Juvenile Delinquency Essay Example for Free

Juvenile Delinquency Essay There are numerous theories to why a person becomes who they are and how they got there, what makes it difficult to understand is which correct theory to follow and believe. Listed are a brief analysis of a few theories and two case studies of two troubled youths that will help to open a window to witness what is happening to society’s youth and how they contribute to adulthood. Although, several theories are around regarding juvenile delinquency, tapering them down to one solution is nearly impracticable. Knowing that a theory is simply an educated guess, one can see there is not one single cause for delinquency in society today . However, there are several theories that should be considered and explored. We should make a more in-depth look at figures and determine where crime actually begins. The following are two separate crimes and for many, the correct theories surrounding them. I will explore theories such as the Robert Agnu’s General Strain Theory which suggest that anger, frustration and adverse emotions are linked to negative and destructive relationships. I will also explore Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic theory which suggests delinquent behavior is a product of abnormal personality structure formed early in life which consciously controls her choices. Juvenile Delinquency I will begin with Lakeisha McCoy a 16 year old girl living in Malvern Arkansas, a rural area in county seat of Hot Springs with the population of 9,021; (Wikipedia 2000) Lakeisha is from a single parent home with her mother and three other your female siblings surviving on the income $ 375 a week and no father figure in the home. Lakeisha’s mother works 40-50 hours per week at the Waffle House and has no daycare for the younger children . Therefore Lakeisha is unsupervised for better part of (6) hours after school due to her mother’s schedule. Lakiesha’s mother has an extensive criminal record possible mental illness, and was a troubled youth. She chooses boyfriends are less than desirable citizens most have little job security as well as drug and alcohol tendencies. Lakiesha was recently arrested for shoplifting at the local dollar store after stealing two pairs of shoes and three shirts. Next subject is Martin, a 14 year old male who lives in Dallas Texas, a large metropolitan city with the population of 1,299,543; (Wikipedia 2008) Martin is from a two parent household with one younger sister living on the annual income of $100,000. 00 a year. Martin’s parents are both employed, however, they work opposite shifts to ensure at least one parent is available for supervision at all times. Both parents keep the children at home after school and they are not involved with any after school or extra family functions. Martin was arrested for breaking and entering into a neighbor’s home during the day when his mother was a doctor’s appointment with his younger sister. What would society believe to be the reasoning behind both Lakeisha and Martins crimes? Some would say â€Å"There just troubled kids† or maybe would say â€Å"It’s because neither had supervision†. However, research and theorists view it in a completely different way. Let’s look at Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic theory which suggests delinquent behavior is a bi product of abnormal personality structure formed early during the beginning stages of life. This theory would then explain her choices in relationships and how she feels about herself . Example mental torment can lead children into violence and aggression . An neglected child attention from peers will introduce them to a family structure or gang. This theory indicates that children act on unconscious needs and desires. With id, egos ,and super ego functioning together a child can live a normal in the aspects of personality if one becomes dominate then abnormal personality traits can be viewed in a â€Å"God† like complex. (Siegel et al. † 2003). Arousal theorists believe that obtaining thrills is a motivation of committing crimes. They believe children commit crimes like shoplifting for the thrill of possibly getting away with it . They also believe this directly linked environmental and genetic reasons and this group responds to a different brain stimuli. This might indicate that some children need more stimuli to feel comfortable which links higher degrees of excitement . The theories do not stop with just a chemical thrill seeking side of these children; there are a few other facts to consider. (Siegel et al., 2003). Robert Agnu’s General Strain Theory explores the notion that anger, frustration and adverse emotions are directly linked to negative and destructive relationships. Example, Lakeisha’s mother is one with abusive tendencies, she is ridiculed and called names which affects her behaviors both inside and outside the home by harboring a since of fear. Disappointment and anger. This eventually leads to antisocial behavior. He indicates that the negative behavior is linked to a certain peer group which might lead the adolescent to riskier behavior such as drug use. (Siegel et al. , 2003). Also Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory suggest children exposed to and learn prosocial and antisocial attitudes and behavior ;meaning that the definitions of violating the law outweigh the definitions of being law abiding . Lakeisha’s mother has a long criminal record including , shoplifting , robbery and drug dealing. Since Lakeisha was exposed to this behavior most of her life, she begin to understand the law differently than a child whose parents were law abiding citizens. Terrence Thornberry’s interactional theory suggests most onset of criminal activity is linked to the weakening of social bonds during adolescence; marked by the deterioration of attachments of function within a society. It also believes that seriously delinquent children form a counter cultural belief system that justifies their behavior they interact with peer groups that that reinforce the same type of behavior and beliefs. This reinforces the term â€Å"Birds of a feather flock together† . Together they may look for excitement and engage reckless behavior and by doing so; they will justify their actions by stating â€Å"we have to do something for enjoyment† (Siegel et al, 2002). In Lakeisha’s case all three theories can be tied to her behavior, individual sociological and developmental stages have all been tainted . From birth Lakeisha was statistically predisposed to commit crimes and have a delinquent youth. Today, there are 100,000 children incarcerated throughout the United States and the number in continuing to rise. Studies show that in 19999 there were nearly (2) million juvenile adjudicated in the United States courts. That is an increase of 27% since 1990. The number of drug law violations increased by 168% public order increased by 74% and offenses of a person increased by 55% (Puzzanchera, 1999). Martins’ case is linked more towards the interactional theory and arousal theory than the opposite. His behaviors seem easier to turn towards the positive aspect than the latter. After several years of juvenile justice the general consensus should consider exploring there issues first. look in and around all the theories and perhaps children can avoid obstacles in their way. REFERENCES Foster care and juvenile delinquency (n. d. ) Retrieved July 24, 2010 , from http;// www,ark. edu/psyc112/fostercare/. Pussanchera, C (1999) The national juvenile court data archives. Retrived Oct 19, 2005 from Juvenile Court Statistics Web site: http//www. ncjrs. org/pdffiles I /ojjdp/201141. pdf#search=Juvenile%20statistics Siegel, L (2002) Juvenile delinquency, The Core, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Sigel. J. , Welsh, B, C, Senna, J. J. (2003) Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, practice, and law (8th Ed. ). United States: Thomson Wikipedia (2002). Retrieved July 27, 2010 from the free Encyclopedia Website: Wikipedia (2006) Retrieved July 27, 2010 from The free Encyclopedia Website

