Synopses & Reviews
Data on School Shootings Choice's Outstanding Academic Title list for 2013 In todays schools, kids bullying kids is not an occasional occurrence but rather an everyday reality where children learn early that being sensitive, respectful, and kind earns them no respect. Jessie Klein makes the provocative argument that the rise of school shootings across America, and childhood aggression more broadly, are the consequences of a society that actually promotes aggressive and competitive behavior. The Bully Society is a call to reclaim Americas schools from the vicious cycle of aggression that threatens our children and our society at large.
Heartbreaking interviews illuminate how both boys and girls obtain status by acting “masculine”—displaying aggression at one anothers expense as both students and adults police one another to uphold gender stereotypes. Klein shows that the aggressive ritual of gender policing in American culture creates emotional damage that perpetuates violence through revenge, and that this cycle is the main cause of not only the many school shootings that have shocked America, but also related problems in schools, manifesting in high rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-cutting, truancy, and substance abuse. After two decades working in schools as a school social worker and professor, Klein proposes ways to transcend these destructive trends—transforming school bully societies into compassionate communities. Visit the author's website. Article: "Girls Get Called 'Slut' Everyday—They Could Be Making Friends Instead" Q&A with Jessie Klein from Publishers Weekly Article: Inside the bully economy — Slate.com speaks to Jessie Klein Listen to an interview with the author on kboo.fm. Article: It's time to change schools' culture of misery — Jessie Klein to CNN
Review
"Taking the horrific rampage school shootings as a starting point, Jessie Klein resists pop-psychology profiling, and instead lets the events ramify outwards, to a searing indictment of the cultures of cruelty, entitlement and indifference in which those acts take place." -Michael Kimmel,author of Guyland
Review
"Exceptionally readable, abundant examples, and full of salient suggestions for social change; no future discussion of this topic can afford to ignore The Bully Society."-James W. Messerschmidt, author of Hegemonic Masculinities and Camouflaged Politics
Review
"The author writes with clarity and compassion... she offers an opportunity for us to examine, discuss and consider the world we have created for our children." -Kirkus Reviews,
Review
"The Bully Society is riveting and powerful—Jessie Klein uncovers the roots of depression, school shootings, and other despair in American schools and offers brilliant and doable solutions. This amazing and hopeful book is a clarion call to all concerned about children; parents, professionals, anyone working with youth should read it. Jessie Klein led the team that helped launch me from being homeless to Harvard University; and she got everyone from my class (from an at-risk public high school) into a 4-year college—most with full scholarships. Surely her book can spearhead a movement for peaceful schools in America and her successes can be replicated. The Bully Society is poignant and timely at a moment when everyone should be listening. Frankly, we can't afford not to. The stories Klein tells are heartbreaking. She knows what it takes to create compassionate communities where students thrive—and what must be done to dismantle the more common school bully cultures. A must read for everyone who wants to see American students move from a sea of fear, anxiety, and rage to flourish academically, socially, and psychologically. The Bully Society points the way for students (and schools) to develop their full potential."-Liz Murray,author of Breaking Night: A Memoir of My Journey from Homeless to Harvard
Review
"This powerful, necessary book shows how the epidemic cruelty of young people generates many of the social problems that are undermining American society. In pondering what it means to be a bully and to be the victim of a bully, Jessie Klein shows why our schools are failing us, explains crimes long viewed as inexplicable, and offers a stunning indictment of laissez-faire attitudes toward children. Her book illuminates a very dark problem, and proposes solutions that, if we are brave enough to adopt them, might be transformative not only in the lives of suffering individuals, but also in the health of the nation. I wish everyone around me had had this book to read when I was bullied as a child."-Andrew Solomon,author of The Noonday Demon
Synopsis
