This special edition of the electronic magazine No Hurt was funded by a grant from the Children's Aid Foundation.

Young People's Press is very grateful for the support and encouragement of the foundation.

By Terri Stein, Editor

Welcome to the fourth edition of No Hurt, an electronic magazine published by Young People's Press. In previous editions we've focused on domestic violence, abuse, youth violence and alienation. In this issue, several young writers tackle another tough problem: How do you go about shaping the kind of life you really want to lead?

These stories are about thought. Their subjects may be radically different; running the gamut from living with a "bad kid" label to the rave scene, but what they do have in common is their willingness to interrogate conventional wisdom.

The media, parents, and sometimes even peers tend to discourage this sort of activity. Anyone who has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo would rather that young people accept ready-made answers like, "that's just how things are," and, "you can't fight city hall."

Despite these frosty responses, the writers in this edition of No Hurt have figured out a different approach to the dilemmas they face. You sit quietly, you examine your own belief system, and if need be, you look for help in friendlier places.

These problems are personal. They may not seem as sexy as other issues we've written about, but one has to remember that for better or for worse, we are a society of individuals, and what afflicts the one afflicts the many.

In addition to these personal stories, we have included several articles on programs that make a difference in the lives of youth, whether through training, empowerment or community action.

Young People's Press (YPP) is a national news service for youth, 14-24. More than two hundred and twenty daily and weekly newspapers have printed YPP stories and some publish them on a regular basis. YPP also publishes several electronic magazines on the Internet (See "Other YPP E-zines" link).

To get involved with Young People's Press, check out the "Write 4 Us" section of our web site, www.ypp.net. To submit an article for possible inclusion in a future edition of No Hurt, please send it directly to us: newsroom@ypp.net.