A teenage girl’s suicide raises questions of culpability for internet bullies in this investigation by the criminologist and true crime author. On September 5, 2015, in a public park in LaVergne, Tennessee, fourteen-year-old Sherokee Harriman drove a kitchen knife into her stomach as other teens watched in horror. The coroner ruled it a “suicide.” But was it? Or was it a crime perpetuated by other teens who had bullied her? Sherokee’s tragic death created a media frenzy focused more on sensationalism than finding the truth. Meanwhile the community of LaVerge sought answers to questions about who, if anyone, should be held criminally responsible for bullying. Criminologist Judith A. Yates peels back the distorting layers of social media and news coverage to examine a timely question with far-reaching implications: was Sherokee Harriman bullied to death?

This book chronicles the harrowing story of a young Mexican-American man's journey through 8- years of physical, mental and emotional bullying in elementary, middle and high school. He was not only bullied by white kids, but also Mexican students who taunted him for being born in the U. S. This young boy tells of having a gun put to his head by a bully who told him, "Today is your last day." He further reports having no one to help him deal with his pain, fear and desperation. He finally sought solace by joining a gang to protect him which led him to become a gang recruiter. He suffered from depression, cutting and frequent suicidal thoughts. He was saved by Hey U.G.L.Y. - Unique Gifted Lovable You, a nonprofit organization that empowers youth to be part of the solution of bullying and suicide. Content on the HeyUGLY.org website, and in their school assemblies, have been saving the lives of youth who are suicidal. His life was also saved by the love of beautiful white woman who stood by him and has, as of this writing, blessed him with three wonderful children. Today he is an involved husband and father. He sits on the board of directors of Hey U.G.L.Y. and is making music to inspire everyone to love and embrace each other. His rap name is Lil Sylnc, pronounced silence. He chose that name...first, because of his personal silence during all of his pain and bullying; second, because of his 'no fists up' motto in combating societal ills like bullying and racism through words and action instead of fists; and third, to silence ourselves when listening to others so we can deeply hear them in order to really be of help. He has started a movement called Color The World for people to embrace everyone's colors. He wrote this book to gives guidance to anyone who may be stuck in that bullying cycle to help them not only survive, but thrive.

On December 29, 2013, Chris Mackney sat in his parked car, put a rifle underneath his chin, and blew his head off. It was the end of a long and tortuous process where he was legally bullied to death by the divorce and criminal court system. His story didn't start or end there. It started in Texas when a man named Sam Degelia, Jr. was murdered. It ended when his ex-wife attempted to copyright and remove all his writings after his death from the internet. Now, the story behind the suicide note read by millions will finally be told.

Bullying has long been tolerated as a rite of passage among children and adolescents. There is an implication that individuals who are bullied must have "asked for" this type of treatment, or deserved it. Sometimes, even the child who is bullied begins to internalize this idea. For many years, there has been a general acceptance and collective shrug when it comes to a child or adolescent with greater social capital or power pushing around a child perceived as subordinate. But bullying is not developmentally appropriate; it should not be considered a normal part of the typical social grouping that occurs throughout a child's life. Although bullying behavior endures through generations, the milieu is changing. Historically, bulling has occurred at school, the physical setting in which most of childhood is centered and the primary source for peer group formation. In recent years, however, the physical setting is not the only place bullying is occurring. Technology allows for an entirely new type of digital electronic aggression, cyberbullying, which takes place through chat rooms, instant messaging, social media, and other forms of digital electronic communication. Composition of peer groups, shifting demographics, changing societal norms, and modern technology are contextual factors that must be considered to understand and effectively react to bullying in the United States. Youth are embedded in multiple contexts and each of these contexts interacts with individual characteristics of youth in ways that either exacerbate or attenuate the association between these individual characteristics and bullying perpetration or victimization. Recognizing that bullying behavior is a major public health problem that demands the concerted and coordinated time and attention of parents, educators and school administrators, health care providers, policy makers, families, and others concerned with the care of children, this report evaluates the state of the science on biological and psychosocial consequences of peer victimization and the risk and protective factors that either increase or decrease peer victimization behavior and consequences.

“Disability rights activist Alice Wong brings tough conversations to the forefront of society with this anthology. It sheds light on the experience of life as an individual with disabilities, as told by none other than authors with these life experiences. It's an eye-opening collection that readers will revisit time and time again.” —Chicago Tribune One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love.

Adolescence is now more challenging than ever. Bullying and suicide are on the rise - an increase that has been linked to social media and smartphone use. John Halligan, international bullying prevention speaker, and Emily B. Dickson, professional middle school counselor, are all too familiar with these widespread concerns. John lost his thirteen-year-old son, Ryan, to suicide in 2003. Ryan was one of the first victims of cyberbullying as social media began to emerge as an opportunity for peers to bully from a distance behind a computer screen. John shares with the reader the heartbreaking story of Ryan's short life, including lessons about suicide prevention, forgiveness, the role of bystanders, and the opportunity to apologize. Emily assists John in delivering clinically sound and practical advice based on her fifteen years of professional experience working with middle school students in this age of social media. Ryan's Story: Loved Beyond Belief will leave you with an inspirational message that will motivate you to make a change in your life. The book was primarily written for middle school and high school students.