Sanofi-Aventis Business Strategy

Sanofi-Aventis Business Strategy Question 1 Introduction According to analysts, the pharmaceutical industry is changing rapidly and undergoing a shift. Sanofi-Aventis are therefore changing its strategy to help transform itself from a Europe/US-centred pharmaceutical company to a global diversified healthcare company. These changes include a change in its products, markets, top management and its capabilities. This essay aims to discuss the environment within which Sanofi-Aventis is operating, identifying the reasons why the company need to change its strategy and how it will achieve this. Harrigan (1980) and DAveni (1989) showed that when performance is declining or poor, organisations tend to principally alter their activities. This is the case with Sanofi-Aventis, it is running like a French national treasure and performance is declining in the rapidly changing pharmaceutical industry. The Strategic Position of Sanofi-Aventis Porters five forces framework (1980) can help to identify the attractiveness of an industry for a firm by drawing attention to the external pressures it may face. Figure 1 shows that buyers in the industry have a low bargaining power. The major consumers of the industry include doctors, hospitals, patients and pharmacists. Buyer power is dependent on factors such as the number of buyers, switching costs and buyer competition threat. The industry has many buyers and the competition usually takes place between them. Thus the power of buyers in terms of the number of buyers is reasonably small. However buyers are able to choose from other similar products. To avoid this problem organisations within the industry usually spend most of their research and development on new patent drugs to keep up competition. The suppliers within the industry have a certain level of power but it is not such a high threat. The suppliers could include providers of raw materials and intermediates, the manufac turing and production plants and labour. The suppliers provide different levels of threat and cannot easily be changed in this industry, even if suppliers refuse to supply. Thus there are high switching costs for companies within this industry. However, the threat from suppliers in this industry is not much bigger than that in other industries. In the pharmaceutical industry, there is a high barrier to entry. This is due to the high costs which are required to enter the industry. There are high RD costs because the research and development of new drugs is time consuming and costly. There is also heavy regulation of the industry where drugs need to be approved, as well as patent restrictions. Patents are a high barrier for organisations who are trying to enter the market. Organisations already existing within this market have already established a strong brand name with loyal customers and have a large budget to spend on marketing to continuously support their brand. New companies th erefore find it difficult to build up a brand name. The main substitutes for products in the pharmaceutical industry are generic brands of medication. The price of brand name medicines is kept competitive with generic brands. However, there is not always a generic medicine available as a substitute due to patents. Other substitutes include methods such as Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, hypnosis, diet-based therapies, chiropractic care and Reiki. In terms of competition, the industry is very competitive. With high RD cost, strict government regulations and extremely competitive products in the market, companies are constantly trying to release the next best product so that they can stay ahead. Advances in technology are also another factor affecting competition because it opens new avenues for research. Companies are dependent on the long run success of their ideas which puts a lot of pressure on them to find drugs which have high pay-offs. It is common for firms in the indu stry to merge together to gain competitive strength so that it can take on the leaders of the industry. In this industry the competition is such that only the strongest firms will survive. By analysing the five forces for this industry, it can help to determine what problems Sanofi-Aventis may incur. The barrier to entry into the industry will be high which works in the favour of Sanofi-Aventis. In terms of buyers and suppliers, these are low. The substitutes are also fairly low until the patents expire between 2009 and 2013. The power of substitutes will then increase along with rivalry and the bargaining power of buyers as buyers will switch to generic drugs. This will result in a reduction of costs of the drugs and profitability. In terms of PESTEL analysis, this legal factor of the patents is a key driver for change because it is enforcing a threat on the company. Companies within this industry have opted for mega-mergers. This could be another threat to the company as these companies have more competitive strength. Sanofi-Aventis need to overcome these problems by differentiating its products and the company itself for the existing markets as well as for new marke ts. This suggests that a transformation of the companys strategy is required for them to exist in the changing industry which will align them with the changing environment. The company have already a #1 position in emerging markets, so they have an opportunity to exploit this in order to overcome some of these threats and gain a sustainable competitive advantage. The company also need to take into account the other main influences on its strategy. These influences can help determine what threats the company has and how the strategy should be changed so that it can overcome some of these issues. The culture of the company can have a major impact because the company can be confined by that culture making it difficult to change outside the bounds of it. Sanofi-Aventis was being run like a French national treasure. This shows that the company is too rigid and too traditional. Johnson (1992) suggests that changes going on within or without the