Should Higher Education be Free for Everyone?

Should Higher Education be Free for Everyone? Introduction By the end off this essay I will be explain how the system work I will be talking about how education can effect people i will also carry out a research on the background history of how the higher education system and its funding in UK over past years and I will analyse some off the point which I have researched over the internet and analysed .I will show the advantages and disadvantages if higher education should be free Higher Education University is an important right of passage an opportunity to establish independence, to study on areas of interest and hopefully to do so in, stimulating environment meeting new people, and considering new ideas and .I think it is important that everyone should attend this stage Higher education is provided for free in by most off the countries, or maybe at a a considerate price , but not in the UK, The UK has presumably more money at the institutions disposal. However, it also means that higher education may be not that unaffordable to many people at a lower circumstances. Scholarships and loans As we how that there is scholarships and loans available now but scholarships are obviously not going to be available to everyone and the loans are the loan is a big debt after graduating so as you can see the student dont have a chance in either however to soclize the higher education in the U.K we will need a big overhaul system that will handled with care. The Government has said half of young people are getting into higher education is failing. Far from rising by around 4 per cent a year. maybe this is why higher education is not free the government cant afford to invest money on student education and student are failing . Well we should consider education to be an investment.   Statistics suggest that, on average, these with a higher education earn higher incomes.   THE Background When the New Labour took power in 1997, students had means-tested maintenance grants and no fees. After a year they took off the grant was gone and a means-tested fee regime of up to  £1,000 a year after 2004 the higher education pushed it up to  £3,000 and this will increase very academic year. As you see that huge increase from 1997 to 2009 the normal fees was 1,000 than was increased to  £3250 The means testing will allow poor people and people with low income to go university .Those how are from low income families should still be able to attend university however the middle classes benefits the most from university education At the moment there has been a very high drop out rate from university and the reason is because students have to drop out because they cant afford the fee Funding Must universities in Britain are state financed, with only one private university University of Buckingham where the government does not support the tuition fees. Undergraduate and posgradute Undergraduate students and the students from EU countries have to pay university fees up to a maximum of  £3,225 09/10. Loans are available to students depending on there income assist. This may only be used for tuition fee costs. However in Scotland it different they have their fees paid by the students awards agency for Scotland rather than student Finance.. However postgraduate students are responsible for all there fees but however postgraduate have a variety of scholarship and assistantship schemes they might chooses from that may provide support e.g Economic and social research council and many more .The main sources of funding for postgraduate students are through research councils Advantages of making Higher Education Free Here are some off the advantages points Higher Education leads to situations this is when students graduating end up having extremely high debt on them this was lead to the student loan . Also if higher education was free student will take extra courses which is more effectively It will decrease the students from drop out ,and push up the passing rate This will than boost the economy with the amount off student graduating from there universities with a degree There will be equal opportunity to everyone to attend higher education this means the poor people and the low-income families will have the right to apply .As you can see that the middle class people are using this opportunity using the money and leaving the poor and low incomes missing the opportunity Disadvantages of making Higher Education Free There will be less jobs available for everyone the reason because the people who didnt attend university was a high number and by making the higher education free it will increases the graduates and will than decreases the amount of jobs available The disadvantage about free higher education is that the government will be paying it but however the stistics shows that half off the higher education student fail there course every year this will than show an down decrease in the economic structure Supply and demand The Supply and demand is an economic of price in a market. It explains that in a market, price will function to equal the quantity demanded by consumers, and the quantity supplied by producers, resulting in economic equilibrium of price and quantity. The demand schedule, shows a graphically as the demand curves , represents the amount of goods that buyers who wants to purchase at different prices. The price of goods remain the same however Following the law demand the demand curve is almost always represented as downward line this means that if the price decreases the consumers will buy more of the good. This means that if higher education was to be free the demand on the education will increase .The reason because the people