For almost 10 years Glenn Compain has worked as a police officer in Auckland, dealing first-hand with the devastation drugs, alcohol and domestic abuse have caused families.
Working largely with troubled youths, Mr Compain says he has seen things which haunt him.
In recent years, Mr Compain says, he has witnessed the alarming escalation of street gangs, random acts of violence and boy-racer fatalities.
Parents need to be streetwise, to be able to identify the danger signs in their children, he says, which is why he has written Streetwise Parenting.
The book gives a snapshot of what is happening in communities throughout the country and gives insights into why young people are going off the rails.
Mr Compain gives parents strategies to deal with their teenagers better.
Be warned though, it is alarming to read.
Mr Compain denies he is scaremongering, saying there are already plenty of stories in the media doing that.
Instead, he wrote the book for parents to understand there were things happening in the community which may not have been happening when they were teenagers.
"There are a lot more things to be aware of, especially the influence of the Internet, music, television and general advertising.
"It's a heads-up - things may not be as they seem."
Mr Compain says it's time for New Zealanders to acknowledge what is happening in society and do something about it.
Raised in Kelston, west Auckland, Mr Compain - who is of Maori, Samoan, French, African American and Blackfoot Indian heritage - joined the New Zealand Police in 1999.
During that time he has come into contact with many families, teenagers and parents who are struggling to cope.
Parents may think they know the issues but it's a bit of a puzzle to the kids.
"Really the book is for parents to make sense of what is happening so they can talk to their children."
The book is for parents who are out of their depth and for those who are just realising they need to step in and do something to break their child's pattern of behaviour, he says.
"I want to empower others to say, 'What am I doing? Is there anything more I can do in my life, in my community to sort out this problem?'."
Mr Compain says it's not just parents in South Auckland who will relate to the book.
"I think it's cross-country and global. The problems mentioned in this book are relative to a lot of countries."
Mr Compain admits his job is at times thankless but the kids he helps keep him going.
"If I was any normal person I wouldn't be doing this work. I just get passionate about wanting to pass on to other people about getting involved. We need more hands on deck."
A father of three sons, he admits he struggled initially to find the work/life balance which he advocates parents do in the book.
The first five years of his police career were like a blur, including the birth of his first-born.
"I did bring things home; I did talk about things."
The way he overcame it was to recognise his own boundaries.
"I know now when I'm getting too engrossed in an issue. I know when to knock off, and when I go home, I go from being a policeman to being a dad. Now, I'm able to have a cut-off between what I'm seeing at work and going home."
Despite the grim scenes Mr Compain has attended, he says he still has hope.
"If I didn't have hope, I would retire today."
Mr Compain believes most parents, whether they have wayward teens or not, are trying to do their best but a common problem is the lack of quality time with their children.
"That may be through working too-long hours, or [being] over-committed trying to meet a financial burden. A lot of kids are just lonely for that parental bond."
Mr Compain says parents need to read between the lines of what their children are telling them.
"A lot of kids are just kicking and fighting and punching but really they just want people to come closer."
Mr Compain says there are a lot of things which are happening that are ugly and there needs to be a battle cry from men and women in their communities.
"It's all about leadership. People can moan and groan at community leaders and politicians all they like but until people are accountable for their own family units - that's where change has to happen."
