respond to the post and say whether you agree or disagree with the student\'s an
ID: 466267 • Letter: R
Question
respond to the post and say whether you agree or disagree with the student's analysis and why.
For the purpose of this discussion we were asked to read the case study, “Such a Nice Young Man,” and answer several questions pertaining to the passage. In the situation presented we learn of a woman named Mrs. Davenport who lives in Whispering Willows Continuing Care Retirement Community; she is a friendly woman, who likes to kid around with the staff, especially one man named Joe. Later on in the situation we find out that something has happened to Mrs. Davenport and she is distraught but will not disclose what happened.
So far what we know is that Mrs. Davenport is an attractive lady, who likes kidding around with Joe especially and refers to him as eye-candy. In the following days she doe not appear for her bridge game which alarms her best friend Mrs. Atkins, who then goes to her apartment to find Mrs. Davenport very distraught. However, all Mrs. Davenport says is “I thought he was such a nice young man”, she does not disclose any further information. The police then request to speak to Joe, who according to a coworker was reported to have jumped into his car and sped off; based on a background check done during the hiring process, Joe only has minor misdemeanors on his record. There are several things we do not know about the situation such as what actually happened to Mrs. Davenport, given that she has not disclosed full details, we do not know whether she is in fact referring to Joe, and we do not know why Joe reportedly left in his car quickly.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, there are several steps that should be taken in order to investigate the situation further. To begin it is absolutely crucial that as little time as possible passes between the moment the incident occurs to the moment the investigation begins. As per the OSH Answers Fact Sheets minimizing the time frame allows for the evidence to be free of disturbances and witnesses to be identified (OSH Answers Fact Sheets, 2006). Below are some of the crucial steps that should be taken in order to investigate the incident further (OSH Answers Fact Sheets, 2006):
Immediately report the incident to the designated personnel at the Retirement Community.
Identify what may have been the cause.
Report any findings, including evidence, suspects, etc.
Identify and interview those suspected to be involved in the incident, in this case Joe.
Reach a conclusion to the investigation that will serve as the basis for constructing a plan to prevent future incidents.
Implement the plan.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the plan.
I do think the police was needed in the event that Mrs. Davenport would have confessed to being a victim of a sexual assault. However, often times officials and authorities make victims increasingly reluctant to opening up about their situation. At the same time, calling the police may help Mrs. Davenport understand the severity of the case and why it is important for her to speak up. I also believe that the police should have been called in to question those on the premises of Whispering Willows Continuing Care Retirement Community, in order for them to have a better idea of what may have happened to Mrs. Davenport.
Besides the brief disclosure Mrs. Davenport states in the passage presented there is no factual evidence that Mrs. Davenport has been involved in elder sexual abuse. However, as more information becomes available we may then be able to conclude if an act of elder sexual abuse has been committed. Circumstantial evidence refers to “indirect evidence that can be used to imply a fact but that does not directly prove it”; based on this definition, this scenario shows that the circumstantial evidence pinpoints Joe as the suspect (Crime-Scene Investigation and Evidence Collection, n.d.). In order for the police officer to collect physical or biological evidence they must find things such as fingerprints, shoeprints, body fluids, hair, etc. By using biological evidence the police officer can reduce the number of suspects to a specific individual (Crime-Scene Investigation and Evidence Collection, n.d.). As in many cases where sexual abuse has taken place, the police officer would need to obtain biological evidence from Mrs. Davenport’s undergarments and female genital area. The authorities can also search her apartment in order to attempt to find any evidence that may lead them to the suspect.
In order for Whispering Willows Continuing Care Retirement Community to ensure that these types of incidents will not reoccur, they must take the initiative to train their staff and make the consequences clear for everyone. The staff should be required to attend yearly seminars regarding proper conduct when dealing with residents of retirement community. They should also be instructed as to what behavior is looked down upon and what they should in the event that they are put in a compromising position. At the end of the training, staff should be asked to sign a sort of contract that makes them aware of the consequences of becoming involved with any member of the retirement community and putting the liability on them if such event does take place. Whispering Willows has the responsibility of handling the scenario and they should have policies set in place for dealing with allegations of abuse. The retirement center may also be susceptible to lawsuits as many victims may be eligible to receive compensation for the emotional and physical injuries. According to “Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes: A Growing Societal Problem”, there are nursing home lawyers available to help victims of elder sexual abuse and who work towards the prevention of these incidents in the future (Sexual Abuse, n.d.). Aside from lawsuits, Whispering Willows also faces possible investigation as they have hired a potential sexual abuser to work in their facility; although the records only disclosed that the suspect in this scenario had only minor misdemeanors.
Explanation / Answer
I agree with the student’s analysis. The analysis points out the investigative measures, immediate plan of action to apprehend the culprit, future preventive measures that Whispering Willows Continuing Care Retirement Community must take in order to stop recurrence of such incidents. They must conduct a thorough investigation and assist the law enforcement authorities to do fair and conclusive investigation and bring the culprit to the book sooner. Time is of essence while conducting the investigation, so no time must be lost in collecting the evidence and launch a hot pursuit to apprehend the criminal on the run. Speedy investigation followed by appropriate judicial action and conviction is vital not only to bring justice to Mrs. Davenport, but also to restore the trust of the other occupants of the facility in the system.
They have a responsibility to take appropriate measures to ensure safety of the occupants from internal and external threats. While hiring staff for the care facility, they have stricter obligations to screen and conduct background check of the applicants for criminal background and psychometric analysis and profiling for potential proclivity to commit crimes. The staff existing also requires constant reinforcement through training and counseling of the importance of clean and ethical conduct and their responsibility to ensure safety of the occupants. Taking these measures will help the Whispering Willows Continuing Care Retirement Community to deal with and minimize or eliminate the potential threats of this nature more effectively.
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