who didnt mange to go for reasons like the fees for the courses they will have an opportunity to apply however there will be a very high demand as because the students use to pay for it now it free. As you can see on the graph Excess Supply   If the price is set too high, excess supply will be created within the economy and there will be allocative inefficiency. , but those consuming the goods will find the product less attractive and  purchase less because the price is too high This is how it looks like when higher education is not free ,the fees are too high and student will not be able to attend just how it shown on the graph Shifts A shift in a demand or supply curve occurs when a goods quantity demanded or supplied changes even though price remains the same. For example if the fees for the university was FREE and the quantity of off student applying shows the demanded However this shows that if higher education was free there will be an increase in demand Conclusion In conclusion I have identified how higher education should be free to students managed to find out what the student thought about free education I also showed what the advantages was for the free education and the disadvantages I managed to get some ideas however I also used the supply and demand and excess supply I managed to compare them and analysed them .I researched the background of the higher education and got some important information which I also analysed . http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26storycode=403698c=2 http://ingrimayne.com/econ/Introduction/ScarcityNChoice.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/mar/04/highereducation.tuitionfees http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_in_the_United_Kingdom http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2337183.stm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_in_the_United_Kingdom http://www.economicshelp.org/2007/10/why-top-up-fees-are-good-idea.html Abuse and Juvenile Delinquency | Correllation Abuse and Juvenile Delinquency | Correllation From 2000 to 2005, thirty-one South Carolina counties showed an increase in the number of juveniles placed in secure detention. A total of 5,330 juveniles were detained during the fiscal year 2004-2005 (Childrens Law Office: Juvenile Detention in South Carolina, 2006, p. 6) Delinquency is an increasing issue in South Carolina, and there is much speculation that delinquency is increasing due to early or current experiences with abuse. According to Mentalhelp.net, abuse is defined as misusing or mistreating someone in such a way that shows no concern for the worth of that person (Patricelli, 2005). Abuse takes several different forms such as, physical, emotional, and sexual. Physical abuse includes throwing, shooting, stabbing, burning, drowning, suffocating, biting, or deliberately disfiguring a child. Included in this category is shaken-baby syndrome (SBS)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Emotional abuse or neglect is manifested by constant criticism and rejection of the childà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Sexual abus e refers to the exploitation of children through rape, incest, and molestation by parents, family members, friends, or legal guardians (Siegel Welsh, 2009, p. 261). Juvenile delinquents who are victims of abuse may turn to antisocial/delinquent behaviors to act out their frustrations from their childhood and/or current trauma. Green and Brown-Voeltz defined three categories of sexual offenses, hands-off offenses, hands-on offenses, and grooming gamesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Hands-off offenses include, peeping, exhibitionism, obscene phone calls, picture-taking, showing pornography, lewd comments, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Hands-on offenses include fondling, oral sex, penetration finger, penis, or object, and ejaculation on the victimà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Grooming games include, wrestling, truth or dare, simon says, penalty hide and seek, etc. Signs of physical abuse include, the child having unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes, injuries that reflect the shape of an object, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Signs of sexual abuse include, the child reporting sexual abuse, having difficulty walking or sitting, bedwetting, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The child showing extremes in behavior (overly compliant or demanding behavior, extreme passivity, or aggression), attempting to commit suicide or harms themselves, etc (Childrens Law O ffice, 2005, p. 5-7) Dr. Gaudiosis research states, during 2007, an estimated 3.2 million referrals involving the maltreatment of approximately 5.8 million children were referred to CPS agencies (2007). In 2007, the Bureau of Justice Statistics stated that out of 4,734,310 victimizations by single offenders, about 16.8% of the offenders were perceived to be ages ranging from twelve to seventeen. Also in 2007, out 1,207,340 victimizations by multiple offenders, about 34.9% of the offenders were perceived to be ages ranging from twelve to twenty (Gaudiosi, 2007). This information reflects that there are a large number of abused children and children victimizers. One might wonder how many of these young offenders were abused or are abused. One could also go as far as to ask what form of abuse these children endure throughout their childhood. Concentrating on South Carolina juvenile delinquents is an appropriate choice due to the fact that in areas such as this crime is sometimes perceived as a non-issue. One might ask, why concentrate on juveniles from fourteen to seventeen years of age? At these