Girl in the Water: Bullying Starts at Home. the Research Link Between Bullying and Sibling Abuse Can't Be Overlooked.

Bullying in America is at epidemic levels, often starting in the American home.Each year, 19 million children are abused in their homes by their own siblings. Nearly two million children use a weapon as a means of resolving a conflict with a sibling. Siblings commit 10 percent of the murders that occur in the American family. Research has shown a solid link between bullying and sibling abuse. Children who are abused by their siblings are often targets to bullies and often become bullies. The terrifying world of sibling abuse and bullying is exposed in this book. The author's account is a "first" in the nation. It is a brilliantly written portrayal that offers a rare and riveting glimpse of what lies beneath the surface of millions of children's and adult's lives. The author's first bully was in her home...her own sister. The author leads the reader on a journey back to her childhood home-where she is confronted with her young dreams and fears, her familial bonds, and the profound, lingering influences that sibling abuse and bullying had on her adulthood and parenting. Resembling the scariest fairy tale, the author's personal story is narrated with a singular devotion to re-telling her experiences, no matter what the cost. Like a fairytale, it provides lessons for us all concerning the tragedies and experiences of victims of bullying and sibling. It grips the reader's imagination with the same unrelenting moral force that fairy tales have for children. This unique story breaks the seal to what has been hidden in so many American homes...sibling abuse. It is a hopeful story for millions of children and adults. This book is comprehensive and has a bibliography, resources and informational strategies for parents and adult survivors.