The Trouble With Sports

When most kids are little, their parents sign them up for sports to keep them active. It gives the child something to do and a way for them to build up their social skills. Whether it is baseball, soccer, tennis, swim, most kids have done some type of sport when they were little. Many parents like for their kids to be in sports because it gives the parent a break and keeps their high energy kid busy and healthy. Another reason could be the parent played the sport when they were young and want their child to play too so they can have something to bond over. Or if parents are having a lot of problems managing their kid, they put them in a sport because it could really help the child to settle down.  As many people know, playing a sport keeps a person in shape,reduces the chance of having high blood pressure or developing diabetes. Keeping active is the best mediation there is. Sports are also good for keeping a child mentally healthy as well because it raises their confidence and for girls that also means a healthy body-image. The best thing about youth getting into sports is that it’s fun and it is very important that a child is always having fun. But now a days, fun isn’t enough.

Over the last few years, there has been a decrease in the amount of youth playing sports. In an article written on Forbes, it is said that, “More than 26 million children ages 6 to 17 played team sports in 2014, down nearly 4% from 2009.” (Cook, 2015). Most of this decline is because of money. Many kids from lower-income households cannot afford to be on big teams that travel a lot

because it is too expensive. Travel- team parents, on average spend about $2266 annually for their kid to participate in sports, while parents with kids on elite teams could spend an average of about $20,000 a year. Now a days, playing sports is less about fun and more about trying to earn a scholarship to play at a big college. This is where opportunities for kids who come from high-income families come because they can go to places where their child is going to be more exposed to coaches and the competition is a lot better. In 2015, many lower-income parents that make less than $50,000/year have said,        “Sports cost too much and make it difficult for their child to continue participating.” (Aspen, 2015). This is sad to hear because so many kids would like to be able to play a sport and be a part of a team, but they do not get the chance to.

Another thing that is affecting youth participation is that the casual sandlot or pickup ball that promoted activity and fitness among young kids, is fading. Many kids who play organized sports play year round, but actually “free play has been shown to produce higher levels of physical activity than organized sports.” (Aspen, 2015). One study also found that, “43% of youth sports practice was spent being inactive.” (Aspen, 2015). This is crazy to know because these parents who are putting their kids in sports are spending thousands of dollars when their kid could go to the local park and get more exercise. Another study showed that people who live next to parks actually have better mental health. Kids need to play outside more because just being around green grass boosts mental concentration and focus. It’s not right that kids aren’t going on their own to go and play sports, or even anything at all. This could be because now a days, parents are giving their kids a tablet so they don’t bother them instead of saying, “go play outside.”

Coaches now are under trained and have no experience working with kids before getting a job as a coach. “Only 1 in 5 coaches of youth teams of children under age 14 say they have been trained in effective motivational technique, and just 1 in 3 in skills and tactics in the primary sport they coach.” This is very low in the amount of coaches that actually know what they are doing and this is not good for children who are trying to learn how to play a sport. There has been no improvement in coaches learning about these things since 2013. Since these coaches have no experience, a lot of kids do not want to go back to that same coach or even continue to play the same sport.

Many injuries are also to blame for this decline.  Parents are afraid of their child being injured or getting a concussion while playing and are taking them out of sports or never enrolling them. According to an ESPN survey, “Nearly 9 out of 10 parents have concerns about risk of injury (87.9%) in 2014.” (Aspen, 2015). The survey also showed that the parents were more concerned about injuries than anything else like who was coaching their child, cost, how much time had to be committed, and the emphasis of winning over fun. “More than 3.5 million children under age 14 receive medical treatment for sports injuries annually.” This may be true, but over half of the

injuries can be prevented because most injuries that occur are untreated injuries seen a lot in middle and high school. Concussions are the biggest downfall because in the last few years, the amount of emergency room visits for concussions have been rising and for kids 14 to 19 years old, the rate of getting a concussion has risen nearly 200 percent. This is why parents are taking their kids out of sports and looking for safer alternatives.

Technology is yet another reason why kids are not participating in sports. Kids spend hours on end in front of a phone or computer screen and do not think about getting off the phone to go and kick a ball or throw a football. According to some parents, even for their kids who play sports, they are using technology when they aren’t playing and it is taking up their attention. It is no secret that phones and TV do a really good job at taking everyone’s attention. There are so many things that can now be done on phones, so many apps and now your phone can even connect to the TV. Parents are also saying that it is hard to get their kids to exercise because they are so distracted. For many boys, video games are an all day affair and they can spend all day playing instead of going outside. Even though technology is such a big part of people’s lives now, it should not get in the way of kids playing sports. Times have changed, but the need for kids to go outside and get exercise has not.

