America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2000, prepared by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, illustrates the condition and progress of the Nation's youth over time. The first section of this fourth annual report, "Population and Family Characteristics," presents eight key demographic measures that describe the changing population, family characteristics, and context in which children are living. For example, the number of Hispanic children increased from 9 percent in 1980 to 16 percent in 1999; the percentage of children living with one parent increased from 20 percent in 1980 to 27 percent in 1999; and the percentage of children (birth through third grade) who received regular childcare increased from 51 percent in 1995 to 54 percent in 1999.

The second section, "Indicators of Children's Well-Being," presents 23 key indicators that are drawn from the most recent and reliable Federal statistics and fall under the subsections Economic Security, Health, Behavior and Social Environment, and Education. Significant findings include the following:

• The percentage of children who live in households with housing problems (e.g., crowded or inadequate housing) increased from 30 percent in 1978 to 36 percent in 1997.

• The percentage of children born with low birth weight has increased steadily since 1984.

• The birthrate for adolescents dropped by more than one-fifth between 1991 and 1998.

• The percentage of children ages 3 to 5 who are read to daily by a family member decreased from 57 percent in 1996 to 53 percent in 1999.

The report shows that the rate of serious violent crimes committed by young people was the lowest recorded rate since National Crime Victimization Survey data were first collected in 1973. Upon release of this interagency report, John J. Wilson, Acting Administrator of OJJDP—one of the forum's member agencies—stated:

The dramatic and sustained drop in youth violence provides continuing evidence that the dire predictions of a coming wave of juvenile violence were wrong. It also gives us considerable reason to believe that through comprehensive and coordinated efforts at the Federal, State and local levels, we are making a difference for our young people, their families and their communities. However, we must continue to support prevention and early intervention programs that work if we are to continue to reduce juvenile violence.¹

The report is available online at the forum's Web site, www.childstats.gov; through the National Maternal and Child Health Clearinghouse, 2070 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 450, Vienna, VA 22182, 703-356-1964; or through the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (ask for NCJ 182680), P.O. Box 6000, Rockville MD 20849-6000, 800-638-8736.

When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide

Now available in Spanish!

OJJDP has published a Spanish translation of When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide (Cuando su Ni-o desaparece: Una gu'a para la supervivencia de la familia).

The crisis of a missing child calls on every ounce of courage and determination that parents and other family members can muster. The search for a missing child demands a timely and coordinated response by parents and law enforcement alike. OJJDP published the Guide to provide parents and other family members with the critical information, guidance, and tools they need to work with law enforcement agencies in finding their missing child.

Written by parents who have experienced the trauma of having a missing child, the Guide provides firsthand insights into what parents should do and what they should expect and offers hope and encouragement. The Guide describes the steps that families and law enforcement take as they forge a constructive partnership. The introduction provides parents with a 48-hour checklist to guide them in the crucial steps to take when they first discover their child is missing. Subsequent chapters explain both the short- and long-term issues of topics such as searching for the missing child; working with law enforcement, the media, and volunteers; distributing photos and fliers; providing rewards and seeking donations; and emphasizing personal and family considerations. The chapters also contain checklists and key points for later reference.

The English and Spanish versions of When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide are available from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (see the order form). The Guide and other resources related to missing and exploited children also are available online at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/missing.html.

Family Strengthening Series

The Bulletins in OJJDP's Family Strengthening Series discuss the effectiveness of family intervention programs, examine specific methods for improving family interactions and reducing delinquency, and highlight successful programs and current research. The following publications are available through OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (see the order form); additional Bulletins in this series are forthcoming:

• Brief Strategic Family Therapy (April 2000).
• Competency Training: The Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 (August 2000).
• Effective Family Strengthening Interventions (November 1998).
• Families and Schools Together: Building Relationships (November 1999).
• Family Skills Training for Parents and Children (April 2000).
• The Incredible Years Training Series (July 2000).
• The Nurturing Parenting Programs (November 2000).
• Parents AnonymousSM: Strengthening Families (April 1999).
• Preparing for the Drug Free Years (July 1999).
• Preventing Violence the Problem-Solving Way (April 1999).
• Treatment Foster Care (December 1998).

Youth in Action Series

Parents looking for help in raising their children to be confident and contributing members of society can steer them toward OJJDP's Youth in Action series of publications, which were written by youth involved with the National Youth Network. Founded and managed by OJJDP, the network consists of youth leaders from across the Nation who are sponsored by youth-serving organizations. The network empowers youth to have a positive, formidable impact in their communities.

The Bulletins and Fact Sheets in OJJDP's Youth in Action Series promote activities such as planning community programs, creating publications, making presentations, and working with the media. Youth programs described in these publications include peer mentoring, community cleanup, youth and senior citizen collaboration, conflict resolution, and drug prevention projects.

The Youth in Action series is available through OJJDP's Web site at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org or by calling the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736.

Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Lives of Boys

In Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Lives of Boys, Drs. Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson describe how young boys often develop into silent and angry men who keep their emotions in check because they live in a culture that depicts manliness as requiring merely stoicism and strength. The authors found that many boys suppress their emotions because of their ideas about how boys and men should think and act. Kindlon, a clinical and research psychologist specializing in the behavioral problems of youth, and Thompson, a child and family psychologist, have worked with emotionally isolated boys who channeled their sadness into contempt for others and self-hate, hid their fear through excessive drinking, or shied away from bonding with others. The authors' discussion revolves around the following question: How can boys be helped to become emotionally whole men?

Kindlon and Thompson describe how the culture steers boys away from expressing themselves emotionally. They examine what young boys struggle with during early education, the cost of the harsh discipline some boys receive, the cruelty many see in boys, and the relationships between fathers and sons and mothers and sons. Chapters are devoted to the nature of boys' solitude; the battle with depression and suicide that some boys go through; their bouts with substance abuse, which often are attempts to fill an emotional void; their relationships with girls; and their proclivity toward anger and violence. The book, which was published by Ballantine Publishing Group (ISBN 0-345-43485-4), concludes by attempting to answer the question of what boys need to help them grow emotionally.

Notes

1. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 2000. OJJDP Acting Administrator John J. Wilson Statement on Child Well-Being Indicators Report. Office of Justice Programs News. Press release. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.