Mechatronics What It Takes to Become an Expert - 1095 Words

The term Mechatronics is a word originally created by Tetsuo Mori while he was employed by the Yaskawa Electric Corporation; the term was quickly trademarked by his employing company and became a word to describe Mechanical-Electronic components engineering. There is no specific, agreed upon definition of the word Mechatronics; people outside the field narrowly see Mechatronics as the mechanical and electronic works when combined in any field of engineering. Though, speaking to engineers in the field of Mechatronics you will find that it involves the mechanical, electrical and most importantly, the use of a computer to govern different elements (1). There is no standard degree for Mechatronics, though some universities offer robotic oriented minors and skill-sets, such as The University of Central Florida’s â€Å"Intelligent Robotic Systems† (IRS) interdisciplinary minor (2). Finding a complete degree of Mechatronics (not simply Mechatronic Technology) is very hard to d o as students would need to cover many different fields of study; most students of Mechatronics cover a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Systems, Electrical Systems or Computer Systems Engineering, and continue with a Masters Degree in Mechatronics, such as the degree offered by the University of California. (6) Systems engineering requires a bachelor’s degree, as it builds on an engineering discipline and relates ways to improve or refine the interconnection of systems to a larger cohesive picture. Besides aShow MoreRelatedBmw, The German Automobile, Motorcycle, And Engine Manufacturing Company4735 Words   |  19 PagesUnion (â€Å"History of BMW†, 2015). It also launched a better version of the previous motorcycle called the R32 which was showcased at the German Motor Show in Berlin (â€Å"History of BMW†, 2015). After BMW’s revelation of the R32 to the public consumers and experts were amazed. In 1925 its predecessor the R37 model came out which was twice the power of the R32 (â€Å"BMW History†, 2012). This great innovation earned them a 5 year streak in the German Championships 500 ccm category between 1924 and 1929 (â€Å"BMW History†Read MoreDevelopment Of Vehicles And Its Impact On The Human Civilization1647 Words   |  7 Pagesbefore and the future vehicles will play a major role in the future technology revolution. In the essay, we will introduce the history of cars firstly; secondly, current technology used in the vehicles will be illustrated; the third part will clarify what the future vehicle will be like. 2 Development of vehicles 2.1 Historical background Vehicles and other modern advanced sophisticated tools are not invented by some people who are sitting there, at the beginning of the invention of the car also isRead MoreAircraft Take Off and Landing Using Fuzzy Logics9736 Words   |  39 Pageswhich is being presented in the project entitled â€Å"AIRCRAFT TAKE-OFF AND LANDING CONTROL SYSTEM USING FUZZY LOGIC CONTROLLER’’ in the partial fulfilment of requirements for the Award of degree of M.Tech (Electronics and Communication Engineering) submitted in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at GURU NANAK DEV ENGINEERING COLLEGE, LUDHIANA under PUNJAB TECHNICAL UNIVERESITY, JALANDHAR is my work done to study aircraft take-off and landing performance of aircraft and design a controlRead More THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES65118 Words   |  261 Pagessupport and assistance of many individuals. First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervi sor, Mr. Stewart Martin, who was always ready and eager to help me at each step of the way, and whose feedback and suggestions helped ensure that this would become a quality piece of scholarly work. Mr. Martin’s critically analytical questioning has been invaluable in helping me clarify ideas and his thoughtfulness and scholarly insights have contributed to my thinking and writing. I will remain forever gratefulRead MoreQuality Improvement328284 Words   |  1314 Pagesmaterial for self-study. Chapter Organization and Topical Coverage The book contains five parts. Part I is introductory. The first chapter is an introduction to the philosophy and basic concepts of quality improvement. It notes that quality has become a major business strategy and that organizations that successfully improve quality can increase their productivity, enhance their market penetration, and achieve greater profitability and a strong competitive advantage. Some of the managerial and

Emmanuel Kants Ethics Essay - 496 Words

As we discussed in class on Monday night, Kant’s main argument in the first section was dedicated to developing his belief that a rational beings have the capacity to reason and through this reason comes a beings ability to know what is right or wrong. Also, Kant revealed that a beings also have an inherent desire to keep themselves save physically and strive for happiness. Yet, these desires or needs can be fulfilled with pure instinct and that reason does not need to be used in order to reach those goals. More specifically Kant says, â€Å"The highest purposes of each individual are presumably self-preservation and the attainment of happiness.† â€Å"The fact that reason serves purposes that are higher than individual survival and private†¦show more content†¦Then, the second part of the first section outlines Kant’s views on actions as it relates to his concept of Duty. Duty to Kant is the specific obligation of a good will. He argues that there are four actions. Starting with, acting contrary to duty which is seen as immoral. Second, acting according to duty with the purpose of fulfilling an immediate inclination and acting according to duty with the purposes of fulfilling a secondary inclination, which are both seen as not purely moral. Then there is acting according to duty contrary to all inclinations which is the only truly moral act. Kant’s moral law is based on this idea of non-contradiction, in order for an act to be good it must be good in itself. