Featured in the St. Albert Gazette · November 14, 2025
River’s Edge psychologists Allison Paré and Emily Collins were recently featured in the St. Albert Gazette, speaking about the emotional toll bullying is taking on Canadian youth — and what actually helps.
A new report from Children First Canada found that 71 per cent of youth aged 12 to 17 had been bullied within the past 12 months, with one in five teens experiencing cyberbullying. The Canada Safety Council called the trend “a pretty bleak picture.”
Allison sees the consequences in her practice. Bullying can affect teens’ self-esteem and mental health, sometimes leading to anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, and even physical issues like sleep problems, headaches, or trouble at school. And the impact often doesn’t end when the bullying does.
“It carries forward into your adulthood, and it impacts relationships and work performance and even school performance and university, and just core beliefs that you have about yourself … so it has quite a long, lasting impact.”
She adds that today’s bullying often doesn’t stop when school does. “I’m seeing a lot of kids talking about cyberbullying. So on their Instagram or Snapchat, just getting messages or people adding them and like sending them really mean photos and that kind of stuff.” Online harassment, she notes, is especially harmful because it follows kids everywhere — there’s no way to escape it.
Emily focuses on what helps. The starting point, she says, is open conversation — long before anything serious comes up.
“I think that starts with just trying to foster really open communication with your child or with your teen about anything.”
When kids feel safe talking about everyday things, Emily explains, they’re more likely to open up if something serious happens. Talking with a trusted parent, friend, teacher, or therapist helps kids process their feelings and rebuild confidence.
“My best advice for somebody going through bullying,” Emily says, “would be to make sure you’re not isolating yourself and know that you don’t have to go through it alone.”
Read the full article in the St. Albert Gazette →
Supporting a child or teen through bullying
If you’re worried bullying might be affecting your child, a few things tend to help:
- Build the everyday channel first. Open communication about small things makes it more likely your child will tell you about big things. Notice the moments they want to talk and protect them.
- Take cyberbullying seriously. Online harassment doesn’t end when they put down the phone. Ask about who they’re messaging with, and what those messages feel like.
- Reduce isolation. Bullying makes kids withdraw — from friends, from activities, sometimes from you. Gently keep the door open without forcing it.
- Bring in support when it’s needed. A counsellor can help kids process the emotional impact, rebuild confidence, and make sense of how bullying has shaped their view of themselves.
At River’s Edge, our therapists work with children, teens, and families navigating bullying, anxiety, and the long-term effects of difficult social experiences.
Learn more about our Child & Youth Counselling Services.