This document is one of eight in a series of guides designed to help teach and counsel troubled youth. It differs from the others in the series in that it was written specifically for children who are struggling with serious family problems such as substance abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and mental illness. The first of the 20 lessons in the guide helps students to understand that there are no perfect, problem-free families and that all families have at least minor problems. Lesson 2 notes that serious family problems are faced by many youth and are not shameful, isolated occurrences. Lesson 3 emphasizes that serious family problems such as violence, alcoholism, and sexual abuse are never caused by children; lesson 4 acknowledges that such problems cannot be solved by children. Lessons 5 and 6 help students learn to help themselves and to resist enabling (rescuing) behaviors. Lesson 7 stresses that there is help available for serious family problems; lesson 8 focuses on family secrets. Lessons 9, 10 and 11 explicitly detail and explore sexual abuse and incest. Other lessons focus on alcoholism and addiction, physical and verbal abuse, neglect, divorce, and emotional problems. Some lessons help students to balance their own needs with those of their families, to work out rather than act out serious family problems, and to seek and accept help to manage serious family problems. The final lesson focuses on every child's basic human rights. (NB)