, Talking, and Bumping in the Night Coit Tower jutted out of Telegraph Hill like a giant phallus. Impressive as it was, all lit up and overlooking the City, it made Tommy feel nervous, inferior, and pressured to perform. She had as much as admitted that she was going to take him to bed – had even offered to solve the problem of the Wongs. She was a dream come true. It scared the hell out of him. She took his hand and looked out over the City. â€Å"It's pretty, isn't it. We're lucky it's a clear night.† â€Å"Your hand is freezing,† he said. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. God, I'm smooth, he thought, a complete stud. I'm making a move on an older woman – an older woman with money. Now what? My arm is lying on her shoulder like a dead fish. I'm a geek. If I could just turn my mind off until it's all over. Just get shit-faced and do it. No, not that. Not again. Jody stiffened. She thought: I'm not cold. I haven't been cold since I changed, nor warm, for that matter. Kurt used to say I was always cold. How strange. I can see the heat around Tommy but there's none around me. â€Å"Feel my forehead,† she said to Tommy. Tommy said, â€Å"Jody, we don't have to do this if you're not ready. I mean, maybe, like you said, we should just be roommates. I don't want to pressure you.† â€Å"No, feel my forehead and see if I have a fever.† â€Å"Oh.† He put his hand on her forehead. â€Å"You're as cold as ice. Do you feel okay?† Oh my God! How could I have been so stupid? She tore away from him and began pacing. The guy outside her apartment, the laughing man on Kearny Street, he had been cold. And so was she. How many vampires were out there that she hadn't seen? â€Å"What's the matter?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Did I say something wrong?† I've got to tell him, she thought. He's not going to trust me if I keep it from him. She took his hand again. â€Å"Tommy, I think you ought to know. I'm not exactly what I seem to be.† He stepped back. â€Å"You're a guy, aren't you? I knew it. My dad warned me that this could happen here.† Maybe not, she thought. â€Å"No, I'm not a guy.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Are you?† â€Å"There's no need to get nasty.† â€Å"Well, how would you feel if I asked you if you were a girl?† Tommy hung his head. â€Å"You're right. Sorry. But how would you feel if five Chinese women asked you to marry them? Things like that don't happen in Indiana. I can't even go back to my room.† â€Å"I can't either,† she said. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Give me a minute to think, okay?† She didn't want to go back to the motel on Van Ness again. The vampire knew she had been there. But he'd probably know even if she moved. â€Å"Tommy, we need to get you a motel room.† â€Å"Jody, I'm getting mixed messages here.† â€Å"No, don't take it wrong. I don't want to send you back to that room with the Wongs. I think we should get you a room.† â€Å"I told you, I don't get paid – â€Å" â€Å"My treat. It'll be an advance on your new job as my assistant.† Tommy sat down on the sidewalk and stared up at the lighted shaft of Coit Tower. He thought, I have no idea what I am supposed to be or what I'm supposed to do. First she wants me for my body, then she wants me as an employee, then she doesn't want me at all. I don't know whether I'm supposed to kiss her or fill out an application. I feel like one of those nervous little dogs from an electroshock test. Here's a bone, Spot. Zap! You didn't really want that, did you? He said, â€Å"Whatever you want me to do, I'll do.† â€Å"Okay,† Jody said. â€Å"Thanks.† She bent and kissed him on the forehead. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, she thought. If we go to a motel and go to bed together, then he'll have to go to work, and when he comes back in the morning he'll come back to the room, open the door, and the sunlight will hit me. Bursting into flames is no way to impress someone on the first date. Separate rooms is the only way to go. He's going to get fed up and leave me like all the rest. â€Å"Tommy, can you go get your stuff tomorrow?† â€Å"Whatever you say.† â€Å"I can't explain now, but I might be in a little trouble and I have a lot of things to do. I need you to do a lot of things for me tomorrow. Can you do that after working all night?† â€Å"Whatever you say,† he said. â€Å"I'm going to get you a room at my motel. I won't be around until tomorrow night. I'll meet you at the motel office at sunset. When you come back to the room in the morning, the papers for my car will be on the bed, okay?† â€Å"Whatever you say.† Tommy looked dazed. He stared into his lap. â€Å"I'll give you money for an apartment. Try to find a place that's furnished. And no windows in the bedroom. Try to keep it under two thousand a month.† Tommy didn't look up. â€Å"Whatever you say.