When Bullying Behaviors Spill Beyond the Classroom: A Youth Court Judge’s Perspective 

When adults hear the word bullying, we often think first about what happens at school: repeated intimidation, exclusion, threats, physical aggression, harmful behavior online, or other behaviors that affect a child's sense of safety and belonging.

But what happens when the behavior becomes more serious?

When might something commonly described as “bullying” also have another name?

What facts should adults pay attention to?

And when might a situation require intervention beyond the normal school disciplinary process?

These are important questions for the adults responsible for supporting, protecting, teaching, mentoring, coaching, counseling, leading, and advocating for children.

That is why I am pleased to welcome Judge Nailah Grant McFarlane as a presenter at the 2026 Bullying, Literacy, & Leadership Experience (BLLX).

Her session is:

When Bullying Behaviors Spill Beyond the Classroom: A Youth Court Judge’s Perspective

This session will help attendees better understand how behaviors commonly described as bullying may sometimes intersect with conduct that has specific legal terminology and potential legal consequences.

What This Session Is — and What It Is Not

This session is educational and informational. It is not legal advice.

Judge McFarlane will not be providing individual legal guidance, evaluating specific cases, or advising attendees about what legal action they should take in a particular situation.

Instead, this session is designed to build awareness and understanding.

Through the perspective of a Youth Court Judge, attendees will explore the differences between everyday or school-based terminology and legal terminology, the facts and circumstances that may make an incident more serious, why documentation and accurate reporting matter, and when additional intervention or escalation may be appropriate.

The purpose is not to teach attendees to make legal determinations.

It is to help adults become more informed observers, stronger advocates, and better prepared supporters of children.

Why This Conversation Matters

Parents, educators, school counselors, social workers, mentors, coaches, youth leaders, faith leaders, community advocates, after-school professionals, and other adults who support children are often among the first people to see, hear about, or respond to concerning behaviors.

A parent may learn that a child has been repeatedly threatened.

An educator may notice behavior escalating beyond an ordinary disagreement between students.

A counselor may hear something during a conversation that requires additional attention.

A coach, mentor, or youth leader may recognize that something happening online is affecting a child's experiences offline.

Those adults need more than a general understanding that bullying is harmful.

They need information, language, resources, and practical strategies that can help them recognize concerning behaviors, respond appropriately, intervene within their role, advocate for the child, document what they observe or learn, and recognize when additional support or escalation may be needed.

Looking Beyond the Label

Words matter.

Facts matter.

Context matters.

Threats, physical aggression, intimidation, harassment, unwanted contact, property damage, and technology-based conduct can involve circumstances that require adults to look more closely at what actually occurred rather than relying solely on the word bullying to describe it.

That does not mean every bullying situation is a legal matter.

It means the adults caring for children benefit from understanding that different behaviors and circumstances may require different responses.

During this interactive session, attendees will have opportunities to consider brief scenarios and think through questions such as:

What happened?

What facts matter?

What might this conduct be called?

When might additional intervention be necessary?

The objective is not for attendees to leave BLLX believing they are legal experts.

The objective is for them to leave better equipped to notice, ask questions, respond, advocate, and seek the appropriate help when necessary.

Meet Judge Nailah Grant McFarlane

Judge McFarlane brings a broad range of courtroom and legal experience to this conversation.

She began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County, where she prosecuted felony cases and developed extensive courtroom and trial experience.

In 2007, she founded The Law Firm of Grant & Associates, LLC, representing clients in criminal defense, personal injury, and family law. Her work provided firsthand insight into the impact judicial decisions can have on individuals, families, and communities.

Appointed to the bench in 2014, Judge McFarlane has served in Municipal, Magistrate, State, and Juvenile Courts and, by designation, in Superior Court.

Her experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney, civil litigator, and judge gives her a broad perspective from which to help BLLX attendees think more carefully about behaviors, terminology, circumstances, accountability, and appropriate intervention.

The Bigger Vision Behind BLLX

Angela M. Odom created the Bullying, Literacy, & Leadership Experience (BLLX) as a one-day, in-person learning experience designed to better equip the adults who support children.

BLLX brings together perspectives from education, parenting, youth advocacy, literacy, leadership, legal awareness, and lived experience—and turns those perspectives into information and practical strategies adults can use.

Parents, educators, school counselors, social workers, mentors, coaches, youth leaders, faith leaders, community advocates, after-school professionals, and other adults who support children may be among the first to see, hear about, or respond when something is happening in a child's life.

BLLX is designed to help those adults become better prepared to recognize concerning behaviors, respond appropriately, intervene within their role, advocate for the child, and know when additional support or escalation may be needed.

Because when a child says,

“Something is happening.”

BLLX is designed to help the adult receiving those words be better prepared to ask:

What am I seeing or hearing?

What does this child need from me right now?

What can I do within my role?

Who else needs to know?

What should happen next?

That is the bigger vision behind BLLX.

Equipped Adults. Stronger Children.

Join Us at BLLX 2026

The 2026 Bullying, Literacy, & Leadership Experience will be held:

Saturday, October 31, 2026
10:00 AM–3:00 PM
Doors open at 9:00 AM 

The Morrow Center
Morrow, Georgia

General Admission: $95 + applicable taxes and fees
Optional Box Lunch: $15 

BLLX is designed for parents, educators, school counselors, social workers, mentors, coaches, youth leaders, faith leaders, community advocates, after-school professionals, and other adults who support and serve children.

Register at AngelaOdom.com/bllx

Come prepared to learn, participate, ask questions, consider different perspectives, and leave better equipped to support the children entrusted to your care.

Equipped Adults. Stronger Children.