I Wrote On All Four Walls: Teens Speak Out On Violence
Nine teenagers give their life experiences with violence, whether as victim, torturer or bystander. For most, the violence in their lives is unavoidable. But for others, it was a case of making bad choices.
In interviewing nine people about the violence in their teen years, Fran Fearnley presents a largely depressing look at the havoc wreaked on young lives. In the case of Debbie, it was a college romance with a boyfriend who battered her physically and mentally. For Don, the troubles began as a youngster when he would terrorize his little brother. He eventually moved on to taping a schoolmate to a pole. Don claims that he no longer has the urge to fight, but in the next breath, he details a recent scrap he got into at a bar.
Allan suffered at the hands of homophobic classmates when he came out at age 14; he escaped into drugs like Ecstasy and dropped out of school. He doesn't like being home because he doesn't feel safe, and he wishes he had continued with his education because he would like to go to college.
The most promising story is Caitlin's, a girl who grew up in a household infused with drug abuse. She suffered abuse by her mother and molestation by her mother's boyfriends, as well as a near fatal bout of alcohol poisoning. Somehow, through all of the trauma in her life, she managed to pull it together to get into college and have hope for a future.
