What Would You Do? Recognizing and Addressing Exclusion

Monday, October 19th, 2026

During a children’s program, a volunteer notices that a 7-year-old child repeatedly excludes another child during group activities. The volunteer isn’t sure whether the behavior is typical childhood play or something more serious.

The volunteer considers letting the children work it out on their own, but ignoring the behavior could allow it to continue or escalate and negatively affect the excluded child’s well-being.

The volunteer wants to encourage positive interactions while making sure every child feels welcome, respected, and included.

What would you do?

Observe the Interaction Carefully

Not every disagreement or instance of exclusion is bullying, but repeated behavior should not be ignored. The volunteer should pay attention to what is happening, whether the behavior continues, and how it affects the children involved.

Careful observation can help the volunteer better understand the situation and determine whether further action is needed.

Document the Incident

When exclusion occurs repeatedly, documentation can help identify patterns and provide leadership with a clearer understanding of the situation.

The volunteer should document relevant details, including what happened, when it occurred, who was involved, and any actions taken. Follow your organization’s policies for documenting and reporting concerns.

Notify Leadership or Administration

If the volunteer is unsure how serious the behavior is or notices a repeated pattern, they should notify the appropriate leader or administrator.

Leadership can help assess the concern, determine appropriate next steps, and ensure the organization’s policies are followed. Volunteers should not feel they have to decide on their own whether repeated exclusion constitutes bullying.

Reinforce Inclusion, Respect, and Kindness

Volunteers and staff can help create a warm, welcoming environment by reinforcing clear expectations for how children treat one another.

Remind children that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect, and encourage inclusive behavior during group activities. Address concerns calmly and consistently, without labeling or shaming a child.

What Not to Do

Don’t automatically dismiss repeated exclusion as typical childhood behavior.

Don’t ignore the situation and assume the children will work it out on their own.

Don’t jump to conclusions about whether the behavior constitutes bullying without considering the circumstances.

Don’t overlook documentation or fail to notify leadership when concerns persist.

Don’t allow exclusion to continue without reinforcing expectations for inclusion, respect, and kindness.

Why It Matters

Addressing repeated exclusion helps organizations:

• Promote a welcoming and inclusive environment.
• Recognize patterns of concerning behavior.
• Support the well-being of children.
• Encourage respect, kindness, and positive interactions.
• Ensure concerns are documented and communicated to leadership.

The Takeaway

When a child repeatedly excludes another child, observe the behavior, document the incident, notify leadership, and reinforce expectations for inclusion, respect, and kindness.

Even when it is unclear whether behavior constitutes bullying, taking concerns seriously helps organizations create safer, more supportive environments for every child.

Every child deserves to feel welcome, included, and respected.