The Controversial Concept Of Battered Woman Syndrome

Battered Woman Syndrome The controversial concept of Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) is a psychological theory that aims to explain the behavior of certain women who suffer abuse from their husbands, partners, or significant others. The theory was first proposed and introduced by Dr. Lenore Walker in the 1970’s based on her clinical observations. It then quickly became a common way to validate criminal behavior of women who were charged with the murder of their partner, however since the syndrome wasn’t confirmed through scientific research as a real disorder, it didn’t enjoy widespread support from the forensic psychologist’s community. Learned Helplessness Originally, battered woman syndrome was termed as learned helplessness. Walker†¦show more content†¦Battered women stay in these perilous relationships for a variety of reasons, including: †¢ still being positively reinforced by the honeymoon phase of the battering cycle †¢ financial dependence upon the batterer †¢ false belief that they can keep the peace †¢ distress of danger if she were to leave †¢ threats made by the batterer to hurt her or her children if she left †¢ loss of self-confidence †¢ depression or loss of psychological energy necessary to leave As determined by Dr. Walker s The Battered Woman Syndrome (p. 95-97, 1984), there are four common characteristics of the disorder: 1. The woman believes that the violence was or is her fault. 2. The woman has an inability to place the responsibility for the violence elsewhere. 3. The woman fears for her life and/or her children s lives. 4. The woman has an irrational belief that the abuser is omnipresent and omniscient. Women who are chronically battered has been categorized as a subclass of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is composed of the following symptoms: re-living the battering as if it were reoccurring even when it is not, efforts to circumvent the psychological effect of battering by avoiding activities, people, and emotions, hyperarousal or hypervigilance, disrupted interpersonal relationships, body image distortion or other somatic concerns, and sexuality

The Problem Of Prison Overcrowding - 1166 Words

Blackboard #1: Realignment Prison overcrowding has always been a problem in California prisons. It has been growing over the year and has now lead the United States Supreme Court to take part in trying to find a solution to this problem. Because of this issue, Plata litigation came through and had a significant impact on the way we see community corrections. The ruling in the Plata litigation in turn lead to AB 109 or The Public Safety Realignment Act to be implemented as a solution to California’s growing problem of overcrowding. Researchers who conducted studies of this new act found many relevant things and gave many recommendations. Plata litigation is an order from the Supreme Court of the United State to California to reduce the inmate population in its prisons to the amount that the prisons were designed to hold (Petersilia, 2014). They were allowed two years to do this (Petersilia, 2014). This was ordered due to the violation of the inmates’ rights which was being caused by overcrowding (Petersilia, 2014). In the article it states, â€Å"The Supreme Court found that California had violated the Eight Amendment ban against cruel and unusual punishment by providing constitutionally inadequate medical and mental health services in its prisons, and that overcrowding was the ‘primary’ source of the unconstitutional medical care† (Petersilia, 2014). This ruling was responded to by an act called AB 109, or The Public Safety Realignment Act (Petersilia, 2014). Plata litigationShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding1395 Words   |  6 Pagesjustice system is prison overcrowding. To examine a nation’s soul, all one has to do is look inside of its prisons. Even though we have 5 percent of the world’s population we have 25 percent of the world’s prison population. The makeup of our prison population range from first time drug offenders to serial killers. Prisons serve a necessary function in society if used properly to keep the worst of the worst of the streets. In the last 40 years prisons has become a hammer where every problem appears toRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding1767 Words   |  8 PagesHave you ever noticed the serious issue of prison overcrowding? Growth of prison inmates over the years. Since the late 1900 s the prisons have been filling rapidly and that has caused a huge problems in the 2000 s. Overcrowding is not as easy of a fix that everyone thinks it is there is way more to it and it is way more complex. There are many reason that the inmate