Saturday, September 7, 2019
The Psychosocial Difficulties of Parents of Young Children Essay Example for Free
The Psychosocial Difficulties of Parents of Young Children Essay Introduction A disability is a permanent condition that makes it difficult for a person to do something important in everyday life.  People who have such conditions are said to be disabled.  For example, people who are deaf cannot hear, they have difficulty on understanding on what other people say.  People who are blind have difficulty in seeing the world around them and in reading print. Physically disabled people have difficulty in moving about.  Mentally retarded people are limited in their ability to learn abstract ideas. Emotionally disturbed people have difficulty controlling their emotions (Pearson, 2006).  A disability is a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual of their group.  The term is often used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, mental illness, and various types of chronic disease. This usage has been described by some disabled people as being associated with a medical model of disability. How adults express their emotions will influence the reactions of children and youth. Further, children with disabilities (e.g., emotional, cognitive, physical, etc.) will react to the trauma and stress based on their past experience and awareness of the current situation.  Caregivers and school personnel who know a child well can best predict his or her reactions and behaviours because they have observed the child’s response to stress in the past. Review of related Literature.            Eighty percent of all people with disabilities live in developing countries. And in these countries there is a shortage of doctors, clinics, and rehabilitation facilities.  Children and young people with disabilities frequently live in poverty. Many suffer from social exclusion and prejudices.  Parents should be responsible of the primary concerns of the early childhood of their children with disabilities foster love, special attention and works to make them accepted in the society (Bowe, 2006).            The global number of people with disabilities is on the rise.  This is due, on the one hand, to improved medical care.  Even with a disability, a person today can lead a long and fulfilled life if they enjoy the benefits of a good healthcare system.  In developing countries, however, there is no adequate healthcare provision. Children suffer from hunger, have no access to clean water, get illnesses which have either been eradicated in the industrial countries or which can be easily cured.  All these deplorable conditions inhibit the development of children and can lead to disabilities.  According to The Child Right Information Network, 97 percent of children with disabilities in developing countries receive no rehabilitation and 98 percent receive no school education suited to their needs (Pearson 2006).            Expanding health insurance coverage for children is a major thrust of recent health care policy. In 1997, for example, Congress enacted the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a federal initiative to improve children’s health by increasing access to health care for children in low-income families.  Because of its low- income focus, assessing the potential effectiveness of SCHIP in improving children’s health requires a look at health care needs and how they relate to family income (Shakespeare, 2003). Children with disabilities generally have specific â€Å"triggers†â€â€words, images, sounds, etc. that signal danger or disruption to their feelings of safety and security. Again, these are specific to each child but come from past experiences, association with traumas, seeing fear in adults, etc. Children tend to develop their own â€Å"cues†in response to these trigger events, warning signals that adults can â€Å"read†to understand that the child is having difficulty. These cues may include facial expressions or nervous tics, changes in speech patterns, sweating, feeling ill, becoming quiet or withdrawn, complaining or getting irritable, exhibiting a fear or avoidance response, etc (Pearson, 2006). When adults anticipate these triggers or observe these cues, they should provide assurance, support and attention as quickly as possible.  If adults miss these cues, children may escalate their behaviour to a point where they completely lose control. If this occurs, adults need to remove the child to the safest place available, allow the child to calm down, and then talk to the child about the triggering fears or situation. Because parents and teachers see children in different situations, it is essential that they work together to share information about triggers and cues. This is best done on a regular basis, such as during the IEP meeting or a periodic review meeting, rather than in response to a crisis. However, when a crisis occurs, parents, case managers and others who work with the child should meet to briefly discuss specific concerns and how to best address the child’s needs in the current situation (John stone, 2001). In the context of prevention and the development of effective IEPs, some children need specific training and interventions to help them to develop self-control and self-management skills and strategies. During the teaching process, these skills and strategies should be taught so they can be demonstrated successfully under stressful conditions (e.g., school crises, terrorism, and tornado) so that children can respond appropriately and effectively. Adults should still expect that children will demonstrate their self-control skills with less efficiency when confronted by highly unusual or stressful situations (Johnstone, 2001).  