Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Bullied: What every parent, teacher and kid needs to know about ending the cycle of fear
by Carrie Goldman
When the
author, a blogger for the online community of the Chicago Tribune, posted about
her six-year-old daughter being bullied at school because she was sporting a
Star Wars backpack and water bottle, cyberspace rose to her defense with a
flurry of posts, e-mails, and letters. Goldman decided to delve more deeply
into the subject, discovering that 160,000 children stay home every day from
school because of bullying, 42% of kids have been bullied online, and one in
five teens has been bullied at school in the previous year
("bullycides" are also an alarming trend). Although progress has been
made, Goldman and the experts and parents she interviews reveal that there's
more work to do. Goldman identifies kids who are at high risk for bullying
(i.e., "geeks"; children with disabilities; gay, lesbian,
transgender, and bisexual students; and kids who do not choose gender-specific
toys). In this informative book, Goldman also addresses prevention,
intervention and reconciliation, helping parents recognize the warning signs of
emotional distress and offering techniques for dealing with bullies (who also
need help).
