Bullying Prevention

Don't participate in bullying behavior...

  • Treat everyone with respect. Nobody should be mean to others.

  • Stop and think before you say or do something that could hurt someone.

  • If you feel like being mean to someone, find something else to do. Play a game, watch TV, or talk to a friend.

  • Talk to an adult you trust. They can help you find ways to be nicer to others.

  • Keep in mind that everyone is different. Not better or worse. Just different.

  • If you think you have bullied someone in the past, apologize. Everyone feels better.

If you see someone being bullied...

  • Talk to a parent, teacher, or another adult you trust. Adults need to know when bad things happen so they can help.

  • Be kind to the kid being bullied. Show them that you care by trying to include them. Sit with them at lunch or on the bus, talk to them at school, or invite them to do something. Just hanging out with them will help them know they aren’t alone.

If you're bullied, here's what to do...

  • No one has the right to bully you.

  • Tell someone you trust. Choose a friend, parent, teacher, and mentor. Keep a record of the dates, times and instances when the bullying occurs. If you have a witness, ask them to share what they saw or heard. Ask adults to listen. Tell them, “It’s important.” If you would like some moral support, ask a friend to go with you to see an adult.

  • Protect yourself. Try to avoid places where bullying happens. Stay near adults and other kids (since most bullying happens when adults aren’t around). Walk away when the bully approaches you. Find an adult to stop the bullying immediately.

  • Neutralize the bully's power. Try your best to ignore the bully. Bullies want a big reaction. Acting as if you don't notice and don't care might stop a bully's behavior. Try distracting yourself (counting backwards from 100, spelling the word 'turtle' backwards, etc.) to keep your mind occupied until you are out of the situation and somewhere safe where you can show your feelings. You can also try telling the bully to stop in a calm, clear voice. If joking is easy for you, you can try to laugh it off. But if speaking up seems too hard or not safe, walk away and stay away. Don’t fight back.

  • If your health is being affected in any way, speak to your family doctor. It is always a good idea to speak to a counselor. Many schools today have a school counselor; if not, they can arrange for you to have access to a counselor who is specially trained to help support you during this unpleasant period.

  • Don’t let hurtful words beat you down. f you’re feeling very sad or unsafe, always, always find help (best to find a trusted adult). If you do not know who to talk to and you feel like you want to hurt yourself, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988.

  • Don’t become a bully yourself. If you have, don’t give in to anger and don’t give in to peer pressure. If you can, be a friend and say that you're sorry.

How to handle cyberbullying...

Bullying does not only happen at school. It can happen anywhere, including through texting, the internet and social media. Cyberbullying can create a disruptive environment at school and is often related to in-person bullying. The school can use the information to help inform prevention and response strategies. In many states, schools are required to address cyberbullying in their anti-bullying policy. Some state laws also cover off-campus behavior that creates a hostile school environment.

  • Don’t respond to and don’t forward cyberbullying messages.

  • Keep evidence of cyberbullying. Record the dates, times, and descriptions of instances when cyberbullying has occurred. Save and print screenshots, emails, and text messages. Use this evidence to report cyberbullying to web and cell phone service providers.

  • Block the person who is cyberbullying.