US Foreclosures Feasibility Project

The dependent variable, U. S. Foreclosures Filings, is used in the cause and affect relationship presented wrought the project. The following independent variables will be used to determine the most significant factor in U. S. Foreclosure filings. This data is collected every month from more than 2,200 countless by [email  protected] Realty'[email  protected] compiles this nationwide data and reports a count of the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing reported. Primary Independent Variable: a.Rising Unemployment Rising unemployment rates is the primary Independent variable because I believe that as the national employment rate continues to rise so will the number of foreclosure filings. The data used to represent the relationship was provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and collected monthly. The first resource that solidifies my belief comes from commoner. Com. Less Christie describes in the article, â€Å"Mounting Job Losses Fueling Foreclosure s,† the correlation between unemployment rates and the rise In U.S. Foreclosures. He explains that the more individuals lose their jobs the more the delinquency trend will continue. (Christie, 2008) In the article, â€Å"2008 Foreclosure Filings Set Record,† Stephanie Armor recognizes the relationship between Job loss and foreclosure lings. She clarifies that even though Interest rates decreased, the number of those filing for foreclosure continued to rise between 2007 and 2008 resulting in an 81% increase.The former federal deputy Housing Commissioner under President Clinton is quoted saying, â€Å"with foreclosures continuing to rise and the economy in a downward spiral, It's not surprising you see Increased foreclosure because of Increased unemployment. † (Armor, 2009) Independent Variables: a. Divorce (XX: DIVORCE)- Divorce is another leading cause in the number of the family and they then run the risk of foreclosure. This data was compiled through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention & National Center for Health Statistics.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Twenty-One