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"The one thing in the world that is unambiguously good is the good will.† The good will is intrinsically good to Kant whether the results of the actions bring a positive outcome. This means for example attempting to save someone’s life for the pure feeling of duty to this person with no intrinsic goal for you or to use that person as a means. Now even if the person should unfortunately die due to natures plan and you did all you could then the result is negative in the person is now dead but you still preformed a good will. The ultimate moral standard is good will. Another example would be one given by Kant, â€Å"A philanthropic act is done by a person who has no trueShow MoreRelatedKant s Categorical Imperative Of The Modern Era826 Words   |  4 PagesEmmanuel Kant was an influential philosopher and strong proponent of the modern era. Besides his large contribution to epistemology and metaphysics, his work in ethics was just as substan tial. Kant’s ethics came to propose an objective morality, where moral judgments is not only true according to a person s subjective view. He believed the moral worth of an action is not determined by its consequence but the motive behind it. 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Corporate Leverage Strategy in Emerging Market

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Leverage Strategy in Emerging Market. Answer: Introduction The statistics of 2015 reflects that Australia has experienced a high-profile release in the smartphone division with the growing preferences of the customers. In the background of the similar statement, KarpaviÄ ius (2014) asserted that the sales in the mobile retail volume are expected to stagnate over the course of the forecasted period. The reports of the previous scholar's display that the mobile division of the Australian market is expected to increase by 10% (Min, 2015). The study attempts to evaluate the strategic financial activities of Telstra. The annual report of Telstra, 2015 signifies that the brand continues to perform strongly in the Australian market (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). The existing report displays that the increasing revenue helped the Telstra to increase the dividend up to $ 4.7 billion. Accounting analysis Financial statements of Telstra are prepared by the Australian Corporations Act 2001. Telstra follows various authoritative pronouncements made by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) (Min, 2015). For example, depreciations and amortisations on the assets of the business are computed and accounted for by AASB 116 Property, Plant and Equipment and AASB 138: Intangible Assets respectively. Annual Report of the organisation shows that the financial statements comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) (Chibuzor, 2016). The currency used in the preparation of financial statements is Australian dollars. Few non-Australian controlled entities prepare their accounts in the other currency. These are subsequently converted into Australian dollars for the purpose of consolidation. Erutku (2014) stated that the effect of all intragroup transactions and balances are eliminated in full from the consolidated financial statements of the organisation. A Financial statement is prepared on the historical cost basis. Few financial instruments are recorded at fair value. Assets held for sale are measured at fair value less cost to sell. Financial analysis A thorough study of the Annual Report of the organisation reveals the financial performance of Telstra. It is noted that the revenue has increased approximately 3% between the period FY 2014 to FY 2015 (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). This increase is mainly attributable to enhancement of business of rendering services and sale of goods. This increase in revenue is also partially due to the revenues earned from construction contracts. Though the revenue generated from Foxtel Partnership has decreased slightly, this has been offset by the increase in revenue from property rent (Urza, 2009). Operational expenses like labour expenses, cost of purchase and other general and administrative expenses have also amplified in the current financial year. This has led to the increase of total expenses at around 5% from its previous year. Moreover, share of net profit from joint ventures and other associated entities has also declined drastically to the extent of 21%. This has caused sharp decrease in Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) from $11,135 million (2014) to $10,745 million (2015). Though interest costs have dropped significantly to the extent of 28%, reduction in Profit before Tax (PBT) could not be avoided in the current financial year. EBIT has decreased by 2% from last year (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). Profit from the continuing operation has diminished by 6% that is from $4,549 million (FY2014) to $4,286 million (FY2015). Profit from the discontinued operation has amplified considerably. In FY 2014, there was a loss of $204 million, whereas, the same for FY 2015 has been a profit of $19 million. This has contributed to the overall bottom line of the company, and total profit attributable to the shareholders of Telstra and other non-controlling entities stood at $4,305 in FY 2015 (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). This was a minor