Introduction
Clinical governance was implemented in the United Kingdom in the late 1990s as a direct response to a string of high-profile healthcare scandals that exposed significant shortcomings in the quality and safety of healthcare delivery. Because of the media’s exposure, these scandals came to light. Its goals were to build a systematic approach to managing clinical risk, promote a culture of outstanding patient care, and ensure that healthcare organisations were accountable for the treatment they delivered (Brown et al., 2022). These goals were intended to improve the quality and safety of healthcare. Since it was first implemented, clinical governance has effectively enhanced the quality and safety of healthcare delivery. It has decreased the frequency of unfortunate occurrences, improved patient outcomes, and increased patient contentment with the care they receive. Additionally, clinical governance has assisted in enhancing the quality of clinical decision-making, promoting the utilisation of evidence-based practice, and encouraging ongoing quality enhancement.
However, physicians, patients, managers, and governing bodies must consistently commit to and support clinical governance to remain effective. To ensure that clinical governance systems are relevant and practical, clinicians must be involved in their creation and execution (Brown et al., 2022). Patients should have a voice in healthcare decisions and be provided with details regarding the quality and safety of the treatments they will receive. For doctors to offer high-quality treatment, managers must give them the resources and support they need, and regulatory bodies must hold healthcare institutions to account for the quality of their services.
Healthcare delivery is held to a higher standard of responsibility when clinical governance is in place. It is a crucial part of the healthcare system since it helps doctors, administrators, and policymakers give patients the best possible care. This article will use a case study from a clinical placement to discuss the significance of clinical governance in nursing care. There will also be talk about the positive effects of safety culture on patients and employees and how the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS) help nurses meet governance requirements.
This paper will also address the impact of clinical governance on nursing care and the significance of meeting NSQHS benchmarks for positive patient outcomes. The paper will also examine how effective leadership and a safety-first culture affect employee morale, patient outcomes, and resource allocation. The overarching goal of this essay is to show how clinical governance affects the quality and safety of nursing care and healthcare services as a whole.
Clinical Governance Influences on Nursing Care
Safe, effective, and continuously improving patient care is the goal of clinical governance, a framework of accountability, monitoring, and quality improvement processes (Queensland Government, 2021). Clinical governance affects nursing care by fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement, fostering a collaborative and coordinated approach to patient care, and ensuring that nurses possess the necessary knowledge and skills.
Ensuring nurses have the information and skills necessary to provide safe and effective care is one-way clinical governance affect nursing. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s (2015) Clinical Governance Standard includes provisions for regularly assessing and updating the qualifications of nurses and midwives. This makes it so nurses may deliver treatment founded on scientific data and current best practices.
Improving patient outcomes is a top priority for healthcare companies, and clinical governance helps foster a safety culture. Patient satisfaction with nursing care was positively connected with a culture of safety in the healthcare organisation, according to research by Karaca and Durna (2019). This demonstrates the significance of clinical governance in establishing a norm of putting the patient’s safety first and holding all staff members accountable for maintaining it. Clinical governance has consequences for nursing staffing numbers and enhancing patient outcomes. Staffing must be adequate to satisfy patients’ demands, and nurses must be energised and energised, according to the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2017). This is vital for guaranteeing patient safety and nurses’ ability to provide high-quality treatment.
Finally, clinical governance guarantees that doctors work together to provide excellent patient treatment. Goh and Loh (2019) stress the value of teamwork among medical staff in providing excellent patient treatment. Effective collaboration between healthcare professionals, quick and straightforward communication, and a unified approach to patient care across venues and providers are all made more accessible by clinical governance.
My clinical placement experience will be used to demonstrate why clinical governance is so vital to nursing practice. During my rotation, I saw that nurses were forced to adhere to regulations whenever they gave patients any medication strictly. Medication, dosage, and delivery method were all administered adequately to patients thanks to the processes in place. Nurses were also tasked with recording medicine administration in each patient’s chart. These notes ensured that the correct medication was given to the right patient at the right time and that the patient’s reaction to the medication was recorded accurately. This degree of responsibility guaranteed that all patients received effective and up-to-code care.
The Role of the NSQH Standards in Achieving Clinical Governance
Clinical governance in healthcare relies heavily on the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. The Clinical Governance Standard of the NSQHS Standards was developed to provide efficient clinical governance inside healthcare institutions, as stated by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2017). This guideline details what must be done to develop clinical governance structures that encourage ongoing progress toward providing safe and effective treatment.
