Steering Them Straight

Rating:
Summary: If you are a parent, you MUST read this book!
Review: This review appeared previously in Christian Library Journal (January 1997).

Steering Them Straight is subtitled A Parental Plan for Guiding Today's Youth Through the Temptations of Premarital Sex, Eating Disorders, Pornography, Suicide, Satanism, and Substance Abuse. Many parents will find themselves out of their comfort zones while reading this book. It is thorough in its examination of these serious issues and the steps parents need to take to prevent their children from falling prey--or to rescue them.

Stephen Arterburn is a well-known counselor and the co-founder of Minirth Meier New Life Clinics. Jim Burns has been active in youth ministry for over twenty years. They illustrate chapters on such difficult topics as homosexuality, AIDS, runaways, and eating disorders with insights drawn from actual case studies. They address mysteries such as why one child experiments with drugs while another does not.

In reading Chapter 2: The Evolution of the Dysfunctional Family, some parents may recognize themselves and be tempted to stop reading. I would urge readers to continue, as painful as it may be. The message of this book is that parents save lives by committing themselves to spending time with their kids--actively expressing their love, having fun together, lavishing attention on them, and teaching their children right from wrong through example and frank discussion.

The book's strong point is its practical advice. Most chapters end with a section called You Can Make a Difference. Arterburn and Burns tell us how and why kids fall into destructive behaviors. They list warning signs, expose parental conduct that contributed to their children's problems, and give positive strategies that parents can use so that their kids won't be deceived into temptation.

For parents whose children have already succumbed, Steering Them Straight offers hope through parent intervention and professional counseling. The appendix gives resources such as organizations, books, and curricula dealing with the crises delineated in the book.

Andrea R. Huelsenbeck