Too many of today's tweens/teens are struggling through covert bullying, while parents question how to help them without making it worse.
I’m a social researcher and author with lived experience. I write books and host the Kind Community Project so that parents can identify and work through relational aggression with their child, while building confidence and becoming stronger, together.
Stories That break the cycles of bullying & build confidence
An exploration of digital-age relational aggression affecting teens and adults alike, pairing a girl's experience of online and offline exclusion with her mother's support and practical guidance for recognising and breaking free from toxic friendship patterns.
A Novel With Songs
Mute. Block. Leave.
Jennifer Fraser, PhD,
Author: The Bullied Brain & The Gaslit Brain
Mute. Block. Leave. is a novella that is hard to put down.
From the first page to the last, the reader is drawn into an intense bullying realm told through the target's point of view alternating with her mom's point of view. Shuttling between the teenage girl being repeatedly hit with psychological cruelty, from supposed former friends, and her mother's sense of anguish and powerlessness is gripping.
As a researcher and writer about abuse culture, what amazed me about this story was how expertly and evocatively it brought bullying dynamics to life. The author draws the reader into the way bullying impacts one's sense of selfhood, the way parents can play vital roles in keeping their targeted children whole and aware, and the way targets can identify the bullying dynamics as outside of themselves thereby reducing the power bullies strive to manifest.
This book could save lives.
Yes, most definitely. I started reading parts to my daughter as it was so relatable to troubles she had in early high school.
It feels like, as a parent (and I’d say as a teen too!), you’re getting very practical tips on how to potentially deal with these kinds of situations without it being a boring/non-relatable non-fiction book.
— Mary B.
Yes, absolutely. For a child to know that they are not alone if they have experienced anything similar, and also for them to be aware that others may be experiencing this around them.
For parents to be aware and educated. Is their child experiencing these things? Are they being excluded or are they doing the excluding?
— nina W.
— katie W.
Yes, as it's a bit of a cautionary tale as to what could potentially happen to them or what could be happening to those around them (for the child) and insightful for the parent.
We asked readers if they would recommend it...
A valuable read for teenagers, especially girls, who may be going through something similar, but just as valuable for parents wanting to better understand this scary new world of friendships and phones!
I liked how practical strategies were woven into the story rather than feeling like lessons from a textbook or self-help book.
Such a powerful and relatable book which kept me thinking between reading sessions.
Every sale helps fund future books and social impact initiatives that create a kinder world.
Relational aggression doesn't stop at childhood. It shapes how kids and adults navigate belonging, friendship, and kindness. This series explores what it feels like to be caught in those dynamics — whether you're living it directly or supporting someone who is — and what it takes to find your way through.
For every kid and adult who was made to feel like they didn't belong — you always did.