them how to. that's important. if you have a skill set you will gain confidence because i know how to do this. the more confidence you get, the easier it is to step forward. >> that's all for this edition of "dateline." i'm natalie morales. thanks for watching. >> i'm craig melvin. >> and i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline." >> they're mean girls. >> think before you talk. >> now it is not just face-to-face, it is phone to phone bullying. >> #nerd. >> taunting texts, selfies. >> you're taking your own selfie. >> we put kids to the test. >> that's huge for him to say that to these boys. >> i didn't want them to retaliate on me. >> with actors playing bullies

and victims. hidden cameras rolling. >> oh, my god. >> wide-eyed parents watching. would these kids stop the mean teens. >> you're crossing lines and it is not funny anymore. >> or join them. >> she doesn't mind being mean. she doesn't want to do it on camera. >> this time we put parents on the spot, too. >> this looks awful. >> check out this diva-licious bully. >> terrible. >> what would the moms do. >> i'm in shock. i can't speak. >> standing up to bullying. >> my dad saw me yell at people. >> you were phenomenal. >> see what they did. >> you have more guts than i did. that's for sure. >> what about your kid? >> proud of her for that. >> it is "dateline's" my kid would never do that, the bullying edition. >> i'm natalie morales. our hidden cameras are about to zoom in on bullying. you have to wonder do all social

media make bullying easier? we put kids to the test as moms and dads took it in from our watch mobile. this time there's something new, a grown-up bullying, me, to test the parents. get ready. plenty of teachable moments for everyone. >> online i have seen. >> hash tiger lose go. >> you're ugli, fat. >> retarded. >> i had people tell me to kill myself. >> it is a painful world kids know all about but parents have a hard-time cracking, the nasty and relentless world of bullying and cyber bullying. >> cyber bullying happens every single second of the day honestly. >> it started to get me down. >> it made me feel worthless. >> mean, degrading comments posted for everyone to see. at its worst cyber bullying has been linked to isolation, depression, even suicide.

so what can parents do? we will tackle it head on. our "my head could never watch" mobile is driving through suburbs. parents will watch from our secret war room filled with surveillance equipment as their kids take on one of the toughest challenges of all. >> look at her face. of course she feels hurt. >> we'll watch as these kids deal with mean bullies in person. >> can you just like shut up. >> and online. >> they're getting nasty on social media. >> and there's a twist. >> we turn the tables and point our hidden cameras at the parents. this time the actor playing the actor is me. >> oh, it is terrible. i don't think you know what urm 'talking about. >> will these moms know what to do. >> i want you to pick a moment where you look back and you're like "this is what i should have done." >> roslyn will help us navigate the world's complicated world of

bullying. she is an educator who has written numerous books on teens including "queen bees and wanna bes. >> i want parents to realize their children have probably en in this situation. do not wait. sit down with your kid and say, let's figure out how to handle this. >> to help kids and their parents figure it out, we set up this room with hidden cameras and hired actors to play our bullies and victims. 14-year-old collette and 14-year-old jade enare not actors. they think they're here to take part in a focus group. they don't know their moms are joining me in our watch mobile parked outside. >> jaden is a very good student. she is a very good friend. >> jaden's mother says her daughter has been the victim of cyber bullying. >> some kids made an instagram page and put on pictures they hate that day and jaden's picture was on there. >> collette's mom says her

daughter has suffered bullying. >> there was a young man who was coming over to her when she was at her locker telling her she should kill herself and i contacted the school. >> how did the school handle the situation? >> it stopped so i'm assuming they got in touch with the boy's parents. >> how will these two girls react when they see someone else bullies face-to-face and on the internet? >> i think she's going to know the right thing is to speak up, but i'm afraid she is going to be like most 13-year olds and not be able to find her voice. >> tell us, what about collette's. >> from her personal i would predetective she would speak up. >> ready to see how she would do. >> i'm jaden, i'm on instagram, vine, tumbler. >> the kids are in the room being interviewed for what they think is a pop culture focus group. then the visible cameras leave, but the hidden cameras keep rolling. >> what about "the voice," isn't that like -- >> that's really popular.

