What Would You Do?
You see your friend sitting alone at lunch, looking upset. What would you do?
Check in with them privately (“Hey, are you okay?”) and offer support or sit with them.
You see someone you know walking toward you in the hallway. You’re unsure whether to nod, look away, or say something.
Keep it simple—make brief eye contact and either give a small nod, wave, or say “hey,” then keep walking. Don’t overthink it!
You’re telling a story that you think is funny, but as you keep talking you notice people start looking at their phones, whispering to each other, and not really responding to you anymore. What might that mean?
It likely means people are losing interest or not engaged with the story. You should notice the cues and wrap it up or shift the conversation so others can join in.
You told your friend something personal in confidence, and a few days later you start hearing other students talking about it. No one directly says your friend told them, but it’s pretty clear the information didn’t stay private. What do you do?
Decide if you want to confront your friend privately. If yes, talk to your friend and let them know you’re hurt and disappointed that what you shared wasn’t kept private.
Two classmates are arguing and it doesn’t involve you. One of the students is your friend. Is this your problem?
No—stay out of it. If it escalates you can inform a teacher/ staff member
You’re talking in class and one student keeps interrupting you every time you try to finish your thought, your teacher hasn’t noticed and its making you frustrated. What do you do?
Pause and calmly say something like “I wasn’t finished speaking,” then continue. If it keeps happening, you can ask the teacher for support to help manage turn-taking.
You try to make a joke and no one laughs. What now?
Don’t over-explain or try to force it—just move on naturally and shift the conversation or topic. Maybe say “yeah… that didn’t land” and laugh it off.
You and your friend are talking during independent work time in class. At first it seems fine, but then you notice the room gets quiet and multiple people, including the teacher, start looking in your direction. What does that tell you?
It tells you that you’re distracting the class and the teacher has noticed. You should stop talking right away and refocus on the work.
Your friend keeps making jokes about you in front of other people. Everyone laughs and goes along with it, but it actually bothers. You are not sure if you should say anything.
Pull your friend aside to have a private conversation. Let them know the jokes bother you, even if others are laughing. Set a clear boundary about what you’re comfortable with.
Your friend tells you they cheated on a test by looking at your paper. They ask you to lie for them by saying you didn’t see anything. You didn’t even know they were cheating at the time. Is this your problem?
Yes—it involves you now, but you should not lie or take responsibility for someone else’s cheating
You get added to a group chat where people are making fun of your friend who is not in the chat. What do you do?
Don’t participate in the conversation, leave or mute the group chat, and don’t share or spread anything. Later, support your friend privately and, if needed, encourage the group to stop or report it to an adult.
You walk up to a group that is already talking and you interrupt with something completely unrelated to their conversation. The group gets quiet and looks at you like they weren’t expecting that. What now?
Acknowledge it quickly (“my bad, wrong timing”) and either step back or wait for a better moment before joining the conversation.
You go to talk to a friend who is usually talkative, but today they respond with short answers, avoid eye contact, and have closed body language. What is that telling you?
It likely means your friend is not in the mood to talk or something is bothering them. You should give them space and/or check in with them in a supportive, caring way.
You enjoy talking with your friend, but recently they have started dominating every conversation and steering the topic back to their favorite video game which is getting kind of boring to listen to or talk about. How would you handle this?
Politely tell your friend you’d like to talk about other topics too and suggest a different topic or take turns choosing what to talk about.
A friend tells you something very serious and then says “you can’t tell anyone.” Based on what they told you, you feel like they might not be safe or might be in trouble. Is this your problem?
Yes — if you are concerned for your friends safety, tell a trusted adult even if they asked you not to.
You’re walking through the hallway and you overhear a group of students who you are not friends with talking about you. They don’t realize you can hear them. What do you do?
You’re walking through the hallway and you overhear a group of students who you are not friends with talking about you. They don’t realize you can hear them. What do you do?
You walk into the wrong classroom and realize it after a few seconds, everyone in the classroom looks at you.
Stay calm, say “sorry, wrong room,” and leave quickly and respectfully.
How can you tell the difference between if someone is joking or being disrespectful?
Tone, body language, and reaction—if someone looks bothered, it matters
Your friend cancels plans with you last minute, and later that same day you see them hanging out with someone else. You feel confused and kind of hurt. Do you say something?
If it bothers you, yes —bring it up calmly and privately instead of assuming the worst. Ask for an explanation and share how it made you feel.
A student in class is being loud and disruptive, and it’s starting to affect everyone’s ability to focus. The teacher is trying to continue the lesson, but the student won’t stop. Is this your problem?
No — Don’t engage and try to ignore it, let the teacher handle it.
Your friend comes up to you after school and says they are planning to fight someone later that day. They want you to come with them “just to have their back,” What do you do?
Do not go and don’t support the fight. Try to calm your friend down and encourage them to walk away, and if needed, involve a trusted adult or school staff to prevent it from happening.
You walk into a new club meeting for the first time. Everyone already seems to know each other you are not sure who to talk to. What now?
Look for someone who seems open or approachable. Then introduce yourself simply, like “hey, I’m new here,” and join in when there’s a natural moment.
You’re joking with a group and everyone is laughing, but one person suddenly stops laughing and gets quiet while everyone else keeps going. What should you notice and do?
Notice that one person may be uncomfortable due to the shift in their emotion. The joke may have gone too far for them. You should pause or change the topic and, if needed, check in with them.
You notice that you are always the one texting first, making plans, and putting in effort, and if you don’t reach out, the friendship kind of fades. What does that tell you—and what do you do?
It may be a one-sided friendship. You should talk to your friend about how you’re feeling and see if the effort becomes more balanced, or start stepping back if nothing changes.
A friend stole another student’s ID card and used it to buy food for both of you. You didn’t know where it came from until after it already happened. Is this your problem?
Yes — even though you didn’t know at first, it becomes your problem once you find out.