As the American public grapples with a growing awareness of the problem of bullying, both within schools and outside of them, and heated debate about where to lay the blame for school shootings becomes a regular feature of political debates, one especially painful question stands out: Why? What’s behind these acts of violence and rage?
In his new book, Beyond Bullying: Breaking the Cycle of Shame, Bullying, and Violence (Oxford University Press), Dr. Jonathan Fast, Associate Professor at Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, sheds light on that question and others that hit close to home.