Emily Sperber

This anthology of 100 of the best bullying essays, letters, and poems written by teens for teens is, in my opinion, one of the most significant works toward remedying bullying on digital steroids. From name calling and exclusion to silence treatment, ostracism, physical aggression, and public humiliation and broad coverage, vivid description of actions is enlightening, no longer allowing bullies and bystanders to say, “I didn’t know.” An unacceptable but age-old problem, extremes of hurt are made even more dangerous today with online exposure that doesn’t end at the close of the school day, and are subject to continuous instant replay. Attempts to “fix” the epidemic often fall short of changing behavior, especially in the long term. As these teens so poignantly describe, bullies, the bullied, and bystanders all play a part, and, in their own ways, are all victims. Real social transformation requires considering why the various roles are adopted, intervening by building understandings and skills to choose different reactions and behaviors. Whether standing up for self, befriending a victim, or recognizing one’s role and need to be a bully, these heart wrenching stories provide a window to the problem, hope and ability to see truth in painful situations, and examples of actions that truly changed outcomes. These remarkable teens have vulnerably documented noteworthy accounts of discovering their roles and of making authentic personal changes to end bullying in their lives and to impact the social climate.
This truly is must read for teens, parents, educators, and more as we seek to change culture. Sekunjalo! Now is the time!

I received this ARC from Teen Ink through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review..… (altro)