SOME PART OF ME BEGGED FOR there to be a mistake. I watched the footage three more times, tossing crazy theories around in my head. Maybe Master Jameson had a twin who wasn't a fanatic who hated vampires. No. The video didn't lie. Only the Alchemists did. I couldn't ignore this. I couldn't wait. I needed to resolve this immediately. If not sooner. I sent Marcus a text as soon as my plane was on the ground: We meet tonight. No games. No runaround. TONIGHT. There was no response from him by the time I got back to my dorm. What was he doing? Reading Catcher in the Rye again? If I'd known what dive he was holed up in, I would've marched over there right then. There was nothing I could do but wait, so I called Ms. Terwilliger both as a distraction and to buy some freedom. â€Å"Nothing to report,† she told me when she answered. â€Å"We're still just watching and waiting – although, your extra charm is almost complete.† â€Å"That's not why I'm calling,† I said. â€Å"I need you to get me a curfew extension tonight.† I felt bad using her for something totally unrelated, but I had to do this. â€Å"Oh? Are you paying me an unexpected visit?† â€Å"Er – no. This is for something else.† She clearly thought that was funny. â€Å"Now you use my assistance for personal matters?† â€Å"Don't you think I've earned it?† I countered. She laughed, something I hadn't heard from her in a while. She agreed to my request and promised to call the dorm's front desk right away. As soon as we hung up, my phone chimed with the expected message from Marcus. All the text contained was an address that was a half hour away. Assuming he was ready for me now, I grabbed my messenger bag and got on the road. In light of my past meetings with Marcus, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd led me to a department store or karaoke bar. Instead, I arrived at a vintage music shop, the kind that sold vinyl records. A large CLOSED sign hung on the door, emphasized by dark windows and an empty parking lot. I got out of my car and double-checked the address, wondering if my GPS had led me astray. My earlier zeal gave way to nervousness. How careless was this? One of Wolfe's first lessons was to avoid sketchy situations, yet here I was, exposing myself. Then, from the shadows, I heard my name whispered. I turned toward the sound and saw Sabrina materialize out of the darkness, carrying a gun as usual. Maybe if I showed her the one in my glove compartment, we could have a bonding moment. â€Å"Go around back,† she said. â€Å"Knock on the door.† Without another word, she returned to the shadows. The back of the building looked like the kind of place that screamed mugging, and I wondered if Sabrina would come to my aid if needed. I knocked on the door, half expecting some kind of speakeasy situation where I'd be asked for a password like â€Å"rusted iguana.† Instead, Marcus opened the door, ready with one of those smiles he kept hoping would win me over. Strangely, tonight it put me at ease. â€Å"Hey, gorgeous, come on in.† I stepped past him and found we were in the store's back room, which was filled with tables, shelves, and boxes of records and cassette tapes. Wade and Amelia stood against a wall in mirrored stances, their arms crossed over their chests. Marcus shut the door behind me and locked it. â€Å"Glad to see you back in one piece. Judging from your text – and your face – you found something.† All the rage I'd been holding in since my discovery came bursting out. I retrieved my laptop from my bag and had to resist the urge to slam it against a table. â€Å"Yes! I can't believe it. You were right. Your insane, far-fetched theory was right. The Alchemists have been lying! Or, well, some of them. I don't know. Half of them don't know what the other half's doing.† I expected some smug remark from Marcus or at least an â€Å"I told you so.† But that handsome face was drawn and sad, reminding me of the picture I'd seen of him and Clarence. â€Å"Damn,† he said softly. â€Å"I was kind of hoping you'd come back with a bunch of boring video. Amelia, go swap with Sabrina. I want her to see this.† Amelia looked disappointed to be sent away, but she didn't hesitate to obey his order. By the time Sabrina came back in, I had the video cued up to the correct time. They gathered around me. â€Å"Ready?† I asked. They nodded, and I could see a mix of emotions in all of them. Here it was, the conspiracy theory they'd all been waiting to prove. At the same time, the implications were staggering, and the three of them were well aware of how dangerous what they were about to see could be. I played the video. It was only a few seconds long, but they were powerful ones as that bearded figure appeared on the screen. I heard an intake of breath from Sabrina. â€Å"It's him. Master Jameson.† She looked between all our faces. â€Å"That's really the Alchemist place? He's really there?† â€Å"Yes,† said Wade. â€Å"And that's Dale Hawthorne with him, one of the directors.† That triggered a memory. â€Å"I know that name. He's one of Stanton's peers, right?† â€Å"Pretty much.† â€Å"Is it possible she wouldn't know about a visit like this?† I asked. â€Å"Even at her level?† It was Marcus who answered. â€Å"Maybe. Although, walking him right in there – even to the secure level – is pretty ballsy. Even if she doesn't know about the meeting, it's a safe bet others do. If it were completely shady, Hawthorne would've met him off-site. Of course, the secure list means this wasn't out in the open either.† So, it was possible Stanton hadn't lied to me – well, at least not about the Alchemists being in contact with the Warriors. She'd certainly lied about the Alchemists knowing about Marcus since he'd said he was a notorious figure to most higher-ups. Even if she was ignorant about Master Jameson, it didn't change the fact that other Alchemists – important ones – were keeping some dangerous company. Maybe I didn't always like their procedures, but I'd desperately wanted to believe they were doing good in the world. Maybe they were. Maybe they weren't. I just didn't know anymore. When I dragged my eyes from the frozen frame of Master Jameson, I found Marcus watching me. â€Å"Are you ready?† he asked. â€Å"Ready for what?† He walked over to another table and returned with a small case. When he opened it, I saw a small vial of silver liquid and a syringe. â€Å"What is – oh.† Realization hit me. â€Å"That's the blood that'll break the tattoo.† He nodded. â€Å"Pulling the elements out creates a reaction that turns it silver. It takes a few years, but eventually, the gold in your skin will fade to silver too.† All of them were looking at me expectantly, and I took a step back. â€Å"I don't know if I'm ready for this.† â€Å"Why wait?† asked Marcus. He pointed at the laptop. â€Å"You've seen this. You know what they're capable of. Can you keep lying to yourself? Don't you want to go forward with your eyes open?† â€Å"Well . . . yes, but I don't know if I'm ready to have some strange substance injected into me.† Marcus filled the syringe with the silver liquid. â€Å"I can demonstrate on my tattoo if it'll make you feel better. It won't hurt me, and you can see that there aren't any dire side effects.† â€Å"We don't know for sure that they've done anything to me,† I protested. He had a logical argument, but I was still terrified of taking this step. I could feel my hands shaking. â€Å"This could be a waste. There may be no group loyalty compulsion in me.† â€Å"But you also don't know for sure,† he countered. â€Å"And there's always a little loyalty put in the initial tattoo. I mean, not enough to make you some slave robot, but still. Wouldn't you feel better knowing everything's gone?† I couldn't take my eyes off the needle. â€Å"Will I feel any different?† â€Å"No. Although you could walk up to someone on the street and start telling them about vampires.† I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. â€Å"Then you'd just get thrown into a psych ward.† Was I ready for this? Was I really going to take the next step into becoming part of Marcus's Merry Men? I'd passed his test – which he'd been right about. Clearly, this group wasn't useless. They had eyes on the Alchemists and the Warriors. They also seemingly had the Moroi's best interests at heart. The Moroi – or, more specifically, Jill. I hadn't forgotten Sabrina's offhand remark about the Warriors being interested in a missing girl. Who else could it be but Jill? And did this Hawthorne guy have access to her location? Had he passed it on to Master Jameson? And would this information put those around her at risk, like Adrian? They were questions I didn't have the answers to, but I had to uncover them. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Do it.† Marcus didn't waste any time. I think he was afraid I'd change my mind – which, perhaps, was not an unfounded fear. I sat down in one of the chairs and tipped my head to the side so that he'd have access to my cheek. Wade gently held my head with his hands. â€Å"Just to make sure you stay still,† he told me apologetically Before Marcus started, I asked, â€Å"Where'd you learn to do this?† His face had been solemn with the task ahead, but my question made him smile again. â€Å"I'm not technically tattooing you, if that's what you're worried about,† he said. I was actually worried about a lot of things. â€Å"These are just some small injections, just like being re-inked.† â€Å"What about the process itself? How'd you find out about it?† It was probably a question I should have asked before I sat down in this chair. But I hadn't expected to be doing this so soon – or suddenly. â€Å"A Moroi friend of mine theorized about it. I volunteered to be a guinea pig, and it worked.† He switched to business mode again and held up the needle. â€Å"Ready?† I took a deep breath, feeling like I was standing on the edge of a precipice. Time to jump. â€Å"Go ahead.† It hurt about as much as re-inking did, just a number of small pricks on my skin. Uncomfortable, but not really painful. In truth, it wasn't a long process, but it felt like it took forever. All the while, I kept asking myself, What are you doing? What are you doing? At last, Marcus stepped back and regarded me with shining eyes. Sabrina and Wade smiled too. â€Å"There you go,† Marcus said. â€Å"Welcome to the ranks, Sydney.† I took my compact out of my purse to check the tattoo. My skin was pink from the needle's piercing, but if this process continued to be like re-inking, that irritation would fade soon. Otherwise, the lily looked unchanged. I also didn't feel that changed on the inside. I didn't want to storm the Alchemist facility and demand justice or anything like that. Taking him up on his dare to tell an outsider about vampires was probably my best bet to see if my tattoo had been altered, but I didn't really feel like doing that either. â€Å"That's it?† I asked. â€Å"That's it,† Marcus said. â€Å"Once we get it sealed, you won't have to worry about – â€Å" â€Å"I'm not getting it sealed.† All those smiles vanished. Marcus looked confused, as though he might have misheard. â€Å"You have to. We're going to Mexico next weekend. Once that's done, the Alchemists won't ever be able to get to you again.† â€Å"I'm not getting it sealed,† I repeated. â€Å"And I'm not going to Mexico.† I gestured toward my laptop. â€Å"Look what I was able to pull off! If I stay where I'm at, I can keep finding out more. I can find out what else the Alchemists and Warriors are doing together.† I can find out if Jill is in danger. â€Å"Getting permanently marked and becoming an outcast kills all those opportunities for me. There's no going back after that.† I think Marcus almost always got his way, and this new development totally threw him off. Wade took up the argument. â€Å"There's no going back now. You're leaving a trail of bread crumbs. Look at what you've done. You already made inquiries about Marcus. Even if you haven't gotten super-friendly with the Moroi, the Alchemists still know you spend a lot of time with them. And one day, someone may realize you were there when the data was stolen.† â€Å"No one knows it was stolen,† I said promptly. â€Å"You hope they don't,† corrected Wade. â€Å"These little things are enough to raise red flags. Keep doing more, and you'll make it worse. They'll finally notice you, and that's when it'll be over.† Marcus had recovered from his initial shock. â€Å"Exactly. Look, if you want to stay where you're at until we go to Mexico, that's fine. Make your peace with it or whatever. After that, you need to escape. We'll keep working from the outside.† â€Å"You can do whatever you want.† I began packing up my laptop. â€Å"I'm going to work from the inside.† Marcus caught hold of my arm. â€Å"You're setting yourself up for a fall, Sydney!† he said sternly. â€Å"You're going to get caught.† I pulled away from him. â€Å"I'll be careful.† â€Å"Everyone makes mistakes,† said Sabrina, speaking up for the first time in a while. â€Å"I'll take that risk.† I slung my bag over my shoulder. â€Å"Unless you guys are going to forcibly stop me?† None of them answered. â€Å"Then I'm going. I'm not afraid of the Alchemists. Thank you for everything you've done. I really do appreciate it.† â€Å"Thank you,† said Marcus at last. He shook his head at Wade, who looked like he wanted to protest. â€Å"For getting the data. I honestly didn't think you'd be able to pull it off. I figured you'd return empty-handed, though I still would've broken the tattoo for you. A for effort, you know. Instead, you just proved what I'd thought before: you're remarkable. We could really use you.† â€Å"Well, you know how to get in touch with me.† â€Å"And you know how to get in touch with us,† he said. â€Å"We'll be here all week if you change your mind.† I opened the door. â€Å"I won't. I'm not running away.† Amelia called goodbye to me when I got into my car, oblivious to the fact that I'd just defied her beloved leader. As I drove back to Amberwood, I was amazed at how free I felt – and it had nothing to do with the tattoo. It was the knowledge that I had defied everyone – the Alchemists, the Warriors, the Merry Men. I didn't answer to anyone, no matter the cause. I was my own person, able to take my own actions. It wasn't something I had a lot of experience with. And I was about to do something drastic. I hadn't told Marcus and the gang because I'd been afraid they really would stop me. When I got back to Amberwood, I went straight to my room and dialed Stanton. She answered on the first ring, which I took as a divine sign that I was doing the right thing. â€Å"Miss Sage, this is unexpected. Did you enjoy the services?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"They were very enlightening. But that's not why I'm calling. We have a situation. The Warriors of Light are looking for Jill.† I wasn't going to waste any time. â€Å"Why on earth would they do that?† She sounded legitimately surprised, but if there was one thing in all of this that I believed wholeheartedly, it was that the Alchemists were exceptional liars. â€Å"Because they know if Jill's whereabouts got out, it could throw the Moroi into chaos. Their focus is still on the Strigoi, but they wouldn't mind seeing thing go bad for the Moroi.