The NSQHS Standards help advance clinical governance goals by encouraging a focus on patient safety and healthcare provider excellence. As the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2021) states, clinical governance that emphasises patient safety is essential. Fostering an environment where accidents are reported, investigated, and learned from so that preventative measures can be implemented is central to the NSQHS Standards’ vision of a culture of safety and quality.
The NSQHS Standards’ Clinical Governance Standard emphasises healthcare organisations having strong leadership, governance, and culture. Effective leadership and governance structures are essential for ensuring the provision of safe, effective, and high-quality healthcare (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2017). Clinical governance arrangements must be monitored, evaluated, and shown to be continuously improving for healthcare organisations to meet the criterion.
The Effect of Clinical Governance and Leadership on Organizational Culture, Safety, Patient Outcomes and Staffing
Leadership and clinical governance are pivotal in shaping healthcare organisations’ cultures, impacting patient care, productivity, and satisfaction. Patients’ rights to get care that is both safe and of high quality is a top priority for the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) (ACSQHC, 2017). Effective leadership, a strong safety culture, and a dedication to constant development are all stressed in the ACSQHC’s Clinical Governance Standard. Collaborative governance has been shown to benefit the integration of healthcare and nursing (Chang et al., 2021). In collaborative governance, healthcare providers make decisions collectively, intending to improve patient care. Better patient outcomes and happier doctors and nurses are possible results of this strategy.
According to a Korean study (Choi & Kim, 2019), structural empowerment and professional governance also benefit nurses’ independence and job satisfaction. The term “structural empowerment” describes nurses’ increasing agency in the workplace. In nursing, “professional governance” describes nurses’ participation in policymaking. Healthcare organisations could boost nurse job satisfaction and retention by including them in decision-making and giving them the tools they need to do their jobs well.
Nursing care is essential to patient satisfaction, another critical indicator of healthcare quality. A recent study in Turkey found that when nurses provided emotional support, patient education, and respect for patients’ rights, patient satisfaction with the quality of nursing care increased dramatically (Karaca & Durna, 2019). This data demonstrates that a culture that values the needs of each patient can increase the proportion of satisfied patients.
Patient safety, outcomes, and staffing are all directly impacted by the culture of healthcare organisations, which is, in turn, influenced by clinical governance and leadership. Nursing staff morale and turnover can benefit from collaborative governance, structural empowerment, and professional governance. Increased levels of patient satisfaction are also possible due to a strong safety culture emphasising patient-centred care. It offers more reason for healthcare firms to have strong leadership and a dedication to constant development, according to these results.
During my time in a clinical setting, I saw firsthand how clinical governance and leadership affected staffing. Staffing numbers reflected the healthcare provider’s dedication to patient safety and quality. The ratio of caregivers to patients was correct, allowing for proficient and successful treatment. Staff employees were encouraged to raise problems and provide input, and the leadership team made themselves available. Because of this, workers became more invested in their work and dedicated to providing excellent care.
Conclusion
This essay has discussed clinical governance and its value in healthcare delivery. It has covered how clinical governance impacts nursing care, how the NSQH standards contribute to positive patient outcomes, and how clinical governance and leadership impact things like culture, safety, outcomes, and organisational staffing. Patient safety culture measurement from the perspective of staff members and the role of responsibility in driving quality and safety improvements have been brought to light.
Clinical governance is essential for boosting care quality, reducing adverse events, and protecting patients. Consequently, healthcare providers must prioritise clinical governance and allocate resources to create a solid infrastructure that facilitates implementation. Healthcare professionals will be better able to respond to patient’s needs and offer high-quality, safe, and effective care if this is done. Patient outcomes and the quality of care are two areas that can be significantly improved by good clinical governance. Therefore, healthcare organisations and providers must incorporate clinical governance into daily practice to offer safe, high-quality, and effective treatment.
References
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2015). Clinical governance for nurses and midwives. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/41BUhEe
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2017). Clinical governance standard: Governance, leadership and culture. Action 1.6. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3V4hegJ
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2021). About patient safety culture. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3V6POaj
Brown, P., Prest, B., Miles, P., & Rossi, V. (2022). The development of national safety and quality digital mental health standards. Australasian Psychiatry, 30(2), 154–157.
Chang, B., Yang, Y., Buitrago Leon, G. A., & Lu, Y. (2021, November). Effect of collaborative governance on medical and nursing service combination: an evaluation based on Delphi and entropy method. In Healthcare (Vol. 9, No. 11, p. 1456). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Choi, S., & Kim, M. (2019). Effects of Structural Empowerment and Professional Governance on Autonomy and job satisfaction of Korean Nurses. Journal of nursing management, 27(8), 1664-1672.
