US, Ohio Police Recruitment Steps

US, Ohio Police Recruitment Steps Career Exploration into Policing Criminal Justice Steps in the departments recruitment process The department of the Ohio state police has immense and significant aspects that are usually put into consideration during the recruitment process of potential police officers. Great consideration is taken into serious account where everyone in the recruitment process is considered the same as the other no matter from which particular group one comes from (John   Mike 1996). These recruitment criteria in Ohio and all the parts in the country ensure that there are no minorities or dominant groups in the police department. Before the recruiting process, the recruits have to have the knowledge in mind of what is expected and required of them. Steps in the selection process The police selection process is extensive, complex, and competitive. It basically entails a series of assessment, interviews, and analytical steps intended to choose the overall best candidate to employ to a police division from all that are in great need of the job. A written ability test is usually given to the candidates to ascertain their deductive reasoning written comprehension and expression as pertaining the aptitude tests .in accordance to this the personal interviews. The recruit during the selection process has to ensure that he or she is able to submit a well completed application form to ensure that they are dually assured of the selection process (Robert Kim, 2002). This is followed by a written examination entailing the normal examination usually given. This written examination is set to establish whether the recruit is versed with the writing skills. New advanced test have been developed and great interest has been focused on the use of computer technology in Ohio state police departments. This test is aimed at reducing bias which will tend to favor some recruits and live out the most potential prospects. Conduction of an oral interview is the next step in the selection process where the applicant will be examined on character significant to the police officer place, as well as command existence, truthfulness, program communication skills, open-mindedness for stress, sentence, and certainty. The next step entails psychological testing where the assessment of the ability to make rational decision is considered. this test focuses on the background of the applicant and tries to eliminate cases with past psychological disorders (Robert Kim, 2002).The recruits are then subject to a polygraph examination to ascertain whether the information being given is valid or not. The physical wellness and the medication test then follow in the selection process this are to determine whether the health of the applicant is at risk or not .the medical tests usually focuses more on the wellness and whether the applicant had drugs intake. When all this cases have been tackled, the superintendent reviews the files for clarification. The training process The initial state of training involves the recruit training which is involved in making sure that the officers are able to understand the state laws a fact that provide them with the idea of what their job entails. The officers have to attend a formal training in an academy. The recruits who have recently graduated are usually subjected to the field training to supplement the theory they had passed through at the academies from (John   Mike 1996). They are also subjected to the use of fire arms where the effective use of fire arms are vividly focused and correct identification of the use is proposed. The training also focuses on the in service training where the skills and knowledge of veteran officers is updated. References John D;  Mike N (1996 ) Investigation into the training and non-stop specialized development of members of the P F of. Bristol University of the West of England  -82p Robert L Kim S (2002) Trainers Development Programme: evaluation. Harrogate state Police Training, 146

Teaching Philosophy Statement Essay -- Teaching Teachers Education Ess

Teaching Philosophy Statement The world revolves around education. Without it, we would be lost. Teachers are among the most important people in the world. They are what shape our society. This takes on a very important job, but this is something that I want to do more than anything. A teacher is one that is looked up to by others, and is respected in the community. I want to become a teacher because I want to help children learn and make a difference in a child’s life. I believe that I mainly follow the idealist philosophy. Becoming a teacher is something that I have always wanted to do, so I know that I would put my all into it. I would make sure that I knew my content area very well. I also want to make sure the students know that they can come to me with any of their problems. I not only want to be a teacher, but a role model to my students. Knowing that a student trusts me would bring so much self-fulfillment. I also follow the pragmatist philosophy. I believe that they classroom is a community of learners. Pragmatists also establish classroom rules at the beginning of the year. This is important because the children are just entering the school system, and they need to know that what they may do at home isn’t permitted at school. I would rather have a non-authoritarian classroom over an authoritarian classroom. I believe I could control the students. I think there would be more respect in the classroom if I made sure the students knew at the beginning of the year what was and wasn’t allowed. Also, many kindergarten teachers have assistants to help them. Not that I’ relying on that, but that would help keep control of the classroom as well. ... ...dergartener won’t learn very much if you stand in front of the room and lecture. You ned to work with the students personally, that way they grasp what you are teaching. You need to become a leader when you’re working with a room full of young students. I feel that I can fulfill this role. I’ve worked with young children before, and if you set out rules beforehand, you have better results. I will definitely take what I’ve learned and use it in my classroom. Education reform is necessary in our ever changing world. I know that as a teacher I would be willing to change with the times. As teachers we must have a positive attitude and take on whatever is needed. Education is one of the most important aspects of the world. Teaching is something that I look forward to, and I can’t wait until I have a classroom of my own.