† I've taken over his mind, she thought. It's just like in the movies, when the vampire can control people's actions. I don't want that. I don't want to force him with my will. It's not fair. He was helpless enough, but now I've turned him into a zombie. I want help, but I don't want this. I wonder if there's enough of his mind left even to function, or if I've ruined him. â€Å"Tommy,† she said sternly, â€Å"I want you to climb to the top of the tower and jump off.† He looked up. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† She threw her arms around him, kissed him, and said, â€Å"Oh, I'm so glad I didn't turn you into a vegetable.† â€Å"I'll give you time,† he said. Jody stood outside the four-story apartment building on Chestnut, watching and listening. There were no lights on in Kurt's apartment. Already it had become Kurt's apartment, not hers, not theirs. The moment she asked Tommy out, she had transferred whatever dreams and delusions she attached to being a couple to Tommy. It was always that way for her. She didn't like to be alone. She and Tommy had walked Telegraph Park talking about their past lives and avoiding the subject of a singular, future life until it was time for Tommy to go to work. Jody had called a cab from a pay phone and dropped Tommy off at the store with a kiss and a promise. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow night.† It was only when she got out of the cab at the motel that she realized that the registration and pink slip for her car were still at Kurt's. Why didn't I take a damn key when I left? She toyed with the idea of ringing the bell, but the thought of looking Kurt in the eye after what she had done to him†¦ No, she'd have to get in on her own. Going through the two fire doors and the security bolts wasn't an option. The building was a pseudo-Victorian, the facade decorated with prefabricated bolt-on gingerbread. Jody tried to imagine herself climbing the front of the building and shuddered. To her relief, the side panels on the fourth-floor bay window were closed. No way in there. There was a five-foot-wide alley between Kurt's building and the one next to it. The bedroom window was on that side. No gingerbread for handholds there. She went to the alley and looked up. The bedroom window was open and the wall was as smooth as polished stone. She eyed the space between the two buildings. With her hands against one side and her feet against the other, she could spider her way up the wall. She'd seen guys climbing chimney crevices at Yosemite that way. Experienced climbers, with equipment. Not secretaries who avoided escalators for fear of breaking a heel. She focused on the open window and listened. The sound of someone breathing deeply, sleeping. No, it was the sound of two people sleeping. â€Å"You bastard.† She leaped into the air and caught herself between the two buildings, six feet off the ground, her feet against one, hands against the other. She was amazed that she could do it, but it wasn't that hard. It wasn't hard at all. She tested her weight against the tension in her limbs and it felt solid. She held herself with one hand while she pulled her skirt up over her hips with the other, then she tried a tentative step up. Hand, foot, hand, foot. When she paused to look down she was right under Kurt's window, forty feet off the ground, with only a garbage can and a stray cat to break her fall. She tried to catch her breath, then realized that she wasn't out of breath. She felt as if she could hold herself there for hours if she needed to. But the fear of falling pushed her on. You're not immortal. You can still be killed. She pushed the screen loose from the window with her left hand, got a grip on the windowsill, then loosed the tension in her legs and swung down against Kurt's building. Hanging by one hand, she removed the screen with the other and lowered it to the floor inside, then pulled herself up to the windowsill, where she crouched and looked around the room. Two people were in the bed. She could see their heat signatures rising through the covers and being dissipated by the cold breeze coming through the window. No wonder I complained about the cold. She stepped into the room and waited to see if the sleepers stirred. Nothing. She moved to the side of the bed and looked at the woman with almost scientific detachment. It was Susan Badistone. Jody had met her at Kurt's office picnic and had disliked her immediately. Her straight blond hair was spread over the pillow. Jody twisted a lock of her own curly red hair around her finger. So this is what he wanted. And that's an after-market nose if I've ever seen one. But it's all about appearances, isn't it, Kurt? Jody grabbed the covers and lifted them far enough to look under. She's got the body of a twelve-year-old boy. Oh Kurt, you should have let her finish the surgery schedule before you brought her home. She let the covers fall and Susan stirred. Jody backed away from the bed slowly. She had kept all of her papers in an expandable file under the sink in the bathroom. She went to the bathroom and palmed the cabinet open. The file was still there. She grabbed it and headed for the window. â€Å"Who's there?