Blog 7

Child Victimization

1.        I consider child abuse any physical or mental treatment of a child that will have a lasting effect on their well-being. I think child abuse usually takes place over a lasting period of time and can involve acts such as excessive physical discipline and emotionally damaging behaviors.

·         I don’t think spanking is child abuse. I think it is appropriate as long as it is not done excessively and only for discipline.

·   I think spanking should be allowed because it is necessary to discipline some children. Before they can speak or communicate, it may be the only way kids can understand if they did something wrong and are being reprimanded for it.

·         I think that if parents are punishing their children fairly and safely, they should be able to do it in public. I don’t see a problem with it as long as it is reasonable.

·   I think a reasonable form of public punishment would be putting your child in time out.

·   I feel that spanking children and raising your voice excessively is unacceptable public punishment. Not only will that disturb the rest of the people around, but it could really embarrass the child.

2.       Child pornography is a Class B Felony in Delaware. A person is guilty of this is they knowingly receive, retrieve, or send material depicting a child in a sexual act or simulation of one. If a person is found guilty of child pornography they may face lifelong mandatory sex offender registration as well as lose certain rights. Offenders also face prison time and felony charges.

·         Delaware doesn’t have a specific statute addressing sexting. Anyone caught sending or receiving images of a minor engaged in a sexually explicit act will be prosecuted under child pornography laws.

·         Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit images or messages by mobile phone.

·         I think sexting should be punished if it is not consensual or involves minors.

·   I think that if a person is sexting photos of themselves or another person to someone who they don’t have a mutual agreement with should be punished similarly to those found guilty of child pornography.

·   I think victims of sexting should be punished if they requested to engage in sexting.

3.       Walter Wesley White, 18, was charged with 24 counts of child pornography. Undisclosed allegations made against him led to the investigation and his arrest. After the police received a search warrant, they found several images of child pornography. He was later released on a $3,000 bond.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013130327025

·         This type of victimization definitely affected me differently than other types we have researched before. Thinking about children being victimized, especially sexually, makes me sick to my stomach because they are usually defenseless.

4.       Concrete Angel by Martina McBride is a song about a little girl who is abused by her mother and ends up dying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtNYA4pAGjI

A Child Called ‘It’ is a book about a boy who is severely neglected and abused by his alcoholic mother and his story of survival. http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Child_Called_It.html?id=iEeJX0-a1bQC

Blog 5

Murder

1.       Homicide is defined as the killing of one human being by another human being. Homicides can either be justified or excusable. A justified homicide is authorized by law, such as in self defense. Excusable homicide involves fault on the person who uses deadly force. 

Murder is a form of criminal homicide. It is the killing of another human being without justification or excuse. First degree murder usually involves torture, movement of the person before the killing, or another crime, with or without premeditation. Second degree is a killing without premeditation.

2.       A man that was wrongly accused of murder was released from jail this week after spending the last 10 months there. Tahmir Craig, 23, was identified as a shooter after a surveillance photo was released to the media. The District Attorney began to have doubts and after bringing in the FBI, they discovered that the shooter’s height was 5’11, not Craig’s height of 5’5. Although he accepted the DA’s apology, his mother did not. The family plans to move out of the area to avoid any future conflicts with the public about this matter. They also plan to file a civil suit.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=9035084

3.       I recently read a book called Safe Haven. It is about a woman who shot and killed her estranged abusive husband after he attacked and attempted to kill her and her new family.

http://www.nicholassparks.com/books/safe-haven

The song “Goodbye Earl” by The Dixie Chicks is also about a woman who kills her abusive husband. She resorts to murder after many failed attempts at getting help through the justice system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7gNf_9njs

Blog 4

Mob Violence


1.         Mob violence is defined by Free Dictionary as, “A disturbance of the peace by several persons, assembled and acting with a common intent in executing a lawful or unlawful enterprise in a violent and turbulent manner.” Riots, vigilantism, and flash mobs are examples of this violence.

a.       I think that mob violence exists for a few reasons. One reason is because group violence can be a lot more effective than people acting independently when trying to get a point across, such as in a protest. I think group activity gives people a sense of belonging and safety. They may feel powerful together. Mob violence can be used in an offensive of defensive manner.

2.                  http://www.wnd.com/2012/08/the-race-riot-and-the-media-cover-up/

        In the article, “The Race Riot…and the Media Cover-Up,” by Colin Flaherty, he explains how a riot was completely ignored by the police and public in Wilmington, Delaware. On  August 5, 2012 police were called to the scene of a so called “back-to-college party” at a warehouse in a usually orderly suburb.

        There were reportedly 800 people fighting and firing guns and damaging property. There was no police report filed, or any arrests made. When Flaherty tried to contact police for information he received little cooperation. The author of the article did some research and came across a Facebook page for the event.    The event was made and put on for black people. This was the second annual event. Both ended in gun firing, violence, and property damage. One person was shot both times.