The decline in youth participation is not seen in just one sport mostly, but all the sports. “The percentage of children between the ages of 6 and 12 who played basketball, baseball, soccer, football, volleyball, and wrestling on a regular basis has dropped since 2008.” Sports like gymnastics, lacrosse and hockey are actually increasing. The youth sports industry has told parents to focus their kids on a limited number of sports so they do not get overwhelmed, but this also means that the total number of sports that each child plays annually has declined. “Total sports played have plummeted by nearly 10%.” (Cook, 2015). This is huge because that is a lot of kids not getting the daily activity needed. Another big statistic is that, “Starting at age 9-- when children often develop a self-concept of whether or not they are an athlete--physical activity rates begin to drop sharply.” Self image is a big thing and i think that is because when kids are little, they are going through changes and they want to be good at everything, just like everyone else and when they are not, they quit. A lot of kids actually quit things before they ever get started. Parents should really work on that with kids because even if they are not good, they can get better. Physical activity has so many benefits, especially on kids and it can start them going down the right path all the way into adulthood.

Works Cited
Cook, Bob. "Why Youth Sports Participation Will Fall, Even If Kids Are Having Fun." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 24 Oct. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

"Facts: Sports Activity and Children." Facts: Sports Activity and Children | Project Play. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

"What's Causing The Decline Of Youth Sports? | Demosphere." Demosphere International, Inc. N.p., 28 May 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.



















Works Cited
Writer, Leaf Group. "Positive Effects of Sports on Kids." Back. Azcentral.com, 27 July 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2017.

The Legacy of Arnold Palmer

Recently, a big inspiration in the game of golf passed away on September 25, 2016 at the age of 87. Arnold Palmer is one of the most known golfers in the world. “The King” made a huge impact on the game of golf and also on the people who played the game. For people who don’t play golf may know Arnold Palmer as a golfer or for his drink the “Arnold Palmer”, but he is much more than that. In an article written about Palmer on the PGA says, “ Golf will never be the same for two reasons. First, that Arnold Palmer lived. Second, that Arnold Palmer has died.” (Michaux, 2016). Arnold was born on September 10, 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. His father, Milfred Palmer, who was a golf professional, got him started with golf at a very young age after he shortened a set of clubs so that Arnold could use them. Golf came very easy to Arnold and he earned a scholarship to Wake Forest University. The days at Wake Forest were some of Palmer's fondest memories. This was until 1950 when his best friend and teammate, Buddy Worsham, had been killed in a car accident. The tragedy didn’t sit well with Arnie and his life changed drastically because of it. Palmer decided to quit going to college his senior year and joined the U.S. Coast Guard, which meant a three year break from golf. By 1954, Palmer returned and started playing golf again like he never even left. By the fall of 1954, Palmer had turned pro.

                                                    
A lot of golfers like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Gary Player were very accomplished any won tournament after tournament, but none of them are known as “The King” like Arnold Palmer is. The 1958 Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia was what really launched Palmer’s career and made him known to the rest of the world. He won the tournament and became the youngest player at that time to ever win the championship. By the early 1960’s Palmer was the world’s best and most successful golfer. Palmer was the one who grew and shaped golf to what it is now. Because of him, people across the world can watch golf at home which helped to grow the game. The LA Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist, Jim Murray once said, “Television and Palmer took over golf simultaneously.” (Dufresne, 2016).  In 1995, Palmer co-founded America’s golf channel because he wanted more people to get interested in the sport he loved to play. When people started to see Arnold on TV, they fell in love with his charisma and chiseled looks because he didn't resemble a typical golfer. Palmer didn’t have a typical textbook swing that many other professional golfers are made out to have and that appealed him to weekend hackers and even women who didn’t have the perfect swing. He made the game exciting and was unpredictable which made fans want to keep watching until the end. Another thing Palmer did was start revolutionizing sports marketing and his success made it able for athletes in all sports to get their incomes increased. So not only does he have an impact on the golf world but other things as well. Tim Finchem, PGA Tour Commissioner said,  “It is not an exaggeration to say that there would be no modern day PGA Tour without Arnold Palmer. There would be no PGA Tour Champions without Arnold Palmer. There would be no Golf Channel without Arnold Palmer.” Palmer made all these things possible today which made a positive impact on the game of golf that would not have been possible had they not been done.