Economic and Employment Impacts of Tourism

Economic and Employment Impacts of Tourism Tourism Impacts Tourism is regarded as an industry with enormous economic impacts that has been widely studied from a variety of research perspectives. Over the past decade, the interest in tourism development as a regional economic development strategy plan has been increasing rapidly as tourism is now being seen as potential basic industry that provided local employments opportunities, tax revenues and economic diversity (Gursoy et al, 2002; Getz,1986; Jurowski et al, 1997). The travel and tourism industry today is the worlds largest and most diverse business factor where a report by the UNWTO stated that in 2014 there were 1133 million of total international tourist arrivals and US $1245 billion receipts worldwide. The importance of the tourism industry is served as a main source of generating revenues, employment, private sector growth and infrastructure development in many countries (Gee, 1999; Chen Wei, 2009). Studies on the impacts of tourism have demonstrated that a destinations population acknowledges the economic and social benefits and also the cost of tourism on the respective community and lives (Murphy, 1985; Harvey et al, 1995; Jurowski et al, 1997; Choi and Sirakaya, 2006; Dyer et al, 2007). Furthermore, the impacts studies that were emerged during the 1960s drew more emphasis on the economic growth that acted as a form of national development which could be measure in terms of Gross National Product (GDP), rate of employment and the multiplier effect (Krannich et al, 1989). However, some researchers have emerged with some drawbacks of the impact of tourism in local community in terms of economy and ecological vulnerability (Briguglio et al, 2000; Briguglio, 2004; Sutton; 1999; Sutton, 2001). According to the Inter-Organisation Committee (IOC) (1994) the following types of the impact of tourism that needed to be considered is: social, cultural, demographic and economic. The IOC also stated that the focus should be on the more significant impacts, information and appropriate measures should be used and the impacts should be provided in a way that it can be understood by decision makers and leaders. The positive and negative aspects of tourism development may be referred as a chain of impacts with different linkages and is illustrated as a conceptual form in Figure 2.4. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the effects of the tourism expansion on the economy and briefly understand the mechanisms that bring out the effects of each link in the i mpact chain. In the next section, the major positive and negative impacts of tourism development will be discussed and Table 2.0 will provide a summarized list of the major positive and negative impacts of tourism on a country. Economic Impacts Tourism play an important role in stimulating economic growth by creating jobs, provide foreign exchange, enhance technology, produce return on investment for emerging countries and improve living standards in different countries (Eadington et al, 1991). Hall et al (2008) indicates that the tourism industry has the largest value in the worlds industry and it is a more effective way in expanding business and increase income than any other sectors compared. The tourism industry acts as an invisible export medium that brings in wealth which is used to toward the contribution of balancing payment, production, account deficit and employment. In 2012, the tourism industry generated 8% of employment worldwide (Candela and Figini, 2012). Eadington and Redman (1991) concluded that countries such as Ireland, the Caribbean and Egypt used the income from tourism to improve their economic development whereas country like Cambodia, tourism is one of the major source of income for future economic d evelopment. However, the development of tourism can also reduce the dependency on primary merchandise as a source of export earnings. Brown (1998) stated that over-dependency on a single source of income can be very risky. Employment Impact The tourism industry continues to grow into one of the most dynamic economic sectors according to the UNWTO as it acts as a reliable tool for sustainable job creation. Many studies have concluded that after several research that tourism does help in increasing the amount of jobs (Davis et al, 1988; Tosun, 2002; Weaver Lawton, 2001). Tyrrell and Sheldon (1984) discovered that the creation of jobs was one of the four most frequently mentioned benefits of tourism. However, Turner and Sears (2014) stated that the travel and tourism sector is a leading employment creator all around the world by employing more than 98 million people and representing around 3% of total world employment. The employment rate in this sector keeps on growing and is more likely to stay high. For example, Table 2.1. displays the tabulated date retrieved from Figure 2.5. i.e. between 2012 and 2022 the estimated creation of extra jobs is listed as 63 million. Tourism being a service industry, is mostly argued to be labour intensive in nature and that one major impact of tourism is that it acts as an engine for employment creation. However, Mathieson and Wall (1982) stated that such employment can be classified into 3 categories: Direct Employment Direct employment occurs as a result of tourism expenditure. Front offices in hotels, restaurant, travel agencies, tourism information offices, aircrafts, cruise line, resorts or shopping outlets provide direct employment because their employees are in contact with tourist and cater for tourist demand.

Portrayal of Masculinity in Art Essay -- Essays Papers

Portrayal of Masculinity in Art According to several versions of the Webster dictionaries, the word â€Å"masculinity† refers to the characteristics of being masculine, manly, male stereotypes, having or occurring in a stressed final syllable , having the final chord occurring on a strong beat , of or forming the formal, active, or generative principle of the cosmos. The word â€Å"masculinity† overall reflects the stereotype of men being a strong force, in music chords or in general. Looking into Brett Eberhardt’s drawing, â€Å"Introduction†, the thought of sexuality barely crossed my mind. After talking to Mr. Eberhardt about his choice to draw a self-portrait, he stated that he wanted to depict a human, male or female. It just so happens that he draws himself best. Eberhardt’s drawing is nostalgic in the depiction of curiosity. The suggestion of curiosity plays with many topics that range from childish curiosity to sexual curiosity. So I wondered how his piece might be considered a masculine drawing and how masculinity has been portrayed...

