Bullies, Bigmouths and So-Called Friends

Book excerpt: Most books about bullying tell children how to act without addressing how they feel. But the usual advice to 'ignore it' or 'say something smart' is doomed to fail, as you can't act brave and confident if you feel stressed and helpless inside. Jenny Alexander's approach is to develop readers' psychological defences. Through an entertaining mix of exercises, quizzes and fictional scenarios, she combines common sense with simple cognitive therapy techniques, to build up children's self esteem. Her tone is humorous and upbeat, but always sensitive to the reader's feelings. This new, updated edition takes account of recent technologies such as texting, MSN and bluejacking, which are increasingly abused by bullies.