Cations and Anions Tests

Testing for Cation and Anions OBJECTIVE: †¢ Determine the presence of a cation or anion by a chemical reaction †¢ Determine the cation and anion in an unknown solution All salt solutions have both positive (Cations) and negative (Anions) ions dissolved in it. In this experiment you will observe chemical reactions to determine the presence of specific anions and cations. Compare your observations with the reactions of the known solutions and the unknown solution to determine the ions present in the unknown solution. You will use a flame test for the cations, Na+, K+, and Ca+2 Perform qualitative tests for Ca+2, NH4+, Fe+3.Qualitative tests will be used to identify anions, Cl-, SO42-, PO43-, and CO32-. Expected results of the qualitative test and the reactions are included in your procedure. PROCEDURE: Obtain from the stock room a solid unknown salt to be analyzed for the presence of both cation and anion. HC1, HNO3 are strong acids and NaOH is a strong base so be careful whe n using them. Use the plastic pipettes on the center counter to dispense your unknown solution. Approx. 20 drops is equal to 1 mL, All waste go in the waste jar labeled for your class. Bunsen Burner Safety. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Make sure you are able to get a spark out of the striker consistently!Turn the gas needle valve counter clockwise completely. Adjust the burner barrel so your are able to see through the air inlet Check the rubber tubing and place the rubber hose on the gas nozzle. Turn the gas jet 90 degrees. Open the gas needle valve until you hear the gas and light. If you are not successful in lighting the burner, turn the gas off and try again. Cation Tests Al. Flame Test †¢ Label 3 test tubes, Na+, K+ and Ca+2. Bring the test tubes to the stockroom window to get your wood splint soaked in each of the solution. You will also be given an unused wood splint to use for your unknown. Get your solid unknown as well. Soak the unused wood splint in water. †¢ Observe the change in flame color when the known solutions above are burned. K+ gives a very fleeting color change. Ca+2 gives a very similar flame color as Na+. †¢ Now that you know how observed how Na+, K+ and Ca+2, you will test your unknown. †¢ Transfer a small amount of solid unknown to a scoopula and roll the wood splint †¢ that was soaking in water in the solid unknown and burn. By the end of Part AI, you should be able to conclude the presence or absence of Na+ or K+ and maybe Ca+2. Chemical Tests A2 †¢ Because the flame test for Ca+2 is sometimes inconclusive, the oxalate test is performed. If no immediate precipitation (cloudiness) is observed, heat in a water bath for 5 minutes. Water bath is set up in the southwest hood. A3 †¢ Ammonium chloride, NH4Cl, reacts with sodium hydroxide, NaOH, to form ammonia, NH3 gas. †¢ The presence of the NH3 gas is confirmed using a moistened red litmus paper place on the mouth of the test tube. Ammonia gas is basic and will turn red litmus paper blue. A4 †¢ Fe+3, iron ion, react with potassium thiocyanate, KSCN, to form a blood red solution. By the end of Part A you should be able to identify your one cation. You must do all Tests for the known solutions. Part BThis part of the experiment test for the presence of anions, Cl-, SO42-, PO43- and CO32-. Bl †¢ Chloride ion, Cl-, reacts with silver nitrate, AgNO3 to form a precipitate that does not dissolve in HNO3. B2 †¢ Sulfate ion, SO42-, reacts with barium chloride, BaCl2, to form a precipitate that does not dissolve in HNO3. B3. †¢ Phosphate ion, PO43-, reacts with ammonium molybdate solution, (NH4)2MoO4, in acidic solution to form a yellow precipitate. A yellow solution only is a negative result. B4 †¢ Carbonate ion, CO32-, reacts with HC1 to form CO2 gas that is observed as bubbles. Part C. Each island will have a consumer product to test.

