The new school year can be a stressful time for students, especially when it comes to dealing with bullying.
But parents can help their children respond. According to Registered Psychologist Dr. Ganz Ferrance, the first step is talking with them.
"You really want to remind them, first of all, that they're not in there alone," Ferrance told CTV Morning Live Edmonton Wednesday. "They can come and talk to you, they can come and talk to the teachers, they don't have to do it by themselves or try to figure things out on their own."
Ferrance said kids might feel stressed about their own experiences or something a friend is facing. The response should be the same: don't let bad behaviour slide. Being an interventionist can be enough to change the situation.
"This is no longer acceptable," Ferrance said. "Just like we've kind of 'shamed' people out of drinking and driving and a lot of other bad behaviours, we can do the same thing with this."