decrease from its last financial years figure of $4,345 million. The above mentioned financial performance of Telstra in FY 2015 has not impacted on the Earnings per share (EPS) of the firm. Basic EPS has remained nearly constant at 34.5 cents per share, and Diluted EPS has increased marginally 34.3 cents per share in FY 2014 to 34.5 cents per share in FY 2015 (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). The table below in Appendix 1 and 2 show the above-mentioned calculation in details. Forecasting The table in Appendix depicts the financial history of the firm for last 5 years. From the table, it is identified that the Return on Average Assets (ROA) has increased in last 5 years. In the year 2011, the same was 15.90%, whereas the same grew to 20.40% in 2014. However, the firm witnessed a fall in ROA figure in FY 2015 and the same stood at 18.90% (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). Appendix shows such trend in ROA for last 5 years. Same trend is applicable for Return on Equity (ROE) also. This is graphically portrayed in Appendix. Dividend Payout Ratio (DPR) has steadily declined over the years, and the same has been 88% in FY 2015 (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). It may be inferred that the decrease in DPR is because of the fact that the company is attempting to increase its accumulated reserves for the purpose of future expansion and sustainability. Net Debt of the firm has also regularly decreased from $13,595 million in FY 2011 to $10,521 million in FY 2014, except in FY 2015 with an in crease to $13,566 million (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). Valuation The financial performance of the firm has been found to be robust for last few years (Wahlen et al. 2010). An attempt has been made to value the share prices and consequently the entire firm for FY 2015. While doing the same, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) technique has been used. The table shown in Appendix shows the last 5 years financial performance of the business. Free Cash Flow (FCF) for last 5 years has been identified. The same has been discounted using the derived Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). This gives the Present value (PV) of all free cash flow of the firm for last 5 years. On the other hand, this may be termed as the total value of the firm. By deducting the borrowings from the derived amount, value of equity may be ascertained. This exercise provides the total value of equity capital to be around $94,867 million for FY 2015 and $7.74 per share (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). Equity security analysis The income statement of Telstra states a poor equity financing state, it has dropped $44million during the year 2014-2015, constituting to 1% drop, and this state is a result of declining share of net profit from joint ventures and associated entities. According to the Blinder (2010), the price per share has dropped by 0.88% in the year 2015.Though the revenue has increased other incomes have decreased 40%.As a result of this interest of shareholders have been diminishing, further aiding to price per share drop, absence of controlling interest might hamper the security of the company. The financial cost has declined $267million, meaning, less interest payable on long or short term liabilities, on the other hand equity share holders has also declined.Comparing the equity with lowered financial cost, it can be stated equity, with time the interest of shareholders will increase in the company, bringing the companys equity health back to track (Busco, 2008). Earnings per share for continuing operation has declined by 5%.The reasons for the drop of Telstra share is introducing costly products in newly acquired market in Asia, without sufficient market survey.Other reasons are increased competition, previous dormant competitors becoming active, negative share market trend. The table in Appendix below shows the share price movement of the firm for last 4 year (FY 2011-15). In FY 2011 the price of Telstras share was around 2.5 to 3.5 cents whereas the same has risen to 6.140 as on 30th June 2015. Credit analysis The credit rating of the firm has been pretty standard. The table below in Appendix shows the credit rating provided by the agency like SP and Moody's. These ratings prove the fact that the firm has been sound enough to repay its debt obligations and hence enjoy a superior grade by the rating agencies. This has also contributed to Telstras strong reputation among the financial institutions and banks. As far as the credit risk of the business is concerned, Telstra has a profound credit policy for performing a thorough credit risk assessment and accordingly undertaking the risk mitigation processes. The Credit risk of the firm is mainly of two types namely customer credit risk and treasury credit risk. Receivable balances of the business are monitored on a constant basis and any deviations from the plan are noted and acted upon accordingly (Lendel et al. 2015). Telstras policy is to reduce significantly the level of bad debt so that the realisations are assured and risk of non payment is lessened to optimum level. Investments made by the organisation in the money markets are exposed to treasury risk and hence effort is undertaken to monitor the process and manage the risk accordingly (Kieschnick Rotenberg, 2015). The company engages Value at Risk (VaR) methodology to manage credit exposure in the market. Mergers and acquisitions The acquisition of Pacnet has enabled the firm acquiring 29 data centres along with the 109 points of presence (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). The annual report of FY 2015 indicates that new venture Telkomtelstra