Reading as much as I can this weekend!
To say that Emily Bazelon is accomplished (not to mention, busy), would be a huge understatement.
In Sticks and Stones, Ms. Bazelon addresses the need for responsible behavior by teenagers when it comes to using social media. That's quite the volatile combination these days, social media and teenagers, wouldn't you say?
In a *free* lecture hosted by The Baldwin School on Monday, May 6th, Emily Bazelon will discuss her new book, facilitate a Q & A, and hold a book signing. If you live anywhere near the area, please consider attending...and if you have teenagers, make them your companions for the evening.
I was fortunate enough to be able to ask Ms. Bazelon a few questions via e-mail in preparation for Monday night's event. Take a look!
1) Did a specific event inspire you to write Sticks and Stones, or was it more a culmination of stories to which you had been exposed?
Four years ago, I noticed a lot of news stories raising the alarm about “cyberbullying. “ I wondered what this was all about, and since I’m the mother of two boys, now 10 and 13, I was also interested, as a parent, in how social media and the web change what it’s like for kids to grow up. I started working on a series for Slate <http://www.slate.com/articles/life/bulle.html> , where I’m on staff, and I realized pretty quickly that cyberbullying is usually related to bullying that takes place in person. At the same time, moving online changes the dynamics of bullying—and what the experience feels like for targets—in important ways. So I set out to explore that.
Reporting on bullying connected to my longstanding interest in the role empathy plays in our lives, and in what makes kids resilient. I think about all of this as a mother, too—how to build character and instill empathy, what limits to set on technology.
2) Were you bullied as a kid? If so, would you mind sharing some details? If not, have you witnessed bullying firsthand?
When I was in 8th grade, I had my own experience with bullying. First, my group of friends fired me, which I can say drily now, but at the time was immensely painful. Then I made a new friend, and when she was being bullied, I had the chance to help her by standing up to her tormenters, and I didn’t do anything. I’ve thought a lot about my own cowardice in that moment and it makes me want to figure out how to help other kids do better. More about this in the introduction to my book!
3) I believe adult bullying is very real, and have experienced it myself. What are your thoughts on adults bullying other adults?
Adult bullying is real, and in the workplace, the power differential that is a key element of bullying can reflect a real hierarchy—your boss or your supervisor really does have power over you. They can control your salary, promotions, and assignments. Also, it can feel like there’s no way out if you need to keep your job. If you’re ostracized in an environment that you can’t escape, it can be devastating.
4) What population do you most hope will read your book and heed your message?
My dearest wish is that teenagers will read this book in grounds on their own, or with parents or teachers, and use the stories in it as a jumping off point for talking about conflict and drama in their own lives. I have discussion questions posted on my website, and I’m working on a teaching guide for the book that will be ready by summer.
5) What is the message you'd like readers to take away from Sticks and Stones?
For the first time, we are thinking seriously, as a society, about how kids harm and even abuse each other—because that’s what serious bullying is, a chronic campaign to make someone miserable. The heightened awareness is a major opportunity to make kids’ lives better by changing the culture, in schools and communities, so that bullying becomes socially unacceptable. I think we’re in the middle of such a shift, but there’s also a risk here: We could go in the wrong direction, toward over-policing kids, and toward an overzealous drive to punish them for doing harm, rather than preventing the harm in the first place. I want to broaden the discussion so it’s about building character and instilling empathy.
6) Do you have young children in your life, be it your own, nieces & nephews, or family friends? If so, how are you "preparing" (I hate to use that word!) them to enter a world where bullies exist?
I care most about instilling kindness to other people in my sons, and the importance of standing up for people who are weaker. So I try to take small moments around the dinner table to ask them what they think it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes—like a kid they know, or often a character in a book or movie. My book includes lots of resources for parents for these kinds of discussions.
7) As long as there are people on earth, is bullying inevitable? Is it possible for us to see bullying eradicated in our lifetime?
We won’t eradicate bullying, but we can certainly reduce it, and along the way, we can make our schools and communities place more value on kids’ psychological wellbeing. That is very much within our power!
