KEEPING KIDS SAFE: A Guide for Parents of Toddlers and Teens—and All the Years In-Between

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. (Sept.)