Bullying: what can parents do?
By Kevin Brown
Monarch Publications. £7.99
As I began reading this book, the newspapers carried yet another story of a teenager driven to suicide after being bullied at school.
Kevin Brown, very early in the book points out that 'bullying continues to be newsworthy', and, more importantly, that despite great interest among educationalists, much public concern and significant investment from government departments and local authorities, it remains 'the problem that has yet to be solved'.
The author adopts a child's definition of bullying - 'knowing what hurts someone and deliberately doing it' - and helpfully describes the 'bullying cycle' which highlights not only the bully and the victim, but also the 'rescuer' as all being involved in and thereby perpetrating, bullying.
Thus far the analysis is thought-provoking, and some of the self-help suggestions for breaking the bullying cycle may prove useful in practice. As a Christian parent, however, I found the conclusions less than satisfying. Brown appears to deny the basic sinfulness of man - children included - and the death of Jesus is therefore reduced to a sympathetic act of suffering, rather than the means by which the sinful heart can be transformed. The author rightly identifies the cruelty of our society and yet urges the readers to find a vision of what life should be about, without clearlydirecting us to the gospel. It is not, therefore a useful 'bridge' book to give to non-Christians.
The case studies and wide experience of the author 'at the chalk face' in schools will, however, give Christian parents, teachers and governors food for thought.
