Until recent years, bullying was often considered ‘just part of being a kid.’ Unfortunately, since children today are constantly connected, it’s no longer limited to school hours and has become a serious problem with even more detrimental effects for victims, including suicide. According to a study by Yale University, bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims.. Having experienced depression due to bullying first-hand, author Nicola Mar chose to take on the topic in her young adult novel, Santa;.
Inspired by real girls who’ve committed suicide due to bullying,Santa; aims to educate young people – and adults – about the physical and psychological effects of bullying. Spanning the course of several weeks, Santa; details the physical and emotional deterioration of June, a victim of sever bullying after she survives an attack by her classmates. With no one and nothing to trust but faith, she struggles with the idea that the human spirit may not exist.
Reflecting on themes related Santa;, Mar is available to discuss:
- How bullying affects children both physically and psychologically
- Why the way we think about bullying needs to fundamentally change
- The best ways to help victims of bullying
- Project Semicolon and the importance of other support movements
About Nicola Mar:
Nicola Mar always dreamed of becoming a writer. At 18, she moved to the U.S. to continue her education, graduating from Rollins College with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a specialty in Creative Writing. In March 2014, Mar published her first novel, A Red Tale, which was inspired by her childhood growing up on the island of St. Maarten. Santa; is her second novel.