The nation received a shocking wake-up call about bullying when investigators revealed that the Columbine killers and other school shooters had been repeatedly bullied by classmates. On a typical school day today three out of 10 American youngsters are involved in bullying as perpetrators, victims or bystanders, and an estimated 160,000 children skip school for fear of being harassed. Bullied students are more prone to suicide, depression and poor school performance; bullies have a far higher likelihood of committing crimes as adults. At least 16 states have passed laws requiring schools to provide anti-bullying programs, but many states and school districts have been slow to act. Their reluctance may stem in part from opposition by conservative Christians, who argue that anti-bullying legislation and programs aimed at reducing sexually oriented teasing promote homosexuality and impinge on Christian students' freedom of speech.

John Greenya is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C., who has written for The Washington Post, New Republic, New York Times and other publications. He teaches writing at George Washington University and is the author of several books, including Silent Justice: The Clarence Thomas Story and P.S. A Memoir, written with the late Pierre Salinger. He holds an A.B. in English from Marquette University and an M.A. in English literature from The Catholic University.