Numerous studies have shown a relationship between high-crime communities and the academic performance of children who live within them.
Now, new Northwestern University research suggests sleep disruption following violent incidents and increased amounts of the stress hormone cortisol offer a biological explanation for why children who live in neighborhoods with higher rates of violent crime struggle more in school.
“Both sleep and cortisol are connected to the ability to learn and perform academic tasks,” said study lead author Jenni Heissel, who recently received her Ph.D. in human development and social policy from the School of Education and Social Policy. “Our study identifies a pathway by which violent crime may get under the skin to affect academic performance.”
The study, conducted by researchers at Northwestern, New York University and DePaul University, found violent crime changes the sleep patterns of children living nearby, which increases the amount of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the children’s bodies the day immediately following the violent incident. Both sleep disruption and increased cortisol have demonstrated a negative impact on academic performance.
“Past research has found a link between violent crimes and performance on tests, but researchers haven’t been able to say why crime affects academic performance,” Heissel said.
Researchers tracked the sleep and stress hormones of 82 young people, ages 11 to 18, in a large Midwestern city who attended racially, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse public schools.
The students filled out daily diaries over four days, wore activity-tracking watches that measured sleep and had their saliva tested three times a day to check for cortisol. Researchers also collected information on violent crimes reported to police in the city during the study, including which students had violent crimes occur in their neighborhoods.
Researchers compared the students’ sleep on nights following a violent crime to their sleep on nights when there were no violent crimes committed nearby. They also compared students’ cortisol on days following a violent crime to their stress hormones on days when there were no violent crimes committed nearby.
Among the findings: Students went to sleep later on nights when a violent crime occurred near their home, often resulting in fewer total hours of sleep. In addition, the increase in youth’s cortisol levels the morning after a nearby crime occurred the day before was larger than on mornings following no crime the previous day, a pattern that previous research suggests might reflect the body’s anticipation of more stress the day following a crime. The changes in sleep and cortisol were largest when the crime committed the previous day was homicide, they were moderate for assault and sexual assault and nonexistent for robbery.
“The results of our research have several implications for policy,” suggested study co-author Emma Adam, professor of human development and social policy at SESP.
“They provide a link between violent crime and several mechanisms known to affect cognitive performance. They also may help explain why some low-income youth living in high-risk neighborhoods sleep less than higher-income youth. And they suggest that although programs to reduce violent crime may be the best policy solution, schools could also provide students with programs or methods to cope with their response to stressful events like nearby violent crimes.”
India’s military prowess and achievements depicted in a variety of tableux were on a grand show before the public at the historic Rajpath when the country celebrated its 68th Republic Day today.
The highlights of this year’s Parade were a 149-member UAE Presidential Guard, the Air Force, the Navy and Army contingent led by a UAE band marching on Rajpath and presenting a ceremonial salute to the President of India. The UAE military contingent is led by Lt Col Abood Musabeh Abood Musabeh Alghfeli.
This year’s parade also showed some of the firsts to its credit. For the first time a contingent of the National Security Guard (NSG) popularly known as the Black Cat Commandoes marched past the Rajpath. The parade also saw the fly-past of three LCA Tejas Aircraft flying at a height of 300 m from ground in ‘Vic’ formation and the Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AEW&C) developed by DRDO.
Continuing the 67-year-old tradition of the Republic Day Celebration, the colourful BSF Camel Regiment led this time by Deputy Commandant Kuldeep Seervi took part.
The Indian Army’s missiles, T-90 ‘Bhishma’ tank, Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP-2K, Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the BrahMos Missile System, Weapon Locating Raddar ‘Swathi’, Akash Weapon System, CBRN Recconnnaisance Vehicle and Dhanush Gun System were the main draw in the mechanised columns.
An Indian Air Force Tableau marched past with the theme “Air Dominance Through Network Centric Operations”, displaying models of Su-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, AWACS, UAV, Apache and Communication Sattelite.
This year the Indian Navy’s Tableau had the theme ‘Indian Navy – Professional Force-Anchoring Stability, Security and National Prosperity’. The tableau showcased the lethal Marine Commandoes proceeding for action, the indigenously built Kolkata Class Destroyer and the Kalvari Class next generation attack submarines. The tableaux also displayed a model of the P-8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
The parade ceremony commenced at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying homage to the martyrs by laying a wreath. An eternal flame burns at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to commemorate the indomitable courage of Indian Armed Forces personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the motherland. The Amar Jawan, the immortal soldier, is symbolised by a reversed rifle standing on its barrel and crested by a soldier’s helmet.
