The Fifth in our series spotlighting authors who have contributed to our current collection. Our collection, this time around is Springtime Bullies.
Peacock Writers donate their time and stories willingly to benefit charity. A different theme is picked each time and authors invited to join in. Lenora Rodgers talks about her reasons for doing this.
Writing for “Springtime Bullies”
I have raised two children of my own but after thirteen years as an Instructional Assistant in elementary school; I was able to witness first hand how subtle bullying can be. It often happens right in front of adults and is dismissed as children playing. The bullied child often is terrified of reporting for fear of reprisal and threats from the bully and the bully’s friends. Most of the time it happens one on one but if the bully has his posse around him/her, it can happen in “public” places: the school cafeteria, lining up in the hallway, in the restroom and so on. “Cafeteria Standoff” was written after witnessing several acts of bullying. It’s an ongoing battle and adults have to be vigilant.
For the same reason, “My Trusted Adults” came into being. After seeing a picture on the Internet of a child being choked by negative words, I thought about writing a story showing that bullying doesn’t just happen at school or the playground but also at home. Finding a trusted adult to confide in can be very hard for a child who is suffering at home.
I’m hoping children will read our stories in “Springtime Bullies” and find that there is hope to find a way to deal with the bullies in their lives.
Lenora Rodgers
www.lenorabooks.weebly.com