population continues to grow. Throughout the years, there has been a huge debate on ways to lower crime rate so there won t be asRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding2447 Words   |  10 PagesPrison overcrowding is a major problem in our criminal justice system and it continues to be a hotly debated topic as to how we should address the problem. One of the main reasons our prison systems have a problem with overcrowding is drugs. More specifically, the war on drugs started by President Reagan in 1982 brought a dramatic increase to the number of people put behind bars for drug offences. Mandatory minimum sentencing and truth in sentencing are two policies which have sent drug offendersRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding1598 Words   |  7 Pagessolutions to the major problem of prison overcrowding and argue that the problem of prison overcrowding would not be ending anytime soon, due to the inadequate attempts by state governments to deal with the inhumane living conditions in overcrowded prisons. This article relates to the topic b ecause the authors analyze how the federal government and some individual states, such as California and Florida, respond to the constrained resources causing unsuitable conditions in overfilled prisons. This source illuminatesRead MoreThe Overcrowding Problem in Prisons1800 Words   |  7 Pages The number of people held in prison facilities across the world is increasing at a tremendous rate with each passing day. This comprises both the people who have already been sentenced and those that are at the pre-trial stage. The effect of this is an increase in the prison population which leads to the problem of overcrowding (Atabay, 2013). Overcrowding in prisons can be defined as a situation where the number of prisoners in a given penal institution exceeds the official carrying capacityRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding880 Words   |  4 Pages. They get very limited space, making it easier to pass infections or diseases along each individual in the cell. The reason why there is a congestion in prisons is because to construct a cell is very expensive. Each cell in prisons cost about $75,000 to construct. According to the textbook, it would cost approximately 31 million dollars to build a medium security facility. The state tries to overcrowd prisoners in a cell to save money because cells are expensive to build, but on the long run theyRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding Essay1773 Words   |  8 Pagesthe 1980s, the California prison system and parolee population have grown tenfold. This is in great part due to the three strikes law that passed in 1994. This law made it a requirement for any offender convicted of a felony with two previous felonies to go to prison for a minimum of twenty five years. This law sent many people to prison for longer sentences due to non-violent drug offenses, when in actuality they should have been sentenced to rehab. Prison overcrowding is an important topic thatRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding1572 Words   |  7 Pagesthe past 30 odd years, California’s prison population has grown by 750 percent (â€Å"California’s Perpetuating Prison Crisis†). As this percentage perpetuates to make substantial gains, inmates are suffe ring in confinement cells, officials are negotiating over the issue, and the public is protesting to make their opinions count. The prison crisis has continued to grow over the years, causing a great uproar among all of California’s 32 state prisons. Prison overcrowding has been an increasingly vital issueRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding998 Words   |  4 PagesPrison overcrowding has been seen as an issue since the early 1990’s in California. It all began when California began to aggressively increased sentencing in the late 1980’s and 1990’s in response to a nationwide fear about crime rates. During this time period California â€Å"enacted more than 1,000 laws that increased sentencing in a five-year span to settle these fears† (Fuchs). The effect of these laws resulted in a high prison population when California prisons reached a number of 173,000 by 2007Read MorePrison Overcrowding Is A Serious Problem1448 Words   |  6 PagesPrison overcrowding is a result of the imprisonment of drug users and first time offenders of non-violent crimes. The number of people being incarcerated greatly outweighs the number of prisons across the country. Prison overcrowding is a serious problem beca use it can be dangerous to both prisoners and correction officers. When prisoners are forced to live in crowded situations, the possibility of violence is greater (Oliver 44). Issues such as assaults and rapes can occur when there is not