organisation will affect organisational performance. However, even if managers, as individuals, perceive such changes they may not necessarily acknowledge them as impinging on the strategy or performance of the organisation. Sanofi-Aventis had this problem as the management had acknowledged that the environment was changing but were not changing its strategy greatly to be in line with this. To rise above thi s issue the company have brought in a non-french manager Christopher A. Viehbacher, which has helped to show analysts and investors that the company will not be run like a French national treasure and that the company have changed their attitude. This suggests that the company will not be based on its past ways of doing things and the lessons learnt from the evolving environment of the organisation, as this has not been successful in the rapidly changing pharmaceutical industry. This shows that Sanofi-Aventis have tried to change its culture so that it avoids the problem of strategic drift resulting from focusing on the existing culture when dealing with the changing environment. This is a change in the companys power structure. The company have also changed its organisational structure by changing the management team and by creating customer-focused teams. Looking at Johnsons (1987) cultural web, it can be seen that the company are changing two factors (Appendix 1), which will help Sanofi-Aventis to transform its strategy more easily. The strategic capabilities of the company provide a view of the internal influences on strategic choices for the future. The competences and resources which are distinctive or superior relative to those of rivals may become the basis for competitive advantage if they are matched appropriately to environmental opportunities (Andrews, 1971; Thompson and Strickland, 1990). In terms of Sanofi-Aventis, the threshold level has changed over time and so the company need to invest in its resource base so that it can stay in this industry and gain a competitive advantage. They have an opportunity to exploit its #1 position in emerging markets, so they are creating new strategic capabilities to achieve this by having a better position in emerging markets, adapting its RD efforts to new regulatory and economic constraints and making disciplined decisions about how the company should grow and through what activities for example diversifying into vaccines, OTCs and biologics and not to opt in mega -mergers like all the other companies within the industry. Instead they are going ahead with bolt-on acquisitions as this will add more value to the company. This shows that Sanofi-Aventis have acknowledged that for them to survive they need to differentiate itself from other organisations within the industry and this can be achieved by exploiting its opportunities. The stakeholders play an important role as the strategy of the company needs to take into consideration their interests. Sanofi-Aventis have failed to do this, which has resulted in investors reducing their stake in the company. Sanofi-Aventis need to adapt its strategy so that it takes into consideration the interests of its stakeholders. However the companys stakeholders are changing as they enter into new partnerships and change its management team. These stakeholders will be focused on the external stakeholders (the customers) and so the company need to fulfil the customers needs in order to take into consideration the internal stakeholders interests. The strategic choices and actions Sanofi-Aventis are taking Sanofi-Aventis are responding to these pressures by making choices about the companys future. At a corporate level, Sanofi-Aventis are launching new products such as vaccines, OTCs, diabetes drugs and branded generics and offering them to emerging markets as well as existing markets. This in terms of Ansoffs Matrix (1957) can be seen as diversification at an international level and product development at a national level (Appendix 2). Although the company is providing the existing market with new products such as vaccines to give them a pre-eminent position, major rivals such as Novartis, GSK and Pfizer are closing the gap. Sanofi-Aventis therefore need to continue to focus on the RD of its products to sustain this position. By producing new drugs, the company are trying to fulfil its external stakeholders needs, which in turn takes into consideration the internal stakeholders. At a business level, Porter (1985) provides a framework of generic strategies and suggests that they are distinct mutually exclusive alternatives. However the idea that the generic strategies are mutually exclusive has been criticized (Hill, 1988; Murray, 1988), and studies have shown that mixed or hybrid strategies may be profitable (Miller Dess, 1993). By looking at Bowmans strategy clock (1996), it can be seen that the company are going against Porter and are taking up a hybrid strategy in its existing markets which involves having a low cost base and differentiating its products (Appendix 3). They are trying to develop products that are better than that of its competitors by posing the question ‘why is the drug better than what theyve already got? If this question cannot be answered then the product does not add any extra value for the customer compared to its competitors products and the product does not become a part of the companys product portfolio. In new markets that have fewer economic resources the company are taking up a low frills strategy which involves producing cheap goods with low added value. In terms of Porters generic strategies, the choice of taking up a hybrid strategy can be seen as a differentiation strategy as well as a cost leadership strategy (Appendix 4). By differentiating its products, the company are trying to produce goods which its customers will value so that it can overcome the threat that is enforced from the patent expiries. The way in which differentiation is achieved can be seen by Porters (1985) value chain (Appendix 5). Value is built on the activities that are a part of creating the product, whilst sometimes