Not only did Palmer do things just with sports, he also started fund-raising and put on tournaments to raise money and eventually the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Women and Children and also Arnold Palmer Medical Center opened in Orlando. In 2004, Palmer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by President Bush and he also received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009, passed by Congress and signed by President Obama. He is also in both the American golf Hall of Fame and the World Golf Hall of Fame. He has also won almost every national golf award there is. As if he didn’t do enough, he was also the chairman of the USGA members program and served as honorary national chairman of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation for 20 years.

Arnold may not have been on the leaderboard every week or have won the most amount of tournaments or been at the top of the money list every year , but he definitely the most talked about and the most respected. He did not ask or expect to be such an inspiration to people, but he was. No matter if someone knew Palmer his whole life or just met him that day, Arnold treated everyone the same no matter who you were. He always knew what to say that made people feel welcomed and comfortable and people just wanted to be in his presence. Everything that professional golfers do today, from their courtesy, to taking off their hat before an interview and even being

involved with fans is all because of the leadership shown by Mr. Palmer. He is a figure that everyone in the sports world aspires to be because of how he presents himself. “He was a trend-setter in terms of sports endorsements on TV.” He not only inspired golfers but athletes as a whole. Palmer did things no one else thought to do which made him very successful and he created a path that all different athletes could follow so they could be better off financially. Before Palmer, there were many athletes who could barely afford to take care of their families and Arnold saw that and decided to make a change.

Palmer loved the Orlando area and he wanted to move a tournament that used to be called the Citrus Open to Bay Hill and in 1979, the Arnold Palmer Invitational was born. Arnie has done so much for the game and this tournament has made it able for professionals to go and pay tribute to him each year. All players want a chance to win the tournament to get a “handshake and a hug” from the one and only Arnold Palmer and to also have a celebratory drink with him after the round. Palmer himself picks players to attend the tournament which is an honor in itself. Players have said that there is a certain energy when playing in this tournament that motivates them to want to win for The King. This year was a little different though. So many players wanted to pay tribute to Mr. Palmer such as putting his name on their clubs and shoes and even dressing like him. Something special that the players did was go into Palmer’s Office and signed their names on memorabilia in honor of him.

Today, and for many years to come, Arnold Palmer will always be remembered. His legacy of respect and compassion of the game will continue to grow and keep changing and inspiring people’s lives.

Arnold Palmer's Legacy 

Works Cited 

Michaux, Scott. "Arnold Palmer Changed the Game of Golf and Won the Hearts of Many." PGA.com. N.p., 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

"Arnold Palmer." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Arnold Palmer's Remarkable Legacy. Perf. Arnold Palmer. Youtube. N.p., 25 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

"Arnold Palmer: Godfather of Today's Sports Business." Newsmax. Newsmax Wires, 27 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Carter, Lain. "Arnold Palmer: 'The King' of Golf Who Changed the Game - BBC Sport." BBC News. BBC, 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Dufresne, Chris. "'Arnold Palmer Invented Pro Golf as It Exists Today': The Sport's Greatest Ambassador Dies at 87." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

"Personal Biography." Arnold Palmer. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

The Life of Malala Yousafzai

The book I am reading is I am Malala. I have learned a lot about her culture from reading this book. Malala is a very inspirational person and I have chosen to write about her journey and what she has done to overcome hardship.

Malala Yousafzai is a well known symbol for women’s right and girls education in Pakistan. Malala was named after Malalai of Maiwand, who was the greatest heroine of Afghanistan. She was born on July 12, 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan, which is located in Swat valley. Swat was a peaceful place which was a popular getaway for tourists to visit during the summer. Malala described it as, “a heavenly kingdom of mountains, gushing waterfalls and crystal-clear lakes.”(I am Malala, 15). After the taliban invaded, the village and areas around it took a hard hit and people started to see what was happening and changed their outlook on Pakistan. Malala includes a lot of information about the invasion of the taliban in her book and how it changed her life and others around her. Malala’s biggest influence was her father. He had a lot of trust in her and she followed in his footsteps of being an avid speaker and had a strong belief to stand up for what she thought was right.