Eight Artists Address Brown v. Board of Education Essay -- Art Exhibit

Eight Artists Address Brown v. Board of Education It was a cloudy Saturday afternoon, when I, accompanied by a friend, went to Krannert Art Museum for the first time to see the social studies exhibition in relation to Brown v. Board of Education. Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court unanimously outlawed racial segregation in public school system. Although the decision is widely considered a major step towards a more equitable and integrated educational system, it did not fix all the racial problems in school system. Today, at the fiftieth anniversary of the High Court ruling, eight Americans artists share their works with the public at the Art Museum, both to commemorate Brown v. Board of Education and to ask the American public to reflect on the current existing racial problems in education. We walked in through the main entrance and were immediately greeted by the museum keeper, an old man with long gray hair, who wanted to make sure that every visitor put his/her bags in the deposit lockers, a ritual that most other museums practice. Krannert was small ? it was as big as a typical Outback Steak House. Yet for all its size, it had a wide array of collections ranging from ancient Chinese pottery in the Shang dynasty to oil paintings in Renaissance to contemporary art photographs. One has to give credits to the curator, who manages to put together neatly in this small building items so different in their geographical and chronological backgrounds. We were enticed by the paintings, sculptures, and some artistic works from oriental cultures. Staring at the ancient Chinese artifacts, we could not help wondering what they had gone through before ending up in an American university art museum... ...the museum keeper interrupted. With ripples of thoughts still lingering in our minds, we left the museum. My friend and I were impressed. For my part, I seldom went to see an art exhibition and had little experience of visual art appreciation. Still, the works of the artists were enough to temporarily desensitize my idea of time, clear my other thoughts and plans, and allow me to commit myself fully to finding as much as possible the meaning so often promised in the seemingly simple yet beautiful pieces of modern art. Art exhibitions may not have the same potent power of a talk or a march in informing people of the latest social problems or pushing for a social movement. After all, artistic works time and again demand personal reflections rather than call for immediate actions. In view of its reflection-provoking nature, this exhibition, to me, was successful.

Essay --

Movies are a worldwide phenomenon, but why are some movies academy award winners while others plummet in the box office. I believe there are five major factors that go into creating a successful film beginning with the storyline, script, directing, sincere chemistry as well as realism. Script writing that is genuine and one an audience member can connect to is crucial; as is having a plot that doesn’t move so fast, and is able to seamlessly transition into different scenes. A great storyline always needs some sort of conflict in it; it is the heat of the drama. The obstacles they face in a movie is typically along the lines of someone wants something, someone/thing keeps getting in their way. For example in Dirty Dancing Baby wants to be with Johnny, but her father is standing in her way. A good hook is important to any storyline as well, you need something to grab the audience attention; all that is needed is a â€Å"What if?† Such as what if you are watching an entire series just to later find out it, it was all fake and none of what happened was real; a good enough â€Å"what if?† can set you apart from the pack. â€Å"You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me?† Whether you’ve seen the movie or not this is a line we’ve all heard once or twice before. This quote can be heard being said from many generations. Good script writing is crucial it can either make or break a film. Some films that have had long- lasting success are movies such as Star Wars, The Godfather, and Forrest Gump. What these three films have in common is that they all have lines that are still being quoted till this day and will continue to be for years to come. This is all due to good script writing. The emotional connection that an audience feels has as... ...an believe,† (Molly, Haskell). If an audience member leaves a movie still thinking about it days later, and has connected with it on an emotional level as I stated before it will be successful. For example 12 Years a Slave won best picture at the Oscars this year, in 2013 the winner was Argo, looking back even further at previous winners you find that The King’s Speech, Hurt Locker, The Departed, Chicago and Schindler’s list are all previous best picture winners as well as many other films based on true stories. Even though fictional movies have won best picture as well the number of films based on real events outnumber the fictional ones. This year alone six out of the nine nominees for best picture were based on true stories. You find that people who are big fans of fictional movies such as Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and X-Men are stuck in a fictional world.

Homelessness and Solutions Homeless People

Let’s all help the homeless During the past decade there may have been an increase in homelessness due to the struggles of daily life. People have many ideas on ways that the government or communities can help improve these situations. It is not easy to help the homeless but any help can improve their lives and our streets. It may not take them completely off our streets but it can help them to get back on their feet.In a New York Times article, â€Å"Rooms of Their Own† on January 21, 1990 by Anna Quindlen, she reports that after observing people on the streets that all they want it a safe place to live to call home where they can have some privacy. She describes that many are mentally ill that the government cannot support any longer. Some homeless are former inmates that just need a little help getting back into society. Anna argues that the government should have to help by housing them in small studio like room to help them get back on their feet.By doing this it m ay get them back in the community and working soon to be on their own and not need the help any longer. Stuart D. Bykofsky complains in Newsweek, â€Å" No Heart for the Homeless†, on December 1, 1986 that he is fed up with the homeless laying around in the streets and making his community disgusting and unsafe to walk. He argues that why should individuals settle for these kinds of people living on there property for free and get away with it. He believes that it is not fair that they get to live on the streets for free and whileRivas 2 tax payers are getting fined for any reason. Stuart explains that the homeless need no excuse to live on the streets if there is a shelter to go to. It is their choice to go but if they choose not to then they should be fined for it as well. Not all homeless are the same because they all have different situations on why they have become homeless. Some of them have gotten laid off and simply cannot find w a job to support their families. This is all a part of Steven’s Vanderstaaty claim in his book, â€Å"Solutions Homeless People Seek†.He reveals that these unemployed people just want to work so they can get back into the community, but believe they shouldn’t have to go through all different kinds of training and programs for a job that they already have experience in. He points out that what homeless need is help getting back to society by their certain situations they may face of drug and alcohol programs or resources to help each individual that may need help mentally, physically or financially.After reading all three essays I find that any help would it be, donating time or money would help the homeless. It would show that the community does care for them as well as their surroundings to make it a cleaner and a safer place to live. Homeless or not everyone needs help may it be financially, emotionally or physically the government should have resources to help everyone!