As per tradition, after unfurling the National Flag, the national anthem was played with a 21 gun salute. The parade commenced then and President Mukherjee took the salute. This year’s Chief Guest in the parade Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces too joined PM Modi and other dignitaries in the glass box.
The parade was commanded by Lt. General Manoj Mukund Naravane, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area. Major General Rajesh Sahai, Chief of Staff, Headquarter Delhi Area was the parade Second-in-Command.
Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major & Honorary Captain Bana Singh (Retd), Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers and Naib/Subedar Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK Rifles and Ashok Chakra winners Major General Cyrus A Pithawalla (Retd), Lt Col Jas Ram Singh (Retd), Mr. Hukum Singh and Mr. Govind Singh of district Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh and Mr. Bhure Lal of district Guna also from Madhya Pradesh followed the Deputy Parade Commander on Jeeps.
The tableau of the Veterans Always in Service of the Nation passes through the Rajpath, on the occasion of the 68th Republic Day Parade 2017, in New Delhi on January 26, 2017.(PIB)
The marching contingents of Army included horse-mounted columns of the 61st Cavalry, the Machanised Infantry Regiment, the Bihar Regiment, the 39 Gorkha Training Centre, 58 Gorkha Training Centre, the Madras Engineering Group and Centre and 103 Infantry Battalion (Territoral Army) Sikh LI.
The marching contingent of Navy comprising 144 young sailors was led by Lieutenant Aparna Nair, while the Indian Air Force contingent comprising 144 men will be led by Squadran Leader Attal Singh Shekhon. The Paramilitary and other auxiliary civil forces included the Border Security Force Camel Contingent, Indian Coast Guard, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme.
Tableaux from 17 States and UT, six Central Ministries and Departments presented the varied historical, art and cultural heritage of the country. The country’s progress was displayed in different fields, particularly floats from Goa, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Jammu & Kashmir with their varied themes, which were of special attraction.
The floats of Central Board of Excise and Customs, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Allevation showed the rapid development of some of the flagship programmes of the Government. The floats of Council of Scientific and Industial Reasearch (CSIR) and Ministry of Skill Development & Enterpreneurship were also displayed highlighting the significant progress in the scientific and technoligical growth including the vision of “Skill India”.
Next 21 of the 25 children selected for the National Bravery Award–2016 participated in the parade. Next, about 600 boys and girls drawn from three schools in Delhi and a group of school children from South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur performed colourful dances on varid themes.
The splendid driving skills of ‘Dare Devils’- the motorcycle display team of Corps of Military Police followed next and they performed different stunts like Salute to President, Ladder, Double Bar, Lotus, Christmas Tree, Aircraft, Sudarshan Chakra, Flower Pot, Pyramid and Wheeling on moving motor cycles.
The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the IAF with the ‘Chakra’ formation, comprising three Mi-35 helicopters in ‘Vic’ formation, followed by the ‘Hercules’ formation comprising three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in ‘Vic’ formation. Trailing them was the ‘Netra’ which is an Airborne Early Warning and Control System Aircraft also known as “Eye in the Sky”. It was followed by the ‘Globe formation’ comprising one C-17 Globemaster flanked by two Su-30 MKIs.
Next in line was the fighters, where five Jaguars flew in Arrowhead formation, another five MiG-29 Air Superiority Fighters in Fulcrum style. Then the breath-taking ‘Trishul’ formation comprising three Su-30 MKIs of No. 24 Squadron which flew over the Rajpath, and once in front of the saluting dais, the Su-30 MKI aircraft will split upwards, making a Trishul in the sky.
The flypast concluded with another Su-30 MKI carrying out a ‘Vertical Charlie’ manoeuvre over the saluting dais. The ceremony culminated with the national anthem and release of balloons.
The National Security Guard Contingent passes through the Rajpath, on the occasion of the 68th Republic Day Parade 2017, in New Delhi on January 26, 2017.(PIB)
A birds eye view of Rajpath on the occasion of the 68th Republic Day Parade 2017, in New Delhi on January 26, 2017.(PIB)
Rajpath comes alive with the dare devil stunts of motorbike riders of Corps of Signals, on the occasion of the 68th Republic Day Parade 2017, in New Delhi on January 26, 2017.(PIB)
