Correct Response: D. If a bystander or witness feels safe, he or she should directly intervene in a bullying situation. Assisting the student in extricating him or herself from the situation is a proactive way to help stop the aggressive and hurtful behavior. A student being targeted by a bully may be too afraid to leave the situation on his or her own, but will do so with the help of a friend or classmate. Encouraging the student to talk to a trusted adult and report the incident, and offering to go with him or her supports both the student and the premise that bullying is unacceptable. Confronting the bully and demanding that he or she apologize to the student being targeted (A) could prompt the bully to become more aggressive. Although it is a good idea to rally support from peers in standing up against bullying and reporting bullying to adults, encouraging peers to surround a bully and taunt him or her (B) is inappropriately aggressive and could escalate into physical violence. Rather than serving as a deterrent, these strategies would also provide the bully with the attention that he or she probably finds rewarding. Observing bullying without intervening at the time of the incident (C) minimizes bullying and sends the message that bullying behavior is acceptable and will be tolerated.
