Answer:
One of the best ways that youth can protect themselves against being bullied is through healthy friendships and positive relationships with classmates. A wealth of research indicates that having a healthy peer network protects against being bullied and also helps reduce the negative effects of being bullied, such as feeling depressed and anxious. In addition, having positive peer relationships also can increase the likelihood that peer bystanders will step in to intervene and help stop bullying when it occurs.
Research also indicates that having positive relationships with teachers is associated with a reduced risk of being bullied5 and that hostile teacher-student relationships are associated with higher levels of bullying6. So it is important for youth to seek out and maintain both healthy peer and adult relationships to reduce the likelihood that they will be bullied.
Youth can also reduce their exposure to environments in which bullying frequently occurs such as areas of schools with poor adult supervision or in social media settings where negative and hurtful communication occurs. In those instances where youth are in these environments, they should take extra caution, such as walking between classes with friends or a supportive peer, and protecting their identity online and the information they share electronically.
