When it comes to classroom bullying, removing the perpetrator is only part of the answer. According to Cheryl Sanders, assistant professor of psychology and co-editor of the new book, "Bullying: Implications for the Classroom," new data suggests that if schools want to curb bullying, it's more effective to work with an entire class.

"Studies show that 85 to 95 percent of all children will be involved in a bullying incident," Sanders explains. "Either they'll be a reinforcer, a defender of the victim or a witness. Bullying affects everyone who's there."

In the past, educators worked with the bully individually in the aftermath of an incident, but today, new research shows that group strategies are more successful. "Peer pressure is very effective," says Sanders, an expert in human moral development. "New interventions focus on educating everybody on what is and is not appropriate."

Sanders, who's starting her fourth year teaching full-time at Metro, says the book, which is targeted to parents and educators, addresses misconceptions about bullying, such as the notion that it's an exclusively American phenomenon. In fact, much of the cutting-edge research on the topic hails from Japan, a country that until recently had high rates of bullying and follow-on suicides. The book also demonstrates the need for a general definition of the term.

"Many people think that it's a physical interaction," Sanders says. "Some people say it's part of life. But we know victims reap a lot of negative impacts. They tend to be more depressed and their self-esteem is lower. There is still a negative affect when someone repeatedly speaks meanly to another."

In 2002, Sanders received a Provost Award for innovative teaching and in 2003, a Golden Key Faculty Award for teaching excellence. Her Ph.D. is from Iowa State University, where she studied mathematically precocious youth. Published by Elsevier, "Bullying: Implications for the Classroom" is the first book she has edited.