Interview With Author Wendy Smith On The Childhood Trauma & Youth Crime Connection

 

1. What inspired you to write Before Their Crimes?  That is a long story, which I tell in the Introduction to the book. In short, I had always been interested in childhood trauma and at-risk youth, and a visit to a maximum-security prison where I held group meetings with incarcerated youth offenders galvanized my desire to understand what led them to commit crimes when they were kids. 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?  It is about the lives and crimes of 20 men and women whom I interviewed at length about their childhoods.  They tell their stories in their own words, and I offer analysis based on my expertise in the area of trauma and development. 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?  I think they will see and feel how kids don’t commit crimes out of nowhere, but that there are always reasons why those critical moments occur.  I think they will also learn a lot about the importance of caring relationships early in life. 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?  I actually went through a number of different titles over the 5 years I worked on the book.  I decided on this one because the book is really about who these children were before they became criminals and were defined that way.  I wanted the cover to also reflect the fact that they were children, the vulnerability of children, how things can go in so many different ways.  I did not want the image to be a stereotype of who commits juvenile crime. 

5. What can be done to reduce the incidence and severity of youth crimes? More attention to what is happening during the critical early years of childhood.  If every family of a newborn had a nurse visitor in the first month or two, problems that either parents or child are having could be identified early and addressed.  Schools should receive and devote more resources to identifying kids in trouble; instead of expulsion, address the underlying problems. Recognize that middle school is an important juncture—the moment when many kids take important turns. 

6. What is society misunderstanding about childhood trauma and its lasting impact on its victims? Not enough awareness of the way development is affected by trauma, causing changes in stress response and brain development generally. Not enough awareness of the vulnerability of children and their need to have caring adults to process trauma when it happens to them.  Not enough awareness that trauma in childhood leads to poor outcomes in adulthood: greater likelihood of chronic illnesses, suicidality, underemployment, substance abuse, involvement in criminal justice system, etc. 

7.  You interviewed 20 male and female convicts. What did you learn from them? I learned that not one of them had what you and I would call a happy childhood, that there were no carefree days, too little protection, too much neglect and abuse.  I learned that their early academic promise wilted in the face of their stressful experiences and the lack of parental support.  I also learned how, amazingly, they were able to face their trauma, and the harms they had done—even in prison, how they became truly accountable for their crimes.  Many of them are involved in helping others today. 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?  I think my style is pretty straightforward and, I hope, accessible.  Having been trained as an academic, and my previous book being a textbook, I definitely wanted to write this one in a way that would be appealing to a general reader.  It took me quite a while (like a couple of years) to reduce the teacherly, academic style I was more used to. I would not know whom to compare myself with—and also, the narratives of the people I interviewed are a substantial part of the book—their words are their own. 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? As I mention above, one challenge was to write in a less scholarly way.  Another challenge has been that the subject is a tough one, and the read is tough in parts.  There were plenty of agents and publishers who turned me down—that’s always a challenge to maintain your determination and belief in your work. 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? First, it is a fascinating look into a world many people will not have been exposed to before.  My interviewees were extremely candid and their stories are both dramatic, tragic, and also demonstrate how healing and change can happen where you least expect it.  I hope people who read it will also come away with a greater appreciation for the importance and impact of making sure that children have positive experiences. 

About The Author: Wendy B. Smith, Ph.D., LCSW, is an author and advocate for vulnerable youth. She is a retired clinical professor of social work and associate dean of curriculum development and assessment at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She had a private practice in psychotherapy for 35 years.  She has been both Chair and a commissioner on the Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families. She is past chair and current member of the board of directors of the National Foster Youth Institute, and a board member of other non-profits. Her awards for community work include Francis M. Wheaton Award for Community Service, Alliance for Children’s Rights; Community Service Award, CASA of Los Angeles; and the Nancy M. Daly Founder’s Award, United Friends of the Children.  Her previous book is Youth Leaving Foster Care: A developmental, relationship-based approach to practice. For more information, please see: https://www.wendybsmithphd.net or see Psychpology Today Blog:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-shaping-power-of-experience/202509/ 

 

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,850,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

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