Bullying 101
What is bullying?
Deliberate, repeated behavior meant to hurt, exclude, or intimidate someone where a power difference exists.
True or False? Friends can bully friends.
True
A group of 8th graders creates a separate Snapchat group called "Anti-Alex Squad." They post screenshots of Alex's recent outfits with embarrassing captions, vote on "least favorite things" about Alex, and warn other classmates not to let Alex sit with them at lunch.
Bullying: It involves intentional digital harassment, social exclusion, and repeated targeting of one student to erode their reputation.
Name two trusted adults at school who you can go to if you or a friend are being bullied.
Teacher, counselor, principal, coach, aid...
Shoving someone into lockers, tripping them in the hallway, or breaking their personal items are all examples of this physical form of bullying.
Physical
True or False: Fewer than 50% of students who are bullied report it to a teacher or administrator.
True. Why? Due to the fear of social backlash from peers or being labeled a "snitch."
Who is involved in bullying (hint: there are 3)
Target, Bully, Bystander
During chemistry lab, Marcus and Jayden argue over who gets to perform the chemical mixing step. Marcus thinks Jayden messed up the measurements last time, while Jayden feels Marcus is being bossy. They argue loudly until the teacher reminds them to split the duties evenly.
Conflict: it’s a mutual, equal-power disagreement over a shared task with no intent to humiliate or isolate either person.
True or False: Ignoring bullying behavior makes it stop.
False. Why? What can you do instead?
Name-calling, teasing, threats, and making fun of someone’s appearance fall into this spoken or written category.
Verbal
Name the 4 types of bullying
Verbal, social, physical, cyberbullying
What is the difference between an upstander and bystander?
A bystander witnesses harm or bullying and remains passive, whereas an upstander takes active steps to support the target, de-escalate the situation, or report the behavior.
Every afternoon when Sarah walks to her locker, three older students block the hallway, make fun of her voice, and push past her shoulder. Sarah tries to walk a different way, but they follow her to her new locker location each week.
Bullying: There is a clear power imbalance (older vs. younger student), persistent targeting across different locations, and physical/verbal intimidation.
Name two action steps to take if you are being bullied.
Set boundaries (speak calmly and firmly: "Stop!"), walk away, tell a trusted adult, keep proof.
Spreading rumors, purposeful social exclusion, and telling classmates not to be friends with someone are examples of this indirect type of bullying.
Social/Relational
What is the difference between conflict and bullying?
Conflict is a disagreement between people with relatively equal power, where both sides usually express their views and want a solution.
Bullying is repeated, intentional behavior where someone uses a power imbalance—such as size, popularity, or status—to hurt, control, or exclude another person.
Name one way you can be an upstander online.
Do not repost cruel content or memes, take screenshots as evidence, report the post, talk to a trusted adult...
Ethan, Liam, and Noah are playing Fortnite after school. Liam accidentally causes their team to lose the match. Ethan gets frustrated and says, "Dude, you threw the game!" Liam replies, "It's just a game, calm down." They stop playing for the night but log back on together the next afternoon.
Conflict: It’s an isolated, ordinary disagreement among friends where neither party tries to exclude, harass, or systematically harm the other.
If you report bullying to a trusted adult and nothing changes after a few days, what should your next step be?
Answers may vary: report again to a different teacher or principal, tell your guardians...
Sending mean messages, making fake social media accounts, or posting embarrassing photos online without permission are all forms of this digital harassment.
Cyberbullying
Name at least 4 side effects of bullying
Mental Health: Higher risk of depression, anxiety disorders, low self-esteem, loneliness, and feelings of shame.
Physical Health: Frequent headaches, stomachaches, sleep problems, nightmares, and physical fatigue.
Social Struggles: Difficulty making and keeping friends, leading to long-term isolation.
Academic Decline: Lower GPA, reduced class participation, poor test scores, and higher rates of skipping or dropping out of school.
What does T.H.I.N.K stand for?
True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind
During 7th period, someone creates a anonymous group chat containing half the 8th grade class. They post edited photos of Chloe along with fake rumors about her personal life, captioning it "Like and share if you think she should leave school." Within an hour, hundreds of students have viewed the chat, leaving mean comments and forwarding it across social media. When Chloe asks them to stop, the creators laugh and send her direct messages telling her that nobody wants her around.
Cyberbullying: Intentional harm, public humiliation, digital repetition (viral sharing), and a severe imbalance of power targeting one individual.
Name at least 2 action steps to take if you witness bullying.
Don't join in or laugh, support the target, speak up safely, make a report to a trusted adult.
What is the difference between teasing and bullying?
Teasing is mutual, lighthearted fun between equals that stops when asked, while bullying is deliberate, repeated harm aimed at hurting or controlling someone using an imbalance of power.