The people of Swat knew the Taliban was close, but now it had come for them. The taliban started to lure in young boys to come and join them. Many of the boys were used as suicide bombers and brainwashed into believing what they were doing was right. In 2003, the people of Swat started to see much more violence in their village. Many girls school around Swat were being blown up because the Taliban believed that it was wrong for girls to go to school and get an education. They also enforced more rules for women including their clothing, where they could go and who they could be with. Many political figures were getting death threats from the Taliban and others were ambushed and killed. In 2007, the leader of the Taliban, Maulana Fazlullah, setup 30 illegal FM radio stations to preach Islamic law to the people of Pakistan, and he actually became very popular. Taliban engraved fear into the people of Mingora by putting their victims dead bodies in the streets where the people could see them on their way to work. It got so bad that the Army had to come in and clear out the Taliban. At this time, the whole city had to evacuate and go and find somewhere else to live until the situation was taken care of. Three months later. the governor of Pakistan announced that it was safe to come back, through many were reluctant. The Army had lied and signs of the Taliban started to reappear, starting with more girls schools.

Malala’s father worked very hard to open up his own school with one of his friends Faiz Mohammad. It was there that Malala spent most of her time and when she grew up and could go to school, she drowned herself in her books. Her father always encouraged her to speak freely and be openminded and learn as much as she could. She then got interested in politics when she saw what was happening to other girls schools in Pakistan. She could not believe that the Taliban would take away the rights of girls to get an education and she wanted to do something about it. The she made her first speech called , "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?" which she made in Peshawar, Pakistan in 2008 when she was only 11 years old. Malala was determined to make a difference. In 2009, a BBC reporter asked Malala's father if he knew anyone who could write anonymously about living under Taliban rule. Malala took the opportunity to talk about her school and the fears she had of the school being shut down or attacked. She spoke to the hearts of many people around the world as many people saw her blog. It was also in 2009 that the Taliban started closing girls schools and then reassessed and said they could go to school if they wear burqas. As Malala started to protest more and more and get more involved, she had then become a target for the Taliban.

It was October 9, 2012, Malala and her friends were riding the bus home after school. Everyday they go past the army checkpoint and then up a busy street to get to the main road. But that day, it was different. Malala asked her friend Moniba, “Where are all the people?” (Malala, 241). All the girls were talking and signing when suddenly two men stopped the bus. They came rushing on. “Who is Malala?” they asked. No one said a word but everyone turned to look at Malala. She was the only one whose face wasn’t covered. The man lifted his pistol and fired three shots, one right after the other. The first bullet went through Malala’s left eye socket and came out under her left shoulder. Malala then leaned over on her friend, Moniba, blood coming out of her left ear. The other two bullets hit the girls next to her. One bullet went into a girl named Shiza’s left hand. Then the third went through the same girls left shoulder and into the upper right arm of another girl, Kainat Riaz.  The last thing Malala remembers was the revision of her paper she was going to have to do the next day. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and came out with a statement saying, " Malala has been targeted because of her pioneer role in preaching secularism...She was young but she was promoting Western culture in Pashtun areas." (Malala, 256). The Taliban knew that Malala was such an important figure in the lives of many girls and she was creating a problem for them.

Malala’s life has changed drastically since being shot by the Taliban. After leaving the hospital in in January 2013, her family moved to Birmingham, England because Malala needed more treatment. The Taliban threatened Malala that if she ever went back to Pakistan that she would be found and killed. In March that same year, she begin to start going to school at Edgbaston High School in Birmingham. In 2013, she was also named, " one of TIME magazine's most influential people, put forward for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, won the European Parliament's Sakharov prize for freedom of thought, and her autobiography, "I am Malala." (BBC, 1). She continues to speak about women's rights and is trying to make it possible for girls to go to school. She set up a fund in her name for children around the world be able to go to school.  "Among other trips, she has travelled to Nigeria, meeting President Goodluck Jonathan to press for action to free the 200 girls held by Boko Haram Islamist militants." ( BBC, 1). Malala's wish is to return to Pakistan and become a politician so she can make the difference in girls lives that has always been needed. To be able to get an education.


Two years before the shooting, Malala was unknown to the rest of the world. Most people only knew about her from her blog which didn’t even use her actual name. Now she is known worldwide and continues to make a difference even after her almost life ending shooting. On her 16th birthday, Malala went to the United Nations to deliver her first speech since recovering. She talked about the shooting and how it has made her stronger and that any fear that she once had is now gone. She still has the same ambitions, goals, and dreams to be able to make a difference for girls wanting to get an education. In March 2014, the second time Malala was nominated fore the Nobel Peace Prize, she won. At age 17, this made her the youngest person to ever receive the prestigious award. She is an inspiration to all.