Goh, J., & Loh, E. (2019). Health Systems and Policy. Textbook of Medical Administration and Leadership, 63-70.
Karaca, A., & Durna, Z. (2019). Patient satisfaction with the quality of nursing care. Nursing Open, 6(2), 535-545.
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. (2017). Clinical Governance Standard. https://bit.ly/44cP4oa
Queensland Government. (2021). Clinical governance. https://bit.ly/3oJBIPK
The Martyrdom Of Father San Vitores And The Catholic Church’s Efforts To Convert The Indigenous Peoples Of Guam Sample Assignment
The Catholic Church sent Spanish Jesuit Father Diego Luis de Sanvítores to evangelize Guam in the Marianas. He was born in Spain in 1580 and joined the Jesuits. Sanvítores landed in Guam in 1668, changing the islands. Sanvítores was a Catholic who wanted to convert Guam’s locals.[1]. He founded churches, schools, and monasteries around the islands, distributed tracts, and debated Catholicism. He learned Chamorro and wrote a grammar. Despite his enthusiasm, evangelizing Guam failed. Chamorros resisted Sanvítores’ mission and ideals. Thus, Sanvítores often faced mobs and attacks. Sanvítores was assassinated in 1671. Guam commemorates his death every year.
Description of the Chamorro society before Catholic colonization
Guam’s Chamorro culture was complicated before Catholic colonization. Before Spanish colonization, the Chamorro people lived on Guam and its western Pacific islands. They were clan-based and had a rich social and religious culture. Before Spanish missionaries arrived, the Chamorro religion was polytheistic and animistic, focused on spirits and ancestors[2]. They believed in reincarnation and developed a complicated social and religious taboos system. They performed rites and festivities to avoid illness and satisfy the gods for rain and abundance. Chamorros lived on collective labor. They were skilled fishers and navigators, farmed, and traded marine resources to survive[3]. Men fished and hunted, while women did housework. Local leaders and tribal chiefs ruled their villages under a well-developed administration. Chamorro artists used wood, shell, and stone and write. The oral tradition passed on stories, folklore, and history. Finally, Chamorros sang in six-part harmony and danced.
Thesis statement: The martyrdom of Father Sanvítores and the efforts of the Catholic Church to convert the indigenous Chamorro people of Guam present drastically different scenarios for their respective cultures and ways of life.
Sanvítores as a Martyr
Father Diego Luis de Sanvítores was the Spanish Catholic Jesuit missionary sent to Guam and the Marianas. He died to preach Catholicism abroad; the Chamorros opposed his goal and ideas and resisted him. Sanvítores was dubbed the “Apostle of the Marianas” for his bravery.[4]. He believed the Catholic Church’s main purpose was to draw people to God and rescue souls via Catholicism. He founded churches, schools, and monasteries around the islands, circulated pamphlets, and debated religion to convert people.
The Chamorros fought back, refusing to convert. They rejected the religion and sometimes mobbed Sanvítores and his fellow missionaries. Sanvítores was martyred in 1671 after the natives opposed him. Sanvítores died tragically after dedicating his life and resources to his purpose. Guam annually commemorated his martyrdom, which shocked the Spanish Empire. His martyrdom was a sacrifice and a symbol of the Catholic faith in the face of hardship. Sanvítores’ martyrdom inspired and prided Catholics. His death symbolized a man’s faith in the face of great adversity.[5]. It also stressed the need to spread the religion to advance God and the Catholic Church. Sanvítores’ martyrdom was celebrated for centuries. Many Catholic churches feature altars with his portrait. Believers will remember his bravery and undying faith for centuries.
Reasons for Sanvítores’ Mission to Guam
Father Diego Luis de Sanvítores led the Guam Chamorro conversion campaign. Spanish missionaries sought to expand religious and political influence in the region. The Catholic Church believed it was its duty to evangelize “heathen” regions and convert souls.[6]. Sanvítores was a philosopher and missionary in Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines. He believed he had to bring Catholicism to Guam. In 1668, he arrived in Guam to preach and build churches, schools, and monasteries. Sanvítores believed his mission would succeed after seeing local people in Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines convert. He believed Guam’s indigenous might be Catholicized with patience. The Chamorros had already been exposed to Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto, so he knew he would meet significant resistance. Thus, Sanvítores was prepared for his mission’s inevitable rejection and decided to stay true to his principles. Despite the odds, he felt compelled to bring Catholicism to Guam and proclaim the gospel.
