12 Y.O. Refuses To Work With A Guy Who’s Been Bullying Her, Teacher Stands For Inclusion

It’s no secret that adolescence is challenging. With changing bodies, hormones, and a budding brain becoming less uncertain and more disobedient by the minute, teens often find themselves in situations where they don’t know how to react. School becomes filled with misunderstandings, friendships end unexpectedly and thoughts are running rampant – leaving them vulnerable to anxiety attacks and mood swings. Apparently, standing up for yourself is one of those tricky things. Am I being too dramatic here? Well… no, actually. A recent story shared by a mother in the AITA subreddit shows how adults can even teach kids that going against someone else’s will is a crime straight out of Alice in Wonderland. You see, this protective mom has set boundaries with her daughter: young women don’t have to put up with anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable. They are able to choose who they spend time with. Sounds like a solid plan for an increasingly complex world, doesn’t it? However, the girl had to go through some unwanted attention at school which led to her getting in hot water with the teacher for not allowing a classmate join her group project. Instead, the mom felt it was too dangerous of a lesson to be taught, so she had to intervene. But she was unsure of how to approach the situation, so reached out for advice on the ‘Am I the [Jerk]’ community.

Teaching a 12-year-old the importance of self-respect by saying no to bullying

Image credit: protectivemommyg | protectivemommyg — protectivemommyg | protectivemommyg

A 12-year-old student stands up for herself and her peers against bullying, with the teacher’s support for inclusion

Brave 12 year old rejects bully’s advances and teacher stands up for inclusion

12 y.o. refuses to work with bully, teacher stands up for inclusion

12 Y.O. takes a stand for inclusion, fights back against bullying with kindness

12 year old stands up to bully and teacher supports her decision

The teacher takes a stand for inclusion when a 12 year old refuses to work with a bully

A 12-year-old student refuses to work with a bully, and her teacher stands up for inclusion

This mom refuses to teach her daughter that bullying is acceptable.

Teaching her to stand up for herself and advocate for inclusion ✊

Teacher supports 12 Y.O. who refuses to work with bully “Boy” at recess for inclusion

A young girl standing up to a bully while being taught the importance of respect and inclusion✊

Making sure our youth are supported and respected, no matter what!

This comment shows appreciation for the teacher who stands for inclusion.

12 year old takes stand against bullying and celebrates inclusion!

12 year-old stands up to bullying and finds inclusion with teacher’s support

A parent’s stand against a bully championed by their daughter’s teacher

12 year old takes a stand for inclusion by refusing to work with a bully

This 12 year old refuses to work with a bully, and her teacher stands strong for inclusion!

Four girls join forces to fight for their right to be treated with respect and inclusion

The teacher stands up for inclusivity for a 12-year-old who refuses to work with a bully

Standing together for inclusivity

Teachers & students working together to foster respect & inclusion

Standing up for inclusivity and opposing bullying – the school takes a zero-tolerance policy.

The teacher and principal apologized and the principal agreed to find ways to promote inclusion while respecting boundaries.

A touching story of a 12 y.o. standing up to bullying and a teacher who stands for inclusion ✊

Teaching young women to respect their own boundaries & standing up to bullies

This post tells the story of a mother teaching her daughter to respect and set boundaries for herself at a young age. A boy from her daughter’s class had been giving her and her female friends trouble at recess and when he asked to join her daughter’s group, her daughter refused and said that he should work with another group. The daughter’s teacher then called the mother and told her that she had broken the class rules by refusing to include the boy, but the mother disagreed. She argued that teaching young women to ignore their own comfort level and expect them to include everyone regardless can be dangerous and not appropriate at that age. The family ended up having a meeting with the school administration to request training for the teachers on trauma-informed teaching methods and to ensure that harassment doesn’t continue at school. This story highlights the importance of teaching young women to stand up for themselves and respect their own boundaries. As we will see in the comments and reactions, this resonated with many people.