Child abuse is the physical, sexual or emotional mistreatment or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department for Children And Families (DCF) define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. Child abuse can occur in a child's home, or in the organizations, schools or communities the child interacts with. There are four major categories of child abuse: neglect, physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, and child sexual abuse.

Different jurisdictions have developed their own definitions of what constitutes child abuse for the purposes of removing a child from his/her family and/or prosecuting a criminal charge. According to the ''Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect'', child abuse is "any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm". A person who feels the need to abuse or neglect a child may be described as a "pedopath".

Types

Child abuse can take several forms: The four main types are physical, sexual, psychological, and neglect. A Coordinated Response to Child Abuse and Neglect: The Foundation for Practice], Office on Child Abuse and doctor). There are many effects of child neglect, such as children not being able to interact with other children around them. The continuous refusal of a child's basic needs is considered chronic neglect.

Physical abuse

Some humans-service professionals claim that cultural norms that sanction physical punishment are one of the causes of child abuse, and have undertaken campaigns to redefine such norms.

Child sexual abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent abuses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of CSA include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities (regardless of the outcome), indecent exposure of the genitals to a child, displaying pornography to a child, actual sexual contact against a child, physical contact with the child's genitals, viewing of the child's genitalia without physical contact, or using a child to produce child pornography. Selling the sexual services of children may be viewed and treated as child abuse with services offered to the child rather than simple incarceration.

Effects of child sexual abuse include guilt and self-blame, flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, fear of things associated with the abuse (including objects, smells, places, doctor's visits, etc.), self-esteem issues, sexual dysfunction, chronic pain, addiction, self-injury, suicidal ideation, somatic complaints, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, other mental illnesses (including borderline personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder, propensity to re-victimization in adulthood, bulimia nervosa, physical injury to the child, among other problems. Approximately 15% to 25% of women and 5% to 15% of men were sexually abused when they were children. Most sexual abuse offenders are acquainted with their victims; approximately 30% are relatives of the child, most often brothers, fathers, mothers, uncles or cousins; around 60% are other acquaintances such as friends of the family, babysitters, or neighbours; strangers are the offenders in approximately 10% of child sexual abuse cases. In over one-third of cases, the perpetrator is also a minor (see child-on-child sexual abuse).

Psychological/emotional abuse

Out of all the possible forms of abuse, emotional abuse is the hardest to define. It could include name-calling, ridicule, degradation, destruction of personal belongings, torture or killing of a pet, excessive criticism, inappropriate or excessive demands, withholding communication, and routine labeling or humiliation.

Victims of emotional abuse may react by distancing themselves from the abuser, internalizing the abusive words, or fighting back by insulting the abuser. Emotional abuse can result in abnormal or disrupted attachment development, a tendency for victims to blame themselves (self-blame) for the abuse, learned helplessness, and overly passive behavior.

Prevalence

According to the (American) National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, in 1997 neglect represented 54% of confirmed cases of child abuse, physical abuse 22%, sexual abuse 8%, emotional maltreatment 4%, and other forms of maltreatment 12%.

A UNICEF report on child wellbeing stated that the United States and the United Kingdom ranked lowest among industrial nations with respect to the wellbeing of children. It also found that child neglect and child abuse were far more common in single-parent families than in families where both parents are present.

In the USA, neglect is defined as the failure to meet the basic needs of children including housing, clothing, food and access to medical care. Researchers found over 91,000 cases of neglect in one year (from October 2005 to 30 September 2006) using information from a database of cases verified by protective services agencies.

Neglect could also take the form of financial abuse by not buying the child adequate materials for survival.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that for each year between 2000 and 2005, "female parents acting alone" were most likely to be perpetrators of child abuse.

Race and ethnicity of victims in 2010: 44.8% of all victims were White, 21.9% were African American, and 21.4% were Hispanic.

Fatalities

A child abuse fatality: when a child’s death is the result of abuse or neglect, or when abuse and/or neglect are contributing factors to a child’s death. In the United States, 1,730 children died in 2008 due to factors related to abuse; this is a rate of 2 per 100,000 U.S. children. Child abuse fatalities are widely recognized as being under-counted; it is estimated that between 60–85% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates. Younger children are at a much higher risk for being killed, as are African Americans. Girls and boys, however, are killed at similar rates. Caregivers, and specifically mothers, are more likely to be the perpetrators of a child abuse fatality, than anyone else, including strangers, relatives, and non-relative caregivers . Family situations which place children at risk include moving, unemployment, having non-family members living in the household. A number of policies and programs have been put into place to try to better understand and to prevent child abuse fatalities, including: safe-haven laws, child fatality review teams, training for investigators, shaken baby syndrome prevention programs, and child abuse death laws which mandate harsher sentencing for taking the life of a child.

Causes

Child abuse is a complex phenomenon with multiple causes. Understanding the causes of abuse is crucial to addressing the problem of child abuse. Parents who physically abuse their spouses are more likely than others to physically abuse their children. However, it is impossible to know whether marital strife is a cause of child abuse, or if both the marital strife and the abuse are caused by tendencies in the abuser.

Children resulting from unintended pregnancies are more likely to be abused or neglected. In addition, unintended pregnancies are more likely than intended pregnancies to be associated with abusive relationships, and there is an increased risk of physical violence during pregnancy. They also result in poorer maternal mental health, and lower mother-child relationship quality.

Substance abuse can be a major contributing factor to child abuse. One U.S. study found that parents with documented substance abuse, most commonly alcohol, cocaine, and heroin, were much more likely to mistreat their children, and were also much more likely to reject court-ordered services and treatments. Another study found that over two thirds of cases of child maltreatment involved parents with substance abuse problems. This study specifically found relationships between alcohol and physical abuse, and between cocaine and sexual abuse.