† Kurt said. He sat up in bed and stared into the dark. Jody ducked below the light coming in the window and watched him. â€Å"I said, who's there?† â€Å"What's a matter?† a groggy Susan said. â€Å"I heard something.† â€Å"It's nothing, honey. You're just jumpy after what that horrible woman did to you.† I could snap her scrawny blond neck, Jody thought. Then, in thinking it, in knowing that she could actually do it, she was no longer angry. I'm not â€Å"that horrible woman,† she thought. I'm a vampire, and no amount of plastic surgery, or breeding, or money will ever make you my equal. I am a god. For the first time since the transformation Jody felt calm, comfortable in her own skin. She waited there in the dark until they fell asleep again, then she climbed out the window and replaced the screen. She stood on the window ledge and threw the expandable file on the roof, then leaped up, grabbed the gutter, and pulled herself onto the roof. At the back of the building she found a steel ladder that went all the way to the ground. The climb between the two buildings had been completely unnecessary. Okay, not a particularly smart god, but at least a god who has her original nose.

Mcbride Financial Service Essay

The purpose of this paper is to develop a marketing plan for McBride Financial Service. The paper will include what type of market research McBride should undertake. The various types of media Mcbride should use in the marketing plan. This paper will cover McBride’s target markets and explain why they are targets for McBride Financial Service. This paper will also cover what the considerations are for McBride to conduct a portion of their marketing on the Internet. Market research is a technique used to determine the acceptance of a product or service within different demographics. In the book Marketing: An Introduction market research is defined as [a systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data relevant to a specific marketing situation facing an organization](Armstrong, 2011). A company can use market research to develop a target audience to help them pinpoint a specific demographic to market in. There are several forms of market research that McBride can use to help develop their marketing plan. The first would be online market research that will consist of Internet surveys and online focus groups. Online market research is easy for people in every demographic to participate in from home eliminating the need to travel to participate in focus groups. Internet surveys are taken online and the person filling out the surveys avoid the hassle of mailing the surveys back by simply clicking submit. Telephone interviewing is one of the fastest ways for a company to gather information for market research. Telephone interviewing is more personable than mail or Internet surveys and would be recommended for McBride Financial Services. An effective marketing plan should include using various types of media to advertise the goods or services a company offers. Types of media include radio, television, outdoor media, Internet, magazines, and newspapers. McBride Financial Service has many options to choose from concerning marketing media to advertise their organization. Television ads are seen by the most people, but they are also cost the most money to obtain a prime spot. Radio can target specific audiences at a lower cost but a company needs to buy time on several stations to obtain good reach. It is recommended that McBride incorporate a mixture of media in their marketing plan. These following types of media will be included television, radio, Internet and, magazines. Television as mentioned earlier in this paper is the best form of advertising so McBribe cannot hope to have a good marketing plan without it. Television ads will not be the main form of media because of the high cost. Because one of McBride’s target markets is retirees they will be buying ad space in retirement magazines like AARP. This will allow McBride to focus in on retired people or are getting close to retirement. Newspapers are a dying form of media so McBride will avoid buying ad space in any of them. This section of the paper will focus in on why Mcbride should consider conducting a major portion of their marketing via the Internet. The Internet is a major influence in society today with millions of people surfing the web every hour. This is an opportunity that McBride needs to take advantage of to capture the attention of an ever-growing population on the Internet. Buying ad space on a website is inexpensive compared to television and radio that is a major advantage for McBride. Ad space on major Internet sites is a â€Å"double edge sword† for McBride’s marketing plan. The first is that people will see the ads every time a person opens his or hers favorite website. The second would be a direct link to McBride’s website allowing even more exsposer for the company’s services. This section of the paper will cover McBride’s target market. Entrepreneur. com defines a target market as a specific group of consumers at