Connections Academy Students Share How to Deal with School Bullies

Bullying is defined as repeated, unwanted physical or verbal aggressive behavior that intimidates, demeans, or harasses another person. Unfortunately, bullying is widespread and pervasive.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 20 percent of students ages 12–18 report being bullied and 70.6 percent of young people report witnessing bullying. Learn how you can stand up to bullying.

Below, Connections Academy® students share their advice on how they dealt with bullying and how you can too.

You can tell another kid that knows how to stop bullies.”

—Texas Connections Academy @ Houston Student

Step in if possible by creating a distraction. Invite the one being bullied to another activity or notify a parent/teacher/support staff.”

—Ohio Connections Academy Student
 

Report bullying to the closest adult, teacher, or parent as soon as you find someone. Help defend the bullied person. Never leave someone to fend for themselves. Help one another always so that no one will be left alone in a vulnerable position. Bullies prey on isolated people that seem weak.”

—Texas Connections Academy @ Houston Student
 

Tell an adult. Stand up and tell the bully to stop.”

—Indiana Connections Academy Student

Get help from an adult or someone else. Treat everyone with respect and calmly but firmly tell the bully to stop.”

—Oregon Connections Academy Student

Go tell an adult or tell the bully that it’s not cool at all and it’s making him or her look rude and definitely not cool.”

—Oregon Connections Academy Student

Don’t stay quiet; it only perpetuates the cycle.”

—Oregon Connections Academy Student

If you see someone being bullied, you should stand up for the person being bullied and tell them that the person is only trying to make themselves feel better; what they are saying doesn’t matter.”

—Washington Connections Academy Student

It’s not okay to stand by and watch someone be bullied. Abuse is never okay. I noticed if you call a bully out from abusing others they usually stop. Sometimes the bullying gets worse, but the bullies don’t like to be called out.”

—Oregon Connections Academy Student

Speak up to the bully and find an authority figure to help try to change the bully’s behavior to create more positive interactions. Generally, bullies need more help on a daily basis.”

—Kansas Connections Academy Student

Talk to the person being bullied and make friends with them. Make sure they know they’re not alone because that can be a hard thing for some people.”

—Alabama Connections Academy Student

Ask the bully how he would feel if someone did that to him.”

—South Carolina Connections Academy Student

Intervene. Stop it. Step up and say something. Be that kid’s voice. Bring attention to what is happening to an adult. Make it known that what the bully is doing is unacceptable. Befriend the victim of bullying.”

—Indiana Connections Academy Student

Be brave and stand up for the person being bullied. Tell a teacher, principal, counselor, etc. Just do something to hopefully help the person being bullied. What if it were you?”

—Arkansas Connections Academy Student

Try to help by telling the bully to think about how it would make her feel if she were the one being bullied and to apologize to the person she was bullying.”

—Colorado Connections Academy Student

See something, say something to an adult.”

—Georgia Connections Academy Student

Tell a grown-up, and tell the bully he’s not being very nice. You have to be nice to make friends.”

—Indiana Connections Academy Student

Learn more about Connections Academy, the online, tuition-free public school for grades K–12.