How would you set about assessing whether a particular strategy was Essay

How would you set about assessing whether a particular strategy was appropriate for your organisation - Essay Example A balanced scored is later on used to further evaluate the overall business performance and its progress towards attainment of objectives. Strategic management is a stage of managerial activity in which goal settings and tactics are set out. Strategic management provides a sense of direction to the organization and is in close proximity with the organization studies. In the domain of business administration, it is important to talk about strategic alignment as a link between an organization and its environment. As said by Adieu in 2007 "there is strategic consistency when the actions of an organization are consistent with the expectations of management, and these in turn are with the market and the context." (L) Strategic management involves not just the management team of an organization but also the Directorial Board and various other stake holders related to the organization. It also depends on the organizational structure of the organization. Strategic management is a process in its own right. It helps evaluate and control those industries associated with the business, which have already engaged with the company. It also helps ass’s competitors, sets goals and strategies, to counter all competitors and later on reassess every strategy chalked down annually or quarterly. It evaluates the overall impact of the strategy, whether it achieved desired objectives or should it be replaced due to changing trends and paradigms, in the wake of new economic, social, financial or political environment. (Simpson) 1. Situation Analysis: In a situation analysis, various types of analysis take place. Self evaluation as well as competitor analysis. They include both external and internal analysis. Macro and Micro environment factors are also set up. 2. Objective setting: Once a situation analysis has been completed, objectives are set. These objectives should run parallel to a time line. Some objectives are set for achieving short term goals and some for long

Native American Religion and Education Term Paper

Native American Religion and Education - Term Paper Example Whereas the natives can educate others about their cultures, they need someone to stay with them for some period of time in order to teach them. Besides, Brindley argues that the individual must prepare for successful participation in their culture and understanding the culture of these people for them to understand them (page 33). Teaching through ethnography is not only challenging but also complex (Alberts 24). This is because, their religious beliefs only permits them to learn from the locals. Therefore, for the foreigners it takes time before they can start teaching. Besides, these people will only learn through oral face-to-face communication (Alberts 24). Hence, this poses a challenge where in some cases face-to-face education is not possible. Secondly, the established schools should embrace the local culture. According to Brindley, the natives will only accept, respect and support that institution that teaches the native religion (page 34). This means for integration of the education system to these communities they should be inclined towards teaching the values of the indigenous religion. Whereas this may not seem to be a major issue, it has a greater impact on teaching other forms in this community, as other types of religion seem incompatible with their education system. Besides, establishing education institutions in these places is challenging (Gorman 44). Though initially received with rejection the cultural and religious views of the local people are adjusting to accommodate the current education. Both Alberts and Gorman agree that, religious beliefs and practices are in constant reshape with the dynamic environmental situations and interaction with other religion (page 33, 13). Schools are validating both the contemporary and traditional religions for their students. Inversely, the traditional education is also contributing to the larger multicultural society (Brindley 34). Therefore, the educators need

Criminology Essays Youth Crime Prevention

Criminology Essays Youth Crime Prevention Youth Crime Prevention Youth and Crime: The Need for a Prevention Strategy There is considerable debate over the issue of whether the level or the seriousness of offences committed by youth has increased in recent years. Those who feel it has point to statistical evidence of increased youth involvement in certain types of crimes. This position is also often supported by our personal experience of victimization, and our collective exposure to media reports of dramatic incidents involving young offenders. Others, however, argue that some of the apparent increase in official rates is a result of lower tolerance on the part of the public, and of an increasing tendency to use the formal justice system rather than community based or interpersonal solutions in response to offending by young people. In any case, there seems little doubt that there are increasing levels of concern among the public about the problem of youth crime and an increased understanding that most adult offenders start committing offences as youth and, thus, intervention must occur early to be beneficial. 