When someone says or does something unintentionally hurtful and they do it once, that’s

RUDE

When someone says or does something intentionally hurtful and they do it once, that’s

MEAN

When someone says or does something intentionally hurtful and they keep doing it, even when you tell them to stop or show them that you’re upset – that’s

BULLYING

Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares another person on purpose.

The person being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself.

Usually, bullying happens over and over.

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.

Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.