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settings and also examines gender, age, race, and personality factors. Two explora- tory studies examine aspects of identity: one considers ethnicity in suburban youth and the other compares identity development of Black males in college to that of young men in an inner city. Another chapter presents an overview of psychosocial development in rural adolescents. Several authors noted the increas- ing bifurcation within the population along class lines.

One of the goals of this collection was to go beyond the recitation of facts to the incorporation of perspectives on intervention and theory. Practical strategies are covered in varying degree from chapter to chapter. Theoretical discussions are spread across so many chapters and encompass such diverse viewpoints that read- ers may experience difficulty in evaluating the current status of theory on Black adolescent development. An overview chapter would have been useful. Indeed, the entire volume would be enhanced by the inclusion of an essay to put specific contributions from all of the chapters into perspective.

Although the scholarly reviews are not easily translated into implications for policy directions or guidelines for practice, this book will be useful to practitioners, policy makers, and scholars. Black Adolescents should be a valuable supplemen- tary text in courses on adolescent development, youth policy, the family, and the varied courses on technique in psychological, educational, and social work prac- tice. The book is likely to stimulate a new wave of research on Black adolescents and to undergird efforts to remove these youth from the ranks of the endangered.

Sandra Murray Nettles

LlevelopmentaI Breakdown and Psychoanalytic Treatment in Adolescence: Clinicai Studies. Moses Laufer and M. Egle Laufer (Eds). New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1989. 217 pp.

This book is based on work at the Centre of Research into Adolescent Breakdown/ Brent Consultation Centre, London and contains contributions from the editors, Moses and Egle Laufer, and nine other staff members. It consists of three sections. The principle part is provided by nine case studies of adolescents (aged 15-19 years) in full psychoanalytic treatment. This is preceded by an introductory section describing the theoretical basis to the work, the setting in which it was carried out and the rationale for undertaking this particular research project. In the final sec- tion, the clinical and theoretical implications of their findings are drawn together.

The clinical section can be read independent of the other sections. It provides an insight into the psychoanalytic treatment process and illustrates the analysts determination to offer help to these patients as well as emphasizing the complexity and severity of the disorders being treated. As the intense transference and counter- transference issues unfold, one clearly sees that this treatment is not a cosy, collu- sive interlude for either party.

The authors challenge some common practices. They have grave concerns about the use in adolescence of classificatory systems derived from work with adults. They feel developmental issues can produce a picture which may present superficially as similar but which are fundamentally different in terms of aetiology,

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therapy and prognosis. They hold a firm view that their patient is the adolescent and not the family (although treatment is only undertaken after parental involve- ment in the assessment): rather than viewing hospitalization as failure, it is

accepted as inevitable and necessary for some patients. Alongside this, consider- able importance is attached to the adolescents day-to-day living arrangements and liaison with other professionals.

Potential readers should not be deterred by the fact that the treatment offered (five times/week sessions) is far removed from what most of us can offer. The style of presentation makes it readable and the content raises issues of great importance in our approach to disturbed and disturbing adolescents. This book is an important contribution to the study and treatment of adolescent disorders: it should be available to all professionals within the field particularly those offering individual psychotherapy. It provides us with the possibility of increasing our understanding of adolescents experiences and, through the acceptance and appre- ciation of these, offering a better response-“. . . we began to understand the overwhelming strength of their compulsion to behave in certain prescribed ways to deal with their panic like anxiety and their helplessness to change it. We real&d that this had to become an integral part of the transference if the path-

ology was to be understood and changed” (p.200). Adrian Sutton

(Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Central Manchester.)

Delinquency in Adolescence. Scott W. Henggeler. London: Sage, 1990. 1 Slpp.

Everything you needed to know about delinquency, in 110 easy pages! There seems to be a surfeit of literature surveys on delinquency being published at pre- sent, most of them dry, academic tones presumably aimed at the American college market. There is little to choose between them: Henggeler at least has the virtue of being short. He reviews around 350 published research studies, focusing on the correlates of delinquent behaviour in the psychological, sociological and psy- chiatric literature, and emphasizing empirical research at the expense of theory. A whistle-stop tour runs through individual characteristics, family relationships, individual treatment variables and social system treatment variables, prefaced with the obligatory introduction covering methodolgical problems, prevalence, incidence, age, gender, race and class dimensions. Short chapters focus on female crime and sexual and violent crime, while a further chapter considers multi- dimensional causal models, which he argues should be funded further (Henggeler himself being involved in this research!).

The book could be a useful reference guide to a substantial literature for the busy student or academic. Its descriptive style avoids judgement, and thereby gives the reviewer little to take issue with. In the end, the size of the purchaser’s bank account will be the main determinant as to whether this or another literature review is purchased.

Denis Jones (Assistant Director, Intermediate Treatment Fund.)