Methodology            The medical model is presented as viewing disability as a problem of the person, directly caused by disease, trauma, or other health condition which therefore requires sustained medical care provided in the form of individual treatment by professionals. In the medical model, management of the disability is aimed at cure, or the individual’s adjustment and behavioural change that would lead to an almost-cure or effective cure. In the medical model, medical care is viewed as the main issue, and at the political level, the principal response is that of modifying or reforming healthcare policy. The social model of disability sees the issue of disability mainly as a socially created problem, and basically as a matter of the full integration of individuals into society (see Inclusion (disability rights)). In this model disability is not an attribute of an individual, but rather a complex collection of conditions, many of which are created by the social environment. Hence, in this model, the management of the problem requires social action, and thus, it is the collective responsibility of society at large to make the environmental modifications necessary for the full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of social life. The issue is both cultural and ideological, requiring individual, community, and large-scale social change. Viewed from this perspective equal access for people with impairment/disability is a human rights issue of major concern. Data Analysis            The analysis reported here contributes to such an examination by focusing on the needs of a particular group of children children with disabilities. This focus is important for three reasons. First, children with disabilities typically use more health services than their non-disabled peers. Second, not receiving services they need is likely to affect children with disabilities more than other children. Third, the services used by children with disabilities are among the most costly health-related services children use. To sharpen the focus on the differential need of children with disabilities, this paper focuses on a subset of health-related services that are used almost exclusively by children with disabilities supportive services. The basic finding is that policies focused on low-income children will reach the majority of children with disabilities who have unmet supportive service needs. These needs range widely across types of services, however, making the effectiveness of public health insurance policies in reaching these children dependent also on how comprehensive the service coverage is. Results As parents of children with special needs it is very important to understand your role as a parental advocate for your children.  An advocate is one who pleads the cause of another and who defends or maintains a cause or proposal. Parental advocacy includes efforts to:1).Have all of the needs of target child met: 2.)  Keep current about the latest advances, technology, and research innovations regarding childrens disability, treatment, protocols, and potential; 3.)Get the best care and services available for children with special needs; 4.). Monitor all services, professionals, and programs offered to target children 5.)Create a team approach with those involved in target childrens lives and care; 6.)Have target children served in a least restrictive environment;7.)Expose target children to as normal a lifestyles as possible  8. ) Assist target children in reaching their highest potential; 9.)Stimulate community concern and establish new services to fill in the gaps for target childrens care; 10.)Ensure lifelong support, nurturing, and rehabilitation of target children. Discussion            Staff and parents must consider how children with special needs respond to any form of stress and anticipate these and more extreme reactions following a crisis. Strategies that have been effective with these students in the past are the best strategies to implement now, understanding that steps might need to be more concrete and consequences more immediate. Consider the triggers and cues for these students and anticipate rather than reactâ€â€prepare students for changes in routines; allow time for discussion of the traumatic events in a safe and familiar setting; provide choices in activities to the extent feasible to give these students some sense of control over even a small part of their lives. Some students may need to be more protected or isolated to minimize distractions and sources of agitation during the height of a crisis, and adult supervision may need to be more intense for a while.            