Nationally regarded trial attorney and media personality Brian Claypool weaves his personal story of trauma and his experience litigating notorious child abuse cases to warn how our cultural code of silence endangers children.  

Children are taught to respect their elders—parents, teachers, priests, coaches, police. And adults are taught to prize politeness above all else. Yet this cultural code of etiquette actually creates a code of silence that puts kids in direct danger of predators. Children don’t speak out against adults who wrong them for fear of seeming disrespectful or being accused of lying; adults don’t report suspicious behavior for fear of offending or rocking the boat. Brian Claypool, a seasoned attorney known for tenaciously defending his clients in some of the landmark child abuse cases of the United States, is out to end this power dynamic and give voice to children and those who seek to protect them. 

Drawing on his years in the courtroom squaring off against child predators, Claypool delves into what can happen when we live by this code of silence, how the abuse affects victims for a lifetime, and how we can collectively change it. For the first time, Claypool bravely shares his own experiences of childhood trauma and abuse and explains how that fuels his current fight to protect and defend children. He also details five famous cases he worked and won for kids, including that of Anthony Avalos, which was a topic in the Netflix series The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. 

Finally, Claypool outlines 25 red flags for identifying trouble—developed from years spent in court analyzing child predators—and safeguarding children. This eye-opening, crucial must-read will empower anyone who wants to advocate for children and is courageous enough to protect them.