reducing costs in these activities. For example, the company are trying to achieve this by restructuring its RD as it was costly and unproductive and reduce its operating costs. This makes the product unique compared to those of competitors. These value added products can be charged at premium prices to help achieve higher profitability. This will help make up for the loss of revenues from the patent expiries. The company have chosen to pursue its strategy through organic development, which has also led to the decision of pursuing its strategy through acquisitions. The company are strengthening its capabilities, one of which is the ability to make effective decision which has therefore led to the company taking on acquisitions. The reason behind these choices is because it will allow the company to add value to its products. These are carefully thought out decisions that the company are undertaking so that they have a competitive advantage. When observing how Sanofi-Aventis are changing its strategy to help it to become a global diversified healthcare company, it can be seen that the strategy is an intended one. This is because Viehbacher entered the company having ideas about how the strategy would be changed. The design lens can be used to explain this strategy because Viehbacher has been in charge of making all the strategic decisions, ‘Dehecq, who had long been considered as the driving force behind Sanofi-Aventis, was conspicuous by his absence at these meets. This led to analysts opining that Viehbacher was in sole charge of strategy. The change that the company are seeing is a result of implementing the planned strategy that Viehbacher had when he joined the company. Conclusion Sanofi-Aventis are under-going a transformational change in a short period of time. They have been able to achieve this by first considering the influences on the companys strategy such as its environment, its culture, its strategic capabilities and its stakeholders. These create opportunities and threats for the company and so by looking at these the company have been able to make strategic choices to help them to decide which direction to move their strategy towards and the methods by which this is to be done to help them to overcome some of the problems that they are facing. Question 2 Introduction In the future, the company needs to create a more sustainable growth. Sanofi-Aventis are changing its strategy to deal with the market pressures and demands while focusing on its main activities and developing strategic capabilities. The company need to utilise its resources and competences in such a way so that it can sustain growth and gain a competitive advantage over other key players in the pharmaceutical industry. Viehbacher was aware of this when he first joined the company and questioned ‘How can we change the model? How can we create more sustainable growth? For Viehbacher to be successful in achieving this he had to first identify the resources and competencies the company would need to grow and then decide how these would be developed and utilised efficiently. The resource-based model states that the competitive advantage and superior performance of an organisation is explained by the distinctiveness of its capabilities. Peteraf (1993) explains that the resource-based model can help to understand the long-lasting differences in the profitability of the firm, which cannot be attributed to variations in industry conditions. Wernerfelt (1984) states the model shows that the competitive advantage of a firm lies primarily in the application of the bundle of valuable resources at the firms disposal. Barney (1991) suggests that the resources have to be valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable because then the competitors will not be able to mimic the companys strategy. This can help to explain the heterogeneity or firm-level differences among companies that allow them to sustain competitive advantage. Sanofi-Aventis is in the exploration stage and so during the transformation they are experimenting with new alternatives that will help the company to gain this competitive advantage. One of the major reasons why the company have to do this is because the main resource that they rely on; the patents, are soon to expire. Also in an emerging market the company needs better, more refined resources to compete with. Johnson et al (2008) suggest that for a company to have strategic capabilities and competitive advantage they need to have the necessary resources and threshold competences, which competitors may have or can easily imitate, as well as unique resources and core competences which are better than the competitors or difficult for the competitors to imitate (appendix 6). Viehbacher became CEO of Sanofi-Aventis in December 2008. The experience of working at GSK for 20 years and the knowledge that he has brought to the company is unique and difficult for competitors to gain. His way of thinking and style of leadership is helping the company to transform itself because it varies from the companys old leadership which was like a French national treasure. Thus it can be seen that Viehbacher is developing a new culture for the company by changing the power structure. This will allow any new CEO joining the company, if Viehbacher leaves, to be able to continuously align the companys strategy wit h the changing environment through incremental change by building on the familiar. The company will also be able to develop dynamic capabilities if the environments changes which is mostly likely to be the case. The rapid changes in the industry have meant that for Sanofi-Aventis to be a more competitive organisation, a change in the companys structure is needed. Thus Viehbacher has put a new team in place after joining the company. Only Jean-Francois Dehecq remains chairman and two of the top management team, namely, Marc Cluzel (head of RD) and Hanspeter Spek (head of pharma operations) continue to hold their positions. Laurence Debroux has been promoted as chief strategic officer (in charge of MAs) and Jean-Pierre Lehner