At Issue Series - Violent Children (paperback edition) [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ Bryan J. Grapes (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-Keeping with the intent of the series, this title raises questions that will foster endless discussions. Articles examine the causes of aggressive behavior in young people, including the effects of violent song lyrics, television, and video games, as well as dysfunctional families and the availability of guns. The essays, from educators, journalists, and psychologists, have all been previously published in journals and newspapers or were testimonies before congressional hearings. The book ends with an article on the varied backgrounds of violent children with case histories of well-publicized, shocking incidents. A list of organizations concerned with juvenile violence is appended. A thought-provoking, well-balanced presentation.
Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The topic is intriguing, and the generally vehement tome of the selections provides much for students to ponder and debate."
-- Booklist (Febraury 2003) (Booklist 20020701)

"This book is great for debate material or as a writing prompt for persuasive essays. This collection is for mature readers with the critical-thinking skills needed to understand and evaluate the materials."
-- School Library Journal (August 2002) (School Library Journal 20020615)

"The book should prove useful for research papers or debates. This is a reasoned and relatively neutral treatment."
-- School Library Journal (July 2002) (School Library Journal 20020601)

"Contributors include doctors, psychiatrists, and members of activist groups...Arguments, which are accompanied by references are well presented and occasionally quite riveting. Lots of opinion and information worth further examination."
-- Booklist (June 2002) (Booklist 20020515)

"A wealth of diagrams and illustrations helps clarify the procedures and principles essential to understanding the discussions."
-- School Library Journal (June 2002) (School Library Journal 20020401)

"Throughout this text keeps arguments even-tempered, information straightforward, and details unsensationalized."
-- Booklist (May 2002) (Booklist 20010401)

"Greenhaven's anthologies provide pertinent, original source material for researchers who are interested in varied perpectives on controversial topics. Most middle and high school libraries have books in their collections that deal with these issues, but few do so in such a clearly differentiatied, balanced manner. These slim volumes...complement and balance books that purport to deal with the topics in general or that present only one viewpoint. Recommended."
-- The Book Report (March-April 2002) (Book Report 20010401)

"Among the books many strengths is its inclusion of diverse, opinionated essayists who come from many professions and have varying expertise."
-- Booklist (April 2001) (Booklist 20010315)

"For readers who prefer to know both sides of a perspective, Greenhaven Press presents a new series - At Issue. Experts offer their opinions on controversial subjects facing our society today. The At Issue series is for the discerning reader. If you want to be well versed and understanding on a specific topic, this series will open your mind on the many sides of an issue."
-- Eclectic Book Reviews (January-April 2001) (UNKNOWN 20010101)

"Collection of starkly personal essays...First person accounts then take readers on some startling and intimate journeys. A few essays are more analytical...Some are impassioned views...In all cases, the writers include vivid details and some eye-opening viewpoints."
-- Booklist (March 2001) (Booklist 20000601)

"This series on current issues provides full-length articles that offer a range of opinions of various controversial topics. The variety of opinions presented, along with the references provided, will help students get a sense of the various aspects of the issue and encourage critical thinking. Helpful for social studies classes and high school and public libraries, for students preparing term papers."
-- Kliatt (January 2001) (KLIATT )

"This debate in a book give a broad overiew of the subject by leading advocates on all sides. The writing tens toward the technical style of the journals represented, making this most appealing as a research source."
-- School Library Journal (June 2000) (School Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 78 pages
• Publisher: Greenhaven Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0737701587
• ISBN-13: 978-0737701586
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,323,485 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A bad bout of the blame game., July 2, 2001

By	Shadowfire (College Park, MD) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This slim volume of "At Issue" targets a crisis that is as urgent as it is complex - juvenile violence and its contributing factors. The book adopts a pro-con dichotomy to illustrate the varied opinions on the subject. However, this style quickly degenerates into a clash of liberal and conservative ideologies. Ultimately, the "dual" expository approach conceals more information that it reveals, as the articles' authors cite increasingly ludicrous "evidence" to hammer in their dubious assertions.

Consider, for instance, Robert W. Lee's "The Availability of Guns Does Not Contribute to Violent Behavior in Children." What, not at all? Lee cites a handful of "positive" cases, where the guns are used for self-defense, and bluntly ignores cases of the opposite. His closing argument is a Confederate victory at the cost of armed 15-year-olds' lives. Admire Wade F. Horn's "Fatherlessness Contributes to Juvenile Violence" article, which poses religion as the ultimate tool in parental authority. He proceeds to "trace" the exact "road" children take from upright to promiscuous. Next he rigidly defines both parents' roles - with father as the "hands-on" authority of risks and punishment. This isn't controversy - this is simple poor taste!

The articles originate from several backgrounds: academic, testimonial, media. Unfortunately, this is easy to divine only because of the spectrum of flaws each approach exhibits. The reader is faced with almost everything imaginable - from some articles' failure to organize raw statistical data in a useful manner, to others' dismissive nature (sorry, Mr. Males, but no matter how much I sympathize with your way of thinking, I cannot tolerate ignorance of basic facts). A few articles weren't subjected to a rigorous enough selection process, which leads to their lack of relevance and failure to address the task at hand (Tom Kalinske's article comes to mind). Several articles are obtuse exercises in showmanship - like Steven Barr's dramatic presentation of a videogame experience ("You can't get away!" the boy said with a maniacal sneer...). Lastly, we've all heard some of these arguments - namely, Joanne Cantor's "Television Contributes to Violent Behavior in Children", which is a flagrant case of the "we can build you" methodology, which denies children an active role in their own formative experience (though her "Momy, I'm Scared" is handy enough).

Sadly, the editor never takes the time to sum up the basic known facts, and all articles cite them differently. Without some defined point of departure, this "At Issue" ultimately becomes a Rorschach test. Though designed to give the reader a passing familiarity with the subject, this volume only manages to communicate one thing - confusion.