Reflection Time...

Purely out of stubborness Im not going to a picture or any links in this blog...
I can honestly say because i didnt think i would, I have enjoyed doing these blogs i have found them extremely interesting looking into all the background information about different topics!
The statistics about everything have been throughly interesting to find out exactly the extremes of different past times...
Right first year done and as i write this im happy to think two exams left then first year is officially over, this module has been very different to any other i have done!!!
So all done and dusted here Enjoy..!!!

In response to Lucys drugs and children...

I was reading through the blogs and this one court my eye i was intrigued about this programme, giving drugs to children when you dont no the long term effects is in some respects cruel how could parents feel comfortable doing that... I understand NOW it gives them a better quality of life but they dont no whats going to happen later!I agree i would also feel uncomfortable watching such a programme knowing the children should rightfully be given a choice in the decision...

http://lucysbeingbad.blogspot.com/2010/04/drugs-and-children.html

Underage sex...

Is underage sex bad behaviour?

I dont think theres any straight answer to this because it depends on the circumstances.

Personally legally I was underage when i "did it" for the first time i was in a long term relationship and it just happened, at the time i didnt think much of it, but now im in a longer term relationship and am not bit older i can honestly say i wish i had waited!

The picture to the left about the 13 year old dad intrigued me, i found a video of him on youtube holding the baby,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKV-11kxQKQ

When they speak to him they ask him how hes going to support the baby financially and his reply was "whats that mean?" The mother of the child is only 15 and as a couple they decided to keep it and not to have an abortion, it just makes you wonder how they took it so far and made such grown up decisions. I remember sex education when i was at school and it honestly wasnt all that great and looking back now it makes me realise no wonder young kids havent got a clue of the responsibilty involved especially at the age of 13.

What happens if you have underage sex?
The law sees it as sexual assault - it's a criminal offence. This is because in the eyes of the law we are unable to give informed consent to sex when still a child.
A boy who has sex with a girl under 16 (17 in NI) is breaking the law. Even if she agrees.
If she is 13-15, the boy could go to prison for two years.
If she is under 13 he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
A girl age 16 or over who has sex with a boy under 16 can be prosecuted for indecent assault.

In some respects i wonder if a young couple are having sex then it is between them and the law wont no so that doesnt help i dont think the issue is having sex before your supposed to. Lets face it i have a younger sister and the amount her and her friends go on about sex and how there all "doing it" its just what people do now... Sex to many doesnt mean as much as it used to it literally is just sex with no love or attachment... Personally rather than trying to stop underage sex i think instead people should tackle the lack of knowledge about protection and target sex education its always going to happen people will always do it underage especially if there in a long relationship so shouldnt we look at stopping pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases...

All in all i wouldnt say its bad behaviour it most circumstances...

In reponse to blog on swearing...

I found it very interesting reading your blog on swearing cause one thing i hate more than anything is people swearing at me i find it really horrible and offensive and another thing i see quite often is people screaming and shouting at their kids often saying get the f*** here. Which i hate more than anything because you can just imagine what their kids are gonna come out with...However like you said i often swear to myself especially cause i often walk into stationary objects that hurt me and i often swear amongst friends in banter! but i know the second i walk through the door to my parents house to shut up and not even mumble a swear word out of respect because they never swear at me....

http://vomitandgiggles.blogspot.com/2010/04/swearing.html

Animal Cruelty...

Is animal cruelty bad behaviour?

Cruelty to animals is the infliction of suffering or harm upon animals, other than humans, for purposes other than self-defense.

More than 70,000 creatures were badly treated last year - a rise of 78% on the figures for 2003-4.
This included nearly 20,000 animals who were not given access to water. Many more were not given food or shelter.

6 to 8 Million Dogs and Cats: Every year, 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters, and 3 to 4 million shelter dogs and cats are killed.

80 Percent of Puppies: Most pet store puppies (and 80% of the American Kennel Club's business) come from puppy mills, mass-breeding operations in which ill, suffering dogs are kept in deplorable conditions. They breed between 2 and 4 million puppies each year.

For Fur:
350,000 Baby Seals: In 2006 more than 350,000 baby seals were killed, mostly by clubbing, in the annual Canadian seal hunt; 98 percent of the slaughtered harp seals were less than 3 months old. Forty-two percent of the seals in a 2001 study by veterinarians were found to be skinned while alive and conscious.

30 Million: More than 30 million mink, foxes, chinchillas, and other animals are killed on fur farms each year, by such methods as electrocution and poisoning. Neither fur farms nor the methods by which trapped animals can be killed are regulated by any U.S. laws.