had also introduced a higher business opportunity for the firm. In addition, the Ooyala has helped the firm increasing the ownership, which has become 97.3% now (Lehner et al. 2015). The financial report indicates that overall merger and acquisition has improved 23.2% NAS revenue of the firm. The reported results also indicate that these acquisitions have resulted increase in the free cash flow in the FY 2015. On the contrary, it has been identified that Tesltra acquired Ooyala in the FY 2014 was not a pure acquisition, as Tesltra tried to keep Ooyala independent entity (www.ooyala.com, 2016). It has been estimated that this merger would help the firm to earn revenue at a growth rate of 20% , primarily due to the video advertisements (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). The free cash flo w adjustments related to the merger and acquisition activity have resulted potential operating results. Additionally, the acquisition with Pacnet has almost doubled the customer base of Telstra in Asian belt (telecoms.com, 2016). This acquisition has enabled Telstra to further increase the China operations through its joint venture. In this context, Lehner et al. (2015) stated that Pacnets acquisition by Telstra was done against a cash value of $5 billion. This acquisition has helped Telstra exploiting the skilled workforce of the Pacnet, thereby exploiting the opportunities to expand the business operation beyond Australia. The executive director of the Telstra announced that the firm had acquired Melbourne headquartered service provider Kloud. The main purpose of the acquisition is to enhance the growth and development of the firm for achieving the next success of the ladder regarding operating margin (Kohlbeck Warfield, 2010). According to the opinion of Liu (2011), the impact of this acquisition process is to improve the cloud-based application of the firm as the organisation had lacked in the enterprise cloud application. This initiative would build up the future capability of the firm and the firm would be able to leverage the channel partners (Edited Risberg, 2006). The Klouds value proposition has the capability to develop a cloud strategy for the customers. The entitled mobile broadband customers of the firm can enjoy the unlimited free Wi-Fi data from the Telstra Air hotspots around the Australia. In the opinion of Coate (2013), the Klouds value proposition is also helpful for the firm to select the suitable technology to transfer the workload. The financial data analysis indicates that the firm has improved its profit on sale by $561m in FY 2015 by incorporating the several merger acquisitions policies (www.telstra.com.au, 2016). Recommendation Since the market price of the share (MPS) as on 30th June 2015 is $6.14 only, and the value per share is calculated at $7.74, it may be inferred that the price of the firms share is undervalued. Hence, it is advisable to hold the shares of the firm. In future, the price of the same will rise. For prospective investors, it is recommended that they should buy the shares of Telstra for a similar reason. Conclusion The primary assertion of the study indicates that the strategic financial analysis of the firm Telstra. While conducting the study, the accounting analysis, financial analysis, valuation and the equity analysis for the firm has been illustrated by the research associate. It helps to identify the revenue margin and the other equity share of the enterprise. Furthermore, the credit analysis of the organisation has donated to Telstras strong reputation among the financial institutions and the other banks. Finally, a strategic recommendation provided by the researcher helps to improve the share values and the interest of the prospective investors. References Blinder, A.S. (2010) Time for financial reform, plan C, The Economists Voice, 7(1), pp. 132134. Busco, C. (2008) Linking governance to strategy: The role of the finance organization, Strategic Direction, 24(4), pp. 2025. Chibuzor, I.M. (2016) The effect of merger and acquisition on development of a firm A case of Migros and TansaÃ…Å ¸ merger in turkey, International Journal of management and economics Invention, 4(2), pp. 125128. Coate, M.B. (2013) Unilateral effects in merger analysis: Models, merits, and merger policy, International Journal of the Economics of Business, 20(2), pp. 145162. Edited, A.R. Risberg, A. (2006) Mergers and acquisitions: A critical reader. Edited by Annette Risberg. New York, NY: Taylor Francis. Erutku, C. (2014) Endogenous merger with learning, The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis Policy, 14(3), pp. 220225. Freddie (2014) In Ooyala, Telstra sees a partner, not just an acquisition. Available at: https://www.ooyala.com/videomind/blog/ooyala-telstra-sees-partner-not-just-acquisition (Accessed: 8 August 2016). KarpaviÄ ius, S. (2014) Dividends: Relevance, rigidity, and signaling,Journal of Corporate Finance, 25(3), pp. 289312. Kieschnick, R. Rotenberg, W. (2015) Working capital management, the credit crisis, and hedging strategies: Canadian evidence,Journal of International Financial Management Accounting, 27(2), pp. 208232. Kohlbeck, M. Warfield, T. (2010) Accounting standard attributes and accounting quality: Discussion and analysis,Research in Accounting Regulation, 22(2), pp. 5970. Lehner, O.M., Grabmann, E. Ennsgraber, C. (2015) Entrepreneurial implications of crowdfunding as alternative funding source for innovations,Venture Capital, 17(1-2), pp. 171189 Lendel, V., Soviar, J. Vodk, J. (2015) Creation of corporate cooperation strategy, Procedia Economics and Finance, 23(2), pp. 434438. Liu, B. (2011) A brief discussion on legal guarantee of industry security in foreign capital merger and acquisition, Asian