Unfortunately, teasing is often part of growing up — almost every child experiences it. But it isn’t always as innocuous as it seems. Words can cause pain. Teasing becomes bullying when it is repetitive or when there is a conscious intent to hurt another child. It can be verbal bullying (making threats, name-calling), psychological bullying (excluding children, spreading rumors), or physical bullying (hitting, pushing, taking a child’s possessions).

How Bullying Starts

Bullying behavior is prevalent throughout the world and it cuts across socio-economic, racial/ethnic, and cultural lines. Researchers estimate that 20 to 30 percent of school-age children are involved in bullying incidents, as either perpetrators or victims. Bullying can begin as early as preschool and intensify during transitional stages, such as starting school in 1st grade or going into middle school.

Victims of bullying are often shy and tend to be physically weaker than their peers. They may also have low self-esteem and poor social skills, which makes it hard for them to stand up for themselves. Bullies consider these children safe targets because they usually don’t retaliate.

Effects of Bullying

If your child is the victim of bullying, he may suffer physically and emotionally, and his schoolwork will likely show it. Grades drop because, instead of listening to the teacher, kids are wondering what they did wrong and whether anyone will sit with them at lunch. If bullying persists, they may be afraid to go to school. Problems with low self-esteem and depression can last into adulthood and interfere with personal and professional lives.

(The above info is being shared here from this article: http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/bullying on Bullying)

Adult Bullying

Often people have the idea that “bullying” is something which only occurs amongst some children until eventually they grow out of this behavior. Unfortunately – this isn’t always true. Adults can be just as capable of employing bullying tactics as any young child or teenager.

Steps

#1 – Remember that this is not your fault.
#2 – See if killing them with kindness helps. This doesn’t always work. But in circumstances when you’ve not long known the bully (such as if for example you’ve just been introduced to them at work) it can.
#3 – Try assertive responses against the bully .
#4 – If all else fails, consider enlisting somebody’s help.

Assertive behavior can be very effective if used in the early stages of bullying. However, if the bullying has already been going on for a long time it might not have the desired effects. Sometimes the only thing to do in a bullying situation is to walk away.

For more information about adult bullying and for resources, there is a great book titled: Adult bullying: perpetrators and victims, By Peter Randall.

Technorati Tags: Aggression, Behavior, Bully, Bullying, Cyber-bullying, Ethics, Peter Randall, School bullying, Social Issues, Teasing, Workplace bullying

Everett Lester and his band, DeathStroke, ride the crest of a wave to superstardom. But the deeper they become immersed in fame, wealth, and power, the more likely they are to be swallowed alive by the drugs, alcohol, and discontentment that have become their only friends. Everett is headed down a perilous road of no apparent return when he’s charged with the murder of his personal psychic. The only hope he can cling to comes from Topeka, Kansas, and the letters written by a prayerful young lady who lives there. Consistent and persistent, the notes cut straight to Everett ’s empty heart, offering a fulfillment he’s never grasped before. But what if he’s found guilty of murder? Will he recognize the spiritual battle that’s raging for his soul?

About the Author
Talented storyteller Creston Mapes graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1983 with a BA in magazine journalism. Since then, he has written for major corporations, colleges, and ministries. He has written for Coca-Cola, TNT Sports, Focus on the Family, Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, and The Urban Alternative. His stories have been featured in magazines including Private Colleges and Universities, In Touch, Leaders for Today, and The Hockey News. Creston makes his home in Georgia.

Visit the Author’s Website

Technorati Tags: Author, Bowling Green State University, creston mapes, Deathstroke, Entertainment/Culture, Everett Lester, fame, idol, Mark Oliver Everett, rock star

About the Book: Catherine: Inside the Heart and Mind of a Great Monarch…

“You look astonishingly pretty,” admits Johanna when Sophia steps out of her bedroom dressed in Ulrika’s magnificent gown. Sophia is stunned, halting in mid-step. This is rare praise from her cold mother, so she must, indeed, look very good. At Frederick’s side during the elaborate court dinner, Sophia shines and sparkles with youth and wit. The monarch is very pleased with his choice. Indeed, he is so enamored with the girl that he opens his purse to outfit mother and daughter, both woefully deficient in material matters appropriate for court life.

So begins the transformation of Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst into Catherine the Great of Russia. The personal and professional triumphs and tribulations of this remarkable woman are retold by Sigrid Weidenweber, whose research into the life of Catherine reveals a new perspective on Catherine, from the inside out. Sigrid portrays with heartfeld understanding what it was like to have been such a major European political and military, social and cultural figure during the eighteenth century.

About Sigrid Weidenweber: Born in Germany in 1941, Sigrid Weidenwber remembers the horrific aftermath of fascism. At the end of the war, she found herself living under communism. After the Berlin Wall was built, she managed to escape the repressive environment with the help of friends and a French passport. To this day she does not speak French.

She holds degrees in medical technology, psychology and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Concordia University of Portland, Oregon for her trilogy “The Volga Flows Forever.” In her trilogy she brings to life Catherine the Great in her multiple roles as monarch, woman, lover, mother, grandmother and head of the general staff of the army, in Volume one. The following two historical volumes deal with the Volga Germans brought to Russia by Catherine’s edict.

Three years ago she moved to Santa Rosa Valley, California from Portland Oregon. She has passionately embraced California together with her family that also resides here.

Technorati Tags: Berlin, Catherine, Catherine the Great, Germany, House of Ascania, House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, Russia, Sigrid Weidenwber, Sigrid Weidenweber, Volga Germans

If you haven’t entered yet, do so here: http://askanissa.com/main/giveaway-john-grishams-the-confession/

Now today, many years later I was chosen as one of the 18 Partners to help promote John Grisham’s new book The Confession! I will be holding a Giveaway in conjunction with Molly-Mormon.com,  AskAnissa.com and Scrap-n-Craft.com. One lucky winner will be chosen at random to get a copy of the book!

An innocent man is about to be executed.  Only a guilty man can save him.

For every innocent man sent to prison, there is a guilty one left on the outside. He doesn’t understand how the police and prosecutors got the wrong man, and he certainly doesn’t care. He just can’t believe his good luck. Time passes and he realizes that the mistake will not be corrected: the authorities believe in their case and are determined to get a conviction. He may even watch the trial of the person wrongly accused of his crime. He is relieved when the verdict is guilty. He laughs when the police and prosecutors congratulate themselves. He is content to allow an innocent person to go to prison, to serve hard time, even to be executed.

How do you enter? I am glad you asked!

Here are the contest Rules

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: One winner will receive a hardcover copy of The Confession!

Giveaway Dates: October 19- October 31, 2010 Midnight MST

To Enter This Giveaway:
Do one or more of the following and post a comment below about each action you took. Each comment will count as a separate entry so your chances of winning increase but only the #1 entry is required.

1. Required: Comment below this post about your favorite John Grisham Novel and why it was your favorite. This can only be done once per person.
2. Provide a review on Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble for one of his books and paste the url and edetail info so I know which review is yours (If I don’t have enough info to determine its really you, it won’t count.)
3. Share your favorite book on FaceBook and put the link here OR tweet about it and paste your status link below.
4. Sign up for John Grisham’s newsletter
5. Blog about this with a link to Molly-Mormon.com, AskAnissa.com and Scrap-n-Craft.com and link to John Grisham’s website for The Confession (Leave three separate comments with the URL for your blog post for this to get three entries for your blogging)

Giveaway Rules:
Open to USA, age 18+ to enter. Winner announced right here on November 1, 2010. Thanks for entering and good luck!