2 Million Dogs and Cats: Some fur trims and clothes labeled as fake or as from another animal are actually made from dog and cat fur exported by China, where the more than 2 million dogs and cats per year killed for fur suffer unspeakable cruelties, including sometimes the documented horror of being skinned alive.
http://animals.change.org/blog/view/animal_use_and_abuse_statistics_the_shocking_numbers

Ive put all these statistics in because i feel they are extremely relevant, animal cruelty is disgusting and unnessacary i dont no how people could have the heart to do the things they do to animals. I typed "animal cruelty" into google images and for anyone who wants to look go ahead but some of the images are disgusting and vile and how people can do that i dont no!
Its a joke how many animals are killed for no reason other than money making and it makes me sick, personally as a dog owner myself the thought of any other dogs being killed for clothes is out of this world but like the stats prove it happens...

There are numerous charities who fight against the cruelty of animals one being WSPA
https://donate.wspa.org.uk/form.asp?id=152&gclid=COy8tv7HvaECFVVo4wodHBq3-A
along with many more...
And reading the things that happen to animals and seeing the images makes me want to support them even more so than i did already...

Response to Jodie o Sullivans Post

Rudeness....

I 100% agree with this blog and i hadnt even thought to put it in as being bad but it quite clearly is... I always find on trams or trains or in fact anything that people will quite happily sit around and watch heavily pregnant women and elderly people struggle to stand than to get up and stand themselves. It really gets to me groups of kids messing around on buses etc when other people are struggling to stand stilland keep their balance. I dont just say this because of what ive seen but a friend of mine was 8 months pregnant and quite clearly so on a train to london from wolverhampton and NOBODY would move for her she ended up spending the whole journey camped out on the floor...So good topic of choice im not the only one who thinks manners have gone out the window...

http://jodieosullivan.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-post.html

Homophobia...

Bad behaviour?

Homophobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards homosexuality and people identified or perceived as being homosexual. Homophobia is observable in critical and hostile behavior such as discrimination[1][2] and violence on the basis of a non-heterosexual orientation.

One in five lesbian and gay people have been victims of homophobic aggression over the past three years, a survey of hate crime revealed.
Their experiences ranged from beatings and sexual assault to persistent harassment and insults, often from neighbours and colleagues.
The gay rights charity Stonewall said the lives of Britain's 3.6 million lesbian and gay people were overshadowed by the fear of homophobic crime.
One in six of the victims had been physically assaulted and one in eight had been subjected to unwanted sexual contact. Almost nine in 10 had experienced homophobic insults and harassment.
Three quarters of those attacked dont report it because they dont believe it will be investigated.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jun/26/equality.gayrights

http://lezgetreal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/64968_633879500328724369.jpg-300x225.jpg
The link above will take you to a picture of someone who has suffered a homophobic attack...

Regardless of someones sexuality i dont believe anyone should be attacked the way this man has in the image! I dont get why people cant get on with their lives and so what if other people are gay lesbian and bisexual let them get on with theirs...
I would much prefer to live in a world where people are happy and live as the want to, than to live in a world where people feel like they have to hide away, i think its disgusting that 3 quarters of peopple attacked dont report it because they think it wont get investigated everyone should be treated the same no matter what the reason is behind there attack....
I honestly think people who commit hate crime are uneducated and need to be taught that who people choose to have a relationship with doesnt make them different!

Incest...

Bad behaviour?

To me yes Incest is completely wrong ive sat and read real life stories about siblings falling in love and having sexual relationships and i cant help feel horrified... I dont no how especially with your siblings you can grow up having a loving family relationship and somehow that changes into love...

Incest can be defined as:

Incest is any sexual intercourse between close relatives [1] [2] irrespective of the ages of the participants and irrespective of their consent, that is illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place, or socially taboo. The type of sexual activity and the nature of the relationship between people that constitutes a breach of law or social taboo vary with culture and jurisdiction. Some societies consider it to include only those who live in the same household, or who belong to the same clan or lineage; other societies consider it to include "blood relatives"; other societies further include those related by adoption or marriage.

When typing incest into google many stories pipe up about how happy siblings are together, how people have fallen in love with their parents, however incest doesnt always work this way, for example Josef Fritzl. The austrian man who locked his own daughter in a basement and fathered seven children with her unbeknown to his wife who thought her daughter had run away... Full story:

http://investigation.discovery.com/blogs/criminal-report/sex_offenders/josef_fritzel.html

I read this story:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article4332635.ece

about how a girl at the age of 14 started having a sexual relationship with her brother and as i was reading i thought to myself at 14 in any relationship is very young to make sexual decisions but with her brother and she still insists she doesnt regret it and thought it was right.

I also think that those who family members that get together and have children its unfair on the children especially if they were to grow up knowing that their parents are related....

All in all no matter what story i read i will never agree with incest and i will never think its right in any circumstance....

Plastic Surgery...

Bad behaviour?

