Kids Gone Wild

Joel Best is Professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. He has published more than twenty books on social problems and deviance, including Threatened Children, Random Violence, Damned Lies and Statistics, and The Student Loan Mess (with Eric Best.)Kathleen A. Bogle is Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at La Salle University in Philadelphia. She is the author of Hooking Up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus.

"The book is easy to follow and Best and Bogle describe the collection of data and the ways in which data is presented in an easy to understand manner. The intended audience is certainly those interested in or studying Sociology, Gender studies, Human Sexuality, and Criminal Justice. But the book also extends to parents and those working with youth. It is an excellent guide to use when learning about the connection between contemporary legends, the media, and current behavior among youth." (Metapsychology) "Bogle and Best analyzed the trajectory of isolated rumors about teenage debauchery to major network coverage on the evening news and found that few reporters took the time or effort to investigate the facts. Each time the public hears & Coming up at six: shocking news about the bracelet your kid is wearing, in the same breath as substantive reports about the Middle East and the economy, [Bogle] said, they are very difficult to shake." (The Inquirer) "Kids Gone Wild recasts our fears of childhood sexual abandon where they rightly belongto a world of fiction, not fact. Best and Bogle place our worries in broader field of understanding, revealing media drift toward tabloidization, the machinations of urban legends, and the critical role class and racial inequalities play in the distribution of risk. In doing so, they help to explain why stories of kids gone wild gain traction in the first place. A timely and engaging read." - Amy Best,author of Fast Cars, Cool Rides: The Accelerating World of Youth and Their Cars "Adult moral panic, fear of a sexually active teen planet and sensationalized media coverage are met with a critical eye and solid data analysis. Best & Bogle warn us, dont believe the hype, the kids are alright! A lively and welcomed addition to the literature in youth studies and media studies." - Donna Gaines,author of Teenage Wasteland: Suburbia's Dead End Kids "An impressive exposé of the outlandish stories the media tirelessly promotes about the sex lives of our children. Both shocking and informative, this myth-busting book is a must-read for any parent worried about what their kids are up to when they arent around." - Pepper Schwartz,co-author of Ten Talks Parents Must Have with Kids about Sex and Character "Best and Bogle dissect both these trends and convincingly determine that they are legendsstories that spread even though few kids have actually gone to a sex party or had sex based on the color of a bracelet. . . . Why do we so readily believe the tall tales? That part is easy. As Best and Bogle observe, rainbow parties and sex bracelets feed our paternal obsession with & threats to childrens innocence. For conservatives, theyre grist for the mill of abstinence-based sex education and chastity pledges. For liberals, theyre cause for worrying about the degradation of girls in a sexist culture" (Slate.com) "Although research shows that white, middle-class teens are not actually out of control, thats not the point here. Instead, Best and Bogleillustrate how infotainment reporting, online hubbub, and misleading statistics combine with our psychological tendency to create stories that stick, even when theres no supporting evidence. . . . Even more importantly, the authors examine how cultural memes spread; their call to take a more critical look at the sensational stories we share, and how they do or dont serve us, is worth hearing." (Publishers Weekly)

• Contents Preface vii Acknowledgments xiii 1 These Kids Today 1 2 How Legends Spread 21 3 Parents Beware: Packaging Legends as TV News 45 4 Online Conversations about Kids and Sex 69 5 Controlling Teen Sexting 101 6 Too Sexual Too Soon: Why Believe the Hype? 123 Notes 145 References 161 Index 175 About the Authors 177