The voice of America’s
bullied students, author of The New York Times bestseller
Please Stop Laughing at Me . . . and the new
book Please Stop Laughing at Us . . .
Survivor, expert and activist Jodee Blanco is one of the country’s
pre-eminent voices on the subject of school bullying. She
is the author of The New York Times bestseller, Please Stop
Laughing At Me . . . One Woman’s Inspirational Story.
A chronicle of her years as the student outcast, the book
inspired a movement inside the nation’s schools and
is swiftly becoming an American classic. Referred to by many
as “the anti-bullying bible,” it is required reading
in hundreds of middle and high schools and numerous universities
throughout the country. Please Stop Laughing at Me . . . has
also been recognized as an essential resource by The National
Crime Prevention Council, The Department of Health & Human
Services, the National Association of Youth Courts, Special
Olympics, The FCCLA (Future Community and Career Leaders of
America), Teacher Magazine and hundreds of state and local
organizations from the PTA and regional law enforcement coalitions
to school safety groups.
Blanco’s highly-anticipated sequel, Please Stop
Laughing at Us . . . One Survivor’s Extraordinary Quest
to Prevent School Bullying (BenBella Books, March
2008), is written in response to the demand for more information
from her core audience—teens, teachers, parents and
other Adult Survivors of Peer Abuse like herself, who have
come to know Blanco as the champion of their cause. It provides
advice and solutions set against the backdrop of her dramatic
personal and professional journey as the survivor who unexpectedly
finds herself the country’s most sought-after anti-bullying
activist.
In addition to her books, Blanco’s unprecedented approach
to shifting the social dynamic of America’s schools
is saving lives and making headlines throughout the United
States. She’s presented It’s NOT Just Joking Around!™,
her acclaimed anti-bullying program, to a combined audience
of over five-hundred thousand students, teachers and parents
nationwide at the behest of such entities as The United States
Department of Interior, The United States Department of
--over--
Justice, The National Catholic Educational Association, The
Illinois Association of School Boards and scores of local
school districts, many of whom are adopting her initiatives
as part of their core bullying prevention curriculum. It’s
NOT Just Joking Around! has also generated tens of thousands
of dollars in grant awards for schools and organizations coast
to coast.
Blanco has successfully intervened in numerous bullying related
attempted suicides and acts of student retaliation. She is
a respected crisis management consultant and expert witness
in the areas of school violence and peer abuse, and is frequently
called upon by the media as an expert interview. Some of the
outlets who have turned to her for commentary include Newsweek,
CNN, NBC, FOX, The John Walsh Show and National Public Radio.
She is also the resident authority on school bullying for
Meredith Vieira’s popular parenting website ClubMom.com.
Blanco’s life story has been featured in Parade, Teen
Newsweek, Teen Guideposts, Hispanic, The Chicago Tribune,
The St. Petersburg Times, hundreds of local daily newspapers
across the United States and is part of a permanent exhibit
at the Chicago National Historical Society.
A tireless advocate for the shunned and forgotten student,
Blanco’s rare understanding of why kids abuse other
kids comes from a deep personal place. From fifth grade through
the end of high school, she was rejected and tormented by
her peers simply for being different and knows first-hand
what it’s like to contemplate retaliation. As an adult,
she decided to go public with her story because she was frustrated
by society’s misconceptions about the true cause of
the school tragedies such as Columbine.
Since the release of Please Stop Laughing At Me . . ., Blanco
has committed her life to turning her pain into purpose. Inspired
by the thousands of letters and requests she receives for
help, she travels around the country sharing her story of
forgiveness and triumph. One of the most sought-after keynote
speakers and seminar presenters, Blanco’s anti-bullying
initiatives are redefining the scope of possibilities for
curbing suffering in our schools worldwide.
Blanco’s work has been published in Japanese, Danish
and Arabic. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband
and family where she is currently at work on a series of anti-bullying
related fiction titles for young adults. For more information
on Blanco, visit her website at www.jodeeblanco.com.
Publicist: Laura Di Giovine, IPG Distribution, 312-337-0747
x282, laura@ipgbook.com
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