Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The author of "The Verbally Abusive Relationship" delves into the stress-filled teen world and reveals how and why verbal abuse in this age group has become an escalating epidemic in America.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Acknowledgments (p. vii)
• Introduction (p. ix)
• Part 1 About Verbal Abuse (p. 1)
• Chapter I What Is Verbal Abuse? (p. 3)
• Chapter II Why Verbal Abuse Isn't Okay (p. 25)
• Chapter III The Teen World (p. 35)
• Chapter IV The Code of Silence (p. 47)
• Chapter V Verbal Abuse Precedes Violence (p. 57)
• Chapter VI How Verbal Abuse Impacts Teens (p. 63)
• Part 2 Where Verbal Abuse Shows Up (p. 85)
• Chapter VII Verbal Abuse in Media and Sports (p. 87)
• Chapter VIII Verbal Abuse at Home (p. 101)
• Chapter IX Verbal Abuse at School (p. 123)
• Chapter X The Teen Who Verbally Abuses (p. 145)
• Part 3 What Can We Do about It? (p. 161)
• Chapter XI Stopping Verbal Abuse (p. 163)
• Chapter XII For Parents (p. 183)
• Chapter XIII For Teachers (p. 211)
• Chapter XIV For Teens (p. 233)
• Chapter XV Boyfriends and Girlfriends (p. 253)
• Endnotes (p. 279)
• Appendix A Sample School Harassment Policy (p. 283)
• Appendix B Resources (p. 289)
• Index (p. 295)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

With these two titles, the genre on navigating adolescence continues to grow but gets no boost. The publisher is comparing Blanco's story with Dave Pelzer's A Child Called "It," but that's inaccurate, for it lacks that book's honest writing. A public relations agent, Blanco writes about growing up a misfit and reject, constantly tormented by her classmates. Never really fitting in, she moved from school to school in the Chicago suburbs, with verbal abuse soon turning into physical abuse. Then, when Blanco was 16, her parents decided to vacation in Greece, and they flew the next day (what about passports?). She met a guy in his "quaint" club and spilled her life story, including problems with her asymmetrical breasts (one huge, one tiny). She then shed her bra so that he could admire her lopsided chest. Back home for breast surgery and her senior year, she was soon driving one of Dad's company cars (!) to school. Though she was a proud, God-fearing "good girl," she turned assertive, even muttering "Screw you!" to one of her enemies. On to New York University, a public relations career, and back to a high school reunion to see all the kids who had tormented her-and more bizarre fodder. With too much in this memoir failing to ring true, and much of it sounding preposterous, readers have no reason to sympathize with the author. In her latest book, consultant and speaker Evans (The Verbally Abusive Relationship) turns to teenagers with the goal of identifying verbal abuse and stopping it, but she is long-winded, repetitive, and self-serving. Too many generalities get in the way of facts here; and lists with examples of abuse and ways to respond are mostly useless. For example, Evans suggests that one fire back the comment, "That's silly talk," which hardly constitutes teen lingo. Verbal abuse always precedes violence, she claims, but this is not supported with facts. The chapters on where to find abuse (in media, sports, the home, and school) could have been lumped into one. Finally, in the text and in the slim bibliography, Evans recommends her own books and her own web site. Libraries are much better off with Rachel Simmons's Odd Girl Out and Rosalind Wiseman's Queen Bees and Wannabes. Neither of these new books is recommended.-Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Evans is the author of several books about verbal abuse, beginning with The Verbally Abusive Relationship (1992). Here she targets the minefields of teen behavior in a book for parents, teachers, and teens to share. In her first section, which defines verbal abuse, Evans revisits some of the material in her previous titles, but she shows how teens are particularly affected: verbal abuse impairs the self-confidence and self-knowledge necessary to develop into healthy, functioning adults. And she discusses the role of verbal abuse in violent behavior. In the book's second half, Evans looks specifically at verbal abuse in the media, on the sports field, at home, and in school, and she closes with a section on stopping verbal abuse, with separate chapters for parents, teachers, teens, and "boyfriends and girlfriends." Evans' approach is more practical and anecdotal than scientific, using approachable language enhanced with plenty of checklists, charts, and an appended resources section. The result is an easily digested, empowering guide to identifying and curbing damaging behavior and to strengthening communication in general. --Gillian Engberg

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Patricia Evans is a highly acclaimed interpersonal communications specialist, public speaker, and consultant. She has appeared on hundreds of radio shows and dozens of television programs, including Oprah and CNN