Two recent books, "When Good Kids Kill," by Michael D. Kelleher, and "Lost Boys," by James Garbarino, explore how children become killers and suggest ways to reduce our high-pressure society's epidemic levels of youth violence. Physically or psychologically distant parents and unaffirmative media messages are negative…

Nationwide, child-murder arrests are rising while suspects' ages are dropping. Self-centered behavior is rampant. Schools should explain character-education programs to parents, get everyone's commitment, acknowledge virtuous behavior, provide adequate staff development, seek moral lessons in every class, and distinguish moral debates from…

The United States leads the developed world in youth violence, with the highest homicide and suicide rates among young people. Exposure starts early. To reduce violence in U.S. schools, we must control handguns, abolish television violence, isolate violent students, and change the ways that juvenile offenders are punished. (MLH)