>> things get off to a friendly start with the kids agreeing on their favorite tv show. >> awkward. >> our bully accomplice is charming. >> where did you guys get your clothes because it is like -- >> his outfits are cute. >> thank you. >> and our guy bully is flirty. >> although we are big fans of victoria secret, too. >> stop. >> so we start off with something like group dynamics. >> our parenting expert joins us in the watch mobile. >> here in this situation you have a bully who is a handsome kid. you wonder if the girls are influenced at all by that. >> i think that's the way people are wired, forget kids. we tend to be more attracted to attractive people. >> in just a few minutes the social hierarchy is established. the popular kids at one end of the table, the actor playing a nerdy kid at the other. and collette and jaden in the middle. the bully zero in on jeff and his size. >> these jeans are from urban.

>> jeff, those are slim fit. >> everything is slim fit on him. >> the real bullying is about to start. >> jeff, what about you. who is your favorite youtube channel person? >> besides food network. >> coming up. some surprise moments for our parents. >> this is so disturbing. >> and a moment of truth for our teens. >> so were you worried about jeff's feelings or were you more worried about, we're going to come off looking bad. >> i can't lie. >> when "dateline." continues. only want a clean feeling every day, you want your denture to be stain free. did you know there's a specialty cleanser that's gentle enough for everyday use and cleans better than regular toothpaste? try polident cleanser. it has a four in one cleaning system that kills ten times more odor causing bacteria than regular toothpaste, deep cleans where brushing may miss, helps remove tough stains, and maintains the original color of your dentures when used daily. for a cleaner, fresher, brighter denture, use polident every day.

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♪ >> does it work? >> natalie: we're watching these actors play out a familiar and upsetting scene, bullies picking on someone they think is vulnerable. in this case they tease our victim, also an actor, about his weight. >> jeff, what about you? who is your favorite youtube channel person? >> besides food network. >> stuck in the middle are two unsuspecting teens, 14-year-old collette and 13-year-old jaden. they have no idea the mean kids are actors as they lob zingers at our overweight actor. >> like jay law from hunger games which he never had to deal with in his life. >> they're starting to ratchet up the bullying. >> natalie: the bullies compare him to a bloated movie character. >> do you like chef and the chocolate factor. >> oh, my gosh, the blueberry.

>> they're getting uncomfortable. >> that's why they look at their phone all the time. >> the girls can't avoid the bullying on our phones either. our actors are going after our victim online, too. the kids are using their phones to rate some viral videos as part of our focus group. >> natalie: when our victim says he likes this video featuring weird al. >> soup's on. >> i like the weird al one. >> natalie: our bully pounces and starts cyber bullying. he sends a mean message to everyone in the group except our victim. the girls don't know it but we're following their online conversation from our watch mobile. >> >> the girls see the message. >> jaden saw it because she looked at him and wondered if he saw it. >> natalie: will they be tempted to join the cyber bullies or speak up for the victim.

their moms watch anxiously. >> are they not responding. >> natalie: the girls begin typing and it is not to defend our victim. they chime in with the bullies. >> so jaden said, he's annoying me. >> see. >> collette is like, omg, wow. lmao, laugh my -- >> natalie: theron line conversation continues. it seems the girl feels safe confiding. we interviewed them on camera earlier and suddenly they are worried they are being recorded right now. they say nothing in the room, but online -- >> okay, so jaden wrote, omg, guys, we have to stop being mean to jeff. they're definitely recording us. so she is worried about being recorded -- >> she doesn't mind being mean, she doesn't want to do it on camera. >> yeah. >> that's a conversation. >> jaden follows up with, omg, guys, we're so evil.

