Bullying has always been a critical issue in Australian schools, but as social media platforms continue to evolve, cyberbullying has become an ingrained challenge for today’s youth. With research indicating that a significant portion of high school students face online harassment, the boundary between the schoolyard and home has completely blurred.
Acclaimed Australian YA author Sarah Ayoub has long explored these complex dynamics in her writing. Her novel, The Yearbook Committee, follows five teenagers in their final year of high school, shedding light on the heavy social issues affecting today’s teens—including cyberbullying, peer pressure, self-esteem, and complex relationships. Sarah is also the author of Hate Is Such A Strong Word, which confronts issues of bullying, identity, and racism.
Here, Sarah opens up about the realities of modern bullying, how it shapes her characters’ lives, and the story behind her stories.
What inspired you to write Hate Is Such a Strong Word?
“I went to a mono-cultural school from Kindergarten to Year 12, so I had a very narrow view of the world until I finished school and got my first job. My first year or two at uni was a little awkward because for the first time in my life, I was around people who didn’t share the same Lebanese Catholic background as myself.
There was a lot of stereotyping around Australian Lebanese people due to some highly publicised crimes at the time, and I was really struggling with my sense of identity and my place in the world. Writing Hate is such a Strong Word was a way for me to explore my thoughts about racism, belonging, and multiculturalism, told through the experiences of a 17-year-old girl caught between her parents’ traditional views and her Australian life and surroundings.”
What have your readers taken away from the book?
“I have had readers from all walks of life write to me to share their thoughts. Some were totally unaware of the nuances within Middle-Eastern Christian communities. Others told me they came from very conservative families, and the book reminded them that people of diverse ethnic backgrounds deeply love and value the Australian way of life.
But mostly, I get teenage girls writing to share how much they relate to the main character, Sophie. They don’t always share her background, but they find her coming-of-age story honest and reflective of their own lives—battling changing friendships, family expectations, and relationships. Even women in their 40s read it and tell me they are glad to see that strict parenting and awkward teenage years weren’t unique to them!”
What was the inspiration behind The Yearbook Committee?
“Year 12 is a year of massive change. As we leave our youth behind and gravitate toward the adults we will become, there’s a major shift in how we perceive other people. We start to see beyond the rigid school cliques. I wanted to write about how this shift plays out among people of completely different personalities going through very different experiences of adolescence.
The schoolyard reminds me very much of the Shakespearean quote about the world being a stage and its people as actors. That’s how school can feel until you actually learn to reflect on your attitudes and see beyond the personas of your classmates. I wanted to share a story with very real, ordinary adolescent issues that could still enlighten readers about the casual schoolyard behaviours we don’t often think twice about.”
How has cyberbullying shaped the storyline?
“Cyberbullying ended up taking up far more of the story than originally intended, but you simply cannot write an authentic tale of modern teenagers without incorporating their prolific use—and abuse—of social media.
The terrifying thing about cyberbullying is that it transcends geographical locations. A video intended for a small group of friends can end up shared thousands of times across the globe within hours. The cyberbullying aspect of The Yearbook Committee focuses heavily on one character, but the repercussions ripple out to everyone else. Through it, classmates learn things about each other they might never have realized otherwise. The consequences of bullying are always far-reaching.”
How do your characters navigate online harassment?
“There’s a female character in the book who has a psychologist for a mother, so for her, the cyberbullying storyline is something she feels equipped to discuss with a responsible adult.
The others aren’t so lucky. They talk about it with friends who don’t always understand the gravity of the situation. Battle lines are drawn within tight-knit friendships when some want to put an end to it, while others want to fuel it. The characters are constantly torn between ignoring the behavior so as to not give the bullies any ammunition, and fighting back without realizing the broader consequences.”
What other issues do the teenagers deal with in the book?
“With five main characters, we cover a lot of ground—family pressure, mental health, gender stereotypes, the crushing anxiety of life after school, and intense first relationships.
The characters all have their weaknesses, but they are also very aware of their true passions. For them, it’s all about balancing the true desires of their hearts with the massive external pressures coming from friends, teachers, and parents. Ultimately, it is answering to their own conscience that determines how their storyline plays out. Growth is a universal theme that transcends adolescent boundaries.”
Bullying No Way Week 2026
The National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence has expanded into Bullying No Way Week: National Week of Action. Running from 17 – 21 August 2026, this year’s theme is “Be bold. Be kind. Speak up.” It serves as a crucial reminder for schools, families, and communities to work together to spot the signs of bullying and support safe, inclusive environments for young Australians online and offline.
Photography by Simona Janek / GM Photographics.
Sarah Ayoub’s novels, The Yearbook Committee and Hate Is Such A Strong Word, are available via major book retailers.
