Book By Local Psychologist Focuses On Resisting, Recovering From Bullying
By John Ostapkovich
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) - We hear a lot about bullying these days, and much of it is about reining in the person who's pushing others around. But a Cherry Hill psychologist's book works on the bully in the mirror.
If somebody slugs you in the arm, you might get a bruise which would eventually heal, but if that same person can get into your head with insults, threats or taunts, that damage may be self-reinforcing.
Psychologist Sidney Cohen wrote the book "Your Self-Sabotaging Inner Bully: Standing Up To It Once and For All!"
"It's primarily geared toward coping with bullies, coping with being bullied, in terms of getting self-esteem and self-worth built back up, getting more courage," Cohen tells KYW Newsradio. "It's mainly about building up self-esteem and self-respect which is exactly what bullies can undermine."
That's a prospect made worse by what Dr. Cohen calls an "echo of the hurtful things the bully says," now self-inflicted. He says it takes courage to resist and recover from bullying, and parents can set the example for better or worse in how they display courage themselves.
