In this groundbreaking work, James Garbarino, the best-selling author of Lost Boys, and Ellen deLara uncover the staggering extent and consequences of schoolyard bullying and classroom hostility, flat-out contradicting the nursery rhyme that 'words can never hurt you.' The authors then present evidence that teenagers--hundreds of whom they interviewed--have the solution to school violence, if only adults would listen. Bullying has long been regarded as a way of life. Ever since Columbine, however, student reactions to harassment and intimidation are, finally, driving parents to consider this phenomenon seriously. This book teaches parents to accept reality (bullying occurs daily), challenge old beliefs ('Kids will be kids' or 'If I lived through it, so can they'), and ally with other parents to take on the school system. Revelatory and ultimately uplifting, this book doesn't just highlight the problem, but offers steps that can be taken--must be taken--to solve it.
