Bullying

NPR had an interview with the author of Sticks and Stones, Emily Bazelon here . She was bullied as a child, and talks about the long-term impact the bullying had on her life.

I taught high school for 35 years, and saw many bullies. I do think the major cause for most is home life (not close or nurturing enough) but I also noticed that few bullies were very good academically. They certainly were not avid readers.

So that is one thing the schools could do--make developing a love of reading in children an absolute priority. There are many academic reasons to do this (overwhelming academic reasons) but there is also this issue of civil conduct. 

I am sure that reading develops sensitivity in children. A narrator is pulling them through the story, telling them how people are feeling about what's going on. This is different from TV or movies, where a viewer only sees what is happening, not what people are thinking.  A good narrator in a book can make a reader feel the pain of the characters.

I think it's harder to bully when you can feel your victim's pain.