Sanvítores dedicated his life to the purpose of learning Chamorro and establishing grammar. He held native-language mass and distributed Catholic booklets. Sanvítores was dedicated to bringing Catholicism to Guam and the surrounding islands.[7]. Sanvítores saw the mission as his duty to deliver souls to Christ. Thus, he was resolved to convert the Chamorro people to the faith despite any impediments. Since Guam’s locals have previously rejected other religions, Sanvítores knew he would face strong opposition. He persisted in spreading the gospel and Catholicism to Guam.
Sanvítores’ martyrdom and its impacts on the missionaries
Father Sanvítores’ terrible martyrdom inspired his fellow missionaries. After a fierce Guam Chamorro uprising, Sanvítores was killed in 1671. Sanvítores’ martyrdom inspired and saddened missionaries. Father Sanvítores’ martyrdom spurred missionaries to continue his ministry. His death inspired courage and faith, reminding missionaries of their purpose and values. Despite opposition, they continued Sanvítores’ efforts and disseminated Catholicism to Guam’s indigenous. Sanvítores’ martyrdom also highlighted missionary risks. His death showed the risks of spreading Catholicism abroad and the necessity for missionaries to be vigilant. Thus, the other missionaries were advised to stay careful and safeguard themselves and their fellow missionaries. Missionaries mourned Sanvítores’ death. Their boss and friend’s demise greatly devastated them. Sanvítores had inspired them, and his death was a terrible reminder of the risks they would face on their trip.
Sanvítores’ death also highlighted the mission’s implications. His death showed they interfered with foreign cultures while advancing God’s cause. The locals generally resented their attempts to impose their beliefs. Thus, Sanvítores’ martyrdom reminded them of the hazards of their job and the significance of understanding and honoring their converts’ beliefs.[8]. Sanvítores’ martyrdom affected missionaries and their work. His death demonstrated the missionaries’ convictions and peril. It also reminded them of their risks and the significance of honoring their converts’ beliefs.
Catholic Efforts to Convert the Chamorro People
The Catholic Church kept evangelizing Guam and the surrounding islands after Father Sanvítores’ martyrdom. The Chamorro people of Guam had been exposed to Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Therefore the missionaries tried to convert them to Catholicism.[9]. To avoid alienating locals, the Catholic Church spread the faith slowly. They introduced the Ten Commandments, Christmas, and saint adoration. The faith’s more complicated teachings—God’s salvation and grace and Jesus’ teachings—followed. The Catholic Church tried to convert Chamorros by demonstrating their beliefs’ benefits. The missionaries taught the Indians about the Church’s medical, economic, and agricultural practices and how the faith could improve their lives. Demonstrating Catholicism’s practical benefits, this was meant to prepare the indigenous for the faith’s ultimate message. The missionaries also built churches and faith-teaching schools. Baptisms and weddings helped the natives accept the religion. Thus, the missionaries tried to slowly convert the Chamorro people and develop ties between them and the Church.
The Catholic Church also knew their culture clashed with Chamorro’s beliefs. They attempted to change or eradicate customs in reaction. Thus, the Church forbade eggs, pork, and other non-Catholic practices. The Catholic Church also thought the Chamorro people would be better off with modern, efficient industrial methods.[10]. To better feed the natives and the Church, they tried to change their farming and fishing methods. The Catholic Church slowly introduced its faith and culture to the Chamorro people of Guam and the surrounding islands. They tried to bridge the people with the Church and change the native culture to be more Catholic.
Catholic beliefs and their impact on the beliefs of the Chamorro people
Guam’s Chamorro people were heavily influenced by the Catholic Church’s attempts to convert them. Before the Catholic missionaries arrived, the Chamorro people worshipped nature and ancestor spirits in a polytheistic and animistic faith[11]. This religion was built on elaborate social and religious taboos, rituals, and festivals to provide protection and wealth. The Chamorro people were introduced to Catholicism to replace their beliefs. The missionaries taught the Chamorro people Catholic doctrines like God’s divinity, Jesus’s unique deity, and prayer because they believed they needed God’s grace and redemption. The missionaries taught the natives the Ten Commandments and how to live by them.
The Church also replaced many of the Indians’ pre-religious cultural practices. They banned meat and eggs and tried to align farming and fishing with Church values. The Catholic Church also banned cultural practices, including ancestor worship.[12]. The Catholic Church’s conversion of Guam’s Chamorro changed their views. It aimed to replace their traditional beliefs with Church teachings and remove cultural practices that contradicted them. The original Chamorro people first resisted Catholicism, yet its ideals still shape their lives today.
