Mean posts can spread fast, and it is hard to know what to do in the moment. This exercise gives students a simple plan they can remember: stop, save, and tell. It keeps the focus on safety, not on getting even, and it helps students know when a trusted adult needs to step in.
At a Glance
Activity Type: Discussion and role play
Duration: 25 minutes
Class Size: Whole class, in small groups
Grades: 6-12
Learning Objectives
- Students will explain the three steps: stop, save, and tell.
- Students will tell the difference between a mean comment and a situation that needs an adult right away.
- Students will practice calm, safe responses instead of replying in anger.
Materials Needed
- Three short made-up post examples, read aloud
- Paper for each group
- No real posts, screenshots, or names from students
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start with a question (5 minutes). Say: “If a mean post about you showed up tonight, what would your first instinct be?” Take a few honest answers. Say: “Most of us want to fire back right away. That usually makes it worse.”
- Teach stop, save, tell (5 minutes). Say: “Stop means do not reply, do not forward it, and do not delete it yet. Save means take a screenshot or write down what it said, when, and where, if it is safe to do so. Tell means show a trusted adult at school or at home and follow your school’s process.” Write the three words on the board.
- Practice with examples (10 minutes). Read a made-up example, such as a rumor shared in a group chat or a photo posted without permission. In groups, students decide: What would stop look like here? What could we save? Who would we tell, and what would we say? Say: “Try this line: ‘I need to show you something that is happening online. It is making me feel unsafe.'”
- Close with the hard cases (5 minutes). Say: “If someone is threatened, if private photos are shared, or if someone talks about hurting themselves, that is not a wait-and-see moment. Tell a trusted adult right away.” Ask: “Who is one adult at school you could go to?”
Discussion Questions
- Why is it so tempting to reply to a mean post right away?
- How does saving a post help an adult understand what happened?
- What makes telling feel hard, and what makes it easier?
- When should you tell an adult immediately instead of waiting?
Assessment
Look for students naming all three steps in order, choosing a safe adult to tell, and explaining why replying in anger usually makes an online problem bigger.
Return to the Middle 6-8 hub or the Exercise Finder for more classroom exercises.
Spanish version: Detente, Guarda, Cuéntalo: Español para Grados 6-12.