Expect some regression (increase in problem behaviours) and deal with inappropriate behaviours calmly and consistentlyâ€â€it helps students to understand that despite a lot of other changes and disruptions, there are some constants in class and family rules and expectations, and that they can depend on their support network to be available. How adults express their emotions will influence the reactions of children and youth. Further, children with disabilities (e.g., emotional, cognitive, physical, etc.) will react to the trauma and stress based on their past experience and awareness of the current situation. Caregivers and school personnel who know a child well can best predict his or her reactions and behaviours because they have observed the child’s response to stress in the past. Conclusion On the basis of characteristics of family resilience, the study examined the perspectives of parents of children with an intellectual, physical, or learning disability. Thirty-two parents were interviewed as to past, present, and the modes of coping. The questions examined various aspects of family ecology domains: parents responses to the childs diagnosis; patterns of adjustment; family support and services used by parents; and parents feelings and future expectations. Although, it was found that most parents had to make changes in their social life and expressed high levels of frustration and dissatisfaction, many try to maintain their routine life. The majority expressed the need for a strong belief in the child and in the childs future, an optimistic outlook, and a realistic view and acceptance of the disability. The study highlighted the importance of social resources and support, and the need for effective programs of intervention. References Bowe, Frank (2006) Handicapping America: Barriers to disabled people, Harper Row, 1978 ISBN 0-06-010422-8 Encyclopedia of disability, general ed. Gary L. Albrecht, Thousand Oaks, Calif. [u.a.]: SAGE Publ., 2005 Johnstone, David (2001) An Introduction to Disability Studies, 2nd edition, ISBN 1-85346-      726-X Michael Oliver, The Politics of Disablement, St. Martins Press 1997, ISBN 0-333-43293-2 Pearson, Charlotte (2006) Direct Payments and Personalisation of Care, Edinburgh, Dunedin Academic Press, ISBN 1903765625 Shakespeare, Tom (2003) Genetic Politics: from Eugenics to Genome, with Anne Kerr , New Clarion Press, 1999, ISBN 1-873797-25-7
Friday, September 6, 2019
Psychology Debate Essay Example for Free
Psychology Debate Essay Psychology is a human science and should thereby leave the study of biology to the biologists. Psychology, as defined by the APA is, ‘the study of the mind and behaviour’(APA, 2013), this definition states that psychology is indeed separate to that of biology as biology by definition is ‘the branch of science concerned with the structure, function, growth, evolution, and distribution of living and non-living organisms’ (biology online, 2013), this implies that the two are indeed two different disciplines which do not require interaction, as they are simply focusing on different things. A good example of the two disciplines being separate, is psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis, a method of therapy developed by Freud and still used widely today, focuses on the subconscious and says that mental illness is caused by underlying traumas, repressed memories and unconscious desires. If these are brought to the surface, by the patient verbalising under hypnosis of these repressed, unconscious and underlying issues, it is thought that by uncovering them they will find answers. Psychoanalysis has no foundations in biology and even as it has been expanded upon by people such as Adler and Jung, still does not believe that biology is relevant to psychology (Kandel, 1999). The simple fact that they are, still to this day, separate disciplines again reinforces that they are separate spheres of study and should remain that way. AGAINST: Psychologists need an understanding of biology in order to treat patients, and understand concepts fully. Psychology could not be practiced if it was not for the fundamental biology that sets human beings apart from any other species. An understanding of the brain, body and how they function and there interactions and co-existence with psychological concepts such as mood, personality, emotions are integral and in fact, psychology needs a biological foundation and understanding to even begin to interpret psychological concepts (Weiten, 1992). When taking a closer look at the definitions mentioned previously, they both study life. Since biology is the study of life psychology fits into this definition as psychologists too study life. In saying that, the study of life should not be left up to the biologists as they are typically concerned with the structure, function, growth, evolution and distribution of living and non-living organisms, whereas psychologists look deeper into the study of life, not just seeing it as a science but seeing it as an avenue to help and better people’s lives through understanding the fundamental biological workings of the brain. But without an understanding of the human brain and body and how it functions psychologists would not be able to put these two disciplines together to achieve their outcomes. It is crucial for a psychologist to understand the work of biology in order to be an effective psychologist. Without a biological basis, there would be no way that psychology would even be a pro-active discipline. Diagnosing a patient today, requires the psychologist to be able to understand the biological forces which influence behaviour (Weiten, 1992).