The effects of the Catholic conversion on the Chamorro culture
Catholicism strongly impacted the Chamorro people of Guam. Before the missionaries arrived, the Indigenous had a well-developed society focused on community labor and spirit and ancestor worship[13]. They possessed a unique language, writing system, vibrant art, and a rich oral legacy of stories, legends, and histories. Their culture included music and dance. The Catholic Church tried to supplant numerous traditional practices with their own. They banned meat and eggs, destroyed native carvings and sculptures, and tried to change the locals’ production and labor structure. They also tried familiarising the Indians with Catholic festivals, music, and art.
Catholicism impacted the Chamorro people’s worldview. Before the missionaries arrived, their religion centered on nature and ancestor worship, and the gods ruled their lives. The Catholic faith, founded on the Catholic Church’s doctrines that humans had free will and could choose their fate, brought order to the locals’ lives[14]. The Chamorro people also adopted Catholic morality and ethics[15]. The Church instilled morality in the inhabitants. This showed their faith and morality in the Catholic God. Guam’s natives’ Catholic conversion shaped their culture both positively and negatively. The faith brought order, morals, and ethics to the island while eradicating many native customs[16]. The island’s majority religion is Catholic, despite initial resistance to the missionaries.
The Role of the Catholic Church in the Colonization of the Marianas
The Catholic Church converted the Chamorro people to Catholicism to colonize the Marianas. The Spanish Empire spread Catholicism to its colonies because it believed in Christian progress. Thus, the Church sent missionaries to distant regions to spread the faith and “civilize” the inhabitants[17]. In Guam, the Chamorro people learned Catholicism. The missionaries preached the existence and grace of God, Jesus’ divinity, and the Ten Commandments to convert the people.
The missionaries-built churches and schools to educate Chamorros about Catholicism. They also tried to change problematic cultural practices, including hog eating and ancestor worship. These measures were meant to convert indigenous and propagate Catholicism. Thus, the Catholic Church colonized the Marianas by converting the Chamorro people to their faith and changing their culture to fit Church doctrines.[18]. Catholicism became the island’s dominant religion after some pushback from the missionaries.
Conclusion
To sum up, Father Diego Luis de Sanvítores’ martyrdom and the Catholic Church’s conversion of Guam’s Chamorro people revolutionized their customs and lifestyles. Sanvítores’ martyrdom inspired missionaries’ faith. The Catholic Church slowly converted Chamorros by teaching them Catholic ideas, removing opposing traditional practices, and establishing its religious festivals and morals. European religious conversion supplanted Chamorro traditions with Church doctrines. Despite native resistance, Guam’s culture and religion became Catholic. Guam and the neighboring islands are examples of the Catholic Church’s goal to colonize and spread the faith.
Bibliography
BLESSED DIEGO LUIS DE SAN VITORES. “Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores | the Society of Jesus.” www.jesuits.global, 2023. https://www.jesuits.global/saint-blessed/blessed-diego-luis-de-san-vitores/.
Coello de la Rosa, Alexandre. “Lights and Shadows: The Inquisitorial Process against the Jesuit Congregation OfNuestra Señora de La Luzon the Mariana Islands (1758-1776).” Journal of Religious History 37, no. 2 (June 2013): 206–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12028.
D’Arcy, Paul. “Connected by the Sea: Towards a Regional History of the Western Caroline Islands.” The Journal of Pacific History 36, no. 2 (2001): 163–82. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25169537.
Diego Luis de San Vitores. “Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ.” www.manresa-sj.org, 2023. https://www.manresa-sj.org/stamps/1_SanVitores.htm.
Guam. “Guam.” Catholics & Cultures, October 13, 2009. https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/guam.
Perez, Michael P. “COLONIALISM, AMERICANIZATION, and INDIGENOUS IDENTITY: A RESEARCH NOTE on CHAMORRO IDENTITY in GUAM.” Sociological Spectrum 25, no. 5 (September 2005): 571–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/02732170500176138.
Rosa, Alexandre Coello de la. Gathering Souls: Jesuit Missions and Missionaries in Oceania (1668–1945). Brill.com. Brill, 2019. https://brill.com/display/book/9789004394872/BP000006.xml.
The Chamorro people of Guam. “American Psychological Association .” Apa.org, 2021. https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/communique/2010/08/chamorro-people.
Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca, and James L Parrish. “Capturing and Conveying Chamorro Cultural Knowledge Using Social Media.” IGI Global EBooks, September 16, 2014, 1489–1506. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-6114-1.ch074.
Transmission of Christianity into CHamoru Culture. “Transmission of Christianity into CHamoru Culture.” www.guampedia.com, 2019. https://www.guampedia.com/transmission-of-christianity-into-chamorro-culture/.