Malnutrition in India Essay

Introduction :- Malnutrition is found to be a leading killer through out the world, with under nutrition in the developing world the main nutrition problem. The World Bank Estimate that India is ranked 2nd in the world of the number of children suffering from malnutrition after Bangladesh (1998), where 47% of the Children exhibit a degree of malnutrition. India is one of the fastest growing country in terms of population and economic growth rate , sitting at a population of near about 1200 million (December 2010) and economy growing by 9% GDP growth rate from 2007-2008. Since independence Indian economy considered as low income country with majority of population at or below the poverty line which is lead to problems of malnutrition, hunger etc. the combination of people leaving in poverty and the recent economic growth of India (as well as Maharashtra)has led to the co-emergence of two type of malnutrition: 1) Undernutrition 2) Overnutrition. The National Family Healthy survey 2005-2006 shows that, while Maharashtra is one of the most developed State among the country, It has also problem of Malnutrition exists, but nutrition situation in Maharashtra is slightly better than the national average. National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) study quoted that more than 40 lakh children were affected with grade 2 to 4 malnutrition in Maharashtra. This indicate the seriousness of the problem of malnutrition. Definition of the Term Malnutrition Malnutrition carries different connotations to different people. To some, malnutrition means undernourishment, while to others it means starvation. Some confuse malnutrition with hunger while others consider malnutrition as undernutrition. The writer would like to define the term malnutrition in the following pages and differentiate it from the other similar terms. Malnutrition The word malnutrition might best be reserved to indicate the state of ill-health of a population or of any group of people in so far as that condition is caused either by malnourishment or undernourishment. It is thus, to an extent, a medical term or a term for public health purposes. The students of public health are showing a tendency to use that term in such a sense more consistently. The existence of malnutrition is revealed in various morbid conditions and it is measurable in terms of indices which are medical, anthropological, or biostatistical (such as height, weight, and special diseases, etc. ) Malnutrition is the condition that develops when the body does not get right amount of Vitamins, Minerals and other nutrition’s (Proteins) is needs to maintains healthy tissues and organ function.† Malnutrition occurs in people who are either undernourished or over nourished. Undernutrition is a consequence of consuming too few essential nutrients or excreting them more rapidly than they can be replaced. Infants, teenagers, young children, pregnant and breastfeeding women require additional nutrients. Overnutrition results from eating too much; eating too many of the wrong things, not exercising enough or taking too many vitamins or other dietary replacement Malnourishment Refers to an actual condition of diets in which not the quantity, but the quality of the food stuff is also involved. According to the present knowledge, a diet must supply some 30 or more nutrients in order to provide the proteins of high quality, as well as energy yielding food. A population is malnourished, even if it is able to use and is in the habit of using a quantity of energy yielding food stuffs, but if the people are either unable or unaccustomed to maintain a balanced diet including all the proper nutritive elements in correct proportion, is still suffering from malnourishment Undernourishment â€Å"Expresses a dietary condition largely among the working people in which there is an actual insufficiency both in quantity and in quality of nutritive elements needed for health and well-being.†- Objectives of the study: We have attempted to discuss the crucial issue child malnutrition in Maharashtra State. Therefore we look at the following objectives regarding malnutrition study in the state. 1. To discuss the status of child malnutrition in the state. 2. To find out the major causes of malnutrition. 3. To find out the effects / incidence of malnutrition problem. 4. To address the way to eradicate the malnutrition problems. Methodology: In this research paper we mostly used the secondary kind of data for analysis the issue. Researchers used macro-analysis method for analyze the malnutrition in the country as well as Maharashtra State. Types of Malnutrition: Each form of malnutrition depends on what nutrients are missing in the diet, for how long and what age. A) Proteins Energy Malnutrition (PEM): This is the most basic kind of malnutrition, results from a diet lacking in energy and Protein because of a deficit in all major macro nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and Proteins. B) Micronutrients deficiencies: Micronutrients deficiencies are also a widespread problem in India. More than 75% of preschool children suffer from iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and 57%  preschool children have subclinical vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Iodine deficiency is endemic in 85% districts (In India) mostly due to the lack of iodized salt. The prevalence of deferent micro nutrients deficiency varies widely across states. Degrees of Malnutrition: Classification of Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) is done by Gomez. Degree of PEM % of desired body weight for age and sex. 1. Mild Malnutrition (Grade I ) 90% -100% 2. Moderate Malnutrition (Grade II) 75% – 89% 3. Severe Malnutrition (Grade III) < 60% Status of Malnutrition in Maharashtra :- As far as Maharashtra State is concern, deaths regarding to the malnutrition seems high in tribal dominated districts e.g. Gadchiroli, Amravati, Yewatmal, Chandrapur, Bhandara and Melghat etc. Dr. Abhay Bang committee (2004) reported that between 1.20 lakh and 1.75 lakh children diet every year in the state for medical reasons. The report blamed an Insensitive bureaucracy for the plight of nearly 8 lakh children whose lives were threatened by grade 3 or 4 malnutrition. According to the report during 1988 to 2002 the percentage of affected by grade 3 or 4 malnutrition had fallen by mere 0.6% only which is found little improvements. According to National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) study quoted that more than 40lakh children were affected with grade 2 to 4 malnutrition  in Maharashtra. It estimated that 82000 children died every Year in rural area’s of the state 23, 500 in the tribal area’s and 56000 in urban slums. According to the government statistics in the entire Maharashtra state child death were estimated 45,000 (during July 2004 to June 2005) due to the malnutrition out of these 12,000 fall prey to severe malnutrition and the remaining 33,000 children died due to the mild or moderate malnutrition. The malnutrition is