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Applications of CAPTCHA
Applications of CAPTCHA Ramteen Talib CAPTCHA is a powerful tool Qingkun Ramteen Talib A CAPTCHA or Captcha is a type of challenge-response test used in to computing o ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. CAPTCHAÂÂ requires that the user type letters or digits from a distorted image that appears on the screen. Any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human else user is bot and denied access. It is sometimes described as a reverse Turing test. OCRs(Optical Character Recognition) are not able to read CAPTCHAs Characteristeics A CAPTCHA is a means of automatically generating new challenges which: Current software is unable to solve accurately. Most humans can solve Does not rely on the type of CAPTCHA being new to the attacker. CAPTCHAs rely on difficult problems in artificial intelligence Origin First developed by Alta Vistain 1997.The term coined in 2000 by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum and Nicholas J. Hopper of Carnegie Mellon University and John Langford of IBM. Primitive CAPTCHAs seem to have been developed in 1997 by Andrei Broder, Martin Abadi, Krishna Bharat, and Mark Lillibridge to prevent bots from adding URLs to their search engine. Turning Test Proposed by Alan Turing To test a machines level of intelligence Human judge asks questions to two participants, one is a machine, he doesnt know which is which, If judge cant tell which is the machine, the machine passes the test. CAPTCHA employs a reverse Turing test, Judge = CAPTCHA program , Participant = user if user passes CAPTCHA, he is human If user fails, it is a machine Types of CAPTCHAs 1.Text Based CAPTCHAs 2.Graphics Based CAPTCHAs 3.Audio or Sound Based CAPTCHAs Text Based Typically relay on sophisticated distortion of text images rendering them unrecognizable to the state of the art of the pattern recognition programs but recognizable by humans. Examples: Simple, normal language questions: What is sum of three and thirty-five? If today is Saturday, what is day after tomorrow? Very effective, needs a large question bank Cognitively challenged users find it hard . Gimpy: Originally designed by Yahoo and CMU. Based on human ability to read heavily distorted and corrupted text. works by choosing a certain number of words from a dictionary, and then displaying them corrupted and distorted in an image; after that Gimpy asks the user to type the words displayed in that image. EZ-Gimpy: A modified version of Gimpy. Used in Yahoo Messenger Service. It contains only one random character string. The word is random and not picked from the dictionary. Its not a good implementation of CAPTCHA, and already broken OCRs. MSN Passport service CAPTCHAs: its provided for Microsoft MSN services. uses 8 characters. Warping is used to distort. Its very strongly implemented and hasnÂÂ ·t been broken Graphic Based CAPTCHAs Requires user to perform image recognition test. Examples: IMAGINATION: CAPTCHA that requires two steps to be passed. first step visitor clicks elsewhere on the picture that composed of a few images and selects in this way a single image. second step the selected image is loaded. It is enlarged but very distorted. Also variants of the answer are loaded on the client side. The visitor should select a correct answer from the set of the proposed words. BONGO: After M.M.Bongard, pattern recognition expert. User has to solve a pattern recognition problem. ASSIRA: Animal Species Image Recognition for Restricting Access. Its a HIP that works by asking users to identify photographs of cats and dogs. Difficult for computers but humans can accomplish it very quickly and accurately. Audio CAPTCHAs Require user to solve a speech recognition test. In this version of captcha letters are read aloud instead of being displayed in an image. Helps visually disabled users Below is the Googles audio enabled CAPTCHA. 3D CAPTCHA 3DCaptcha is the captcha nice to humans, bad to machines. It is written in PHP. A new approach to captchas, using humans spatial cognition abilities to differentiate humans from machines. It uses a markov-chain to generate words that resemble human language and are easy to type, yet avoid dictionary lookups. It filters profane language. Its easy to deploy. Re-CAPTCHA Free CAPTCHA service that helps to digitize books, newspapers and old time radio shows. reCAPTCHA improves the process of digitizing books by sending words that cannot be read by computers to the Web in the form of CAPTCHAs for humans to decipher. Each word that cannot be read correctly by OCR is placed on animage and used as a CAPTCHA. This is possible because most OCR programs alert you when a wordcannot be read correctly. Working of reCAPTCHA: Two words are shown, one word is known as Control Word, and another one is known a questionable word. System assumes that if human types the control word correctly, the questionable word is also correct. The identification performed by each OCR program is given a value of 0.5 points, and each interpretation by a human is given a full point. Once a given identification hits 2.5 votes, the word is considered called. Applications Preventing Comment Spam in Blogs Protecting Website Registration Protecting Email Address From Scrapers Online Polls Preventing Dictionary Attacks Search Engine Bots Worms and Spam Advancing Artificial Intelligence Called Hard-AI problems. CAPTCHA tests are based on open problems in artificial intelligence (AI). A win-win scenario: Either a CAPTCHA is not broken and there is a