From Publishers Weekly
Media stories of child abuse, teen suicide, school violence, youth gangs, cults, substance abuse and sexual predation have raised public awareness and parental concern to a fever pitch. The challenge of providing a safe living and learning environment for children is not new, but the apparent dangers for children make child-rearing seem an almost Herculean task these days. Shore, a school psychologist and family counselor, points out that "from 1979 to 1997 almost eighty thousand American youths were killed by gunfire, almost twenty-five thousand more than the number of American soldiers killed in the Vietnam War." Moreover, "each day on average twelve American children ages one to nineteen are killed by gunfire." He rattles off stats on bullies, peer pressure, suicide in short, the innumerable land mines of childhood. Fortunately, Shore goes well beyond raising red flags, providing straightforward information on assessing child care, schools and after-school options, and advice on helping children handle bullies, peer pressure and the lure of gangs and drugs. He also suggests ways of mitigating the dangers of sexual predators and gun violence, and offers practical guidance on recognizing teenage depression and preventing teen suicide. Many basic suggestions, like telling your child, when he is returning home, not to enter the house if he sees or hears anything unusual (a broken window, unfamiliar voices), seem intuitive, but might go unmentioned by parents. This thorough reference manual is composed almost entirely of lists interview questions for child-care givers and schools, facts that all children should know before they are allowed to stay home alone, danger warnings, deterrent strategies, organizations and additional resources.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Parents worry about their kids and for good reason, according to Shore, a school psychologist and author of Special Kids Problem Solver (Prentice-Hall, 1999). "Every year some nine thousand children are injured and thirty-five are killed in school bus accidents," he writes. This is just one of many chilling statistics that he cites to reinforce the need for this compilation of information, facts, tips, and checklists for keeping children safe in and around home and school. In 11 chapters, Shore covers everything from child care and sexual predators to school violence and Internet safety. This comprehensive book adroitly funnels many topics into distinct areas, but, unfortunately, it is also dry. Gavin de Becker's Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (And Parents Sane) (Dial, 1999) offers readers more style, while Shore's workmanlike book is akin to Audrey E. Talkington and Barbara Albers Hill's To Save a Child: Things You Can Do To Protect, Nurture, & Teach Our Children (Avery, 1993). If the index is thorough (it was not seen), it will greatly enhance this book. Appropriate for public and school libraries and collections specific to children. Douglas C. Lord, Hartford P.L., CT
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
