A nasty message
Somebody from school has sent you something horrible. You are upset and want to send something back.
What do you do?
Step 1: What Would You Do?
There is often more than one good answer. Pick one and see what happens.
It is happening to somebody else
People in a group are being unkind about somebody who is not there.
What do you do?
Step 2: What That Was
The name for what you just worked out.
Four steps, in order: do not reply, screenshot it, tell an adult, block them.
Why not reply
A reply is what they wanted. It also usually makes your part of the conversation look worse afterwards.
Keep it
Screenshot before blocking. Once you block, you may not be able to see it any more, and adults need to see it to help.
It is not your fault
Whatever you posted, whatever you said. Somebody choosing to be cruel is a thing they did.
Step 3: Try It
These ones do have right answers.
The Four Steps
Tap them in the right order.
Somebody sends you something horrible. What order?
- 1Screenshot it
- 2Tell an adult
- 3Block them
- 4Do not reply
Step 4: Quick Check
Two questions, then you are done.
Question 1 of 2
Why screenshot before blocking?
Question 2 of 2
Somebody is cruel about a photo you posted. Whose fault is that?
Step 5: Your Life Mission
Something to do away from the screen. Nobody is checking.
Learn the four
- Say the four steps in order, from memory.
- Check you know how to screenshot on your device.
- Name the adult you would tell.
Why: Nobody looks up instructions while upset. These have to already be known.
Step 6: What You Learned
- Do not reply. Screenshot. Tell an adult. Block.
- The screenshot comes before the block.
- It is not your fault.
For the grown-up
The fixed sequence exists because children in distress do not improvise well. Four remembered steps are worth more than any amount of general advice.
The most common error is blocking immediately, which is the natural instinct and destroys the evidence schools need to act.
Children often do not tell because they fear losing device access. Saying explicitly that reporting will not cost them their phone removes the largest barrier there is.