BULLYCIDE: Death at Playtime

This is the book that blew the lid off the bully-associated child suicide epidemic the authors named ‘bullycide’.The shattering statistics compiled by Neil Marr and Tim Field were the first ever recorded on what had been a secret and fatal school syndrome that causes terror and death at playtime.Heartbreaking interviews and case histories in these pages opened the eyes of an indifferent world. It’s a book crammed with useful, encouraging advice. It has spawned countless other books, official action, scholarly reports, plays, movies, parent-teacher groups, media campaigns and websites.But has the world really learned since its original publication exactly ten years ago? Are things getting better for embattled kids who see life as a fate worse than death, or are the bullies using new, more covert means to practice their lethal evil?This second edition – not so much an update as a history lesson (and those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it) – is by overwhelming popular request that we cannot deny.The authors make their purpose clear. They intended to shock, and they succeeded. Although tragic stories dominate the book, there’s lots of practical advice too. It’s an angry book … an excellent book – a call to action and a cry on behalf of unhappy children. Gerald Haigh. Times Education Supplement.Marr and Field have coined the word ‘bullycide’ to describe the tragic decision of children to choose suicide rather than face another day of bullying. The book provides statistics, case studies and expert advice. Mary Stevens. UK Press Gazette