If your child witnesses bullying or peer conflict, knowing what to do in the moment matters. Get clear, age-appropriate guidance on how to teach them to tell a teacher, find a trusted adult, and report what happened safely.
About this assessment
Share how confident your child feels about getting adult help when they see mean behavior, and we’ll help you choose practical next steps for school, activities, and everyday peer situations.
Many parents want to know what to tell kids to do when they see bullying. A simple message works best: stay safe, do not join in, and get help from a trusted adult right away. Children do not need to solve the situation on their own. Teaching them that reporting bullying is a responsible choice, not tattling, helps them act with more confidence when a classmate is being hurt, excluded, threatened, or repeatedly targeted.
Teach your child to recognize signs that a situation is not just a small disagreement. Repeated meanness, threats, humiliation, physical aggression, or someone looking scared are strong signals to get an adult involved.
Help your child identify trusted adults in advance, such as a teacher, recess aide, counselor, coach, bus driver, or front office staff member. Kids are more likely to seek help when they already know where to go.
Practice a short script like, “I need help. Someone is being bullied,” or “A student is being mean and it keeps happening.” Clear language makes it easier for children to speak up under stress.
Tell your child that asking an adult for help is the right step when someone may be unsafe or repeatedly mistreated. This reduces the fear that they are overreacting or getting someone in trouble unfairly.
Children are more prepared when they rehearse what to say and who to approach. Brief role-play at home can make reporting bullying at school feel much more manageable.
When your child tells you they got help for a peer conflict or bullying situation, respond with calm praise. Reinforcing the behavior helps build confidence for future situations.
If your child is unsure how to tell a teacher about bullying, break the process into small steps. First, help them name what they saw. Next, choose the adult they can approach quickly. Then practice one or two sentences they can use. You can also ask the school how students are encouraged to report bullying so your child hears a consistent message at home and at school. The goal is not to make your child responsible for fixing peer conflict alone, but to help them feel ready to get support from adults.
This reminds children that witnessing bullying can feel confusing, and that adult support is part of the solution.
Use this phrase to explain that reporting is important when someone is being hurt, scared, or repeatedly targeted.
A short, repeatable message helps children remember what to do in the moment without feeling pressure to confront the situation alone.
The safest first step is to get help from a trusted adult. Your child should avoid joining in, avoid escalating the situation, and tell a teacher, counselor, coach, or another nearby adult what they saw.
Keep the message simple and reassuring. Focus on safety, identify specific adults they can go to, and practice a short script. Children often feel less anxious when they know exactly what their role is and do not feel responsible for solving the problem alone.
No. When a child reports bullying, threats, repeated meanness, or unsafe behavior, they are seeking help to protect someone. That is different from tattling to get someone in trouble over a minor issue.
Start by identifying one or two trusted adults at school and practice the exact words your child can use. You can also encourage them to speak to the adult privately after class, at recess, or during a calm moment if that feels easier.
Teach them that if someone seems unsafe, scared, humiliated, or repeatedly targeted, it is always okay to get an adult. Children do not need to diagnose the situation perfectly before asking for help.
Personalized assessment
Answer a few questions to get practical, topic-specific support on how to teach your child to tell an adult, report bullying at school, and respond safely when peers are mean.