Young Adult Authors Tackle Bullying

by Dana Rudolph · 2010-05-27 07:12:00 UTC
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Two young adult authors have launched a Facebook page for those who want to put an end to bullying. Megan Kelley Hall (author of Sisters of Misery and The Lost Sister) and Carrie Jones (author of Need, Captivate, and Tips on Having a Gay (ex)Boyfriend) launched "Young Adult Authors Against Bullying" as a response to the bullying-related suicide of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince of Springfield, Mass., last January. The page now has over 3,800 members.

Jones explained to School Library Journal, “A lot of authors have been bullied and come through it, albeit some with scars, but have made it to adulthood despite the horrors they went through as kids. Our hope is that by sharing our own stories through the Facebook page, websites and an anthology, kids will see that and be empowered by it, especially if they learn that some of their favorite authors went through it too.”

Another author, Julie Anne Peters, has recently published a young adult novel about bullying, By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead, which has garnered glowing reviews for its sensitive, no-holds-barred approach to the topic. (Her many other books about LGBT youth and the children of LGBT parents are also well worth a read, even by adults.)

Being bullied is by no means exclusive to LGBT students — but LGBT students (or those perceived to be) are at greater risk than others of being harassed at school. (See studies from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Harvard School of Public Health.) We in the LGBT community should take the lead in applauding and supporting efforts like those of the authors above.

Can a book, a Facebook page, or an episode of Glee really help stop bullying? Not in and of themselves. As with most complex problems, stopping bullies is going to take a multi-pronged approach. We should also support legislation such as the federal Student Nondiscrimination Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act, as well as policy and education efforts at state and local levels.

We should never discount the power of stories, however, whether shared through a book, a television drama, or a Facebook post. Thanks to all of the authors whose words are helping to make a difference.

Photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt

Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian, a blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.

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