The Booming Anti-Bullying Industry

A crop of consultants and even software attempts to understand, and for some, cash in on the nation’s latest anxiety.

As instances of school, workplace and cyber-bullying receive greater attention, an unregulated web of consultants, therapists and coaches have sprung up.

"To a large degree, what we are seeing is a cottage industry," says David Yamada, a professor at Suffolk University Law School.

This new batch of bullying experts run the gamut from motivational speakers to trained educators and psychotherapists. There is no trade association or credentialing institution that tracks these people.

"I think being kind is great," says Rosalind Wiseman, author of "Queen Bees and Wannabees: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World." "But, anti-bullying programs call for social competency in extreme situations."

Internet and social media sites such as Facebook have opened new avenues for teenagers to taunt one another. And as people work longer hours under reduced pay and massive economic insecurity, tensions at offices run high, and incidences of workplace bullying have become more high profile. Add to this a recent spate of shocking teenage suicides, and you have an opening for an industry to attempt to fix the situation.

GO HERE to read more.