Review
From the book jacket: A psychologist with a reputation for
penetrating to the heart of complex parenting issues joins forces with a
physician and bestselling author to tackle one of the most disturbing and
misunderstood trends of our time -- peers replacing parents in the lives of
our children.
Dr. Neufeld has dubbed this phenomenon peer orientation, which refers to the
tendency of children and youth to look to their peers for direction: for a
sense of right and wrong, for values, identity and codes of behavior. But
peer orientation undermines family cohesion, poisons the school atmosphere,
and fosters an aggressively hostile and sexualized youth culture. It
provides a powerful explanation for schoolyard bullying and youth violence;
its effects are painfully evident in the context of teenage gangs and
criminal activity, in tragedies...