Frantisek Kupka essays

Frantisek Kupka essays "I do not think it is necessary to paint trees, as people on their way to the exhibition can see better ones in reality" (75) 1, words spoken by a true pioneer of abstract art, Frantisek Kupka. "I do paint but I paint only the conception, the synthesis: if you like, the chords" (75) 2, and here the idea that lets other people understand this abstract artist's work. It is unfortunate, that many people today cannot enjoy abstract art, because they feel that they cannot understand it. To explore this problem the term 'abstract art' must be defined and differentiated from the type of art most people are able to connect to; realism. Realism is art, which represents real, easily recognizable objects. Abstract art is art, which represents real objects in an abstracted fashion. Sometimes the abstracted objects are recognizable, and sometimes they are not, but they are never represented completely realistically. Realism is easy to understand, because objects are represented the way people exp ect to see them. To understand abstract art, however, one must become a little more educated about the abstracted image. Some artists deliberately change (or abstract) their subject's natural appearance in an effort to communicate something they can't convey through realistic treatment, such as showing movement, for instance. Frank Kupka's abstract art is a good example for explaining abstract art. This is, because he strives to find scientific and theoretical basis for his work, and his thought processes that concluded in his paintings Amorpha: Fugue in two Colours and Piano Keys: The Lake are the perfect examples to show this. For credibility, it is important to realize that Kupka was an academically trained artist, whose resume include the School of Arts and Crafts at Jaromer, the Prague Academy of Fine Arts, and the Akademie der Bildenden Kuenste in Vienna, but also to recognize that he was very interested in studying questions of color ...

