Thursday, December 26, 2019

My Future Career Choosing A Career - 1360 Words

My Future Career Choosing a career is sometimes difficult because there is an endless amount of job possibilities in the world. Ultimately you have to make the choice of what makes you the happiest. In the future I want to become a lawyer, a criminal lawyer specifically. I chose this career because I’ve always had strong opinions on almost everything and I like to get my point across. Also because I grew up watching so many different cop shows and documentaries like Law and Order and CSI for example. That lifestyle really resonated with me because their lives are always fast paced and full of action. Besides those things, I have a personal desire to help people. Through being a criminal lawyer I could either work for the defense or prosecution. By being a defense lawyer I am responsible for making sure I gather the right types and amount of evidence to ensure that the accused goes to jail for whatever offense they committed. While working for the persecution on the other hand I would be doing almost the opposite, I would be trying to prove that the accused is innocent or either reduce his sentence if they are guilty. There was a program I participated in my junior year called College Now where I was able to take college classes and I chose to take a paralegal studies class. My teacher was an attorney named Mr. Applewhite. He was a really great teacher because she taught us about a lot of the things that go on behind the scenes of being a lawyerShow MoreRelatedAn Article On Theories Of Career Development1090 Words   |  5 Pagesntroduction This article is about theories of career development. By applying the theories to my career developments, evaluating the strength and weakness of those theories, then I took my parents’ working experience as examples, finally came up with my theory that should be used when making a vocational choice. Applying Theories to My Career Development There are two career development theories which is quite coinciding with my career development. The first one is the vocational choice theory ofRead MoreChallenges Students Face When Choosing A Career Essay1182 Words   |  5 PagesChallenges Students Face when Choosing a Career Today, choosing a career can be problematic especially within the new graduates, and the choice of career path is not always in our hands. Even when the choice is fully our own, choosing the profession that promises the highest compensation is not the best way to go, for the simple reason that the job that pays the highest need not essentially be the most nourishing. Choosing a career can be simply defined as the leading decision that one takes at aRead MoreWhy I Want To Participate In Sal Essay825 Words   |  4 Pagesthat will allow me to improve my skills, such as practicing discussions, essays, and presentations. Thus, this is beneficial to me because it will prepare me for my classes in high school and college. Additionally, being in the program will also give me a higher chance of getting into a good college because _____. Furthermore, learning about several careers in the program and meeting judges, attorneys, and law enforcement officials will help me in choosing a career th at I want to pursue. Thus, IRead MoreBecoming An Agriculture Teacher At The High School Level Essay1016 Words   |  5 Pagesis the stepping stone to a career and possibilities and paths are limitless. I have known for a while that I want to go into either Agricultural Education or Biology, so when I chose my major in school, I just picked both. I love social interaction and leaving an impact on someone, however, I love the sciences like biology and chemistry. Throughout my entire high school career, I fell in love with agriculture and Future Farmers of America (FFA), so currently, the career I am looking into with excitementRead MoreThe Importance Of Reflection Within The Nursing Profession844 Words   |  4 PagesThe fate and future of nursing are now more than ever dependent upon self-care, health promotion and self-generated coping and healing modalities. Working as a health care provider is more than just a job, it is a career. However, being a reflective nurse is extremely i mportant, â€Å"Reflection is an essential attribute to the development of autonomous, critical and advanced practitioners† (Caldwell Grobbel, 2013). It allows for nurses to reflect on the day’s practice, whether they treated the patientsRead MoreGraduation Speech For Becoming A Teacher852 Words   |  4 PagesThe following paper is a reflection of the experiences and life lessons that ultimately led me to choose a teaching career in mathematics. Of the many experiences that contributed to my desire to become a teacher, tutoring high school students who struggled with math, and hearing my mother’s stories about the rewards of teaching were my greatest sources of inspiration for becoming a teacher. As a student tutor, I witnessed students who lacked self-confidence find hope and pride in their newly acquiredRead MoreThe Ten Facets Of The Christian Life943 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent components of faith is helpful when looking to the future. Each part is uni que but holds together the entirety. I can see how my faith is the entire â€Å"gem† and I can work on each facet to complete and complement my whole being. My spiritual life, current schooling, future working life, and married life are interconnected but can be individually enhanced at different times. Spiritual Life Christian faith is a defining aspect or facet of my identity. I have grown up in a family with many levelsRead MoreFactors That Affect The Decision Of Becoming A Nurse902 Words   |  4 Pages Many influences can draw a person to choose a pathway to their career. Three research articles are reviewed and will be discussed. The main points that are reviewed in all of the articles is altruism, the concern for the welfare of others, the ability to work with others, ability to travel, salary, knowing someone who is a nurse, career with many opportunities, job satisfaction and stability. Of the interviewed nursing students and registered nurses, job satisfaction was correlated with the interestingRead MoreThe Day For Air Conditioned Spaces922 Words   |  4 Pagesradars and radios. These electronic devices must remain cold, or they will overheat and malfunction, the spaces are so cold you must wear a jacket. The EN asks the ET â€Å"How did you get so lucky to be working in air-conditioned spaces while I‘m sweating my buttocks off down in the engine room?