Saving Beauty from the Beast
Welcome back to Bibliotherapy Thursday! This week’s pick is Saving Beauty from the Beast: How to Protect Your Daughter from an Unhealthy Relationship by Vicki Crompton and Ellen Zelda Kessner. This guide offers parents of teens involved in toxic relationships the wisdom and tools to communicate with their children and end the abuse.
Vicki Crompton became an advocate for teen dating violence prevention following the murder of her 15-year-old daughter by her boyfriend in 1986. Crompton spent the next two decades educating the public about this complex issue and served as a consultant to the Office of Violence Against Women in the U.S. Department of Justice before joining with co-author Ellen Zelda Kessner to create this accessible guide for parents and caregivers. Parents of teenagers can often feel like they’re walking on eggshells, afraid to say or do something that might cause their children to dig their heels deeper into a dangerous situation. With this in mind, the authors include not only expert advice from professionals in education, adolescent psychology, criminal justice, threat assessment, and sociology, but also relatable perspectives from parents and teens who have experienced dating abuse in their own lives.
Though this book is geared toward parents of daughters, it is important to note that teen dating violence and other forms of abuse are not gender-specific. Due to stigma surrounding gender roles and relationships, teenage boys and members of the LGBTQ community are less likely to reach out for help if they are in an abusive situation. Because of this, I encourage all parents to look beyond the title and pick up this book if they believe their child may be experiencing teen dating abuse.
You can find Saving Beauty from the Beast in print and e-book at these retailers:
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