3 The focus is on youth because research shows that early onset of delinquent and aggressive behaviour is the single best predictor of prolonged involvement with the criminal justice system.5 Thus, the intent of prevention focusing on youth is to reduce the occurrence and/or delay the onset of the initiation of delinquent behaviour. In other words, if a comprehensive crime prevention strategy for youth is developed and implemented, it would have the short-term effect of lowering the number of youth processed by the criminal justice system, thus saving both time and money, and the long-term effect of actually lowering the rates of crime and victimization, thus making the role of police less reactive. Crime Prevention The term crime prevention, in the broadest sense, encompasses any activity that has the effect of reducing crime.6 It includes a broad spectrum of activities, ranging from the social development approach to the prevention of opportunity through to deterrence. These include diversion of offenders prior to charging and dealing with offenders after sentence.7 A comprehensive strategy for crime prevention would include a complete range of activities covering all levels of intervention and elements of the crime event. 8 The problem of youth crime is complex and requires the involvement of the families, communities, schools, and often other agencies, to develop and implement prevention initiatives. Focus on the Causes of Criminal Behaviour In dealing with youth and children it is very important to understand the causes of criminal behaviour. Risk factors, such as early onset of delinquent behaviour, family violence, lack of support and supervision, substance abuse, etc., should become the focus for prevention programs. The social development approach is particularly well-suited for dealing with the causes of delinquency. Consideration of Victims’ Needs A lack of support for victims can result in continued victimization, causing further suffering for the victim. The provision of victim support services to deal with the effects of the crime are essential for responding effectively. The interests of other victims and potential victims need to be recognized and addressed as well. The use of alternatives to the traditional court system allows more involvement of victims in the process. If the victims wish to be involved in mediation or victim/offender reconciliation this should be actively encouraged. Tertiary prevention involves the full range of responses that occur after a crime has been committed. The vast majority of the activities of the criminal justice system are tertiary interventions. The objective is to rehabilitate or incapacitate the offender (deter recidivism), deter others who might consider similar behaviour, and repair some of the damage done to the victim. At present, most of the activity in this area concentrates on detecting, convicting, and sanctioning offenders. The major limitation of the public health model described above is the fact that it is grounded in the principles of pure science and implies that causes of crime are as identifiable as the causes of disease. Unfortunately, social science is not as exact a discipline as health science. It is based on associations and probabilities as opposed to certain specific causes. Further, there is often inadequate and sometimes conflicting evidence regarding the validity of specific causes.3 This raises the possibility of mislabeling a specific individual as a potential criminal because of his or her history and social circumstances or, on the other hand, mislabeling someone as unlikely to commit crime because of their positive social environment when in fact they are involved in crime. 4.1.2 Where The Focus of Prevention A prevention initiative must identify one or more specific targets upon which a proposed program can have an impact. The design of an initiative must consider the full range of target options. This requires a focus on all the aspects of a criminal event, which include an offender(s), a victim(s), and a situation(s) which brings these people together.4 The focus on the offender turns our attention to the issue of the motivation of a criminal act (e.g., Why is the individual tempted?; Are there social factors that place the individual at greater risk?), and to the ability of that same individual to exercise sufficient self-control over criminal motives. The thrust of offender-based strategies is to reduce the social conditions believed to contribute to criminal activity, reduce the levels of criminal motivation, or increase the capacity of individuals to exercise self-control. The focus on the situation shifts the attention to the opportunity to commit a criminal act, and to the levels of external control on individuals or groups. The main thrust here is on attempts to make 46 offending more difficult or less rewarding, or to increase the probability that an offender will be identified and caught. The focus on the victim raises the issue of the relative vulnerability of certain individuals or groups to criminal victimization. The thrust of intervention in this area is on improving the ability of potential victims to manage risk more effectively, and on providing the necessary support and assistance necessary to allow people to reduce their exposure to risk. A Conceptual Framework for Crime Prevention The discussion of the possible levels and targets of a prevention initiative can be combined into a typology of prevention options.5 The typology presented in Table 4.1 allows us to identify the range of elements and components that should be considered in the development of a comprehensive prevention strategy. Community Crime Prevention The objective of this strategy is to