Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Non-Fiction
Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or
Smashwords store
Author:
“Meriam is
a retired educator with over 37 years of experience in the field of education
from pre-school through college. Her last 13 years were spent in her favorite
job; an elementary school principal in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified
School District in California. Married to her husband for 33 years and the
mother of 3, Meriam brings a balanced approach to the many challenges parents
face as they navigate through their child’s elementary school years.”
For more,
check out Wilhelm's Smashwords interview.
Description:
“Bullying
happens and it hurts both the victim and the bully. Understanding both sides of
the bullying coin is critical to making change in schools and communities.
Successfully shepherding a child out of their role as victim or bully requires
the coordinated efforts of parents, coaches, educators and other involved
adults working together to foster a greater understanding of the many facets of
bullying. Be it the head of the bully or the tail of the victim, the ultimate
goal is to stop bullying while promoting healthy behaviors in our children.
Recognizing
warning signs and empowering children with strategies, skills and language can
effectively neutralize bullying behaviors while promoting healthy social
interaction skills between kids.
Bullies can
change and victims can find their voice with the help of adults using the right
tools. This book provides insights, tips and techniques to resolve bullying and
to effectively lead children out of The Bullying Maze.”
Appraisal:
I knew in
the last several years that bullying had become an issue which many schools
were implementing programs to combat. It isn’t a new problem, but in the past
the methods of dealing with it were less than optimal. (Consider the cliché of
someone who is being victimized by a bully beating them up after school
addressing the problem by learning to fight back, answering violence with
violence.) Reading The Bully Maze I
found that I was correct in thinking addressing the issue of bullying was a
good thing, but that I also had a view that was way too limited, both of what
bullying is (it isn’t always physical) and it’s potential long term effects,
for example that many bullies continue bullying as adults (I could name a
couple managers I’ve worked for here).
In this
book Wilhelm gives a good working definition for what qualifies as bullying,
some hints for parents to recognize if their children are being victimized by
bullies or are bullying others, and some specific ideas to address the problem,
if there is one. I especially like that she addresses the issue from both
sides, not only considering the bully and ways to address the root cause for
them acting out, but also ways for the victim to react to alleviate the
bullying in a non-violent fashion.
Format/Typo Issues:
A small
number of proofing and copyediting misses.
Rating: **** Four stars
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