The Silent Killer

“Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga, remembers when she was bullied in high school. She returned from gym class and discovered profanity scrawled across her locker. “It sticks with you and it hurts. And I went home and cried. I didn’t want to go to school,” she said. Her story isn’t unique. On any given day, 160,000 students opt to stay home because they are afraid of being bullied.

Today, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Lady Gaga is officially launching her Born This Way Foundation, which will inspire bravery and kindness in young people. As one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, Lady Gaga has repeatedly encouraged her fans to “be someone that nurtures.” With her new foundation, she is poised to do much more.”

Read more at: CNN.com

Photograph from: Pursuitist.com

For Kids

Anton Acts Up: “His neck is too long, she is too big, look at that funny-shaped horn, we don’t want to play with a spotted dinosaur. Watch how our dinosaurs find ways to handle the bully or bullies and how the bullies take a second look at themselves.” 

Just Kidding: “D.J. is getting tired of Vince’s mean-spirited comments at school.  Vince knows which buttons to push, by using the “I was just kidding” defense.  Unsure how to handle the situation, D.J. talks with his father and his teacher and learns a few strategies to help deal with the putdowns.  More importantly, he realizes that he isn’t the problem and that he hasn’t done anything to deserve Vince’s taunts.  This frank and believable story will help youngsters to distinguish between good-natured teasing and the destructive variety, empowering them by providing options they can use when faced with bullying.” 

My Secret Bully: “When Monica’s friend Katie starts to call her names and humiliate her in front of other kids at school, she felt betrayed and lonely.  But with help from her mother, Monica reclaims her confidence from a bully pretending to be her friend.” 

For Teens

Don’t Feed the Bully: “Hannibal Greatneck III, detective, sixth grade student, or Handy to his friends, walks into William B. Travis elementary and finds a cage in the middle of the classroom.  The school has dealt with its bully problem by handing over all the control to another bully. Handy must find the clues, outwit the villains, and give the control of William B. Travis back to the students and faculty.” 

Bully- A True Story of High School Revenge: “Bobby Kent was a steroid-pumped, 20-year-old bully who liked to dominate his peers in their comfortable, middle-class Ft. Lauderdale beach community through psychological, physical and sexual abuse. One summer night in 1993, Bobby was lured to the edge of the Florida everglades with a promise of sex and drugs, but was never seen alive again.  The tormentor had become the victim in a bizarre and brutal act of vengeance carried out with ruthless, cold-blooded efficiency by seven of his high school acquaintances, including his lifelong best friend, and instigated by one overweight, under-loved teenager who believed her life would be perfect if Bobby Kent was dead.  This book is a riveting story of adolescent rage and bloody revenge, and all the more harrowing and horrific because it’s true.” 

Names that Will Never Hurt Me: “They don’t know one another well, and don’t speak to one another at all, but one day at school, the paths of four teens will cross in ways they never imagined.  There’s Tisha, who doesn’t feel she fits in with anyone; Ryan, the football jock who rules the hallways while losing control of his life; Kurt, the “freak” who tries desperately to escape bullying; and Floater, who uses his connections to gain dangerous power.  On this day, teasing, racism, loneliness, and secrets bring each of them to the breaking point.  Now they must help each other prevent a tragedy.  The voices of these four teens weave together in prose-poetry to create a powerful story.” 

For Adults

Cyber Bullying: “Cyber bullying has become more prevalent through the use of e-mail, instant messages, chat rooms, and other digital messaging systems, and brings many unique challenges.  This book provides the most current and essential information on the nature and prevalence of this epidemic, providing educators, parents, psychologists and policy-makers with critical prevention techniques and strategies for effectively addressing electronic bullying.” 

The Complete Guide to Understanding, Controlling and Stopping Bullies at Work: “According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), more than two million workers in the United States are victims of workplace violence each year, and this leads to millions of dollars lost in employee productivity.  Many people think that bullying occurs only among school-age children and fail to acknowledge the presence and devastating effects of bullying in the workplace.  It’s time for this destructive issue to be addressed and resolved.”

Adult Bullying: Perpetrators and Victims:  “The frequency and severity of personal harassment is a problem that is only just beginning to be uncovered. In Adult Bullying, psychologist Peter Randall uses the voices of both bullies and victims to reveal the misery that many adults endure.” 

Have you read any good books on bullying lately? Feel free to add on!