Her mother is looking for a doctor who will recommend abstaining from sexual activity, but she can’t find one. As Shalit tells it, describing the case study of a fifteen-year-old whose boyfriend is pressuring her for sex:Įveryone-the pediatrician, the school nurse, the girl’s therapist-is encouraging her to use birth control. For girls still “on the fence” about sex, the family, the schools, the mass media-even the feminists-too often conspire to push them off. What is more, according to Shalit, the institutions that formerly supported girls in their hesitations and demurrals have now, to a greater or lesser degree, abandoned them. Today’s girls have become so inured that, simply to be agreeable, they willingly yield to boys’ demands without feeling the least desire themselves. It seems that the word “no”-the sound of which became familiar in response to our own adolescent importunities-has dropped out of the female vocabulary. Wendy Shalit’s charming, moving, sometimes heartbreaking new book has dispiriting news for men over forty: now is an even better time to be a male adolescent on the hunt than when we were boys. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at Gone Mild: Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect and Find It’s Not Bad to Be Good

He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic-a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist.

Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit