One day as a child working in the fields with his siblings, Jeff Siler would ask his older sisters, "Is this a letter?" whenever he made a mark on the ground. They would repeatedly say "no" until he made an "X." His sisters replied, "That is a letter." He was happy and this was the "X" that marked the spot of learning in his life.

During his 24 years as a teacher and administrator and working with at risk youth, Siler concluded that violence in schools and lack of social, problem solving and decision making skills has prevented many students from becoming productive and successful American citizens. His books, Focusing on "X" (FOX) A Manual on Violence Prevention for Middle Grade Students & Focusing on "X" (FOX) A Violence Prevention Program for Middle Grade Students, were written to help educators and the community to work with at risk students who seek out violence as a means of solving their problem due to their lack of life skills learning and social adjustment. This book is comprised of a study that examines the impact that an 11 week Life Skills course has on the knowledge, attitudes, and aggressive and other risky behavior among sixth grade students.

"Whatever circumstances individuals face in life," says Siler, "they must be mindful of the fact that life is a journey, and individuals must set their own goals and take responsibility for their own self-growth, self-development, and self-discipline as they move from one level of the journey to the next. Simply, each individual is responsible for discovering his or her own 'X'."