(Replaces Ageing Issues)

In the next 25 years the percentage of the UK population over 65 is expected to rise by over 65%. Does society have the resources to cope with this growth? What are the financial and social implications?

Key Facts;  Glossary Index;  Additional Resources (websites etc.);  Index.

(Replaces The Animal Rights Debate) The debate over animal experimants — the Hunting Bill has not resolved the conflict about hunting — a wide range of opposing views — general issues of animal welfare.

Chapter One: Cannabis Issues
Cannabis, Cannabis – in depth, Cannabis facts, Cannabis information, Does cannabis lead to taking other drugs?, Reducing, or stopping, cannabis use, Drug misuse, Vulnerability to hard drugs, Public relaxed on the use of cannabis, Cannabis and mental health, Cannabis and problem behaviour, Cannabis and lung cancer, A smoking gun?, Drug testing at work, The state of the cannabis problem in Europe, The cannabis market – production.

Chapter Two: Cannabis and the Law
Drug laws and licensing, Cannabis – a question of classification, Common misconceptions about reclassification, Why drug laws damage cannabis users’ health, Cannabis users with just 10 joints face 14 years’ jail, Cannabis: why we should care, Cannabis: the science, Your rights on arrest, Cannabis and cannabis extracts, Medicinal cannabis and the law, UK ‘too soft on cannabis dangers’.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

Chapter One: Child Abuse
Child abuse, Child abuse and neglect, One child in ten grows up feeling unloved, Coming to terms with abuse, Corporal punishment in schools.

Chapter Two: The Smacking Debate
The smacking debate, ‘It never did me any harm...’, A human rights issue, Against a smacking ban, Smacking ban rejected, Lawfulness of corporal punishment, Child discipline.

Chapter Three: Child Sex Abuse
Abuse, Child sexual abuse, Education on sexual abuse, Getting over sexual abuse, Child’s play?, Sexual violence against children, Online child abuse images, What is grooming and online child abuse?, The top ten, False Memory Syndrome, Help for abusers, ‘They’re not monsters’.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

Chapter One: National Identity
Citizenship and belonging, The citizenship survey 2005, The union jack – a symbol of unity or division?, Flying the flag, Study shows Scottish sense of ‘Britishness’ in decline, Pride in Britain is on the wane, History lessons we should learn, Ethnicity and identity, The decline of Britishness, Abandon multiculturalism to foster ‘Britishness’ , Islamophobia and national identity , Citizenship test stumps one in three migrants, Identity cards.

Chapter Two: Voting and Government
Parliament, Voting for dummies, Election jargon buster, General elections, A citizen’s duty, The Cabinet, The myth of voter apathy, Democracy and extremism, How laws are made, Give citizens power to make laws, urges inquiry.

Chapter Three: Young Citizens
Young people ‘feel excluded from decisions’, Young people and mock elections, Youth participation, Votes at 16, Voting age: reduction to 16, My voice, my vote, my community, Youth parliaments and councils, Young politician, Schools poor at teaching citizenship, says Ofsted, Citizenship education, What is Global Citizenship?, European Union citizenship, What do young people want from Europe?

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

(NEW TITLE)

Has social mobility in the UK come to a standstill? Is social standing elitist, or a necessary evil of a structured society?

Chapter One: Social Class
A level playing field; Rise of the working class?; So who do we really think we are?; Social class definition; Class psychology; Middle-class teenagers made ‘whipping boys’; Chavs and chav nots; A child’s-eye view of social difference; Health and social class; Life expectancy and social class; A question of class – and tomatoes; Forget class, it’s postcodes that count.

Chapter Two: Social Mobility
Social mobility in Britain; Middle Britain; Social mobility; Social contrast; The class debate demands to be heard; Social mobility in advanced countries; The tyranny of suburbia; Inequality in Britain; The work-rich/work-poor society; Gap between rich and poor narrows; Education key to promoting social mobility; Social mobility not improving; Keeping class out of the classroom; Education is the only way to close class divide; Britain’s teenagers’ social skills gap widens; The cost of exclusion.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Index;  Additional Resources;  Index.

(Replaces The Climate Crisis)

Are man’s actions rather than a natural phenomenon responsible for climate change, and if we alter our behaviour will it make any difference?

Chapter One: Our Changing Climate
Instant expert: climate change; World becoming more humid; Climate changes controversies; Why it’s green to go vegetarian; What does climate change mean for us?; Biodiversity and climate change: ecosystems.

