SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

January 15, 2018 by Robin Willis

YA A to Z: Bullying by Michelle Biwer

January 15, 2018 by Robin Willis   Leave a Comment

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), about 20% of students ages 12-18 reported being bullied in 2015. Notably, those statistics skyrocket for LGBTQ students. In 2013, 70.8% of LGBTQ students were verbally bullied because of their sexual orientation and 54.5% were bullied due to their gender expression (National School Climate Survey, 2015). Bullying rates are also higher for black students (NCES, 2016) and students with disabilities (Rose et al., 2012). Edutopia has some great resources for how to prevent bullying as a teacher and how to get teens involved in the process.

Notably, the NCES does not currently compile data on students with disabilities and bullying, meaning the government does not have a complete picture of bullying issues. However, other organizations have collected that data and made it available for reference.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The recent YA titles below feature teens who are bullied. While bullying may be the focus of a story, it’s more often presented as one of many problems a teen protagonist has to deal with.

dear martinDear Martin by Nic Stone (Crown, 2017)

Justyce is an African-American teen who attends an elite boarding school and the rich, white kids he is surrounded by constantly harass him with racial epithets. When his friend is shot by a police officer, he sees what happens when such pervasive prejudice is ignored.

eleanor and park

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin’s Press, 2013)

Raised in an abusive household with no money, Eleanor goes to school in ill-fitting, patched-up clothes, making her an easy target for bullies. While trying to escape the bullies at home and at school, Eleanor makes a friend in Park, who shares her love of music.

ms. marvel 7
Ms. Marvel, Volume 7: Damage Per Second by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa (Marvel Comics, 2017)

In issue #16 of the Ms. Marvel comics centered around New Jersey teen Kamala Khan, Dr. X threatens to reveal Kamala’s secret superhero identity to the world via the internet.

out of my mind
Out of My Mind
by Sharon Draper (Atheneum Books, 2010)

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Melody is finally able to “talk” through her new assistive device, allowing her freedom she never had before as a person with cerebral palsy. She joins the quiz bowl team but suffers harassment from other members and even sometimes her teachers.

positive
Positive: A Memoir
by Paige Rawl and Ali Benjamin (HarperCollins, 2014)

After Paige told her best friend that she was HIV positive, she was relentlessly bullied and struggled with depression. This memoir recounts that time in her life and promotes the importance of compassion.

rhyme schemer
Rhyme Schemer
by K.A. Holt (Chronicle Books, 2014)

Kevin’s unusual bullying tactic is cutting up old library books and arranging rude poetry about other students. When everyone finds out Kevin is the culprit, the tables are turned and he becomes bullied himself.

#scandal
#Scandal
by Sarah Ockler (Simon Pulse, 2015)

Lucy steps in as a prom date for her best friend’s boyfriend and the next day she is hacked, with compromising photos of the two splashed all over her Facebook page. She fights against slutshaming and other bullying from her peers and is determined to find out who hacked her account.

simon v
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
by Becky Albertalli (Balzer + Bray, 2015)

Simon is a closeted gay teen who is blackmailed about his sexual orientation by classmate at school. The film adaptation, titled Love, Simon, will be out later this year.

yaqui delgado
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
by Meg Medina (Candlewick, 2013)

Piddy moves to a new school and quickly finds herself the target of Yaqui Delgado and her gang.

Filed under: YA A to Z

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Robin Willis

After working in middle school libraries for over 20 years, Robin Willis now works in a public library system in Maryland.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

November 2014

YA A to Z: An Alphabet Soup of YA Authors - the list

by Robin Willis

November 2014

YA A to Z: Sara Zarr

by Robin Willis

November 2014

YA A to Z: Gene Luen Yang

by Robin Willis

November 2014

YA A to Z: Francisco X. Stork (a guest post by Linda Jerome)

by Robin Willis

November 2014

YA A to Z - Jacqueline Woodson

by Robin Willis

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Surprise! Announcing CABOOSE

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Kiss Number 8 | Review

by Johanna

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

WRITING FOR YOURSELF FIRST, a guest post by author M. K. Lobb

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Board Book Evolution: No Longer 'Just for Babies'

21 Books About Children and their Names

Pronouncing Kids’ Names Correctly Matters. Here’s How to Get it Right.

37 Kidlit and YA Titles in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month

8 YA BookTubers To Watch Right Now

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023