Bullying or Conflict?
What are two important signs that behavior may be bullying?
Repeated hurtful behavior and a power imbalance.
What does empathy mean?
Trying to understand how someone else feels or see a situation from their perspective.
What is a bystander?
Someone who witnesses a situation but does not directly intervene.
A classmate drops their books, and other students laugh. What is one helpful thing you can do?
Help pick up the books or ask if they are okay.
What is cyberbullying?
Bullying behavior that takes place through digital devices, apps, games, or online platforms.
Two students disagree about which game to play. They both share their opinions and get a chance to speak. Is this automatically bullying?
No, this sounds like a disagreement or conflict.
A new student is sitting alone at lunch. Name one kind thing you could do.
Invite them to sit with you, introduce yourself, or ask if they would like to join an activity.
What is an upstander?
Someone who takes a safe, positive action to help someone or address harmful behavior.
Your friend tells you that someone keeps calling them mean names. What should you do?
Listen, support your friend, and help them tell a trusted adult.
Someone sends you an embarrassing photo of a classmate. What should you avoid doing?
Do not forward it, repost it, or add hurtful comments.
A student repeatedly makes fun of the same classmate's reading ability, even after being asked to stop. What makes this behavior concerning?
It is repeated, hurtful, and continues after the student has asked for it to stop.
Your friend says, “It was just a joke!” after making another student upset. What could you say?
“It might have been a joke to you, but it hurt their feelings. You should stop.”
You see a classmate being teased. Name two ways you could help without arguing with the students doing the teasing.
Tell a trusted adult and check in with the targeted classmate.
A classmate asks you to join in teasing another student so you can all have a laugh. What is a respectful response?
Say no, change the subject, or explain that you do not want to make someone feel bad.
Someone writes a mean comment about you in an online game. Name two safe steps you could take.
Block or report the person, and tell a trusted adult if the behavior continues or makes you feel unsafe.
You accidentally bump into someone in the hallway, and they get upset. Does that automatically mean you bullied them?
No.
A classmate gets angry and snaps at you after having a difficult day. How can you show empathy while still setting a boundary?
“You seem upset, and I hope you're okay, but please don't speak to me that way.”
You see someone being bullied, but your friends tell you to mind your own business. What could you do?
Get a trusted adult, support the targeted student, or speak up safely without joining in.
You see a group surrounding a student who looks scared. The group is getting louder. What should you do first?
Get a trusted adult or school staff member immediately and avoid putting yourself in danger.
A student says, “I only sent the mean message to one friend, so it doesn't count as cyberbullying.” Why could sharing the message still be harmful?
The message could be forwarded, spread, or used to embarrass or target someone.
A group of students repeatedly leaves one classmate out of games and tells others not to play with them. The group says, “We're allowed to choose our friends!” Why might this situation be more than simply choosing friends?
Repeatedly targeting one student and encouraging others to exclude them can be a form of social bullying, especially when there is a power imbalance.
You see a classmate laughing along while other students make fun of them. Later, they tell you they were actually hurt. Why might they have laughed, and what could you do to help?
They may have felt embarrassed, nervous, or pressured to fit in. You could listen, check in privately, and help them reach a trusted adult if needed.
Three students witness a classmate being bullied. One laughs, one walks away, and one tells a trusted adult. Which student takes an upstander action, and what could the other two do differently?
The student who tells a trusted adult is acting as an upstander. The student who laughs could stop encouraging the behavior, and the student who walks away could safely report it or check on the targeted classmate.
A student tells you that they are being bullied but asks you to promise not to tell anyone. You are worried about their safety. How can you support them without breaking their trust unnecessarily?
Listen and reassure them, explain that you cannot keep safety concerns secret, and help them tell a trusted adult.
A group chat is making fun of a classmate. You do not write anything mean, but you keep reacting with laughing emojis and send screenshots to another friend. Explain how you are still contributing to the problem and name two better choices.
Laughing reactions can encourage the behavior, and sharing screenshots spreads the hurtful content. Better choices include stopping the reactions, refusing to share the screenshots, supporting the targeted student, and reporting the messages to a trusted adult.