Social Science, 7(2), pp. 1820. Min, B. (2015) Corporate leverage strategy in an emerging market, Global Business Finance Review, 20(2), pp. 3548. Min, B. (2015) Corporate leverage strategy in an emerging market,Global Business Finance Review, 20(2), pp. 3548. Mobile phones, prepaid phones, broadband, internet, home phones, business phones (no date) Available at: https://www.telstra.com.au (Accessed: 8 August 2016). Skinner, T. (2015) Telstra wraps up Pacnet acquisition. Available at: https://telecoms.com/416552/telstra-wraps-up-pacnet-acquisition/ (Accessed: 8 August 2016). Urza I., F. (2009) Too few dividends? Groups tunneling through chair and board compensation,Journal of Corporate Finance, 15(2), pp. 245256. Wahlen, J.M., Baginski, S.P. Bradshaw, M.T. (2010)Financial reporting, financial statement analysis and valuation: A strategic perspective (book only) - 7th edition. 7th edn. United States: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Statutory Essay Example

Statutory Essay This research paper is intended to define what statutory rape is, its difference from the common rape case and its micro and macro effects. It also aims to give an opinion regarding the enforcement of the much controversial statutory rape laws, based on facts gathered from several sources- all of which would be acknowledged. In the succeeding pages, the researcher would be presenting definitions from several reliable sources. Also, the laws which would be stated in this paper would be taken from several states in the US wherein statutory rape is in the hot seat of the legal arena. These laws further exemplify either the under-enforcement or over-enforcement of statutory rape laws which many analysts and advocacies claim.An analysis of these allegations regarding the statutory rape laws would require the researcher to present the existing laws regarding statutory rape and criticize it in an objective manner through which the researcher would get both the weak and strong points of the laws passed regarding the said crime. The existing laws in this research paper would be based on different statutory rape laws passed in the US- paying particular attention to several states in which statutory rape and the laws revolving around it are of much issue and controversy.Furthermore, since the research would be based on the laws regarding statutory rape, it would be presumed that the laws are based on the constitution of the United States at large. However, the constitutionalities of these laws are not being questioned by this paper. Only the leniency or exaggeration of putting them into life and implementing them are being analyzed and given light.In this light, this paper would raise the following thesis questions:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is statutory rape and how does it differ from an ordinary rape case?2.  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is the status quo of statutory rape in the United States?3.  Ã‚  Ã‚   How doe it affect the victim, the offender and the society, as well?4.  Ã‚  Ã‚   What laws are implemented regarding this crime and are these laws effectively enforced?5.  Ã‚  Ã‚   What proposals can we suggest in order to deter these occurrences in the society?INTRODUCTIONSexual offence can be compared to a very broad spectrum of light wherein each wavelength and light intensity differs from another. At one side, the intensity is weak and light while on the opposite side, it is dark and heavy. Sexual offences greatly vary in the same manner. Identifying a certain type of sexual offence depends on several significant data and circumstances- both objective and subjective. This certain offence may come in the form of the simplest exhibitionism, incest, up to the highest degree of a rape case.However, the most controversial type of rape as of these days is statutory rape. It is a type of sexual offence which may be under different circumstances however; it is defined as a crime of committing a sexual intercourse with a minor- whose age is still below the age of consent (AOC). Statutory rape may be interchangeably used with the terms carnal knowledge of a minor, corruption of a minor or rape of a child- all of which refer to the same crime.Statutory rape is a very concerning crime especially today because it is rising at an alarming rate. In the United States alone, it was estimated that two-thirds of all pregnancy to unmarried teenage girls are fathered by adult men- that is how rampant the problem is. It has been affecting many teenagers most especially in terms of the female. Also, the laws have been mostly targeting the teenage boys, in the public perspective- which make the age-gender group quite anxious when in fact; the statutory rape laws are aimed most commonly at adult males.Also, the increase of this crime’s likelihood makes the female teenager extra-cautious because of the high occurrence of the crime. However, statutory rape is not just focused on and limited to the common rape cases which involve harassment and violenc e casted upon the victim by the sexual offender. The differences and similarities between a common rape case and a statutory rape case will be defined in the succeeding lines.In this regard, there are a growing number of advocacies and even professionals which discusses and pushes the nation into fighting for the enforcement of statutory rape laws and deterring these sexual offenders from â€Å"preying into children†[1]. However, although there are laws regarding statutory rape, there are also people who are concerned regarding both the leniency and exaggeration of law enforcers in different cases of statutory rape. Also, many view these laws as impractical and not universal which therefore makes it not applicable to