supplement the work and resources of the police by improving the capacity of a community to supervise and control potential offenders. The emphasis is on increasing informal social control, usually through programs such as Neighbourhood Watch, which recruit members of the community on a volunteer basis as the eyes and ears of the justice system. Tertiary PreventionThe assumption is that this will provide more information to the police and the courts, thus allowing them to improve their rate of arrests and convictions. The theory is that this will deter offenders and thus improve community safety. Unfortunately, the research on this type of programs is not always supportive or encouraging: there is little indication that crime rates are reduced, and it appears that these programs are extremely difficult to set up in the communities that need them the most.6 Traditionally, the criminal justice system has intervened largely at the tertiary level, that is, after an offence has been reported. The overwhelming focus of attention has been on the identification, arrest, prosecution and conviction of offenders. The shift to a focus on prevention of recidivism and the integration of the offender provides a context for the discussion of the general strategy of diversion as an option for dealing with the needs and concerns of victims, offenders, and communities in a more effective and cost efficient manner. A discussion of strategic options for the design and implementation of diversion programs can be found in Chapter 6.0 of this manual. In the area of policing, the problem is to identify and implement policing strategies that maximize the ability to reduce recidivism and ideally, to deter others from getting involved in offending. Traditionally, the role of the police has been to deliver prosecutable cases to the Crown prosecutor for processing the assumption being that successful prosecutions and sentences would have the best effect on both recidivism and general deterrence. However, the recognition of the broad range of risk factors associated with the development of persistent offending offers an alternative to this approach. The lesson from the research on persistent offenders is that success is most likely in situations where the full range of problems faced by the individual are addressed by early intervention. In practical terms, this means designing intervention strategies that reflect the knowledge we have of risk factors. (the above is not in my words just extra info! The assignment must be on one case study only! Thinking errors: Thinking errors involves young people (under the age of 18 years old) attempting to alter the truth and to ignore taking accountability for their actions and repercussions. There are many common thinking errors that young offenders may use. Blaming: a young individualperson who justifies their negative behaviour as being due to someone else initiating the incident they have committed. E.g. it was not my fault, she started it. Assuming: a young individualperson may assume they know what another person is thinking or feeling and will often act before verifying the details. E.g. he looked at me funny as if he wanted to fight so before he hit me I hit him. Minimising: the young individualperson will try to make what he or she did seem less bad. E.g. I didn’t crash the car that badly, it can still start. Telling lies: a young individualperson tries to lie about what he or she have done. E.g. I didn’t steal that lady’s handbag, she dropped it and I picked it up. Coming up with excuses’: a young person constantly making up excuses for their action. E.g. but I really didn’t see her there I thought it was my toy gun not a real gun that was loaded. Thinking errors are created through faulty understanding of facts. Everyone engages in thinking errors at some point in time and it doesn’t automatically render into a life of criminality but many young people engage in criminal behaviour, and will use thinking errors to validate their wrong doings or actions.

Twelve angry men Essay -- essays research papers

An examination of the quantitative and qualitative paradigms will help to identify their strengths and weaknesses and how their divergent approaches can complement each other. In most cases, researchers fall into one of the two camps--either relying exclusively upon "objective" survey questionnaires and statistical analyses and eschewing warm and fuzzy qualitative methods, or using only qualitative methodologies, rejecting the quantitative approach as decontextualizing human behaviour. However, social researchers recognise that each approach has positive attributes, and that combining different methods can result in gaining the best of both research worlds. Quantitative research uses methods adopted from the physical sciences that are designed to ensure objectivity, generalizability and reliability. These techniques cover the ways research participants are selected randomly from the study population in an unbiased manner, the standardised questionnaire or intervention they receive and the statistical methods used to test predetermined hypotheses regarding the relationships between specific variables. The researcher is considered external to the actual research, and results are expected to be replicable no matter who conducts the research. The strengths of the quantitative paradigm are that its methods produce quantifiable, reliable data that are usually generalizable to some larger population. Quantitative measures are often most appropriate for conducting needs as...