I am really looking forward to the lecture on Monday. Will I see you there? The Baldwin School is located at 701 Montgomery Ave. in Bryn Mawr.
In the meantime, check out Emily Bazelon's website and look for resources for parents, educators, and students, as well as Sticks and Stones study questions under the "Resources" tab at the top.
I was fortunate enough to be able to ask Ms. Bazelon a few questions via e-mail in preparation for Monday night's event. Take a look!
1) Did a specific event inspire you to write Sticks and Stones, or was it more a culmination of stories to which you had been exposed?
Four years ago, I noticed a lot of news stories raising the alarm about “cyberbullying. “ I wondered what this was all about, and since I’m the mother of two boys, now 10 and 13, I was also interested, as a parent, in how social media and the web change what it’s like for kids to grow up. I started working on a series for Slate <http://www.slate.com/articles/life/bulle.html> , where I’m on staff, and I realized pretty quickly that cyberbullying is usually related to bullying that takes place in person. At the same time, moving online changes the dynamics of bullying—and what the experience feels like for targets—in important ways. So I set out to explore that.
Reporting on bullying connected to my longstanding interest in the role empathy plays in our lives, and in what makes kids resilient. I think about all of this as a mother, too—how to build character and instill empathy, what limits to set on technology.
2) Were you bullied as a kid? If so, would you mind sharing some details? If not, have you witnessed bullying firsthand?
When I was in 8th grade, I had my own experience with bullying. First, my group of friends fired me, which I can say drily now, but at the time was immensely painful. Then I made a new friend, and when she was being bullied, I had the chance to help her by standing up to her tormenters, and I didn’t do anything. I’ve thought a lot about my own cowardice in that moment and it makes me want to figure out how to help other kids do better. More about this in the introduction to my book!
3) I believe adult bullying is very real, and have experienced it myself. What are your thoughts on adults bullying other adults?
Adult bullying is real, and in the workplace, the power differential that is a key element of bullying can reflect a real hierarchy—your boss or your supervisor really does have power over you. They can control your salary, promotions, and assignments. Also, it can feel like there’s no way out if you need to keep your job. If you’re ostracized in an environment that you can’t escape, it can be devastating.
4) What population do you most hope will read your book and heed your message?
My dearest wish is that teenagers will read this book in grounds on their own, or with parents or teachers, and use the stories in it as a jumping off point for talking about conflict and drama in their own lives. I have discussion questions posted on my website, and I’m working on a teaching guide for the book that will be ready by summer.
5) What is the message you'd like readers to take away from Sticks and Stones?
For the first time, we are thinking seriously, as a society, about how kids harm and even abuse each other—because that’s what serious bullying is, a chronic campaign to make someone miserable. The heightened awareness is a major opportunity to make kids’ lives better by changing the culture, in schools and communities, so that bullying becomes socially unacceptable. I think we’re in the middle of such a shift, but there’s also a risk here: We could go in the wrong direction, toward over-policing kids, and toward an overzealous drive to punish them for doing harm, rather than preventing the harm in the first place. I want to broaden the discussion so it’s about building character and instilling empathy.
6) Do you have young children in your life, be it your own, nieces & nephews, or family friends? If so, how are you "preparing" (I hate to use that word!) them to enter a world where bullies exist?
I care most about instilling kindness to other people in my sons, and the importance of standing up for people who are weaker. So I try to take small moments around the dinner table to ask them what they think it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes—like a kid they know, or often a character in a book or movie. My book includes lots of resources for parents for these kinds of discussions.
7) As long as there are people on earth, is bullying inevitable? Is it possible for us to see bullying eradicated in our lifetime?
We won’t eradicate bullying, but we can certainly reduce it, and along the way, we can make our schools and communities place more value on kids’ psychological wellbeing. That is very much within our power!
I am really looking forward to the lecture on Monday. Will I see you there? The Baldwin School is located at 701 Montgomery Ave. in Bryn Mawr.
In the meantime, check out Emily Bazelon's website and look for resources for parents, educators, and students, as well as Sticks and Stones study questions under the "Resources" tab at the top.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts, assessments, and opinions, aside from those included within the interview, contained herein are my very own.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave a Mama some comments!