all sorts of statutory rape. Since statutory rape is a very complex case, it therefore needs extreme laws which should be universal and all-encompassing.COMMON RAPE CASE VS STATUTORY RAPEBased on the ideology that a person below the age of majority is not yet cap able of giving a sexual consent, the term statutory rape came into life. Before, in the medieval ages, there was already an existing idea for statutory rape since they believe that it is illegal to commit sexual intercourse with a maiden below the age of 12. As of these days, the age of consent for most states ranges from the age 14 to 18, with the age 16 as the mode[2].Statutory rape case differs from a common rape case due to several factors. First and foremost, the age is a vital determinant between the two cases. For example, in a sexual intercourse with a female below the age of consent, the possible case would be statutory rape. However, if the sexual assault occurred involving two persons both in the age of majority, the case would be a common rape case. Also, we should   put in mind that rape case is not just limited to a sexual offense wherein the victim is a female because a male rape also happens, though not as common as those which involves females as victims.Another d ifference is that sexual coercion need not be present in statutory rape since the child is still incapable of giving consent for sex. In this way, any sexual intercourse with a minor is deemed coercive even without overt coercion. Oppositely, in the case of a common rape case, coercion and force is necessary because the victim already has the capability of acquiescence.In this certain characteristic of statutory rape, a problem regarding laws preventing it arises because there are also cases wherein the teenage girl (in most cases) discloses to the authority that she has a mutual relationship with the man and gave him consent of having sex with her. This and other problems regarding the applicability of the statutory rape laws would be discussed in the succeeding pages.EFFECTS OF STATUTORY RAPE TO THE SOCIETYFatherlessnessSince statutory rape involves a coercive sexual intercourse involving a victim below the AOC, the first problem would be the increase in the likelihood of fatherle ssness in the country. Since marriage is still an illegal act for the minor, the child would be born without a father adding to the population of children in the custody of a single mother. Teen pregnancies out of wedlock is a very significant contributing factor to this concerning phenomenon.Teenage PregnancyTeenage pregnancy comes in the way when the victim gets pregnant after the offence without the blessing of marriage. In the statistics of the United States over the last thirty years, every year, there are about a million females in the age of 15-19 who get pregnant and more than 52% of these gives birth to the child (others either abort or miscarry it) and out of this 52% of women giving birth,72% are out of wedlock[3]. With this, the occurrences of a teenage mother struggling for providing a living to the child would increase at an alarming level.Welfare DependenceThird, the government budget would allocate a higher amount for the welfare of these children and mothers out of wedlock since it is the responsibility of the state to provide them life and assure them of their well-being in many aspects. This equates to the increase of welfare dependency of the citizens since many children are being given birth with these inherent conditions. Actually, teenage pregnancy and birth out of wedlock had already been identified as major obstacle to the nation’s health and state of well being because they eat up a pretty high percent of the state’s money.PovertyTeenage pregnancy and single-parenthood is clearly correlated with poverty and it is also true the other way around. Because of the picture of a mother struggling to provide for his child, poverty would be a very possible future awaiting them. Since statutory rape victims are seldom brought into the altar by the offenders, a life wherein two persons are working for their child’s life is next to impossible.Sexual AbuseAnd lastly, the most concerning effect of statutory rape is the coercion and sexual abuse casted upon the victims most especially the teenage girls. In fact, in a study regarding the teenage mothers of Washington revealed that two-thirds of the populations were victims of sexual abuse, statutory rape, and attempted rape prior to their pregnancy[4]. More than that, experiencing this crime is very detrimental to the psychological and social well-being of the victim making them inferior and feel as outcasts of the society.STATUTORY RAPE LAWSStatutory rape laws have been the subject of many controversies in the legal arena. Many are opposing it while others support it. There are many claims regarding its enforcement as very exaggerated while others claim that the enforcement is never taken seriously by the law enforcers.