Malala Yousafzai is one of the most inspirational people in the world. She has impacted so many lives at such a young age and has done things that no one would imagine doing at her age. She continues to do amazing things for children and women around the world who do not have access to an education. Malala shows that is it possible for anyone at any age to make a difference in this world. Her courage and bravery will continue to influence people around the world.


Videos from Malala's UN speech can be found here .

Malala's Nobel Peace Prize Speech 2014 (27 min) 

Works Cited

Kettler, Sara. "Malala Yousafzai." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Malala. "Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl." BBC News. BBC, 19 Jan. 2009. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

"Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize Speech." YouTube. N.p., 11 Dec. 2014. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

"Profile: Malala Yousafzai." BBC News. BBC, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Tmg. "Malala Yousafzai: Timeline of the Pakistani Campaigner's Life." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. New York: Little, Brown, 2013. Print.

The Effects of Child Abuse

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be abused? Moat likely not. But for many kids in the U.S. and also the world, it happens everyday. Children are punished, neglected, and suffering because of it.    They never see it coming and there is no way for them to get out of their situation without the effort of someone willing to help. Children who are abused don't wish for this to happen to them, but it does. "Nearly 700,000 children are abused in the U.S. annually. An estimated 683,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in 2015."(National, 2015).  Imagine seeing a child with bruises all over their body. Imagine the torture they go through everyday, never knowing when the next time they're going to be hit, yelled at, threatened, or even when they will eat next. Some kids don't even get to watch the sun come up the next day because of the abuse. "National estimates of child deaths from abuse and neglect in the U.S. totaled 1,640 for 2012 and 1,580 for 2014." (SPCC, 2016). This amounts to at least four child maltreatment deaths per day. Although abuse and neglect fatalities have declined, there has actually been an increase in the reporting of cases of abuse (679,000 in 2013 to 702,000 in 2014). According to SPCC, the U.S. actually has one of the worst records among industrialized nations meaning more fatalities. It is very eye opening and scary because there are children being abused right in our own backyard than anywhere else in the world. 

There are four types of abuse. They include physical, neglect, sexual and also emotional. If that isn't crazy enough, these kids are being abused by close family. On National Children Alliance,  it is said that, "About four out of five abusers are the victims' parents. A parent of the child victim was the perpetrator in 78.1% of substantiated cases of child maltreatment." (NCA, 2014).

Neglecting a child includes any harm a parent or caretaker does to a child's health or welfare. It is the most common type of maltreatment. There are actually two types of neglect: severe and general. Severe is when a parent or caretaker put the child in a situation where their health is endangered. The child may also be at risk for malnutrition. The child also does not have proper food, clothes, shelter or medical care. General neglect is when the child is not provided necessities like food and shelter but the caretaker also leaves the child where there is no supervision, but they have not physically abused the child. In an article done by the SPCC, they say, "Children left in these circumstances may also be particularly vulnerable to accidents, injuries, or crime." (SPCC, 2015). Also since the parents see no wrong doing of these actions, it creates a lot of controversy when talking about the age a child should be left home alone. Another form of neglect that nay be not seen as much is when a woman is pregnant and they are using substances or drinking that cause harm to their baby and there are also other risk factors that show they are not able to take care of the child properly. There are many indicators which may make one suspect that a child is being neglected including when the child is either sleepy or hungry, they have poor hygiene, or they are depressed.

In my opinion, sexual abuse is a whole topic to talk about on its own, but it is still a form of child abuse, and the worst kind. Children should never have to experience such horrific things and should not be taken advantage of at such a young age. One statistic that really stands out is, "1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually abused before they reach age 18." (11 facts, 2016). Sexual abuse does not have to be physical, but most times it is. It can be an adult showing one's genitals to a child or pressuring the child for sex are both considered sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is hard to determine because a lot of cases go unreported. What is also crazy is that, "Children are most vulnerable to CSA between the ages of 7 and 13." (CSA, 2012). Those kids are very young and still growing up and they have never experienced something like that and don't know how to handle it. People are taking advantage of children because they are so innocent to even do anything or even know what is happening to them. Also said by the National Center for victims of crime, "Children who had an experience of rape or attempted rape in their adolescent years were 13.7 times more likely to experience rape or attempted rape in their first year of college." (CSA, 2012). This is interesting because a child may have already been sexually abused when they were younger and then the chances of it happening again are higher for the, than anyone else. Warning signs are different depending on the age that the child has been abused. Some signs include, sleeping problems, crying, clingy, having nightmares, fear of certain things, depression, doing poorly in school, etc. 