† â€Å"I see.† I always wondered if she paused to gather her thoughts or if it was simply for effect. â€Å"And how exactly did you learn this?† â€Å"That guy I know who used to be with the Warriors. We're still friendly, and he's been having doubts about them. He mentioned hearing them talk about finding a missing girl that could cause all sorts of trouble.† Maybe it was wrong to drag Trey into this lie, but I seriously doubted Stanton would interrogate him anytime soon. â€Å"And you assume this is Miss Dragomir?† â€Å"Come on,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Who else would it be? Do you know any other Moroi girls? Of course it's her!† â€Å"Calm down, Miss Sage.† Her voice was flat and untroubled. â€Å"There's no need for theatrics.† â€Å"There's a need for action! If they might be on to her, then we need to get out of Palm Springs immediately.† â€Å"That,† she said crisply, â€Å"is not an option. A lot of planning went into getting her to her current location.† I didn't believe that argument for a second. Half our job was doing damage control and adapting to rapidly changing situations. â€Å"Yeah? Well, did you also plan on those psycho vampire hunters finding her?† Stanton ignored the jab. â€Å"Do you have any evidence at all that the Warriors actually have concrete data about her? Did your friend supply you with details?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"But we still need to do something.† â€Å"There's no ‘we' here.† Her voice had gone from flat to icy. â€Å"You do not decide what we do.† I nearly protested and then caught myself. Horror set in. What had I just done? My initial intent had been to either get Stanton to take legitimate action or else find out if she might accidentally reveal knowledge of a Warrior connection. I'd thought mentioning Trey would give me valid backup since I could hardly tell her the real reason I feared for Jill. Yet, somehow, I'd gone from a request to a demand. I'd practically yelled an order at her. That wasn't typical Sydney behavior. That wasn't typical Alchemist behavior. What had Wade said? You're leaving a trail of bread crumbs. Was this because I'd broken the tattoo? This was no crumb. This was a full loaf. I was on the verge of insubordination, and my mind could suddenly imagine that list Marcus kept warning about, the one that kept track of every suspicious thing I did. Was Stanton already updating that list right now? I had to fix this, but how? How on earth did I take this back? My mind was racing frantically, and it took several moments for me to calm down and start thinking logically. The mission. Focus on the mission. Stanton would understand that. â€Å"I'm sorry, ma'am,† I said at last. Be calm. Be deferential. â€Å"I'm just . . . I'm just so worried about this mission. I saw my dad at the services, you know.† That would be a fact she could check on. â€Å"You had to have seen how it was that night I left. How bad things are between us. I . . . I have to make him proud. If things fall apart here, he'll never forgive me.† She didn't respond, so I prayed that meant she was listening intently . . . and believing me. â€Å"I want to do a good job here. I want to fulfill our goals and keep Jill hidden. But there have already been so many complications no one predicted – first Keith and then the Warriors. I just never feel like she's fully safe now, even with Eddie and Angeline. It eats at me. And – † I was no actress who could muster tears, but I did my best to make my voice crack. â€Å"And I never feel safe. I told you, when I asked to go to the services, how overwhelming it is with the Moroi. They're everywhere – and the dhampirs too. I eat with them. I'm in class with them. Being with other Alchemists this last weekend was a lifesaver. I mean, I'm not trying to dodge my duties, ma'am. I understand we have to make sacrifices. And I've gotten better around them, but sometimes the stress is just unbearable – and then when I heard this thing about the Warriors, I cracked. All I could think about was that I might fail. I'm sorry, ma'am. I shouldn't have flipped o ut on you. I was out of control, and it was unacceptable.† I cut off my rant and tensed as I waited for her response. Hopefully I'd given her enough to dismiss any thoughts of me being a dissident. Of course, I might have just come off as a totally weak and unstable Alchemist who needed to be pulled from this mission. If that happened . . . well, maybe I'd have to take Marcus up on Mexico. Her characteristic pause was especially painful this time. â€Å"I see,† she said. â€Å"Well, I'll take this all into consideration. This mission is of the utmost importance, believe me. My earlier questioning of your information was not some weakening of our resolve. Your concerns have been heard, and I will decide the best course of action.† It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but hopefully she would be true to her word. I really, really wanted to believe she was on the up-and-up. â€Å"Thank you, ma'am.† â€Å"Is there anything else, Miss Sage?† â€Å"No, ma'am. And . . . and I'm sorry ma'am.† â€Å"Your apology is noted.† Click. I'd paced while I'd talked and now stood staring at the phone. A gut instinct told me I really had driven Stanton to take some sort of action. The mystery was whether that action would prove beneficial or catastrophic for me. Falling asleep was difficult after that, and it had nothing to do with Veronica for a change. I was too keyed up, too anxious about what had happened with Marcus and Stanton. I tried to seize that feeling of freedom again, using it to strengthen me. It was only a spark this time, flickering with my new uncertainties, but it was better than nothing. I fell asleep sometime around three. I had a vague sense of a couple hours passing before I was swept into one of Adrian's dreams, back in the reception hall. â€Å"Finally,† he said. â€Å"I almost gave up checking in. I thought you were going to pull an all-nighter.† He'd stopped wearing his suit in these dreams, probably because I always showed up in jeans. Tonight he wore jeans also, along with a plain black T-shirt. â€Å"Me too.† I wrung my hands and began pacing here as well. The nervous energy from my waking self had carried over into the dream. â€Å"A lot of stuff's kind of happened tonight.† The dream felt real, solid. Adrian was sober. â€Å"Didn't you just get back? How much could've happened?† When I told him, he shook his head in amazement. â€Å"Man, Sage. It's all or nothing with you. Never a dull moment.† I came to a halt in front of him and leaned against a table. â€Å"I know, I know. Do you think I just made a huge mistake? God, maybe Marcus was right, and there was some compulsion forcing me to be loyal in the tattoo. I'm free for one hour and completely go over the edge with my superior.† â€Å"It sounds like you covered your tracks,† he said, though a small frown appeared on his face. â€Å"But I would be disappointed if they sent you somewhere less stressful. That seems like it might be the worst-case scenario from everything you said.† I started laughing, but it was the hysterical kind. â€Å"What in the world's happened to me? I was doing crazy stuff way before Marcus broke the tattoo tonight. Meeting with rebels, chasing evil sorceresses, even buying that dress! Yelling at Stanton is just one more thing on a long list of insanity. It's just like I said at Pies and Stuff: I don't know who I am anymore.† Adrian smiled and clasped my hands, taking a few steps toward me. â€Å"Well, first off, I'm the expert in insanity, and this is nothing. And as for who you are, you're the same beautiful, brave, and ridiculously smart caffeinated fighter you've been since the day I met you.† Finally, he put â€Å"beautiful† at the top of his list of adjectives. Not that I should have cared. â€Å"Sweet talker,† I scoffed. â€Å"You didn't know anything about me the first time we met.† â€Å"I knew you were beautiful,† he said. â€Å"I just hoped for the rest.† He always got this glint in his eyes when he complimented my looks, like he was seeing so much more than just my actual appearance. It was disorienting and heady . . . but I didn't mind. And that wasn't the only thing I suddenly found overwhelming. How had he gotten so close to me without me even realizing it? It was like he had secret stealth abilities. His hands were warm on mine, our fingers locked together. I still had remnants of that earlier joy within me, and being connected to him amplified those feelings. The green of his eyes was as lovely as usual, and I wondered if mine had the same effect on him. There was a little amber mixed with the brown that he had once said looked like gold. He's the only one who never tells me to do anything, I realized. Oh, sure, he asked me to do lots of things, often with cajoling and fast talking. But he made no demands on me, not like the Alchemists or Marcus. Even Jill and Angeline tended to preface their requests with, â€Å"You have to . . .† â€Å"Speaking of that dress,† he added, â€Å"I still haven't seen it.† I laughed softly. â€Å"You couldn't handle it.† He raised an eyebrow at that. â€Å"Is that a challenge, Sage? I can handle a lot.† â€Å"Not if our history is any indication. Each time I wear some moderately attractive dress, you lose it.† â€Å"That's not exactly true,† he said. â€Å"I lose it no matter what you're wearing. And that red dress was not ‘moderately attractive.' It was like a piece of heaven here on earth. A red, silky piece of heaven.† I should've rolled my eyes. I should've told him I wasn't here for his personal entertainment. But there was something in the way he was looking at me and something in the way I felt tonight that made me want to see his reaction. Breaking the tattoo hadn't affected anything between us, but it – and the deeds I'd done this weekend – had left me feeling bold. For the first time, I wanted to take a risk with him, despite my usual set of logical arguments. Besides, there was nothing dangerous in letting him look. I manipulated the dream the way he'd taught me. A few moments later, the lacy minidress replaced my jeans and blouse. I even summoned the heels, which bumped my height up. I was still nowhere near as tall as him, but the small boost brought our faces closer together. His eyes widened. Still holding my hands, he took a step back so that he could take in the whole look. There was almost something tangible to the way his gaze swept my body. I could practically feel every place it touched. By the time his eyes reached mine again, my breathing was heavy, and I was acutely aware that there really wasn't that much clothing between the two of us. Maybe there was something dangerous in letting him look after all. â€Å"A piece of heaven?† I managed to ask. He slowly shook his head. â€Å"No. The other place. The one I'm going to burn in for thinking what I'm thinking.† He'd moved toward me again. His hands released mine and moved to my waist, and I noticed I wasn't the only one breathing heavily. He pulled me to him, bringing our bodies together. The world was all heat and electricity, thick with tension that was only one spark away from exploding around us. I was balancing on another precipice, which wasn't easy to do in heels. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and this time I was the one who drew him closer. â€Å"Damn,† he murmured. â€Å"What?† I asked, never taking my eyes off his. He ran his hands over my hips. â€Å"I'm not supposed to kiss you.† â€Å"It's okay.† â€Å"What is?† â€Å"It's okay if I kiss you.† Adrian Ivashkov wasn't easy to surprise, but I surprised him then when I brought his mouth toward mine. I kissed him, and for a moment, he was too stunned to respond. That lasted for, oh, about a second. Then the intensity I'd come to know so well in him returned. He pushed me backward, lifting me so that I sat on the table. The tablecloth bunched up, knocking over some of the glasses. I heard what sounded like a china plate crash against the floor. Whatever logic and reason I normally possessed had melted away. There was nothing but flesh and fire left, and I wasn't going to lie to myself – at least not tonight. I wanted him. I arched my back, fully aware of how vulnerable that made me and that I was giving him an invitation. He accepted it and laid me back against the table, bringing his body down on top of mine. That crushing kiss of his moved from my mouth to the nape of my neck. He pushed down the edge of my dress and the bra strap underneath, exposing my shoulder and giving his lips more skin to conquer. A glass rolled off and smashed, soon followed by another. Adrian broke off his kissing, and I opened my eyes. He had an exasperated look on his face. â€Å"A table,† he said. â€Å"A goddamned table.† A few moments later, the table was gone. I was in his apartment, on his bed, and was glad that I no longer had silverware underneath me. With the venue change complete, his lips found mine again. The urgency in the way I responded surprised even me. I never would've thought myself capable of a feeling so primal, so removed from the reason that usually governed my actions. My nails dug into his back, and he trailed his lips down the edge of my chin, down the center of my neck. He kept going until he reached the bottom of the dress's V-neck. I let out a small gasp, and he kissed all around the neckline, just enough to tease. â€Å"Don't worry,† he murmured. â€Å"The dress stays on.† â€Å"Oh? Is that your decision to make?† â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"You're not losing your virginity in a dream. If that's even possible. I don't want to deal with the philosophical side of it. And besides, there's no need to rush anyway. Sometimes it's worth lingering on the journey for a while before getting to the destination.† Metaphors. This was the cost of making out with an artist. I nearly said as much. Then his hand slid up my bare leg, and I was lost again. Maybe the dress was staying on, but he didn't mind taking liberties with it. That hand slipped under my dress, running along the side of my leg and up to my hip. I burned where he touched me, and everything within me became focused on that hand. It was moving far too slowly, and I grabbed it, ready to urge it on. Adrian chuckled and caught hold of my wrist, pulling my hand away and pinning it down against the covers. â€Å"Never thought I'd be the one slowing you down.† I opened my eyes and met his. â€Å"I'm a quick study.† All that burning and animal need within me must have shone through because he caught his breath and lost the smile. He released my wrist and cupped my face in his hands, bringing his face down only a whisper away from mine. â€Å"Good God, Sydney. You are – † The passion in his eyes turned to surprise, and he suddenly looked up. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked, wondering if this was some weird part of â€Å"the journey.† He grimaced and began to fade away before my eyes. â€Å"You're being woken up.†