Unemployment and financial difficulties are associated with increased rates of child abuse. In 2009 CBS News reported that child abuse in the United States had increased during the economic recession. It gave the example of a father who had never been the primary care-taker of the children. Now that the father was in that role, the children began to come in with injuries.

A 1988 study of child murders in the US found that children are 100 times more often killed by a "non-biological parent (e.g. step-parent, co-habitee or boyfriend/girlfriend of a biological parent)" than by a biological parent. An evolutionary psychology explanation for this is that using resources in order to take care of another person's biological child is likely not a good strategy for increasing reproductive success. See also Infanticide (zoology). More generally, stepchildren have a much higher risk of being abused which is sometimes referred to as the Cinderella effect.

Effects

There are strong associations between exposure to child abuse in all its forms and higher rates of many chronic conditions. The strongest evidence comes from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) series of studies which show correlations between exposure to abuse or neglect and higher rates in adulthood of chronic conditions, high-risk health behaviors and shortened lifespan. A recent publication, ''Hidden Costs in Health Care: The Economic Impact of Violence and Abuse'', makes the case that such exposure represents a serious and costly public-health issue that should be addressed by the healthcare system. Child abuse is a major life stressor that has consequences involving the mental health of an adult but, the majority of studies examining the negative consequences of abuse have been focused on adolescences and young adults. It has been identified that childhood sexual abuse is a risk factor for the development of substance-related problems during adolescence and adulthood. The early experiences of child abuse can trigger the development of an internalizing disorder, such as anxiety and depression. For example, adults with a history of some form of child abuse, whether sexual abuse, physical abuse, or neglect, have more chances of developing depression then an adult who has never been abused. Child abuse can also cause problems with the neurodevelopment of a child. Research shows that abused children often develop deficits with language, deregulation of mood, behaviour and also social/emotional disturbances. These risks are elevated when child abuse is combined with traumatic events and/or fetal alcohol exposure.

Psychological effects

Children who have a history of neglect or physical abuse are at risk of developing psychiatric problems, or a disorganized attachment style. Disorganized attachment is associated with a number of developmental problems, including dissociative symptoms, as well as anxiety, depressive, and acting out symptoms. A study by Dante Cicchetti found that 80% of abused and maltreated infants exhibited symptoms of disorganized attachment. When some of these children become parents, especially if they suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociative symptoms, and other sequelae of child abuse, they may encounter difficulty when faced with their infant and young children's needs and normative distress, which may in turn lead to adverse consequences for their child's social-emotional development. Despite these potential difficulties, psychosocial intervention can be effective, at least in some cases, in changing the ways maltreated parents think about their young children.

Victims of childhood abuse, it is claimed, also suffer from different types of physical health problems later in life. Some reportedly suffer from some type of chronic head, abdominal, pelvic, or muscular pain with no identifiable reason. Even though the majority of childhood abuse victims know or believe that their abuse is, or can be, the cause of different health problems in their adult life, for the great majority their abuse was not directly associated with those problems, indicating that sufferers were most likely diagnosed with other possible causes for their health problems, instead of their childhood abuse.

The effects of child abuse vary, depending on the type of abuse. A 2006 study found that childhood emotional and sexual abuse were strongly related to adult depressive symptoms, while exposure to verbal abuse and witnessing of domestic violence had a moderately strong association, and physical abuse a moderate one. For depression, experiencing more than two kinds of abuse exerted synergetically stronger symptoms. Sexual abuse was particularly deleterious in its intrafamilial form, for symptoms of depression, anxiety, dissociation, and limbic irritability. Childhood verbal abuse had a stronger association with anger-hostility than any other type of abuse studied, and was second only to emotional abuse in its relationship with dissociative symptoms. More generally, in the case of 23 of the 27 illnesses listed in the questionnaire of a French INSEE survey, some statistically significant correlations were found between repeated illness and family traumas encountered by the child before the age of 18 years. According to Georges Menahem, the French sociologist who found out these correlations by studying health inequalities, these relationships show that inequalities in illness and suffering are not only social. Health inequality also has its origins in the family, where it is associated with the degrees of lasting affective problems (lack of affection, parental discord, the prolonged absence of a parent, or a serious illness affecting either the mother or father) that individuals report having experienced in childhood.

Physical effects

Children who are physically abused are likely to receive bone fractures, particularly rib fractures, and may have a higher risk of developing cancer. Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as juveniles, 28% more likely to be arrested as adults, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.

The immediate physical effects of abuse or neglect can be relatively minor (bruises or cuts) or severe (broken bones, hemorrhage, or even death). In some cases the physical effects are temporary; however, the pain and suffering they cause a child should not be discounted. Meanwhile, the long-term impact of child abuse and neglect on physical health is just beginning to be explored. The long-term effects can be:

Shaken baby syndrome. Shaking a baby is a common form of child abuse that often results in permanent neurological damage (80% of cases) or death (30% of cases). Damage results from intracranial hypertension (increased pressure in the skull) after bleeding in the brain, damage to the spinal cord and neck, and rib or bone fractures (Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2007).

Impaired brain development. Child abuse and neglect have been shown, in some cases, to cause important regions of the brain to fail to form or grow properly, resulting in impaired development (De Bellis & Thomas, 2003). These alterations in brain maturation have long-term consequences for cognitive, language, and academic abilities (Watts-English, Fortson, Gibler, Hooper, & De Bellis, 2006). NSCAW found more than three-quarters of foster children between 1 and 2 years of age to be at medium to high risk for problems with brain development, as opposed to less than half of children in a control sample (ACF/OPRE, 2004a).

