Includes bibliographical references and index.

As the nation becomes alarmed by reports in the media of the growing wave of violent children, Ghosts from the Nursery presents startling new evidence that links aggressive and violent behavior to the effects of abuse and neglect on the infant brain. While violent behavior has typically been traced to adolescence, this book points to the cradle as the genesis of this problem. In clear and accessible prose, Karr-Morse and Wiley integrate narratives of real children, and interviews from death row, with compelling new research on psychological and physiological brain development. Ghosts from the Nursery demonstrates that positive infant care stimulates the brain's capacity for intelligence, trust, and empathy, while trauma, abuse, and neglect during the first two years of life can lead to the permanent suppression of these important protective capacities. By unveiling previously unseen vulnerabilities and opportunities present in infancy, Ghosts from the Nursery creates a convincing case for a revolution in our beliefs about how to begin to stem the violence currently overwhelming the nation.