Who's Throwing Babies in the River?

By Charles P. Conroy

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 5712600579
• ISBN13: 9785712600571
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Legacy Publishing Group
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Beyond the headlines

Like the book's intriguing title, this collection of thought-provoking essays goes beyond (and often challenges) simple mainstream headlines to provide a real-world look at child welfare issues. Dr. Conroy presents a compelling argument, driven by statistical evidence and years of personal experience living and working with "troubled youth", that "we live in a society that de-values children and families, that blames children for the conditions they didn't create, and which seeks easy answers and quick fix solutions." After frantic attempts to "save children from the river", Dr. Conroy suggests that we must ask the question about who is throwing the babies in the river in the first place? What are the underlying factors that emerge as juvenile deliquency and youth violence? Through a historical and current look through legal, economic and educational lenses, Dr. Conroy challenges much of the widely held beliefs about issues such as juvenile crime that are fueled by hysteria and manipulation of statistical trends. Throughout the book he exposes a fundamental belief in the inherent goodness of children and a plea for adults to rethink the consequences of seemingly easy answers that create complex and often devastating results. The book will not be without its critics, namely those that he so boldly challenges. Many will not share the strength of his contention that society not only lacks commitment to our children but is genuinely "anti-child". He presents at the same time an extremely optimistic and hopeful view of human potential to overcome adverse circumstances and a deep concern about the next generation of "soon-to-be adults and parents, many of whom have not been parented, socialized and treated properly."What makes this book interesting and easy to read is that it is laid out as a series of essays and speech summaries, so that you can read one or two chapters at a time, nuggets of information to mull over before moving on to the next. His speeches are filled with humor and storytelling, winding up with a moral and serious issue to consider. Some (especially to or about his staff at Perkins School) are lessons in leadership that may seem a bit displaced in a book about child welfare, but which give a glimpse into the person behind the book's perspective. These are complex issues presented in such a way that one can easily grasp the problem, the responses, and the potential impact of such responses. I highly recommend this book to a wide variety of potential readers -- educators, parents, social service agencies, legislators, and the general public who needs to look beyond the limited portrayals of youth they see on the evening news. As Dr. Conroy concludes, we need adults who will advocate for kids. Anyone who hopes to be such an advocate would do well to read this book.