Page 65 - Education Supplement February 2026

EDITORIAL

Bullying in a digital world
For today’s children, bullying does not end
when the school day does. Online platforms
mean harmful behaviour can follow them
home, often anonymously and persistently.

Stop Bullying Me! includes a dedicated
section on cyberbullying, focusing on
boundaries, protection and digital safety.
Rather than fear-based messaging, the
book offers practical guidance, including
when to block, when to report, how to
preserve evidence and when to involve
an adult.

The emphasis is on reducing isolation
and ensuring children understand they
are not expected to manage online
abuse on their own.

Healing after bullying
Bullying does not simply stop when the
behaviour ends. Louise devotes the latter
part of the book to emotional recovery,
acknowledging the anger, stress and
confusion many children carry long after Where to find the book
an incident has been addressed. Stop Bullying Me! is available in both print and digital formats:
• Takealot – paperback
She explores forgiveness carefully and
• Amazon – paperback and ebook
without pressure. Forgiveness, she
• Kobo, Apple Books, Smashwords and other platforms via Draft2Digital
explains, is not about excusing behaviour
• Selected independent bookshops in Cape Town and Durban
or restoring relationships. It is about
allowing the person who was harmed to More information can be found at louiseelsabooks.org.
move forward without being defined by
what happened.
Why this conversation matters
The book also points readers towards Bullying is not new, but the context in which children experience it has
mental health support services, changed. Emotional pressures are greater, social dynamics are more
recognising that some situations require complex and the consequences of silence are increasingly visible.
professional help.
What Stop Bullying Me! offers is clarity. It gives children language, restores
A practical resource for schools and confidence and reinforces the message that bullying is not something they
families have to endure quietly.
Although written for young readers, Stop
Bullying Me! is equally relevant for parents Every child deserves to feel safe enough to be themselves.
and educators.

Where Stop Bullying Me! is available
Schools can use it as a classroom
discussion tool, part of a wellbeing 1. Kobo (e-book) Buy or download the Kindle-style e-book version from
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/za/en/ebook/stop-bullying-me-1
programme or a shared resource when
2. Amazon (print and e-book) Available in e-book format on Amazon:
concerns arise. Parents gain clearer insight
https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Bullying-Me-Recognize-Effectively-
into how bullying presents and how to
ebook/dp/B0FWRRYXKR
respond in ways that are supportive rather
3. Barnes & Noble (e-book) Available in e-book format (compatible
than dismissive.
with NOOK and other devices): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/
stop-bullying-me-louise-elsa/1148698379
An audiobook edition is currently in
4. Author’s official website Official site with more information and links
development to improve accessibility for
to formats: https://louiseelsabooks.org/
children who struggle with reading.
Education | February 2026 | 63