Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
2212 Sixth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
510-644-2555

This organization is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.

Field Guide to the American teenager. Joseph Di Prisco and Michael Riera. Perseus, 2000.

[This book presents] insights into many issues that are commonly confronted by teens today: drug use, weapons at school, homosexuality, romance, eating disorders, and race relations, to name a few. But rather than confronting the issues with a laundry list of do's and don'ts, the authors try to help readers understand what teens are thinking and why they act as they do. A discussion of date rape, for instance, doesn't offer any specifics on how to help teens avoid this situation; instead, it looks at why teens choose to engage in the kind of risk-taking behavior that might lead to date rape. Discussions of underlying issues like trust, communication, self-esteem, integrity, friendship, ambiguity, peer pressure, and responsibility are available so parents get an idea of why issues of eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse occur.

Good friends are hard to find: Help your child find, make and keep friends. Fred Frankel. 1996

[This] is a helpful overview and also allows parents to locate particular problems (e.g., how to find friends; how to deal with bullies). Frankel advocates one-on-one playdates as the most effective way for children to form meaningful friendships, maintaining that organized activities like team sports aren't structured to lead to the development of close friendships. He also offers concrete suggestions for organizing schedules to make time for friends and for limiting such solitary activities as video games and TV.

Mean Girls starring Lindsay Lohan

This is a movie about a new girl desperately trying to fit in and ultimately getting her revenge on the "mean girls."

National Association for Multicultural Education
National Office
733 Fifteenth Street, NW
Suite 430
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone: 202-628-6264

This organization is comprised of educators and businesses from various backgrounds and countries. The goal is to achieve political, educational, and economic equality; to be accepting and able to function among diverse communities, and to end discrimination and racism.

Surviving your adolescents: How to manage and let go of your 13-18 year olds. Thomas W. Phelan. 1993

[Phelan] stresses the importance of communication between parents and teenagers. [With these helpful hints] parents can establish or repair positive relationships with their teens that will help them overcome the trouble spots. The next half of the book outlines a series of parental roles to deal with unacceptable behaviors, from Observing and Advising those MBAs, to Negotiating and Directing serious problems such as drug abuse. Phelan reveals teens' various methods of Testing and Manipulation, and gives helpful guidelines in the last chapters for specific areas such as driving or school difficulties. Written in a friendly, approachable style, this book is full of practical advice for the overwhelmed parent of pre-teens and teens.

Time to Tell 'Em Off! A Pocket Guide to Overcoming Peer Ridicule by Deanna Miller

This book does more than just explain the situation, it tells you how to go about fixing it. The author was a target at her school, and knows how cliques and ridiculing work in the real world. She also has lots of tips on how to stop it. If you want advice on dealing with feeling excluded or being teased, this is a good resource. Learn how to defend yourself by avoiding the victim role!