[1] BLESSED DIEGO LUIS DE SAN VITORES, “Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores | the Society of Jesus,” www.jesuits.global, 2023, https://www.jesuits.global/saint-blessed/blessed-diego-luis-de-san-vitores/.
[2] Michael P. Perez, “COLONIALISM, AMERICANIZATION, and INDIGENOUS IDENTITY: A RESEARCH NOTE on CHAMORRO IDENTITY in GUAM,” Sociological Spectrum 25, no. 5 (September 2005): 571–91, https://doi.org/10.1080/02732170500176138.
[3] Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca and James L Parrish, “Capturing and Conveying Chamorro Cultural Knowledge Using Social Media,” IGI Global EBooks, September 16, 2014, 1489–1506, https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-6114-1.ch074.
[4] Diego Luis de San Vitores, “Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ,” www.manresa-sj.org, 2023, https://www.manresa-sj.org/stamps/1_SanVitores.htm.
[5] Diego Luis de San Vitores, “Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ,” www.manresa-sj.org, 2023, https://www.manresa-sj.org/stamps/1_SanVitores.htm.
[6] Diego Luis de San Vitores, “Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ,” www.manresa-sj.org, 2023, https://www.manresa-sj.org/stamps/1_SanVitores.htm.
[7] Diego Luis de San Vitores, “Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ,” www.manresa-sj.org, 2023, https://www.manresa-sj.org/stamps/1_SanVitores.htm.
[8] Diego Luis de San Vitores, “Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ,” www.manresa-sj.org, 2023, https://www.manresa-sj.org/stamps/1_SanVitores.htm.
[9] Transmission of Christianity into CHamoru Culture, “Transmission of Christianity into CHamoru Culture,” www.guampedia.com, 2019, https://www.guampedia.com/transmission-of-christianity-into-chamorro-culture/.
[10] Transmission of Christianity into CHamoru Culture, “Transmission of Christianity into CHamoru Culture,” www.guampedia.com, 2019, https://www.guampedia.com/transmission-of-christianity-into-chamorro-culture/.
[11] Guam, “Guam,” Catholics & Cultures, October 13, 2009, https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/guam.
[12] Guam, “Guam,” Catholics & Cultures, October 13, 2009, https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/guam.
[13] The Chamorro people of Guam, “American Psychological Association ,” Apa.org, 2021, https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/communique/2010/08/chamorro-people.
[14] Paul D’Arcy, “Connected by the Sea: Towards a Regional History of the Western Caroline Islands,” The Journal of Pacific History 36, no. 2 (2001): 163–82, https://www.jstor.org/stable/25169537.
[15] The Chamorro people of Guam, “American Psychological Association ,” Apa.org, 2021, https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/communique/2010/08/chamorro-people.
[16] Alexandre Coello de la Rosa, Gathering Souls: Jesuit Missions and Missionaries in Oceania (1668–1945), Brill.com (Brill, 2019), https://brill.com/display/book/9789004394872/BP000006.xml.
[17] Alexandre Coello de la Rosa, “Lights and Shadows: The Inquisitorial Process against the Jesuit Congregation OfNuestra Señora de La Luzon the Mariana Islands (1758-1776),” Journal of Religious History 37, no. 2 (June 2013): 206–27, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12028.
[18] Alexandre Coello de la Rosa, “Lights and Shadows: The Inquisitorial Process against the Jesuit Congregation OfNuestra Señora de La Luzon the Mariana Islands (1758-1776),” Journal of Religious History 37, no. 2 (June 2013): 206–27, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12028.
There Is A Causal Relationship To Sexual Offence From Pornography Free Sample
Introduction
Pornography involves visual materials containing a description or display of sexual organs or activity intending to stimulate sexual excitement. The Internet has gained popularity over the year as modern technology is expanding. Communication gadgets have proliferated worldwide while consuming most of the time within an individual’s routine. Therefore, it has been possible to access various contents of these communication devices, such as smartphones. The displaying of explicit content has grown rampantly over the years, with many internet users downloading and accessing pornographic films or content easily since these sites have also proliferated. However, little has been known concerning the effects of watching these films. Psychologists have a significant role in explaining how pornography influences behavior and attitude. For instance, does watching violent and explicit materials trigger an individual into acting violently and becoming a potential sexual offender? The paper will address and support the thesis that a causal relationship exists between various sexual offenses from pornography.
In most nations, including the United States, erotic materials are accepted or limited to certain segments, such as adults only. According to Diamond (2009), those against such public acceptance and availability of pornography are detrimental to social order predisposing the occurrence of sexual crimes. Moreover, their pornography is associated with the degradation of women. Men watching such materials will act violently as they imitate the scenes they have watched, affecting the women (Diamond, 2009). Moreover, Sharpe & Mead (2021) maintains that frequent users of pornography are experiencing problematic pornography use (PPU), a major factor that accelerates physical and mental harm and thus drives them to sexual crimes.