Concern of a child in you care Essay

A) There are many different sings, symptoms, indicators and behaviours that may cause concern of a child in you care, some signs may be Unexplained bruising or burns that keep recurring Wearing heavy clothing even in hot weather Bald patches of hair Running away from home, many times Fear of medical examination Aggression towards self (self-harming) and others Fear of physical contact Some signs you may notice with neglect could be that the child is always tired or hungry, asking for food or falling asleep as soon as they come to the setting, has poor hygiene and untreated medical problems. b) Children may get bullied for many different things, whether that be because of their sexuality, race, gender, a disability and more. Some ways children may get bullied could be Physically This may be pushing or shoving them, hitting, kicking and others forms or violence and even threating to hurt them. Verbally This would be name calling and insult, persistent teasing and spreading rumours – it’s important that people think about what they say before they say it, they may think that they are being funny but sometimes the victim won’t see it as being funny. Emotional bullying This could be not speaking to them, when I was as school I remember a lot of my peers use to give each other silent treatment over something little. This form of bullying is very common with younger ages. Furthermore it could include tormenting and humiliating someone. Cyber bullying This way off bullying is becoming more and more common, many children start having the latest technology from a younger age and aren’t always thinking about what they are saying behind the screen to their friends, and what they are doing. Cyber bullying is deliberate way of making someone upset The effects of bullying may be different from person to person but can stay with them for a life time, effecting there confidence, they may also have low  self-esteem and feel isolated from their peers, not be able to achieve as well as they could, in serious cases some children have even taken there life’s because of bullying. It’s important that anyone who works with children has a way of dealing with bullying and is aware of settings policy. C) If a case of bullying is reported or suspected the steps that should be followed would be All known/reported cases of bullying will be investigated by class teacher or member of senior staff Parents of the victim will be questioned about the incident or talk about their concerns Bullies/bully may be asked to make a genuine apology or their parents may be informed about the behaviour of their child After each case is dealt with, it will be watched carefully to make sure there is no recurrence. D) When I was younger, I use to have to wear glasses, I got picked on quite a bit for wearing them, I would get called ‘four eyes, nerd, blind’ and many more days. I remember one day I refused to go to school because I was fed up off getting bullied for wearing glasses, I told my parents what had been happening and why didn’t want to go to school or wear my glasses. They phoned the school to air their concerns and where asked to go for a meeting with the head of year, they was reinsurance that the incident of this will be taken care of and told ways of encouraging me to go back to school, the school even gave me help with dealing with the people. The school listen to what I had to say and my parents, and the problem was quickly dealt with.

