Sticks and Stones

A marvelous, reality-centric look at bullying at the onset of the 21st century. I'm quick to add the time qualifier not because this book lacks anything, but because a) bullying certainly has changed with the advent of the internet and cell phones for everyone of all ages, and b) the constant change/evolutional bent of technology means that it can't possibly completely on top off everything.
But the author is on top of the several cases she portrays, including a bunch of old favorites you'll a little bit hate her for reminding you of. The Irish girl in Massachusetts who was bullied to death, and the woman who created a fake MySpace profile to “get back at” the girl next door in retaliation for what the girl did to her daughter - both are explored in depth here, and may surprise you with the details.

The author takes pains not to blame any specific person, institution or group as the cause or chief complaint. Much like with all things, there's enough blame to be spread around for everyone, and the “solutions” (such as they are) stick mainly to the lines of “everyone should be nicer and pay more attention to things.” While that sounds like brushing it aside, it's not - there is no one-shot, quick-fix program that miraculously fixes things. It is, as with all interpersonal relationships, about viewing/treating people as people, giving others some slack, and stepping in when you see someone abusing someone else.