Poor physical health. Several studies have shown a relationship between various forms of household dysfunction (including childhood abuse) and poor health (Flaherty et al., 2006; Felitti, 2002). Adults who experienced abuse or neglect during childhood are more likely to suffer from physical ailments such as allergies, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, high blood pressure, and ulcers (Springer, Sheridan, Kuo, & Carnes, 2007).

On the other hand, there are some children who are raised in child abuse, but who manage to do unexpectedly well later in life regarding the preconditions. Such children have been termed '''', as inspired from the way that dandelions seem to prosper irrespective of soil, sun, drought, or rain. Such children (or currently grown-ups) are of high interest in finding factors that mitigate the effects of child abuse.

Prevention

Unintended conception increases the risk of subsequent child abuse, and large family size increases the risk of child neglect. Thus a comprehensive study for the National Academy of Sciences concluded that affordable contraceptive services should form the basis for child abuse prevention. "The starting point for effective child abuse programming is pregnancy planning," according to an analysis for US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop.

April has been designated Child Abuse Prevention Month in the United States since 1983. U.S. President Barack Obama continued that tradition by declaring April 2009 Child Abuse Prevention Month. One way the Federal government of the United States provides funding for child-abuse prevention is through Community-Based Grants for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (CBCAP).

Resources for child-protection services are sometimes limited. According to Hosin (2007), "a considerable number of traumatized abused children do not gain access to protective child-protection strategies." Briere (1992) argues that only when "lower-level violence" of children ceases to be culturally tolerated will there be changes in the victimization and police protection of children.

Treatment

A number of treatments are available to victims of child abuse. Dyadic developmental psychotherapy has been found to be an effective and evidence-based treatment. It emphasizes the intersubjective sharing of experience. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, first developed to treat sexually abused children, is now used for victims of any kind of trauma. It targets trauma-related symptoms in children including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), clinical depression and anxiety. It also includes a component for non-offending parents. Several studies have found that sexually abused children undergoing TF-CBT improved more than children undergoing certain other therapies. Data on the effects of TF-CBT for children who experienced only non-sexual abuse was not available as of 2006.

Abuse-focused cognitive behavioral therapy was designed for children who have experienced physical abuse. It targets externalizing behaviors and strengthens prosocial behaviors. Offending parents are included in the treatment, to improve parenting skills/practices. It is supported by one randomized study.

Dyadic developmental psychotherapy has been found to be an effective and evidence-based treatment. It emphasizes the intersubjective sharing of experience.

Child-parent psychotherapy was designed to improve the child-parent relationship following the experience of domestic violence. It targets trauma-related symptoms in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, including PTSD, aggression, defiance, and anxiety. It is supported by two studies of one sample.

Other forms of treatment include group therapy, play therapy, and art therapy. Each of these types of treatment can be used to better assist the client, depending on the form of abuse they have experienced. Play therapy and art therapy are ways to get children more comfortable with therapy by working on something that they enjoy (coloring, drawing, painting, etc.). The design of a child's artwork can be a symbolic representation of what they are feeling, relationships with friends or family, and more. Being able to discuss and analyze a child's artwork can allow a professional to get a better insight of the child.

Ethics

One of the most challenging ethical dilemmas arising from child abuse relates to the parental rights of abusive parents or caretakers with regard to their children, particularly in medical settings. In the United States, the 2008 New Hampshire case of Andrew Bedner drew attention to this legal and moral conundrum. Bedner, accused of severely injuring his infant daughter, sued for the right to determine whether or not she remain on life support; keeping her alive, which would have prevented a murder charge, created a motive for Bedner to act that conflicted with the apparent interests of his child. Bioethicists Jacob M. Appel and Thaddeus Mason Pope recently argued, in separate articles, that such cases justify the replacement of the accused parent with an alternative decision-maker.

Child abuse also poses ethical concerns related to confidentiality, as victims may be physically or psychologically unable to report abuse to authorities. Accordingly, many jurisdictions and professional bodies have made exceptions to standard requirements for confidentiality and legal privileges in instances of child abuse. Medical professionals, including doctors, therapists, and other mental health workers typically owe a duty of confidentiality to their patients and clients, either by law and/or the standards of professional ethics, and cannot disclose personal information without the consent of the individual concerned. This duty conflicts with an ethical obligation to protect children from preventable harm. Accordingly, confidentiality is often waived when these professionals have a good faith suspicion that child abuse or neglect has occurred or is likely to occur and make a report to local child protection authorities. This exception allows professionals to breach confidentiality and make a report even when the child or his/her parent or guardian has specifically instructed to the contrary. Child abuse is also a common exception to Physician–patient privilege: a medical professional may be called upon to testify in court as to otherwise privileged evidence about suspected child abuse despite the wishes of the child and his/her family.

Organizations

There are organizations at national, state, and county levels in the United States that provide community leadership in preventing child abuse and neglect. The National Alliance of Children's Trust Funds and Prevent Child Abuse America are two national organizations with member organizations at the state level.

Many investigations into child abuse are handled on the local level by Child Advocacy Centers. Started over 25 years ago at what is now known as the National Children's Advocacy Center in Huntsville, Alabama by District Attorney Robert "Bud" Cramer these multi-disciplinary teams have met to coordinate their efforts so that cases of child abuse can be investigated quickly and efficiently, ultimately reducing trauma to the child and garnering better convictions. These Child Advocacy Centers (known as CACs) have standards set by the National Children's Alliance.