Current Trends

The market for projector screens continues to boom as presentations continue in corporate, educational, government, and other settings. Today, many trends co-exist in the development of the market, accounting for the wide variety of product offered. We will consider the emerging trends in the industry. In particular, we will pay attention to how these trends are represented in the product assortment of PCM Ltd.Trends in the IndustryAs more and more business people and other professionals travel extensively, the size of the screen and the projector begin to matter. Smaller screens can be more easily packed in the luggage and transported more effectively. In the case of projectors, a smaller size means most typically a shorter warranty, less brightness and a higher price. However, those that take an airplane to get places may be more willing to undertake this expense. In contrast, those travelling by car can afford to purchase projector technology that is larger in size.In college, in contrast, the projector screens keep getting bigger. A larger screen allows everybody to see what is going on in the classroom and focus students’ attention on the content of the presentation without forcing them to make a special effort to discern the images on the screen. Craig (2006) states that a good campus display system should meet a very important criterion: be â€Å"large enough for everyone to see comfortably†. The next generation of campus projector screens is likely to fluctuate between moderately big and very big monitors.Widescreen is also winning popularity. This trend, already visible in the production of laptops, has now come to influence the world of projector screens. The typical widescreen ratio is 16:9, although this ratio is not consistent as one can come across 15:9 and 16:10, too. The use of widescreen has implications for the overall impression of the presentation. In college settings, â€Å"wide aspect projection screens mean less room in the front for whiteboards, and more encroachment on where the instructor would stand† (Craig, 2006).The growing variety of projectors now includes overhead, LCD, slide, video and movie projectors. This means that it is desirable that manufacturers of projector screens respond to this variety by producing flexible screens that can work with any type of projector. This will make their produce suitable to a wide range of situations and will not induce users to replace the screen when they upgraded to a new type of projector.The advances in the field are numerous. Some of them are really innovative and can represent either breakthroughs that will start permanent new trends, or remain ‘side branches’ of evolution forever. Thus, ASS-60AK NXT SoundVu projection screen, created by Authentic Ltd, can act both as a display surface and a speaker at the same time.The screen â€Å"vibrates at a rate undetectable to the human eye to create sound, is made of Teonex, a material spe cially designed to produce high frequencies other fabrics would absorb† (Horaczek, 2006). In this way, it is similar to acoustically transparent screens used in multiplexes. However, professionals wonder whether this standalone speaker that also serves as projector screen can be of lasting quality.Another impressive innovation is the transparent screen that can accept and display holographic images. Demonstrating a holographic image on its surface, the screen creates the impression that the image is floating in the air. Technologically, the image emerges when â€Å"a projector shines on a thin Holographic screen attached to a transparent surface like glass or plexi-glass† (ProjectorPeople, n.d.). This image can help advertising efforts, for instance, when it is placed in front of a store where is certain to grasp the attention of numerous passers-by.PCM Ltd’s Product MixPCM Ltd maintains operations in China where its goods are produced to be later marketed in Nor th America and Europe by a Canadian company. The company offers a wide range of products in display technology. Its list of products includes projectors, projector screens, presentation easels, display stands, TV wall and ceiling mounts, and literature and catalogue dispensers.Its projector screens are compatible with different projector types. They can display images from overhead projectors, LCD, slide, video and movie projectors (PCM Ltd, n.d.). The screens are available in different formats, including square, video and widescreen. All of them are fire retardant.An example of a widescreen format is the Flexscreen Scissor Support Wall Screen that comes in HDTV format 16:9. The convenience of this format lies in the fact that it adjusts automatically to video, wide video and square format. This screen that comes in three sizes, 145*145 cm, 160*160 cm, and 180*180 cm, will conveniently fit into a variety of office and educational surroundings.Its relatively modest size allows users to place it on many walls in offices of different size. Flexscreen’s ability to display widescreen images makes its consistent with the newest trends that emphasized widescreen, while its conformance to the older video and square standards help it support images that were made in accordance with traditional standards.

Plans on How to Use the 15 by 15 Foot Office Space Assignment

Plans on How to Use the 15 by 15 Foot Office Space - Assignment Example Occasionally, other employees could join the interns in the entertainment rooms and motivate them to work hard and get employed some day. Moreover, the entertainment centers will also be a perfect space to conduct motivational talks where various motivational speakers can be invited to motivate these interns. This entertainment centers will act as recreational centers for these interns and a place that they can unwind after facing a lot of pressure at work. That is why it is necessary for it to be as comfortable as possible. The following are the purchases that are planned for the entertainment space: The reason for this choice is that most interns are often afraid of dealing with other employees in the organization. Since most this is the first internship for most of them, it is important to make them feel comfortable and cared for. As a result, they are able to be highly motivated to maximize on their potential (Chapman and Ward, 400). The purchases I made are the most cost-effective in the market considering the high-quality products they are and the likelihood of them to last long. I use some of these at home and I can assure you that they are among the best qualities there is in the market. Plans are also underway to create soundproof walls in the office space to reduce the disturbance to other employees in the organization. This is likely to cost approximately $ 10000 together with stocking the fridge with snacks, purchasing coffee, and other small kitchen appliances including some mugs and glasses. The room will also be stocked with various magazines and books on IT and ho w the organization works to enable the interns to peruse through whenever they get the chance. I hope that you will consider this plan and give a go ahead for me to start working on it.

Pediatric Growth and Development Research Paper

Pediatric Growth and Development - Research Paper Example e conflict occurs as children try to act like grown ups and takes up goals or activities which are beyond their capacity and which are in conflict with parents or family members (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). Feeling of guilt occurs as a result and hence, achieving ‘balance’ between initiative and encroaching upon rights or privileges of others is the challenge as it leads to successful resolution of the conflict (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). The fourth stage (‘industry versus inferiority’), in which teachers and peers are significant social agents, occur between 6 to 12 years of age (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). In this stage, children compare themselves with peers and hence, must master academic and social skills to feel self-assured (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). Otherwise, feeling of inferiority develops if they fail to acquire the skills which others have (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). The fifth stage (‘identity versus role confusion’), in which the key social agent is the society of peers, occurs between 12 to 20 years of age (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). The challenge for adolescents is to avoid being confused about their identity by establishing basic social and occupational identities (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). The sixth stage (‘intimacy versus isolation’), in which the key social agents are lovers, spouses and close friends, occurs between 20 to 40 years (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). The challenge is to achieve companionship through strong friendship or else loneliness result (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). The seventh stage (‘generativity versus stagnation’), in which the key social agents are spouse, children and social norms, occurs between 40 to 65 years (Shaffer, 2009, p. 42). The challenge is to maintain ‘generativity’ by being productive or supporting young people, as failure or... The main purpose of this research paper was to describe several development theories to the reader. Firstly, the researcher focuses on analysis of Psychosocial Development theory by Erickson, who understood that people can display healthy psychological adjustment only when they are able to resolve the psychological conflicts that they experience in life. In his theory, Erikson’s proposed eight stages (or psychosocial crisis) of developments, which occur during different ages of human life. Secondly, the researcher analyzed Freud's Psychosexual Development theory. Freud discovered that the mental disturbances that his patients experienced often revolved around the sexual conflicts which were repressed during their childhood. The researcher deeply decribes each of the five stages of this theory. Thirdly, the researcher analyzes Cognitive Development theory done by Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist. Children’s way of perceiving and mentally representing the world is the fo cus of cognitive development theory. Four stages of this theory were discussed in the research paper. Fourth theory analyzed by the researcher and presented in the paper was Kohlberg’s Moral Development theory. The researcher describes that Kohlberg developed the theory that tried to encompass those ideas which were not addressed in Piaget’s theory. Kohlberg has explained the moral development in three levels, consisting of two stages each. The levels and the stages are described in the research paper as well.

Wireless and the new Technology Annotated Bibliography

Wireless and the new Technology - Annotated Bibliography Example Results were determined comparatively through pre- and post-tests. Based on the gathered data, the results of the examinations with the ARS is similar to the conventional form of learning but based on surveys that explored the students’ opinions, ARS is more stimulating to learning. In the study, Islam and Doyle focused on the advantages brought about by the use of wireless technology specifically the mobile SMS in the communication among the developing countries, specifically one of the poorest countries which is Bangladesh. The said advantages include health services, e-commerce, data gathering for different studies and distance education. The results of the article contributed in the determination that the applications of wireless technology are not limited in the urban areas and in developed nations. Barnes, L. J. (2008). Lecture-Free High School Biology Using an Audience Response System. American Biology Teacher, 70(9), 531-536. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=35840820&site=ehost-live Blackbourn, J. M., Fillingim, J. G., McCelland, S., Elrod, G. F., Medley, M. B., Kritsonis, M. A., Ray, J. (2008). The Use of Wireless Technology to Augment Problem-Based Learning in Special Education Preservice Teacher Training. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 35(2), 169-176. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=33405330&site=ehost-live Islam, Y. M. and Doyle, K. O. (2008). Distance Education via SMS Technology in Rural Bangladesh. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(1), 87-96. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from

