Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them

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Do you want to learn more about boys who commit violent acts? James Garbarino is a psychologist who has spent years getting to know such boys.

He has established close relationships with many of them who are in youth facilities for assaults. He knows their stories—where they came from, what they have done, and how they feel about things. He looks closely at the family and social factors that contribute to anti-social behaviors. He writes about how these boys were rejected and neglected in their own lives. He describes their vulnerability, their shame, and their lack of emotional skills, which lead them to react with rage and violence when they feel threatened. He analyzes their values and describes the ways in which a distorted code of honor often leads them to feel that violence is the only "right" thing to do.

Lost Boys also includes a section on interventions that can help "reclaim" lost boys and an appendix of resources to agencies and programs that try to find ways to help violent youth change.

—Libby Colman, Ph.D.