Consumer Critique: In the Line of Fire - Raising Kids in a Violent World

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own. 

Living in a peaceful world, free from hatred, bigotry, bullying and violence may seem like an impossible journey. Violence surrounds us and overwhelmingly dominates our lives through crime-based TV shows, video games, and social media – not to mention our daily news feeds which include hate crimes, bullying, school shootings, domestic violence and rioting/looting.

According to Jan Arnow, author of In the Line of Fire: Raising Kids in a Violent World, none of these examples of violence stands alone – they are all connected along a continuum of violence.
The statistics reveal a shocking truth. Every day in the United States:
Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to be an abuser as an adult
Seven children or teenagers are killed by firearms
187 children are arrested for violent crimes
1,837 children are identified as abused or neglected, and
2,857 high school students drop out.

In this book, Arnow makes the connections that have been widely ignored.  She says we can stop the violence, and shows us how to collectively achieve this with more than 400 actionable tips. This heavily researched book provides a balance of case studies, true stories and actionable tips, and is a perfect resource for parents, teachers, counselors, law enforcement and clergymen.




Four hundred tips sounds intimidating, but it's not - not in the way they're presented in this book. It's actually reminiscent of a middle school textbook, which means it's easy to find key information, the vocabulary is comprehensible, and it's a very concisely written book that doesn't waste time with a lot of fluff. It's a great book to read to get ideas for how to combat the issue of violence - for parents, teachers, or anyone else who works with kids.


Jan Arnow is the founder and executive director of Innovations in Peacemaking International, and is an internationally recognized lecturer and authority on multicultural education, violence abatement, prejudice reduction, creativity, and leadership. She is a highly respected and award-winning author of nine books and scores of articles for a variety of national magazines. She is currently working on a teacher's and community guide to In the Line of Fire: Raising Kids in a Violent World, and a new peace curriculum for schools, houses of worship, and neighborhood centers. She also travels to carry her violence abatement strategies to communities throughout the world.