>> clearly they're saying let's stop this conversation, which is a good thing, but seems it came out of fear of getting caught. >> in the room the body language is clear. our victim is iced out. >> they're excluding him completely. this is so disturbing. >> right. >> that she wouldn't be more sensitive to the fact he is being excluded when she herself has been excluded at times. >> jeff, you got to contribute something, man. >> as our victim shuts down, jaden seems to really feel for him. she doesn't say anything to the bullies face-to-face, but pushes back online. >> i honestly feel bad, he's so quiet. i'm just like, oh, bad person. >> she feels bad about it. >> it is time to let the kids know what is really going on. >> did you guys all work together as a team? >> yeah, some of them we had struggles with. >> well, you're not really here for the focus group. we're doing a show called "my kid would never do that." these guys are actors, the bullies, and jeff is the victim. did you guys feel like it was

intense in here? >> it was. >> intense and very quiet. >> did you feel at one point you ever wanted to speak up for jeff? >> i did feel bad for jeff. i wanted it to stop. >> we tell the girls we've not only been watching them but reading their comments online as well. >> natalie: so were you worried about jeff's feelings or were you more worried about we're going to come can off looking bad? >> a little bit -- i can't lie, a little bit of both, but i can't say it was just they're recording us. >> natalie: were you afraid to speak up because maybe you would become a target? >> i guess i'm used to being silent about stuff. >> i was trying to deflect it. >> natalie: our expert comes in and explains how that can send a dangerous me dangerous message to the victim. >> do you see by doing that and let's stay out of it looks like you're totally siding with them. >> yeah, we did look like we're siding with them. >> natalie: the girls tell us they know what it feels like to be in the victim's shoes. >> i've had extreme experiences with bullying on multiple

occasions. >> sometimes i have been bullied at my school. it is so awkward, you don't want to say anything, you want to sit there. >> natalie: she understands and wants parents to know kids who have been victimized can have a harder time speaking up. >> as a parent it makes me think what more should we be doing. >> we're close. >> i applaud you guys for being so honest and open and willing to, you know, share awe hawhat have gone through to teach others. >> natalie: our next teen hasn't been bullied himself but his sister says she was the victim of nasty cyber bullying. meet connor. >> i'm 13 years old and i use instagram. >> natalie: his dad says even though he's in unfamiliar environment. >> i think he will stand up for himself or if someone else is picked on i think he would stand up. >> natalie: this time we switched up some of the actors. these two guys are the bullies and this actor is playing our awkward victim. we leave them alone to answer

th pop cultureuestions when o victim says he likes a particular tv show -- >> maybe like "dance moms" is really popular. >> our bullies dive right in. >> who are you? what kind of a suggestion was "dance moms?" >> i mean unless you like to dance around in your house with a leotard while it is on. >> at first he laughs along but then they make fun of his sweater and hair. >> he looks like the guy who plays ron weiseley if he were to wear glasses and a shirt made out of autumn leaves. >> you see he's nervous. >> connor loose like he is having fun with the guys but seems concerned about our victim. >> your favorite clothing brand, leaves? >> leaves? >> so he laughed. >> but watch what he does next. >> i like leaves. >> trying to make him feel a little bit better. i like leaves. >> connor begins aligning

himself with our victim. watch how he disagrees with the bullies about the best video game. >> i think it is more of a "call of duty" kind of thing. >> i think "call of duty" would be more. >> don't kill me when i say i don't like "call of duty." >> it is huge for him to say he doesn't like "call of dulty." >> and he confuses with humor. >> i love jennifer lawrence. >> i can tell. she's my wife. >> she's my wife? >> did i ever tell you boys. >> i know a lot of people like ariana grande. >> she's my wife as well. don't tell jennifer. >> we don't need to worry about ed's input anymore. >> what do you think, ed? >> what do you think, cut him off there. >> connor has taken crucial steps to support our victim in the room.

but things get more complicated with the bullying goes cyber. >> this is a lot for him to deal with. >> coming up -- >> no wonder why he voted "harry potter" that's who he bases his outfit on, #nerd. >> that's harsh. what will connor do, when "dateline" continues. we all want to know about the new thing.

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way, 13-year-old connor has done his best to help the actor being bullied in this room. >> what do you think, ed? >> natalie: but what will he do about the cyber bullying? it is something his older sister alyssa says she had to deal with. >> they said i look disgusting, like a rat. they picked on what i look like, my nose. >> natalie: alyssa says cyber bullying can be "fast and furious" with kids piling on mean comments. >> adults could usually say, oh, just ignore them, brush it off, but it can really get to someone's child if it is constantly happening every single day. they don't feel the loneliness that their child might feel. >> natalie: now her brother connor is about to deal with some cyber bullies, and their dad is watching from our watch mobile. the bully takes a picture of our victim and posts it with this comment. he's like, no wonder why he voted "harry potter," that's who he bases his outfit, #nerd.

