law in California, I perceive that men are considered second class citizens here. In the case of Bobbit's wife I think she should receive a very stiff sentence for criminal and cruel act she committed despite the circumstances.
The Menendez Brothers case displayed the effects of violent movies in the cinema and violent films on T.V. on these two young men in particular and on youth in our society in general. The majority of the films made in the past 20 years include scenes that portray shootings, stabbings, bombings and other varieties of senseless violence. The senseless murders that the Menendez Brothers committed were similar to what can be seen on the T.V. and movie screen today. Films like "Pulp Fiction," "Die Hard," "Rambo," "Above the Law," "Scar Face," and "Cohen and Tate" are some examples of movies that desensitize the public to killing.
The mission of the mental health profession should be to assist the public with their needs and problems. Some types of abuse have been harder for the profession to deal with and it has lead to neglect suggested by Masson (1984) as in the case of child abuse. When I read about child abuse and the terrible maltreatment children receive from their parents I become sad and shocked. I ask myself how can parents rape their own children? How can a parent have sexual feelings for his or her own children? How can parents beat their children to the point of broken bones and/or death? I feel that understanding abuse and the underlying reasons for it should come first. The Therapy/Counseling for the abuser and the abused should come second. The third should be the law, which should enforce appropriate laws to prevent, punish and work as deterrents if possible.
Abraham Maslow states that humans have basic needs. Some of the basic needs that Maslow (1984) suggested are intangible. Both tangible and intangible needs are necessary for normal growth and it plays an important part ...