Other organizations focus on specific prevention strategies. The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome focuses its efforts on the specific issue of preventing child abuse that is manifested as shaken baby syndrome. Mandated reporter training is a program used to prevent ongoing child abuse.

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Cold-nosed Comfort – Maryland Lawyer article about using a facility service dog to aid child abuse victims

Pete – Award-winning short film about child abuse

"What is child abuse and neglect?", Oregon Department of Human Services.

Prevent Child Abuse America

Study on Child Abuse: India 2007 Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India

Prevent Child Abuse France

Category:Articles with inconsistent citation formats : Category:Crimes Category:Family therapy

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name	Kelsey Shelton Smith-Briggs
birth date	December 28, 2002
birth place	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
death date	October 11, 2005
death place	Meeker, Oklahoma, USA
death cause	Homicide - Blunt force trauma to the abdomen
resting place	Meeker, Oklahoma
nationality	American
weight	30 lbs
parents	Lance Briggs and Raye Dawn Smith
footnotes	}}

Kelsey Shelton Smith-Briggs (28 December 2002 - 11 October 2005) is a child abuse victim. She died at the home of her biological mother Raye Dawn Smith, and her stepfather Michael Lee Porter. Her death was ruled a homicide. Kelsey had been "closely" observed by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services from January 2005 up to and including the day of her death.

Birth and early childhood

Kelsey was born on December 28, 2002 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to divorced parents. She lived with her mother, and maintained contact with her paternal family. The first two years of her life were uneventful. Before January 2005, no signs of abuse were reported to authorities, nor noticed by family members nor Kelsey's day care staff.

Abuse

From January 2005 to the end of her life, Kelsey had suffered several documented and confirmed incidences of child abuse. Her injuries included a broken collarbone, broken legs, and multiple bruises and abrasions on her face and body.

On January 17, 2005, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) first confirmed abuse against Kelsey's mother after Kelsey was taken to a local emergency room with a broken collarbone, multiple bruises and abrasions to Kelsey's lower back, buttocks, and thighs.

In April 2005, both of Kelsey's legs were broken. Medical examiners determined these were spiral fractures in different stages of healing and were caused by child abuse. After this incident, Kelsey was taken into OKDHS (State's) custody.

On June 15, 2005, Kelsey was placed into the home of biological mother Raye Dawn Smith and stepfather Michael Lee Porter by Associate District Judge Craig Key, against an OKDHS recommendation. The judge stated that the abuser was "unknown".

Death

Kelsey Shelton Smith-Briggs died on October 11, 2005 at the home of her mother, Raye Dawn Smith, and her stepfather, Michael Lee Porter in Meeker, Oklahoma. Her death was ruled a homicide from blunt force trauma to the abdomen.

Trial, verdict and sentences

Michael Lee Porter (stepfather) was charged with sexual assault and first-degree murder, but in February 2007 he pleaded guilty to enabling child abuse and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Raye Dawn Smith (biological mother) was convicted on July 18, 2007 of enabling child abuse and was sentenced to 27 years in prison. She was denied her request for appeal.

Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act

In March 2006, the Oklahoma state legislature passed the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act to reform the way courts and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) handle cases related to child abuse and neglect.

References

External links

'Heavens Gates Memorial Site for Kelsey Briggs'

YouTube "The Kelsey Briggs Story"

Snopes.com entry on "Kelsey Smith-Briggs"

Website founded by Kelsey's grandmother

Child welfare reform website with information on the Child Protection Reform Act and other legislation

Category:2002 births Category:2005 deaths Category:People from Oklahoma Category:People from Lincoln County, Oklahoma Category:Crimes against children Category:Murdered American children Category:People murdered in Oklahoma Category:Child abuse resulting in death Category:2005 murders in the United States

es:Kelsey Briggs pl:Kelsey Smith-Briggs

''The Steve Harvey Show'' (also known as ''Steve Harvey'') is an American sitcom that aired for six seasons from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002 on The WB Television Network. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.

Synopsis

Steve Hightower (Steve Harvey) is a has-been 1970s funk legend who is now a music teacher/Vice-principal at Booker T. Washington High School on Chicago's West Side. Budget cutbacks meant Steve also had to teach drama and art, much to his surprise. Cedric Robinson (Cedric the Entertainer) is a coach at the high school, and Steve's long-time best friend. The principal of Booker T. Washington High is Steve's former classmate, Regina Grier (Wendy Raquel Robinson), who Steve affectionately calls "Piggy", due to the fact that she was overweight as an adolescent.

Steve seemingly meets his match in a pair of his students: Romeo Santana (Merlin Santana), a stylish, popular, self-absorbed ladies' man, and the equally vacuous Stanley Kuznocki, nicknamed Bullethead (William Lee Scott).

In 1997, the show introduced a new character, a secretary named Lovita Jenkins (Terri J. Vaughn), a woman who is fundamentally good in nature, but nonetheless, considerably unrefined in terms of disposition. Cedric and Lovita begin dating, and eventually marry and produce a child. The show also featured a succession of young actresses who served as female foils to Romeo and Bullethead; the longest-lasting of these was Lori Beth Denberg as the overachieving, socially inept Lydia Gutman. Rapper The Lady of Rage also had a recurring role as Coretta Cox, a physically massive, brutish teenaged girl in romantic pursuit of Romeo. She would also call Bullethead a "broke Brad Pitt" whenever he annoyed her.

