Jonathan McKee

“The Bullying Breakthrough” packs a lot of information into a small book, making it a good resource that is easy to carry around. My only real complaint is that I thought there should be more of a Christian influence and viewpoint throughout the book; however, this does serve to make it applicable to a wide range of people regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof. The subtitle defines the target audience as parents and teachers, and the focus is on children, but I felt that show more the principles put forth here could be generalized for adults as well. It seems that bullying is ubiquitous and that while we should certainly aim to eradicate it at schools, those bullies grow up and sometimes continue to exhibit bullying behavior. Society is becoming increasingly more intolerant, and much of this narrow-mindedness mirrors childhood bullying, just at an “adult” level.

As someone who was bullied as a kid and whose son was bullied, Jonathan McKee is uniquely positioned to offer insight into the issue. He aptly notes that “[p]ain seems to be the common denominator all around. Bullied, bully, bystander…hurt isn’t partial.” He defines bullying as an aggressive, repeated behavior that involves a power play and goes on to discuss the perspective of each group—bullied, bullies, bystanders—and how to reach out to them, which I thought was very perceptive. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are helpful for facilitating conversation and encouraging action. One of the biggest take-aways is listening to kids and noticing any behaviors that could indicate bullying of some kind. Another major point was the culpability of social media in cyberbullying and causing isolation among kids. The stories include many types of bullying, from the physical to the emotional to that which occurs on social media, and they are heartbreaking but not surprising, which is why things need to change. Fittingly, the last segment of the book is devoted to solutions for those being bullied and for the authority figures in such situations and how to help schools deal with and prevent bullying. Although not a light read by any stretch of the imagination, this is a very necessary and timely resource for anyone who has been bullied, has witness bullying, or has even been a bully themselves, and especially for those who wish to combat bullying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. show less

This is a great and needed book!! It was well written and easy to read — not due to the subject matter, but I guess you could say in spite of the subject matter. Jonathan McKee’s humor was just the right amount to lighten the mood of the reader (no defeatist attitude here!) while not making lessing the importance of such this issue. This book was both eye-opening and encouraging. He has a chapter specifically written towards helping our daughters and another for our sons. His “How show more Far?” chapter has a perfect example involving a toothbrush and a toilet!! (You’ll have to check that out!!) He also helps readers as parents and leaders who are guiding kids as they understand and stay away from issues like porn and masturbation. His “Tough Questions” chapter is a good resources to address specific questions he has heard from kids and parents.

Continuing conversations, asking questions, and building relationships are huge parts of “becoming your kids’ go-to person about sex”! His tips for keeping conversations open are…

Don’t Overreact
Don’t Make Sex “Naughty”
Keep Your Eyes Open for Natural Springboards
Ask, Listen…Repeat

My husband and I want to help our kids in the areas of purity. We want them to guard their hearts and their eyes as they grow and mature. We want them to look forward to experiencing God’ wonderful gift of sex in marriage!!

Resources like this book are welcomed tools for us as parents!

I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. show less

The Guy's Guide looks at four battles. They are: self image, screens, sexual intimacy, and substances (mostly weed and alcohol). Each battle section includes 4 or 5 short chapters that you can read aloud together. I used this book for a high school church discussion group, and truthfully, it was much better than I expected. Written in 2019, the stories and examples were relevant. The points were straightforward. The message was clear. My guys also enjoyed it and it helped spark thought show more provoking discussion.

That said, it is written explicitly for conservative Christian young men. The arguments are black and white, right and wrong. Most, if not all of the conversation, chooses fear-based motivation. I struggle with this, but I'm not so arrogant as to claim certain knowledge of what's best for young people and development. Binaries can be quite helpful, particularly for youth in constructing order to life. So I tried to allow them to lead the conversation rather than force my own preconceptions. Maybe they'll look back and scowl at the black and white thinking. Or maybe they'll appreciate it. Who knows. show less

The Talk. It has caused many parents to become dumb in their speech. What do I say? How do I say it? Are our kids even ready for this type of talk? In his book, More That Just the Talk, Jonathan McKee gives some practical, and wise advice on how to have "the talk." What I liked about this book is that it is simple. Parents should be able to have conversations like this with their children but not get medical. However, that first requires openness on the part of the parents.

McKee suggests to show more not avoid the talk or shroud it but rather answer questions that your children might have. Also, he gives resources to give solid, Biblical answers because the world will also give "answers" that sound so close to the truth that the lie is hard to detect. However, when answered Biblically, and in love, children are more likely to see the truth and avoid the lies. In that aspect, the book presents itself well and lives up to its intent. show less