cover image Safe, Strong, and Streetwise: The Teenager's Guide to Preventing Sexual Assualt

Safe, Strong, and Streetwise: The Teenager's Guide to Preventing Sexual Assualt

Helen Benedict. Little Brown and Company, $6.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-87113-100-3

This powerful, hard-hitting manual will surely help young people and possibly save lives. Crisis counselor Benedict writes for girls and boys, understands teenage realities of sex before marriage and is knowledgeable about youngsters' concerns. Without shying away from the most frightening subjects (incest, doctors and teachers who betray their power of authority, etc.), she remains positive and empowering, stating: ""You can change that.'' Direct guidelines are offered for safety; also listed are physical self-defense techniques (e.g., the Power Yell) and how to deflect guilt-evoking date mind games (``You know you want it''). More broadly useful than just in cases of sexual attack, it includes appendixes for both teens and parents, which add to this book's exceptional value. (12-up)