Steve was part of a fictional singing group called "Steve Hightower and the High Tops," who would temporarily reunite to perform on occasion (the spelling of "High Tops" appears on a promotional poster that hangs on Steve's wall). The members consisted of Steve, T-Bone (played by T.K. Carter, later by Don 'D.C.' Curry), Pretty Tony (played by Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers), and Clyde (played by Jonathan Slocumb). Two of their signature songs (performed several times on the show) were "When the Funk Hits the Fan," and "Break Me Off a Piece of That Funk." Though Cedric was not an original member of the group, he usually sang with them on several events.

A few other recurring characters throughout the series included Cedric's grandmother named "Grandma Puddin'" (played by Cedric the Entertainer) and Regina's boyfriend, former NFL star Warrington Steele (played by Dorien Wilson). Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell appeared in several episodes as "Junior" and "Vincent." Wayne Wilderson portrayed Byron, a "bougie" type character who was a TV producer and a member of the Onyx Club (a professional men's group that Steve and Cedric tried to join). Dwayne Adway played Jordan Maddox, a professional basketball player who was briefly married to Regina before dying during their honeymoon. Ernest Lee Thomas made a couple of appearances as the Reverend who eulogized Maddox, and who married Cedric and Lovita.

Running gags

There were a few recurrent gags throughout the series. For instance, Lovita had several relatives named after products or items (her brother's name was Duracell; she had cousins named "Kinko", "Bruschetta," "Clinique," and "Camay").

Steve also made several references to his well known hot spot "The Nasty Kitty" and his favorite working girl, Bubblicious, even though the strip club is never seen. Steve's topical humor of popular culture was also another recurring gag. One example of these jokes: "When I see that woman, I'm like Shaq doing Shakespeare- I just don't know how to act!". Another recurring gag on the show was despite being a one-time famous musician in the universe of the show, Steve was always mistaken for being other famous musicians. For example, in an episode guest starring Jerry Springer, he refers to him as "That Cop from the Village People." Another episode featured singer Teena Marie, who when Steve went to introduce himself to see if she'd remember him, answers "Oh Yes! Lionel! How are you? Give my best to the rest of The Commodores." (This was in obvious reference to singer Lionel Richie).

Though Regina blossomed into a beautiful, stylish lady, she sometimes displayed her insecurities, and was highly competitive (always displayed childlike exuberance whenever she won a trophy by yelling her signature catch phrase "Bam! In your face!", and once cheated Steve in a game of Scrabble because he played it better than she). In addition, the romantic tension between Steve and Regina eventually blossomed into a relationship.

A very well known gag was Cedric's story about being from Willacoochee, Georgia, where he was raised in a one bedroom shack. The story was never finished, the scene would change or someone would interrupt him. Cedric's love for decking out his Hyundai, which was never seen in the show, was another running gag, as well as offering to take Lovita out to dinner whenever he had a two-for-one coupon at the Sizzler restaurant.

Occasional gags referenced Bullethead's trailer park lifestyle, and Romeo's numerous names (he has used the names Romeo Miguel Jesus Pele Rojas Alejandro Santana). In one episode, he wrote all of his names on paper but never prepared his assignment, resulting in an "F." Lydia almost always displayed an obsession for her classmate/alleged lover, Arthur Rabinowitz (whom Steve referred to as "that polite Jewish boy that does his taxes"), and for her favorite entertainer, Barbra Streisand; however, she had total disdain for classmates "Heather the cheerleader" and "Jennifer the cheerleader". One other gag was that teachers would refer to a student (amongst themselves) due to a condition or appearance ("Helmet Boy" for wearing a special helmet in gym class; "Au Natural Girl" for having a strong body odor, and "Firestarter" for one kid who kept setting items on fire).

Cast

Main cast

Steve Harvey – Steven "Steve" Hightower

Cedric the Entertainer – Cedric Jackie Robinson

Merlin Santana – Romeo Santana

William Lee Scott – Stanley "Bullethead" Kuznocki

Wendy Raquel Robinson – Principal Regina Grier-Maddox

Terri J. Vaughn – Lovita Alizé Jenkins-Robinson (1997–2002)

Tracy Vilar – Sophia Ortiz (1996–1997)

Netfa Perry – Sara (1996–1997)

Ariyan A. Johnson – Aisha (1997–1998)

Lori Beth Denberg – Lydia Liza Guttman (1998–2002)

Recurring cast

Kel Mitchell – Vincent (1996–1999)

Kenan Thompson – Junior (1996–1999)

T. K. Carter – T-Bone (1996–1999)

Ronald Isley – Pretty Tony (1996–2001)

Jonathan Slocumb – Clyde (1996–2001)

The Lady of Rage – Coretta "The Ox" Cox (1997–2000; credited during season 4 episodes as "Robin Yvette")

Wayne Wilderson – Byron (1998–2001)

Dorien Wilson – Warrington Steele (1998–1999)

Samm Levine – Arthur Rabinowitz (2001)

Don "D.C." Curry – T-Bone (1999–2001)

Dwayne Adway – Jordan Maddox (2000)

Special guest appearances

Teena Marie

Jerry Springer

Bow Wow

Jermaine Dupri

Teddy Riley

Snoop Dogg

Sean Combs

Kim Fields

Isabel Sanford

Judge Greg Mathis

Antonio Fargas

Busta Rhymes

Brian McKnight

Nikki Cox

Boris Kodjoe

Gabrielle Union

Bumper Robinson

Seasonal ratings in the United States

! Season	! Network	! Season premiere	! Season finale	! Rank	! Viewers(in millions)
! 1		August 25, 1996	May 18, 1997
! 2	September 10, 1997	May 13, 1998
! 3	September 18, 1998	May 20, 1999
! 4	September 24, 1999	May 19, 2000
! 5	October 8, 2000	May 20, 2001
! 6	October 14, 2001	February 17, 2002

Series end

In 2001, Harvey decided to pursue other projects. He wished to end the show after the fifth season, but at the insistence of the WB network, reluctantly filmed a 13-episode sixth season.

