January 2021 Publisher’s Choice

“The Bullying Pandemic”

Author – Pamela Reynolds

Reviewed by Anita Finley, Gerontologist

Bullying has become the word most spoken when it comes to problem children. So, when I reviewed The Bullying Pandemic by Pamela Reynolds, I thought it was about children and its effect on them. Yes, it was. But it was so much more. It was an intimate remembrance of the author’s own bullying by her father and how it has affected her throughout her life. Because of this, she can see it from a different perspective when she deals with her students as their teacher. She discusses many children, and the reader will surely see where they had some of these problems and whether they were handled well. Often it continues to cause these children to bully others, even into adulthood.

On a personal note, I never thought I was bullied until I was discussing Pam Reynolds’ book with one of my cousins. She reminded me how my brother bullied me and why we never had a good relationship in our adult lives. My cousin also told me about her personal bullying situation and the lasting traumatic effects took years to work through.

The author shares stories of how some of her young students were affected by fighting parents, who then bullied their children. Ill health symptoms were caused by bullying at home or at school.

This book opened my eyes and will yours as to how deep a problem bullying is. We must all be aware of it and try to find ways to change these habits.

Pamela Reynolds, at the end of the book, uses parables to explain in a quite easy way just how important simple rules would be better for everyone. I have always talked about the “golden rule,” but that seems too simple. As you read through all the well laid out examples, she shows, with definite results why this is truly a pandemic. We know that trauma is a common term nowadays, whether it is experienced by military personnel returning from battle, or illnesses, and we can add to that list, bullying. When you see the author’s cover of her book, the child is shown in jail, looking out between the bars, asking for help.

Be sure to read the back of her book as she calls it “The Worry Box.” I am fascinated by this idea and am thinking how I can use it with my talks and interviews. Very compelling!

I admired Pamela Reynold’s honesty about her bullying experiences that she kept hidden for so long. What a great relief it was for her to write this book and what an important book it is for readers. For sure, as I am reviewing her book, I know there are those out there who have stories to tell. It may require a therapist to help you or someone you know get help. On a side note, Pamela Reynolds wrote another book, Stimpikins, which is for children, using a stray cat who faced down the bully and taught us the truth about love, life, and cats.