Helping Kids Navigate Friendships, Conflict & Bullying with Dr. Lisa Damour: Event Follow-Up Resources
Dr. Damour helped Spark Community parents, caregivers, and educators learn practical strategies for supporting youth in building relationships.
By Spark Kindness Team
The Spark Kindness team is incredibly grateful for the strong turnout at “Helping Kids Navigate Friendships, Conflict & Bullying with Dr. Lisa Damour” event that took place in September 2026. We invite our readers to explore follow-up resources including key takeaways from the live program below. A special thank you to everyone who joined our Live Watch Party at Wilson Middle School - it was a great opportunity to meet fellow parents and caregivers!
Thank you for being part of the Spark Kindness community. Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected network of support for every family.
Takeaways from Dr. Damour’s Presentation
- Help without fixing. When kids come to us with friendship problems, they may simply want to be heard. We can listen and help them sort through their feelings before jumping in with advice or a plan.
- Teach healthy conflict. Dr. Damour described the “bulldozer,” who pushes others around; the “doormat,” who gives in; and the “doormat with spikes,” who responds with passive aggression. The healthier path is to stand up for yourself and treat the other person with respect.
- Remember that engagement is a choice. Kids do not have to take up every conflict they are invited into. Sometimes sharing a frustration with a trusted adult is enough; they may not need or want to confront the other person.
- Give kids practical options when they witness bullying. A bystander can tell the child doing the bullying to stop, comfort the child who was targeted, or tell an adult. They do not have to handle the situation alone.
- Create opportunities for friendship. As Dr. Damour put it, kids don’t “make” friends so much as find them. Being in more “traffic patterns”—activities and places where they regularly encounter other kids—can help them find that one good friend.
Books Recommended by Dr. Damour
- Bullying at School by Dan Olweus
- The Science of Making Friends: Helping Socially Challenged Teens and Young Adults by Elizabeth Laugeson
More of Dr. Damour on Friendships & Bullying
On Bullying/Mean Behavior
- Article: Is there a kind way to move on from a friend?
- Podcast: Is there a gentle way of dropping a friend?
- Podcast: My kid is being bullied - what should I do?
- Podcast: What is the best way for my kid to handle a “mean friend?”
- Podcast: How to help your child through bullying?
- Best of Podcast: What to say if your kid is left out, bullied, or dropped
On Friendship
- Podcast: Best of Ask Lisa - Friendship Breakups and Conflict
- Podcast: How do I help my kid find friends again
Connect With Dr. Damour
Lisa’s books (available for purchase through Wellesley Books here):
Stay In Touch:
- Website: drlisadamour.com
- Instagram: lisa.damour
- Facebook: lisadamourphd
- YouTube: asklisapodcast
View additional resources on Healthy Relationships & Connection here.