also the underlying cause in about 480 of the 2850 maternal deaths each year in the state. Child Death And Action Group (CDSAG) study found that 10.4% child death are recorded on an account of malnutrition in the state. Tribal Dominated Districts of Amravati, Yewatmal, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Bhandara in Vidarbh region as well as Melghat in North Maharashtra region were affected worsely by malnutrition problem. Ø Almost 38% of children under age three are stunted (India – 38.4%) Ø Almost 40% are underweight (India – 45.9%) Ø There is a strong correlation between child malnutrition and the level of maternal education. Ø There are significance differences between rural and urban area’s, where the rural area’s being more affected by malnutrition. Ø The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Maharashtra is higher than the national average for both male and female. Causes of Malnutrition: 1. The economist Amartya Sen observed that poverty is major cause of malnutrition and famine has always a problem of poverty and unbalanced distribution of food. 2. Hike in food prices or food inflation. 3. Insufficient food production (availability) 4. Changes in climate threaten the food security. 5. People with drug or alcohol dependencies are also at increased risk of malnutrition. Effect of Malnutrition: Malnutrition including both protein energy malnutrition and micro nutrient deficiencies not only affect physical appearance and energy level, but also directly affects many aspects of the children mental functions, growth and development. Ø According to the Jean Ziegler UN special report on the right to food (for 2000 to March 2008), mortality due to malnutrition accounted for 58% of the total mortality in 2006. One in twelve people world wide is malnourished. Ø WHO, also indicate that malnutrition is the biggest contributor to child mortality. Ø Malnourished children grow up with worse health and lower educational achievements. Their own children also tend to be smaller. Ø Malnutrition increases the risk of infection and infectious disease. Ø Malnutrition affects adversely physically as well as psychologically. Malnutrition in the form of ioden deficiency is most common preventable cause of mental impairment worldwide. Ø Ioden deficiency specially in pregnant women and infants, lowered intelligence by 10 to 15 I.Q. points. Ø Malnutrition can also be a consequence of other health issues such as  diarrheal disease or chronic illness specially disease of intestinal tract, Kidney’s and liver. Programs to address eradicate the Malnutrition The government of India has launched several programs to converge the growing malnutrition problems in the country. They include ICDS, NCF, National health mission. 1. Integrate child development scheme (ICDS):- Indian government has starter this ICDS program in the year 1975 for improving the health of mothers and children development program is on of largest in the world. It reaches more than 34 million children aged 0-6 years and 7 million pregnant and getting mothers. 2. National Children Fund (NCF):- This Fund was created during the international year of the child in 1979. This Fund provides support to the voluntary organizations that help the welfare of children. 3. United Nations Children Fund (UNCF):- UNISEF has been supporting India from last six decade in a number of sectors like child development, women development support for community based converged services health, education, nutrition, water and sanitation, childhood disability, children in especially difficult circumstances. National Rural Health Mission: This mission was created for the years 2005-2012 and its goal is to â€Å"Improve the availability of and access to quality health care by people, especially for those residing in rural area, the poor women and children.† 1. Objective of the mission are:- Ø Reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). Ø Provide access to integrated compressive primary health care. Ø Revitalize local health tradition and mainstream AYUSH. (This mission has set up strategies and action plan to meet all of its goals.) 2. The best wa y to prevent the condition is to eat a healthy balanced diet that contains food from all the major groups like carbohydrates, fruits and vegetable, Protein, dairy and fats. 3. As well as eating healthy, you should aim to drink at least 1.2 liters of fluid a day. 45,000 die of malnutrition every year in MaharashtraDespite being among the wealthiest states in the country, almost half Maharashtra’s children are undernourished and one-third of adults are underweight, says a recent report by the NGO SATHI. Forty-five-thousand children die of malnutrition every year in the state, according to ‘A report on nutritional crisis in Maharashtra’ by the Pune-based SATHI (Support for Advocacy and Training to Health Initiatives). One-third of adults are underweight, and 15% severely underweight.The two major schemes for children meant to prevent such deaths are the midday meal scheme and the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). But the state government spends just 0.8% of its gross domestic product on these schemes, the report states. More children die of mild or moderate malnutrition (33,000) than of severe malnutrition (12,000). Malnutrition is also the underlying cause of death of 480 of the 2,850 malnutrition deaths in the st ate every year. â€Å"A large number of people in Maharashtra do not get enough to eat and are suffering from serious nutritional deficiencies,† said the coordinator of SATHI, Abhay Shukla, at a press conference to release the report on February 3, 2010. The report takes into account the findings of the National Family Health Survey-3 and the National Sample Survey. The report points out that chronic hunger is not confined to rural areas, as is popularly believed; urban populations in coastal regions, including the city of Mumbai, have the highest prevalence of calorie deficiency (43%) in the state. Calculations made using the per-consumer-unit-calories norm of 2,400 in rural areas and 2,100 in urban areas reveals that the incidence of calories-based poverty is 54% in rural areas and 39.5% in urban areas. The report is critical of government  schemes like the ICDS. Grade 3 and 4 malnutrition is grossly underreported under the scheme as workers lack the skills and equipment to accurately weigh and classify children. Severe malnutrition is often underreported as it points to a failure of the programme. The midday meal scheme too has been underperforming, according to the report. Only 12% of schools surveyed provided midday meals, and many gave only one component of the meal. Moreover, not a single school provided the stipulated 300 calories and 8-12 grams of protein. India’s performance on the nutrition front is poor overall. According to the National Family Health Survey-3 (up to 2005-06), almost half of children under 5 years of age (48%) are stunted, that is, too short for their age, an indicator of chronic malnutrition; 43% are underweight. The proportion of