>> connor sees the comments? >> he's following. >> natalie: he turns the heat, calling him the biggest nerd ever and then writing. >> the latest comment, you would be so much better if you wear a bag over your head. >> natalie: this time one of the bullies asks connor to like the post. >> told the guy like it, or leave a comment or something. >> this is a lot for him to deal with. >> connor appears deep in thought. after one more look at our victim he decides what to do. he puts his phone down practically out of reach. the message is clear, he won't in in. >> he literally was pressured by somebody and he didn't do it. >> he sho compassion to people getting picked on, and i pretty much felt he would do that. >> hi. >> natalie: we come in to congratulate him on everything he did right. >> i was sitting there saying, my god, this child is trying everything you could.

were you trying to say something or trying to put words -- >> i wanted to say something, i wanted to help, but i didn't want them to retaliate on me. >> natalie: it is best says wiseman to say something short and effective to the bullies like, stop it. but if you can't, you can still send a power of message without saying a word like connor did when he pushed his phone away. >> when did you feel the biggest resistance? where was it hardest to keep going. >> the whole thing was to be hard to keep going because he's such a good kid. i felt so bad. >> yeah. >> can i give you a hug, because i know what you're feeling. this is a lot to deal with. by the way, i'm your new wife. jennifer lawrence is not your wife. >> natalie: a lot of kids told us they feared retaliation if they confronted the bullies, but there's another reason kids don't speak up and it is a hard one to admit to. sometimes they just don't like the victim. but that, says roslyn wiseman, is no excuse.

>> you can acknowledge it, yeah, this person is annoying. there will be annoying people in the world. but just because they're somebody who doesn't get along or you don't feel as much in common with does not therefore mean that you just turn your back on them. >> natalie: so what will happen when our victim is angel, an actress we asked to appear immature, awkward, even irritating. >> like think of the person who interrupts all the time and tells their own story. >> natalie: angel says when she was younger she was targeted by bullies. >> i apparently had a reputation for being annoying in school. >> natalie: let's see how our next teens do. first up, grace. >> i'm 13 and i use instagram. >> and bianca who is in the eighth grade. i'm in the watch mobile with their parents. grace's dad says she is outgoing, into muse pick and theater. he has told her to try to avoid situations that involve bullying. >> is she going to say something or back off and back out of the situation? >> it depends on how far it goes. i would be curious to see what

her facial suppressions aexpres is going through her mind. my get is she will stay out of it as long as she can. >> bianca's mom says her daughter is quiet, an avid reader and not big on social media. she also says bianca has been the target of terrible bullying, some of it even physical. >> so she knows how it feels to be the victim. >> yeah. >> she says she has told bianca to speak up for herself. >> now days if you don't do anything, they're constantly coming back because you're not defending yourself. they're like, you're an easy target. i don't want her to be an easy target. >> ready to see how they do? >> yeah. >> here we go. >> this time we have an all-girl group with actors playing bullies and victim, who has been asked to be annoying. before long it becomes apparent angel isn't fitting in. >> it makes me think, my god, my cousin has an adorable corgi, he

runs around with stubby little legs all the time like this. so cute. >> do you have -- >> angel, like, sorri, we just need -- you're talking a lot and we need to get these all through. >> then they make fun of her favorite social site. >> a lot of teenagers use tumbler. >> i don't think anyone uses tumbler. >> like you're indoors a lock. >> and mock her when she imitates a youtube character. >> hi, i'm cutie pie. >> can you say it again. >> cutie pie. >> one more time. >> it is really funny. >> just one more time. >> she seems not there. >> what gives you an indication she's not there? talk to me about that. >> she was on the phone and i don't know, maybe she is trying to stay out of it. >> now for the cyber bullying. will it be easier for the girls to push back online? the mean girls take a picture of our victim when she's not looking and send it with this comment. >> angel loves weird al. big surprise that the weirdest girl likes weird al.

