You hear a commotion in the cafeteria. The biggest kid in your school is picking on a new student. Some kids are ignoring the situation or nervously walking away. Others are filming it or taking photos with their phones. What are YOU doing?

Unfortunately, scenes like this aren’t uncommon. In a recent study by the U.S. Department of Education, about one out of four middle schoolers reported that they had been bullied at school. 

Judy French works for PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, an organization that is trying to end bullying. She says it’s important to support kids who are being pushed around, excluded, or hurt by others spreading rumors.

“If it were happening to you, wouldn’t you want someone to help?” French asks. “Even in difficult situations, there are things we can do.” 

So how do you know when to stand up to bullying? And when is it better to not get directly involved? On the next page, French weighs in about how to handle two bullying situations. 

You hear a commotion in the cafeteria. The biggest kid in your school is picking on a new student. Some kids are ignoring the situation. A few are nervously walking away. Others are filming it or taking photos with their phones. What are YOU doing?

Unfortunately, scenes like this aren’t uncommon. This is according to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Education. About one out of four middle schoolers reported that they had been bullied at school. 

Judy French works for PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. It’s an organization that is trying to end bullying. She says it’s important to support kids who are being pushed around, excluded, or hurt by others spreading rumors.

“If it were happening to you, wouldn’t you want someone to help?” French asks. “Even in difficult situations, there are things we can do.” 

So how do you know when to stand up to bullying? And when is it better to not get directly involved? On the next page, French weighs in about how to handle two bullying situations. 

Speaking out against bullying takes courage, especially when more than one person is doing it. But since these are your teammates and the situation doesn’t seem dangerous, you should support Maya. 

One way is to ignore your teammates’ bad behavior and start shooting with Maya yourself. That will let your teammates know that you don’t like how they’re acting. More important, it will show Maya she’s not alone and has someone on her side.

You could also confront your teammates—but wait until after practice and do it in private. French explains that challenging them in front of a group could make the situation worse or cause them to turn on you. 

“Having that talk out of the public eye is always safer,” she says.

Speaking out against bullying takes courage, especially when more than one person is doing it. But these are your teammates, and the situation doesn’t seem dangerous. So you should support Maya. 

One way is to ignore your teammates’ bad behavior. You can start shooting with Maya yourself. That will let your teammates know that you don’t like how they’re acting. More important, it will show Maya she’s not alone. She has someone on her side.

You could also confront your teammates. But wait until after practice. Do it in private. French explains that challenging them in front of a group could make the situation worse. It could also cause them to turn on you.  

“Having that talk out of the public eye is always safer,” she says.

Connor is the most popular kid in sixth grade. At recess, you see him push Brendan, who’s in your fifth-grade class. Connor warns Brendan that he’d better not snitch by telling a teacher.

You should want to stand up for kids who are bullied, but confronting Connor yourself could put you in danger. In this situation, he holds the power. That doesn’t always mean being big or strong. Power could come from being older or more popular or being part of a group.

“If someone is physically hurting another kid, find a trusted adult right away,” French advises. 

In this case, that’s the best way to support Brendan. French points out that telling an adult isn’t snitching, which is done just to get someone in trouble. When it comes to bullying, alerting a teacher or parent is protecting someone from getting hurt.

Plus, by leaving the scene, you’re taking away part of Connor’s audience. Some kids who bully are encouraged by others laughing or, even worse, posting photos or videos online. Just don’t walk away assuming someone else is getting help.

Connor is the most popular kid in sixth grade. At recess, you see him push Brendan. He is in your fifth-grade class. Connor warns Brendan that he’d better not snitch by telling a teacher.

You should want to stand up for kids who are bullied. But confronting Connor yourself could put you in danger. In this situation, he holds the power. That doesn’t always mean being big or strong. Power could come from being older or more popular. It could also come from being part of a group.

“If someone is physically hurting another kid, find a trusted adult right away,” French advises.

In this case, that’s the best way to support Brendan. French points out that telling an adult isn’t snitching. Snitching is done just to get someone in trouble. When it comes to bullying, alerting a teacher or parent is protecting someone from getting hurt.

By leaving the scene, you’re taking away part of Connor’s audience. Some kids who bully are encouraged by others laughing. Even worse, they may also be motivated by kids posting photos or videos online. Just don’t walk away assuming someone else is getting help.