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Two

The police had found Stefan's abandoned car by Old Creek Road. That meant he'd left it somewhere between Drowning Creek and the woods. Elena stumbled on the overgrown path through the graveyard, but she kept moving, head down, arms hugging her light sweater to her. She had known this graveyard all her life, and she could find her way through it blind. By the time she crossed the bridge, her shivering had become painful. It wasn't snowing as hard now, but the wind was even worse. It cut through her clothes as if they were made of tissue paper, and took her breath away. Stefan, she thought, and turned onto Old Creek Road, trudging northward. She didn't believe what Damon had said. If Stefan were dead she wouldknow. He was alive, somewhere, and she had to find him. He could be anywhere out in this swirling whiteness; he could be hurt, freezing. Dimly, Elena sensed that she was no longer rational. All her thoughts had narrowed down to one single idea. Stefan. Find Stefan. It was getting harder to keep to the road. On her right were oak trees, on her left, the swift waters of Drowning Creek. She staggered and slowed. The wind didn't seem quite so bad any more, but she did feel very tired. She needed to sit down and rest, just for a minute. As she sank down beside the road, she suddenly realized how silly she had been to go out searching for Stefan. Stefan would come to her. All she needed to do was sit here and wait. He was probably coming right now. Elena shut her eyes and leaned her head against her drawn-up knees. She felt much warmer now. Her mind drifted and she saw Stefan, saw him smile at her. His arms around her were strong and secure, and she relaxed against him, glad to let go of fear and tension. She was home. She-was where she belonged. Stefan would never let anything hurt her. But then, instead of holding her, Stefan was shaking her. He was ruining the beautiful tranquility of her rest. She saw his face, pale and urgent, his green eyes dark with pain. She tried to tell him to be still, but he wouldn't listen.Elena, get up , he said, and she felt the compelling force of those green eyes willing her to do it.Elena, get up now – â€Å"Elena, get up!† The voice was high and thin and frightened. â€Å"Come on, Elena! Get up! We can't carry you!† Blinking, Elena brought a face into focus. It was small and heart-shaped, with fair, almost translucent skin, framed by masses of soft red curls. Wide brown eyes, with snowflakes caught in the lashes, stared worriedly into hers. â€Å"Bonnie,† she said slowly. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"Helping me look for you,† said a second, lower voice on Elena's other side. She turned slightly to see elegantly arched eyebrows and an olive complexion. Meredith's dark eyes, usually so ironic, were worried now, too. â€Å"Stand up, Elena, unless you want to become an ice princess for real.† It should have been warmer inside the car, but Elena's nerve endings were coming back to life, making her shake, telling her how cold she really was. Winter is an unforgiving season, she thought as Meredith drove. â€Å"What's going on, Elena?† said Bonnie from the back seat. â€Å"What did you think you were doing, running away from school like that? And how could you come out here?† Elena hesitated, then shook her head. She wanted nothing more than to tell Bonnie and Meredith everything. To tell them the whole terrifying story about Stefan and Damon and what had really happened last night to Mr. Tanner – and about after. But she couldn't. Even if they would believe her, it wasn't her secret to tell. â€Å"Everyone's out looking for you,† Meredith said. â€Å"The whole school's upset, and your aunt was nearly frantic.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Elena dully, trying to stop her violent shivering. They turned onto Maple Street and pulled up to her house. Aunt Judith was waiting inside with heated blankets. â€Å"I knew if they found you, you'd be half-frozen,† she said in a determinedly cheerful voice as she reached for Elena. â€Å"Snow on the day after Halloween! I can hardly believe it. Where did you girls find her?† â€Å"On Old Creek Road, past the bridge,† said Meredith. Aunt Judith's thin face lost color. â€Å"Near the graveyard? Where the attacks were? Elena, howcould you?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off as she looked at Elena. â€Å"We won't say anything more about it right now,† she said, trying to regain her cheerful manner. â€Å"Let's get you out of those wet clothes.