7 Young Adult Books to Read During Cyberbullying Prevention Month
Nearly 68 percent of teens agree that cyberbullying is a serious problem. From teenagers to celebrities like Leslie Jones, it’s an issue that can affect almost anyone (and it doesn’t help that Donald Trump’s Twitter tantrums are perpetuating harassment culture online either). With the problem growing at such a rapid pace, it’s no wonder why people are pushing to more adequately criminalize cyberbullying in America.
1. Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman ($11): Lara’s life seemed to be on an upswing. That was until her crush Christian bashed her on Facebook in front of the entire school. Now overcome with depression and suicidal thoughts, Lara must face the biggest challenge of her life: learning to survive.
2. #Scandal by Sarah Ockler ($8): We’ve all had a few tagged Facebook pics that we never want to see again, but this story trumps just about all of ours. When a photo of Lucy snogging with her BFF’s boyfriend at the prom surfaces, her classmates are quick to brand her a slut and a backstabber all over social media.
3. Boar Island by Nevada Barr ($17): Driven to despair by online harassment, one young teen attempts to commit suicide only to be found mid-act by her parents. In an effort to get her out of this harmful environment, they agree to move young Elizabeth across the country to live with a family friend — but her online stalker follows her there too.
4. Random by Tom Leveen ($7): When Tori received a random phone call from a wrong number, she decides to stay on the line. Why? Because the caller is about to drive off a cliff if she doesn’t tell him why he shouldn’t kill himself. Expertly maneuvering through Tori’s previous cyberbullying incident that landed her on trial for aggravated manslaughter, Tom Leveen’s novel is a must for young teens and adults alike.
5. Identity Crisis by Melissa Schorr ($12): Catfishing isn’t always as crazy as Nev Schulman’s hit reality show. In this twisted new novel, a group of teens catfish Annalise by creating the perfect virtual guy. But what they do in the online world has serious consequences IRL.
6. Body and Bone by L.S. Hawker ($12): Nessa Donati’s husband John relapsed on drugs and went missing. But when a commenter on Nessa’s blog starts harassing her online by releasing personal details that only her husband would know, she sets off to find answers… and more questions.
7. Jekyll’s Mirror by William Hussey ($5): “Project Hyde” is a new social networking site where users can enjoy total anonymity. Yep, in a world that almost sinisterly parallels our modern problems, this amazing novel by William Hussey questions how and why cyberbullying manifests.
What are you doing to help end cyberbullying this October? Tweet us your comments by mentioning @BritandCo!
(Featured photo via Getty)
