Resources

Links

Mike Males's Home Page

http://home.earthlink.net/~mmales/

Sociologist Mike Males is the pre-eminent researcher on youth-related issues. The guy is a baby-boomer, but don't let that scare you. His website is like ours, except Males actually knows what he's talking about. (But we have animated gif's, so our site is still #1!)

Youth Facts

http://www.youthfacts.org

Mike Males has built a second website, and this one rocks, too!

National Youth Rights Association

http://www.youthrights.org

Remember NYRA? Their website still remains and has plenty of resources for youth advocates.

Libertarian Rock

http://www.libertarianrock.com

This wonderful website is set up by the Libertarian Party. We at the Pro-Youth Pages do not encourage people to invest their energy in any third party — America's current electoral system is set up for two parties, and as long as that's the case, we encourage egalitarians to work instead on improving the two major parties. With that said, this site is well worth visiting. It's packed with information and advice. Why can't the Democrats or Republicans be this cool, compassionate, or courageous?

Advocates for Youth

http://capwiz.com/advofy/home/

This link takes you straight to their fabulous action page, where you can easily get the name and address of your members of Congress, your state legislators, etc. The page also offers lots of information about current legislation and campaigns relating to youth issues.

WireTap

http://www.alternet.org/wiretap/

This progressive website is filled with articles on youth issues — mostly written by youth.

Protect

http://www.protect.org

This organization works to tighten laws against raping children. It's sad that such an organization is needed, but without your support, the need will continue.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

http://www.un.org/rights/50/decla.htm

Human rights the United Nations says you should enjoy.

"Seven Sins of Our System of Forced Education"

http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/32713

Psychology Today examines the harms of truancy laws.

"5 Shockingly Powerful Kids Who Make You Look Like a Coward"

http://www.cracked.com/article_18492_5-shockingly-powerful-kids-who-make-you-look-like-coward.html

A little more youth history for ya.

"5 Terrifying Online Trends (Invented By the News Media)"

http://www.cracked.com/article_18982_5-terrifying-online-trends-invented-by-news-media.html

A great examination of how the media misleads people about the dangers of youth culture.

"I helped Teenagers get Secret Abortions"

http://open.salon.com/blog/steelrigged/2009/06/02/i_helped_teenagers_get_secret_abortions

A powerful reminder of the problems caused in states with age-limits dictating who can get an abortion.

"South Carolina: High School Drug Raid Sparks Incredulity, Outrage"

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/311/stratford.shtml

A great article about a drug raid on a high school.

Books Worth Reading

All these books are currently in print. If you can't find them at your local library, ask your librarian how to make an inter-library loan. You can also order any of these online through Amazon or Barnes & Nobel. Or have your local independent bookstore special-order a copy for you.

For a clearer view of the world

Framing Youth: 10 Myths About the Next Generation by Mike A. Males. (Common Courage Press; ISBN: 1-156751-148-1)

Examines the many lies our media and our political leaders tell about youth.

How to Lie with Statistics by Daryl Huff. (W.W. Norton & Co.; ISBN: 0393310728)

This short and highly readable book explains how statistics are routinely manipulated to mislead people. Reading this book will help you see through the lies broadcast on the evening news.

Vital info

The Rights of Students by Eve Cary, Alan H. Levine, and Janet Price. (Viking Penguin; ISBN: 0-14-037784-0)

A handbook on students' rights under American law. For less than 10 bucks, it's quite a bargain; a must-read for every American in a public school.

How to fight back

Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals by Saul D. Alinsky (Vintage Books; ISBN: 0679721134)

The classic text on fighting powers that be. Still the best book on grassroots strategy.

Organizing for Social Change by Kim Bobo, Jackie Kendall, and Steve Max (Seven Locks Press; ISBN: 092976594x)

A step-by-step guide to activist strategies and tactics.

Generation React: Activism for Beginners by Danny Seo (Ballantine Books; ISBN: 0-345-41242-7)

Seo was 12 years old when he founded Earth 2000. In this short book, he shares his tips for changing the world when you're not even allowed to vote.

It's Our World, Too!: Stories of Young People Who are Making a Difference by Phillip Hoose (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; ISBN: 0374336229)

As you may guess from the exclamation point, this book is for the "young adult" section of the library, but the information here is empowering. Hoose describes how various youth have made changes, from a nine-year-old who got his city to spend money building a park to the 15-year-old who got tuna companies to stop killing dolphins.