Features writings by death-row inmates, family members of victims and perpetrators, religious and political figures, journalists, criminologists, and legal experts, along with information on programs designed to help young people who have gone astray. It reveals the fear and regret of death-row inmates as well as the horror of their loved ones.
Written by an elementary principal in a poor, urban neighbourhood in the United States, The Least of These recounts a year in the life of a school and challenges the proposition that school reform can be achieved smoothly. The author describes the conditions of the children's lives and those of the people who struggle to help them. Her account is a moving narrative depicting poverty, violence and neglect, and the teachers' struggle to offset these dismal conditions. The book highlights the restrictions facing the school which result from a large bureaucracy and a powerful teachers' union.
The ways in which critical interpersonal bonds are forged and maintained are the focus of this interdisciplinary volume. Parent-teenager relations, the impact of cultural diversity on social development, cliques and both same-sex and opposite-sex friendships are among the topics explored. Examining the nature and impact of various adolescent personal relationships, the contributors also explore heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual romantic involvements, and young people's relationships with non-kin adults.
This book untangles popular beliefs about substance abuse issues from historical, clinical and research evidence to address questions such as: What factors cause teenagers to abuse drugs and alcohol? How much of a role do economic factors and neighbourhoods play? Following an introduction which outlines the social history of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin, the volume examines: individual, family, peer and community variables that contribute to substance misuse; resiliency factors that enable some adolescents to avoid such problems; substance abuse in rural and urban settings; pharmacological effects; and current treatment approaches.
This book untangles popular beliefs about substance abuse issues from historical, clinical and research evidence to address questions such as: What factors cause teenagers to abuse drugs and alcohol? How much of a role do economic factors and neighbourhoods play? Following an introduction which outlines the social history of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin, the volume examines: individual, family, peer and community variables that contribute to substance misuse; resiliency factors that enable some adolescents to avoid such problems; substance abuse in rural and urban settings; pharmacological effects; and current treatment approaches.
The successes, failures, obstacles and possibilities for promoting healthier development and well-being among children around the world are considered in this volume. The many physical and psychological problems, both common and unique, that face young people are considered. Contributors examine sources of stress such as inadequate parenting, war and poverty; explore such topics as social policies, children's rights, and prevention and reduction of conduct disorders; and consider possible interventions. The suffering created by the growing division between the worlds of the wealthy and of the poverty-stricken is put into sharp perspective.
This text confronts the many dilemmas facing investigators who do research on children and adolescents, and provides practical guidelines on solving them. Amongst the topics given detailed consideration are the kinds of research to which young people feel particularly vulnerable, right to privacy, how ethical guidelines - usually designed for research with adults - apply to work with minors, in what circumstances parental consent is not the right mechanism for protecting children's rights and the explanation of a research project to a young person.
A successful group treatment for juvenile delinquents which combines traditional and contemporary influences is described in this volume. Ferrara discusses the characteristics of delinquents relevant to understanding the value of group approaches, gives practical advice for conducting group sessions and provides a workbook for use directly with group members. Scenarios for role play and a test for evaluating the group's effectiveness for individual members are also included.
