'Facing the Bully' Special Edition of Weekly Reader's Current Health Magazine Focuses on Defusing Bullying

In-Depth Advice for Children, Parents and Teachers Available in Free Online Publication

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Feb. 7, 2012 -- With one in five high school students saying they've been bullied, this societal ill is reaching epidemic proportions. To address this crisis, Weekly Reader's Current Health magazines have assembled special issues – one for grades 4-7, the other for grades 7-12 -- highlighting practical solutions for parents, teachers, and children. Current Health is offering free online versions of the "Facing the Bully" issues at www.weeklyreader.com/CHbullying. [An extensive teacher's guide is also available online for classroom use.]

"There are meaningful steps that everyone can take to combat bullying and we want to reach as broad an audience as possible with this important information," said Erin King, Current Health's Senior Editor.

A few of the surprising facts about bullying cited in the special issue include:

• The most powerful person in any bullying situation is often the bystander.
• Bullies are frequently popular with other children.
• Children most likely to be bullied are not the kids at the bottom of the social prestige ladder but actually those somewhere in the middle.

Additional articles define different forms of bullying, expose the myths surrounding cyberbullying, and outline ways to develop empathy in children and teens. Current Health editors spoke with experts and students and compiled a variety of simple steps that children can take to begin to solve the problem such as:

• Speak up, stand up. "When one person stands up against the bullies, other people will stand up against them. Anyone could be the hero in the hallway," says New Jersey teen Ashley Craig, founder of Students Against Being Bullied — a group she started after being bullied herself.
• Acknowledge your own actions. Children should ask themselves: "Have I done or said something hurtful?" Thoughtless phrases such as "That's so gay" can hurt even when no harm is meant. If children have done or said something, it's never too late to apologize—and change that behavior.

Parents are encouraged to listen carefully to their children's comments about bullying and to take them seriously. Mothers and fathers should avoid making potentially hurtful comments about people, as children mimic adults. Parents can also help their children care about others by volunteering together at a nursing home or animal shelter, as empathy has been linked to lower levels of bullying.

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Current Health is a monthly magazine published in two editions by Weekly Reader, publisher of quality, groundbreaking educational materials since 1902. Weekly Reader's unique digital products and 11 award-winning classroom magazines give teachers tools that help them achieve their goals while inspiring students and igniting a love of learning. Every year, Weekly Reader materials reach more than 150,000 teachers and 6 million students from Pre-K to grade 12. Weekly Reader is part of the Reader's Digest Association, Inc. For more information, visit www.weeklyreader.com.

SOURCE Weekly Reader