Teen Suicide Rates And Bullying - Author Andi Katsina's New Release, 'Phat Girl And The Bullies', Offers Parents And Kids Hope

    WILMINGTON, NC, August 17, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Teen suicide and bullying are at all-time highs and make headlines nearly every day. A piece on CNN titled 'Suicide rate hit 40-year peak among older teen girls in 2015' presented some appalling facts. Data drawn from the National Center for Health Statistics showed that the suicide rate doubled between 2007 and 2015. The hit Netflix series, '13 Reasons Why' has become extremely popular, in that it helps raise awareness about the tragedy of youth suicide.

One can hardly begin to count the number of stories about bullying. Children as young as 8 years of age have committed suicide due to bullying. CNN, USA Today, ABC - nearly every news organization in America presents yet another bullying story, seemingly every day, day after day. What is the solution?

Awareness, combined with action.

Author Andi Katsina hopes to help create that awareness and offers a path to empowerment. Her newest release 'Phat Girl and The Bullies', turns the traditional approach to bully situations on its head. This gritty dark fantasy tale follows a girl bullied to edge of suicide, as she successfully etches out a journey of personal growth from a place of extreme despair. Her visits to an alternate world, a reflection of her own world, provides guided realizations wherein she finds the strength, and know how, to not only put an end to her own bully situation, but become a young advocate promoting the school anti-bullying policy and more. Her goal is to get readers to stand strong against teen suicide and school bullying.

"This is an extremely important book," Katsina stated. "It has a powerful message and is pivotal in empowering those who are victims of bullying. Aimed at teens, it takes a strong stand against teen suicide and school bullying.

"Bullying affects a huge proportion of society in that nearly everyone knows someone, be it a friend, sister, brother, parent, grandchild, uncle, aunt... who has been bullied. The fact that people vividly remember being bullied, even in later life, demonstrates how insidious an activity it is. My reason for writing this book was motivated by the growing number of young people who are committing suicide as a direct result of being bullied, and a desire to help protect all those who feel pushed to the edge."

Katsina's latest book offers parents, grandparents and educators an opportunity to take a strong stand against bullying. The book makes an ideal gift for kids, and provides educators with an exceptional tool to help develop solutions, in or out of the classroom.

Andi Katsina is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at [email protected]. 'Phat Girl And The Bullies' is available at online retailers. More information is available at her website at http://www.andikatsina.com.

Andi Katsina began writing at age 9, spending hours losing herself in writing plays as a way of escaping the dread situation that was life in an orphanage. Six years and dozens of plays later, she had to give up writing to concentrate on surviving. Picking up her pen once more, almost twenty years ago. . . she began writing under her own name in 2006. She has written over twenty books.

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