severely undernourished children is also notable — 24% are severely stunted and 16% are severely underweight. The 2009 annual budget earmarked just 4.15% for children when the population under 18 years of age is 447 million. Maharashtra’s poor performance on the health front comes despite it being one of the high GDP states. Though the country as a whole has seen GDP grow by 3.95% per year, between 1980 and 2005, the percentage of underweight children under 3 went down by just 6% , from 52% to 46% between 1992 and 2005. For every 3-4% increase in per capita income, the underweight rate should decline by 1%. This has not happened in India, pointing to the need for more inclusive growth and better delivery and distribution of schemes targeted at malnutrition. Malnutrition among Maharashtra’s tribalsMore than 98 children died in three months of 2005, in Akkalkuwa block of Nandurbar district. Of these, 71 children were found to be severely malnourished.A survey by the Punarvasan Sangharsh Samiti revealed that the government is unaware of the scale of malnutrition in the area. Only 10% of malnourished children figure in the government records. The survey also showed that not only were the children malnourished, their mothers were too. The weight of adult mothers ranged between 40-45 kg.Girls constituted around half the total number of malnourished children, indicating the precarious condition of these ‘future mothers’. The survey also revealed that although generations of malnourished children are born in this region, the government still does not look beyond the singular health aspect of the problem, on the basis of which mitigation measures are designed. Unless the issue of malnutrition is addressed comprehensively, the  tribal community in this part of the country is headed for extinction.These and other startling revelations form part of a report brought out by the Punarvasan Sangharsh Samiti, which has been actively mobilising the tribal population of Nandurbar district for the last decade. The report, titled ‘Maranatach He Jag Jagate’, is based on the survey which was carried out in 22 villages. And information obtained through the Right to Information Act.The tribals of Nandurbar are engaged in a continuous struggle for existence. Malnutrition and child mortality is part of their everyday lives, even as issues related to rights over natural resources and means of livelihood ga in greater urgency with each passing year.Attempts to remedy malnutrition and child mortality by singling it out will not deliver the desired results. ‘Maranatach He Jag Jagate’ attempts to take stock of the situation and get at the root of the problem. The report analyses the situation on the ground and suggests ways to tackle the problem head-on. Obviously there is the need for firm action by the government and the active involvement of society at large.Some basic facts about the survey: * The survey was undertaken in 22 villages of Akkalkuwa block, Nandurbar district. The weights of mothers in seven villages and two rehabilitation and resettlement sites of the Sardar Sarovar Project were recorded. The facts that emerged from the survey were shocking. In April, May and June 2005, 98 children died in Akkalkuwa block alone and of these 71 children were malnourished. Of the malnourished children, 45 were found to be in the second stage of malnutrition. Meanwhile, the government refuses to accept that the children died from malnutrition. * Punarvasan Sangharsh Samiti recorded the weights of children in 22 villages and co mpared this data with that of the government. The comparison showed that the government has only 10% of the facts related to malnutrition. In effect, it is unaware of 90% of malnutrition cases. According to the survey, the number of third-grade malnutrition among children in April was 127, in May 135 and in June 104; the government records showed only 14, 42 and 17 children as malnourished in this grade respectively. The survey figures for fourth-grade malnutrition, during these months, were 61, 50 and 35; the government figures were 6, 6 and 3 respectively. (The figures quoted here were obtained from the government under the Right to Information Act). * Of the 22 villages in the survey, six have been declared ‘hyper-sensitive’ by the government. The  survey showed that the combined number of third and fourth-grade malnutrition among children in April, May and June stood at 100, 104 and 72; the government records showed only six children were malnourished. * Of the total number of malnourished children, half were girls. This raises a serious question about the next generation. * With this question in mind, the Punarvasan Sangharsh Samiti conducted a survey in six villages and two rehabilitation and resettlement sites in which the weights of fully-grown mothers were assessed. The survey showed that the weights ranged between 40-45 kg. This emphasises the need for a comprehensive study of the ages of young mothers, stage of motherhood and its link with malnutrition. It also suggests that the process of malnutrition begins in the womb itself. * The root of the problem is lack of livelihoods. Measures in the areas of health, education, employment and supply do not create sustainable livelihood sources and therefore cannot, in themselves, be decisive remedies to the problem of malnutrition. Let’s take a closer look at the villages covered in the survey.The 22 villages are spread out in the plains as well as in hilly regions of the Satpudas. Of the villages, Khai, Andharbari, Ohwa, Kaulavimal, Toknapimpri, Maliamba, Kondvapada, Thana and Beti have been de clared ‘hyper-sensitive’ villages under the Navsanjivani Scheme, which is touted as the answer to the malnutrition problem. Of the 22 villages, seven villages — Khai, Andharbari, Ohwa, Kaulavimal, Miryabari, Valamba and Pimpalgaon — do not have a yearlong motorable road and are therefore inaccessible. After a point one has to walk to get to the village. Four villages — Thanavihir, Guliamba, Amali and Pimpalgaon — are within a periphery of 12 km from the block headquarters of Akkalkuwa, but they are connected to a remote primary health centre (PHC) in Dab, situated deep in the third range of the Satpudas. One has to pay Rs 15 to get to the PHC by jeep; to reach Akkalkuwa one has to pay Rs 5.Other examples are Ambabri, Andharbari, Bharadipadar and Khai. These villages are connected to the Moramba PHC. To reach Moramba by car one has to travel via Khapar, covering a distance of 17-18 km. Although there is a primary health centre in Khapar, villagers from these four villages have to bypass it and go on to Moramba. The other option to get to Moramba directly is to walk through the h ills of the Satpudas for around 7-8 km. This shows up a serious flaw in the state government’s policy with regard to the location and coverage of primary  health centres. The village of Ohwa is connected to the Horaphali PHC, which is 22 km away. There is no road connecting the village with the centre; people have to walk through the Satpuda hills to get to it. To correct