Traits Theory in Leadership

Traits Theory in Leadership Introduction Leadership was first used by Greeks to refer to those who were known as first among equals. The term involved operations on the platform of accountability which was used in enhancing equity within the society. Assertiveness, courage, and imitation were some of the traits considered to be responsible for leadership effectiveness amongst individuals (Zaccaro, 1991).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Traits Theory in Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The success of any group is attributed to the kind of leadership it has or operates under. Successful leadership entails delegation of group interests with respect to individuals’ association with specific policies. Thus leadership involves combination of traits that could be incubated and propagated through an organization and includes all members. Qualities of a leader Leadership means ability to influence and extend necessary suppor t to others making them work towards achieving specific goals. A leader posses various qualities which include being dynamic, tactful, motivator, orator, futurist, good analyzer, social, supportive and should have job related knowledge. A leader should be the kind of person capable and ready of taking any risk amidst controversial issues. He should have the ability of putting his juniors on toes for the purposes of achieving important goals. Good communication forms part of leadership since messages and objectives need to be articulated through clear and well understood means. Interractiveness form part of socialization where a leader is required to mingle with his subordinates and even offer them support within different areas of need (Zaccaro, 1991). Traits of leadership Hypothesis shows that history has since been shaped by extraordinary leadership; this forms critical starting point for the trait theory of leadership (Zaccaro, 1991). Trait theory argues that leadership fully dep ends on the personal qualities of the leader. Some researchers were acknowledged earlier for the manner through which they applied trait theory, one of them being Bowden 1926. Cowley 1931, summarized by indicating that understanding of leadership required the study of traits. Table 1 below, gives the level of interractiveness involved in traits of leadership. Self confidence appears in all but two of the reviews, whereas other traits including adjustment, sociability and integrity tend to appear in multiple reviews though not consistent (Anderson, 1978).Advertising Looking for critical writing on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Dominance emerged as an important leadership trait within some major reviews. An important observation is the exclusive trait of self confidence; none of the traits emerged as related to leadership in the majority of these reviews (Mann, 1959). Table 1: Review of traits of effectiv e or emergent leaders Leadership Criteria There is general agreement that a five factor model of personality developed by some personalities in early nineteen sixties could be used to describe the most critical aspects of personality (Goldberg, 1990). Traits studied in the five factor model include; Neuroticism, nature of being open towards experiences, extraversion, agreeableness and Conscientiousness. However, several ways emerged on how leadership could be assessed explicitly. Two distinctive classes of leadership emerged which were referred to as leadership emergence and leadership effectiveness. The former refers to the nature of quality as seen by other people concerning leadership’s capability of an individual. This may not be such accurate since the analysis is based on limited knowledge about the leader. Personality traits of an individual leader are deeply explored before making any applicable conclusion. Neuroticism This could be referred to as the status where an individual posses weak emotions towards events. This leads to stressful emotional reactions and experiences. Reviews done by Bass (1990) showed positive correlation in studies on self confidence that showed low levels of neuroticism to leadership. Self esteem an indicator of low neuroticism is thought to be a factor in both senior and subordinate staff within organizations.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Traits Theory in Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Neurotic individuals as indicated by some authors are less likely to be perceived as leaders. In consideration of these facts, neuroticism is thought to be negatively related to leader emergence and leadership effectiveness. Extraversion An extravert person is thought to possess leadership traits which make him/her active, assertive, energetic, restless and not easily withdrawn from circumstances (Gough, 1988). According to Costa 1988, extrave rsion is strongly related to social leadership whereas other publications agree that extraversion leads to emergence of a leader within groups. Extraverts are viewed by others to possess unique leadership traits that are of great importance within the field. Leaders are more likely expected to be more energetic as compared to non leaders, they are required to have more stamina and be generally active, lively, and often restless, (Kirkpatrick and Locke 1991). Major facets among extraverts thought to be leaders comprises of dominance and sociability, (Gough, 1990). There is a general feeling that links extroverts to leadership emergence which is mostly associated with leadership effectiveness. Openness This represents the status where leaders are expected to be mentally alert and autonomous when conducting events. According to Bass 1990, openness is the most vital trait of leadership. Openness shows a positive correlation to personality based upon behavioural measures of creativity. T his trait also correlates with the ability to think widely beyond limitations placed by human will. Creativity appears to be an important skill to effective leaders. Research indicates that creativity is linked to effective leadership. There is a consensus belief which suggests that open individuals are more likely to emerge as effective leaders at any given place. Agreeableness This involves the status of being considerate towards situations and events. Zaccaro 1991 discovered that interpersonal sensitivity was related to leadership. Altruism, tact and sensitivity are hallmarks of agreeable personality and would suggest that leaders should be more agreeable.Advertising Looking for critical writing on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Agreeable individuals are likely to be modest and they tend not to be excessively modest as well as being affiliated to certain groups (Bass, 1990; Goldberg, 1990). Need for affiliation appears to be negatively related to leadership in some circumstances (Yukl, 1998). These factors suggest that agreeableness would be negatively related to leadership. In light