Staff can coach children who may be targets to:

• A. Report to authorities
• B. Ignore the situation
• C. Assertively say, "Don't do that" or "I don't like being treated that way."
• D. Politely apologize

Answer: (C)

Teaching children to set boundaries through clear, assertive statements gives them a real tool to use in the moment when they’re targeted. Saying something like, “Don’t do that” or “I don’t like being treated that way” communicates a firm boundary and makes it clear that the behavior is not acceptable. This approach helps stop the unwanted behavior, while staying calm and respectful, which can prevent the situation from escalating and also builds the child’s confidence in handling uncomfortable interactions.

Ignoring the behavior doesn’t address the problem and can signal that it’s acceptable to be mistreated. Politely apologizing in this context misses the opportunity to set a boundary and may reinforce the unwanted behavior. Reporting to authorities is important when safety or harm is involved, but in-the-moment coaching focused on boundary-setting is the immediate, practical skill for children to use to shield themselves from ongoing or casual mistreatment.