† The ET replies â€Å"Choose your rate, choose your fate.† It is one of our favorite sayings in the en listed Navy. It has just enough truth to be annoying. The Navy s enlisted ranks are subdivided into occupationalRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of A Career960 Words   |  4 PagesCareer Will I make the right choice? This is a common question that comes across every college students mind when choosing what career path, they want to head down. It is a decision that holds the potential to influence every aspect of their life: their happiness, when they have kids, whether they travel, everything can be impacted. One has to weigh out the pros and cons of the careers they are choosing between, because there are always many challenges, but there are often rewards too. I can’t

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Psychosocial Factors That Impacted Behavior And Action...

In this assignment, students are required to identify experiences of intrapsychic, interpersonal, and group-to-group conflicts. In addition to writing a brief description of the psychosocial factors influence that impacted behavior and action the conflict events. Types of Conflict Values Personality Emotional Intelligence Conflict Style Intrapsychic X A person applied for a position with the organization. The prospective employee was a member of a religious community that commanded the wearing of head wraps. The day of interview the prospective employee asked if it was acceptable to wear the head wrap to work. The hiring manager said yes the organization would permit the wearing of the head wrap. The employee worked effectively for three month. The organization changed the leaders and policies was developed and implemented a dress code and wearing heads wrap was not adequate for organization work environment. The hiring manager informed the employee of the new polices. The employee desperately needed the job, however; the religious community would not allow public appearances without head covering. Intrapsychic was the employee conflict and the experience was a faith crisis. The psychosocial factors perspective was personality which causes a person who was routinely pleasant and calm, to response with emotions and outraged, when the hiring informed the employee of the new dress code polices. Types of Conflict Values Personality Emotional IntelligenceShow MoreRelatedMy Mother Who Has Played A Very Important Role Within My Life Essay1374 Words   |  6 Pagesrelationship between time and human behaviors. â€Å"Biological, psychological, and social factors act independently, cumulatively, and interactively to shape people’s lives from conception to death†(). These events shape a person’s life based on event histories, and are impacted from different periods within their lives. Cohorts, Transitions, Trajectories, Life events and Turning Points are all basic concepts of the life course perspective and can be seen as major factors in the timing of lives in individualsRead MoreThe Psychoobiography Of Michael Jackson1657 Words   |  7 Pagesable to have a normal childhood filled with experiences that most children have. He was in the public eye since he was five years old. This may have led to his behavior as an adult and his fascination with chil dren. Freud would have said, according to the psychoanalytic theory, that his actions as an adult as well as his personality and behavior were directly related to his experiences, unconscious forces, and memories as a child. However, Erikson very well might have argued that Michael’s interactionsRead MoreThe Human Body And Mind1350 Words   |  6 Pagespatient’s physical health and mental state possibly creating greater negative effects to the body, than the poor diagnosis itself (Rogers-Clark, McCarthy Martin-McDonald, 2005). The human body and mind, through a range of internal and external factors, develops responses to this negative diagnoses (Rogers-Clark, McCarthy Martin-McDonald, 2005). Physical Response The initial psychological response often takes the form of physical impact. This is directly correlated to the arrival of anxietyRead More What is borderline personality disorder? Essay1955 Words   |  8 PagesIdentity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self 4. Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating) 5. Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behaviour 6. Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days) 7. ChronicRead MoreNew York City Ghetto Of Harlem4103 Words   |  17 Pagesdeliberately dropped 3-day old Abdul, Precious finally fought back, and fled the home with Abdul. With no place to go, Precious broke into her school classroom. After Ms. Rain discovered Precious and baby Ab dul the following morning, she immediately took action, calling local shelters looking for a place for Precious to stay. She took Precious and Abdul in for the night, and encouraged Precious to continue her schooling while she raised Abdul in a halfway house. 