WHY ARE GIRLS as young as five years old concerned about their looks and addicted to shopping? WHY ARE YOUNG TEENAGE GIRLS having sex and binge-drinking, responding to chat-room predators, and bullying their peers via email and text messages? WHY ARE DEPRESSION, cutting and eating disorders on the rise, and why, with so much choice when it comes to careers, do so many just want to marry young and have babies? Over two years Maggie Hamilton interviewed girls, teachers, school counsellors, psychologists, and law enforcement and medical personnel to get an insider"s view on what girls are experiencing at present, from birth to the teenage years. Informed, revealing, compassionate and at times shocking, What"s Happening to Our Girls? is a book for parents and all those who want to better understand and support girls. "I found myself so engrossed that for two days running I nearly missed my tram stop . . . A definite must-read for parents with daughters, for teachers and for other people dealing with girls, In fact, everyone should read this book." AUSTRALIAN BOOKSELLER AND PUBLISHER "A crucial tool for greater understanding." SUNDAY MAIL