Understanding 12-14-Year-Olds

Margot Waddell, PhD(Cantab), MACP, MBPAS is a psychoanalyst and consultant child psychotherapist in the Adolescent Department of the Tavistock Clinic. She has written extensively on adolescence, including on groups, gangs and scapegoating, and is author of Inside Lives: Psychoanalysis and the Growth of Personality (1998).Margot Waddell lives in London.

• Foreword, Jonathan Bradley. Introduction. 1. Other Bodies: Other Selves. 2. Sexuality. 3. School Life: The Primary/Secondary Divide. 4. Groups: Inclusion and Exclusion. 5. A Question of Identity: "Who am I?" 6. Running Into Difficulties. 7. Life in the Family. Helpful Organizations. Index.

The book highlights the often powerful emotions 12- to 14-year-olds experience as they try to find their own space, and distance themselves from their parents, guardians and carers while establishing friends and peer support... It gives practical advice on how to deal with situations and how to manage conflict around issues such as smoking, bullying, eating disorders and sexuality, which will not only help a parent but any professional who works with children and young people.The quotations from older people about their experiences as a 12- to 14-year-old are informative and interesting, evoking my own personal memories of being that age.The highlight of this book is Waddell's clear, concise and informative writing style, complimented by her excellent research. I would highly recommend this book for the casual reader and those seeking in-depth information about the "terrible 12s".