Child Abuse

The legal case that will be discussed in this paper in relation to issues that have resulted in legal implications for a school counselor at the K-12 level is entitled State of New Jersey v. Kelly Michaels. The main topic of the case is child abuse. The case was heard before the New Jersey Supreme Court and decided last June 23, 1994. A nursery school teacher was accused of committing sexual abuse against the children she taken cared of. The sentence that was pronounced to the school teacher was a long term imprisonment with sufficient time of parole disqualification. The Appellate Division reversed the decision of the lower court and the Supreme Court affirmed such decision (McMartin, 2000, p. 1). The basis of the affirmative decision of the Appellate Division is the errors committed during the prosecution of the case.

The Supreme Court questioned the way wherein the case is prosecuted in the court of justice. A pre-trial hearing must be done in order to make sure that the State investigators conducted the questioning in accordance with the rules. The rationale behind such ruling is the fact that improper questioning would irremediably compromise the reliability of any testimonial evidence (McMartin, 2000, p. 1). As a result, the State filed a petition in order to nullify the decision of the Appellate Division but the Supreme Court denied such petition. The improper interrogations were found out to be the main cause of the denial decided by the Supreme Court.

The ethical standards present in the given case are divided into two: namely, the utmost diligence to be performed by a school teacher over children entrusted in his care, and courts of justice must perform the proper administration of justice. In this case, the first ethical issue is not violated because the Appellate Division decided that the lower court failed to detect the errors in the prosecution of the case. In other words, there were no sufficient evidences that the school teacher committed child abuse against the children she taken cared for. However, the second ethical issue is violated because the prosecution of the case was done in errors which are not proper in the consequences.

The school counselors at the K-12 level must perform different actions in order to avoid the civil actions taken in the lawsuit. First, the school teacher must be brought before the school governing body for proper questioning regarding the issue that she was involved with. This step would prevent civil cases in lawsuits. Second, the school teacher concerned must realize the importance of exercising utmost diligence in taking good care of the children entrusted to her for education and guidance. When the parents of the school children will learn of any hint of child abuse in school, they would feel restless nights resulting to filing a damages suit.

Third, the school counselors must conduct trainings from to time in handling school children in order to avoid child abuse. Periodic training schedules will also remind school teachers to exercise prudence in giving guidance and education to their students. And fourth, the school counselors must properly supervise and oversee the performance of the teachers in the school.

The outcome of the case and the implications for school counselors and psychologists is much related. The outcome of the case gave the school teacher concerned to change her attitude in her treatment of the children. While it is true that the case was decided in her favor, there is no doubt that the children experienced child abuse while under her supervision as a teacher. Besides, there may be impropriety of the questioning process; the testimony of the victims may at least be approximated. Remember that young children do not necessarily commit falsehood. The school counselors and psychologists must prepare for consequences like the one involved in the case. Both parties must work hand in hand in order to avoid the aforementioned case in the future. Aside from that, the outcome of the case also teaches school counselors and administrators that not all legal cases filed against teachers due to commission of child abuse is with basis and tenable.

The legal issues involved in the case have an impact in the field of school counseling. With respect to school children, they could ask guidance from the school counselors regarding cases of child abuse. In the case of teachers, the school counselors will be able to warn them for possible criminal and civil cases in their failure to exercise ethical and moral standards in their teaching job. Finally, the school counselors could also include in their training schedules the way on how to handle legal issues involved in lawsuits which are baseless.

References

McMartin, M. 2000. State of New Jersey v. Margaret Kelly Michaels. UMKC.Edu. Retrieved July 17, 2009 from

/ftrials/mcmartin/michaelsdecision.HTM >.

Advertising and Society

The people who lived within the society are more interested on the products endorsed by retailers and traders. The most common way of selling products to the people is advertising through the tri-media which is composed of television, radio and print media channels. With that, there is an invisible link between the media and advertising which runs the society as a dynamic mechanism of existence. In connection, there are two questions relating to the linkage of advertising and society in involving tri-media channels. The first query is focused on the evolution of product marketing through campaigns of social awareness. On the other hand, the second query is about the relationship between culture jamming and advertising. With analytical strategies and research on the topics given, the two questions can be answered in the most concise and informative manner.

With respect to the evolution of product marketing through campaigns of social awareness, there are many ideas related to the said topic. The evolution of product marketing through campaigns of social awareness has evolved into a more rigid and direct to the point style and tactics which requires product customers or clients to get involved by means of thinking it over. There are myriad issues in the society that attracts more customers and clients such as domestic violence, abortion, terrorism, drug addiction, global warming and other environmental issues, teenage pregnancy, education, and even health concerns. The strategy of advertisers is apparently to attract the attention of customers and clients to specific products by means of incorporating these issues into the advertisements. Social awareness has increased through the years when this strategy was developed by various product advertisers throughout the world.

A related question is that: what are the central ideas behind the branding of products as socially aware, and how have the tactics of marketing products as socially aware changed? There are various reasons and central ideas behind the branding of products through social awareness development. First, product advertisers want to reach out to more customers and clients that concerned in the events and state of the society. It has been proven that while clients or customers choose the products they would use, it is more likely that they would go into the products that are endorsed through social awareness strategy. A basic example of this idea is the success of the clothing products of United Colors of Benetton which were endorsed through brand ideas that hinted social issues like abortion, gender matters, teenage life, and care for the environment. The pictures or logos of the said company in advertising their products depicts of important social issues which attracts more buyers and customers.

Second, product owners requested product advertisers to bring their products and brands in global perspective. It is hard to keep up with the global market without incorporating social awareness strategy in product endorsement since more people are becoming concern with the environment and the society. Besides, a global brand is one which is perceived to reflect the same set of values around the world (Panda 3). Thus, a product that facilitates social awareness on abortion issues could attain more clients in a way that if one person in China thinks the same way with another person from the United States on the issue of abortion, both of them would buy the product. And third, companies that produced products that are endorsed through social awareness gain more brand trust due to consistency from clients around the world. Since social issues are dealt with formally by government and concerned individuals for the benefit of the public, prospective customers and clients are more attracted to the brand that cares for the people in the society.