Bullied

July 2, 2012
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 fact, any nonconformist is a likely target, and society ups the ante with gender-specific marketing and expectations. 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). The author calls upon parents, schools, and marketers to collaborate in order to change damaging cultural attitudes and create a culture of acceptance and safety for all kinds of kids.