FREE SECONDARY SCHOOL RESOURCE
Before You Say, “It’s Not That Deep…”
A practical anti-bullying poster for secondary pupils
Sometimes “it’s not that deep” is what gets said when somebody does not want to look too closely at the pattern.
One comment may be awkward. A disagreement may be mutual. But when the same person keeps becoming the joke, their private business gets shared or they go quiet when certain people arrive, it needs more than “banter” as an explanation.
This free I Am Well poster helps young people look at what is actually happening, check the part they may be playing and decide what to do next.
It does not shame pupils or ask them to share personal experiences. It asks them to notice the pattern—and recognise that intention does not erase impact.
I Am Well anti-bullying poster for secondary pupils titled Before You Say, It’s Not That Deep
WHAT DOES THIS RESOURCE DEVELOP?
This resource supports bullying awareness, empathy, accountability, bystander decision-making and help-seeking.
It helps pupils examine repeated behaviour without treating every disagreement as bullying. It also encourages them to consider how laughing, forwarding, watching or joining in can add to the pressure somebody is already carrying.
For staff, the poster provides a practical starting point for a conversation that does not depend on one pupil publicly explaining what has happened.
WHY THIS WORDING?
Young people are often told to ignore it, laugh it off or stop being sensitive. This resource does not ask them to prove that something is serious enough. It asks the whole group to examine repetition, audience, pressure and impact.
Somebody may recognise what is happening to them. Somebody else may realise they have joined in. Another pupil may decide what they could do differently next time.
Get the Free Poster
Tell me a little about where the resource is going. Your download will be ready as soon as you submit the form.
Home-educating families and community groups are welcome to download and use this resource too.
This resource is free to print and use within your school or organisation. Please keep the I Am Well branding in place and do not alter, sell or present the resource as your own.
THREE QUESTIONS FOR TUTOR TIME
Give pupils a few minutes to look at the poster, then ask:
When does a joke stop being a joke?
What difference can having an audience make?
What could somebody do next if they recognise the pattern or realise they have joined in?
There is no pressure to name people or share personal experiences. Keep the conversation focused on patterns, impact and choices.
If a pupil discloses bullying or says they feel unsafe, follow your school’s safeguarding and anti-bullying procedures.
WHERE CAN IT BE USED?
The poster can be used in:
Tutor and form time
PSHE and RSHE sessions
Anti-Bullying Week and prevention work throughout the year
Pastoral, safeguarding and wellbeing spaces
Small-group and one-to-one support
Staff-led conversations about peer pressure and group behaviour
Print it at A4 for individual or classroom use, or enlarge it to A3 for display.
BRING THIS WORK INTO YOUR SCHOOL
A poster can make a pupil stop and think. A facilitated session gives the room somewhere to take that thought.
I Am Well provides practical pupil workshops, staff development, parent workshops and whole-school support.
Sessions can explore bullying, peer pressure, emotional regulation, communication, confidence and what may be sitting underneath behaviour—without turning it into another lecture young people switch off from.