Websites that explore visual designs Research Paper

Websites that explore visual designs - Research Paper Example Almost everyone has access or has the need to surf the Internet for various purposes whether for academics, work or purely for relaxation. It is indeed a challenge to the designers of websites on how they can keep the interest of the users, or how to make the Internet surfers addicted to the site. In this study, we will analyse six quality websites that deals with visual designs of web pages.Michael Bernard's (2003) Criteria for Optimal Web Design (Designing for Usability), noticeably, does not contain any unnecessary hyperlinks that could distract the surfer; Bernard knows exactly who his users are. Being an information website, whose users are most likely students of Computer-related courses or anyone interested in web design, Bernard's text is comprehensible and focused on enhancing the website's usability.Foss identifies four reasons why users get lost within the structure: disorientation, embedded digression problem, "art museum" problem, and poor structure (as cited in Bernard, 2003). Bernard, in turn, presents solutions to these difficulties. To avoid confusion, Bernard suggests organising the site according to thetypical users' mental model of how a site should be organised; submenu titles are also helpful. Since arrangement of links can affect search time, Bernard further recommends link presentation according to category. Bernard adheres to the result of his research. I, personally, find Bernard's webpage easy to use. The navigation cues are visible at the top and the bottom of the page; the title of the next or previous page is also shown when the cursor touches the navigation cues. Access to this site is unbelievably speedy, as well. Just as I clicked on the Enter key the webpage immediately appeared. Rick Oppedisano's (2002) Common Principles: A Usable Interface Design Primer upholds the general principle of usability which is often called "transparent interface" that maximises user task completion and minimises interfering factors. Rieman, Franzke, and Redmiles (as cited in Oppedisano, 2002) discover that "when users perform a transaction or action, their cognition is often split between learning and operating the system or user interface (UI)"; hence, UI has to be well-designed to enable the user to focus more on gaining knowledge than troubling himself into finding out the operating system of the website. For this reason, Oppedisano presents "guidelines for minimising user cognitive processing and maximising interface efficiency." The basic rule for Oppedisano is having a consistent style in layout, font, and other elements. Indeed, as a user the very first thing I notice in a website is its style sheet. Fancy colors, font, and images are good to see but noticeably the fancier it gets the slower the browser becomes. However, Oppedisano's webpage has been created in the simplest form. What is good about Oppedisano's study is ensuring that users are given full concern especially when clicking on a transaction that might have a negative consequence. An ample warning should be in place. However, compared to Oppedisano, User Experience Design Director Mike Padilla (2006) tackles UI design in a more comprehensive manner. The key word in his article about taking the good with the bad UI design is compromise; that is, compromise between the downside and the benefit of certain design decisions. With the use of a table, Padilla has clearly presented the "costs and benefits of design decisions." As in writing an essay, knowing the target audience is a must as it plays a vital role in determining the appropriate writing style; as in designing websites, being able to know the site's target users will also enable the designer to plan and execute a more beneficial design. As Padilla points out, critiques can also find some flaws on a good UI design. What is a high-quality design to a user may appear cluttered;

Fortified Food Product Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fortified Food Product - Article Example The present research has identified that the Kroger milk product has other beneficial fortifications. The 6 percent of the product is Vitamin A. The product contains 30 percent Calcium. Next, 4 percent vitamin C is added to the milk. The fortifications were made to comply with the average individual’s daily requirement. However, each person has a different daily nutrient requirement. In terms of daily requirement, the 5 grams of saturated fat fills 25 percent of the average individual’s daily requirement. Similarly, 8 grams of total fat fills 12 percent of the average person’s daily requirement. The 35 mg Cholesterol 12 percent of the average individual’s daily requirement. The 120 gram of salt (sodium) fills the 5 percent daily need. The 12 grams of total carbohydrate supplies 4 percent of the person’s daily need. The 11 grams of sugar is used to add taste to the product. In terms of the vitamin fortifications, the milk product supplies a portion o f the body’s daily vitamin needs. The product supplies 6 percent of the average person’s Vitamin A need. The same product supplies 30 percent of the body’s calcium demands. The product also fills 4 percent of the individuals’ Vitamin C demands. In our current society, the milk fortification significantly meets the real public’s healthcare needs. The person’s drinking the Kroger milk assures the individual that he or she knows the quantity of vitamins and other nutrients. Likewise, the product description helps the customers to learn that he or she needs a minimum level of vitamins in order to maintain a healthy physical condition. Further, the milk fortifications were done to help the milk consumers retain a healthy lifestyle. First, vitamins and other nutrients are added to help the body absorb foods consumed by the body.

Strategic Management-Walgreens Internal Analysis Essay

Strategic Management-Walgreens Internal Analysis - Essay Example target of operating 7,000 stores by year 2010, Walgreen needs to manage its internal processes effectively and efficiently to maintain competitiveness and profitability. Assessing its operations to identify key business processes and areas of value addition allows companies to manage costs strategically. The concept of Value Chain Analysis presents a powerful management tool for identifying key areas of value addition and cost incurring with a business operation and by analysing Walgreens Value Chain, the report aims to establish areas of organisational strengths and weaknesses which would facilitate the strategic decision making process. An internal analysis of an organisation entails the assessment of its key business processes, the core competencies, organisational strengths and capabilities as well as weaknesses in alignment of business opportunities, which the organisation is perusing for its long terms success. Analysis tools such as Organisational Capability Analysis or OCP analysis, Value Chain analysis and SWOT analysis are few common tools available in conducting an internal analysis for a business. Value Chain analysis presents a strategic view of all company functions and activities, which are performed in carrying out its business and facilitates a comprehensive internal assessment in terms of not only the activity or function itself but also the manner in which they are interlinked in pursuing company objectives. â€Å"The Value Chain Analysis identifies separate activities, function and business processes that are performed in designing, producing, marketing, delivering and supporting product or a service† ( Porter 1985). The chain of interlinked activities, which comes together to finally meet a customer need in the form of a product or a service includes raw material sourcing, logistics, production, sales & marketing as well as other support services. AT each stage, the business objective is to create and add value and generate a component of the

Teaching English as a second language Essay Example for Free

Teaching English as a second language Essay Language is said to be a system in which the combination of sounds form words and the combination of words form sentences for a representation of knowledge is determined by a system of rules. And these rules are applied in the construction of words and sentences. One of the basic principles of learning a second language is to use it as soon as possible in our everyday life activities. This is made clear to the learner and the teacher makes effort to see to it that the language is learned, despite the many interference phenomena in the process. Nigeria is a multilingual and multi-cultural country. It has been estimated that over 400 indigenous languages exist in the country. This multiplicity of languages in Nigeria was compounded with the advent of the colonial masters who introduced and implanted the English language in Nigeria. It has become part of the system to the extent that instead of the continous struggle required to meet up with the standard set by the native speakers , a Nigerian variety has emerged. It is now regarded as a Nigerian language. The English Language in Nigeria enjoys a prestigious status, having a high premium placed on it as the national Lingua franca, It is the Language of administration, trade, commerce and industry, inter-ethnic relationship. It is the language of integration and instruction in schools and above all the language of national Unity as well as international communication. Apart from functioning as the language of integration here in Nigeria, Yate (1992) has observed that ‘ of more notable importance is the increase in the international and technological function of English Language as the dominant language of the Cyber cafà ©, and the most used language in the internet. It is also an elitist language. We now live in an ICT globalised world in which English is the medium of interaction between individuals and nations. According to Babajide 2002: â€Å"For any nation particularly in the third world to be relevant and derive the maximum benefit from the opportunities that abound in every area of human need, for personal advancement and national development, English is a ‘sine qua non’. He further stated that up  till now the country is still faced with the dilemma of selecting an indigenous language that will foster national unity. As the debate continues, Prof. Afolayan bring s out the important place of English when he said that â€Å"It is unrealistic for anybody in Nigeria today to think that National unity can be forged in the country without recourse to the utilization of the English Language†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. It has been the language of political entity itself and also the language of its politico- economic unification and administration. Further more the fact that it is now functioning as the language of Nigerian Nationalism cannot be denied.† Multilingualism and English in Nigeria The first Nigerian National anthem acknowledges the existence of indigenous languages ‘though tribe and tongue may differ in brotherhood we stand†. Nigeria is a typical multi-lingual country in which minority languages which are very many live side by side with the major languages. The country is not only the melting pot of African socio-political and linguistic realities but also the meeting point of divergent and convergent views on minority languages and language policy. Multilingualism is a sociolinguistic phenonmenon that arises as a result of language contact. It is a situation in which two or more languages operate within the same context. Factors such as political annexation, marital relations, economic transactions, cultural association, educational acquisition and religious affiliation bring about multilingualism. All these factors underpin the socio-political landscape of Nigeria today even though the combination of political and economic transaction or exploitation originally brought the people referred to as Nigerians today in contact with the English people. The coming of English colonialist in the 18th Century brought about â€Å"Linguistic imperialism†a situation in which â€Å" the minds and lives of the speakers of a language are dominated by another language to the point where they believe that they can and should use only the foreign lanugauge when it comes to transactions dealing with the advanced aspects of life such as education,philosophy, literature,government and the administration of justice.† So inspite of the fact that English is foreign, it has become a language that has helped to weld together the many people that constitute Nigeria.