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The power of positive psychology has impacted people’s lives. This new branch of psychology emphasizes the value of positive emotions, positive psychological traits, positive relationships, and positive institutions for preventing chronic illness and malaise. This new and emerging perspectiveRead MoreDomestic Violence and Its Effect on Children4845 Words   |  20 Pagesnegatively influence relationships with extended family, friends, in their workplace and their community (Bosch, 2006). Wolfe et al (2003) concluded that children who were both abused and exposed to domestic violence had higher levels of emotional and behavior problems. The problems posed by children’s exposure to violence not only affect children’s physical health and safety, but also their psychological adjustment, social relations, and academic achievement. The impact of violence exposure goes beyondRead MoreOptimism in Modern Psychology: The Power of Positive Thinking3327 Words   |  14 Pagesand psychologists have for a long time been interested in the trait of optimism. Scientists come to the basic conclusions that optimism can be a positive or negative trait depending on the situation, person, environment, and many other competing factors. The definition can be seen in real world examples, and research surrounding the definitions of optimism were very similar and did not completely differ too much from one another. The differences may involve regards to social optimism, and op timismRead MoreAfrican American Daughters And Non Residential Fathers : A Qualitative Exploration9462 Words   |  38 Pageswithin myself, as well as with my nonresidential father. Through the preparation for this study, I have a better understanding of the external and internal factors that can and will affect the father-daughter relationship. Some scholars have argued the notion that fathers are important contributors to their children and adolescents’ psychosocial development (Mandara, Murray, Joyner, 2005). According to Allgood, Beckert, and Peterson (2012), researchers are beginning to understand the importance

Monday, December 9, 2019

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation System †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation System. Answer: Introduction The following report focuses on a case study of the company Hennes Mauritz (HM), which is a Swedish retail company dealing in clothing. The company is popular for its fast fashion clothing options for kids, men, teenagers, and women. The company has approximately 4500 stores which are located in more than 62 countries. The company also deals in online retailing providing its shoppers experience in online shopping. The company has a huge employee and customer base which has made it the second largest clothing retail chain (HM Group, 2017). This report aims at discussing the HR practices of the company with respect to motivation, performance management, rewards system, and health and safety legislations. The audience for this report is the management of HM. the report is based on the secondary literature and no primary data has been gathered for this report which serves as its limitation. The aim of this report is to analyze the HR practices that are employed by the company, HM in managing its employees. In order to attain the aim of this report successfully, following objectives have been developed. To understand the business setting of the company in relation to job ability, motivation and reward systems adopted by the company To gain an insight on the employment relations and health and safety legislations adopted by the company To understand the performance management of the company with the application of suitable models and theories To make recommendations for the gaps identified and for the enhancement of organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Business Setting in HM It is essential for the organizations to manage its most important asset, that is, its employees. If the employees are satisfied in the organization, it is likely that the company has better productivity and profitability. The job ability refers to the different skills required by the employees to carry out their work duties. The company requires different job abilities for different job positions; however, there are certain abilities and qualities that are to be present in an individual to work for the company. The company looks for those individuals who are passionate and dedicated towards fashion and design, are focused on achieving customer satisfaction. It also looks for people who are business driven, and who have a similar set of values as that of the company (HM, 2016). Apart from these basic job abilities, employees working in different departments are required to have the relevant expertise. For example, a sales employee is required to have the convincing ability, presentation skills, and effective communication abilities. The company's HR strategy is influenced by the Maslow's need Hierarch theory which indicates that there are five level of needs, the satisfaction of each need level motivates an individual to move to the higher level of needs (Maslow, 2013). In the context of HM, the company is offering a good salary, incentives and opportunities for establishing networks within the organization (HM, 2016). Its HM incentive program ensures long-term commitment and involvement of its employees, which as per the Maslows theory are satisfying the physiological, safety, and belongingness needs (HM, 2017). The company is also allowing its employees with proper opportunities to accomplish