Employment Tax in U.S.A.

Question: Discuss about the employment tax in U.S.A. Answer: Introduction According to the United States Federal Law, the government imposes federal employer tax This tax is imposed under the FUTA which is called Federal Unemployment Tax Act. It provides relevant funds to the workforce agencies at state level. (Accountingcoach, 2016).Amount collected through this process is used for payment of unemployment compensation. This is used for those personnel who have lost their jobs. The employers are required to pay this tax by filling a form called Form 940 which is filled to report the annual FUTA tax of the employers (Bizfilings, 2016). Most of the employers have to pay federal as well as state unemployment tax but it cannot be deducted from the wages of the employees. As per the FUTA, the Federal government is required to administer the insurance of unemployment in every state. During the time when the unemployment is high, FUTA makes payment to the workers who are unemployed. The payment amounts to half of the cost provided to the workers who are unemployed which can be viewed as extended unemployment benefit (IRS, 2016). The states may obtai n funds as loan to pay benefits to the unemployed workers from the FUTA if required. In this paper, tax proclamations on the Unemployment tax will be discussed. The practical application of the unemployment tax will be discussed in detail. Discussion FUTA or federal unemployment tax states that IRS (internal revenue service) is authorized for collection of tax known as federal employer tax. This will be treated as a fund for the state agencies who are engaged in the workforce. Law of United States, FUTA is applicable on the income from services performed within the U.S. (Turbo Tax, 2015). Based on the clauses of the FUTA, the employers must have to pay unemployment taxes for the benefits of the employees(DoL, 2016). For example, an employer owes unemployment taxes if he or she had paid at least $1500 in wages during any quarter of a calendar year, in the current or previous year. The rate of FUTA is 6% and if the employers pay state unemployment taxes, they are liable to take credit of up to 5.4% of the taxable income. The state unemployment tax is used to pay the benefits to the eligible unemployed workers. The unemployment tax is practically applicable on the unemployed workers who have lost their jobs. It provides financial su pport to the unemployed workers for supporting their family during the jobless period. State unemployment insurance agencies determine the category of the activity to be considered as employment by using their own laws for state unemployment insurance(EY, 2014). There are several categories characterized by the State UI agencies such as domestic employers' coverage or employers of agricultural employees. In domestic employers' coverage, the employers must have to pay state and federal unemployment taxes in case they are paying total of $1000 or more as cash wages to the household workers in any quarter of the calendar year of the current or the previous year. The examples of household workers are caretakers, drivers, private nurses, etc. In case of agricultural employees, federal employment taxes will be paid by the employer in respect to employees. If in any quarter wages paid by the employer is more than $20000, then it is compulsory to pay federal tax. Provisions of the law will also apply if more than $20000 has been paid in the previous year. In general, agriculture employers are also applicable for the state unemployment taxes and all the information related to the exact requirements, for being applicable to the unemployment taxes, can be collected from the state workforce agencies(Illinois Department of Revenue, 2016). The recent proclamations regarding the unemployment tax were announced in November 2015 by the department of the United States which deals in labour law. The department announced that the employers of the three states and the Virginia Islands will have to pay their FUTA taxes for the accounting year 2015. These taxes will have to be paid at a higher FUTA tax rate, compared to the employers of rest of the states. This is so because the above mentioned states failed to make the repayment of the federal unemployment loans of insurance by the end of November 2015(EY, 2016). As per the act, the increased rate will be applicable from the fourth quarter of the accounting year 2015. Those states, who repaid the loans without any delay i.e. before the end of November 2015, were not required to make the payment of any FUTA credit reduction for the accounting year, 2015. The Social Security Act requires a reduction in the FUTA tax credit when a state has federal loans for two consecutive years. The reduction in the FUTA tax credit remains to be 0.3% for the first year and the same exceeds for the following years until the loan is repaid to the Federal government. The law of the Federal government prevents the states from carrying their loan balances over a period of many years. They have the policy to decrease the FUTA credit. FUTA credit will be reduced at the beginning of the fifth year. This concept is also known as BCR or in other words Benefit Cost Rate Penalty of the BCR may be surrendered if the governor of the State has given an application till 1st July. Further, no actions have been taken to eradicate the unemployment. According to the report for financial year 2014-2016, taxable wage base relating to SUI as well as the SUI withholding rates relating to employees are applicable for the United States. The preliminary wage bases for the year 2016 have been provided. For example, In Alaska, the SUI taxable wage bases are as follows For Financial year 2014 applicable amount is $37,400 For Financial year 2015 applicable amount is $38,700 Moreover for financial year 2016 wage base for preliminary purpose is $39700 According to the act the contribution rate per employees is 0.5%. Further, Withholding rate relating to the SUI is 0.425%. This limit is applicable till wage amount is up to $32600. This rate is progressive in nature. It stares that as the wage amount increases the rate will also increase accordingly. Conclusion From the above report it can be said that United States is concerned relating to the unemployment within the nation. In order to eradicate the unemployment problem government has established an act known as FUTA act. This act is related to the wage payment of the employer on behalf of the employees. This act is applicable on each every resident of the United States. Citizenship of the employees does not make any difference while imposing this act. This act is also applicable if service is provided by the person outside the nation. If the person is citizens of US then this act will be applicable irrespective of the fact that whether service is provided in US or outside the nation. Proclamations related to the unemployment tax prevents the states from carrying their loan balances continue for a long period of time by reducing the FUTA credit in the beginning of the fifth year of the loan. The announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2015 declared that the states who have failed to repay their loans to the Federal government will have to pay higher FUTA rate as a penalty to the failure. Such announcements prevent the states from carrying the loan balances for longer period of time. Thus, the laws related to the unemployment taxes are stringent in order to provide financial support to the unemployed workers during their jobless period (TWC, 2016). References Accountingcoach, 2016. What is the FUTA tax? [Online] Available at: https://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/futa-tax [Accessed 25 June 2016]. Bizfilings, 2016. Employer liability for unemployement taxes. [Online] Available at: https://www.bizfilings.com/toolkit/sbg/tax-info/payroll-taxes/employer-liability-for-unemployment-taxes.aspx [Accessed 25 June 2016]. DoL, 2016. Unemployment Insurance Tax Topic. [Online] Available at: workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/uitaxtopic.asp [Accessed 21 June 2016]. EY, 2014. World Wide Personal Tax Guide. EY. EY, 2016. US employment tax rates and limits for 2016 Preliminary as of January 6, 2016. Ey.com. Illinois Department of Revenue, 2016. ILLINOIS INCOME TAX ACT AS AMENDED THROUGH PUBLIC ACT 99-0423. [Online] Available at: www.revenue.state.il.us/legalinformation/iita.pdf [Accessed 24 June 2016]. IRS, 2016. Unemployment Compensation. [Online] Available at: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/employees/unemployment-compensation [Accessed 25 June 2016]. Turbo Tax, 2015. Guide to Unemployment and Taxes. [Online] [Accessed 25 June 2015]. TWC, 2016. Unemployment Tax. [https://www.twc.state.tx.us/businesses/unemployment-tax] [Accessed 25 June 2016]. Weiss, A., 2008. The Galileo Paradigm, Form #11.303. Sovereignty Education and Defense Ministry (SEDM).