Sources Of Failure In Strategic Alliance Formulation Commerce Essay

Sources Of Failure In Strategic Alliance Formulation Commerce Essay Today, organizations face global competition and will on the long run only be successful if they can successfully exploit their value delivery potential of the relationships; strategic alliances and partnerships. Organisations that work together for the purpose of mutual benefit is a concept that is gaining ground in business markets, as market leaders now understand that success from collaboration can be a viable competitive advantage. Organisations entering into alliances in the twenty-first century need to size up their prospective partners in order to ensure that they achieve more success than their predecessors. However, identifying the best partner is only the first step in increasing the probably of alliance success. Proper design and coordination are needed to facilitate the stability of an alliance and to achieve an effective working relationship between the partners. Trust and commitment between alliance partners is the ultimate goal. Only then can the true benefits of ente ring into an alliance be realised. It is really important for a company that is interested in forming a strategic alliance that the partner chosen have the internal capacities needed for the performed activity. In other words, the competencies required to achieve the desired goal. In this sense, small differences in terms of management style and culture between the cooperating firms may end up becoming serious problems that make it difficult to create synergies. There are a large number of characteristics (honesty, positive disposition, efficacy, etc.) that can only be appreciated after several years in the relationship. It is convenient for a firm to work informally with another company before formalising the strategic alliance. This can help to assess levels of compatibility and its potential evolution, since it is with daily contact that we can discover the partners habits and tendencies. INTRODUCTION In todays changing and developing business world, strategic alliances have become an important tool for the success many business ventures. According to Ohmae (1989, p 143), last 20 years have been marked an era of world`s development. Some of the evolutions of this period are the globalisation of markets, quick changes in technology, and the expansion of many domestic organizations` boundaries. As result of these rapid motions, strategic alliances have importantly become a competitive necessity. One of the reasons of this necessity is that a single firm is unlikely to have all the resources and capabilities to accomplish global competitiveness. Thus, cooperation between companies which has complementary resources is always important for survival and growth. (Dussauge, Garrette and Mitchell, 1998) According to Morossini (1999), strategic alliances are change for the firms to reduce risks and share resources, gain knowledge and technology, expand the existing product lines, and opport unity to enter new markets. Strategic alliances provide firms to expand their reach without having to maximise their risk or commit themselves beyond their core business. However, as mentioned above, although strategic alliances bring big opportunities and provide conveniences for many companies, at the same time, there are some challenges that can result with failure for the organizations. The percentage of failures of strategic alliances is changeable from a low 30 per cent (Cullen, 2007), to a high 70 per cent (Dacin et al, 2007). Apart from the expecting risks of entering into an alliance competition between partners is often pointed as the major reason for alliance failure (Dacin et al, 1997). Throughout this paper, it will be examined, analysed and discussed that the most frequent sources of failure in forming strategic alliances and what can be done to mitigate these problems. OBSTACLES THAT ALLIANS PARTNERS FACE Obstacles that alliance partners face can be divided into hard and soft issues. Hard factors involve the linking of different financial and control systems and settling legal disputes (The Economist, 1999). On the other hand, soft factors are related to people and human resource issues, which involve building effective working relationships and integrating disparate corporate cultures (Hitt et al, 1999). It is usually the insufficient attention to the soft issues that result in the failure of many strategic alliances. Pertinently, culture permeates a company, and differences can poison any collaboration (The Economist, 1999). The more culturally distant two firms are, the greater the differences in organisational and administrative practices, employee expectations, and the interpretation of strategic issues (Schneider and De Meyer, 1991, p 307). The problem is compounded with cross-border alliances, where language barriers create communication problems. Poor communication often leads to coordination problems, managerial conflict and distrust. Without trust, the cost of transferring managerial practices and technologies will be high, because safeguards against opportunistic behaviour are needed (Park and Ungson, 1997, p 279). Therefore, in order to avoid such problems, firms entering into an alliance need to be culturally compatible. Indeed, it has been suggested that cultural compatibility is the most important factor in ensuring the long-term success of an alliance (Lane and Beamish, 1990, p 87). SOURCES OF FAILURE IN FORMING STRATEGIC ALLIANCES There are always a series of challenges that have to be faced when forming a strategic alliance and the right people need to be recruited in order for the alliance to be a success. Some of these challenges are discussed below: (Tetenbaum, 2001) Small differences in terms of management style and culture between the cooperating companies may end up becoming serious problems that will make it very difficult to create a synergy, therefore leading to a poor financial performance or even total dissolution of the alliance. It is essential for the human resources team to be aware of these differences in order for them to properly formulate and help with the implementation of the organizational strategy within the alliance. I will present some of the differences that help in the success or failures of a strategic alliance and that have to be addressed by the human resource department. Problems that result from human are significant for the implementation of an alliance, and may alone determine its success or failure. For this reason, it is significant that HRM specifies every member`s ability in the organization, within the management team, and what motivates those skills, in order to place the appropriate individuals in key positions. (Tetenbaum, 2001) The most critical period of a strategic alliance is the beginning part which is a period of maximum uncertainty and apprehension for the workers, along that the company has to find a reaction to their logical concerns, giving these employees something better than what they already have, therefore succeeding in establishing stability long enough to guarantee some permanent results. (Tetenbaum, 2001) A strategic alliance usually brings about the introduction of a series of changes in the co-operating organisations behaviour. These changes can be a sign a potential source of challenges and conflicts with the companys personnel which may lead to the failure of the collaboration, if they are not properly sorted out. (Tetenbaum, 2001) The Culture: Although the organizational change derived from the creation of a strategic alliance is conditioned by the attitude of the human resources, this attitude also depends on the personal values and the corporate culture. This brings us to the following subject which gives us another source of problems when implementing a strategic alliance. (Tetenbaum, 2001) Culture: The existence of different cultures is an obstacle that strategic alliances are forced to encounter. The resistance to change may arise because the low rank employees may have not been properly informed of what the goals are; they might be less experienced than top management at working with people form other culture, or they just do not agree with the new alliance. This is why the human resources team is a key element for the strategic alliance. (Tetenbaum, 2001) Different Types of Culture: National and organizational cultures have an impact on the degree of organizational involvement and outcomes. National culture has been defined by Hofstede as, the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group or category of people from another. (Tetenbaum, 2001) WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MITIGATE THESE PROBLEMS? There are some factors and key point that need to be taken into account by organizations when joining into a strategic alliances or a strategic alliance is being formed. Organizations that fit these important points will always be successful. Some of these important factors can be specified as followings: Organisations entering into alliances in the twenty-first century need to size up their prospective partners in order to ensure that they achieve more success than their predecessors. However, identifying the best partner is only the first step in increasing the probably of alliance success. Proper design and coordination are needed to facilitate the stability of an alliance and to achieve an effective working relationship between the partners. Trust and commitment between alliance partners is the ultimate goal. Only then can the true benefits of entering into an alliance be realised. (Saxton, 1997) Executive managers will need to have know-how; however other competencies will be required to create a synergy. Ideally these competencies will be found in all the persons involved with the project. Some of the competencies required by the human resources management team when selecting the members of the strategic alliance are: flexibility, humbleness, integrity, patience, curiosity, and not afraid of making mistakes. It is important that HRM determine whether the right person can be found within the ranks of the company or whether external recruiting is the best choice. This decision is crucial for the future of the alliance. CONCLUSION In order for an alliance to work the human resources team must take the time to understand the challenges existing when putting two companies together and they have to be willing to unite two groups of managers that will have to plan for and build their new organization; they need to be sensitive to the human, organizational culture, and cultural issues that have to be addressed along the way. Most important, the human resource team needs to find and motivate executives that want to grow their businesses and create added value for their shareholders, customers, employees, and themselves. What we can assume from the several researches that have been done is that, cooperation and effective management are major points for the success of the alliance. From the problems that appear within a strategic alliance, these related to the human resource management which participate in the alliance especially stand out. Therefore, using knowledge related asymmetries may be a way to protect a companys specific asset while gaining valuable knowledge from the alliance without attacking the partner company. Another situation that has to be taken into consideration is that the appearance of cultural challenges does not mean that the strategic alliance will be dissolve. The human resources team has to put in place a training programme for cultural understanding to help employees cope with the differences. On the other hand, it is very important to include managers with multicultural skills within the alliance team to be able to sooth any possible tension. Finally, we can observe that the top reason of creating an alliance with another firm is that the union promotes attainment of strategic goals more quickly and inexpensively than if the company acts on its own. Especially in this era of intense change, rapid technological advance and ever-increasing globalization, alliances enable organizations to gain flexibility, leverage competencies, shared resources, and create opportunities that otherwise are unthinkable. Even though reality shows us that the number of strategic alliances that have succeeded is very low.