way to differentiate humans from computers. Or the CAPTCHA is broken and an AI problem is solved. Thus AI knowledge is advanced if CAPTCHAs are broken. V/S Constructing CAPTCHAs Things to keep in mind: Dont store CAPTCHA solution in Web pages meta data A CAPTCHA is no good if it doesnt distort Need a large database of different CAPTCHA questions Avoid repetition of questions CAPTCHA Logic: Generate the question Persist the correct answer Present the question to user Evaluate answer, if incorrect, start again-Generate a different CAPTCHA If correct, allow access to user Guidelines: Accessibility Image security Script security Security after widespread adoption Custom implementation or a general CAPTCHA? Breaking CAPTCHAs Cracking CAPTCHAs through programs Convert CAPTCHA into greyscale Detect patterns in the image corresponding to characters Or, read session files of that user and know the CAPTCHA word Solution: Only store a hash of the CAPTCHA word in session files Issues with CAPTCHAs Usability issues W3C mandates Web to be accessible to all people Some CAPTCHAs are inaccessible to visually impaired, cognitively challenged people Compatibility issues JavaScript may need to be activated in browsers Some may need Adobe Flash plugin installed Real World Conclusion CAPTCHAs are an effective way to counter bots and reduce spam They serve dual purposeÂÂ ²help advance AI knowledge Applications are variedÂÂ ²from stopping bots to character recognition pattern matching Some issues with current implementations represent challenges for future improvements
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
The Media and Body Image :: Media Argumentative Persuasive Argument
The Media and Body Image  Abstract  This research examined the media and how it affects fitness and body image. This was assessed by collecting data from surveys taken by three groups of ten high school students, five of each sex. Two of the three groups were exposed to different media packages, one depicted images of unnaturally thin individuals, the other depicted athletic figures, while the third group was exposed to no prior data. The results indicate the students attitudes towards social fitness views and self-acceptance. It was my hypothesis that a correlation between media and the fitness concept will be found but the idea of a personal body image will remain fixed as body image is a determined part of one's psyche. A significant correlation was discovered between those who viewed the thin package and their attitudes on social fitness. However a low score in the self- acceptance scale in all three groups suggests a low self-concept within all participants. This supports my statement that there would be a connection between the fitness concept and the media packages as well as a constant self- concept maintained by all participants.  In assessing personal attitudes it is often important to measure not only what an individual feels towards others but also his/herself. Prior research indicates this is especially important when measuring attitudes towards physical issues. It has been found that opposing views may be held simultaneously by individuals in regards to themselves and others. Also concern for how a response will reflect upon his/herself may negate an individual expressing his or her true attitudes. This research sought to assess the attitudes of high school students towards fitness and body image in the presence of different physical media icons. By monitoring the individuals response to both a third person scale and a personal scale, true attitudes can be assumed. In this study, the different groups were the independent variable, here in described as Group A, those exposed to the thin images, Group B, those exposed to athletic images, and Group C, those exposed to no images or the control group, whereas the groups score was the dependent variable. The surveys were distributed to thirty students, ten in each group, five of each sex. The dependent variable, in the Social Fitness Attitudes Scale, reflects the individuals attitude towards fitness in society and in a dating atmosphere. The higher the individuals score the more they are influenced by society, with a score of 46 being the accepted indication of society influence. In the Self Acceptance Scale, the lower the individuals score the lower their self concept with scores between 36-110
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
No Tax Dollars for Religious Education Essay -- Argumentative Persuasi
No Tax Dollars for Religious Education Tax dollars are your money at work. Do you want your money to go to fund private religious schools? Tax dollars should not fund religious education because it is a violation of the separation of church and state clause of the first amendment to the constitution. Lately we have seen proposals for vouchers. These vouchers are public money given to low income family so they may send their kids to private schools. Most of the schools who use this program are religious. In the Cleveland voucher program we see there were 3,761 children are enrolled and 96 percent of those children are attending religious schools. Also 82 percent of the participating schools were sectarian. This voucher program was challenged in the 6th circuit court with the Simmons-Harris v. Zelman case. It was ruled the Cleveland voucher program â€Å"clearly has the impermissible effect on promoting sectarian schools†. Voucher plans have been brought up in many different places and most of the time they seem to receive the same reactions. They are being shot down a...
