Telling Someone and Telling on Someone—Is There a Difference?

Abstract

Have you ever been in a situation where you have asked yourself whether you should tell on a person because he or she is not doing the right thing? An example of this might be that you see someone on the school grounds pulling a branch from a tree and that person then tries to hit other children with the branch when they pass by. In your mind, you might start thinking about what might happen if you speak up. Will you get in trouble? Will the person you told on be angry with you? Will someone get hurt if you do not say anything? When faced with such decisions, it is important to understand the difference between telling on someone and telling someone. When we tell on someone (also called dobbing or snitching), we are trying to get someone in trouble on purpose. Telling someone is different, as we are speaking up because we are worried that something bad might happen or someone might get hurt. Our brains help us make decisions based on our past experiences and current thoughts … but sometimes parts of the brain can make this process even more confusing.