Addressing Bullying in School through Books

One out of every four teenagers are bullied, and one out of five kids admit to being a bully, says the We are Teachers website in an article about addressing bullying in school through books. What’s even more alarming, it says, is that each month approximately 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary school. Here are some great kids’ books offered by the site that are helping to lower these figures:

Chrysanthemum, a popular picture book, is a wonderful story that addresses acceptance, self-esteem and teasing. Named a Notable Book for Children by the American Library Association, it has sold over a million copies!

In this next book, Mean Jean is The Recess Queen, and it wasn’t until a new girl becomes her friend that recess dynamics change for the better. This book is a great choice for addressing bullying without adult intervention.

One of the best things kids can do to combat bullying is to stand up for each other, which is exactly what The Juice Box Bully book is about. Students learn how to have each other’s backs versus doing nothing when they see bully confrontation.

The terrific book, Dealing with Bullying in Schools: A Training Manual for Teachers, Parents and Other Professionals, from Amazon stresses the point that bullying is everyone’s problem and is such a helpful guide in preventing and dealing with bullying.

When it comes to children’s literature, The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) says that it can be a highly effective tool for addressing physical, verbal, and relational bullying in schools. Though bullying has been traditionally dismissed as just a part of growing up, most educators today see it is a pervasive problem that has to be addressed head-on. It also says that books addressing bullying can benefit kids of all ages by helping them to develop personal and social judgment and improving their ability to understand and cope with problems.

Published by Lectura Books in a school setting, Boy Zorro and the Bully written in both Spanish and English (for family reading time!) is another age-appropriate book addressing the bullying issue with young kids. Research says that reading bilingual books is one of the most effective ways to acquire transferable literacy skills, making bilingual children’s books for English learners a win-win situation for parents, children and schools.

Lectura Books is part of The Latino Family Literacy Project — a terrific parental involvement organization known to many schools throughout the country. Through its 1-day professional development training programs or online webinars, The Project trains teachers on helping parents establish a reading routine using bilingual books. Research shows that a regular family reading time improves vocabulary, reading skills, and overall language development in both English and Spanish for not only the child but parents, too. For more information, please contact Lectura Books or The Latino Family Literacy Project