In most cases no i dont believe plastic surgery is bad behaviour i mean who wouldnt want a little nip and tuck here and there... I dont no if its just me but i regularly think of things i dont like and would love to change but i no id never go to the extreme... There is no such thing as perfect and i realise that so i dont thing id ever take it too far....
I only think plastic surgery is bad when its taken to the extreme I mean people wonder why plastic surgery is slowly becoming more popular not just for females but for males, with record numbers of men get there "moobs" reduced and why wouldnt they when so called perfect celebrities are thrown in your face everyday on the news and in magazines.
Ive gotta say im a fan of the hills but im horrified how heidi montag has taken her plastic surgery to the extreme. She first had a boob job and nose job at the age of 21 which to me if your self concious about something then why not but leave it there....
However, Heidi went on to have ten plastic surgery procedures in one day including...
Mini brow lift
Botox in forehead and frown area
Nose job revision
Fat injections in cheeks, nasolabial folds and lips
Chin reduction
Neck liposuction
Ears pinned back
Breast augmentation revision
Liposuction on waist, hips, outer and inner thighs
Buttock augmentation

Whats worse is she wants more and plans to film it for tv show she wants to pitch with her husband...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_sGKsP419o
This link takes you to the video of Heidi explaining what she had done....

Now this is one example of how celebrities take it to the extreme however, we all no theres more... I do agree with surgery for the odd thing here and there especially if that little thing will boost someones confidence...Saying that researching all of the above stuff makes me realise how peopple go way to far and how when it is done to this extent it should be monitored so she cant have anymore for a long time otherwise where does it stop???

Masturbation....

Masturbation refers to non-penetrative sexual stimulation of a person's genitals, often to the point of orgasm.[1] The stimulation can be performed manually, by other types of bodily contact (short of sexual intercourse), by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods.

To me masturbation would definately not fall into the category of bad behaviour as its a completely natural and normal thing to do. I dont agree with it being shoved it peoples faces and it should be something that is done in private but its not wrong! Films such as american pie when masturbation is common topic makes the younger generation realise its a completely normal thing to do.

Till far into the 20th century, there were many doctors, educators and youth leaders who strongly disapproved of masturbation, and who wrote books which claimed that it had terrible health consequences – like insanity! This was all nonsense.
But until around the 1960s, there were youth leaders and pundits who advised people to avoid masturbation. They suggested that it was immature or undesirable and that if someone got fixated on it, they might not learn more 'grown up' responses.

In the 21st century masturbation is now a much more accepted topic, between relationships people still have that sex drive they had when they were in a relationship and the most obvious way to relieve this is masturbation. In fact after research on the internet i found that it is the most safest form of sex there is and that it is found it is often more satisfying that one night stands!

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/masturbation.htm

I also found masturbation for males can help with sex problems they may experience such as premature ejaculation, it is amazing to read on the internet how masturbation used to be a topic that no one dared to talk about but now reading on the internet there is more information that you can wish for....Hints and tips the best way to do it for example...

Although from films and other programmes you would think it was only men that masturbated, and true men according to information i have found realise at an earlier age masturbation will give them pleasure...Women do do it... Its just a lot less publicised...

As far as im concerned if thats what makes you happy Go for it!

Stalking...

Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted attention by individuals (and sometimes groups of people) to others. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation.

Most stalking is carried out by ex-partners and it is often a method of carrying on a form of domestic abuse after seperation. It has been found only 10% of stalkers were unknown to their victims. It is often men who stalk women however women do stalk men and other women...

http://www.rapecrisiscentre-glasgow.co.uk/index.php?id=175

One in eight British adults is being or has been stalked, with up to 45% of offenders turning violent and 40% of victims being forced to move home or job, according to a report out today.
Typical stalking situations last a year or two, although 15% go on for up to five years and some for decades. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/may/06/ukcrime.rosiecowan1

There are different types of stalkers some dellusional as they suffer from mental illnesses, vengeful stalkers and those who are the ex-partners of the victims. Stalking doesnt nessecarily have to be the typical stereotype stalker, stalking can also be done over the internet as a cyber-stalker...

In some cases stalking doesnt amount to anything however there has been cases where its gone as far as the victim being killed such as Clare Benal 22 who was shot dead by her stalker who she had only dated for a as little as a few weeks.

Stalking should never get as far as the victim being killed, so although some people may be convinced stalking is a way of getting back with someone even at the very early stages stalking is bad behaviour! Whether the intensions to that person are good or not no one can control how far it gets so it should be stopped as soon as its realised....

Response to Drinking during Pregnancy...

Drinking during Pregnancy...

I completely agree with your comment at the end of this blog, binge drinking yes everybody does it especially students but its completely out of order when it damages someone other than yourself. People who choose to binge drink have the choice but the unborn baby doesnt and its not fair especially with the risks carried. whats worse is everybody knows the risks about drinking through pregnancy and yet still people do it... its not right....

http://beingbadbell.blogspot.com/2010/05/binge-drinking-in-pregnancy.html

Response to Jennifer Hollis blog....

