Yes, I Can Say No: A Parent's Guide to Assertiveness Training for Children

The author of an adult assertiveness manual, When I Say No, I Feel Guilty, applies the same techniques to developing assertive social skills in children between the ages of seven and 17. Through dialogues that engage adult and child in a range of situations, such as experimentation with sex and drugs, various responses, stances and actions are elicited as support for the young person susceptible to negative peer pressure. Smith's program has been tested with positive results in the Irvine, Calif., school system, where reportedly it has fostered positive self-image in children by providing coping techniques and has also increased academic achievement. An aid for parents and teachers, and of particular pertinence in the national campaign against substance abuse. Author tour. (November 19)