of these conflicting justifications, the possible relationship between agreeableness and leadership appear little bit ambiguous. Conscientiousness This involves leadership with the end result in mind; the leader proves dependable in times of need and ensures tasks are appropriately completed. Effectiveness for the group and reinforcement of the tendencies all depends on the leadership positioning (Bass, 1990). According to Barrick 1991, conscientiousness is related to job performance which in turn depends on leader effectiveness. Kirkpatrick and Locke 1991 noted that leaders should be tirelessly persistent in their activities a nd follow through with their programs. Conscientious individuals should have more tenacity and persistence therefore expected to make excellently effective leaders that conscientious individuals will be more effective leaders (Goldberg, 1990). Trait theories have been used for the purposes of differentiating between leaders and non leaders. Qualities such as ambition, energy, eagerness to lead, honesty, integrity, self confidence, intelligence, and job relevant knowledge are those which differentiates leaders from non-leaders. Those who find pleasure in shepherding others are considered to make good leaders. Several theories were developed in the process of describing traits. Path goal theory This theory was discovered by Robert House. It involves the extraction of key elements on structure initiation and consideration from Ohio state leadership structure. Also the theory incorporates expectancy theory of motivation. The theory argues that it is upon leaders to help their followers and ensure that they achieve the necessary goals in life and within particular organizations. Four types of leaders’ behaviours are described within this theory; directive behaviours which enable followers easily imitate what is expected of them. Supportive behaviours which shows lots of concern to members, then there is participative behaviour which makes a leader be more consultative with those he/she leads. Finally, there is an achievement behaviour which makes the leader to challenge members through setting of higher goals. Leader Participation Model This is the kind of model which relates leadership behaviour and the level of his/her participation in decision making. This model provides rules which are helpful in the process of analysing leader’s contributions. The levels of participation are drawn against personality traits of the leader under review. Qualities such as ability to communicate effectively, ability to relate freely with members and other employees a nd also training qualities are considered within this model. Conclusion Barrick and Mount (1991), investigated the relationship of the Big Five traits to leadership pooling across the leadership criteria. Conceptually leadership effectiveness and emergence are distinct constructs. Effectiveness and emergence in leadership are analyzed through measures and observations by other people’s perception of leadership. There exists a strong link to ascertain that Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness are related to multiple leadership criteria and that these traits display significant relationships with leadership in combined analysis. Emphasis should be given on the importance of teamwork within the various individuals within any group. Leadership requires proper attention to team members through various means which includes providing appropriate advices on ways of improving the overall performances. Leaders should ensure that all the programs used appropriately towards strengthen ing of group members making them ready for any challenging task. At the same time leadership roles should be reinforced through delegation of some duties to individual members; this ensures that all employees and members are actively involved in the running of the team. Leaders should learn to engage the staff in open conversations and record every crucial matter that arises from the conversations. They should also be involved in teaching and guiding the team through various processes and showing them various ways of solving specific problems. Leaders should learn the importance of prioritizing events both on short term and long term basis. In this way it is easy to provide leadership towards utilization of available resources on areas which require immediate attention in the quest for providing quality services. They should be capable of selecting competent members having the capability of working towards achieving the laid down long term objectives. Leaders chosen in every departm ent should have the capability of playing supervisory roles ensuring provision of quality services. Trait theories have been effectively applied for the purposes of differentiating leaders. It makes it easier to identify and associate highly flexible people with leadership, this is since they have dynamic capabilities which enables them to adequately monitor others. References Anderson, G. Viswesvaran, C., 1998. An Update of the Validity of Personality Scales in Personnel Selection. Paper presented at the 13th Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, TX; Dallas. Print. Barrick, M. R. Mount, M. K., 1991. The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, (44), pp.1–26. Bass, B. M., 1990. Bass and Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership. New York: Free Press. Bowden, A. O., 1926. A study of the Personality of Student Leaders in the United States. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, (21) , pp. 149–160. Costa, P. T. McCrae, R. R., 1988. Personality in Adulthood: A six-year Longitudinal study of self-reports and spouse ratings on the NEO Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, (54), pp.853–863. Cowley, W. H., 1931. Three Distinctions in the Study of Leaders. Journal of  Abnormal and Social Psychology, (26), pp. 304–313. Goldberg, L. R., 1990. An alternative â€Å"description of personality†: The Big-Five Factor Structure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, (59), pp.1216–1229. Gough, H. G., 1988. Manual for the California Psychological Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. Hughes, R. L. Curphy, G. J., 1996. Leadership. Boston: Irwin McGraw Hill. Kirkpatrick, S. A. Locke, E. A., 1991. Leadership: Do traits matter? Academy of Management Executive, (5), pp. 48–60. Mann, R. D., 1959. A review of the relationships between personality and Performance in small groups. Ps ychological Bulletin, (56), pp. 241–270. Stogdill, R. M., 1974. Handbook of Leadership. New York: Free Press. Yukl, G. Van Fleet, D. D., 1992. Theory and research on leadership in Organizations. Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, (3), pp. 147–197 Zaccaro, S. J. Kenny, D. A., 1991. Self Monitoring and Trait based Variance in leadership: An investigation of leader flexibility across multiple group situations. Journal of Applied Psychology, (76), pp. 308–315.

