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Bullying can happen everywhere: at work, online and in school. Dr. Bridget Biggs, a Mayo Clinic child and adolescent psychologist, has tips on what to do to help prevent bullying.
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Bullying is repeated aggression over time. It happens in the classroom, in the hallways, on the playground and in social media applications.
"It could be happening on sports teams and other extracurricular activities. So it could really be happening in any of those contexts where kids may be vying for higher social power or dominance over other people," says Dr. Biggs.
She says that the effects of bullying can be devastating. So what should parents and caregivers do to prevent bullying?
"First and foremost, help our kids develop good social and emotional skills. How do you have healthy relationships with other people?" says Dr. Biggs.
No. 2 is to encourage kids to act if they see bullying.
"How are you going to be the helpful person rather than the person who allows it to happen or joins in? Talk to them about how to respond when they see aggressive behavior happening so that they're the ones who discourage it," says Dr. Biggs.
"No. 3 is to help your kids develop healthy relationships. So foster that. Help them get into environments in which they can connect with likeminded kids, or even kids that aren’t so like-minded, but people that they connect with and feel good about spending time with," says Dr. Biggs.
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