How to Respond

After you talk to someone who you trust, you need to make a response plan with them. A response plan is a plan that you write down and practice. 

	Bullying Response Plan Worksheet

This plan will help you respond safely and appropriately to bullying or harassment.  Even if you are never bullied or harassed, it is good to have a plan in place, just in case! 

Your response plan should contain 3 main parts - the 3 W’s:

1. What to do and say when you are bullied.
2. Where to go.
3. Who to tell.

Here is how you make your response plan:

Step 1: 
Decide what you will say to the bully.  Write down what you will say. 

Step 2: 
Decide where you will go if you are bullied.  Write down where you will go.

Step 3: 
Decide who you will tell if you are bullied.  Decide when you will tell them (within 24 hours!).   Decide how you will tell them:  In person, by phone, or in writing?

Then, rehearse and role-play your response with the person who helped you create the plan.  So, they will pretend to be the bully, and you will practice responding to their bullying.

Use the Bullying Response Plan Worksheet to help you make a plan. If you have a response plan in place, you will be more likely to: 

• Stop or avoid the bullying.
• Protect yourself from further physical or psychological harm.
• Get some control over the situation.
• Stay successful in your job.
• Keep your job.

1. Stay three big steps away from the bully.
2. Do not touch or get close to the bully. 
   
   
3. Face towards them and look at your bully if you can. 
   
   
4. Select only one sentence to say.  Say it in a steady, calm way.  Do not show the bully that you are upset. 
   
   

   Do not curse or yell at the bully.  When someone bullies you, they want you to react.  They want you to show them that what they did or said upsets you.  They are trying to show that they have power over you.

   Here are some things you could calmly say to the bully:
   
   
   • “You really should stop.”
   • “I am walking away from you.”
   • “It is not okay for you to do this.”
   • “What you are doing is wrong.”
   • “What you are saying is wrong.”
     
     
5. Walk away after you say the one sentence.
   
   
6. Take a short break (5 minutes max) in a safe place to calm down if you need it. This safe place should be a place where the bully cannot continue to follow you.  You don’t want to be alone with the bully!
   
   

   Coping Plan Index Card

   Here are some places you could go:

   • Private bathroom
   • Office
   • Supervisor’s office
   • Break room
   • Outdoors
   • Your car
   • Stairwell
   • your work station or desk
     
     
     
7. If you believe that the bully might hurt you or if you do not feel safe, go directly to your supervisor and get help. 
   
   
8. Write down what happened. 
   
   
9. Go back to your work duties if you can.  
   
10. Tell an adult who you trust within 24 hours.
    
    
    • This adult might be your family member, teacher, counselor, job coach, etc.    
    • The adult should be someone who can actually help you avoid or stop the bullying. 
      
    • Tell the adult in private when no one else is around. 
    • If it is hard for you to talk about the bullying, then write down what happened and give it to the person. 
    • This person can help you decide what to do next. 
      
      
11. After talking to a trusted adult, if you decide that you have been harassed, report the harassment to the human resources department or supervisor at your workplace within 24 hours.  If it is difficult for you to talk about the harassment, then write down what happened and give it to the person. 
    

1. Do not ever reply to their message.  Ignore it. 
   
   
2. Do not delete the message yet.
   
   
3. Show the message to an adult who you trust within 24 hours.
   
   
   • This adult might be your family member, teacher, counselor, job coach, etc. 
   • The adult should be someone who can actually help you avoid or stop the bullying. 
   • Tell the adult in private when no one else is around. 
   • This person can help you decide what to do next. 
   • If you decide that you have been harassed, report harassment to the human resources department or supervisor at your workplace within 24 hours.  If it is hard for you to talk about the harassment, then write down what happened and give it to the person.  Remember, harassment is illegal.
     
     
4. If the person is bullying or harassing you by phone, you might be able to block their number from calling or texting you.  Contact your phone company to find out what you can do.
   
   
5. If the person is bullying or harassing you through a social networking site (e.g., Facebook), “unfriend” the person by deleting them from your friends list.  Report them to the site and also “block” their access to you.  All of these things can be done through these websites.  Or, remove yourself from the social networking website.

• If you think that you are being bullied or harassed, the first thing you need to do is talk to an adult who you trust. 
• Be prepared!  Create a response plan ahead of time to help you know what you will do if you are ever bullied or harassed.
• Create your response plan with someone who you trust.
• Your response plan should contain 3 main parts - the 3 W’s:
  1. What to do and say when you are bullied.
  2. Where to go.
  3. Who to tell.
• Discuss and role-play your response plan with someone you trust.
• If you are bullied or harassed, tell someone who you trust within 24 hours.