† â€Å"I have to go back once I'm dry,† said Elena. Her brain was working again, and one thing was clear: she hadn't really seen Stefan out there; it had been a dream. Stefan was still missing. â€Å"You have to do nothing of the kind,† said Robert, Aunt Judith's fianc ¦. Elena had scarcely noticed him standing off to one side until then. But his tone brooked no argument. â€Å"The police are looking for Stefan; you leave them to their job,† he said. â€Å"The police think he killed Mr. Tanner. But he didn't. You know that, don't you?† As Aunt Judith pulled her sodden outer sweater off, Elena looked from one face to another for help, but they were all the same. â€Å"Youknow he didn't do it,† she repeated, almost desperately. There was a silence. â€Å"Elena,† Meredith said at last, â€Å"no one wants to think he did. But – well, it looks bad, his running away like this.† â€Å"He didn't run away. He didn't! Hedidn't – â€Å" â€Å"Elena, hush,† said Aunt Judith. â€Å"Don't get yourself worked up. I think you must be getting sick. It was so cold out there, and you got only a few hours of sleep last night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She laid a hand on Elena's cheek. â€Å"I'm not sick,† she cried, pulling away. â€Å"And I'm not crazy, either – whatever you think. Stefan didn't run away and he didn't kill Mr. Tanner, and I don't care if none of you believes me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped, choking. Aunt Judith was fussing around her, hurrying her upstairs, and she let herself be hurried. But she wouldn't go to bed when Aunt Judith suggested she must be tired. Instead, once she had warmed up, she sat on the living room couch by the fireplace, with blankets heaped around her. The phone rang all afternoon, and she heard Aunt Judith talking to friends, neighbors, the school. She assured all of them that Elena was fine. The†¦ the tragedy last night had unsettled her a bit, that was all, and she seemed a little feverish. But she'd be good as new after a rest. Meredith and Bonnie sat beside her. â€Å"Do you want to talk?† Meredith said in a low voice. Elena shook her head, staring into the fire. They were all against her. And Aunt Judith was wrong; she wasn't fine. She wouldn't be fine until Stefan was found. Matt stopped by, snow dusting his blond hair and his dark blue parka. As he entered the room, Elena looked up at him hopefully. Yesterday Matt had helped save Stefan, when the rest of the school had wanted to lynch him. But today he returned her hopeful look with one of sober regret, and the concern in his blue eyes was only for her. The disappointment was unbearable. â€Å"What are you doing here?† Elena demanded. â€Å"Keeping your promise to ‘take care of me'?† There was a flicker of hurt in his eyes. But Matt's voice was level. â€Å"That's part of it, maybe. But I'd try to take care of you anyway, no matter what I promised. I've been worried about you. Listen, Elena – â€Å" She was in no mood to listen to anyone. â€Å"Well, I'm just fine, thank you. Ask anybody here. So you can stop worrying. Besides, I don't see why you should keep a promise to amurderer. â€Å" Startled, Matt looked at Meredith and Bonnie. Then he shook his head helplessly. â€Å"You're not being fair.† Elena was in no mood to be fair either. â€Å"I told you, you can stop worrying about me, and about my business. I'm fine, thanks.† The implication was obvious. Matt turned to the door just as Aunt Judith appeared with sandwiches. â€Å"Sorry, I've got to go,† he muttered, hurrying to the door. He left without looking back. Meredith and Bonnie and Aunt Judith and Robert tried to make conversation while they ate an early supper by the fire. Elena couldn't eat and wouldn't talk. The only one who wasn't miserable was Elena's little sister, Margaret. With four-year-old optimism, she cuddled up to Elena and offered her some of her Halloween candy. Elena hugged her sister hard, her face pressed into Margaret's white-blond hair for a moment. If Stefan could have called her or gotten a message to her, he would have done it by now. Nothing in the world would have stopped him, unless he were badly hurt, or trapped somewhere, or†¦ But Stefan was in trouble, and she had to find him somehow. She worried about it all through the evening, desperately trying to come up with a plan. One thing was clear; she was on her own. She couldn't trust anyone. It grew dark. Elena shifted on the couch and forced a yawn. â€Å"I'm tired,† she said quietly. â€Å"Maybe I am sick after all. I think I'll go to bed.