Graffiti


I completely agree with this post, a huge amount of graffiti is crap just a load of random names, someone loves someone else and simple nothing of any interest. But what i do agree with is the graffiti that means something to me this isnt graffiti but an expression of how someone feels or thinks just like tattoos are an expression of a person.... http://jenniesbeingbad.blogspot.com/2010/04/graffiti.html#comments

Domestic Violence...

Bad Behaviour?

can be broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship



The violence can be psychological, physical, sexual or emotional. It can include honour based violence, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage. Quite naively I have always stereotyped domestic violence as physical abuse and after researching to do this blog my eyes have been very much opened.



1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime – many of these on a number of occasions.One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute. On average, 2 women a week are killed by a current or former male partner. Although, one misleading statistic is the 1 in 4 women being a victim because 1 in 6 males are also victims of domestic abuse.
http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic_violence_topic.asp?section=0001000100220036&itemTitle=Statistics
Since abusers typically display different kinds of behaviours in public than they do in their private relationships, most people are not usually aware of domestic violence when it is happening in their community. Sometimes, it is difficult to believe that a person who behaves so respectably in public can behave so appallingly with their family. Abusers are always responsible for domestic violence they are the ones that choose to act the way they do, the victims are never responsible no matter how they are made to feel. Most abusers will make victims feel that it is their fault and they deserve it and often victims will convince themselves this is true.
In most cases 90% of children in the family unit witness or hear this violence, they may then go onto experience long or short term cognitive behavioural and emmotional effects.

To write any of this i had to do some serious background research because i quite honestly didnt no anything about it....
To me there is no excuse for domestic abuse not even if the abuser has underlying issues, the effect it has on the children is cruel they have done but be dragged into this situation. It definately is bad behaviour, no doubt about it!!!

Drink Driving...

Drink Driving, Definately bad behaviour, I believe completely drink driving is wrong and there is no excuse especially after reading the case studies on the internet of vicitms who have to live with the consequences of someone elses haste to get somewhere. I dont no what can be worth getting in your car for knowing your over the limit....

On average 3,000 people in the United Kingdom alone are killed or injured by drink driving collisions, nearly 1 in 6 deaths on the road involve a driver who is over the limit. The latest provisional figures from 2004, show that some 590 people were killed in crashes in which a driver was over the legal limit, 2,350 were seriously injured and 14,050 were slightly injured.
Over half a million breath tests are carried out every year with 100,00 coming up as positive.

Now i know myself ive never been sure about the morning after the night before, are you able to drive? well apparently whatever you do to sober yourself up you are still likely to be over the legal limit the next morning and could loose your license if you attempt to drive. Driving whilst over the limit can carry a maximum penalty of 6 months in prison, £5,000 fine and a 12 month driving ban it will also stay on your license for 11 years. Causing death by drink driving carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
http://www.drinkdrivingfacts.com/drinkdriving/drink_driving_facts.aspx

Now i know this might be fact overload, but there i could still fill your brain with loads more penalties if caught drink driving, but the point of me putting them all down is that i honestly dont see how any of it is worth it and why anyone would take that risk when you could just jump in a taxi and save yourself all of the above.

I read a story online about a woman named Jacqueline Saburido whos picture is at the top of my blog, if any of you get the time her story is interesting she was in the car of a drink driver and when it crashed she got caught as the car went into flames, it just made me realise how stupid i have been when i was younger and how lucky I am, years ago i went in a couple of cars knowing the driver had been drinking but i would never in a million years do it now it just goes to show not everybody is that lucky....

Response to Kim Robbins post

Bad Cinema....

I was unable to attend the lecture on bad cinema so i felt this blog was very insightful to something i knew nothing about, It explains clearly what the film is trying to portray. From reading the overview of the plot i agree completely with Kims comment that is a well needed wake up call that parents need as these things happen, the film simply represents real life pressures for young people that need to be addressed and acknowledged.

Using young actors I believe is appropriate because it makes it easier for viewers to relate to perhaps things they are also experiencing however i do believe there should be an age restriction on release.

http://kimrobbins23.blogspot.com/2010/04/bad-cinema.html#comments

Abortion....

Abortion....Bad behaviour?

To me theres no straight answer when it comes to abortion! Personally i dont agree with abortion purely because i know i wouldnt be able to go through with it, i can honestly say i dont want a child not now and not for a good few years but if i was to get pregnant i really dont think i could get rid of it... Thats why im sooo careful!

According to statistics in 2005 186, 400 women had abortions, those numbers include women residing in england and wales, compared 185,700 in 2004. The standardised age for abortions were 17.8 in 2005 when this survey was taken. So in essence numbers are rising....