>> bianca doesn't respond but grace chimes in. >> crying. >> that is cyber slang for laughing so hard you're crying. >> grace, your daughter, crying. so your daughter is joining in a little bit. it is tough because, you know, that's how kids -- they want to be a part of the conversation. >> then the bully takes it one step further. >> they're getting really nasty on social media. >> she takes a selfie with just bianca and grace and sends it to them with the comment, so glad you guys are here, and then -- >> can angel like shut up? guys, ignore her. >> oh, wow. >> now they're telling your girls to exclude angel. >> oh, wow. >> what will the girls do this time? remember, bianca hasn't commented on any of the posts and this time grace doesn't either. >> angel, can you just like shut

up? like everything you are saying is kind of like bringing us down. think before you talk. >> so it is getting mean and they look like they're -- >> yeah. >> really silent in that room. it is almost like your own girls are afraid to contribute any answers. >> yeah, they're kind of backing off. >> yeah. >> the girls become more quiet, though grace remains friendly with the bullies. >> i'm going to ask your daughters about laughing. >> yeah. >> about why you laugh in certain situations. because sometimes you laugh because you're nervous and you don't know what to do. >> i mean some of it in a group dynamic you are trying to get the group back on track too. >> totally. >> absolutely. >> almost involuntary. >> looks like the girls are not going to defend our victim in the room or online. we get ready to wrap it up. >> i know it is hard to tear your eyes away -- >> suddenly a dramatic reaction turns everything around. >> is she crying? >> looks like it. >> she may be the actress but

these emotions are real. >> are you okay, angel? so what really happened here? >> and later, a real challenge for the parents. >> oh, this looks awful. >> a grown-up bully puts our moms to the test. how will they do? >> i'm in shock right now. i'm sorry but i can't speak. >> when "dateline" continues. ♪ so probably take it at night. and if you have any questions, the instructions are here in spanish as you requested. gracias. ♪ at walgreens, how we care will change over time, but why we care remains the same treating everyone with the care and attention they deserve. walgreens. trusted since 1901. can start in the colon constiand may be signs of an imbalance of good bacteria. only phillips' colon health has this unique combination of probiotics. it provides four-in-one symptom defense.

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♪ >> i'm dara brown . president trump has denied release of the democrat's memo countering one released by republicans on the russia investigation. he accused democrats with playing politics with sensitive information that can't be released to the public. larry nassar, the former usa gymnastics doctor that admitted to abusing patients and possessing pornography has been transferred to a prison in arizona where he will serve a 60-year sentence for child porn charges. back to "dateline." ♪

>> grace and bianca have watched our bullies pick on a girl who sent fitting in. >> angel, can you just like shut up? >> though the girls are clearly sensed the tension, they haven't confronted the bullied or reached out to our victim. but just as i'm about to leave our watch mobile with their parents to meet them, this happens. >> j. law. >> the actor playing our victim starts to cry. >> even looks like angel is, you know, upset. >> wow. >> like emotional. >> her emotional reaction sparks something in bianca. she reaches over and touches angel's leg and gives her a reassuring look, even asking angel for her phone number. >> yeah, just write it. >> and then watch what happens as the other girls prepare to take a selfie, bianca makes sure angel comes over to get in the shot. >> and when she sees angel didn't make it in -- >> is that one in? >> i don't think we all got in.

>> she makes them take it again. >> maybe we should get up so we can all fit in. yeah. >> as they pose, there's no question whose side bianca is on. she wraps her arm around angel and keeps it there. >> nice. so your daughter did something for the victim. you're proud of her for that? >> yeah, i really am. >> did you guys all work together as a team? >> i go to meet the girls and that's when it becomes clear even though this is an acting job for angel, the nasty comments brought back a lot of real memory. >> are you okay, angel? okay. so what really happened here? i'll tell you what really happened. we are doing a show called "my kid would never do that." actuall actually angel is an actress and you are here on a show about bullying. it was hard. this is no act. >> this isn't. it brings back memories because

