Youth Communication - Vicious. True Stories by Teens About Bullying

Copyright 2012 by Youth Communication

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Vicious : true stories by teens about bullying / edited by Hope Vanderberg.

p. cm. (Real teen voices)

ISBN 978-1-57542-413-2 ISBN 1-57542-413-4 1. BullyingCase studies. 2. Aggressiveness in adolescenceCase studies. 3. Interpersonal conflict in adolescenceCase studies. 4. Self-esteem in adolescenceCase studies.

I. Vanderberg, Hope, 1972

BF637.B85V53 2012

302.34'3dc23

eBook ISBN: 978-1-57542-655-6

Free Spirit Publishing does not have control over or assume responsibility for author or thirdparty websites and their content. At the time of this books publication, all facts and figures cited within are the most current available. All telephone numbers, addresses, and website URLs are accurate and active as of May 2012. If you find an error or believe that a resource listed here is not as described, please contact Free Spirit Publishing. Parents, teachers, and other adults: We strongly urge you to monitor childrens use of the Internet.

Photo credits from Dreamstime.com: cover Fotoruhrgebiet, p. 5 Archangel72, p. 12 Draghicich, p. 20 Alvera, p. 27 Klikk, p. 33 Archangel72, p. 42 Liaj, p. 49 Igorigorevich, p. 57 Poco_bw, p. 64 Jfeinstein, p. 72 Adisa, p. 81 Crisp, p. 86 Marysmn, p. 92 Iofoto, p. 100 Marc Turcan, p. 106 Conquista82, p. 115 Imabase, p. 121 Adambooth, p. 133 Jazzid, p. 143 Berlinfoto, p. 151 Alptraum, p. 157 Tracy Hebden

Reading Level Grades 9 & up; Interest Level Ages 13 & up;
Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Level Z+

Cover and interior design by Tasha Kenyon

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
S18860612

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Anonymous

The writer and her clique of female friends engage in mean gossip about other girlsbut she feels guilty about it and together they agree to stop

Elie Elius

After Elie fights his tormentors they stop picking on him, but he loses friends because he acts hard with everyone

Kiara Ventura

Kiara and her friends learn how to triumph over cyberbullying and learn the value of getting help from adults

Eric Green

Eric still struggles to get along with people after being bullied in his youth

Anonymous

Teasing at school drives the author away from her family at home

Isiah Van Brackle

Isiah feels distant from other kids and gets bullied incessantly, so he protects himself by numbing his emotions

Destiny Smith

Destiny understands the dangers of the Internet after her friend becomes the target of a smut page

Charlene George

When Charlene is teased for having short hair, she learns ways to cope

Jeremiyah Spears

Harassed for being gay, Jeremiyah finds ways to maintain his self-worth

Lavell Pride

Lavell finds a supportive place that gives her the strength and courage to be herself

Xavier Reyes

Xavier wont give in to the peer pressure at his group home

Catherine Cosmo

A virtual feud becomes a little too real for Catherine when shes attacked at a party

Christian Pimentel

Christian sees his clothes as armor that protects him from mistreatment

Shaniqua Sockwell

Shaniqua is teased at school for acting white because she gets good grades and has a big vocabulary

Avad Ratliff

Avad arrives in foster care at age 6 and expresses his hurt by bullying others

Allajah Young

Allajah feels degraded by the constant sexual harassment she experiences while walking down the street

Anonymous

The writer, who feels powerful and respected when he torments and picks on other kids, gradually finds happiness through relating to and connecting with others

Malik Frank, Breanna King, Angelica Sanchez, and Linda Sankat

The authors highlight people around the world who have gotten involved and taken action against cyberbullying

YCteen Staff

Teen writers discuss their own experiences and views of abuse and bad behavior online

Miguel Ayala

Miguel interviews a therapist about the causes and effects of bullying

Miguel Ayala

Tips on what adults can do to help stop bullying

W hether it takes the form of physical violence or verbal or online harassment, bullying can have serious and lasting effects. In this book, teens write about these effects from the perspectives of the person bullying, the bystander who witnesses the bullying, and the person whos the target.

Teens who are bullied often bear the burden on their own and end up feeling isolated and depressed. In Feeling Different, author Isiah Van Brackle shuts himself off from his peers as a form of self-defense. The anonymous author of Fortress of Solitude retreats from her family after enduring years of teasing. Its only when these authors finally reach out to someone that they begin to heal.

Destiny Smith, who witnesses her friend become the target of cyberbullying in Smut Page Survivor, learns that even when youre not directly involved, bullying can leave a lasting impression. As Destiny watches her friend try to recover her self-esteem and trust in others, Destiny realizes the impact of the Internets influence when used irresponsibly.

Some teens react to bullying by becoming aggressive themselves. In I Showed My EnemiesAnd Hurt My Friends, Too, author Elie Elius becomes combative to protect himself from bullying. It works, but he ends up alienating himself from his friends as well as his tormenters. And in The Walking Flame, Eric Green begins to push people awaysometimes literallyto stay safe from bullies. But now as a young adult, he sometimes finds himself overreacting to the people he cares about.

Others take this line of defense a step further, becoming bullies themselves. Since people didnt like me, I thought I might as well give them a reason, writes the anonymous author of Bad Boy Gets a Conscience. He starts to bully others after getting picked on as a child. When he decides to give himself a personality makeover, he has to learn how to let down his guard and connect with his peers for the first time.

In Vicious Cycles, Miguel Ayala also writes about picking on his peers after he is tormented nearly everywhere he goesat home, at school, and in his group home. His interview with therapist Jonathan Cohen sheds some light on why targets of bullying often become bullies themselves.

No one likes to feel helpless, says Cohen. Bullying someone can make a teen who has been abused or bullied feel powerful for a brief moment.