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_4136852

To have an abortion on the NHS you have to have a referral from two doctors who have to agree that the requirements from the abortion act 1967 have been met.

The Abortion Act 1967 covers the UK mainland (England, Scotland, and Wales), but not Northern Ireland. The law states that:
Abortions must be carried out in a hospital or a specialised licensed clinic.
Two doctors must agree that an abortion would cause less damage to a woman's physical or mental health than continuing with the pregnancy.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/abortion/pages/introduction.aspx

There are other ways to get abortions however with horror stories i have just spend the last 20 mintues reading on the internet is it really worth going somewhere your not 100% sure about?

I no there are quite strong views against abortion i can see why when you type abortion into google images but for others it is simply part of their religioun or philosophical beliefs as to why they disagree with abortion. On the other hand, to me for my situation i dont agree with it but for others i completely understand why they would choose to have an abortion especially if the woman in question is told her health is at severe risk, and for those who are told there is a high probability their baby has a medical condition and they do not and cannot provide the correct circumstances to bring up a child.

I believe its all down to personal circumstances and choice, not everyone feels they want to or are fit to have a child and that decision has to be made by the individual, but i dont think that someone should repeatedley have abortions because they cannot be bothered to use protection or to take their pill when there supposed to.....

It is not bad behaviour in the slightest it is down to the individual to make a decision their happy with.....

Gambling...Is it bad?

Gambling... Wrong or Right?

Im not a gambler, probably because i no id be the one to get addicted, ive only ever been to one casino i didnt have a clue what i was doing but i loved it! I kept loosing but i didnt care i just kept telling myself next one ill win and £50 later i was still telling myself the same, so i can see how easy it would be to get addicted...

Statistics for gambling are hard to come across as most gamblers are in denial, however these stats are available on the internet...

According to statistics 86% of americans have gambled in the life time and 60% gamble in one given year. In one year approximately 1% of U.S adults meet the criteria for pathological gambling thats around 3 million people. An additional 2-3% have less significant but still fairly severe gambling problems. For those who come under pathological gamblers they are more likely than any other gambler to become addicted to other things such as alcohol and drugs. According to the national council on problem gambling there is also a strong link between pathological gambling and suicide.

http://www.myaddiction.com/education/articles/gambling_statistics.html

I dont believe gambling should come under bad behaviour in most circumstances, it is like most things a past time/hobbie when it is controlled, as i have said i enjoyed when i went to the casino but doesnt mean i will go every week it scares me the thought of how much money i could flitter away, however, saying that i would love to go again it makes an ace night out!!!!!

But for those that are addicted then of course for them it is bad behaviour there are numerous ways and people to talk to to overcome the problem its just a case of realising its gone to far.....

http://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/

Response to Vicki M's Blog

Sunbeds...

I think this is a very relevant blog, i completely agree with the majority of what youve included in this. I use sunbeds probably twice a week and i no the risk especially with my pale moley skin but i cant help but love having a tan and feeling better with one. I look forward to every holiday cause i love coming back with a tan and wearing all my lighter coloured clothes to make me look even more tanned.Yes i agree there are risks but there are risks with everything, nobody knows whats going to happen when they step out their front door everyday so if you think about it like that why not enjoy what you love doing while you can.Its thrown in our faces everyday and at every magazine we look at celebs wearing gorgeous clothes they we all would love to have all looking sunkissed and the better for it... We all just want to look nice so i agree with you completely...

http://vickimcconnell.blogspot.com/2010/04/tanninell-sunbeds_26.html

Shoplifting...

Shoplifting, "is the theft of goods from a retail establishment", theres no typical shoplifter however there are those that are a bit more professional than others. Professional shoplifters tend to go for more expensive items that they no they can sell on. Amateur shoplifters just take what they can when they can, what i dont understand is what possibly can be worth the penalties that are carried with shoplifting if caught.

I can honestly say i have never stole anything, to be really honest i never had the bottle, a couple of my friends occasionally used to pinch the odd things, one pretty much every day. Dont get me wrong the oppotunities have been never i just never took them, possibly my conscience took over and i felt to guilty, which i suppose is the best thing...

If caught shoplifting then an individual may be banned from not only the shop but maybe the shopping centre where the offence took place this is if the shop is reasonable, they'll take a photo and make sure all other stores are aware.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/shoplifting.html

Penalties may be charged at £50-80 for first time offenders, or a caution may be given by the police which will then be recorded on the individuals criminal record which in turn may affect them when searching for a job. Finally if the individual is a persistant shoplifter they will be charged at magistrates court under the theft act 1968 where a custodial sentence may be given...

http://www.contactlaw.co.uk/Shoplifting-and-the-law.html

So yes, shoplifting is bad behaviour even as a joke it isnt worth the consequences that are carried with it...

Drugs...

Drugs.... Are they bad behaviour?