The series ended with Regina mulling over a job offer to be a principal at a private school in California. Steve, who doesn't want Regina to go, acts supportive despite his feelings. Regina ends up taking the job; with encouragement from Lydia, Bullethead, and Romeo, Steve decides to go after her to reveal his true feelings. Lydia, Romeo and Bullethead have all graduated by the series' finale. Meanwhile, Cedric and Lovita win the lottery and Lovita goes into labor (Terri J. Vaughn's real-life pregnancy was written into the show that season).

Death of Merlin Santana

On November 9, 2002, nine months after the series ended, Merlin Santana was shot and killed while sitting in his car in South Los Angeles, California. He was 26 years old. The reason for his death is that one of the killers' girlfriend falsely stated that Santana tried to rape her. The airing of "The Steve Harvey Show" immediately following Santana's death was dedicated to his memory.

Syndication

The series was first distributed to syndication to WB and UPN affiliates in the United States by Columbia TriStar Domestic Television in September 2001, and remained airing in broadcast syndication in some U.S. markets on various local stations (such as WCIU and Me-TV in Chicago) as late as 2008.

The series aired on BET until March 2009, and was on TBS in the United States until September 24, 2011, UK Channel Trouble. It was broadcast on Ion Television until March 16, 2009. TBS missed most of the first inning of Game 6 of the 2008 American League Championship Series, with viewers getting a rerun of ''The Steve Harvey Show'' instead. TBS picked up the game just prior to the last out in the bottom of the first, with announcer Chip Caray apologizing to viewers for "technical difficulties." TBS acknowledged there was a problem with one of their routers used in the broadcast transmission of the relay of the telecast from Atlanta.

DVD release

In 2003, Sony Pictures released ''The Best of the Steve Harvey Show, Vol. 1'', on Region 1 DVD. The disc features five episodes of the series.

Awards and nominations

Nominated rowspan=4Nominated rowspan=24NominatedNominatedNominatedNominatedWon

style="background-color: #BCBCBC"	Year	Award	Result	Category	Recipient
rowspan=2	1996	NCLR Bravo Awards	|	Outstanding Individual Performance in a Comedy Series	Tracy Vilar
Nominated	Outstanding Individual Performance in a Comedy Series
rowspan=3	1998	ALMA Award ||	Nominated	Outstanding Comedy Series	-
Nominated	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Nominated	Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
1999	|	Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series	Merlin Santana
rowspan=2	1998	NAACP Image Awards ||	Nominated	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Steve Harvey
Nominated	Outstanding Comedy Series
rowspan=3	1999	|	Outstanding Comedy Series	-
Won	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
rowspan=5	2000	|	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Terri J. Vaughn
Nominated	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
rowspan=7	2001	|	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	William Lee Scott
Nominated	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Nominated	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
rowspan=6	2002	|	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Merlin Santana
Nominated	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Comedy Series
Won	Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
2003	|	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Terri J. Vaughn

References

External links

Category:1996 American television series debuts Category:2002 American television series endings Category:1990s American television series Category:2000s American television series Category:American television sitcoms Category:Black sitcoms Category:English-language television series Category:Fictional versions of real people Category:High school television series Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television Category:Television shows set in Chicago, Illinois Category:WB network shows

fr:The Steve Harvey Show

Height
Birth name	Steven John Wilkos
Birth date	March 09, 1964
Birth place	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Spouse	Rachelle Consiglio
Known for	''The Jerry Springer Show'' and ''The Steve Wilkos Show''
Occupation	U.S. Marine, United States Marine Corps (1982-1989),
Years active	1994 - present Patrolman, Chicago Police Department (1990-2001), Director of security for ''The Jerry Springer Show'' (1994-2007), Talk show host of ''The Steve Wilkos Show'' (2007-present),
Website	www.stevewilkos.com }}

Steven John "Steve" Wilkos (; born March 9, 1964) is an American television personality, a former U.S. Marine and officer with the Chicago police. He currently hosts his own talk show, ''The Steve Wilkos Show'', and is also known as the former director of security on ''The Jerry Springer Show''. Wilkos had previously substituted for Springer as host on several occasions before being given his own talk show.

Personal background

Wilkos was born in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Lane Technical High School in 1982 then joined the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1982 to 1989. He joined the Chicago Police Department in 1990. His wife, Rachelle Wilkos, is the executive producer for ''Springer'' as well as his own show; Steve and Rachelle have two children, Ruby (born 2003) and Jack (born 2005). They lived in Park Ridge, Illinois while working in Chicago. Steve and his family currently reside in the Stamford, Connecticut area where the show is now taped.

Wilkos has experience in MMA and is well versed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Career

''The Jerry Springer Show''

In May 1994, the producers of ''The Jerry Springer Show'', taped in Chicago, needed security guards for a Ku Klux Klan-related show, so they decided to hire off-duty police. Wilkos then worked part-time for Springer security. He recruited several fellow officers for the job, and worked exclusively for the show, leaving the police department in 2001.

''Entertainment Weekly'' reported that Wilkos became a professional wrestler with the Maryland Championship Wrestling, during a temporary production hiatus of ''Springer''. In 2005, Wilkos appeared as a guest on ''Check, Please!'', a restaurant-reviewing program on Chicago's PBS station, WTTW.