PPU involves the undiagnosable aspect of pornography addiction. PPU does not affect the user but also influences their behavior toward others. For instance, the possession of indecent images of children or the consumption of materials relating to child sexual abuse has been contributed by using legal or illegal forms of pornography (Sharpe & Mead, 2021). Furthermore, the addictive approach behind pornography influences an individual’s inability to control their emotions and thus increases their desire to rely on the stimulus; this leads to antisocial behaviors, including harassment, coercion, and sexual abuse.
Sexual offending involves various sexual crimes; they may differ with culture, but some include physical assault such as rape, aggressive behavior, and emotional harm, as in the case of child pornography, among other offenses (Robertiello & Terry, 2007). The sexual abuse of children is a topic under sexual offenses that has been discussed over the last decades with increased awareness of using the Internet to commit child abuse (Beech et al., 2008). According to the world statistics on internet usage, about 1.3 billion users were reported, whereby Europe represented 18% of logged-on users, north America had 20.4%, and Asia topped the list with 38.7% of users. The other regions also had a significant growth in internet use. Beech et al. (2008) maintain that child abuse content over the internet is challenging to quantify since the systems and material are dynamic. For instance, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) based in the United Kingdom reported a 78% increase in websites reported to criminal justice agencies containing abusive children images. Moreover, more than six thousand sites were reported, with the United States topping the list with 40% (Beech et al., 2008).
Such pathological internet use is entwined with problematic internet use and regarded as an etiology of pedophilic attitudes. As Houtepen et al. (2014) depict, there is a risk of crossing over from child pornography to sexual offending involving minors. Problematic behavior is realized due to cognitive distortions whereby an individual crosses over from downloading child pornography into sexual offending behavior. Some factors that motivate sexual offenders include the internet’s anonymity and availability, early sexual experiences, and antisocial personalities (Houtepen et al., 2014). There is a great risk of crossing over to child sex offenders; for instance, as the research by Osborn et al. (2010) suggests, there are lower recidivism levels among internet sex offenders, while reoffending among content child sexual offenders was found to be high. The study by Osborn et al. (2010) involves two actuarial assessment measures used among convicts of child pornography. A standard and revised version of RM2000 and static 99 actuarial models assessed reconviction rates among seventy-three convicted sexual offenders. The results depicted low reconviction rates for internet sex offenders than in contact child sex offenders.
Another critical aspect is that concerning juvenile sexual offenders. As Ryan et al. (2016) claim, sexual abuse by the youth is a serious problem and should not be perceived as insignificant. This is because the consequences of sexual assault are very pervasive; for example, it leads to post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and major depression. It has been found that youths contribute about 15% to 20% of all sexual offenses and half of all sexual offenses committed to children (Ryan et al., 2016). Moreover, among adult sex offenders, a third to half started offending while they were youth. Implying that juvenile sexual offenders are sexual offender convicts who have not matured since they were caught early. The factors discussed to explain the etiology behind juvenile sexual offenses include biological, social, developmental, and exposure to pornography (Ryan et al., 2016). Exposure to pornography has received interest. This implies that pornography is a significant trigger to a sexual offense.
Sexual offending can be theoretically explained using an integrated theory of sexual offending as portrayed by Ward & Beech (2006). The theory maintains that sexual abuse results from interacting causal variables. The tenet of this theory is that brain development and ecological factors significantly influence the neuropsychological factors that trigger human action. Therefore, as per the theory above, there is a great possibility of an individual engaging in sexual crimes after viewing pornographic content, given that the environmental factors are suitable for sexual offending. According to the theory, the human brain is depicted as evolving, accelerated by sensory interaction. Therefore, with continued use of pornography, the brain will be used to such violent scenes observed, and similar behavior will be triggered, leading to sexual crimes. This approach can be viewed similarly to Fortin et al. (2018) explanation of criminal steps relating to sexual offending. There is target selection, preparation, commission of the crime, escape, and post-crime acts (Fortin et al., 2018). The research involves the adaptation of the script approach in studying criminal behavior.
For instance, such crime scripts can be applied to analyze Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM). First, crime scenes have characteristics, with the location being essential. In CSEM, we have various websites or sites that depict location since they are visited; despite that, there are relational differences in the properties of virtual and real physical locations. Therefore, the omnipresence internet and website with child pornography have been described as a great opportunity for online sexual offenders. The script theory is in place to explain the evolution of these online events and episodes from an amateur to a potential sexual abuser and offender. Therefore, CSEM to sexually assaulting children is depicted as the ultimate stage of the script theory and concludes that the evolution of the brain events triggers behavior and action. This review points out that pornography has an indirect effect on sexual offending.