        This year, the party took place two weeks after a minister was attacked by a black mob nearby. Flaherty goes on to explain how a member of the City Council stated that anyone who opposed President Obama was racist. A local black minister also said that this mob violence is the outcome of 400 years of oppression.

a.       In addition to the basics, tell us about the societal conditions. What was going on before the violence happened?

b.      How is the violence discussed by the media…which group/people are the victims? Offenders?

3.       

a.       http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086066/

The Outsiders is a movie about a gang of young boys that grow up in a violent war between their group of friends and a rival gang of rich kids.

b.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gG5NxvIFM0

“Rio”t by 2 Chainz is a song where the rapper threatens to ‘start a riot’ if anyone tries to mess with him and his posse.

Blog 3

Sexual Assault/ Rape

1.       Delaware has a population of 907,135 with 289 reported incidents.

2.       All sexual offense statuses, except incest and unlawful sexual contact (third degree), which are misdemeanors, are felonies in Delaware. There is no time limitation for class A felonies. There is a time limitation for any felony other than murder within five years after commission of the offense except the following: incest, unlawful sexual contact in the 1st-3rd degree, rape in the 1st-4th degree, sexual extortion, and dangerous crimes against a child. There is no time limitation for these offenses. There is a time limitation within three years after the commission of any class A misdemeanor.

3.       Delaware law defines rape in the first degree as a person over 18 having sexual intercourse with a person under 12, or a person having sexual intercourse with a person under 16 when they have authority over them (Class A felony). Rape in the second degree is defined as a person having sexual penetration or oral sex with a person under 16, and causing serious bodily injury or displaying a weapon (Class B felony). The third and fourth degrees vary in the class of felonies depending on the ages of the defendant and victim. Unlawful sexual contact in the first degree is defined as a person having any sexual contact with a person under 16 and causing physical injury to the victim or displaying or claiming to have a weapon (Class F felony). Unlawful sexual contact in the second degree is when a person has any sexual contact with a person under 16 (Class G felony).

4.       Delawareonline.com reported that Katheryn L. Carmean, 35, from Berlin, Md. has been charged with 10 counts of third-degree rape. She is also facing charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child and endangering the welfare of a child. Carmean allegedly had sex with a 14-year-old friend of a relative repeatedly over 10 months last year. She was taken into custody from her job at Seaford Middle School where she helps handicapped students. The police were notified of the crime after the boy told his mother earlier in the week and she contacted them. The abuse started in November 2011, and continued once a week until August 2012. Carmean admitted to the relationship. She is suspended from her job at the school until the outcome of the investigation is determined. She was held at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution until her Feb. 14 court hearing because she could not post her $57,000 bail.
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013302080048

5.       “Date Rape” by Sublime is a song about a guy who uses a date rape drug on a girl who later reports him and gets him thrown in jail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeMeDihwyrg

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book, also was recently turned into a movie, about a boy whose aunt sexually assaulted him when he was a little boy. He faces depression and social problems throughout his life until high school, when he meets new friends and is finally able to confess this dark secret.

http://perks-of-being-a-wallflower.com/

Blog 2

   Hate Crimes

1.       Delaware has a population of 907,135 with 15 incidents reported. 

2.       State law here covers bias-motivated violence and intimidation, race, religion, and ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and institutional vandalism. Delaware state law does not cover data collection, training for law enforcement personnel, gender and some other civil actions. 

3.       Delaware state statues say that further penalties will be put in place if the victim was sought after because of their race, religion, skin color, disability, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry. Disorderly conduct involves a person congregating with others in public while wearing anything that would make their face unrecognizable in order to deprive any one of any of their privileges, rights or immunities recognized in the Constitution or U.S. laws. Cross or religious symbol burning is committed when someone causes one to be burned without the consent of the owner and without notification 48 hours prior to the burning to the fire board or call board of the county where it is taking place. Desecration takes place when a person intentionally causes damage to or mistreats a public monument or structure, a place of worship, a national flag or object of veneration of the public, in a public place in a way that is insensitive to others. There are no statues on data collection or law enforcement training. 

4.       6abc.com reported that, on March 26, 2012, two teenagers were charges with hate crime and other offenses after they vandalized several cars, homes, and fences with red spray paint. Some of the victims’ cars and houses were spray painted with anti-gay sentiments. A state trooper located the suspects in a residence near to where the crime occurred. The two teens, whose names and pictures were not released due to their ages, were placed in custody. They were literally caught “red-handed” with spray paint on their hands and faces. They were each charged with one count of Hate Crime, Conspiracy 1^st, Conspiracy 3^rd, and six counts of Criminal Mischief under $1,000. They were later released to their parents pending a hearing in the Family Court. 

5.       Where is the Love by The Black Eyed Peas is a song about how we should love people of all races, not just our own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc

       Mississippi Burning is a very well-known movie about the story of three civil rights workers who were murdered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_Burning