their self-esteem and self-actualization needs and for their personal growth and development by providing them challenging tasks and presenting their potential. As a part of its reward management system, the company offers a complete benefits package which is inclusive of incentive bonuses, staff discounts, pension scheme, private healthcare, and sick pays. Even though the company does not offer any share options to its employees, it provides ample opportunities for their growth and development (HM, 2017a). The company believes in intrinsic motivation theory and does not consider pay structures, and titles to be effective motivational tools; rather, they provide them the opportunity to showcase their skills and potential (Sansone Harackiewicz, 2000). The company has adopted the total reward management approach in its working. The company apart from giving its employees the financial compensation, believes that the best reward for any employee would be job satisfaction which would motivate them to do give their best. As a part of reward systems, the employees are provided different opportunities for personal development by being included in the decision-making process. Employment relation and health and safety legislations In order to ensure effective employment relations in the company, it follows a democratic management style and an open door policy for its employees. The employees are free to discuss any work-related issues that they face, directly with the management. The company also allows its employees the right to collective bargaining, so that it can easily establish good relation not only with individual employees but also with the trade unions and employees association (HM Group, 2016; HM, 2017b). In the context of health and safety legislations, the company ensures that it has a sustainable and pleasant working environment for its employees to work. It has taken preventative measures for ensuring the general well-being and long-term safety of its employees. It even encourages its employees to report any accidents or any unsafe working condition to their superiors (HM, 2017). It also adheres to the various laws that are levied by the government on its operations. The company provides a lot of training and development options for the personal development of employees. It believes that if the employees are well trained, they are likely to perform better, which in turn would improve the overall performance of the company. The company ensures that every new joiner and existing employees go through training and development so that they become familiar with the companys values and working (HM, 2017d). The development in the company is a continuous process, it enables the managers to prepare the employees for future challenges and giving them an opportunity to showcase their skills. The company has even initiated a skills training program for its workers in Bangladesh (Rayapura, 2014). Through its development programs, it ensures that its employees are aware and empowered (Fair Labor Association, 2011). The company has adopted an integrated and strategic approach to attaining organizational success by improving the performance of its employees. The goal setting theory of performance management can be applied in this scenario, which indicates that the goals set by the company for the employees are significant in motivating them to work better (Pride, Hughes Kapoor, 2009). If the goals are not achieved, either the goals are made more realistic or the employees try to improvise their performance (Locke Latham, 2013). The organization appraises the efforts and improved performance of the employees are providing them more incentives and benefits and offer better and challenging opportunities in the future. The leaders of the company believe that in order to ensure better productivity of the company, there has to be a certain degree of discipline in its working. Even though the company follows an open door policy and democratic form of management, it still has disciplinary actions stated in its code of conduct. In case of any complaint received, especially for the conduct of abuse or harassment, the companys officials are likely to take disciplinary action against the employee who is found guilty (Fair Labor Association, 2009). However, it also allows the employee to present his side of the story and a chance for proving his innocence. The company issues written warnings to the employees and holds the complete authority to take decisions in such matter. There is no formal control mechanism available for the employees to appeal against the decision of the officials (Fair Labor Association, 2009). The company has adopted this mechanism so that the employees can embrace discipline in their working and the organization on a whole, thereby ensuring better performance for the company. In addition to this, the company has also allowed its employees to be a part of the disciplinary mechanism in the company. They can use their right of whistleblowing if they find some serious improprieties in the company. Through this mechanism, they can directly report such activities to the management, so that there is no negative impact of such activities on the performance of the company (HM, 2017c). Employment relation and health and safety legislations In order to ensure better performance across all levels of the company, appropriate legislations and rules are drafted and implemented by the company. All the parties and employees associated with the company are required to adhere to these health and safety standards. These rules are related to building safety, fire safety, accidents and first aid, and working environment. The company also ensures that the rights of its employees