ages, most teens are known to rebel and act out. Some might assume that abused teens have more freedom to participate in deviant criminal acts because they are at an age where they are under less supervision. These are also the ages where peer pressure is prevalent. Besides being at an age when rebelling is considered natural, juveniles at these ages are more likely to give into peer pressure. This is due to a sense of needing to belong. The purpose of this study was to examine and discuss South Carolina juveniles ranging in age from fourteen to seventeen in juvenile detention centers that are or have been abused physically, emotionally, or sexually in their childhood. This research will explore why abused juveniles act out through delinquent acts. This research also explored the impact on more effective therapy/counseling and programs for delinquents. It is a popular belief that people turn to crime because they were abused, but not all abused teens react to their abuse in a violent or deviant manner. However this research identifies a strong correlation between abuse and delinquency. The social significance of this research is to acknowledge that these children should receive help before they become adults and possibly end up in prison. This issue is only contributing to crime rates. The first step to helping these children is to research them first. Research that is done on child abuse opens doors to resources for abused children such as, effective therapy that can be offered to them more often for them to fully recover from their past abuse. Recognizing the relationship between abused children and child offenders offers a chance to help children before they become deviant criminals. Through this research various research questions are answered. These research questions include, is abuse a huge contributing factor to the delinquency of juveniles? Another research question is what type of abuse is suffered by more juvenile offenders? Are juvenile delinquents more likely to be abused by a parent, other relative, acquaintance, or stranger? Also, the kinds of crimes juvenile delinquents with abusive backgrounds are more likely to commit are discussed. Answering these questions is a crucial part in preventing juvenile delinquency. Literature Review The connection between both child abuse and delinquent teens has not gone unnoticed. There have been a sufficient number of studies conducted on this topic with a myriad of results. The first study used participants from the Pittsburgh Youth Study, a longitudinal survey for boys on the development of antisocial and delinquent behavior. The 1987 Pittsburgh Youth Study began with three samples of boys in grades 1st, 4th, and 7th. Only the 4th and 7th grade boys were used in this particular study. Participants were randomly chosen from a list of 4th and 7th graders. This brings us to our current study, where Van Wijk et al. (2005) split 986 boys into five groups using a combination of self-reported delinquency data. These groups were categorized as sex offenders, index violence, reported violence, moderate offenders, and minor delinquency/non-offenders. The purpose of this study was to compare violent offenders to non-violent offenders. Besides having delinquency problems, substance use , and emotional problems in common, these boys also had family back ground and peer factor similarities as well. About 20% of the boys who were considered to be violent were abused as children, and 9% of the boys considered to be non-violent were abused as children. Also, about 36% of the violent boys and 16% non-violent boys partook in peer delinquency. These results do not just show that delinquent boys have abusive pasts, but also show they are involved in peer delinquent acts as well. Also, the more violent the boy is, the more of an abusive past he had (Van Wijk et al., 2005). The next study was based on the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Women in Australia were given a survey that discussed male sexual violence against women and children. Chung, OLeary, and Hand (2006) also relied on the records of the amount of people who were arrested for sexual-related crimes. The results from the survey and reports concluded that about 10% of the alleged offenders were juveniles. Aljazireh (1993) argued that patterns of sexual offending often begin in adolescence and that many adolescent sex offenders go on to perpetrate more serious forms of sexual violence in adulthood (Chung, OLeary, Hand, 2006). Even though juveniles made up only 10% of the alleged offenders, this study proved that this behavior is learned at early age. Another study made reference to a previous study done; where Johnson and Shrier reported that 66% of a sample of male juvenile sex offenders had been victimized either physically or sexually. About 19% were physically abused, and 49% were sexually abused. In this authors clinical practice, which includes primarily less serious, non-incarcerated juvenile offenders, about 19% report a history as sexual abuse victims (Becker, 1994). Longo reported that 47% of the adolescent sex offenders in his treatment program had been sexually abused (Becker, 1994). Becker (1994) also focused on another study done in 1984 of 401 child sexual abuse cases. About 56% of the boys and 28% of the girls admitted to being abused by a juvenile offender (Becker, 1994). These studies highlighted that the abusive behavior begins in adolescence. It also noted that the offenders are repeating a cycle of abuse; they were abused; now they are the abuser. In this study, data was obtained from a Minnesota Student Survey conducted in 1992. The survey was voluntary and anonymous. About 131,000 public school students, grades 6th, 