Now whether an individual participates in drug use is down to personal choice and like numerous people say "you should try everything once". Younger people trying cannabis seems to be getting more and more regular, im not gonna pretend i havent tried it because i have, it was the done thing at school everybody at least tried it. But, i can safely safe i tried it once and never again i honestly didnt enjoy it in the slightest and it did nothing for me. However, my friends were the opposite and loved it for the best part of a year and a half every day and they now understand exactly how much i hated what it did to them. And the fact one of them went on to try cocaine. It very often starts at a low level and gets worse.

Facts and figures
The UK illicit drug market is estimated to be worth between £4 billion and £6.6 billion
Class A drug use generates an estimated £15.4 billion in crime and health costs each year, of which 99% is accounted for by problem drug users
Between a third and a half of acquisitive crime is estimated to be drug related

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-misuse/campaigns-communications/

Why do some drug users become addicted, while others don’t?
As with many other conditions and diseases, vulnerability to addiction differs from person to person. Your genes, age when you started taking drugs, and family and social environment all play a role in addiction. Risk factors that increase your vulnerability include:
*Family history of addiction
*Abuse, neglect, or other traumatic experiences in childhood
*Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety
*Early use of drugs

http://helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment.htm

As you can see there are many factors as to why people take drugs but is the long term effects really worth the fun? the laughs? or the enjoyment?

These longer term effects are....

Seizures, high blood pressures, convulsions, nausea, impotence, infertility, depression and numbness amongst many others!

http://www.med.unc.edu/alcohol/prevention/health.html

So im going to go with Yes, drugs are bad behaviour, im sure people will disagree however, i dont think the long term effects are worth it, at the time it may seem like a good idea but in the end is doing the above to yourself worth the money...

In response to Steph Hadleys post....

Shopping...

This is a very true blog, very insightful to the world of young girls steph :) it is very true shopping is bad behaviour... It definately causes problems for those participating and i very much know the feeling of store and credit card bills! There definately should be a very small limit on cards for us young shopper holics for us and our bank balances safety...

http://misshadley-stephyyyy.blogspot.com/2010/05/shopping.html

Racism/Discrimination....

Is discrimination of any form wrong? Yes... Why should people in certain circumstances be excluded from anything based on the colour of their skin or the religoun they choose to follow...

Racism was once defined as "prejudice plus power" - a definition which, in a British context, has tended to exclude all but the white population.

It took the murder of the young Stephen lawrence to change the debate regarding racist crime and redefined a racist incident state a racist incident to be anything perceived as racist by the victim or any other person.

The most recent record taken in 2004 states that 87,000 people from black or ethnic minority groups feel they have been the victim of racially motivated crime at some point in their lives. However the numbers can be seen as misleading due to the fact 90% of people in britain are white, according to the latest stats from the home office the risk for a white person is less than 1% compared a definate 1% for black and ethnic minority groups.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6128466.stm

Racism,in fact any kind of discrimination is wrong, there are so many initiatives to put a stop to racism, for example, love music hate racism, show racism the red card and childline offer advice and support to victims of racism. However, despite all of these racism is still among us today, its getting passed down from genaration to generation, children in most cases idolise their parents they wouldnt normally notice or care the coulour of somebody elses skin but if their constantly hearing racist comments then, especially at a young age they'll pick up on it and dish it out if thats what they believe to be right...

Whatever causes people to be racist whether its been passed down, past experiences or stereotypes it should stop and people should understand that it wont achieve anything...

Bullying

Bullying is defined as a form of abuse. It comprises repeated acts over time that involves a real or perceived imbalance of power with the more powerful individual or group abusing those who are less powerful. It can come in three different ways, emmotional, verbal and physical. So it bullying wrong, is it bad behaviour? Yes...

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

According to NSPCC statistics from 2007, 31% of children were bullied by their peers, 7% were discriminated against, finally 14% were made to feel like an outsider. Again, according to the NSPCC children who were neglected or abused by their parents were more likely to experience bullying. For example, 70% of children who were sexually abused have also been bullied in childhood. A quarter of all children who were bullied suffered long term affects as an adult.

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/statistics/bullying_statistics_wda48744.html

For those that bully, some just do it for fun at the expense of others happiness just for a few small petty jokes then they'll move onto the next person. However, for that person who has been bullied it makes them miserable not just whilst their being bullied, but for months after.

On the other hand, their are bullies that attack other peoples looks, personality and hobbies because they may be self-concious themselves and rather than deal with their own issues at hand they take it out on other people. So maybe when tackling bullying the bullies should be dealt with first hand.

There are a number of websites that offer people a way of talking to someone about their issues without having to deal with it face to face for example....

http://www.childline.org.uk/Explore/Bullying/Pages/Bullying.aspx?gclid=COeFkKbArqECFVgA4wodngPE_g

But, bottom line, Bullying is WRONG, regardless of the reasons behind it....

Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is the modern definition of drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time.

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

Now, to me this defintion sounds like a typical night out for most young people. Now i no there is a huge amount of intiatives against binge drinking for young people with the government being against offers such as 2for1. But lets think it through, if drinks werent on offer and were full priced then those on a night out would only drink even more than they probably do already before hand because they cant afford the drinks when there out.

Binge drinking is most common among 16–24-year-olds , and is more common among men than women. The General Lifestyle Survey 2008 showed that 21% of men and 14% of women drank more than double their recommended units on at least one day in the previous week. According to a number of websites those who binge drink are likely to be involved in accidents and crime, i understand many people probably do fall into these categories, however, according to these websites i would qualify as a binge drinker as i drink twice the recomended amount in one night. But, just because i drink that much doesnt mean im not in control and would participate in any sort of crime etc i no exactly what im doing and when to stop so i dont believe everyone who's classed as a "binge drinker" should be sterotyped.

On the other hand i can understand why people have a negative impression of those who "go out on the lash" with statistics all over the internet such as, Alcohol is a factor in:
One in three (30%) sexual offences
One in three (33%) burglaries
One in two (50%) street crimes

http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/binge-drinking?gclid=COjY3NyqrKECFQRslAodU3VxDQ

Although there are a number of health affects that accompany binge drinking especially for those who take it to the extreme its not like they arent aware of all the side effects. if they still go on to drink as much as they already do and have accidents due to their own incompetence at the time then surely it is there responsibility. Whether 2 for 1 offers are taken away or not people will still go out and buy it from the local store instead it is as always personal choice and responsibility of the individual....

Infidelity

Infidelity is it wrong?

Of course it is.... Infidelity is defined as a violation of the mutually agreed-upon rules or boundaries of an intimate relationship. Infidelity doesnt have to be physical but can also be emmotional, but what is worse? To me emmotionally being closer to someone than your partner is worse than being physcially intimate with someone. Granted as far as i no i havent been cheated on so i could be completely wrong, but as least physical its just attraction, with emmotion theres feelings there between your partner and someone completely unbeknown to yourself.

41% of marriages have either one or both spouses admit to having an affair, 57% of males and 54% of females admit to being unfaithful in any relationship they've had. 36% of males and females admit to having an affair with a co-worker or are unfaithful on a buisness trip.

http://www.infidelityfacts.com/infidelity-statistics.html

Now, i could go on forever about percentages for infidelity that you can find all over the internet and we will never no how true to life these percentages are being as being unfaithful involves having to lie, but these percentages seem to be fairly high to me. I dont get why people dont just end their relationship before seeing someone else, theres obviously unhappiness with your partner that would lead you to do such a thing.

I have never cheated nor would i ever cheat, the thought of it makes me soooo angry ive been put in situations in the past where close friends have cheated on their partners, but what they dont realise although they think there just hurting their partners, which of course they are, but all the other people that get dragged into their crappy situation, all the people that no whats going on but dont want to be involved that are all made to feel guilty as if it was them doing the cheating.

I was searching through the internet to find information on infidelity and found a number of websites that tell you what to look for, to see if your partner is behaving differently. I understand people want to no what to look for but at the same time having this information so readily available will make people paranoid, they will start looking for these changes in behaviour and start to tell themselves something is happening when its not.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.armchairadvice.co.uk/relationships/images/insets/lipstickshirt.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.armchairadvice.co.uk/relationships/saving/common/infidelity.asp&usg=__kpgGKgVO82p78YjlHgMPDCJPu6w=&h=165&w=200&sz=34&hl=en&start=10&itbs=1&tbnid=HmgcnH6Y_4KC7M:&tbnh=86&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dinfidelity%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

Personally, i think and will never change my opnion it is completely wrong even if someones relationship is volotial then theres better ways to get out of it than cheating it will only spark or worsen the violence or aggression. Theres always another option before being unfaithful it just takes communication or honesty with your partner before it gets to that stage that you can never get back from....

Tattoos and Body Modification

Personally i feel tattoos are ace as i have a few myself, i dont see how having one is participating in bad behaviour in the slightest. As long as the individual thinks about what there having i believe they show how that person wants to express themselves and how they want to make themselves different from anybody else.

Ok yes, if its done in the wrong way people have been known to contract infections,Even the Red Cross is concerned with the risk of hepatitis being transmitted through a tattoo. However, the CDC's (centre for disease control) latest numbers from 1996 show that only .8% of cases (12 out of 13,387) appear to be related to tattooing.