† Meredith was looking at her keenly. â€Å"I was just thinking, Miss Gilbert,† she said, turning to Aunt Judith, â€Å"that maybe Bonnie and I should stay the night. To keep Elena company.† â€Å"What a good idea,† said Aunt Judith, pleased. â€Å"As long as your parents don't mind, I'd be glad to have you.† â€Å"It's a long drive back to Herron. I think I'll stay, too,† Robert said. â€Å"I can just stretch out on the couch here.† Aunt Judith protested that there were plenty of guest bedrooms upstairs, but Robert was adamant. The couch would do just fine for him, he said. After looking once from the couch to the hall where the front door stood plainly in view, Elena sat stonily. They'd planned this between them, or at least they were all in on it now. They were making sure she didn't leave the house. When she emerged from the bathroom a little while later, wrapped in her red silk kimono, she found Meredith and Bonnie sitting on her bed. â€Å"Well, hello, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,† she said bitterly. Bonnie, who had been looking depressed, now looked alarmed. She glanced at Meredith doubtfully. â€Å"She knows who we are. She means she thinks we're spies for her aunt,† Meredith interpreted. â€Å"Elena, you should realize that isn't so. Can't you trust us at all?† â€Å"I don't know. Can I?† â€Å"Yes, because we're yourfriends. † Before Elena could move, Meredith jumped off the bed and shut the door. Then she turned to face Elena. â€Å"Now, for once in your life, listen to me, you little idiot. It's true we don't know what to think about Stefan. But, don't you see, that's your own fault. Ever since you and he got together, you've been shutting us out. Things have been happening that you haven't told us about. At least you haven't told us the whole story. But in spite of that, in spite of everything, we still trust you. We still care about you. We're still behind you, Elena, and we want to help. And if you can't see that, then youare an idiot.† Slowly, Elena looked from Meredith's dark, intense face to Bonnie's pale one. Bonnie nodded. â€Å"It's true,† she said, blinking hard as if to keep back tears. â€Å"Even if you don't like us, we still like you. â€Å" Elena felt her own eyes fill and her stern expression crumple. Then Bonnie was off the bed, and they were all hugging, and Elena found she couldn't help the tears that slid down her face. â€Å"Yangtze?† Bonnie's eyes widened. â€Å"But why would he want to kill a dog?† â€Å"I don't know, but he was there that night, in your house. And he was†¦ angry. I'm sorry, Bonnie.† Bonnie shook her head dazedly. Meredith said, â€Å"Why don't you tell the police?† Elena's laugh was slightly hysterical. â€Å"I can't. It's not something they can deal with. And that's another thing I can't explain. You said you still trusted me; well, you'll just have to trust me about that.† Bonnie and Meredith looked at each other, then at the bedspread, where Elena's nervous fingers were picking a thread out of the embroidery. Finally Meredith said, â€Å"All right. What can we do to help?† â€Å"I don't know. Nothing, unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena stopped and looked at Bonnie. â€Å"Unless,† she said, in a changed voice, â€Å"you can help me find Stefan.† Bonnie's brown eyes were genuinely bewildered. â€Å"Me? But what can I do?† Then, at Meredith's indrawn breath, she said, â€Å"Oh.Oh.† â€Å"You knew where I was that day I went to the cemetery,† said Elena. â€Å"And you even predicted Stefan's coming to school.† â€Å"I thought you didn't believe in all that psychic stuff,† said Bonnie weakly. â€Å"I've learned a thing or two since then. Anyway, I'm willing to believeanything if it'll help find Stefan. If there's any chance at all it will help.† Bonnie was hunching up, as if trying to make her already tiny form as small as possible. â€Å"Elena, you don't understand,† she said wretchedly. â€Å"I'm not trained; it's not something I can control. And – and it's not a game, not any more. The more you use those powers, the more they useyou. Eventually they can end up using you all the time, whether you want it or not. It'sdangerous. â€Å" Elena got up and walked to the cherry wood dresser, looking down at it without seeing it. At last she turned. â€Å"You're right; it's not a game. And I believe you about how dangerous it can be. But it's not a game for Stefan, either. Bonnie, I think he's out there, somewhere, terribly hurt. And there's nobody to help him; nobody's even looking for him, except his enemies. He may be dying right now. He – he may even