Conflict
One of these words does not belong with the others. Which is it?
A. Disagreeing
B. Arguing
C. Annoying
D. Bullying
D. Bullying
Annoying each other, disagreeing, and arguing are all words for the same type of problem--a conflict. Bullying is a very specific kind of problem that is very serious and more rare.
True or false:
If you see something on social media that is really mean, especially if it targets someone you know, you should tell an adult.
True.
Even cyberbullying or online bullying can be investigated by the school or the police. Block them, report them, and show the comments to an adult.
True or false:
Responsible reporting is different from tattling because tattling is just telling to get someone in trouble for a small mistake.
True.
Tattling is telling just to get someone in trouble.
Responsible reporting is telling to make sure everyone is safe.
A classmate is on the wrong page of their textbook.
Do I need to tell an adult?
No. You could choose to whisper the right page to the classmate. Telling an adult they're on the wrong page is tattling because it's just trying to get them in trouble.
True or false:
De-escalate means to make everyone angrier so the problem gets worse.
False.
De-escalate means to take a step back and calm down so that everyone can be safe and the problem can be solved.
Bullying involves one person hurting another, and the person being bullied can't make it stop on their own. In conflict, who needs to be part of solving the problem?
Both people or everyone involved in the conflict is part of solving it because everyone involved can influence the situation.
You often argue with someone you like to sit by at lunch and play with at recess. At times you say mean things to each other, push each other, and even yell. Is it accurate to call this bullying?
No. This situation is not bullying.
Someone you choose to hang out with likely has the same amount of power as you. There is no power being used to hurt someone in this example.
When is the right time to report that you heard a student threaten to hurt someone else?
A. Immediately go find an adult and report it
B. In line for the bus at the end of the day
C. Tomorrow
A. Please let us know about concerning statements as soon as they happen.
I see a tab open on a classmate's Chromebook that looks inappropriate for school.
Do I need an adult's help?
Yes.
It is responsible to let teachers know when a serious rule like appropriate Internet use is being broken. This person needs help to be safe online; reporting it helps everyone know the rules so that classrooms are allowed to have Chromebooks in the future.
True or false:
When I purposely annoy someone and push their buttons, I can expect that they might get mad and want to get back at me.
True
"Poking the bear" is annoying and makes you less safe.
When is the right time to bring a conflict to an adult for help?
A. Before you try to solve it yourself
B. Wait until there is physical fighting
C. After you've taken some steps to solve it, but before there is violence or bullying
C.
It's always okay to try to solve it yourself, but don't wait until the problem is out of control to ask for help
Which are school appropriate ways to handle someone being mean to you, whether it's really bullying or not? (select all that apply)
A. Leave an anonymous note in their locker telling them to watch out
B. Tell an adult at school that this is happening and you need help
C. Stand up for yourself with confident body language and an assertive statement to tell them to stop
B. and C.
Which is the most appropriate way to let adults know you are frustrated?
A. Say to the adult, "I'm overwhelmed. I need a break."
B. Loudly demand to know why we have to learn this, crumple your paper, and throw it in the trash.
C. State that you are going to harm yourself or someone else.
A.
Anytime we hear a statement about harming yourself, Ms. Brown has to help you as well a contact your parents, even if you say you don't mean it. If you get overwhelmed a lot, work with your teacher on an appropriate way to let her know you need help, such as asking for a break.
A friend group is having frequent disagreements and misunderstandings. They may have said things like, "I'm sick of you" and "We're not friends anymore."
Do you need an adult's help?
It depends.
Most friend groups can handle disagreements by using skills we've learned like being assertive and talking it out, even if you need a break from these friends for a time. You could ask for an adult to help if the group can't agree to use these skills. You would definitely want an adult to help if a whole group is excluding one specific person because this might be bullying.
After your presentation, a classmate states loudly that your project was the worst one. Which of these is a HELPFUL reaction to the comment.
A. Ignore them completely. Act like you didn't hear them or their comment doesn't bother you one bit.
B. Say something sarcastic back like, "Really, you think yours was soooo much better?"
C. Snap something mean to them after school
A. Ignore them.
B and C will only make things worse. C could even be bullying
Adults have to investigate bullying, so if I know it's just a conflict, I am taking up a lot of time that the adult could use to help me or others.
It makes people think bullying happens every day to almost everyone, but it doesn't. It hurts friendships when we don't learn to handle conflicts ourselves.
True or false:
Any type of mean comment can be called bullying.
False.
There are many negative interactions between peers that are mean, disrespectful, and no fun to go through, but meanness has to be specific, targeted, intentional, and repeated to be bullying.
True or false:
If you hear student make a comment about hurting themselves or wanting to be dead, you can just ignore it because they probably don't mean it.
False.
Any statement that suggests someone isn't safe needs to be reported to an adult so they can get this student some support.
You saw or heard (on social media, text, or an in-person conversation) a threatening statement, but you're pretty sure the person who said it would never actually do anything violent.
Do you need an adult's help?
Yes!
Any threat, even if we don't think it's realistic, must be reported to an adult to be investigated. Whether or not the person would actually harm others is not a decision you can make on your own. Adults are needed to keep everyone safe.
How could you de-escalate this situation? (make the problem better rather than worse):
Your friends are in the middle of an argument and starting to yell.
Correct answers could include:
Suggest that everyone take a break to calm down, then talk it out. Use time machine. Agree to play something else separately for today.
How is a conflict different from bullying?
Give at least 2 differences
Examples include:
Conflicts are between friends or equals, but bullying is targeted with unequal power; conflicts just happen but bullying is planned; bullying really hurts one person but conflict is hard for both people
In order to be bullying, which of these elements must be present? (choose all that apply).
A. Actions are harmful/hurtful (to your feelings or body)
B. Actions have to be a pattern (repeated)
C. Actions involve an imbalance of power (having more strength, social power, etc.)
D. Actions are purposely targeted at you (they are intentional and single you out)
All 4!
Bullying is a specific kind of very negative peer interaction. It has to be hurtful, repeated, involve a power imbalance, and purposely targeted to you to be called bullying.
True or false:
I have to keep all of my friends' secrets, because it's always snitching to reveal them to anyone else for any reason.
False.
Being loyal to your friends is a good thing. But we also have a responsibility to keep our community (and your friend) safe. It's not snitching to share a safety concern. Always tell an adult if you hear or observe something concerning.
You've been having a hard time with a specific person at school. Maybe you have some other stressful things happening in your life and it seems like too much to deal with. You're feeling like you'll explode.
Do you need an adult's help?
Yes.
Adults can't help fix problems if we don't know about them. Sometimes we know about an issue but don't realize how much it is affecting you. If you're in this situation or know that a friend is, please talk to us so we can help.
Which option will de-escalate the situation so that the conflict doesn't get any bigger and everyone stays safe?
A. Stand close to a person who is bothering you
B. Shove the other person back because they shoved you first
C. Remove yourself and go talk to another group of kids
C. Remove yourself
Staying close to the person bothering you or getting physical with them will probably make you more angry until you snap and get into trouble too.