"Polakow’s book is key in alerting Americans about the dangers of ‘get tough’ policies aimed at children . . . The contributors illustrate effectively and eloquently that our society is quite backward in respecting the interests, indeed, even the human rights of our children . . . they not only critique current polices that are misguided, but offer several approaches that provide hope and opportunity for all our children, and thereby serve to strengthen social democracy in the United States."
–James Jennings, Senior Fellow at the Trotter Institute, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Does our society care about its children? This provocative and in-depth examination of violence in the lives of children uncovers the conditions and social policies that perpetuate violence. In addition, this volume forces us to look at other forms of violence confronting children in families, neighborhoods, and schools:

• The violence of poverty and homelessness
• The violence of environmentally induced childhood diseases
• The media and legislative "criminalization" of children and
• The increasing trend towards incarceration of youthful offenders