Emotional abuse, or also known as psychological abuse can substantially hurt a child's emotional development and health. It involves trying to scare the child, humiliate them and also potentially ignore them. Some children, when being emotionally abused are also facing some other type of abuse, but not always. Emotional abuse can happen because a parent is stressed which takes away their focus on the care their child needs. They may be "emotionally unavailable, forget to offer praise and encouragement,  expect their child to take on too much responsibility for their age, be over-protective, and also take out their anger on the child." (NSPCC, 2017).  There are two types of emotional abuse and they include passive abuse and active abuse. Passive is when the parent has a negative attitude and has a low opinion of their child, they fail to recognize the child's individuality, and they fail to promote the child to make friends and be social. Active abuse is when the parents rejects, terrorizes, isolates and even exploits the child. " 1 in 14 children have experienced emotional abuse by a parent or guardian and over 19,000 children were identified as needing protection from emotional abuse last year." (NSPCC, 2017). This kind of abuse, just like any other, effects a child deeply and effects the way they see themselves and how they react to others. it is not something that should be taken lightly because words can cut a person deeply, especially a child. Babies and preschool children who are being emotionally abused may be, "overly affectionate towards strangers they haven't known for long, lack confidence, not appear to have a close relationship with their parent or be aggressive or nasty toward other children and animals." (NSPCC, 2017).  Older children may use language, and act in a way you wouldn't expect, struggle with tier emotions, seem distant from their parents, or lack social skills.

The last, but not least, type of child abuse is physical abuse. Physical abuse is any non-addcidental harm done to a child resulting in injury. This usually happens when a parent is frustrated or angry and they shake or throw the child. A parent may also deliberately assault their child by burning, cutting, twisting their limbs, or anything done to torture the child. This is one of the worst things that could ever be done to a child. What is even worse is that a disabled child is over 3x more likely to be abused than a non-disabled child. Many times, when children are abused, it results in a head injury. This occurs from being shaken violently, being thrown, being hit or hitting their head on a surface. Babies and small children's brains are still being developed so if they are hit or shake, it causes a lot of damage to their brains. Physical abuse not only causes a lot of harm to a child's body and health and in severe cases, death. "According to data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, 50 states reported a total of 1,546 fatalities."(Child, 2014) Many researchers also believe that a lot more fatalities are going unreported. Indications of physical abuse are bruises, the most concerning ones being on the ears, neck and upper lip because it is much harder to injure those parts of the body due to just a fall. According to the SPCC, "Patterned injuries such as loop marks, slap marks or grab marks are highly suspicious and in some cases indicative of inflicted trauma." (SPCC, 2017). It's hard to imagine a child being smacked around and put in so much pain and suffering everyday of their lives. Children should not be getting bitten, burned, or by any means be getting a fracture to the ribs, which are actually the most common type of fracture seen in an abused child. This needs to end. 

The effects of child abuse are outstanding and greater than what anyone could expect. 

This list is found on the Ark of Hope for Children:

• "38% increase arrest rate for violent crimes
• 84% of all prison inmates had been abused as a child
• 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile
• 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult
• 30% more likely to commit violent crime
• 65%+ of people in treatment for drug abuse have been maltreated as a child
• 25% less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at a greater risk for STD's
• 82% CAN grow up to be pedophiles themselves
• 80% meet criteria for at least one psychological disorder as adults
• Long-term consequences such as chronic illness due to untreated wounds"
• (Ark, 2016) 

The list of effects goes on and on and they are not things that anyone should have to go through. Children who have been abused should not have to pay any consequences for something they did not do. People who were abused when they were kids should be getting help so they can live a normal healthy life for once. The effects of child abuse should not live with someone forever. 

