How to defend kids from bullies

All 50 states have anti-bullying laws. They differ from state to state. But a typical anti-bullying law requires a school to investigate bullying within a specific number of days. It also requires the school to take action to stop it. Many state laws list consequences for bullies. 

Check your school’s student handbook or the school district’s website for its anti-bullying policy. This will tell you who to contact and how to report bullying.

Learn more about anti-bullying laws.

Take turns with the child, each of you playing the bully and the victim. Demonstrate ignoring or walking away from the situation, so they know what that looks like. Show how to tell a bully to stop in a loud voice. 

Ask kids to think through what to do in certain situations (then share what you’d do, too):

• Who would you tell if someone was pushing you on the bus?

• What would you say to someone who called you a name?

• How could you respond if other students excluded you from a game?

Get more ideas for role-playing social situations with kids.

Tell kids that when they see someone picking on another child in person or online, they have a choice. They can be a passive bystander or a brave “upstander.” As an upstander, kids have a responsibility to report bullies to adults who can help.

Tell kids that this isn’t “tattling.” It’s being compassionate and brave. The more kids look out for other students, the more likely others will defend them against bullies, too.

Download a bullying fact sheet to share with kids.

Helping kids learn to speak up for themselves, or self-advocate, is one of the best ways for them to protect themselves from bullying. 

Find out how to teach self-advocacy skills to:

• Grade-schoolers

• Middle-schoolers

• High-schoolers

And get a step-by-step guide on what to do if a child is being bullied at school.