The Psychological Effects of Cyber bullying

The Psychological Effects of Cyber bullying Abstract The last few decades have resulted in major transformation across important areas of our physical, economical, social and cultural systems. These changes are due to emerging potential computer technologies and ever enhancing awareness of the people. Additionally, the strong, effective and highly swift sources of communications across the world have also added to the diversity being observed at international levels. These transformations have influenced almost every discipline, consequently leading to various psychological diversities. Presently, the people across the world appear to be highly updated regarding the developments and variations especially in the information technology. It appears to be a natural phenomenon that the ever increasing usage of these technologies and facilities not only offers numerous advantages but some sort of predicaments also arises. The cyber bullying comes to be amongst one of these and is primarily related to the factors influencing the psychological aspects. The judgement of the psychological effects of the cyber bullying requires highlighting some highly critical factors such as the age group of the persons involved, the probable responses of the users/involved persons, the magnitude and nature of interaction occurs, the overall environment in context with attitudes and behaviours. In order to generate a comprehensive rationale of the psychological effects of cyber bullying, the researcher presented interviews and elaborated the responses in context with the literature. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Chapter 1: 5 1.1 Introduction 5 1.2 Title of the Research 5 1.3 Background of the Research 6 1.4 Objectives of the Research 6 1.5 Overview of the dissertation structure 7 1.6 Summary 8 Chapter 2: Literature Review 10 2.1 Introduction 10 2.2 Legislation against Cyber Bullying 11 2.3 Eleven Facts about the Cyber Bullying 12 2.4 The Harshest Impact of Cyber Bullying 13 Chapter 3: Research Methodology 14 3.1 Introduction 14 3.2 Research Design 15 3.3 Primary Research 15 3.4 Secondary Research 16 3.5 Data Collection 16 3.6 Interviews 17 3.7 Sampling Design 18 3.7.1 Sampling Unit 18 3.7.2 Sample size 18 3.7.3 Sampling frame 18 3.7.4 Sampling technique 19 3.8 Ethical Consideration 19 3.9 Potential Problems and the Remedies 19 3.10 Validity of the research 20 Chapter 4: Findings 21 4.1 Introduction 21 4.2 Demographic characteristics 21 4.3 Perception of the Respondents 22 4.3.1 Evaluation of Respondents Perception 22 Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations 26 5.1 Summary 26 5.2 Conclusion 26 5.3 Suggestions for Additional Research 28 5.4 Limitations of this Research 28 References 30 APPENDIX 1 32 Chapter 1: 1.1 Introduction Presently, the Information Technologies are associated either directly or indirectly with every human being and influences the life at almost every crucial stage. When it comes to have interactions the role and influence of the information technology appears to be highly critical. It not only provides various advantages to the people living in a society but also facilitates them while having dealings across the borders. Along with advantages some sort of negative impacts also comes in the scenario which eventually leads to some sort of disturbances and losses. These negative impacts of information technology basically appear as a result of mismanagement and unethical dealings. The same sort of impact of information technology is witnessed in the cyber bullying. The cyber bullying normally occurs on the mediums including the internet, cellular phones and other devices which are utilized to send or post text/images intended to embarrass/hurt persons. This phenomenon is also described b y other researchers as the intentions to disturb persons in various ways such as sending continuous messages and mails to a person who rejects to have interaction. In continuation to this simple type of cyber bullying the intentions like sexual remarks, threats, pejorative labels (hate speech), posting false statement as a fact aimed at humiliation also comes under the cyber bullying. 1.2 Title of the Research The Psychological Effects of Cyber bullying 1.3 Background of the Research In the present era of globalization where the people are getting educated and close to each other with the use of various available communication resources. This diversity in the societies is leading the globe towards the environment where the people participate highly in various critical issues of the society. They are better informed and aware of their rights and privileges, this awareness and enhanced options of rapid communication leads to active participation. The people belonging to different portions of the societies strongly react to the changes and advancements around them at any level, hence, increasing the sensitivity and role of the information technology. This study aims to highlight the increasing impact and psychological effects of the cyber bullying. Therefore, a deep and critical insight of the factors related to the cyber bullying including the age group of the persons involved, the probable responses of the users/involved persons, the magnitude and nature of intera ction occurs, the overall environment in context with attitudes and behaviours, are deemed necessary. 1.4 Objectives of the Research The paper aims to focus on the impacts and psychological effects of cyber bullying. Additionally, the probable solutions will also be presented in accordance with the finding and analysis of the literature and primary data being collected. Moreover, an analysis of the nature of the cyber bullying will also be carried out in order to generate an enhanced understanding of the impact. Therefore, the paper aims on achieving the following objectives: The extents of knowledge general peoples have regarding the cyber bullying. Analysing the probable causes and intentions behind this act. Highlighting the areas which either directly or indirectly relates to the cyber bullying. Gaining an insight of the psychological effects of cyber bullying. Presenting possible solutions for controlling and diminishing the affects of cyber bullying. 1.5 Overview of the dissertation structure The entire report consists of certain areas which are listed and discussed below: 1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the main aspects of the research. This chapter includes title and what is the objective of research. Besides that, this chapter gives background of research. This chapter explains the fundamentals of cyber bullying and the implications regarding its psychological effects. The entire chapter concludes with different research questions and an overview about the research methodology that what strategy of research will be utilized in this research paper. 2. Literature Review: This chapter analyses the basics of politics along with the role of international politics in context with the Iraq invasion by the coalition. These fundamentals are explained in detail with respect to different theoretical models. Emphasis of this chapter is laid on the theories that are directly associated with the scenario. Therefore, it can be said that this chapter would give an overall idea about all the major aspects and terminologies that are directly and indirectly associated with the scenario of cyber bullying. Furthermore, this chapter would form a mindset of the reader that whether the cyber bullying leads to psychological effects? 3. Research Methodologies: The research methodology that is used in the research is discussed in this chapter. Although there are different methods of doing the research but due to the limitations of research only secondary and primary sources are used. Secondary sources are extensively used in this paper and the entire research is based on books, peer-reviewed journals, scholarly articles etc. 4. Findings and Analysis: The findings and different interpretations of the results are included in this chapter and all the results that are achieved are interpreted into meaningful form for further research and analysis. A thematic analysis is undertaken in this regard which would clarify the statement that cyber bullying leads to various psychological effects? 5. Conclusions and Recommendations: The entire research is summarised in this chapter and limitations of the research and certain recommendations are also discussed in this research paper. Besides that certain recommendations are also presented in this dissertation. This chapter can actually be considered as the crux of all the chapters as it summarises other chapters and concludes with the final results. 1.6 Summary This chapter as implied by the name sets up the scene for the entire dissertation and it focuses on different aspects like background of the research, objectives of the research and review of the methodology. The methodology section depicts that both quantitative and qualitative analysis will be used. The introduction chapter gives up an overview of the entire dissertation and it also elaborates the facts that what other chapters are included in this dissertation and what are their contents. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction There has been difficulty defining bullying. After analyzing multiple definitions, Greene (2000) suggested that there were five features that researchers had agreed on. It is aggressive behavior or intentional harm doing which is carried out repeatedly and over time in an interpersonal relationship characterized by an imbalance of power. The victim does not provoke bullying behavior by using verbal or physical aggression; and bullying occurs in familiar social groups. (Vandebosch and Van Cleemput, 2009) A study in Ireland was carried out to see the effects of bullying. 363 boys out of the 1870 participants (19%) reported to have been bullied at some point in their life. It was found that the odds ratio was four times higher to self-harm or commit suicide in boys that had experienced bullying, over the ones who hadnt. This study found psychological issues within the bullied boys. They had problems getting on with their schoolwork, their sexual orientation and physical abuse. (McMahon,E, Reulbach,U, Keeley,H, Perry,I and Arensman,E) This study displays the harsh reality of bullying, however it doesnt end there, as general bullying has moved on with technology. In the past it was limited to the playground, now it follows victims home, and they are unable to escape. Cyber bullying is seen as the new breed of bullying. Ten years ago this sort of bullying wasnt heard of. However, technology has now made it an issue. Such things include the internet and mobile phones. The internet has several different aspects, which can lead to cyber bullying. For example these include, email, social networking sites, instant messaging and skype. Problems with these now reflect todays bullying phenomenon. There have been different definitions of cyber bullying, one of which say suggested by Olweus (1993), A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself. (Slideshare.net) 2.2 Legislation against Cyber Bullying Law and legislation regarding penalizing the bullying has been implemented mainly in U.S in many states including New York, Maryland and Rhode Island. The laws have now been passed by seven states against digital harassment in 2007. Ordinance has been passed which has stated online harassment as a crime and would be dealt with state punishment in Missouri. In June, 2008, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) proposed a federal law that would criminalize acts of cyber bullying. Lawmakers are trying to state new legislation against cyber bullying as there is no specific law in the books which deals with this particular crime. A new federal law is expected to be implemented soon as no one has been prosecuted yet under this crime. The proposed federal law would make it illegal to use electronic means to coerce, intimidate, harass or cause other substantial emotional distress. In August 2008, the California state legislature passed one of the first laws in the country to deal directly with cyber-bullying. The legislation, Assembly Bill, gives school administrators the authority to discipline students for bullying others offline or online. This law took effect, January 1, 2009. A recent ruling first seen in the UK determined that it is possible for an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to be liable for the content of sites which it hosts, setting a precedent that any ISP should treat a notice of complaint seriously and investigate it immediately. 2.3 Eleven Facts about the Cyber Bullying In the recent past, various researches have been conducted to ascertain the facts regarding the cyber bullying and under mentioned eleven facts have been derived: Round about 42 percent of the kids have been found bullied online with a ration of one out of every four have faced recurrence Among this percentage, being ignored and disrespected were the most common forms of cyber bullying. In the case of middle school students approximately 9 out of 10 have had their feelings hurt online. About 75% have visited a Web site bashing another student. Four out of ten middle school students have had their password(s) stolen and changed by a bully who then locked them out of their own account or sent communications posing as them. About 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mails. The psychological and emotional outcomes of cyber bullying are similar to real-life bullying outcomes, except for the reality that with cyber bullying there is often no escape. School ends at 3 p.m., while the Internet is available all the time. The primary cyber bullying location where victimizing occurs, at 56%, is in chat rooms. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying. About 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once. Cyber bullying has increased in recent years. In a national survey of 10-17 year olds, twice as many children indicated they had been victims and perpetrators. 2.4 The Harshest Impact of Cyber Bullying The effects of cyber bullying are quite harsh and can badly affect youth in their life. The statistics show that all individuals adults or teens are being bullied in their life but it is more common to teens. Many parents worry about their kids spending time on the Internet. However, research shows that most parents arent thinking about cyber bullies; most are more concerned with their child coming across a pornography Web site. An article at middleweb.com shows that cyber bullying should be at the top of every parents watch list. The articles disturbing opening paragraph follows: Only after Ryan Halligan hanged himself did his father realize what the 13-year-old had been doing online. Through three months worth of links and instant messages saved on his home computer, Ryans growing pain and the callousness of his online tormentors became clear. Youre a loser, one message jabbed. There were other taunts, Web searches on suicide, and, ultimately, threats to kill himself to get back at school bullies. Tonights the night, Ryan finally typed. Its about time, the screen replied. This nightmare situation continued after Ryans death on October 7, 2003, when his father, after clicking on his sons saved links, found months of horrible messages directed to Ryan. Chapter 3: Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction This dissertation was conducted in order to assess the background and psychological effects of cyber bullying. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were utilized in order to gather the important data by the researcher. Two research methods were used for gathering the data for the research which are namely survey and interview respectively. The data gathered from the survey was then processed and analyzed which was later compared to the Likert scale for data interpretation. The techniques used in this study are there to analyze the data presented in the research. The research conception, methods applied to the research and rationalization of the research methodology applied are discussed within the presented chapter. Various approaches such as quantitative, qualitative, and Likert scale approach are explained in the following chapters with their respective limitations and advantages. The chapter also sheds light on the most appropriate data collection methods for the current r esearch. The data collection procedures utilised the primary and secondary research are also reviewed in this chapter. It is important to note here that this research was mainly based on the questionnaires and interviews even though other research methodologies were briefly discussed. In order to specify the procedures and methodologies for collection and analysis of the data a master plan is used known as Research Methodology. Series of rational decision making alternatives are being presented in the research methodology. These alternatives depend upon a range of available options to the researchers. The unit of analysis, time dimension, the purpose of study, data processing, sampling design, and analysis of the data are presented in the research methodology. Mainly two techniques of research, Qualitative and quantitative are utilized. Though both of the methods have their own significance, the use of exploratory quantitative research design for this study appears to be appropriate. 3.2 Research Design Research is an endless effort for truth. It certainly brings to light new knowledge or corrects previous errors and misconceptions and adds to the existing body of knowledge in an orderly manner. This part deals with procedure adopted to conduct the study. The researcher had to depend on the related literature and structured questionnaires. Descriptive data were typically collected through a questionnaire survey, an interview or observation. A formal structure research method will be suitable for conducting such type of research especially when the data is quantitative. Therefore conclusive research method has been chosen. Decision making will be based on the findings based on results obtained from literature review and interviews. The type of conclusive research that will be adopting is descriptive research method. This method helps to estimate the perceptions of factors characteristics. It is also very supportive in making specific predictions. The method of survey for obtaining da ta is based on the response and questioning of respondents. In this method, a variety of questions are asked from respondents regarding their perception and influence on their decision. This will help us measure its worth in todays life. 3.3 Primary Research Primary research is the collection of data that does not exist. This can be through numerous forms: including interviews, questionnaires, telephone conversations, surveys, etc. The major merit with conducting primary research is that it accurate. However, the disadvantage of primary research is that it may be time consuming, as it involves dealing with people from various regions, the human sources may only become resourceful out of their own willingness, and this may take them quit sometimes before making up their minds to tell you what they know or give you their side stories about your questions (Focardi Fabozzi, 1998). 3.4 Secondary Research The data acquired from secondary sources is very important in forming the base for the primary research to be carried out. Cost and time effectiveness are the biggest advantages of the secondary sources which attracts the users to use these sources. The limitations of secondary sources entails to reliability of the source and difficulty in finding recent and relevant data. The secondary data is collected from articles, books, journals, reports and other reliable sources. Moreover other sources such as public libraries, Universities and government sources can also be used for the collection of secondary sources. These sources have extensive data available on different research areas. Data can also be collected from directories and catalogues available in libraries or internet (Reid and Bojanic 2009). Secondary research is the collection of existing data, that is, in contrast to primary research. For example: research on experiments or specific subjects. The merit of secondary research is that its not time consuming however a disadvantage is that the information retrieved may not be relevant. 3.5 Data Collection In research studies, the source of data is two-fold. Data comes from the inner world of libraries as well as from the outer world of human being. It is either the shelved data or it is the data acquired live from the people involved in the study. This research being in the technological advancements and judgment of psychological effects of cyber bullying, the researcher aims to collect data mainly from the respondents. After considering the various methods of data collection such as ethnographic style, survey, experimental style, and narrative enquiry, interviews have been chosen as it allows the collection of highest opinions within the time span of the project as well as the fact that the results could be accurately mapped and correlated to provide quantitative information. 3.6 Interviews In order to achieve the purpose of the investigation, the key focus lies on finding out which techniques should be applied. Interviews were the best method for understanding this research. A respondent interview is one where the interviewer directs the interview and the interviewer responds to the questions of the researcher. And to add more weight on this observation, Borodzicz, (2004) stated that the standard survey interview is itself fundamentally slipped and that it therefore cannot give out as the ideal ideological model against which to assess other approaches. He also elaborates by describing interviews as the verbal exchange of information between two or more people for the principal purpose of one person or group gathering information from the other. And that Semi structured interviews enable one to fix and control circumstances in order to collect appropriate data while remaining flexible and responsive (Borodzicz, 2004). Structured interviews consist of closed-ended questions, where the structure of the questions, responses and the interview itself is decided prior to the interview. The interviewer has more control over the responses, and can lead the interview into the direction they want. However, the responses received are limited. Semi-structured interviews consist of closed and/or open-ended questions, allowing the interviewer to have some control over the responses and the interview. Although the open-ended questions allow the interviewee to express themselves and encourage them to present their views and opinions. Unstructured interviews consist of open-ended questions that do not restrict the interviewees responses, therefore collecting a wide range of information. This kind of interview is more supple in-terms of the questions being asked and their ordering, all depending upon the interviewees responses. 3.7 Sampling Design 3.7.1 Sampling Unit Sampling unit will consist of people having age of 15 years or more. The people belong to various disciplines of life including the students; the youth, the professionals etc. will be included in the sampling unit. Both males and females will be interviewed. 3.7.2 Sample size Sample size of 08 people will be used. 3.7.3 Sampling frame Sampling frame includes the following age groups: 15-25 years 25-30 years 30 or more 3.7.4 Sampling technique Sampling without replacement will be used. According to this approach one element cannot be selected again, once it is used it is removed from the list to ensure not be selected again. 3.8 Ethical Consideration All the measures adopted in this research are aimed to avoid any ethical violation. The research tactics will affect the people from whom data and information has been gathered, so to avoid any violation by pursuing the following points. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ I will not force a specific outcome; rather go with an open mind to accept whatever will be the finding à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ I will respect the privacy of our participants à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Proper credits will be provided to the document sources, I know that our college does not accept plagiarism. Plagiarism is a fraudulent act of a researcher when he or she uses the writings of other writers without citing the source (Nueman, 2003). It is more like stealing the work of another researcher, it also include the immoral action of obtaining information from internet sources without providing proper citation. 3.9 Potential Problems and the Remedies Many respondents are unaware of the asked question or are unable to transform the event in a descriptive way; hence conscious effort should be provided in allocating it at right place to right person. Researcher must take care not to let their prior theoretical frame work or pre-conceived notion blind them to contrary event in a social setting. Qualitative researcher need to be sensitive to distinction of race, sex, and age and to other major social divisions.(neuman,2004) The facts reveals in open ended questions, that it can be affected by individual biasness, for that I will concerned more than five responses before drawing any conclusion regarding particular variable or speculation. 3.10 Validity of the research Validity is concerned with whether the findings are really about what they appear to be about. The information collected from the above mentioned and discussed sources will have a validity reason being that they will be gathered from the genuine sources such as the websites and details taken from the manager. Therefore it will be the information at its purest form and will 100% validity. Chapter 4: Findings 4.1 Introduction In this chapter, the data gathered from the different respondents who have interviewed in connection with their experiences and opinions regarding the cyber bullying and its psychological effects is presented and analysed. This chapter discusses the results of the interviews conducted to the 08 chosen respondents. In order to assure clarity and high level of understanding the selected respondents were briefed prior to starting the survey process regarding various basic aspects of the study which include purpose, significance and objectives. In order to analyze the data, sections have been formulated for the findings. The first section presents a synopsis of the demographic profile of the participants. This profile was categorised in accordance with various factors including gender, age, academic background, and place of residence of the respondents. The view of respondents regarding cyber bullying will be discussed in the subsequent section and in the last section, their standpoint o n the conception that cyber bullying leads to various psychological effects. Data collected from the survey was collected and analyzed to achieve the desired aim. 4.2 Demographic characteristics This section will discuss the demographic profile of 08 individuals who answered the survey by the researcher. The description of the respondents includes their gender, age, educational background, and their experience. The majority of the participants were male (74%) and the age bracket was 15-35 years which shows that most of the participants were quite related to frequent use of information technologies. Hence, it is expected that with their experience, the responses of this population would be more reliable, accurate and authentic. This was as a result of personal judgement used by the researcher, in an attempt to gain as much diversity as possible. 4.3 Perception of the Respondents The following sections will present the data and results in accordance with Likert scale. It is worthwhile to mention here that the participants were presented a set of statements so they can express their agreement or disagreement using five-point scale, wherein 5 is equivalent to an answer that qualities a strong agreement and 1 as showing a strong disagreement. This will provide a better understanding about the observations of the following respondents. 4.3.1 Evaluation of Respondents Perception It can be stated that the judgement of the psychological effects of cyber bullying requires in-depth analysis of the responses. In this regard, this part of the paper would present the evaluation and assessment of the responses generated from the collected data. Statement Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Are you aware of the cyber bullying and have you ever involved? 3 5 Do you think the social networking sites are the main mediums of cyber bullying? 4 1 2 1 Do you consider that the social level supports extended to cater cyber bullying (including the assistance by academic institutes for students) is appropriate? 2 3 2 1 Do you think social networking sites do enough to prevent cyber bullying? 2 5 1 Do you think that cyber bullying leads to various psychological effects? 4 2 2 Table 1 Evaluation of Respondents Viewpoint 4.4 Interview This portion of the research will present a brief analysis of interview conducted from the selected respondents. Are you aware of the cyber bullying and have you ever involved? The respondents appear to be not only very much aware of the term Cyber Bullying but they were also having sufficient knowledge regarding the effects of cyber bullying. They presented their views and experiences about the cyber bullying. It was revealed that most of them have bullied in the past and some of them even have being bullied more than once. Despite of having being bullied with different types of mediums, maximum of the respondents were of the opinion that they have gone through severe sort of stress during that specific period. The factor of stress was noted at a high ratio in the kids and the ones affiliated with schooling. They stated that the period they remained disturb