ABSTRACT
The focus of this lesson is on strategies for handling direct forms of bullying and peer rejection. This includes teasing and physical bullying. Research suggests that one of the strongest predictors of mental health problems among youth is peer rejection. Anxiety and depression, for example, are often strongly predicted by peer rejection during adolescence and even early adulthood. While the focus of PEERS®
is on helping young adults make and keep friends and form romantic relationships, the intervention would be incomplete without a discussion about how to handle bullying and other forms of rejection that may prohibit the development of these types of relationships. This will be the focus of the remaining two lessons.