Chapter Two: Climate Politics
Climate change and cities; Climate change denial; The deceit behind global warming; G8 climate change accord elicits mixed reactions; UK legislation: Climate Change Bill; Climate change is like ‘World War Three’; Right to be suspicious; Carbon offsetting – frequently asked questions; Rockin’ all over the world ...

Chapter Three: Climate Solutions? Can algae save the world?; Oceans offer climate cure; Carbon sequestration; Fuelling the future; Sustainable fossil fuels; Climate change and the need for renewable energy; Combat climate change with fewer babies; New eco-towns could help tackle climate change; The inconvenient truth about carbon offsetting; Muck and brass – with carbon credits; Positive energy.

Key Facts;  Glossary Index;  Additional Resources;  Index.

(Replaces Human and Animal Cloning)

What is cloning? Is it ethical? What impact could it have on society?
Recent advances in science have provoked debate about where cloning will take us. This book considers the social and ethical considerations of cloning — including:
— whether cloning humans is acceptable
— whether people are willing to eat cloned food
— whether we should take advantage of medical therapies associated with cloning.  

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

Chapter One: Disability Issues
Disability issues, Disability in the UK, Adjusting to disability, Benefits, Disability facts, Transport options for disabled people, Young carers, ‘Hidden Lives’, Ross’s story.

Chapter Two: Equality and Rights
Equality rights, The disability symbol, Diversity good for business, Workplace prejudice, Disabled people continue to bear brunt of UK poverty, Disability and employment statistics, The cost of poverty, Social care, The care gap, Resources for disabled children, The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), The campaign for real choice, ‘Lack of choice’ for disabled children, International disability facts, Disabled treaty to reverse years of neglect, ‘Institutional disablism’ is rife in Britain, Recognising disablism, Living with a label, Disabled people on TV.

Chapter Three: Learning Disabilities
Information on learning disabilities, Managing a learning disability, Not seen, not heard, Special Educational Needs, Learning together for the better.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

Chapter One: Crime
Crime and justice, Crime in the UK, Crime in England and Wales, Britons most worried by crime, Britain tops European crime league, Violence in the UK, Victims of crime reject notion of retribution, Victims of crime survey.

Chapter Two: Crime and Young People
Youth crime, Young offenders, policing and prisons in the UK, Young people and crime, Attitudes towards teenagers and crime, Crisis in custody, Teen gangs, ASBOs, ASBO mania, ASBO research published, The voice behind the hood, Positive press, Fear of young people.

Chapter Three: Crime Solutions
Help! I’m a victim, How crime can affect you, ‘Smarter justice’, Reporting a crime, Some reasons people don’t report crime, The police, Police want new powers of ‘instant justice’, Tackling anti-social behaviour, Going to court, Why the prison system needs reform, Basic rights of prisoners, World prison population – key points, About women’s imprisonment.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

Chapter One: Consumer Trends
Consumers, Consumer spending, Consumer durables, Affluenza, Companies branded ‘out of touch’ by consumers, Advertising, Advertising and children, Childhood ‘dying in spend, spend Britain’, Shopping addiction, Men are shopaholics too, say psychologists, UK is Europe’s number one online retail market, Women and online shopping.

Chapter Two: Rights and Risks
Consumer rights, Your rights, Changes to consumer rights, Using credit wisely, Rise in problem debt, Facts and figures, Debt advice, Scambuster, Scammers create web of deceit.

Chapter Three: Ethical Consumerism
Absolutely ethical, darling!, Ethical consumerism, What assures consumers?, Ethical food, Fair trade, The Fairtrade revolution, Supermarkets vs local shops.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

(Replaces Domestic Violence)

Domestic abuse affects over 350,000 people in England and Wales alone. It can be physical but also verbal and emotional, and can impact seriously on any children in the relationship. This book looks at the impact of hidden domestic abuse on individuals and society:

Key Facts;  Glossary Index;  Additional Resources (websites etc.);  Index.

(Replaces Drug Abuse)

Figures for drug use in the UK remain worryingly high, especially among young people. Dangerous drugs such as crystal meth are becoming increasingly popular. This book looks at the trends, the effects of various drugs and the legal situation:

Key Facts;  Glossary Index;  Additional Resources (websites etc.);  Index.

(New title)

Chapter One: School Matters
Education in the UK, Qualifications explained, England’s National Curriculum evolves, Today’s learners and learning, Education and ethnicity, Report brands schools institutionally racist, Education and gender, Gender and subject choice, Single-sex schooling, Teacher numbers, Education and social mobility, Academies, The academies programme, Teacher opposition to academies grows, Employers let down by schools, Success in mathematics fuels A-level achievement, Are exams getting easier?, Emphasis on A-grades could lead to scientific skills gap, 57% ‘did better than expected’ in their exams, Countdown to specialist diplomas, The specialised Diploma, Teenagers ‘must stay in education till 18’, Home learning in the UK.

