NCJ Number
134146
Date Published
1990
Length
136 pages
Annotation
This book examines the dynamics and effects of multiple exploitations during childhood, effects that can include running away, substance abuse, and suicide.
Abstract
The opening chapter reviews the perils of adolescence as it notes that of all age groups, teenagers face the highest risk of being maimed, sexually assaulted, emotionally terrorized, or otherwise harmed because of someone's selfishness. Many are killed, and many more are physically and emotionally impaired by exploitive parents or peers. The second chapter describes the behaviors of exploitive parents across a broad range of psychological and physical abuse. A separate chapter covers incest as a special form of exploitation. A chapter that examines how victims of exploitation feel identifies some common emotional and behavioral outcomes of their victimization, notably feelings of denial, violation, insecurity, distrust, powerlessness, moral confusion, limited communication skills, psychological isolation, and the sense of being in a state of victimization. A chapter covers the ways peers may exploit one another followed by a series of chapters on some of the escape behaviors of exploited adolescents: substance abuse, running away, and suicide. The final chapter discusses ways to reduce exploitation of children and adolescents. It focuses on child protection services; law; law enforcement; and education that teaches all youth the knowledge, values, and skills that reduce the likelihood of their becoming abusers. A 120-item bibliography and a list of resources