Power and Compassion

When teenagers get out of control, understanding and negotiation often only make things worse. In this solid, no-nonsense guide to working with difficult adolescents and their families, Jerome A. Price makes a passionate case for rescuing parents from invalidation by a society that often views parents as the main cause of their children's problems.

He shows how demoralized parents can be undermined by well-meaning professionals and other adults anxious to appear understanding, whose alliances with out-of-control adolescents create an invidious triangle. Recognizing that sometimes parents are victims, not victimizers, the author provides effective strategies to help families break free of self-defeating cycles of control and rebellion.

The book delineates the levels and types of abusive behavior in adolescents, and outlines how parents can regain control by learning to be both more understanding and more decisive.

Jerome A. Price lays the groundwork for his approach by demonstrating the need for both kindness and authority when working with youthful aggression. The book discusses the causes of parent abuse and describes identifiable patterns in the interactions of family members when parents are victimized by their children. Each chapter demonstrates how to work effectively with tough cases in family therapy.

Throughout, Power and Compassion offers specific guidelines and techniques for assessment and intervention, which are clearly illustrated with a wealth of case material. Among the many topics covered are severe problems associated with aggression arising from postdivorce problems and adolescent drug and alcohol abuse.

A pragmatic treatment guide, this work will be invaluable to family therapists and other mental health professionals working with aggressive teenagers and their parents, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and counselors. It also serves as a useful supplementary text for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses in family therapy and the therapy of children and adolescents.