Chapter Two: Higher Education
Studying at UK universities, Undergraduate applicants up 6.4% for 2007, Student numbers and statistics, Alarm as students achieve record top degrees, Funding options, The cost of a degree, Slow growth in graduate starting salaries, A fortune by degrees, Male stereotypes barrier to university entrance, ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees come of age.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

(Replaces The Energy Debate) Our consumption of oil, coal and gas based energy needs to be reduced — but access to energy underpins our modern way of life — various types of renewable energy — how they may meet our needs — how to make homes more energy efficient.

(Replaces The Ethics of Euthanasia)

Euthanasia is illegal in the UK, but is it unethical? Those in favour say that it would allow the terminally ill to die with dignity, and 76% of British people felt that such people should be allowed medical assistance to die. Critics feel that legalising euthanasia would trivialise the social value of the ill and disabled and they would choose suicide to avoid being a burden. This book looks at the ethical debate.

Key Facts;  Glossary Index;  Additional Resources (websites etc.);  Index.

(Replaces Child Labour) One in six children in the world is involved in child labour — sexual explotation of children — child soldiers — the latest findings and statistics — what is being done to elimination exploitation.

Chapter One: Gambling in the UK
Gambling, Forms of gambling, The Gambling Commission, The science of gambling, Governing gambling, Key facts about the National Lottery, Lottery timeline, Under 16s and the National Lottery, UK’s first super casino, Q&A: Supercasino, Risks of the ‘supercasino’, Interactive or remote gambling, Are there any benefits to gambling?

Chapter Two: Cybergambling
Boom in online gambling, Online gambling in Europe, Online gambling drives addiction rates, Gambling at work, £1m online loser jailed, Online poker hooks teenagers, Mobile gambling boom time ahead.

Chapter Three: Problem Gambling
The problem with gambling, Information on gambling, Gambling ‘as addictive as crack cocaine’, Doctors fear boom in gambling addiction, One in 10 Scottish children is gambling addict, Story of a teenage problem gambler, More women seeking help over gambling addiction, Signs and interventions for a gambling dependency, Gambling debt, Gamblers Anonymous and GamAnon, Drug may curb pathological gambling.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

(Replaces Women, Men and Equality)

Gender equality has come a long way but inequalities still exist. Girls outperform boys in education, but women are paid on average 17% less than men. Women are still more likely than men to take responsibility for housework and childcare. This book examines equality issues at home, at work, at school and in law.

Key Facts;  Glossary Index;  Additional Resources (websites etc.);  Index.

(Replaces Genetic Modification)

Chapter One: GM Trends
What is GM?, Genomics in the UK, Glossary, GM (Genetic Modification), Why GM?, GM labelling, Genetic modification and the environment, Scientists create healthier tomatoes, Biotechnology: growing in popularity, UN upholds moratorium on terminator seed technology, GM contamination, GM drug crops, Modified hens lay eggs to help beat cancer, GM tobacco could save lives.

Chapter Two: The GM Debate
What are the ethics?, What’s the problem?, GM material in animal feed, Supermarkets supporting GM through the back door, International politics, Potato research trials, Farmer quits GM trial after phone threats, EU must wake up from ‘GM food inertia’, Are EU GMO rules starving the poor?, Rice contaminated by GM, Legal challenge to FSA, Out of control?, Developing countries and GM crops, Plans to allow GM farming in secret ‘are irresponsible’, This crop revolution may succeed where GM failed, There’s no chance that this technology will replace GM, Tories rally against Frankenstein foods.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index

Chapter One: Homelessness Issues
What is homelessness?, A brief history of homelessness, Homelessness in Scotland, Homelessness myths and facts, Housing and homelessness, Street homelessness, Street lifestyles, Statistics about homelessness, 23 year low in new cases of homelessness, Older homelessness, Asylum and immigration, Homeless people’s health, Alcohol and drugs.

Chapter Two: Youth Homelessness
The hidden homeless, Youth homelessness statistics, How does homelessness hurt?, Too much, too young, Mental health and youth homelessness.

Chapter Three: Homelessness Solutions
Preventing homelessness, Where to get help , Helping the homeless, Homelessness: key facts, Missed opportunities, Hard work for homeless people, The Big Issue, Emmaus communities, Leanne’s story.

Key Facts;  Glossary;  Additional Resources;  Index