Bullying

With over a million copies sold worldwide and translated into 22 languages, the "Health Freak" books have been a global publishing phenomenon, bringing both fun and vital health education to teenagers the world over. "Health Freak: Bullying" has the popular question-and-answer format of the "Health Freak" series ("Sex", "Drugs"), based on genuine questions emailed by kids to the authors' award-winning health advice website (teenagehealthfreak.org).

Frank, down-to-earth answers are given by the authors, both of whom are doctors specializing in teenage health issues.

Bullying is a perennial and highly damaging problem affecting many thousands of children - boys and girls of all ages.

It is a matter of desperate concern for those affected and for their parents and teachers, and is among the issues most frequently raised by kids in their emails to the authors' website.

Bullying is currently much in the media spotlight and the target in the UK of a major government-sponsored initiative.

It is also prominent within the UK National Curriculum (in the guidelines for PSHE at KS2 and KS3).

Aidan Macfarlane ran the Child and Adolescent Health services for the Oxfordshire Health Authority. He is now an international freelance consultant in child and adolescent health.

Ann Mcpherson is a general practitioner with extensive experience of young people and their problems, and a lecturer in the Department of Primary Health Care at the University of Oxford. "Teenage Health Freak" titles include: "The Diary of a Teenage Health Freak"; "The Diary of the Other Health Freak"; "RU a Teenage Health Freak?"; "Health Freak: Sex"; and "Health Freak: Drugs".

The authors' other books include: "Mum I Feel Funny" (which won the Times Education Supplement Information Book Award), "Me and My Mates", "The Virgin Now Boarding", and "Fresher Pressure".

Most recently, they published a book for parents about the teenage years called "Teenagers: The Agony, The Ecstasy, The Answers".