. A coherent, heartbreaking narrative of how bullying works. The Boston Globe . The author writes with clarity and compassion offers an opportunity for us to examine, discuss, and consider the world. Kirkus Reviews . Resists pop-psychology profiling a searing indcitment of the cultures of cruelty, entitlement and indifference. Michael Kimmel, author of Guyland . Exceptionally readable, abundant examples, and full of salient suggestions. James W. Messerschmidt, author of Hegemonic Masculinities and Camouflaged Politics . Riveting and powerful Amazing and hopeful Poignant and timely A must read. Liz Murray, author of Breaking Night . This powerful, necessary book Illuminates a very dark problem, and proposes solutions. Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon . A compelling case. Publishers Weekly . An exceedingly thorough analysis. New York Journal of Books . Destined to emerge as an important text. CHOICE . A scholarly, insightful commentary highly recommended. VOYA A remarkably accessible book and An important tool. Metapsychology"
Synopsis
- -A coherent, heartbreaking narrative of how bullying works.- -
The Boston Globe - -The author writes with clarity and compassion... offers an opportunity for us to examine, discuss, and consider the world.- - Kirkus Reviews
- -Resists pop-psychology profiling... a searing indcitment of the cultures of cruelty, entitlement and indifference.- - Michael Kimmel, author of
Guyland - -Exceptionally readable, abundant examples, and full of salient suggestions.- - James W. Messerschmidt, author of Hegemonic Masculinities and Camouflaged Politics
- -Riveting and powerful... Amazing and hopeful... Poignant and timely... A must read.- - Liz Murray, author of
Breaking Night - -This powerful, necessary book... Illuminates a very dark problem, and proposes solutions.- - Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon
- -A compelling case.- -
Publishers Weekly - -An exceedingly thorough analysis.- - New York Journal of Books
- -Destined to emerge as an important text.- -
CHOICE - -A scholarly, insightful commentary... highly recommended.- - VOYA
-A remarkably accessible book and... An important tool.- -
MetapsychologySynopsis
Choice's Outstanding Academic Title list for 2013
Through interviews and case studies, Klein develops an explanation for bully behavior in America's schools
In today's schools, kids bullying kids is not an occasional occurrence but rather an everyday reality where children learn early that being sensitive, respectful, and kind earns them no respect. Jessie Klein makes the provocative argument that the rise of school shootings across America, and childhood aggression more broadly, are the consequences of a society that actually promotes aggressive and competitive behavior. The Bully Society is a call to reclaim America's schools from the vicious cycle of aggression that threatens our children and our society at large.
Heartbreaking interviews illuminate how both boys and girls obtain status by acting "masculine"--displaying aggression at one another's expense as both students and adults police one another to uphold gender stereotypes. Klein shows that the aggressive ritual of gender policing in American culture creates emotional damage that perpetuates violence through revenge, and that this cycle is the main cause of not only the many school shootings that have shocked America, but also related problems in schools, manifesting in high rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-cutting, truancy, and substance abuse. After two decades working in schools as a school social worker and professor, Klein proposes ways to transcend these destructive trends--transforming school bully societies into compassionate communities.
About the Author
Jessie Klein, PhD, MSW, M.Ed. is Assistant Professor of Sociology/Criminal Justice at Adelphi University. Over the last two decades, she also led and administered high school guidance programs. She served as a supervisor, school social worker, college adviser, social studies teacher, substance abuse prevention counselor and conflict resolution coordinator. Her writing appears in scholarly journals as well as popular media. She is available for speaking events; and offers consultations for schools interested in building compassionate communities leading to more peaceful, effective and productive education environments.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Gender Police1 Social Status Wars2 Masculinity and White Supremacy 3 Violence against Girls4 Gay Bashing5 Girl Bashing6 Cyber-Bullying 7 Adult Bullies8 The Bully Economy 9 America Is from Mars, Europe Is from Venus10 Creating Kinder Schools and Cyberspaces Conclusion: From a Bully Society to Compassionate Communities Appendix: Methodology Notes Index About the Author