Product Description

In the first book to focus on the traumatic effects caused by cliques in our schools, an acclaimed parenting-advice team offers a fresh perspective and an innovative eight-step program to turn around the culture of cruelty that torments all students.

There have always been "in crowds," but today's social pressures force children into explosive, destructive, and even life-threatening situations. No matter what role your child plays in this schoolhouse drama--clique leader, victim, or innocent bystander--this book is a must-read. Giannetti and Sagarese have honed in on this little-understood phenomenon and come up with insights that parents can use immediately. Read Cliques to understand:

* Who the clique leaders are in your child's school
* What you can do NOW to help your child avoid abuse
* Times during the day when cliques are visible to adults
* Where in your school you should start to lobby for change
* Why your "innocent bystander" may not be so innocent
* How you can rid your child of bully-like behavior

Cliques is more than just a manual for cheering your child on--it brings hope and a truly comprehensive understanding of adolescent society to the millions of families struggling against this divisive force. Within its pages, you will find the tools you need to make a difference.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #388494 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-06
• Released on: 2001-02-06
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 8.18" h x .68" w x 5.15" l, .51 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From Amazon.com
Cliques has a twofold message: things are much worse in middle school than you think, and as a parent, there are specific steps you can and should take to make the situation better. The first claim is unnecessary--we all know that cruel stuff happens to kids in junior high school--but the authors go on to give advice about how to help your child survive.

The book addresses two different phenomena: bullying and cliques. The latter (those impenetrable social castes that admit and exclude children at whim) often employ "the fourth R--ridicule" to devastate the self-esteem of those who are "out." This tormenting of peers is not only random and cruel but also often criminal.

The book is divided into eight "steps," each a practical lesson, such as "Help Your Child Belong" and "Empower Your Victim." The sections end with a short, practical list of "Things You Can Do" (e.g., "Work on reducing the conflicts that disrupt your family") and "Things You Cannot Do" (e.g., "Make your child more popular"). The final step, "Lobby for Change," contains some practical advice on what you can do to make schools into kinder, gentler places. It is heartening to hear that programs set up and run by savvy, big-hearted kids have been some of the most effective in addressing the issues. --Richard Farr

From Publishers Weekly
The authors of The Roller Coaster Years, which PW named one of the Best Books of 1997, and Parenting 911 examine the subtle but powerful influence that peer pressure, most notably in the form of cliques, can have on children, generally starting during the middle school years (when kids are between the ages of 10 and 15), and offer parents effective aids to helping their kidsAwhether they are bullies, victims or observersAmanage the larger world of friendships and associations beyond their family at a time when they are also wrestling with issues of self-identity and self-worth. Among the authors' suggestions are "help your child develop... an objective view of cliques" and "help your child control emotions," but, they caution, there are certain things, such as "prevent[ing] others from judging your child," that are beyond parents' scope of control or influence. "Cliques deal in social power," aver Giannetti and Sagarese, and even those kids who are considered popular suffer from insecurities about whether or not they'll continue to fit in. In fact, Giannetti and Sagarese have found that kids in "middle friendship circles" (the clique into which most kids fall), who are neither competing for popularity nor are antisocial loners, are usually the happiest. Once again, Giannetti and Sagarese deliver a positive, proactive book for parents that offers cogent (often anecdotal) examples of particular problems that occur with social interaction among middle schoolers and presents effective strategies for handling them. Cliques can be a serious problem, but keeping things in perspective is helpful all the way around. Agent, Denise Marcil.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Social hierarchies have always existed, but today's "in crowds" create a "climate of cruelty" in many middle schools. Their exclusionary tactics have been cited as one cause of recent outbreaks of school violence. This guide offers parents a blueprint for understanding contemporary adolescent culture as well as tools to help their children fight the tyranny of cliques. Written in a plainspoken style with adequate references for a popular audience, the book is loosely organized around eight facets of social intelligence, including emotional self-control, victim empowerment, dealing with bullies, and "fitting in." Parents are urged to lead by example, teach tolerance, and act as backup in extreme cases. The authors, who have collaborated on other parenting books (Parenting 911; The Roller-Coaster Years) and host a weekly web chat, provide sensible advice to parents concerned about the "outsider" status of their children. Parents of the ringleaders could also benefit. A useful and unique addition to adolescent parenting collections.DAntoinette Brinkman, MLS, formerly with Southwest Indiana Mental Health Ctr. Lib., Evansville
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.