Bullying: The Ultimate Teen Guide

by Mathangi Subramanian

Overview

Bullying is a widespread problem that affects thousands of teens across the United States and around the world. Victims of bullying battle depression, anxiety, insecurity, and fear. Sadly, some victims internalize their frustration by harming themselves or become bullies as well. But if young people agree that bullying is so devastating, why does it continue? Most importantly, how can it be stopped?

In Bullying: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Mathangi Subramanian addresses these and other questions about a major issue for young adults and their families. Drawing on stories from young teens around the country, this volume uncovers the social pressures and individual choices that lead to violence. The author surveys effective state, local, and national anti-bullying policies and provides examples of teens throughout the nation whose leadership and courage have helped stop violence. This volume also contains exercises and strategies for young adults to employ that can pave the way for social action. Topics covered in this book include:

• What makes a bully
• The impact bullying has on victims, perpetrators, and witnesses
• Types of bullying, such as sexual harassment and dating violence
• Cyberbullying
• What to do if you are bullied
• Strategies to combat bullying at school and elsewhere
• Resources

Featuring a diverse collection of teen voices, this book is designed to help teens take immediate action both individually and collectively. The advice and exercises will not only help teens think critically about bullying but will also empower them to change both themselves and the circumstances that foster abuse in their schools and communities. Bullying: The Ultimate Teen Guide is a much-needed resource to help stem the tide of this social epidemic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810890558
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/04/2014
Series:	It Happened to Me Series , #38
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mathangi Subramanian, EdD, is a writer and educator. She has been a classroom teacher, an assistant vice president at Sesame Workshop, and a senior policy analyst at the New York City Council.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Fundamentals
Chapter 2: Bullies
Chapter 3: Victims
Chapter 4: Witnesses
Chapter 5: Bias-Based Harassment
Chapter 6: Cyberbullying
Chapter 7: Sexual Harassment
Chapter 8: Dating Violence
Chapter 9: Adult Bullies
Chapter 10: Creating Effective Anti-bullying Policy
Chapter 11: Combating Bullying Together
Recommended Reading
Glossary
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2014
Gr 7 Up—Subramanian focuses not only on the bully but also on some of the many issues that contribute to and result from bullies in society. In the first chapter, the fundamentals and types of bullying provide an introduction and background as a basis for subsequent chapters about the perpetrator, the victim, the witnesses, as well as types of bullying, including bias-based harassment, cyberbullying, sexual harassment and dating violence, and the adult bully. The book examines how teens who suffer from violence tend to develop bullying characteristics. The author addresses various types of bullying that develop from gender issues and reinforces the need for positive change, the creation of policies, and, of course, action. Many text boxes provide a more personal look through the stories of teens who have been victims and provide additional information on school programs and individuals who have attempted to counteract the actions of bullies and sources for assistance. The discussion questions, variety of activities, an occasional black-and-white photo, and copious notes at the conclusion of each chapter complement this informative, easy-to-read text.—Susan Shaver, Hemingford Public Schools, NE

School Library Journal

With almost half of all teens reporting that they have been bullied, and almost half reporting that they have been a bully themselves, there are few teenage issues more pertinent to address. After introducing such bullying basics as passive and active bullying, violence, power, and identity, this entry in the It Happened to Me series dedicates individual chapters to bullies, victims, and witnesses and explores what influences each group’s involvement in bullying. Subramanian then focuses on the various types—bias based bullying (targeting victims because of their ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.), cyberbullying, sexual harassment, dating violence, and even adult bullying of students and children—and how each can be identified and prevented. The final chapters discuss how individuals can try to end bullying through actions and laws. Real-life profiles bring immediacy to the topic, while questionnaires, related literature, and lists of resources provide further connections. An approachable style makes this guide accessible for both research and personal needs.

Booklist

Well-voiced and supported with credible incidents, Subramanian’s guide speaks to the source and elimination of abusive situations. The text covers the subject objectively and calmly. Even advice on adult violators notes that predatory grownups assail youths out of anger, fear, and insecurity. Pictures enhance focal concepts, as with the handshake that illustrates allies on p. 197. Advice on texting reminds the reader that caution protects both sender and receiver. Analysis of complex concepts, particularly the passive bystander, relies on straightforward diction to account for failure to intervene to protect or rescue a victim. The author limits recommended readings to recent sources. The glossary amplifies definitions, explaining such hopeful social mechanisms as restorative justice and lever of change. This work should aid the parent, teacher, librarian, and school counselor, as well as the vulnerable teen. (It Happened to Me) Reviewer: Mary Ellen Snodgrass; Ages 11 to 18.

VOYA, August 2014 (Vol. 37, No. 3) - Mary Ellen Snodgrass