Kids who distrust adults are highly skilled at hiding their real nature and resisting change. Most adults shun such youths or get mired in conflict with them. Punitive get tough practices as well as traditional flaw-fixing treatment are reactive strategies that often drive these youths further from adult bonds and reinforce oppositional and anti-social behavior. But these young people are far from hopeless, for they have remarkable resilience. This book explores the private logic of kids who battle adults and provides a blueprint and practical strategies for connecting with and reclaiming them. Drawn from the authors direct experiences, the book illustrates key principles with stories of conflict and survival. Each chapter is introduced with the unfolding story of one authors personal journey from risk to resilience. It then offers perspectives on these themes drawing from research and practical experience with youth issues. The scientific foundations of this work are drawn from the new knowledge on positive youth development, also called positive psychology, strength-building, and resilience. The focus is on developing potentials instead of preoccupation with deficit and deviance. (Contains 171 references.) (GCP)