9th, and 12th, participated (Borowsky, Hogan, Ireland, 1997). The questionnaire assessed the health factors, risk behaviors, and resiliency factors among juveniles. Almost all the 433 school districts participated expect one. An estimated 4.8% males and 1.3% of females admitted to forcing someone into a sexual act (Borowsky, Hogan, Ireland, 1997). About 46.7% of the males and 4.5% of girls were sexually abused by a family member, and 32.2% of the boys and 3.4% of girls were sexually abused by a non-familiar member (Borowsky, Hogan, Ireland, 1997). The results also indicated that 14.4% of boys and 3.1% of girls were physically abused (Borowsky, Hogan, Ireland, 1997). Also, 12.9% of the boys and 2.8% of the girls were witnesses to abuse (Borowsky, Hogan, Ireland, 1997). Lastly, Borowsky, Hogan, and Ireland (19 97) found that 25.2% of the boys and 12.4% of the girls admitted to being gang members. These results show that not only are many of these perpetrators abused themselves, but they also partake in deviant violent behavior. This study explored the effects of child maltreatment. This study was based on of Child Protective Services cases. A table of their findings clearly shows that children who have been traumatized physically and/or sexually are at significantly increased risk for developing a variety of psychiatric disorders (Kolk, Hooper, Crozier, 2001, pg. 6). The children were split into three abuse groups including, sexual (124), physical (43), and both (34). About 12% of the boys and 11% of the girls from the sexually abused group were diagnosed with being majorly depressed. Also, 12% of the boys and 20% of the girls in the physically abused group were diagnosed with major depression as well. 8% of the boys and 32% of the girls in the both group suffered from major depression. A total of 21% were diagnosed with conduct disorders, and a total of 36% were diagnosed with an oppositional deviant disorder. This study shows that many children abused do not only experience depression, a proven indicator of abusers, but they also experience behavioral problems. Another study involved gender and child maltreatment. This study was based on another study conducted in the UK. The data from this study identified that emotional/psychological abuse is a reason for bullying (Chahal, 2006). Both 18% of the boys and 18% of the girls surveyed were emotionally abused bullies (Chahal, 2006). This study suggests that many bullies feel they need to have control over others because someone else made them feel the same way. A study done by Glasser et al. (2001) recognizes the cycle of abuse. The data was collected by using a retrospective clinical case note review of 843 subjects attending a specialist forensic psychotherapy centre (Glasser et al., 2001, pg.1). Among 747 males, the risk of being a perpetrator was positively correlated with reported sexual abuse victim experiences (Glasser et.al, 2001). Glasser et al. (2001) also concluded that of the 96 females, 43% had been victimized and one of them was a perpetrator. This study concluded that both having been a victim and the loss of a parent were predictors of becoming perpetrators (Glasser et. al, 2001). This next study explored the relationship between prior victimization of adolescent sex offenders and their subsequent abuse of others. Participants in this study were 74 adolescent male sexual abusers in a residential treatment facility who had been sexually abused (Veneziano, LeGrand, Veneziano, 2000). The adolescent offenders who had been victimized before age 5 were twice as likely to victimize someone younger than age five (Veneziano, LeGrand, Veneziano, 2000). Veneziano, LeGrand, and Veneziano (2000) found that those who were abused by males were twice as likely to abuse another male, and if their abuser was a relative they were found 1.5 times more likely to abuse one of their relatives. This study researched childrens exposure to violence, using a national survey. Nearly, one-half of the children and adolescents surveyed (46.3%) were assaulted at least once in the past year (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, and Kracke, 2008). The survey confirms that most of our societys children are exposed to violence in their daily lives. About one in ten or 10.2% suffered child maltreatment (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, Kracke, 2008). This includes physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and abduction. Also, 6.1% were victimized sexually. Lastly, this study suggested that more than one in four or 25.3% witnessed a violent act and 9.8% saw one family member assault another (Finkelhor, Turner, Ormrod, Hamby, Kracke, 2008). This particular study tries to make a connection between child exposure to violence and those who partake in violence when they get older. The last study used a total of 1,840 participants admitted in the custody of the State of Washingtons juvenile justice system. The subjects were given the Massachusetts Youth Screening Inventory, second edition (MAYSI-2) as a screening instrument. Screening sites included juvenile justice secure institutions, work camps, regional parole offices, and residential care placements operated under contract with the state juvenile justice system (Stewart Trupin, 2003). A subset of 222 adolescents completed a diagnostic mental health screening instrument and also completed the MAYSI-2. The three-cluster solution included 437 youths (24%) with high scores for mental health symptoms on all MAYSI-2 scales and 556 youths (30%) with high substance use scores and scores for mental health symptoms that were lower than those of the 437-member group but still clinically elevated (Stewart Trupin, 2003, pg. 3). Finally, 