which a company aims its products and services (â€Å"Target Market†, 2011). The site continues to write that target customers are those most likely to buy from a company. McBride has a target market shown on the home page of their website and it consists of professionals purchasing primary or secondary properties, retirees purchasing primary or secondary properties and families or individuals purchasing recreational properties. It seems like every adult in the world would fit into McBride’s target market that is not a bad target market, but it may be a wise move to narrow it down. Sticking with retired and professionals purchasing property would allow McBride to maintain a manageable target market. If the target market is too big McBride would have to cater their marketing media budget to too broad a campaign. McBride’s target market is anybody who is looking to buy property whether it be primary or secondary. In conclusion this paper has described a marketing plan that can be implemented by McBride Financial Service. The marketing plan will include market research strategies such as Internet surveys and telephone interviews aimed at collecting information. The media will play a part in McBride’s market in the form of television, radio, and Internet ads. The considerations for McBride to conduct a portion of their marketing online were covered in this paper. Finally the target markets for McBride Financial Service were discussed at the end of this paper.

Similarities Between Heroes And Monster In Beowulf

Despite the hero-villain representation usually seen in the fantasies of modern day culture, real heroes and monsters remain today. When defining the terms ‘hero’ and monster’ people often imagine made-up characters. Because of this, the view of a hero or monster in a real-world sense might seem absurd, however, looking at people who have risked their lives, or devastated the world proves their existence. Similarities between the heroes and monsters of today and those found in poetry centuries ago exemplifies how they still exist. In the epic poem Beowulf, characters Beowulf and Grendel represent the ideals of a hero and monster. Their qualities of courage and envy parallel with that of some of the most significant people today. De Vigny†¦show more content†¦Courage displayed by people of today’s times which amounts to monumental change, like that of Martin Luther King Jr, shows heroism. M.L.K Jr. embodies the characteristics of a hero through his bravery which resulted in the betterment of society. His revolutionary behavior to strive for advancements in the culture of many, and his risk in doing so, labels him a hero. Alike to Martin Luther King Jr. with his willingness to be criminally charged, Beowulf has the audacity to fight the evil that is Grendel. With his bare hands, Beowulf would â€Å"settle the outcome in a single combat† (line 426) that would rid the town of evil. The similar bravery between Martin Luther King Jr. and Beowulf depicts how people of today can be heroes. The bravery that exists in the most revolutionary people which leads to good change displays qualities of a person that can label them a hero. Envy in people that leads to evil and significant change, like that of Adolf Hitler, shows properties of a monster. Hitlers jealously of the prosperous Jewish merchant class contributed to his reason for disliking them and ultimately, the killing of millions. Alike to Hitler’s jealous attitude towards the Jew’s , in Beowulf the monsterous Grendel acts out of envy as well. Grendel is jealous of the celebrations and happiness present in the town. During the celebrations which he was left out of, it â€Å"harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet† (line 87-88) going on. Grendel envied the parties takingShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1020 Words   |  5 Pagesunmatched fame because of the traits that the heroes exude. Both Sir Gawain, from â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† translated by Marie Borroff, and Beowulf, from Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, serve as heroes in different times of Medieval English Literature. 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Although the two in the title are not as famous as Superman or Spiderman, this does not make their tale any less epic. Both Achilles and Beowulf brought a new style of hero to the table. The two heroes had their flaws, however paid it back in spades with the bravery displayed in t heir respective epics. What is interesting about these two heroes is that their stories were writtenRead MoreThe Modern Medieval Hero1679 Words   |  7 Pagescan. (Bill, â€Å"The Legend of the Batman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Although written in different time periods, Batman’s creation can be traced back to the hero Beowulf. The classic model of a hero possesses is one who possesses strength, ethics, morality and, above all else, combats the forces of evil. 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