This article below does not cover what is and what isn’t bullying. Nor do we cover bullying prevention or the warning signs of bullying, although it is helpful to know that information before you intervene.
This article is about what YOU, as a caring adult, can do to respond in a situation where a young person is being bullied. Many times, kids won’t ask for help, so you may need to get involved.
When you respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior, it sends a clear message that bullying is not acceptable. Here’s some guidance from StopBullying.gov.
When Police or Medical Professionals Need to Be Involved
First things first, get police or medical professionals involved immediately if:
- There is serious bodily harm.
- There is sexual abuse.
- There are guns, knives, or any other weapon.
- There are threats of serious physical injury.
- There are threats of hate-motivated violence (e.g., racism, homophobia).
- Anyone is accused of doing something illegally (e.g., robbery, extortion).
When You Respond, Do These Things
- Intervene right away. (It’s smart to get another adult involved as well.)
- Separate the kids involved.
- Make sure everyone is safe.
- Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs.
- Stay calm and reassure the kids involved, including bystanders.
- Model respectful behavior to everyone involved in the situation.
When You Respond, Don’t Do These Things
- Don’t ignore it thinking, “Oh, they’ll just work it out themselves.”
- Don’t try to sort out the facts. There will be a time for that later.
- Don’t question the kids involved in front of their peers.
- Don’t ever force child bystanders to publicly say what they saw.
- Don’t talk to the kids involved together. Do it separately.
- Don’t make the kids involved apologize or make amends on the spot.
Cyberbullying
If you know that cyberbullying is happening to a child, here’s what you should and shouldn’t do:
- Don’t respond to the person who is cyberbullying. Block them.
- Don’t forward cyberbullying messages.
- Take, save, and print screenshots for evidence. Make sure to record the dates, times, and descriptions of instances when the cyberbullying occurred.
- Report the cyberbullying activity on the app or website. For example, social media platforms have a “Report” button on posts.
- Report the cyberbullying to law enforcement when it’s a threat of violence, stalking, child pornography, sexually explicit messages/photos, or a photo or video of someone in a place where they would expect privacy.
Find more information about bullying and cyberbullying at www.StopBullying.gov.
