• Speak up! Be an upstander — someone who speaks in support of the person being bullied, not a bystander. It takes courage, but talking to someone who’s bullying lets them know that their behavior is wrong. Interrupt and question the bullying behavior. Simple things like changing the subject or questioning the behavior can shift the focus. If you’re worried about safety, make sure you tell someone your plan or bring someone with you. Speaking up can make a big difference.

• Help the person being bullied get away. If it’s safe, help the person being bullied walk away from the situation. You can help by creating a distraction or offering a way for the person to leave with you.

• Get help. Find an adult to stop the bullying on the spot.

• The best way to support a friend experiencing bullying is to tell a trusted adult about what happened. Try to involve the person being bullied in the discussion. They might be afraid to tell someone and your encouragement could help. Telling is not tattling when it's done to help someone. Adults can help stop bullying, but only if you tell them.

• Be a friend, even if this person is not yet your friend. Ask if they are ok and if there’s anything you can do to help and support them. Let them know you don't agree with it and that you care. Being bullied hurts and friends can make a huge difference.

• Refuse to spread lies and rumors. If you hear a rumor that you know is untrue or sends you a message that is hurtful to someone else, stand up and let the person know it's wrong.

• Don't give bullying an audience. Don’t passively watch, encourage, or laugh at the jokes and comments being made by the person doing the bullying. Some students continue to bully because they get attention from others. Don't be one of those students. Set a good example for your friends and make it clear to everyone around that the behavior is wrong and then go get help.

• Establish a safe and supportive environment based on respect and inclusion that supports all students. Students need to see teachers and staff proactively and consistently engaged in bullying prevention in the classroom and throughout the school.

• Follow MCPS policies and procedures for preventing, identifying, and intervening issues of bullying.

• Bullying behavior is never tolerated and every adult in the school is responsible for bullying prevention. Know how to respond and report bullying when suspected. Be alert and observant. Monitor students to make sure they interact safely and respectfully. Be present in hallways, restrooms, playgrounds and stairwells. The frequent presence of teachers in all areas of the school helps give students a feeling of safety. Look for warning signs that indicate bullying is occurring. When adults respond in an immediate and consistent manner to incidents of bullying, they send the message that this type of behavior is not tolerated.

• All reports of bullying must be investigated and every concern a parent has related to any bullying behavior should be examined so that immediate and appropriate school action can be taken.

• Make sure students know how to respond to and report bullying. Let students know that they can make a difference.

• Provide families with opportunities to participate in prevention efforts with their children in meaningful and relevant ways that address the academic, social, and well-being of children.

If you witness or suspect an incident of bullying:

• Intervene immediately to stop it and make sure students are safe.

• Let the students involved know that bullying is unacceptable and that students who bully others can face a variety of progressive consequences. Calmly refuse to allow students to trivialize the incident (e.g. “it was just a joke”) or justify the behavior.

• Don't try to mediate. It gives the bullied student and the student doing the bullying an equal voice. Confronting students who bully in front of other students may actually enhance their status and lead to further aggression. Handle the incident individually and privately.

• Help the bullied student regain self-control and respect. Talk with the student in private to ask what happened or refer them to another supportive adult if they are upset. Never discuss what happened in front of the person doing the bullying. Reassure the student that steps will be taken to ensure their protection. Inform the student's counselor and teachers about happened so that they can provide additional support and protection.

• Don't publicly put bystanders on the spot to describe what happened. Let them know what you observed and give guidance about how they might appropriately help in the future or acknowledge their efforts to end it. Offer support to bystanders who witness bullying. Students who are bullied or have witnessed bullying may feel powerless, scared, and helpless. It's important to provide them with a voice and ask them what they need to feel safe.

• Provide reassurance that talking with you is the right thing to do and that they are not to blame for the bullying behavior.

• Protect students being bullied by providing a safe and secure environment for them to discuss their feelings. The student’s perception of the incident is important even if an adult interprets it differently. Question all students involved separately so that they can talk without being concerned about retaliation or about what other students think or say. Monitor students who have been bullied for signs of trauma. Increase supervision to help ensure it is not repeated and does not escalate.

• Share information about the incident to the school's counselor, psychologist, or other support professional who can offer a variety of supports, such as counseling, check-ins, social skills groups, or other programs or services.

• Take appropriate corrective action and complete the MCPS Form 230-35, Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form.

If an incident of bullying is reported to you:

• Take all reports seriously, whether it's the bullied student or a witness to the incident. Take the time to listen and ask the right questions. Make sure you get all the facts relative to what took place. An individual incident can seem insignificant until it's put into context. You may uncover a pattern of bullying behavior.

• Affirm the student's courage in speaking up and reinforce the importance of telling an adult. Many students fail to report bullying out of fear of being labeled a "snitch" by their peers and a fear of retaliation.

• Reassure the student that steps will be taken to ensure their protection. Emphasize the confidential nature of the discussion and make it clear about who will and will not be given the information.

• Monitor students who have been bullied for signs of trauma. Increase supervision to help ensure it is not repeated and does not escalate. Share information about the incident to the school's counselor, psychologist, or other support professional.

• Take appropriate corrective action and complete the MCPS Form 230-35, Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form.