as chief medical officer (in charge of drug safety). Elias Zerhouni has been brought in as scientific advisor, Jerome Contamine as the CFO and Paul Chew as chief medical/science officer. By making this change in structure, Viehbacher is further developing the culture of the organisation. His team together have the knowledge and expertise in different areas, which will allow the company to grow as they will be adding value to the different activities of the company. With a stronger management team, the companys future can be and will continue to be shaped allowing it to be more customer orientated. However the team will need to bring new ideas to the company in order for this to happen. The company were the thirds largest pharmaceutical company as of 2009 but it had a costly and unproductive RD pipeline. The transformation of the companys strategy entails restructuring the RD organisation so that it is productive and in sync with patients needs. The company are changing to a company that is based on biotech and specialist-driven therapies research. The RD of the company is a core competence that Viehbacher is creating. It is helping the company to meet the demands of the rapidly changing pharmaceutical environment by shifting its efforts to new regulatory and economic constraints. By moving away from blockbuster drugs, the company can concentrate on medicines that add value for the customers. It is important for Sanofi-Aventis to keep the customers in mind as they will have a major effect on the success of the business. By meeting their needs, the company can create customer loyalty which will provide the company with a steady income. The new approach to RD is allow ing the company to enter into new partnerships to boost its base business. This is an opportunity for the company to try to overcome to some extent the threats that will occur from the patents expiring. These threats include the increase in substitutes and rivalry. If they can achieve this through their new RD approach, this will help the company to achieve growth in the future. Viehbacher was quick to note that Sanofi-Aventis was the #1 pharmaceutical company in emerging markets. This is because they have the ability to make efficient and effective decisions, as well as being able to move quick, ‘everybody says they want to go there, but were already there. Were in business while other companies are still trying to find their way from the airport to the hotel. This is a core competence that the company has, thus as new markets emerge in the future the company need to uphold this status. This is possible for the company to accomplish if they continue to focus on global public health issues and not the traditional markets that are becoming saturated. They also need to continue to act fast as they have done when moving into emerging markets such as Africa, India and China. The market the company was catering to was diverse, so they are moving towards branded generics, consumer healthcare and vaccines to create the basis for more sustainable growth. Viehb acher pointed out that the company was in a strong financial position generating à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 billion in cash each year. This capital can be used to invest in RD, which will help the company to grow and strengthen its position in emerging markets as it finds new healthcare businesses and products to diversify into. Using the companys finance, respectable reputation and ability to expand into emerging markets, it will allow the company to compensate from the patent expiries of its top-selling drugs and make larger capital gains in the future. Sanofi-Aventis have the ability to make logical decisions with the help of their CEO. For example they have decided not to be part of any mega-mergers as this would sap the organisations creativity and productivity. By opting for a mega-merger, the company would not be adding to shareholder value, so Viehbacher felt it was not necessary to do so. The capability to make these decisions has come from Viehbachers experience where he has been a part of two mega-mergers in the past. Instead of the mega-mergers Viehbacher has decided to go ahead with bolt-on acquisitions. The five acquisitions the company have taken up has given the company opportunities to tap markets such as the Central and Eastern markets, boost its presences in countries and the OTC business and provided it with a launching pad for the Asia-Pacific region. It has also given a push to its vaccines segment. These acquisitions are helping to fuel its growth in emerging markets whilst reducing its risk profile. In the futu re, the company need to maintain making disciplined decisions about the acquisitions that it takes on, only investing in those that add value. The company should be able to maintain this because Sanofi-Synthà ©labo acquired Aventis and both companies had a history of mergers and acquisitions. By taking on acquisitions, the company can also increase its customer base quicker than with mergers because the company can take on more than one acquisition at a time. Conclusion Sanofi-Aventis are carefully designing their strategy to allow them to have a competitive advantage. They are creating core competences and resources to aid them to survive and compete in the emerging pharmaceutical market. The resource-based model has facilitated the understanding of how Sanofi-Aventis is able to enter the new market and how it can in the future strengthen its position in this market. It is possible for the company to have sustainable growth and a competitive advantage, but they need to utilise its resources successfully in order to achieve this. However if in the future the needs of the environment change, Sanofi-Aventis will need dynamic capabilities to achieve a competitive advantage. Although Viehbacher is creating resources and core competences when transforming the companys strategy, these may need to be renewed and recreated because in more dynamic conditions competitive advantage is achieved when there is a capacity for change, learning and innovation.

