Survivor, expert and activist Jodee Blanco is one of the country's pre-eminent voices on the subject of bullying. She is the author of The New York Times bestselling memoir, "Please Stop Laughing At Me... One Woman's Inspirational Story." A chronicle of her years as the student outcast, the book inspired a movement among bullying victims everywhere of all ages--in middle and high schools, on college campuses, at the workplace, and at home, who fill auditoriums and gymnasiums coast to coast to hear Blanco speak on how they too can reclaim their dignity and their lives. Referred to by many as the anti-bullying bible, it is required reading in hundreds of middle and high schools and numerous universities and professional organizations throughout the country.

Blancos work as a survivor turned activist has been recognized by The National Crime Prevention Council, The Department of Health & Human Services, the National Association of Youth Courts, Special Olympics, The FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), and hundreds of state and local entities from the PTA, regional law enforcement coalitions and suicide prevention organizations to school safety groups, mental health advocacy groups, and drug prevention programs.

Blancos award winning sequel, "Please Stop Laughing at Us..." (BenBella Books), was written in response to the demand for more information from her core audience, teens, teachers, parents and other Adult Survivors of Peer Abuse like herself, who have come to know Blanco as the champion of their cause. It provides advice and solutions set against the backdrop of her dramatic personal and professional journey as the survivor who unexpectedly finds herself the country's most sought-after anti-bullying activist. And most recently, Blanco's released a companion journal to "Please Stop Laughing At Me..." entitled "The Please Stop Laughing At Me...Journal: A Safe Place for Us to Talk," in which she helps draw teens out of silence to a place of renewed self-understanding and acceptance. Chock-full of insightful quotes, practical activities, and meaningful questions, Blancos gives young readers a safe place to vent, accompanying them on a guided tour of their deepest thoughts and emotions.

She's presented "It's NOT Just Joking Around!", her acclaimed in-school anti-bullying program, to a combined audience of over five-hundred thousand students, teachers and parents nationwide at the behest of such entities as The United States Department of Interior, The United States Department of Justice, The National Catholic Educational Association, The Illinois Association of School Boards and scores of local school districts, many of whom are adopting her initiatives as part of their core bullying prevention curriculum. "It's NOT Just Joking Around!" has also generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant awards for schools and organizations coast to coast.

A tireless advocate for the shunned and forgotten, Blanco's rare understanding of why kids abuse other kids and how that pattern can continue into adulthood, rearing its head at work, at home, in relationships and wreak havoc on virtually every aspect of ones life, comes from a deep personal place. From fifth grade through the end of high school, she was rejected and tormented by her peers simply for being different and knows first hand the long-term consequences. As an adult, she decided to go public with her story because she was frustrated with society's misconceptions about bullying, misconceptions that were leading to the loss of lives.

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