Permanent Adolescence

Why Boys Don't Grow Up

by Joe Carmichiel, MSEd.

We all know men who behave like children—these are men who have never progressed developmentally into adulthood. In addition, we know that many boys in modern culture are not successfully maturing, due to a number of disturbing reasons, among them:

• Parental Neglect
• Inadequate Schools
• Lack of Male Role Models
• Substance Abuse
• Contempt for Adults
• The Effect of TV on Children's Brains

This revealing book analyzes the unfortunate decisions and deliberate oversights society has made on behalf of its boys. Based on Carl Jung’s theory of “horizontal and vertical mindedness,” Joe Carmichiel examines the major reasons causing permanent adolescence: the disappearance of coming-of-age rituals; the effect of television on children’s brain development; the lack of male role models; the normalization of violence; the inadequate teaching methods in schools. All of these factors cause boys to be contemptuous of adulthood, mistrust adults and, rather than seek mentorship or adult development, choose to remain permanent adolescents.

Carmichiel’s book reveals the destructive state many of today’s boys are in. These boys want to succeed and develop, but adults and society are not giving them the means and guidance they need to do so. Permanent Adolescence: Why Boys Don’t Grow Up not only presents the problems boys face growing up, but also highlights the specific steps and changes society and parents must make to ensure our boys develop into healthy and responsible adults.

Joe Carmichiel, MSEd., an education consultant and freelance journalist, has taught high school English in some of America’s most challenging schools and has a wealth of firsthand experience with teens, gangs and violent adolescents. He has a B.S. in Communication Studies from the State University of New York at Brockport and an M.S. in English Education from the University of Rochester. He lives in Victor, New York.

A New Horizon Press Release
Psychology/Parenting & Childcare
5.5 x 8.25, 244 pages
LC# 2008927026, world rights
ISBN-10: 0-88282-335-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-88282-335-5 (pb), $14.95