Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence

An "ominous and persuasive" study of when violence starts in child development—and the preventive measures to stop it (The New York Times Book Review).

This new, revised edition incorporates significant advances in neurobiological research and includes a new introduction by Dr. Vincent J. Felitti, a leading researcher in the field. When Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence was first published, it was lauded for providing scientific evidence that violence can originate in the womb and become entrenched in a child's brain by preschool. The authors' groundbreaking conclusions became even more relevant following the wave of school shootings across the nation including the tragedies at Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, and shocking subsequent shootings.

Following each of these, media coverage and public debate turned yet again to the usual suspects concerning the causes of violence: widespread availability of guns and lack of mental health services for late-stage treatment. Discussion of the impact of trauma on human life—especially early in life during chemical and structural formation of the brain—is missing from the equation. Karr-Morse and Wiley continue to shift the conversation among parents and policy makers toward more fundamental preventative measures against violence.

"Karr-Morse and Wiley boldly raise some tough issues . . . [They] start with a grim question—why are children violent?—and they forge a passionate and cogent argument for focusing our collective energies on infancy and parenthood to stop the cycle of ruined lives." —The Seattle Times

ROBIN KARR-MORSE is a family therapist in private practice. She is the former Director of Parent Training for the Oregon Child Welfare System, previously the founding Director of the Oregon Children’s Trust Fund and is currently the founding Director of the Parenting Institute. She is a consultant to several policy groups working to reimagine and shift social policy from its sole focus on remediation toward prevention of trauma in children’s development. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

MEREDITH S. WILEY is the former State Director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York. She lives in Mariposa, California. Karr-Morse and Wiley are coauthors of Scared Sick: The Role of Childhood Trauma in Adult Disease.