Works Cited 

"11 Facts About Child Abuse." DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change. Do Something, 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

"Child Sexual Abuse Statistics." Child Sexual Abuse Statistics. National Center for Victims of Crime, 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

    "Child Abuse Statistics." Childhelp. Childhelp, 2014. Web. 23 Feb.                    2017.   
                                              

Nspcc. "Facts and Statistics." NSPCC. Spcc, 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

Issues with diabetes

I have had type 1 diabetes since I was three years old. Diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas does not produce insulin or the ability to respond to the hormone is impaired. Insulin is a hormone that allows the body to get energy from food.This results in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose in the blood and urine. Type 1 is not the only form of diabetes, there is also type 2 and prediabetes which are both preventable and reversible, and also gestational diabetes which affects pregnant women. Type 1 is non-reversible and is genetic or obtained by certain diseases. It is usually seen in childhood and adolescence, but can also appear in adulthood. This type of diabetes has no cure, but having proper management, someone with type 1 can live a long, healthy life. 1.25 million Americans are living with type 1 and about 40,000 people are diagnosed each year.

When you have diabetes, there are an endless amount of supplies needed that aren't by any means free. Every month or so, supplies have to be ordered so you don't run out, and the cost of them adds up quickly. People with diabetes spend more on insurance, but the benefits aren't as good as one may think. On March 6, 2013, the American Diabetes Association released new information saying, " the total costs of diagnosed diabetes have risen to $245 billion in 2012 from $174 billion in 2007... a 41 percent increase over a five year period." (ADA,2015). Insurance companies aren't helping as much as they used to, but now things are starting to get even more expensive. Someone with s medical problem, such as diabetes, spends a generous amount more than someone without a medical problem even though we need certain supplies in order to survive. These companies are taking advantage of people with medical issues which isn't right and should be changed. The American Diabetes Association also mentioned in their article that, " people with diagnosed diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures approximately 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes." (ADA,2015). There are so many costs that go along with having diabetes and many of diabetics want to be healthy and live a long life but it takes a lot of money to be able to do so and people need more help. I'm not saying diabetics, or others, should be getting their supplies for free because it would hurt companies, but it would help if the lives of the customers was taken into consideration to make things a little easier for them. If insurance companies lowered their costs, or even covered more of the costs, people with diabetes would possibly be able to go to the doctor more often. If that happened, they would be healthier long term, which would actually be beneficial to the insurance companies. 

Recently, a few makers of insulin have talked about increasing their prices on this lifesaving drug. In a recent study, the American Medial Association said, "the price of insulin nearly tripled between 2002 and 2013." (Insulin,2017). These price increases have left many people upset, which doesn't have much to do with higher production rates. People who pay out of pocket for insulin are spending way more than they need to. Diabetics live on insulin and without it, they would not be able to survive very long. A statement in an article by the Washington Post said, "A version of insulin that carried a list price of $17 a vial in 1977 is priced at $138 today." (Johnson,2016) This cost increase is outrageous and today more and more people are needing it. Even if you have insurance, which does cover most of the cost, it doesn't cover the occasional times where a person runs out of insulin earlier than expected or even loses a vial and has to go to the pharmacy and pay full price. Also mentioned in the article by the Washington post was that, "Companies say they charge high prices for old drugs so they can launch newer and better ones- and charge more for them too." (Johnson, 2016). This is a never ending battle for people with diabetes because medicine will always be evolving and companies will continue to come out with and develop new products. Another surprising statement said was, "Since 1996, there have been more than two dozen price increases on a vial of Humalog insulin. Adjusted for inflation, the current price is 700% higher than it was 20 years ago."( Johnson, 2016). Insulin has gotten much more efficient over the years because of the changes made to it, but the cost of it is outrageous considering how many people need it to survive. Many people are wondering if the benefits of the new and improved is worth the cost. Even though the drug has been around for so long, there is no generic brand for insulin so there are still many people who can't necessarily afford to pay for toe amount of insulin it takes to stay healthy. There is no alternative to insulin like there is with other medications because it cannot be made into a pill, so people with diabetes have to pay the high prices because they have no other choice.  Sooner or later, diabetics won't be able to afford the only thing that keeps them alive. 


















Sources:
"Insulin Makers Conspired to Raise Prices: Lawsuit." WebMD. WebMD, 30 Jan. 2017. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.

Entous, Philip Rucker Adam, and Carolyn Y. Johnson. "Why Treating Diabetes Keeps Getting More Expensive." The Washington Post. WP Company, 31 Oct. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.

      "The Cost of Diabetes." American Diabetes Association. American Diabetes Association, 22 June 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.