The Probable Efficacy of Alternatives to Incarceration Research Paper

The Probable Efficacy of Alternatives to Incarceration - Research Paper Example 1). So the criminal justice system is looking into the efficacy of many alternatives to incarceration like intensive supervision, boot camps and electronic monitoring/house arrest, which offer many advantages in terms of cost reduction, social relevance and the feasibility of a meaningful and effective rehabilitation. The Probable Efficacy of Alternatives to Incarceration Introduction Any sane and sustainable from of sentencing ought to be pragmatic, result oriented and financially viable, while confirming to the moral, ethical and social objectives inherent in it. Since times immemorial, civilizations have resorted to opting for incarceration as a regular mode of restraining and punishing their criminals and offenders. However, a more realistic approach towards this issue does not validate the fact that all the offenders deserve to be rigorously incarcerated, nor incarceration is the only possible method of achieving all the objectives ascribed to it (Bailey, 2003). In the criminal justice systems around the world, incarceration serves varied and multiple purposes. Incarceration is resorted to, to keep the individuals suspected of having committed some crime under a secure control, till their innocence or guilt is validated by a court of law. Incarceration is also used to penalize offenders found guilty of having committed a crime by depriving them of their freedom and liberty. Jail terms are also used to prevent chronic criminals from further committing a crime, until they get appropriately rehabilitated. To put it simply, the objective of incarceration is to allow the state to have a control over the factors that lead to crime, to protect the society at large from the offenders considered willing to and capable of indulging in further crimes and to rehabilitate the offenders, if possible (Bailey, 2003). A more versatile and creative approach towards these objectives do corroborates to the conclusion that many of them could be achieved by resorting to varied alternatives to incarceration like intensive supervision, boot camps, electronic monitoring and house arrest. Merits of Resorting to other Alternatives Necessity is the mother of invention. Hitherto, the criminal justice system has been opting for a one size fit all approach towards sentencing, being somewhat oblivious of the problems it would have created for law enforcement mechanisms. However, with the dawn of an era where the penitentiaries are fast getting overcrowded, the budgets ascribed to criminal justice systems are more than ever under diverse pressures and a relative humanization of the ethical, social and legal approaches towards sentencing, the criminal justice system is awakening to the fact that many available alternatives to incarceration could successfully serve the vouched objectives, while facilitating varied advantages (Diiulio Jr, 1991, p. 7). The criminal justice system is fast recognizing the fact that the homogenization and generalization of sentencing has g iven way to many problems and has divested it of varied other sentencing options like intensive supervision, boot camps and electronic monitoring/house arrest, which extend much scope for sentence customization. These alternatives arm the courts with much choice and multiple options. They allow the courts to opt for economically viable sentences, while ascribing the penalty in consonance with the gravity of offence of an offender (Diiulio Jr, 1991). Not to mention that varied

Portrait of a Family Member Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Portrait of a Family Member - Personal Statement Example Though the initial shock and grief we (the rest of the family) felt was tremendous but we thought that being a kid he just got misled and smoked out of peer pressure or just simple curiosity. Simple guidance persuasion was what was requires or so we thought. This was not to be so. This initial attraction towards cigarettes slowly turned into infatuation and finally became an addiction. One day when I was preparing to go out to a party at a friend's place, I found out that my necklace was missing. This necklace was given to me as a birthday gift from one of my friends and so it was obviously quite precious to me. I nearly 'ransacked' the whole house but could not find it. Just recently John had started going out with a new girl. Our parents were off to an official dinner of dad's. John had invited (in fact brought) his girlfriend over to our place. I just happened to linger downstairs during my search for the lost necklace it was then that I incidentally glimpsed at the couple sitting near the television. It was then that it struck me; there it was right in front of my very eyes the necklace that I was searching for was around John's girlfriends. There was no mistaking it, and just to make sure I went around and started small talk with the girl. My eyes were on the necklace during the whole time and I was ready to bet it was my necklace. So the necklace had never b een in the home in the first place. As it had turned out my birthday present was now a partnership gift of my brother's girlfriend. With the passage of time and as John grew older (I guess he had reached tenth grade by then) John was progressing into a spoilt brat. Sleeping by daytime, skipping/bunking school, and partying all night. As the only possible evident solution available to my parents they stopped giving John his fixed monthly pocket money. This ought to have stopped or at least reduced his frequency of partying out but to our surprise that did not happen in fact it seemed that this shortage of cash didn't even bother him in the least. It was on excursions to the local market (which my mother frequents often by the way) that it came to her notice she was coming across a lot of similar artifacts/jewelry in the nearby shops lately. It took only a few days for her to realize that many of her precious items such as wedding gifts and even some jewelry were no where to be found on closer inspection it dawned upon my mother that those items that we saw in the local market were none other then mother's. The sec ret source of John's relative freedom from shortage of cash all came into perspective as well. Apart from the mental and psychological shock this event caused to our family it also proved to be a financial shock as my mother had to buy all the back from the market. Things took a turn for the worse when John entered into high school. Instead of growing mature with the passage of time John was going from bad to worse. Somehow he ended up in a group of guys (whom he rather preferred to call friends) who were a small time gang. Yes! John had turned into a small time gangster. I still don't believe myself as I write these lines that a cute lovely little