let's talk about friends. Somedays they're the best and everything's awesome. But other days, they can be - well, turds. If you've got a friend who pushes things too far, they're not just acting like a jerk. They're acting like a bully. But you don't have to stand by and watch it happen. Speaking up isn't easy. You might feel like it'll just make you a target. But most of the time when someone - well, anyone intervenes in a bullying situation - it stops within minutes. Yep, you have the power to really help. There are two ways to step up and they work just as well if the bullying is taking place online or in real life. First option, if you're feeling safe and you've got someone to back you up - call your friend out on it. Right there, on the spot, tell them to stop and that it's not on. Option Two, if you're worried about confronting your friend head on, try and distract them instead. Think of a way to interrupt them. Suggest you do something else: anything to shift the spotlight away from the person they're picking on. Whichever way you go, follow up and ask your friend why they're acting like this. Let them know that what they're doing is bullying. They might give you a hard time for siding against them, they might ignore you or not want to be your friend, or they might just see their actions for what they really are. Either way, you didn't just stand by and let someone go through a whole lot of hurt on their own. Step up and speak up and help stop bullying.