847 youths (46%) with average elevations below the clinical threshold for all MAY SI-2 scales constituted the low symptoms group (Stewart Trupin, 2003). About 1.79% of the first group, 1.62% of the second group, and 1.26% of the last group is considered to be depressed and anxious. Also, Stewart and Trupin (2003) concluded that 2.39% of the first group, 1.35% of the second group, and 1.39% of the last group admitted to alcohol or drug abuse. Lastly, 1.28% of the first, 1.34% of the second group, and 1.11% of the last group admitted to having gone through a traumatic experience (Stewart Trupin, 2003). This obviously shows that out of these youths in this juvenile system, many of them experience depression, are drug users, and probably act out in deviant ways because of their traumatic experiences. The 2000 study of Veneziano, LeGrand, and Veneziano identifies the connection between sexually abused children and adolescent sex offenders. In a presentation given by Jerome B. Green (Clinically certified forensic counselor) and Crystal Brown-Voeltz (Licesned Master Social Worker) called, Adolescents with Sexual Behavior Problems; Identification, Etiology and Progression, it was revealed that about 20 percent of all rapes are perpetrated by adolescent offenders. The Green and Brown-Voeltz presentation revealed also that over half of molestations of boys and at least 15-20% of the sexual abuse of girls are perpetrated by adolescents. The average adolescent sexual offender will commit 380 sex crimes in his lifetime, but at the time of first evaluation will have had only seven victimsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦As many as 60-80% of adult sex offenders report that their first offense occurred when they were adolescents (Green Brown-Voeltz, p. 5). The presentation even said that many adolescent sex offenders are exposed to pornography, substance abuse, and to aggressive models (Green Brown-Voeltz). According to Green and Brown-Voeltz deviant arousal patterns develop in response to victimization or as a result of learned behavior and social interactions over timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Since the family and environment are essential influences in the development of sexuality, family trauma, physical and sexual abuse, neglect, scapegoating, and exposure to sexually traumatic material may contribute to the development of sexually offending behavior (Green Brown- Voeltz, p. 6). According to the Childrens Law Office, Truancy and Educational Neglect (2005) educational neglect is included in the states definition of child abuse and neglectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Child abuse or neglect, or harm, occurs when a parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the childs welfareà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fails to supply the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, education (Childrens Law Office, 2005, p. 1). Educational neglect is defined as not providing your children with education as required by law. Some signs that a child is being neglected educationally include frequent absences along with inappropriate clothing for weather, poor hygiene/ body odor, failure to receive routine/urgent medical care, excessive sleepiness during the day, coming to school hungry and stealing/ asking for food, etc (Childrens Law Office, 2005). Even though educational neglect is not viewed as abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) it is a contributing factor. For example, a child who is not being ade quately fed, bathed, and not properly dressed is suffering physically, and in turn suffers emotionally from the stigma that comes along with dealing with these issues. In response to this neglect many juveniles become truant and participate in other delinquent acts. The link between abuse and delinquency is supported by some theories of delinquency (Siegel Welsh, 2009). These theories include the social control, social learning, general strain, and trait theories. Social control theory purports that by disrupting normal relationships and impeding socialization, maltreatment reduces the social bond and frees individuals to become involved in devianceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Social learning theory says that maltreatment leads to delinquency, because it teaches children that aggression and violence are justifiable forms of behavior (Siegel Welsh, 2009, p. 273). General strain theory says abuse creates the negative affective states that are related to strain, anger, and aggression (Siegel Welsh, 2009, p. 273). Trait theory purports that abused youth will develop symptoms of psychological abnormality (depression or psychosis) that have been linked to antisocial behaviors (Siegel Welsh, 2009, p. 273). All these studies are relevant to this research. However several of these studies have proven to be more useful and relevant than others. Overall, all these different studies have resulted in the same conclusion. That is, that many juveniles categorized as delinquent, especially those in the system, act out their frustrations from an abusive past through deviant behavior. Methodology Due to the fact that abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) is such a controversial subject concerning minors, secondary analysis was used for this research. The prior research and works of others were found to be very reliable. The key variables that were explored include, child abuse and delinquency. To conduct this research journal articles, web pages, booklets from law conferences, and pamphlets were utilized. Results The impact abuse has on children is traumatic. Some effects of abuse include secrecy, helplessness, entrapment