Angry Young Men:
How Parents, Teachers and Counselors
Can Help "Bad Boys" become Good Men
by Aaron R. Kipnis, Ph.D.

"The majority of difficult, troubled, criminal, and even violent young men can lead whole and productive lives when given the right opportunities and leadership," Kipnis says. He points out that most of the young men in American prisons today were first incarcerated for nonviolent crimes. Instead of receiving the help they need there, however, most boys return to society with their initial troubles only further aggravated by the violent world behind bars.

But there is hope. This book tells parents exactly what they need to know if their boy is having trouble socially or emotionally, in school, or with drugs or gangs. It offers educators insights into how to work with disruptive boys. And it shows counselors, justice professionals, and community youth leaders how to build trust and affect change with troubled youth. Angry Young Men offers compelling strategies for everyone who wants to help at-risk boys become strong, productive, caring, and compassionate men.

Publisher's Synopsis:

At the century's end, crime is down from its all time records. But the incidence of destructive behavior among American boys remains alarmingly high. Substance abuse, suicide, assault, gun-carrying and homicide rates still exceed, by far, those of all other industrialized nations. This compelling book by former "bad boy" Aaron Kipnis examines the lives of boys at risk and suggests ways we can help them to thrive and make positive contributions to life. Angry Young Men offers specific, practical advice for parents, teachers, counselors, community leaders and justice professionals. It is a riveting, expert account for everyone concerned about how we can save our young men.

Aaron Kipnis writes from personal and professional experience, sharing both the riveting story of his own troubled youth-and how he turned himself around and the successful approaches he has used to help bad boys become good men. Kipnis, a nationally respected educator and consultant in clinical psychology today, was first incarcerated at the age of eleven when he ran away from home after a beating. Having previously lived a large portion of his childhood in foster care, he spent most of the next seven years living in temporary housing, locked institutions or on the streets. Rather than surrendering to this downward spiral, however, he changed course, devoting his professional energies to similarly affected boys and young men. In Angry Young Men he weaves together his life experiences, research, and clinical observations to offer clear and practical suggestions for how we all can help at-risk youth.