Behavioral Science

The article â€Å"Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Early Parental Employment on Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth†, Elizabeth Harvey continues the exploration of an enduringly contentious subject. She walks us through findings reported by six different studies. The researchers performing those studies based their findings on the same data set taken from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY).Elizabeth made reference throughout the article of the widely differing results these six studies presented. No one study agreed in whole with any of the others. Elizabeth attributed this to the fact that the data taken was widely varied and the approaches were also diverse. She took these studies into account and proceeded to perform her own investigation. In her analysis, Elizabeth was able to incorporate inconsistencies found in previous studies and was also able to use more recent data to validate or void these results.Using factors such as income, age, IQ and hours worked in a day brought no conclusive figures. Elizabeth was only able to come up with slight variations and consistencies. Two of the more prominent results were: 1) â€Å"Early parental employment appeared to be somewhat more beneficial for single mothers and lower income families. † And 2) â€Å"There was some support for the hypothesis that early parental employment positively affects children’s development by increasing family income.† If a broad view is taken of these studies, children are not any more or less likely to develop negative or positive traits based on whether their parents employment status. Children have rarely been well defined by statistics. While this study certainly has its merits, specific details not included would make it difficult to attach mental and cognitive development to parental use of day care. One such detail was suggested in the article.The quality of care provided would most certainly have an impact on any chil d’s development. A nurturing environment would allow a child to flourish and be successful while a hostile atmosphere would produce opposite results. Another factor would be the involvement of the parents in the child’s development. If a child is in attendance at day care all day and comes home to a parent who is attentive and interactive in a positive way, there is a better chance that child will know mental and cognitive advancement.A third factor addressed generally in the article deals with the age of the child when they enter into a day care situation. It is widely known infants go through an attachment phase through their first year of life. After the successful completion of this phase, infants are more prepared to enter into social settings when they are older. On the same note, children who are enrolled after their second or third year are better equipped to handle adjusting to time away from their parents as well as interacting with other children their same age.Discoveries made through this existing data offer insight to parents and care givers alike. Making information like this available permits them to make the best decision possible for their families, loved ones and for themselves. While many of the facts are still imprecise, further research will produce additional insights. Works Cited Harvey, Elizabeth. â€Å"Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Early Parental Employment on Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. † Developmental Psychology 35. 2 (1999): 445-459. Behavioral science Family violence is used to refer to the many forms of abuse or mistreatment or neglect that adults or children face within the family setting. Lately more focus is put on the groups that are victimized. Child abuse and spousal abuse are most emphasized areas. It is not definite how family violence is widespread as in most cases it remains untold. Spousal abuse is a major type of family violence. It entails any form of maltreatment of a woman or a man by their partners.There are different forms of spousal abuse and they include physical abuse, which includes any physical force meted on the person, sexual abuse which could be inform of degrading where one can withhold finances required for necessities, stealing or using fraudulent means to take the partners finances. Spiritual abuse can also be used whereby one is denied the freedom of worship or engaging in spiritual or religious activities. Most causes of spousal abuse go unreported, as partners are less willing to see the abusers pu nished. Most believe that using the criminal justice system will not suffice.They also fail to trust that the system will protect them. Males and females get the same exposure to spousal abuse. Males are less likely to report their condition than females. The consequences of spousal abuse affect the physical, mental health and emotional aspects one’s self esteem is reduced and their self-efficacy and worth consequently declines. Spousal abuse affects children growth in the homes where it occurs. It instills fear and hinders their reasoning ability. Spousal abuse can ensure a circular link whereby those who are abused maintain the cycle.Death for the abused person is the ultimate solution of those who are abused. Abused spouses undergo extra costs in terms of medical and health costs. Partners used in the process of ensuring the reduction of spousal abuse include lawyers, psychologists, police, social workers and those who work with battered spouses. These parties work incorpo ration with the government of the day to ensure that family violence comes to a stop. A major government role in ensuring that this aim is reached is to strengthen the criminal system so that people shy away from committing such claims for fear of the punishment.Ways of enforcing the government is increasing the penalties and ensuring privacy and confidentiality of those who report violent cases. (Holden, pp320) To tackle spousal abuse the victims need to report the acts. The police tact is required so that justice prevails when responsible abusers are arrested. Police protection will ensure that abused people come and report their cases with a tactful police force. Justice will prevail when they are arrested and taken to authorities. Public education will be a necessary step to ensure that spousal abuse is addressed.It sensitizes the public about