and accommodation, delayed or unconvincing disclosure, retraction, betrayal, traumatic sexualization, powerlessness, and stigmatization (DeFlice, 2005). Lindsey (2005) also found that children abused physically are more likely to be arrested for violent crimes. Lindsey also states that other possible negative outcomes include mental health concerns, educational problems, occupational difficulties, and public health and safety issues. According to Brewerton (2004) there is a relationship between eating disorders, victimization, and comorbidity. In Eating Disorders, Victimization, and Comorbidity: Principles of Treatment one of the themes of the chapter is a cluster of comorbid disorders and their symptoms co-occur together more often than chance would dictate, and that this link is highly associated with a history of victimization (Brewerton, 2004, p. 509). The prior research of others was used to identify a relationship between abuse and South Carolina juvenile delinquents. As mentioned before being abused does not ensure a life of delinquency. However it was hypothesized that it increases the chances of a delinquent, anti-social lifestyle. There was sufficient research done on this topic to ensure an adequate representation of juvenile delinquents in South Carolina. As previously mentioned the findings were synonymous with the hypothesis. Although there was not significant research concerning South Carolina, but the increasing rates of detention centers in this state indicate that there is a relationship between juvenile delinquents and an abusive history. Also, previously mentioned, educational neglect is another form of abuse that can affect a child traumatically (physically, emotionally). According to www.uschamber.com is given a C for its school management. Usachamber.com (2009) says that South Carolina does an average job managing its schools in a way that encourages thoughtful innovation. The state has solid academic standards and sanctions low-performing schools. However, 92% of teachers report that routine duties and paperwork interfere with teaching. The state of South Carolinas academic standing indicates that many children are being educationally neglected, and as a result being further abused emotionally and physically. This easily l eads to truancy among other delinquent acts. From these findings one could only conclude that as long as delinquency is an issue abuse will always be a possible determining factor. However this relationship appears to not only be a South Carolina issue but an issue across the globe. One could infer that in areas such as, South Carolina where delinquency is an issue it is more likely to experience more cases of abuse. The issue with abuse is that it cannot be treated if its not reported. Many times children are less likely to report there abuse. For many juveniles, by the time that the issue is identified delinquency has already become a part of their lifestyle. Many abused youth participate in delinquent acts to avoid an abusive home-life. So instead of participating in negative after-school activities, positive ones seem to be a more appropriate alternative. The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) has implemented the Teen After-School Center Program (TASC) for juveniles to participate in. This program has been jointly funded since 2004 by DJJ and the Legislative Black Caucus. Teen After-School Centers are daily after school programs that are based in local churches, community centers, and other public buildings; and staffed by local volunteers. These programs are aimed to reach at-risk juveniles between the ages of twelve and seventeen. TASCs are open weekdays after school and in the summer. The goals of this program are to better school attendance, improve grades, for kids to get an appreciation for their community, for kids to become role-models within the community, and to instill the knowledge that all goals can be acquired. Students who participate in extracurricular activities have better grades, feel greater attachment to school, have lower truancy rates and reach higher levels of achievement in college, as documented by a 17-year study followed 1,800 sixth-graders in ten Michigan schools through high school and college (Extra Benefits Tied to Extracurriculars, Education Week, 2000). For abused youth participating in programs like this may be very beneficial. Another organization working to help abused youth is the South Carolina Network of Childrens Advocacy Centers (NCAC). The Network of Childrens Advocacy Centers is the South Carolina state chapter of the National Childrens Alliance, one of thirty-eight state chapters in the United States. This organization works to ensure that every child in South Carolina suspected of being abused receives services. A Childrens Advocacy center is a child-focused community-oriented, facility-based program in which representatives from many disciplines meet to discuss and make recommendations about the investigation, safety, treatment and prosecution of child abuse cases. There are CACs located in Columbia, Spartanburg, Florence, Charleston, Greenville, Aiken, Sumter, etc. Abused youth need assistance to deal with their trauma or they may continue being delinquent. More individuals or bystanders need to report the abuse of child to the authorities. When the problem is identified only then can the child be offered the necessary counseling to deal with their abuse. After-school programs, neighborhood youth programs, and counseling/therapy programs are considered ideal to help rehabilitate delinquent youths. With detention center populations increasing in South Carolina more accessible, creative programs could aid in decreasing youth crimes.