for me i have gone through this before as a kid as well, and so i want to thank you, bianca. thank you for pulling me aside. when she saw i started crying she started comfort canning me. >> where did that come from, bianca? >> i get bullied a lot too so i know how it feels. >> now, glaze, drace, did you p on the bullying? >> yes, and i didn't want to say anything. everyone here is like really nice. >> we tell them we've been reading the comments they posted online. remember, when one of the bullies called our victim weird grace went along. >> not to put you on the spot, but it is a natural thing i think for kids to want to feel like they're a part of the conversation on social media. so you chiemd med in there on t. maybe did you feel like you had to get them to like you? >> well, i felt more of a connection to them because like i didn't really have any like, you know, anything in common with you, angel. >> and that's the whole point of our demonstration says wiseman

who comes in to talk to the girls. >> it shouldn't matter if you're like those people or not, like you have something in common with them or not. because if someone is mean and they're different, that should be the flag of "wait, this is totally wrong," right? >> i regret doing things. i feel like i should have kind of went with bianca. she did the right thing, i feel like. >> that's very brave of you to say that. >> mature actually. >> a lot of courage. >> that's really mature of you. >> when it comes to cyber bullying, wiseman says it is not enough for parents to tell kids, "be nice." they need to be taught exactly what to do. >> i want you to think about what's a short thing you would say online, not something you would say in person because they're different. when you're online you need to say something short that stops it. what do you want to do? >> that's not funny. >> right. >> or just stop. >> i think not funny and stop are both good because there's nowhere to go from there. >> do you feel like you learned a lot from this?

>> yes. >> yeah. >> and so did their parents. >> it was a good learning experience. i think you made some very good points about, you know, there's going to be conflict, there are difficult things we have to deal with in liv, and that's how you mature and, you know, become a better person and a better adult. >> for our next group we have a big surprise for the parents. but we'll start with their kids, natalie and lindsey, both 13. >> okay. so reality show, keeping -- >> keeping up with the kardashians. >> i watch that, i have to be honest. >> i'm monitoring from our watch mobile with lindsey's mother. >> she is really sweet, sensitive, athletic. i would say very empathetic. >> and natalie's mom. >> natalie is a sweet girl. she's a very warm person. i think she cares about what people are thinking about her. i think she wants to be liked. >> how do they think their daughters will react? >> if she will speak up, 50/50

chance. >> i think if something she is sensitive to, i think she will speak up. >> ready to see how your kids do? >> see it. >> we have the same team of actors playing mean girls and victim. our bullies jump right in. >> angel going based on some of your other answers i think we should maybe just not listen to that input at all. >> lindsey just looked at natalie. >> the bullies attack our victim's appearance. >> you know, you definitely don't look at beauty video tutorials on youtube. >> the girls seem to notice our victim is hurt. they look at each other again and change the subject. >> a lot of people -- >> when she says something rude, they're not even responding to the girls. they're going on to the next subject, like they didn't hear that. >> they're avoiding. >> anything you would like your daughter to be doing differently right now? >> well, it would be nice if she said, let's hear what angel has to say or that story is interesting to me. >> though the girls seem troubled they don't say anything. but what will they do when the

bullying goes virtual? our mean girls make fun of our victim angel, weird girls likes weird al. natalie and lindsey see the post but seem as a loss as to what to do. >> they're not partaking in the meanness. >> they're not liking. >> they don't want to be contributing to it. >> right. >> positive, pro, but con is they're not stopping it. >> you guys good? >> i go in to tell the girls what's really happening. >> oh, my god. >> and they tell me something we didn't know. they were texting each other, having a private conversation we couldn't see. >> i said, i know, right? it is a little intense. >> i said, seriousli, and i wrote #bullies. >> they tell us what a lot of kids tell us, they felt bad for our victim but couldn't find the right words to confront the bullies, something even adults can relate to. >> i think that there's no age limit on when we face these issues and learn how to deal with them better.

>> would we as parents know what to do? >> i was stunned. i was in shock. >> we decided to turn our hidden cameras on the adults. it is time for our very first edition of "my parent would never do that." coming up -- >> i'm sure you're a makeup artist. >> how will our moms react to a bully in their midst. >> she's like are you really a makeup artist. >> did you say anything. >> when "dateline" continues. let's talk about haribo goldbears.

