Bullying: The Social Destruction of Self

In her forceful social history, Bullying, Laura Martocci explores the “bully culture” that has claimed national attention since the late 1990s. Moving beyond the identification of aggressive behaviors to an analysis of how and why we have arrived at a culture that thrives on humiliation, she critiques the social forces that gave rise to, and help maintain, bullying. Martocci’s analysis of gossip, laughter, stereotyping, and competition—dynamics that foment bullying and prompt responses of s...