In another article by Kingston et al. (2009), 1792 adolescents were surveyed in a study examining the amount of sexual content viewed and the likelihood of them engaging in sexual intercourse over the year. The results showed a positive correlation between the amount of sexual content viewed and the likelihood of sexual intercourse over the year. For instance, adolescents recorded in the 90th percentile regarding sexual content exposure showed a double the likelihood of having sexual intercourse to those in the 10th percentile. Also, another study in the article displays that media effects are experienced more by whites than blacks. In the study, teens’ sexual media diet (SMD) was measured from four media, namely magazines, movies, televisions, and music, at baseline.
Factors such as peer sexual norms and parental opposition to teen sex were controlled, whereby it was found that the sexual behaviors of black adolescents did not relate to the SMD baseline. Conversely, among the white teens, the results doubled, with those who had the highest SMD showing 2.2 more likelihood than those in the lower quintile. The article, thus, argues that interacting variables result in sexual aggression. For instance, individual differences may predict behaviors when certain variables are observed, such as dominance and aggressiveness. Thus, according to the research in this article, pornography exposure is linked with a positive outcome in sexual offending, whereby personal differences play a great role in determining the extent of the offense committed.
Furthermore, we can use the classical and operant conditioning mechanisms to explain the effects of pornography. As Mellor & Duff (2019) explains, arousal as a rewarding behavior results when an individual watches porn. As a result of such rewarding behavior, the mind and body get used to it until it is embedded into the routine and becomes normal action. Moreover, the person is triggered to respond to similar behavior and, therefore, the likelihood of committing a sexual offense. Mellor & Duff (2019) also use Bandura’s social learning theory to explain the association between pornography and male sexual offenders. Its application to pornography implies that consumer behavior is influenced by explicit content by creating psychological and physiological responses. The response is viewed as desirable, with an implication that if similar behavior is performed in actual life, similar desirable responses will occur. This is how individuals cross over from downloading porn to engaging in a sexual offense.
However, despite the above studies and research showing that pornography is a significant etiology of sexual offending, a number of researches show contrasting approaches. For instance, in a correlational study targeted at college students, Ferguson & Hartley (2009) examined the influence of pornography on rape and sexual assault. Despite the study’s results being inconsistent, there was a correlation between pornography and self-reported sexual aggression. However, the causation of rape as resulting from pornography is criticized.it is stated that rape existed even in uncivilized societies. Moreover, in contemporary society, rape incidences have been reported to decline. Furthermore, pornography became available online by the 1990s following various amendments in the United States. Since the rape cases have been reported to decline. Therefore, despite a correlation between pornography and sexual aggression, this does not explain its causal effects to rape as a sexual offense.
Moreover, Johnson (2015) claims that an average pornographic user will not likely be impacted negatively. He points out that of millions of individuals using pornography at particular points, only a small segment is negatively impacted and chooses to engage in violent behavior. Furthermore, despite much research representing the negative attributes of pornography, little has been said concerning the utilization of pornography as a treatment tool among sex offenders. Johnson (2015) suggests that more research is required to examine the effectiveness of pornography in sexual offender treatment programs since it has been initiated in some places.
Conclusion
In conclusion, pornography use has increased rapidly in recent years, a phenomenon motivated by the increased internet use among individuals in contemporary society. Internet pornography has proliferated due to its affordability, anonymity, and accessibility. There is numerous site where one can access this content. Furthermore, the acceptability of pornography in society through the amendments is another factor explaining its rampant prevalence. However, what has been fascinating about this phenomenon is its effects on society. Studies and researchers have explained the association between pornography and sexual offenders. Critics of the positive association between pornography and sexual offenders claim that internet pornography emerged recently during the 1990s, while some sexual offenses like rape existed even in uncivilized eras. Moreover, statistics have shown that rape has declined since internet pornography emerged. Furthermore, pornography should be utilized as a model for treating sexual offenders.
On the other side, pornography is detrimental to social order and vice that should be eliminated. Everything the eyes see conveys a certain message to the brain and thus the likelihood of behaving according to what an individual observed. Many researchers have explained how pornography is harmful and a significant etiology of sexual offending. In my opinion, the research supporting pornography as a cause of sexual offenses is vast and provides more outstanding pieces of evidence than the critics. Therefore, eliminating pornography may be a great approach to mitigating sexual offenses.
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