Their haunting images appear on millions of television screens and in newspapers worldwide: Children huddled in refugee camps and exposed to violence in war zones. Children burdened by the emotional and physical scars of violent homes and communities. Children exploited by crass commercialism around the world and around the corner. Too many children are confronting life-threatening risks and experiencing trauma. Synthesizing insights from psychology and philosophy with his own wide-ranging, first-hand experiences around the world, Dr. James Garbarino takes readers on a personalized journey into the dark side of human experience as it is lived by children. The author’s challenge to his readers is this: If we are to succeed in making a lasting, positive change in the lives of children, we must be willing to rethink the concepts of development, trauma, and resilience. This book is a must read for anyone who takes an interest in the well-being and future of the world’s children.

Filling a critical gap in the literature, this much-needed publication is an in-depth analysis of the diverse array of research into adolescents’ virtual lives. It sets young people’s ‘virtual’ behavior in the context of contemporary developmental theory.