Summer Reading List Creates Bullying Dialogue

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Jun 04, 2010, 02:03 ET

NCPC Shares Book Club Selections to Prevent Pervasive Problem

ARLINGTON, Va., June 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has a solution for youth worried about bullying issues and for parents who want to plug the "brain drain" their kids encounter during summer vacation. According to the U.S. Department of Education, young people lose an average of 25% in reading skills each summer. Today, NCPC shared a summer reading list to help parents combat the summer brain drain and open a dialogue with their kids about bullying and cyberbullying.

Through its Circle of Respect book club, NCPC, home of McGruff the Crime Dog, aims to stop behaviors like bullying before they get out of hand by helping young people learn how to handle conflict through the concept of respect. Award-winning authors such as Tina Wells (Mackenzie Blue), Rachel Simmons (Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression), Rosalind Wiseman (Queen Bees & Wannabes), and Deborah Norville (The Power of Respect) are among those working with NCPC to open up new dialogue and bring awareness to the issues of bullying and aggression online or in person.

Research shows that 160,000 kids miss school every day out of fear of being bullied. Furthermore, 43 percent of young people are victims of cyberbullying each year – and only one in ten of them tell their parents. NCPC wants to get ahead of the problem and inspire kids to stop bullying before the conflicts turn into public fights, school shootings, and other violent crimes. The vision of the Circle of Respect is to promote respect as a way to manage conflict and prevent criminal behavior, ultimately creating better communities around all of us.

For a complete list of the book club selections and advice on bullying prevention, visit the Circle of Respect website.

About the National Crime Prevention Council

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is the nonprofit leader in crime prevention. For 29 years, our safety expert McGruff the Crime Dog® has delivered easy-to-use crime prevention tips that protect what matters most—you, your family, and your community. Law enforcement agencies nationwide rely on our expertise to make an impact on personal safety and crime every day. For more information on how NCPC can help you "Take a Bite Out of Crime®", visit www.ncpc.org.

About the Circle of Respect Initiative

The vision for the Circle of Respect is to promote RESPECT as a way to manage conflict and prevent criminal behavior. The Circle of Respect is NCPC's latest and most comprehensive campaign to protect youth from bullying and cyberbullying. To succeed in its mission, the Circle of Respect features an education campaign, outreach materials including publications and public service advertising, and partnership efforts to reach a national audience.

SOURCE National Crime Prevention Council