Monday, September 2, 2019
SPIRIT LIFTER :: essays research papers
SPIRIT LIFTER >God has kept me here for a reason. >I survived because he has a plan for me. >All my bad relationships, the bad credit, the >repossessions, the death of my loved ones, >the back stabbing from my friends, the negative thoughts, >or the lack of support, I made it because I am blessed! >I release and let go of all past hurts, misunderstandings and grudges >because I am blessed! >I recognize them as the illusions they are, for God is all there is. >All else is a lie! >Now give yourself a hug, wipe your tears and walk in victory!!!!!!!! I >love you, but more appropriately God loves you BEST! Be blessed and >know that you are at one with THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD! And may the Lord >keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. >Genesis 31:49. Amen! >Now since you are a true child of God, you know that with every >blessing, a blessing is required! So bless another, by passing this on. Have a Blessed Day. Mabel Do you Yahoo!? SPIRIT LIFTER >God has kept me here for a reason. >I survived because he has a plan for me. >All my bad relationships, the bad credit, the >repossessions, the death of my loved ones, >the back stabbing from my friends, the negative thoughts, >or the lack of support, I made it because I am blessed! >I release and let go of all past hurts, misunderstandings and grudges >because I am blessed! >I recognize them as the illusions they are, for God is all there is. >All else is a lie! >Now give yourself a hug, wipe your tears and walk in victory!!!!!!!! I >love you, but more appropriately God loves you BEST! Be blessed and
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Ash Wednesday Bushfires
The many natural hazards that have occurred over the years have varied from cyclones to droughts, however bushfires are the main hazard Australia is prone to. A bushfire is an out-of-control fire that burns bush, forest and woodland areas. Australia has had a considerable number of hazardous bushfires, the Ash Wednesday Bushfires of 1983 is one of Australia's most devastating. THE LOCATION: Over one hundred fires broke out between February 16th-18th 1983, eight of which were major fires. These fires swept across regions of VictoJ.Dimovskiria and South Australia causing widespread damage. Figure 1 below is a map of Victoria, the red representing where the fires were formed. The eight major fires were started in the following areas of Victoria: * Cudgee, Ballangeich and Framilingham * East Trentham and Mt Macedon * Otways * Belgrave heights and Upper Beaconsfield * Monivale * Branxholme * Warburton and * Cockatoo GEOGRAPHICAL PROCESSES: CAUSES An ignition flame point is needed for a bushfire to start. This ignition is caused naturally by lightning strikes or by a deliberate/accidental flame for example arson, camping fires or carless behavior. Most of the Ash Wednesday fires were caused by an accidental ignition, for example in Cudgee, Mt Macedon, Monivale and Branxholme. The suspected cause for these fires was the clashing of electrical powerlines with tree branches. Bushfires can be influenced by several factors. It is primarily the weather conditions and geographical processes that dictate the behaviour and spread of a fire. Drought plays an essential part in the environment desiccating determining the spread of a bushfire. Due to lack of rainfall, vegetation such as dry grasses, parched native shrubs and other combustible materials build up and become fuel for the fire to burn. Before the Ash Wednesday fires Victoria suffered 10 months severe drought. The relative humidity also results in the right climatic conditions for a bushfire to occur. If the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere is than 20%, it can cause forest fuels to dry out and become highly flammable. The relative humidity of Victoria was exceedingly low in the months leading to the bushfires. At one stage Melbourne's relative humidity reached as low as 6% compared to the usual 43%. This factor greatly contributes to increasing the speed of the fire. High temperatures are necessary for a fire to occur. Hot air from high temperatures is responsible for helping to lower the moisture content of forest vegetation, making the fuel more flammable. February 1983 was one of the hottest and driest Februarys on record, with temperatures reaching a record 46.1 degrees Celcius. Wind plays a major role in the spread of fires. High winds provide the fires with oxygen to burn resulting in larger and stronger flames. In addition wind can also cause spot fires by blowing embers downwind. The wind movement on February 16 also resulted in many fires merging. Weather