Beyond ''Springer'', he has made cameo appearances on the TV series ''Between Brothers'', ''The Wayans Bros.'' and ''The Simpsons'', and in the movie ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' where he was seen as a security guard for Jerry Springer.

''The Steve Wilkos Show''

In January 2007, NBC Universal Television officially announced that Wilkos would host a talk show of his own based at NBC Tower in Chicago. The self-titled program premiered on September 10, 2007 to high ratings. Steve is known for his abrasive approach to solving disputes.

While performing security functions at ''The Jerry Springer Show'', Steve would occasionally step in to interrupt or separate guests that would get involved in physical altercations. During his attempt to separate the fighting party, the crowd would sometimes call out his name, "STEVE! STEVE! STEVE!" in support of his actions. Other times, he would be the subject of flirtatious comments and he would ride the guests by either the invited guests or the audience, afterwards someone in the crowd would again call his name out. This action replicated itself on his own show, often substituting applause for "STEVE! STEVE! STEVE!" as a sign of approval.

As of August 2009, the show has moved its filming location to Stamford, Connecticut.

On October 25, 2010, NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution announced “The Steve Wilkos Show” has been renewed through September 2014.

The show started airing on Living 2, then Living it and later, Sky Living.

The show was parodied on the adult television cartoon, ''The Boondocks'', with John DiMaggio voicing Wilkos.

References

External links

The Steve Wilkos Show Official Website

Steve Wilkos' blog at TVWeek.com

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:American bloggers Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Chicago Police Department officers Category:American professional wrestlers Category:People from Stamford, Connecticut Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Park Ridge, Illinois Category:United States Marines

name	Robert Green
fullname	Robert Paul Green
dateofbirth	January 18, 1980
cityofbirth	Chertsey
countryofbirth	England
height
position	Goalkeeper
currentclub	West Ham United
clubnumber	1
youthyears1	1992–1999 |youthclubs1 Norwich City
years1	1999–2006 |clubs1 Norwich City |caps1 223 |goals1 0
years2	2006– |clubs2 West Ham United |caps2 219 |goals2 0
nationalyears1	1997 |nationalteam1 England U16 |nationalcaps1 1 |nationalgoals1 0
nationalyears2	1998 |nationalteam2 England U18 |nationalcaps2 2 |nationalgoals2 0
nationalyears3	2006 |nationalteam3 England B |nationalcaps3 1 |nationalgoals3 0
nationalyears4	2005– |nationalteam4 England |nationalcaps4 11 |nationalgoals4 0
pcupdate	05:11, 29 April 2012 (UTC)
ntupdate	22:00, 07 October 2011 (UTC) }}

Robert Paul Green (born 18 January 1980) is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United and the England national team as a goalkeeper. He has played over 200 times for both West Ham and his former club, Norwich City and was a member of their 2003-04 First Division winning side. He has represented England at England U16, England U18, England B level and for the full England squad and represented them in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Norwich City

Born in Chertsey, Surrey, Green came through the youth system at Norwich City and made his first team debut on 11 April 1999 keeping a clean sheet in the 0–0 local derby draw against Ipswich Town at Carrow Road. However, first-team opportunities were restricted by the presence of first-choice goalkeeper Andy Marshall and it was not until Marshall's departure in the summer of 2001 that Green was able to establish himself as first choice goalkeeper for Norwich.

He was a star of the 2001–02 season play off campaign which culminated in a final loss to Birmingham City on penalties. During the extra time period of this match Green pulled off a top class save from Geoff Horsfield from point blank range. The following season Green was an ever present in a Norwich side that finished in 8th position in the Championship table, missing out on the play offs by two places. Green made an impressive tally of 19 clean sheets during the campaign, beating the previous season's effort of 18.

By 2003 Green was a key figure in the Norwich side. He played a key role in helping Norwich to the Championship in the 2003–04 season and promotion to the Premier League. The Norwich number one was once again ever present, keeping another 18 clean sheets and conceding just 39 goals in 46 league appearances. Green put in many match winning performances during the campaign. These man of the match displays included home fixtures with Derby County and Stoke City, the he pulled off a save from Gerry Taggart during the latter. Performances of this high standard led to his first England international call up for the friendly in March 2004 versus Sweden. He was also included in the PFA first division XI for the season.

Norwich were relegated to the Championship the following season. Green kept just 6 clean sheets and conceded 77 goals during the Premiership campaign despite many excellent individual performances. England coach Sven-Göran Eriksson continually picked Green for international squads on merit.

After relegation Norwich struggled to adjust back to Championship football. It proved to be Green's worst campaign as Norwich's number one, keeping just 7 clean sheets in 42 league appearances. Green missed the last few matches of the 2005–06 season after he sustained an injury in the warm-up prior to the away fixture at Sheffield Wednesday. In August 2006, Norwich accepted a bid of up to £2,000,000 from West Ham United for Green, who had made 241 appearances for Norwich between 1999 and 2006.

West Ham United

Green signed a four-year deal with West Ham, where he teamed up with former Norwich striker, Dean Ashton who had been sold to West Ham in January 2006. Green made his debut for West Ham on 22 October 2006 in a 1–0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Two of his best performances were when West Ham won 1–0 against Arsenal at the Emirates and against Manchester United where he helped West Ham United to a 1–0 win, which preserved West Ham's Premier League status. Green kept nine clean sheets in 26 appearances during the league campaign.