are also well protected and the laws relating to wages, working hours, benefits, and leaves are duly adhered (HM, 2010). The safety and health of the employees hold a priority for the company as it considers it employees the main asset. The analysis of the companys practices reveals that the company has adopted effective measures for rewarding and motivating its employees. It has developed various training and development programs for all its employees, whether new recruits or the existing employees. These programs lead to the personal development of employees and ensure that the employees are well aware of the company's values, incorporate the learning in their work. The core of the companys success is its employees who give their maximum efforts in improving the overall performance and productivity of the company. Strengths and weaknesses of the company and areas for improvement From the analysis of the companys processes, it has been identified that the strength of the company lies in its rewards system, motivational practices, and development component of its performance management mechanism. It is revealed that the company has adopted effective training programs for the development of its employees which helps them in performing their jobs in a better manner and thereby improving the performance of the overall company. The company has good relations with its employees, trade unions, and employee associations. It even provides them the opportunity for collective bargaining where they can put their views as a group. The safety and health measures also serve as a strength for the company as it ensures a safe and healthy working environment for all its employees. On the contrary, the weaknesses of the company lie in its appraisal and a disciplinary component of the performance management. The company has specified that an individual cannot appeal against the disciplinary action taken by the management in case of any misconduct. The employees should be given fair chance to appeal against such decisions and make their opinions heard. The company can adopt innovative practices to improve these two areas. Recommendations Following are the recommendations for the company to make improvements in its weak areas and improve its overall efficiency so that the organizational mission and objectives can be achieved optimally. The company should also include promotion as a means of motivating and rewarding its employees (Napolitano, 2014). This is due to the fact that there are certain employees who consider non-monetary incentives, such as titles and promotion to be the motivational factors (Reeve, 2014). The company should encourage both social and official meetings for its employees so that there is a free flow of information in the organization and the belongingness need of the employees can be catered effectively (Steeves, 2010). For improving the effectiveness of the company, it should encourage innovation among the employees (Issar Navon, 2016). Any innovative ideas from the employees regarding the issues faced by the company should be shared by the employees through open door policy. During the appraisal process, the company should provide proper feedback to its employees regarding their strengths and weaknesses and the manner in which they can improve their weak areas (Fletcher and Williams, 2013; Attorney, 2007). This would help the company in attaining its mission and goals in a better manner as the employees can work on their weak areas. The company should make more use of technology in its working. It should be used in all the aspects, such as sales, training and development, supply chain, marketing, and information sharing. This would ensure efficiency in different organizational processes (Ross, 2016; Lamb, Hair McDaniel, 2008). References Attorney, A. D. (2007). Performance Appraisal Handbook. Berkeley: Nolo. Fair Labor Association. (2009). Independent external monitoring report. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1978context=globaldocs Fair Labor Association. (2011). Training, Capacity Building Efforts Benefit Workers at HM Supplier Factory. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://www.fairlabor.org/blog/entry/training-capacity-building-efforts-benefit-workers-hm-supplier-factory Fletcher, C. and Williams, R. (2013). Appraisal, Feedback and Development: Making Performance Review Work. London: Routledge. HM Group. (2016). THE HM Group Sustainability Report 2016. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://sustainability.hm.com/content/dam/hm/about/documents/en/CSR/2016%20Sustainability%20report/HM_group_SustainabilityReport_2016_FullReport_en.pdf HM Group. (2017). About Us. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://about.hm.com/en/about-us.html#cm-menu HM. (2010). Code of Conduct. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://www.your-bizbook.com/contentassets/ef398a110094413e961fae025bde0da6/code-of-conduct_en.pdf HM. (2016). HM Annual Report 2016. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://about.hm.com/content/dam/hmgroup/groupsite/documents/masterlanguage/Annual%20Report/Annual%20Report%202016.pdf HM. (2017a). Career at HM. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://career.hm.com/content/hmcareer/en_gb/workingathm/get-to-know-us/benefits.html HM. (2017b). Our Workplace. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://career.hm.com/content/hmcareer/en_gb/workingathm/get-to-know-us/our-workplace.html HM. (2017c). Whistle Blowing. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://about.hm.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/whistle-blowing.html HM. (2017d). What you should know. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://reviews.greatplacetowork.com/h-m HM. (2017). The HM way. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://about.hm.com/content/dam/hmgroup/groupsite/documents/en/hm-way/HM%20Way_en.pdf Issar, G., Navon, L. R. (2016). Operational Excellence: A Concise Guide to Basic Concepts and Their Application. Berlin: Springer. Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., McDaniel, C. (2008). Essentials of marketing. Boston: Cengage Learning. Locke, E. A., Latham, G. P. (2013). New Developments in Goal Setting and Task Performance. London: Routledge. Maslow, A. H. (2013). A Theory of Human Motivation. New York: Simon and Schuster. Napolitano, G. (2014). Motivation in the Workplace: A Procter and Gamble Case Study. Babelcube Inc. Pride, W., Hughes, R., Kapoor, J. (2009). Business. Boston: Cengage Learning. Rayapura, A. (2014). HM Launching Skills Training Initiative for Garment Workers in Bangladesh. Retrieved October 04, 2017, from https://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/supply_chain/aarthi_rayapura/hm_launching_skills_training_initiative_garment_workers_ Reeve, J. (2014). Understanding Motivation and Emotion. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Ross, D. F. (2016). Introduction to e-Supply Chain Management: Engaging Technology to Build Market-Winning Business Partnerships. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Sansone, C., Harackiewicz, J. M. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: The Search for Optimal Motivation and Performance. New York: Academic Press. Steeves, R. (2010). Breaking the Leadership Mold: An Executive's Guide to Achieving Organizational Excellence. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Media Violence And Its Effect On Kids Essays - Dispute Resolution

Media Violence And It's Effect On Kids Media Violence and the Effects It Has On Children The media clearly has an impact on our lives and especially the young, impressionable and weak-minded people in our society. Children become desensitized to violence when they see it everyday on TV, in theaters and even in video games. They are not becoming properly aquatinted with what is real, what is not, and the effects of it all. Even TV news deadens anyone's perception of reality. People of all ages especially those who are at an impressionable time in their lives, need to know that murder, death and violence are real and that sadness comes with all of these. The American media is the most violent in the world. Children in America are more likely to be shot than in any other country (AAP Committee on Communications, 1997; Derksen & Strasburger, 1997). With over 1000 studies supporting the causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children, we know the more life-like the violence depicted the more likely it will be learned. Yet 66% of children's programs contain violence and one third have nine or more violent portrayals in each episode. Much of the violence is presented as humorous and less than half of the violent interactions show the victims experiencing any signs of pain (Clarke-Pearson, 1997). Violence on television is frequent, inconsequential, effective, and rewarded. The heroes even use it as often as the villains do. Violence ends confrontation quickly and effectively, without a need for patience, negotiation, and compromise. Moreover, violence is an acceptable method to solve conflicts on television. Rarely are real-life consequences or the lingering psychological and physical effects of violence shown (Sege Sege Spivak & Harvey, 1998). Constant exposure to the repeated depiction of violence on television also leads to blunt emotional reactions of the viewers. Such desensitization can lead to both hardened attitudes about violence directed at others and decreased interest in taking action on behalf of a victim of violence (Clarke-Pearson, 1997). A well-known example of this bystander effect is the New York City Kitty Genovese incident (Sege & Dietz, 1997). Exposure to television violence, both on fictional programs and news reports, makes the world seem like a frightening place and can lead to nightmare and sleep problems. Viewing violence can lead to children being afraid of becoming a victim of violence (Clarke-Pearson, 1997). It is likely that children who witness violence in their homes or communities are especially vulnerable to media influences, as each exposure validates the other and confirms the role violence plays in settling disputes (Augustyn, Parker, Groves, Spivak & Harvey, 1998). In our society, television is the main source of news and information, and the main source of entertainment as well. More than 99 percent of U.S. households have at least one television set, and about two- thirds of them have two, three, or more sets (Nielsen 1998). As the number of TV sets in a household has increased, family viewing has declined, and individual program selection and solitary viewing have increased. Cable programming is found in 68 percent of households, greatly expanding the number of networks and independent stations that can be accessed. In the United States, 54 percent of children have a television set in their bedrooms. About 87 percent of U.S. households have a VCR, and about $10 billion is spent annually on video rentals, double the amount spent at movie theaters (Mediascope 1998). The average weekly viewing time has increased annually in American households, from 43 hours in the early seventies to 50 hours in the mid-nineties. In 1998, the average was 51 hours and 55 minutes per week (Nielsen 1998), which is close to 7 hours per day! Children spend an average of 28 hours a week watching TV. During prime time (7 to 11 p.m.), about 7 million teenagers and 9 to 10 million preteens are