their rights and how they can fight exploitation by their spouses. Organizations dealing with battered spouses will help them heal from t he wounds caused by the abuse. Dissemination of information about people’s right and access to services that facilitate reduced abuse can be through publications. The governments of respective countries should increase their funding to projects that are geared towards eradication of family violence especially spousal abuse. (http://www. justice. gc. ca/en/ps/fm/spouseafs. html). The police ensure that the country abides the laws of the day.They allow promotion of respect for the rights and freedoms. Live free is an organization that deals with battered spouses. It acknowledges the importance of awareness in preventing and reducing family violence especially spousal abuse. It helps members of society understand the causes of the abuse and the forms by which it occurs. It also gives people a clear picture of the effects of family violence to the society at large. It sensitizes people of how the abuse can be stopped. It assists victims understand how denial and isolation promote s the vice.The organization harbors victims of spousal abuse where it offers the basic needs and counseling services. Those who undergo their program are changed by it eventually. Their perception about abuse and their rights enable the halting of such abuse. It ensures support and safety for the victims and instills in the minds of ‘survivors’ that only them are accountable for stopping their violence. Inside the organization, social network groups are formed and through sharing experiences protection of members is sustained. (Tan et al, pp444) Inadequate resources to fund the projects are a major challenge for the organization.The demand or needs of their services are increasing overwhelming and this hinders their efficiency. Battered immigrant women face challenges in seeking their services. Language barriers, fear of deportation and mistrust of the government hinder them from accessing ‘Live Free’ services. It has succeeded in offering shelter for the a bused spouses in society. It gives them a new lease of life where they are able to understand and end abuse. This is done through informative presentations or skills performed before officials like law enforcement and service providers.The organization uses art, music and fun in promoting awareness about family violence. It offers training for leaders to equip them with information and skills geared towards eradicating family violence. It has succeeded in ensuring people’s perception has changed. The judicial system has incorporated some guidelines aired by Live Free organization. It has also promoted leadership and empowerment development. Another problem faced is that some members in society may be unwilling to accept the organizations point of view. The police are influential in a country’s legal institutional context.Police intervention on family violence is highly dependent on the people’s willingness to report the matters to them. The society determines wh at is crime and people will report family violence to the police if they consider it a crime. Police efforts of combating spousal abuse are negatively affected by women’s attitudes. Sometimes women are ashamed of reporting incidences of violence. At other times they fear what will befall them after authorities handle their abusers. Fear of own victimization will hinder a woman from reporting a rape incidence.There is a high tendency of women understanding of violence and they try to justify their husband’s actions. Notions used to justify violence against them include jealously, alcohol influence or hardships like unemployment or stressful work. (E. G et al, pp320) The police have succeeded in rescuing victims of spousal abuse who almost got killed. These incidences give the police joy as they save lives. The core purpose of the police in handling this problem is arresting culprits and ensuring justice always prevails. They offer investigative services here they invest igate cases of spousal abuse that have been reported to them.They also provide legal services where by the process of obtaining emergency or long-term protection for those who report cases to them are provided. This approach is very important in ensuring that other cases are reported. Those who shy away from reporting cases for fear of the abuser can now report their cases. The police also offer social services where counseling services are offered for the victims. The counselors are the first people to handle victims of abuse. They assess the problems of the victims to establish how they will be assisted.They aim to increase batterer accountability, empower the survivors to lead violent free lives and ensures society have zero tolerance of family violence. (Brinkerhoff et al, pp26) The police advice victims that they will lay charges if their thorough investigation demands for it. They provide information of services they provide. They obtain statements, and gather evidence at the scene of said abuse. They remain until the clouds are clear or there are no threats to the victim. Reduction of federal government funding would negatively affect the services offered by the police.Perception that spousal abuse is a private matter also limits the number of people reporting the issue. Success of the police in handling these services can be assessed by the reduction in violence overtime. (Burris et al,pp315) Ties of the offenders like economic ties, emotional ties and other shared memories make some spouses forfeit charges that could have see the abuse come to an end. Arresting offenders against the victim’s wishes hinders effective eradication of family violence. Arrests have not been very successful in promoting behavior change. Not all abusers who are arrested change their behavior.Up to date the police still use the approaches they used before. Those who abuse their spouses are arrested and charged. The police face the challenge of risking their when invest igating these cases. The people they are attempting to arrest can harm them. If the police force and the organizations dealing with battered spouses worked without hindrances like limited funds then they would be able to fulfill the needs of the victims of spousal abuse. The frustration faced by the police and organizations trying to help the abused spouses in society include the bureaucratic long procedures that hinder effective counteracting of abuse.Unwilling victims also contribute to inefficiency in the police will to combat spousal abuse. The police find joy when they help save victims of abuse from their abusers. Fear to approach the police also frustrates the police as it hinders their efficiency in promoting productive services. Dropping charges by the victims also frustrates the efforts by the police to fight spousal abuse. Officers agree that arresting offenders is not the sole way of eradicating or solving, spousal problem. Police are also accused of not responding quick ly especially if according to their judgment the person seeking for helping is not very desperate.Reference: Hattendorf, J. , & Tollerud, T. R. Domestic Violence: Counseling Strategies That Minimize the Impact of Secondary Victimization. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 1997, pp14-23 Sherman, L. W. , Schmidt, J. D. , Rogan, D. P. , Smith, D. A. , Gartin, P. R. , Cohn, E. G. , Collins, D. J. , & Bacich, A. R. The variable effects of arrest on criminal careers: The Milwaukee domestic violence experiment. The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 1992, 83, pp137-169. Brinkerhoff, M. B. , Grandin, E. , & Lupri, E. Religious involvement and spousal violence: The Canadian case Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1992, 31, pp15-31.Holden, G. & Ritchie, K. Linking extreme marital discord, child rearing, and child behavior problems: Evidence from battered women. Child Development, 1991, 62, pp 311-327. Family violence Initiative. Spousal Abuse. A fact Sheet from Department of Jus tice Canada. 2006. Retrieved on 19th October 2007 from (http://www. justice. gc. ca/en/ps/fm/spouseafs. html). Tan, C. , Basta, J. , Sullivan, C. M. , & Davidson II, W. S. The Role of Social Support in the Lives of Women Exiting Domestic Violence Shelters Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1995, pp 437-451 Burris, C. A. , & Jaffe, P. Wife abuse as a crime: The impact of police laying charges.Canadian Journal of Criminology, 1983, 25, 309-318 Spanking a child is abusive. It has been found out that in the long term it may produce adverse effects to the child. Children who start being spanked at an early age end up adapting anti-social behavior like disobedience at school and deliberate breaking of things. Levels of anti-social behavior of children who don’t get spanked were lower. The common saying ‘spare the child spoil the rod’ has been internalized in people’s mind but this has proved to have reverse effects. Spanking children has been going on for a long time with approximately 90% of parents in U.S spanking their children. Most parents regardless of their cultures spank their children occasionally. Most experts have divergent ideas as to whether it should be used but at some circumstances and that it should be done sparingly. Spanking is a way of enforcing limits to children especially when they are incontrollable and at a delicate age. Again, spanking may act as a means to warn them of activities that may be harmful to them option. Spanking is done more to boys than girls and it declines with age. Fathers are less likely to spank their older daughters while blacks and single wome

Spanking As Punishment For Children - 949 Words

According to Roger Thompson, associate professor at Stony Brook University â€Å"If we are going to take seriously what science tells us about how we form relationships and how our mind develops, we will need to construct new strategies for parenting and when we do†¦ we just may change the world† (Thompson). Punishment is usually intended to correct behavior, get rid of or lessen unwanted behavior and encourage better normative behavior. Parents often try to use punishment, such as spanking, to guide children, show them was is acceptable and what is not. This technique is outdated, unnecessary and harmful. To see that spanking as punishment for children is wrong, one needs to look at significant factors such as how the brain of a child works, the more effective options and the long term effects. In order to look at the effect of spanking on children, first one needs to look into how a child’s brain works, and how it is affected by the use of this punishment. As em phasized by Roger Thompson, associate professor at Stony Brook University, mirror neurons discovered in the early 1990’s play a large role in child development. These neurons fire the same way when one see’s something happening in the same way as when one does that action (Thompson). Mirror neurons are an important concept to consider when looking into how children will be affected by spanking. When children are being spanked, the same neurons are firing as when they see someone else being hit, this can translate intoShow MoreRelatedEssay on Corporal Punishment and Spanking in children 1724 Words   |  7 PagesCorporal Punishment and Spanking in children Spanking and the use of Corporal Punishment are the most common forms of punishment used today for younger children. 67% of parents today use some form of corporal or physical punishment. Spanking and Corporal Punishment is the use of physical force to cause pain with the intent to control the child. Mothers are primarily the ones to spank, because they are the ones who are with the children more. Young parental age and lower income seem to predictRead More Disciplinary Spanking Is Not Child Abuse Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pagesbeating, whipping, hitting, pinching, biting, or spanking. Spanking is the most used, traditional form of physical punishment, consisting in a beating applied on the buttocks. It involves striking the buttocks repeatedly, usually as a physical punishment, with an open hand. Spanking can also be implemented including belts, whips, rods, paddles, or any other household item. Educators and parents usually administer spankings to children. Spanking usually refers to a child lying, stomach downRead MoreEffects Of Positive Punishment On Children1562 Words   |  7 Pages This paper will explore effects of positive punishment on children from research conducted through an online database. The articles however vary in certain aspects and perspective of punishment. Lansford, Wagner, Bates, Pettit, Dodge (2012) discuss the controversy as to whether or not infrequent