In the 2007–08 season season for West Ham United, Green saved the first three penalties taken against him. The first, against Kevin Doyle of Reading, the second, Benjani of Portsmouth in injury time, the third from Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe, again in injury time. The streak was ended by James McFadden of Birmingham on 9 February 2008. He played in every match and was named the West Ham Hammer of the Year with ''the Irons'' finishing in a respectable 10th place in the Premiership.

In the 2008–09 season, Green saved yet another penalty, this time on 30 August 2008 against Jason Roberts of Blackburn Rovers, West Ham then went on to win the game 4–1. In May 2009, Green saved a Steven Gerrard penalty, although Gerrard scored from the rebound and Liverpool won 3–0. Green played all 38 league games for West Ham in that season, keeping ten clean sheets. and again played in all 38 league games for West Ham in the following 2009–10 season, keeping eight clean sheets and saving yet another penalty, this time from Aston Villa's Ashley Young in a 2–1 victory.

Green made 44 appearances in all competitions during the 2010–11 season keeping seven clean sheets. He saved a penalty in the 3–1 victory over Wigan Athletic at Upton Park and then again against Stoke City in a 2–1 FA Cup defeat. On 19 March 2011, Green made a magnificent save against Gareth Bale's free kick in the 0–0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur. He was named Hammer of the Year runner-up while Scott Parker got the award.

Green was sent off for the first time in his club career against Blackpool on 21 February 2012. West Ham, without a recognised goalkeeper on the bench, were forced to play the remainder of the second-half with midfielder Henri Lansbury between the posts. They eventually won 4-1. West Ham later won an appeal against the red card leaving Green available to play in their next game.

International career

Green earned his first call-up to the full England squad in 2004 while at Norwich and a year later became the sixth Norwich player in history to wear the Three Lions when he appeared as a substitute against Colombia in the United States. Green remained in the England squad despite Norwich having been relegated to the Championship in 2005 and was selected for the England 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. However, he ruptured his groin whilst taking a goal kick during the England B international against Belarus on 25 May. He was replaced in the squad by Liverpool's Scott Carson. The injury not only meant that Green missed the FIFA World Cup but also the start of the 2006–07 season. After a prolonged absence from the international scene, Green was called up for the England "B" match in May 2007 and then named in the senior England squad to face Brazil and Estonia in June 2007. Green did not make Fabio Capello's first England team in February 2008. Green showed a sense of humour about the international situation, sporting gloves with 'England's No.6' embroidered on them. He was recalled to the squad by Fabio Capello in place of the injured Chris Kirkland for England's friendly with France on 26 March 2008. On 12 February 2009, Green earned his 2nd cap, coming on as a second half substitute during England's 0–2 defeat to Spain in Seville. On 6 June 2009 Green made his first England start in their 4–0 win in Almaty against Kazakhstan in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying game. He played for England against Croatia on 9 September 2009 with England securing a place in South Africa with a 5–1 victory. On 10 October 2009, he became the first ever England goalkeeper to be sent off, during the penultimate game of qualification against Ukraine, for a professional foul on Artem Milevskiy early in the game. England went on to lose 1–0.

Green was named in England's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Manager Fabio Capello opted not to name his first choice goalkeeper until the day of England's opening match, against the United States on 12 June, at which point he selected Green to start. After England went into a 1–0 lead, Green failed to save a long-range shot from USA midfielder Clint Dempsey in the 40th minute. The incident saw the ball bounce on and off Green's gloves and go over the goal line. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. Following this error and an unconvincing final training session on 17 June, Green was benched. He was replaced by David James who played in England's next game, a 0–0 draw against Algeria on 18 June. He did not appear again in the World Cup and was omitted from the first England squad named after the tournament for a friendly against Hungary.

Green was brought back into the squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro in October 2010.

Career statistics

|- |1998–99||rowspan="8"|Norwich City||rowspan="6"|First Division||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||2||0 |- |1999–2000||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0 |- |2000–01||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||5||0 |- |2001–02||44*||0||2||0||1||0||0||0||47||0 |- |2002–03||46||0||3||0||1||0||0||0||50||0 |- |2003–04||46||0||1||0||1||0||0||0||48||0 |- |2004–05||Premier League||38||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||41||0 |- |2005–06||Championship||42||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||45||0 |- !colspan="3"|Norwich City Total !226!!0!!8!!0!!7!!0!!0!!0!!241!!0 |- |2006–07||rowspan="6"|West Ham United||rowspan="5"|Premier League||26||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||27||0 |- |2007–08||38||0||2||0||1||0||0||0||41||0 |- |2008–09||38||0||4||0||1||0||0||0||43||0 |- |2009–10||38||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||41||0 |- |2010–11||37||0||4||0||3||0||0||0||44||0 |- |2011–12||Championship||42||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||42||0 |- !colspan="3"|West Ham United Total !219!!0!!11!!0!!8!!0!!0!!0!!238!!0 |- 445||0||19||0||15||0||0||0||479||0

Includes 3 play-off matches.

Personal life

In the summer of 2008, Green climbed Mount Kilimanjaro during a charity event for AMREF (the African Medical and Research Foundation). He has stated that former Stoke City reserve team goalkeeping coach Martin Phelan inspired him to become a goalkeeper after a talk at Green's primary school. He is a fan of Woking F.C.

Honours

Club

;Norwich City

Football League First Division: 2003–04

Individual

Hammer of the Year (1): 2007–08

References

External links

TheFA.com profile

Career information at ex-canaries.co.uk

Premier League profile

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:People from Chertsey Category:English footballers Category:England youth international footballers Category:England B international footballers Category:England international footballers Category:Association football goalkeepers Category:Norwich City F.C. players Category:West Ham United F.C. players Category:Premier League players Category:The Football League players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players

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