An essay about rape and male privilege that's been widely circulated lately got my attention for sure. Not because so many women have been Weinsteined by Harvey who had gatekeeping power or raped by everyday men who were intimidating. But because I've been addressing similar issues in a book I'm writing. Several of the real-life murderers in my memoir got away easy just as Amber Rose Carlson's rapist did. Amber Rose Carlson is a doctoral candidate in philosophy at Vanderbilt University who … [Read more...]
Scariest Horror Villains of all time? Halloween edition.
It's Halloween season, and so why not have some scary villain fun? It's appropriate here, too. My site is dedicated to heroes, villains, and fools... as well as to the more abstract notions of discrimination and preferential treatment in the justice system. Scariest horror villains of all time. Thrillist.com has put together a list of the 33 scariest horror villains of all time. Scott Weinberg at Thrillist has left politicians and Hollywood producers off the list. Wonder … [Read more...]
Authors of THE BULLYING ANTIDOTE recognize local heroes.
Please join a writer friend of mine at an award ceremony recognizing East Bay, California heroes in bullying prevention. Kristen Caven and her psychologist mom, Louise Hart, wrote The Bullying Antidote. More about this book later in the post. To celebrate the completion of a 2-year book giveaway project, Caven and Hart will be honoring community leaders who are creating positive change. Zorgos Awards. The Zorgos Awards Banquet honors those who have the superpower of … [Read more...]
Cyberbullying: non-obvious reasons kids of color targeted more.
Cyberbullying may result from family or societal biases, beliefs, and distortions being unconsciously absorbed by children,then passed on to kids of color. But, there are other reasons than racism and ethnocentrism that explain the high rate of cyberbullying directed at kids of color. Janarooheart shares some ideas here: Why do kids get bullied? In most cases, the reason is because they are different from others. As a kid, you usually become a target for harassment because of your … [Read more...]
Post-Charlottesville: Violent/Nonviolent cops in the face of bullying?
No bullying allowed? With the tragic killing in Charlottesville, VA and the subsequent debates about police behavior pre and post Charlottesville bullying, it seems time to mention Policing Society. I wrote the book during a sabbatical in England where I compared the Greater Manchester Police Department with the Oakland Police Department. I chose Manchester and Oakland for my tale of two cities because they were remarkably similar cities with historically different policing philosophies. … [Read more...]
Cyberbulling victory? FB cracks down on Revenge Porn.
Cyberbullying revenge porn constitutes a different kind of revenge than that discussed here last week. Villains who use so-called 'revenge porn' aren't as heinous as revenge serial killers. But they do cause great harm, esp to women.Cyberbullying revenge porn."Cyberbulling revenge porn" refers to the sharing of sexually explicit images on the internet, without the consent of the people depicted in the pictures, in order to extort or humiliate them. It is often practiced by former partners of … [Read more...]
Kids charged as felons for bullying: Racism?
Back in May of 2016 about 100 parents, seniors and clergy marched in protest in Clayton, Missouri (near Ferguson). They didn't like an impending law that they felt would create a “school-to-prison pipeline.” They said that the soon-to-be enacted law that charges bullying as a felony targets young people of color.Bullying and racism.The protestors called for an end to out-of-school suspensions for students in every school district in their area. Their protest may've resulted in three St. … [Read more...]