By Casey Neill
Children, parents and therapists alike can learn a thing or two from a little dog named Harry.
Armadale psychologist and bullying expert Evelyn M Field wrote Harry the Bully Blocker to empower anyone being bullied – child, teenager or adult.
Harry’s tale is written as a rhyming poem to help readers remember the words.
In a dream, the shy, bullied little dog meets some friendly animals who teach him useful bully-blocking skills.
Mia the meerkat tells him the best ways to respond to bullying.
Ollie the owl emphasises eye contact.
Gerry the giraffe explains the importance of good posture.
Harry is told that “when you block others politely, they feel confused and stuck. They don’t know what to do or say, and become dumbstruck”.
It takes away their power, the other wise animals tell him, and they become surprised and embarrassed.
“You need respect, they realise,” the book says.
“Everyone knows that being embarrassed is a real pain.
“You can be sure that they won’t try to bully you again!”
Harry puts his new skills into practice and welcomes the results.
The story is based on the therapy model Evelyn developed to train psychologists, and on years of teaching bullied people of all ages to manage their basic survival instinct.
“Harry the Bull Blocker can help anyone who feels like a bullied child learn how to block bullies and build important social skills,” Evelyn said.
