The school media room was packed with parents for the third-grade end-of-term parent-teacher conference. Laura Mills, the homeroom teacher, stood at the front of the room. Her eyes settled on me and my son, Owen Rowe, and her voice carried a carefully practiced mix of severity and blame. "Owen's grades have dropped sharply lately. He zones out in class, turns in blank homework, and is clearly in a terrible state. I've spoken with him several times, but he keeps refusing to cooperate. As his mother, you need to supervise him more closely and take his attitude toward school seriously." Every eye in the room snapped toward my son and me. I was about to respond when the small, thin boy beside me suddenly raised his head and broke into loud sobs that rang through the silent room. "Ms. Mills, I wasn't slacking off on purpose! My dad is away on business all the time, and lately different strange men come to our house every night to see my mom. They make noise in the bedroom until after midnight. Even with my door closed, I can't focus on my homework or fall asleep."