Standing up for someone doesn’t always mean a speech. Sometimes it’s just sitting next to them at lunch.

Defending somebody gets pictured as a confrontation, which is exactly why most people do nothing at all. The quieter version counts for more than it looks like it should, because a person being left out mostly needs evidence that they are not alone in the room. Presence is the message. It also costs the people doing the excluding something, without handing them a fight to enjoy.

If somebody near you is having that kind of week, you could walk with them between classes or sit down beside them without announcing why. Small and repeated beats loud and once. If stepping in feels unsafe, telling an adult still counts.