As everybody knows tattoos involve needles piercing the skin however, as of 2009 there have been no recorded HIV transmissions through tattooing. http://www.ehow.com/facts_4867146_statistics-tattoo-health-risks.html

A number of employees make it well known that they do wish there employees to have tattoos in a visible place such as there forearms or hands, and in some cases the choice to do so can end up in the employee being fired or denied a job. http://www.examiner.com/x-7281-Detroit-Alternative-Medicine-Examiner~y2010m3d29-Arguments-against-tattoos However, although this is a reason not to get a tattoo all it takes is the individual to put thought into the decision and it shouldnt need to lead to such an extreme, it just means having a tattoo that cant be seen in your day to day work clothing.

Most major religiouns dont agree with tattoos or anything of the sort such as piercings as they see it as an attack on God to change the body from its original state.

I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinions and if those who follow religion do not agree with them then they dont have to have one as is most things its down to personal choice. Yes, people might argue about the risk of infection and the denial of certain jobs but all it takes is thought, make sure that if your having a tattoo to pay that bit extra and go to a studio that is clean and well known and as for jobs if you no you want a job that dont agree with visible tattoos have one thats not visible....Simple! I think that tattoos show things about people depending on what they have and i think there a great way to express yourself and if somebody wants one they shouldnt be judged by typical stereotypes its just what they choose to spend their money on.

Prostitution

Prostitution is it bad behaviour?

I believe prostitution is completely the wrong way to earn money and i cant see any benefit in it at all and most people would sway towards it being immoral.

"Prostitution is defined as the exchange of sexual services for money"

Prostitution itself isnt illegal however, the activities surrounding it are, Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, it is an offence to cause or incite prostitution or control it for personal gain also the 1956 Sexual Offences Act bans running a brothel and it's against the law to loiter or solicit sex on the street. Kerb crawling is also banned as long as it is believed that it is causing a nuisance to others. Adverts in phone boxes and on lamp posts have been banned since 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7736436.stm

So surely with the laws surrounding prostitution it is bad behaviour....

42% of prostitutes start working before the age of 18, 78% have been threaghtened with a weapon and 82% have been physically assaulted, these percentages only represent the ones who have have stepped forward and reported however, numerous people dont due to being frightened of the consequences. 73% report being raped more than five times and finally 75% report having a drug problem. http://powerhouse-ministry.org/annielobert_prostitution.aspx

With the precentages given it just proves how much of a dangerous buisness it is to get into, how can they trust complete strangers with their safety? This is not the answer to earning "easy money" nor is it a way to earn a living. This way of living is completely wrong and isnt safe for either the prostitute or the client who put themselves at risk of sexually transmitted diseases or fines for kerb crawling.

The word prostitution has a negative stigma however, some of these individuals are forced into this way of living and it genuinely isnt through choice. Those who have the choice however should realise they cant live that way forever and there are much better and safer ways to earn money by keeping ones self respect.....

Smoking

Smoking is a highly debated topic, personally I believe its down to the individual its not like people arent aware of the consequences as its often thrown in your face just buying a pack of fags. For example I recently went to a club where on the walk to the smoking area there were lit up signs with quotes such as "smoking kills" now i understand people should be made aware of the possible outcomes, but like most things its personal choice.

Im not going to pretend i havent smoked cause in the past i have, at the bright young age of 14 i tried my first cigarette because "everybody else smoked" it was cool, everywhere i looked my friends smoked, their families smoked and it was all over the T.V. Now if you'd asked me at the time I would of said i loved it but honestly i hated it it just wasnt me. But thats not to say i think people shouldnt smoke.

I wouldnt put it under the heading of "being bad" because its not, its not against the law, i completely agree that the nhs should provide all possible help for those who WANT to quit, want being the key word. They should not however force something upon people that they have no

interest in.

http://smokefree.nhs.uk/

For example, my grandad smoked all his life from the tender age of 16 he was told many a time that he smoked to much, but he never listened and lived a full and happy life. So surely if its something you enjoy yes it wont help your health im not saying it does but if it makes you happy then so be it.

Saying that if an individual starts suffering from health issues due to smoking and quitting will improve their quality of life then at that point i think they should quit. Half of all smokers die of a smoking related disease such as cancer or heart disease, personally knowing that makes me want to run a mile from the closest cigarette but again its not like those who choose to smoke dont no that. Most people are aware of the health issues but if they are aware and still go ahead to smoke then again that is personal choice.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Smoking-The-Facts.htm

As a non smoker one thing I am happy was bought into place was the smoking ban, although i would never tell anyone not to smoke as i think its down to them i do think, and im sure most smokers would agree, that when i go out for food i dont want to be inhaling smoke at the same time especially when there is a high chance children will be around. Like i have said smoking is a personal choice but when it begins to affect other people thats when it becomes unfair, and now the smoking ban is in place i believe it solves that problem.

Week 12 Suggestion...

As we are studying being bad, i believe the best destination would be Amsterdam, it offers a wide range of issues that could be considered as 'Being Bad' as it is often frowned upon for its 'laid back' attitude towards cannabis and sex.
This would provide a very interesting topic for debate.....