â€Å"In the United States, statutory rape laws vary from one state to another†. However, all laws revolve around an astounding principle: that a person below the age of consent is incapable of giving permission to someone for having sex with him or her. The age of consent varies from each state, too. Also, statutory rape need not be forceful and coercive which therefore means that even though the victim did not resist and even gave consent, as long as he or she is below the AOC- statutory rape is the crime committed and will always be filed against the person who is older- may it be male or female[5]. (Succeeding laws taken from LaborLawTalk.com)The Federal LawAt large, the federal laws on statutory rape revolve around the act of crossing state borders in order to have a â€Å"legal sex†. Since each state has a different AOC from another, there is a big possibility that the sex offender may bring the victim to a state where the act of coitus is deemed legal. It is stated in the federal law that having sex with a person under the age of consent is still illegal though the location of the intercourse is a place where the age of the victim is already considered legal. The same penalties still apply, meaning , conviction may lead to reclusion perpetua or even death penalty.The Kansas State LawIn the succeeding lines, different laws were obtained from several states where statutory rape has been much of an issue. First off is the state of Kansas where statutory rape is considered a felony when a person commits sex with a minor under the age of 14. However, Kansas laws also offer a lesser case which is called indecent liberties with a crime which applies to a sexual contact involving a child between the ages 14 and 16. The consequences of these crimes are much lesser than former crime. This special case called â€Å"indecent liberties with a child† would really catch attention because somehow, we can see a leniency in this law because it is a crime separate with statutory rape.Although it also involves the same circumstances- that an offender committed sex with a minor below the AOC, the consequences are less grave. Therefore, we can predict than in this law, there would be a view which holds that having sex with a child aged 14-16 may be a crime but is not as serious as sex with a child below 14. Also, with the less grave penalties for the special case, sexual offenders would have more potential in having sex with this age group (14-16). Also, this law failed to see that in a statutory rape case (as defined legally); age does not matter as long as it is below the age of consent. Therefore, sex with a child 14-16 years old is just the same with sex involving a child below 14- which means that the charges should not be diminished.The New York LawStatutory rape in New York is very similar to other states. Only that the laws in New York are more complicated than other states. With the age of the victim and the offender seriously considered, the laws in New York are really strict. There are three types of statutory rape for New York: the first, second and third degree- each varying depending on the age of the offender and the victim but similar in that the crime committed is sex with a minor even without brute force or coercion.Third degree rape is committed when an offender aged 21 or older commits sex with a minor at 17 years or younger. Second degree rape is when an 18 year old offender commits sex with a fifteen year old victim. And lastly, first degree rape- the most serious degree is commission of sex involving an offender (at any age) and a victim below 11 years old, OR, if the offender is 18 years old and commits sex with a thirteen years or younger. In the definitions of statutory rape in New York, we can see the seriousness of the law and its enforcement which is quite impressive however, in the part of the punishment; we can see an exaggeration of this law.In other states, punishments are not that complicated and are justifiable, in terms of being human. Like in Massachusetts, charge and conviction of statutory rape is punished with imprisonment no less than 18 months. In New York however, when convicted of this crime, the penalt y would be imprisonment anywhere from seven to twenty-five years. Considering the case, which is statutory rape, my opinion is that the punishment is quite exaggerated and over-enforced. Statutory rape, we should all remember, is having sex even with the permission of a person below the age of consent. In most cases, even the said to be â€Å"victim† discloses that he or she is also willing to have sex, although immaterial since the case is a statutory rape. However, I believe that the aim of the punishment is not about destroying the future of the offender but more of making him realize that having sex with a child below the AOC is illegal. Even at the least length of imprisonment which is seven years, the experience is already traumatic to the offender to the extent that his or her future is already destroyed just because of giving into the consent of the â€Å"victim†. We should also take into consideration that in some cases, because of the â€Å"victim’sâ €  willingness to have sex with the â€Å"offender† there are instances that the â€Å"victim† lies about his or her age so that the â€Å"offender† would not hesitate in taking his or her offer of having sex.The California Status QuoBased on national records, California recorded the highest rate of teenage pregnancy with two-thirds of the annual 70 000 child births identified with teenage mothers who were impregnated by adults 20 years and older. The prevention of California regarding statutory rape has been very strict and aggressive due to the fact that annually, California releases an amount ranging from $5-7 billion in aiding families started by teenagers[6]. The Californian local government is really doing their best because they believe in the projected outcome of a continued upward trend of teenage pregnancy brought about mostly by statutory rape that these children out of wedlock have a high tendency not to finish school, engage in drugs, and become the next generation of teenagers getting pregnant at an early age. .Aside from Kansas and New York Statutory Rape Laws and California, there are many other states which exhibit either the leniency or exaggeration of these laws. There are many other reasons why these laws are being deemed unlawful by many. Perhaps one reason of this occurrence is that Statutory Rape cases may or may not involve force and therefore, the verdict and penalty should also be based on these circumstances. The laws will not be able to fit all situations justifiably.In fact, even in history, rape laws have been claimed as limited laws and are unable to provide efficient and just results. In an article by Colb (2004), â€Å"she made use of a definition by British Jurist Matthew Hale which states that rape is an accusation easily to be made and hard to be proved and harder to be defended by the party accused, though never so innocent.