the situation the government sanctioned a health centre for Ohwa in 2004. But, although the tribal development department made provision to build the primary health centre, the health department still has to sanction the plan.Seven villages — Andharbari, Kaulavi, Bari, Pimpalgaon, Valamba, Maliamba and Kondvapada — do not have a public distribution system (PDS) outlet. Tribals from these villages are forced to walk 3-4 km to reach a PDS outlet. Of the 22 surveyed villages, 11 do not have a single job-creation opportunity under the state’s well-known Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS). The residents of seven villages did receive some form of employment but only for a period of around a month.The survey also covered two rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) sites of the Sardar Sarovar Project. Although the government claims to have carried out its R&R duties satisfactorily, the situation on the ground is quite the opposite. Of the 634 children surveyed, 378 were found to be malnourished and the number of girls among them was as high as 60%. Of the total number of malnourished children, 119 were in the third and fourth stages. The two sites have separate PHCs, PDS outlets, gram panchayats and four anganwadis each. All the children were in the 0-6 age-group. This shows that they were born after their families were resettled. What conditions are like in the other six sites is a question open for study.What is clearly needed is a debate on the findings of this survey, from the social, economic, political, cultural and medico-anthropological perspective. Especially, vis-ÃÆ' -vis the government’s information on the subject. The report is being made public to facilitate just such a debate.India’s malnutrition problem is a systemic issue | | Girls in India are more malnourished as â€Å"inadequate resources of families are divided preferentially among men†.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The problem of malnourishment in India is a reflection on its deeply entrenched poverty and a lack of functionality of its systems,† says author [EPA]| India’s growing riches have been the subject of many global discussions. In the past few years, India has responded to international emergencies by reaching out with support in cash and kind. However, India  has still not managed to get a grip on the problem of malnutrition its children face, a fact that India’s prime minister this year called a â€Å"national shame†.The facts are daunting – as many as nearly half of India’s children below five years are malnourished. Girls are even more malnourished as inadequate resources of families are divided preferentially among men. India’s nutrition problem shows among women as well – the malnourished girls grow up to be anaemic, deliver underweight babies who face an increased risk of dying and being sick right after their birth. India ranks 76 among 80 middle-income countries rated for the â€Å"best place to be a mother† according to the Save the Children’s Mothers’ Index released in May 2012.’Anganwadi’ centresThe problem of malnourishment in India is a reflection on its deeply entrenched poverty and a lack of functionality of its systems. Policymakers from the comfort of their oversized public-funded accommodation while examining the failure of their policies often argue that a country of India’s size – both in terms of geography as well as population – is difficult to administer. What they admit a little reluctantly is that the government-supported institutions are neither effective nor accountable to the people, and that the budget allocations in sectors critical for people’s well-being are still abysmally low. India’s wealth – no longer so new-found – has so far not filtered down to the areas which would make considerable difference to the lives of its common people.A question often asked in India is about the co-existence of hunger and malnutrition alongside the problem of plenty – of thousands of tonnes of food grains rotting due to poor storage in government stores while the poor go to bed hungry. Clearly, the problem is not of a lack of resources but of systems that ensure that the country’s opportunities and resources are more equitably and equally divided.India’s response to its massive problem of malnutrition has been largely through the Integrated Child Development Services, or ICDS as it is known. The ICDS runs preparatory schools-cum-health institutions called anganwadi centres where pregnant and lactating women and children below five years receive supplementary nutrition while children are also taught to take first steps towards learning letters and numbers. Many states have further equipped their anganwadi centres to enable them to treat the common ailments of  children.Considering the critical role of anganwadi centres in helping children remain healthy, they should have been universalised decades ago but they have not. Anganwadi centres cover only 50 per cent of India’s children. However, data as well as anecdotal evidence appearing in the form of newspaper reports points out that anganwadi centres do not function at their optimum capacity and efficiency. Their staff are not accountable to the people of the village, and being â€Å"influential† (some of them are known to be relatives of village headmen and other important members of the village) are not s usceptible to punitive action when they fail to perform their duty. Poverty and malnourishmentThat is a typical Indian situation – one can get away without being punished for one’s wrongdoings if one has the right connections. This is the bane of most of India’s institutions and facilities which are meant to serve the people but become, instead, means of employment and influence for a few. â€Å"Nearly half of India’s children below five years are malnourished.†| Under the patronage of this protection, doctors in government hospitals may remain absent from work without a note on the attendance register for days, teachers may not teach, clerks in offices may demand a bribe to perform a task which is the right of a citizen. The impact of dysfunctional systems on the lives of the poor and the marginalised is devastating as they have no alternatives. The poor die of common illnesses if they do not get treated at government hospitals, or they go borrow money to access a private hospital and go into debt. In fact, the WHO has said that 3.2 per cent Indians would fall below the poverty line because of high medical bills with about 70 per cent of Indians spending their entire income on healthcare and purchasing drugs. The Planning Commission also accepts that out of pocket expense to pay for healthcare costs is a growing problem in India. It says 39 million Indians are pushed to poverty because of ill health every year. Around 30 per cent in rural India didn’t go for any treatment for financial constraints in 2004. In urban areas, 20 per cent of ailments were untreated for financial problems the same year, said a recent study in the Lancet. The government needs to look at health and education as critically important sectors in the development paradigm. If India is to reap its demographic dividend, it cannot do so with half of its children malnourished and not reaching their full potential| Overview of Malnutrition Situation in Maharashtra Maharashtra: The data below are from the National Family Healthy Survey 2005-2006. Highlights: The nutrition situation in Maharashtra is slightly better than the national average with improvements from 1998-99 and 1992-93 except for an increase of anaemia prevalence among pregnant women. The feeding practice for children aged 6-9 months shows an alarming pattern with only 48% of children aged 6-9 months receiving solid or semisolid food and breast milk. This is significantly lower than the national average of almost 56%. Furthermore, the prevalence drops to 40% for rural areas compared with the national average of 54% and as low as 23.3% for non-educated mothers compared with the national average of 49%. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Maharashtra is higher than the national average for both female and male with Mumbai reaching almost 35% of obesity among the female population. Within Maharashtra, there are significant differences between rural and urban areas with the ru ral areas being more affected by malnutrition. However, the most outstanding gap in all indicators is between non-educated and well-educated respondents. Malnutrition and Anaemia Rates Are High among Children * Almost 38% of children under age three are stunted (India – 38.4%) and almost 40% are underweight (India 45.9%). Both indicators have slightly improved from 1998-99 and 1992-93. * Wasting affects 14.6% of children under age (India 19%) with a steady improvement from 1998-99 and 1992-93. * Compared with urban areas, under-nutrition is higher in rural areas and in Mumbai. Similar to the national picture, there is a strong correlation between child malnutrition and the level of maternal education showing a two-fold difference between non-educated and well-educated mothers. The stunting and underweight prevalence for children with illiterate mothers is 52.9% and 53.1% respectively contrasted with 22.9% and 25.9% for children with well educated mothers. The stark difference may be linked to access to nutritious diet and complementary feeding at 6-9 months. * Almost 72% of children under age three are anaemic (India 79.2). There is a significant urban-rural divide with Mumbai having the lowest prevalence  with 59.5% compared with 76.8% in rural areas. The non-educated versus educated mothers difference is not as strong with 75% and 71% relatively. This may be linked to a more general poor quality of nutrition and hygiene conditions and limited access to iron supplementation. Improvements Needed in Infant and Child Feeding especially for the age 6-9 months * 53% of children are fed only breast milk for the first 6 months (India 46%). Exclusive breastfeeding is significantly higher among the non-educated mothers, in rural areas and in Mumbai. Work factor and access to breast milk substitutes may have an impact among urban and better educated mothers. The positive deviance in Mumbai may be associated with an increased awareness among the female working class and better baby-friendly employment conditions. * 51.8% of children under three years are breastfed within one hour of birth (India 23.4%) with no significant difference between urban and rural areas and between well-educated and non-educated mothers. * Only 47.8% of children aged 6-9 months receive solid or semisolid food and breast milk. This is significantly lower than the national average of almost 56%. The prevalence drops as low as 40% in rural areas (India rural 54%) and 23.3% among non-educated mothers (India non-educated 49%) showing a high-priority gap. The prevalence in urban areas and in Mumbai is 58% and 56.6% respectively (India urban 62.1%). * 32% of children age 12-35 months received vitamin A supplements in the six months before the survey (India 23%) with the highest prevalence in urban areas (34.2%) followed by rural areas (29.9%) and Mumbai (27%) with a significant difference between non-educated (26.2%) and well-educated mothers (32.2%). A significant percentage of Women and Men Are Either Too Thin or Too Fat * 32.6% of married women (India 33%) and almost 30% of men (India 28%) are too thin, according to the body mass index (BMI). Underweight is strikingly most common among the non-educated and the rural population compared with Mumbai  and urban areas that show a similar prevalence. * Overweight and obesity affects 17% of women (India 14.8%) and almost 16% of men (India 12%). Overweight and obesity are strikingly most common in urban areas and among the well-educated with Mumbai reaching almost 35% of obesity among the female population as compared with the national urban average of 29%. Anaemia is Widespread * 49% of women (India 56.2%) and 16.2% of men (India 24.3) suffer from anaemia. Among pregnant women, anaemia has increased from 52.6% to almost 58%. * Only 30.5% of pregnant women consume Iron and Folic Acid supplementation for 90 days (India 22.3%) with 16.4% among the non-educated women compared to 45.2% among the well-educated ones. Rural and urban areas have the same prevalence of 30.5% with Mumbai reaching only 27.5% (India urban 34.5% respectively) The bleakest numbers* at a glance:*(NOTE: Figures have been rounded to the closest zero for easier understanding of the ratio) 1. For every ten children aged three or less, born to illiterate mothers, five children are stunted – too short for their age. This is a sign of chronic malnutrition. 2. For every ten children aged three or less, born to illiterate mothers, five children are underweight – too thin for their age. This is a sign of acute and chronic malnutrition. 3. For every ten children aged three or less, born to illiterate mothers, two children are wasted – too thin for his/her age. This is a sign of acute malnutrition. Wasted children are at highest risk of dying from malnutrition or from any common child diseases like diarrhoea or respiratory infections. 4. For every ten children aged 6-9 months, born to illiterate mothers, only two receive solid or semi-solid foods in addition to Breast-milk as recommended. This jeopardizes their chances of survival and irreversibly impairs their future growth and development. 5. For every ten children aged one to three years, born to illiterate mothers, only three children received Vitamin A supplementation in the last six months prior the survey. 6. For every ten illiterate women aged 15-49 years, four are too thin. 7. For every ten pregnant illiterate women, six are anaemic but only two  take Iron and Folic Acid supplementation for 90 days as recommended. The higher the education of the mother, the better the nutrition status of themselves and their child.NOTE: In Maharashtra, for every ten women, 2 women are illiterate and 8 are educatedAmong the educated women, 3 are well-educated (10 years complete and above), 2 have 8-9 years complete and 3 have less than 8 years complete.