Safety FAQs From Elementary Students

Straight talk for kids about bullying and predators -- from school safety expert Sonayia Shepherd.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Sonayia Shepherd
School Safety Analyst
Safe Havens International

What is a bully?

A bully is someone who uses force, either verbally or physically, to make someone else do what they want. They inflict fear in a person either verbally or physically. Their point is to get a behavioral change to get you to do exactly what they want you to do. It's important to note that a 'bully' can be anyone.

Why are some kids mean?

Some kids are mean because they're unhappy. Some kids are mean because they have low self-esteem. And some kids don't even know they're being mean. They need to be told that what they're doing is inappropriate. Kids can be mean for a variety of reasons. They can be mean by forming a clique and keeping another person out of their clique, which we commonly see in girls. For boys, we commonly see physical and verbal abuse. But kids are mean for a variety of reasons. Usually it's that they're unhappy. Their home life is unstable or they may be picked on themselves. But some part of their life is not stable and they're just unhappy about that.

What should I do if someone is picking on me?

If someone is picking on you, you should definitely tell an adult. If it's in school, tell the teacher. Tell the principal. Tell a school administrator or a school resource officer or the law enforcement person in the school. But someone should be told. If you're concerned about keeping your confidentially, then ask to be anonymous. Ask that your name not be included. But definitely tell someone.

Should I tell the teacher if one of my classmates is bullying another classmate?

Definitely. If you hear or witness a bullying event, then you should tell a teacher, tell a principal, tell a counsellor, but tell someone, because by hearing about it and reporting it, you could save a life.

Will I be labeled a tattle-tale if I report bullies?

In today's world, with the highly publicized school shooting, it's lessening. Most people and most students want people to report threats, because they see the consequences of people not reporting. They see the consequences of things going unnoticed. You can definitely report. If you don't want the teacher to tell anyone that you made the report, you can ask to be anonymous, and most schools will honor that.

Will I be picked on if I report a bully?

Most likely not, if no one knows that you report it. If you report a bully incident as anonymous and you yourself don't tell anyone else that you report it, usually anonymous reports are kept as just that - anonymous.

How can I tell if a stranger is a bad guy?

All strangers are "bad guys". If you don't know the person, then assume that they're a "bad guy". Don't get in a car with a stranger, and don't talk to a stranger.

What should I do if someone I don't know asks me to come with them?

Scream "no" as loud as you can and run away. Never get in a car or never go anywhere with someone that you don't know. Yell for help. Kick, scream, do whatever you can - flee, get out of the area, and do it quickly.