spanking is related to the higher levels of externalizing behavior. Fletcher (2012) discusses whether or not the use of punishment is effective on children. Straus (1999) suggested about 15 years ago thatRead MoreWhen Does Discipline Cross the Line to Child Abuse?1486 Words   |  6 Pageswith emphasis on spanking vs. not spanking and its effects on children. Included are research from statistics, opposing views and arguments, advocates’ and Department of Children and Families’ position. The use of corporal punishment, or spanking, as a form of parental discipline is a controversial topic. Adults who remember being spanking by a parent for misbehaving may carry on this behavior as an acceptable form of punishment for their own children. Others believe spanking to be an outdatedRead MoreSpanking Young Children1366 Words   |  6 PagesAbout 60% of parents in the United States use spanking as a method to discipline their young children. In most cases parents believe that spanking is the only effective way to discipline their children. According to the â€Å"International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family†, spanking is often referred as; â€Å"one or two flat-handed swats on a childs wrist or buttocks, but would not include a beating with a whip or a belt, for others, spanking also includes slaps and pinches to the leg, arm, back, or evenRead MoreEssay On Child Discipline1296 Words   |  6 Pagesguide children. There are many forms of discipline that pare nts use and they all have an effect. Some work better for some children while other forms may work for another. Parents can sometimes be stuck with how they should discipline their children and they want to know more about what is effective. In terms of punishment one form that is commonly used is corporal punishment, which is punishment in the physical form. One form of corporal punishment is spanking. For years and years, the spanking debateRead MoreCorporal Punishment Is A Discipline Method1650 Words   |  7 Pagescriminal law, â€Å"Spanking, also called corporal punishment, is a discipline method in which a person inflicts pain on a child without inflicting injury and with the intent to modify the child’s behavior. Forms of corporal punishment include hitting a child’s bottom, slapping, grabbing, shoving, or hitting a child with a belt or paddle† (Mince-Didier). Supposedly people against spanking define it broadly so that it can be easily be connected to child abuse. People who support spanking tend to uses definitionsRead MoreSpanking Essay880 Words   |  4 Pages Spanking has been the preferred mode of punishing children most parents have opted for across cultures in the globe. For decades, most parents attest to the fact that spanking was the most effective tool in their possession with regard to ensuring discipline among the young ones. But over the last two decades, studies have been conducted that have adduced the negative impacts spanking has on children which has the propensity of impacting their teenage lives (Durrant and Ron). In a study conductedRead MoreSpanking Essay1548 Words   |  7 PagesSpanking has several effects on the children, which build numerous opinions among the people. Researchers have shown many positive and negative sides of physical punishment. There are several people that agree with spanking their children and there are others who are against punishing the children. Many of the parents who spank their children believe that spanking is sometimes acceptable because they believe it will make a positive effect on t heir behavior. Spanking is used to correct children’sRead MoreSpanking Essay1600 Words   |  7 PagesAlmost all children can name a time when they have gotten discipline. In fact in America alone 80% of kids have been disciplined in their lifetime. In out of that 80% of kids, 62% of the kids have said they have been disciplined by spanking. Spanking had become the norm in many household across America. In fact, the percentage of spanking in America is increasing by 5% each year. But why is spanking so popular in America you may be wondering? Well surprisingly it has a lot to do with traditions,

The For Young Boys From Hell s Kitchen New York - 1657 Words

How would you feel if one act of immaturity defined the rest of your life? Not very good one would imagine. However it does happen and in this case it has happened to four young boys from Hell’s Kitchen New York. A simple idea of a funny prank on the local hot dog vender turned into a nightmare for the boys. Their prank got them charged with Criminal Negligence causing Bodily Harm, Theft and Mischief over $5,000. The boys were sentenced to a young boy’s home where they were sexually and psychically abused by the guards. Upon their release the boys were no longer the same. This is an example of how the retributive justice system failed. It failed because it did not deter future crimes from them. In Canada we would take a much more carful†¦show more content†¦Specifically for youth Canada used to practise under a retributive system until they realised how wrong it was. With the new restorative justice system it gives youth a second chance. This is the philosophy of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). Giving youth a second chance is so important because it teaches youth to take responsibility for their actions. The four boys would be protected under the YCJA. The YCJA states that youth from twelve to seventeen years of age are protected under the act (Youth Criminal Justice Act, SC 2002). For starters despite the three serious charges they would not be tried as adults. Secondly, considering that the four boys are in fact first time offenders and have no previous records of crime. Also add the fact that they are not a danger to society and themselves the likelihood of incarceration are very unlikely. Under the Canadian Criminal Code of Canada (CCC) Criminal Negligence causing Bodily Harm is described as â€Å"Everyone who by criminal negligence causes bodily harm to another person is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years† (Criminal Code, 1985 s221). Theft under the CCC is descr ibed as â€Å"everyone commits theft who fraudulently and without colour of right takes, or fraudulently and without colour of right converts to his use or to the use of another person, anything, whether animate or inanimate, with intent to deal