be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her throat closed. She bowed her head over the dresser and made herself take a deep breath, trying to steady herself. When she looked up, she saw Meredith was looking at Bonnie. Bonnie straightened her shoulders, sitting up as tall as she could. Her chin lifted and her mouth set. And in her normally soft brown eyes, a grim light shone as they met Elena's. The match rasped and threw sparks in the darkness, and then the candle flame burned strong and bright. It lent a golden glow to Bonnie's pale face as she bent over it. â€Å"I'm going to need both of you to help me focus,† she said. â€Å"Look into the flame, and think about Stefan. Picture him in your mind. No matter what happens, keep on looking at the flame. And whatever you do, don't say anything.† Elena nodded, and then the only sound in the room was soft breathing. The flame flickered and danced, throwing patterns of light over the three girls sitting cross-legged around it. Bonnie, eyes closed, was breathing deeply and slowly, like someone drifting into sleep. Stefan, thought Elena, gazing into the flame, trying to pour all her will into the thought. She created him in her mind, using all her senses, conjuring him to her. The roughness of his woolen sweater under her cheek, the smell of his leather jacket, the strength of his arms around her. Oh, Stefan†¦ Bonnie's lashes fluttered and her breathing quickened, like a sleeper having a bad dream. Elena resolutely kept her eyes on the flame, but when Bonnie broke the silence a chill went up her spine. At first it was just a moan, the sound of someone in pain. Then, as Bonnie tossed her head, breath coming in short bursts, it became words. â€Å"Alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said, and stopped. Elena's nails bit into her hand. â€Å"Alone†¦ in the dark,† said Bonnie. Her voice was distant and tortured. There was another silence, and then Bonnie began to speak quickly. â€Å"It's dark and cold. And I'm alone. There's something behind me†¦ jagged and hard. Rocks. They used to hurt – but not now. I'm numb now, from the cold. So cold†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie twisted, as if trying to get away from something, and then she laughed, a dreadful laugh almost like a sob. â€Å"That's†¦ funny. I never thought I'd want to see the sun so much. But it's always dark here. And cold. Water up to my neck, like ice. That's funny, too. Water everywhere – and me dying of thirst. So thirsty†¦ hurts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena felt something tighten around her heart. Bonnie was inside Stefan's thoughts, and who knew what she might discover there? Stefan, tell us where you are, she thought desperately. Look around; tell me what you see. â€Å"†Thirsty. I need†¦ life?† Bonnie's voice was doubtful, as if not sure how to translate some concept. â€Å"I'm weak. He said I'll always be the weak one. He's strong†¦ a killer. But that's what I am, too. I killed Katherine; maybe I deserve to die. Why not just let go?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No!† said Elena before she could stop herself. In that instant, she forgot everything but Stefan's pain. â€Å"Stefan – â€Å" â€Å"Elena!† Meredith cried sharply at the same time. But Bonnie's head fell forward, the flow of words cut off. Horrified, Elena realized what she had done. â€Å"Bonnie, are you all right? Can you find him again? I didn't mean to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie's head lifted. Her eyes were open now, but they looked at neither the candle nor Elena. They â€Å"Elena,† the voice said, â€Å"don't go to the bridge. It's Death, Elena. Your death is waiting there.† Then Bonnie slumped forward. Elena grabbed her shoulders and shook. â€Å"Bonnie!† she almost screamed. â€Å"Bonnie!† â€Å"What†¦ oh, don't. Let go.† Bonnie's voice was weak and shaken, but it was her own. Still bent over, she put a hand to her forehead. â€Å"Bonnie, are you all right?† â€Å"I think so†¦ yes. But it was so strange.† Her tone sharpened and she looked up, blinking. â€Å"What was that, Elena, about being a killer?† â€Å"You remember that?† â€Å"I remember everything. I can't describe it; it was awful. But what did that mean?† â€Å"Nothing,† said Elena. â€Å"He's hallucinating, that's all.† Meredith broke in. â€Å"He? Then you really think she tuned in to Stefan?† Elena nodded, her eyes sore and burning as she looked away. â€Å"Yes. I think that was Stefan. It had to be. And I think she even told us where he is. Under Wickery Bridge, in the water.†