3 Sep 2020

Bullying, advice for parents

From Nine To Noon, 11:30 am on 3 September 2020
Little boy sitting alone on floor after suffering an act of bullying while children run in the background.

Photo: 123RF

New research on the prevalence of bullying, and tips not just to help parents prevent it but to help them cope with it.

Dr Cara Swit, from the University of Canterbury's School of Health Sciences, is one of a few researchers in New Zealand focusing on how we can react if a child is a bully, or is being bullied. 

Dr Swit is spending time with parents and teachers as part of a new three-year longitudinal study, gathering evidence on how young children's behaviour impacts on their health and wellbeing.

Dr Swit tells Kathryn Ryan her work has been sparked by some worrying trends she has observed both in the classroom and pre-school.