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Every school counselor has been there—stuck in a conversation where the word "bullying" is thrown around, but something feels off.

A parent demands action because their child was left out of a game at recess. A teacher sends a referral for a “bullying” case that turns out to be a one-time disagreement. Meanwhile, students facing real, targeted harassment often go unnoticed in the noise.

So, how do you cut through the confusion and handle these situations the right way?

Here’s what I'm talking about in this episode:

- The 3 key markers of real bullying (and why missing even one changes everything)
- The biggest mistakes schools make when defining bullying—and how to fix them
- How to explain bullying vs. drama to parents, teachers, and admin (without the pushback)
- What to do when students over-report (or under-report) bullying
- The exact words to use when a parent insists, “This IS bullying!”

If you’re tired of mediating every social conflict and want a clear strategy for handling true bullying cases, this episode is for you.

00:00 Introduction: The Bullying Dilemma

01:23 Understanding the Difference: Bullying vs. Drama

05:15 Key Indicators of Bullying

06:54 Handling Peer Drama

08:57 Communicating with Parents and Administrators

12:48 Effective Responses to Bullying and Peer Conflict

19:27 Resources

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Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.

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This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.