conditions such as cold fronts also produce severe bushfire conditions. In southern Australia cold fronts are common and dramatically affect bushfires. Figure 2 shows the cold front as it headed towards Victoria on February 16. When a cold front passes, the wind direction will change about 90 degrees and will also cause very hot, dry winds. Figure 3 and 4 illustrates the cold front changing the direction of the fire, causing the long side of the fire to suddenly become the front. WHY IS THE LOCATION PRONE Victoria is prone to the hazard of bushfires because during summer and autumn Victoria experiences hot, dry climate which causes the vegetation to dry out. Victoria's forests mainly consist of Eucalyptus trees, which contain large amounts of oil making these forests highly flammable. Southern Australia also experiences strong winds in summer, which result in increasing the damage of the fire. Figure 6 on the left shows the areas of Australia that are prone to bushfires. IMPACTS The impacts of a hazard when it strikes a town or region can be very dramatic. The impacts can be categorised into environmental, economic and social impacts. ENVIRONMENTAL The Ash Wednesday fires caused widespread damage to the environment burning over 210,000 square hectares of Victorian land in total and 21,000 in South Australia. The land burnt Dandenong National Park, the Wombat State Forest, pine plantations and the Otways Forest. Although the Ash Wednesday bushfires regenerated the bushland they caused extensive damage to native habitats and also resulted in the death and injury of many animals. The fires also caused changes to biodiversity levels, high levels of erosion, disrupted the water quality in local streams and waterways and also released thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Figure 7 shows the CFA rehydrating a koala that survived the fire. ECONOMIC The economic impacts caused by the Ash Wednesday bushfires were very large. It not only affected the local communities but also the whole of Australia. The total cost of property related damage in Victoria was estimated at over $200 million. In addition the damage to valuable timber in state areas and timber plantations was estimated at over $50 million. All together the cost of damage was over $950 million. A large majority of individuals experienced property loss and many were not insured against bushfire therefore lost all their life savings. Even those who were insured did not receive everything back from insurance agencies and had to make do with what they were given. Figure 8 on the right shows the large areas burnt by the fires SOCIAL IMPACTS The Ash Wednesday bushfires brought death, destruction and hardship on people's lives. Many people were not prepared for a bushfire of that degree. It was the biggest fire Victoria had seen and took many by surprise. The number of casualties was 75 including 13 CFA fire-fighters and many more were injured. There was also the loss of over 2,000 residential homes in Victoria and in South Australia 383 more. Figure 9 on the left is a photograph showing a street of houses all burnt down. The impact of the fires was very difficult on individuals, especially the ones the lost friends and family members in the fires. There were also many health problems caused by the fires, both mental and physical. These health problems were caused from stress, smoke inhalation, asthma attacks and the trauma sustained. â€Å"It was just this bloody great force. It wasn't fire by itself. It wasn't just the wind. It was something different to that†¦a monster†was a statement made by John Baxter. The above statement shows how many residents may have reacted or felt about the fires. POSSIBLE STRATEGIES To protect Victoria and the environment from another disastrous bushfire, some management strategies need to be implemented. These could include: * Local residents should remove any fire prone objects in and around the home for example clearing leaves in gutters and raking and discarding dried leaves around fire seasons. * An education and awareness program could be developed to inform people on the risks on living in fire prone areas. Topics should include how and why people die in bushfires, how to insure their homes against fires and prevention measures. * A warning system should implemented to warn the community on incoming fires. To supplement this an evacuation drill should be put in place so the local communities know what to do in the case of a bushfire. * Local communities should become more involved in forest management and conservation to ensure the future protection of the environment for future generations.
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