Shyness may not seem to be a serious complaint, but for some who suffer from it, it can become unbearable. Even talking to a small group of people you know can seem like an orderal - it can feel as if you've been asked to give a speech on a topic you know very little about to a number of experts. You start to feel hot and shaky, your heart beats faster, your knees feel weak, you began to stutter and the whole experience seems to last forever.

The fact of the matter is that shyness is something we often recognise in others: blushing (going red) is one of the more visible signs, for example. Yet we don't judge someone harshly because of this. But shyness does mean that you're harder to approach, so you become more isolated. As one shy person put it, " It's like being in a prison, and its very hard to break out".

Experts on the subject have come up with various possible solutions, and one has been singled out as being the key to success - namely, finding an interest in common with other people. Spending a lot of time on the sidelines watching other people and envying them because they are much more outgoing doesn't help; remembering that some of the peopleyou envy most are probably shy themselves, does. The secret is how you deal with it. And experts have come up with four things you can do today to help.

Firstly, you can start by listening to other people. You will find yourself getting interested in what they're talking about and asking questions - and before you know it, you'll be having a conversation.

Secondly, you could try asking neighbours if you can walk their dog. Like children, pets can be excellent icebreakers for conversation with passer-by.

Thirdly, try joining a class to learnsomethind like tap-dancing or salsa, where people are likely to laugh a lot. You'll feel relaxed, and also you'll be much too busy concentrating on what you're doing to feel shy.

Lastly, try telling yourself that it doesn't matter if you say or do something silly. Most people make a fool of themselves every so often - and it's not the end of the world if you do!

Research shows that for about 60% of Polish children aged 8-14 the computers and the Internet are so important that they cannot imagine life without it. They often play computer games than interact with friend.

• stress and lack of support
• mental illnesses of torturer
• domestic violence
• alcohol and drug abuse

Even though teaching is not treated as highly prestigious profession nowadays, many women seem to choose this career as there are some obvious benefits involved.

The most important advantage of being a teacher is that teachers need to develop their knowledge all the time. It means that they find out about new ideas that is itself interesting. This contributes to overall personal growth. Furthermore, many people are convinced that teachers feel they have power over others, which may help them feel good and have high self-esteem. In addition, teacher's job is good one because being a teacher is that you can enjoy quite a long holidays. There is no problem of taking leave in the summer months, which may be difficult in an office or a firm, and a teaching mum can take the children away and spend the holidays with them.

On the other hand, it happens more and more frequently that pupils are rude or unpleasant to teachers. Teachers may sometimes even be physically attack or abused, as recent reports in the media show. Moreover, in addition to working at school they often spend hours correcting students' papers at home or preparating for lessons.

Taking into consideration teacher's job maybe isn't as well-paid as some of us expected but is very interesting. I think that the positive points overweight negative ones.

Peer acceptance is measured by the quality rather than quantity of a child or adolescent's relationship. While the number of friends varies among children and over time as a child develops, peer acceptance is often established as early as preschool. Factors such as physical attractiveness, cultural traits and disabilities affect the level of peer acceptance. Children who are peer-accepted or popular have fewer problems in the middle and high school, and teens who are peer-accepted have fewer emotional and social adjustmant problems as adults. Peer-accepted children may be shy or assertive, but they often have well-developed communication skills.
By contrast, rejected children tend either towards aggresive, antisocial behavior, or withdrawn, depressive behavior. They also do not listen well, tend not to offer reasons for their behavior, don't possitively reinforce their peers, and have trouble cooperating. Antisocial children will interrupt people, dominate other children, and either verbally or phisically attack them. Depressive or withdrawn children may be excessively reserved, submissive, anxious and inhibited. Competitiveness or dominance by itself is not necessarily indicative of low peers acceptance. In fact, popular children tend to have the characteristics of both competitiveness and friendliness.

Source: taken from the Encyclopedia of Psychology