(MENAFNEditorial)
Los Angeles – In consecutive months from April to June The Desmoines Register Times Free Press and NBC Los Angeles respectively have all reported on the epidemic that has come to be known as ‘bullycide’ or suicide due to bullying. In a recent interview author D.K. Smith voiced his concerns over the fact that media coverage of bullying and bullycide might be saturating young minds with the wrong message.
“People frown a little when they initially hear me say it” Smith said of the reaction he gets when addressing his feelings on the wide coverage given to suicide resulting from bullying. “Like I said in the interview I do think the public needs to be aware of what’s going on but a different message needs to be highlighted.”
A quick Google search of the keywords bully bullying and now bullycide conjure and endless array of articles with accounts ranging from sad to utterly horrifying. Reports are conflicting as to whether the issue is on the rise or the decline. In May of this year Al Jazeera America reported bullying to be at its lowest level in 10 years according to a report from the Department of Education yet in August an article from the Boston affiliate of Fox News reported that cyber bullying had jumped from 14.6 percent to 21 percent in Boston area schools over a six year period.
“Bullying is not going away overnight” Smith said “That’s why a more positive message needs to be reinforced. The media has such a powerful platform and I just think that it would be an incredibly positive thing if that platform could begin to be used to focus on stories of teens that have survived bullying and are doing positive things with their lives.”
A snippet from a recent radio interview with Smith was posted to the Mind Over Bullies twitter account Tuesday morning and was met with several positive responses. “I completely agree with all of his points. I’ve always had the same sentiment” said one responder from the Philippines in a private message. Listen to the interview clip here:
Smith is attempting to do his share in contributing to a shift in focus with the August 31 release of the novel ‘Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms.’ Thus far the pre-release reviews have been stellar. Margaret Tidwell from Riverton Utah felt that all teens should read the book while Nancy Shepherd a former middle and high school teacher from Virginia recommended Mind Over Bullies to teens teachers and counselors who deal with bullying. U.S. reviewer Kirkus Reviews highlighted the captivating quality of the story from its opening car chase scene.
It remains to be seen if the media will take to heart comments like the ones Smith has made about the current coverage of bullying but for a certainty they are worthy of consideration. With a new school year upon students parents teachers and administrators all around the U.S. and other parts of the world bullying is sure to show itself in some form. “The goal is to get kids to fix their minds on the fact that there is life after bullying. If we reinforce that thought I feel like the current trends can change” Smith said.
For more information or to hear the full interview with D.K. Smith contact:
James C. Brackens – Khamicom Publishing
Info@Khamicom.com
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A native of Los Angeles D.K. Smith began his writing career after getting news that he would soon become an uncle. Like C.S. Lewis he wanted to create stories and characters for his expected niece thus he created a children's book series. From there his love of storytelling has blossomed into novels across multiple genres.
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