[7]SUGGESTIONS FOR DETERRING STATUTORY RAPEStatutory rape is indeed a very c oncerning phenomenon in the society not only affecting the persons involved in the commission of the crime but even the society at large. The laws enacted by different states are in such turmoil which is why everyone needs to be aware of the pros and cons of statutory rape. Moreover, we should also consider these statutory rape laws only as aids in preventing these cases, as secondary interventions which we should regard to at the end of the day. The home is still the best institution which can help avoid these societal problems.First and foremost, educating the child is the most important part of awareness. Talking to the child regarding his or her problems and difficulties not only at home but even at school and in the society is a good way of helping your child out of these kinds of mess. Since many teenagers resort to sex because of their personal problems, talking your child out is very necessary.Also, being open with the child’s life especially with her relationship wit h his or her boyfriend or girlfriend is a big help because as parents, you are the one’s who should supervise and be one with all that is happening to the child, be it small or big events. Giving them advice on things most especially on things regarding sex is a good start in preventing teenage pregnancies.PROPOSALS FOR EFFECIENCY OF LAWSSince the laws regarding statutory rape cases are being put into hot seats, it would be necessary to make these laws more efficient and create a new image of justifiability and goal-oriented.First is about creating a law which increases the penalty of the crime however being faithful to the circumstances and considering every detail of the offense. It is also important that the age between the offender and the victim be greatly emphasized and that the consent that the victim to have been given should also be nevertheless given a little consideration.Also, as stated earlier, statutory rape increases welfare dependency and cuts a lot of money f rom the government fund.   In this connection, it is also ideal to impose civil sanctions and punishments to the offender so that the victim and the child (if there is) can be given protection and resources for their treatment like psychological treatment in case trauma resulted to the incidence.Lastly, it would also be considerable to raise the age of consent to the age of 18 so that the prosecution of these cases would be easier and significant to common rape cases. Also, it would help in regaining the relationship of sex and marriage since the age 18 is the legal age of marriage in almost all countries. Re-linking sex with the context of marriage may be achieved through this, thus raising the morality of people in terms of sexual relationship with their partners.CONCLUSIONStatutory rape is indeed a very sensitive issue nowadays. It is climbing at a very concerning rate and positively, the government has provided laws which will help deter these happenings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, although laws are being passed and implemented, their enforcement is not that reliable. Even the laws themselves are somehow incapable of ruling and fitting all cases into one.In this light, statutory rape programs by the government are already being created so that these things will be intervened primarily and would not get into the point of convicting persons and penalizing them into jail. Although the government is the primary mover of preventing these things, people should also remember their integral role in molding their children into productive members of the society.ENDNOTES:Boyer, D., Fine D. â€Å"Sexual Abuse as a Factor in Adolescent Pregnancy and Child Maltreatment,† Family Planning Perspectives, January/February 1992, 24.Colb, Sherry F. â€Å"The pros and cons of statutory rape laws: A 10 year sentence for Marcus Dwayne Dixon†. 2004. Retrieved last October 23, 2007 from http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/02/13/findlaw.analysis.c olb.statutory.rape/index.html.Daniels, M. and Englund, D. â€Å"Statutory Rape: When Adults Prey Sexually Upon Children.† Massachusetts Family Institute, 1997.Department of Health Services, Atlas of Births to California Teens and â€Å"Putting the Jail in Jailbait,† Time, 1/29/1996.Juvenile Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, â€Å"The Strange World of Statutory Rape,† Children’s Rights Report, Vol 2, No. 6, 1978 as cited in article â€Å"Can Statutory Rape Laws Be Effective in Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy?† by Patricia Donovan, Family Planning Perspectives, Vol 29, No. 1 January/February 1997).M. Oberman, â€Å"Gender Issues and the Criminal Law: Turning Girls Into Women: Reevaluating Modern Statutory Rape Law,† Northwestern School of Law Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 85: 15-87, 1994, as cited in article â€Å"Can Statutory Rape Laws Be Effective in Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy?† by Patricia Donovan , Family Planning Perspectives, Vol 29, No. 1 January/February 1997.Rebecca Maynard ed. â€Å"Kids Having Kids: A Robin Hood Foundation Special Report on the Costs of Adolescent Childbearing,† The Robin Hood Foundation, New York, 1996, p. 1.