Monday, October 23, 2017

Bullying Awareness Week


EBook Released Just in Time for Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

The Invisible Boy is the second installment of a trilogy about bullying. In The Invisible Boy, Carlo learns what it feels like to be invisible at school. This second eBook deals with social isolation.

Big and Small in the Mirror, the first eBook of the trilogy, was published in 2015 and focuses on physical aggression and verbal abuse.

Both eBooks have discussion questions at the end of the story to help facilitate a deeper understanding of the issue of bullying, and to put the story into perspective. Each eBook is also a stand-alone book. 

Why she writes about bullying:

When people discover that I am interested in writing about the topic of bullying, I am often asked what the big deal is about bullying these days. This comment is usually followed by statements such as this: "It has always existed. There is nothing new about it."

What is new about it is that bullying no longer is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood, or as a normal part of school life, as some might have viewed it in earlier generations.

Today, there is a body of research to help us understand the nature of bullying. And as more and more mental health practitioners study the phenomenon, we are learning its long-term effects. Consequently, educators and parents are faced with addressing the problem.

What she wants people to know:

The third week in November is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week in Ontario, Canada. Anti-bullying Week in the United Kingdom is the second week in November. In the United States, the month of October is devoted to anti-bullying events. Internationally, both October and November are busy months featuring various anti-bullying campaigns around the world.

In Ontario, school-aged children are taught what is meant by the term bullying, and to differentiate between the different types of bullying that exist: physical aggression, verbal abuse, social isolation, and the newest form, cyberbullying.

Children and adults have to learn to recognize bullying when it occurs. The majority of bullying takes place in a public setting in which other people are around; therefore, empowering the bystanders is a good strategy to stopping bullying. Studies show that the bullying is likely to stop within 10 seconds if a bystander intervenes. * Craig, W. M. & Pepler, D. (1997). Observations of bullying and victimization in the school yard. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 13(2): 41–60.

My stories utilize common school scenarios to help create empathy for victims. The totality of the storytelling and discussion questions bring forth certain truths. It is not the victim's fault. There is nothing wrong with the victim. There is something going on with the bully. Victims need to tell a parent and teacher.

I would love to have your opinion.








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