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we've put kids to the test. >> what? >> seeing how they react to bullying. many of them struggled, but here's a question. do we as parents really know what to do. >> when it comes to bullying and preventing bullying, are we giving them the right tools? >> i don't think we are. i don't think we're giving them specific tools. sometimes it is because i think we don't know the specific tools. we're not told and taught ourselves. >> and that's a problem, our parenting expert says, because our kids watch us constantly. what happens if we don't confront a bully or, worse, act like bullies ourselves. >> you're being a terrible role model, all of the children see it and talk about it. children talk about crazy parents all the time. >> it is not just what we say but what we do. so we decided it was time to point the hidden cameras at the parents. they're the role models, will they know what to do? >> this time i'm playing the

bully. i need a good disguise. first i get some new curves. >> oh, my god. there's layers. >> two layers of booty. >> next up, a wardrobe change. >> so good. >> then it is time for a new face. i get a prosthetic nose. >> how's the profile. >> a wig, glasses and long, pink nails. my physical transformation is complete. but can i really play a believable bully? >> this is the easy part. the hard part is coming up next. >> here is what we did. it is the night before we start testing kids. we invited two of the moms, stacey and alison, to come to our studio for a preinterview. they don't know i'm involved in the project so they're not looking for natalie morales. we're all backstage getting our makeup done and i'm pretending to be just another mom like them. >> thank you, guys. >> hey, ladies. >> they don't seem to recognize me. my victim is an actor playing the role of a makeup artist. >> oh, you just -- you got

powder all over me. >> i get right to work in front of the unsuspected moms. >> have you done this before? >> yeah. >> no. oh, this looks awful. >> i escalate the nastiness. >> oh, god. i'm going to look like a corpse with this. >> and treat the makeup ladies terrible. >> terrible. i don't think you know what you're doing. are you sure you're a makeup artist. >> the women seem uncomfortable. stacey makes a face and alison turns away from me. they laugh nervously but don't say a word about my behavior. >> are you sure you've done this before? >> i believe the room unchecked. >> hi. >> but when the real makeup artist arrives, the two women can't stop talking about me. >> wait until you talk to your counterpart. >> she is like, are you really a makeup artist, you know you have the right colors. >> did you say anything? >> no, i was stunned. i was in shock. >> as they talk things over, the moms seemed to second guess themselves, wondering if they should have done something.

>> i guess we should have said, listen, it is really no big deal. >> in fact, they seem so troubled by it they recount the story again, this time to one of our producers. >> the other mom here, she was like a little bit, you know, abrasive to the -- to the makeup artist. it was like weird. >> but we just -- >> it was odd. >> i'm in shock right now. i'm sorry, i can't speak. >> it was the very next day that i sat down with them without a disguise and watched their daughters do exactly what they had done. notice the bullies, talk about it amongst themselves, laugh nervously, and say nothing to stop it. now with everyone in the room -- >> it is not just you guys who have a hard time speaking up. okay? take a look. >> i showed them clips from the day before. >> oh, this looks awful. >> and reveal that i was the bully. >> that's what you were doing yesterday. >> yeah. >> a bit of payback for the

girls and a reminder for the adults, dealing with a bully is tough at any age. >> quite frankly, maybe the girls felt the same way. like i didn't really want to get too involved. >> big learning. >> for everybody. >> for everyone. >> the great thing is the parents learned as much as the kids this time around, right? >> absolutely. >> so far we've seen that even grownups have a hard time confronting bullies headon. we thought one more group, but if parents can't do it, how can we expect the kids to? coming up -- >> look at her face, of course she feels hurt. our most power of moment yet. >> more guts than i do, that's for sure. >> when "dateline" continues. you could start your search at the all-new carfax.com that might help. show me the carfax. now the car you want and the history you need are easy to find. show me used trucks with one owner. pretty cool. [laughs] ah... ahem...

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♪ we've seen how hard it is even for adults to confront a bully and we've heard how devastating the effects of bullying can be. >> it made me honestly feel horrible. >> it was really, like, hurt of to me. >> i couldn't concentrate in class. >> so far no one has directly called our bullies out, but there's someone in our last group who should be up to the challenge. 15-year-old kaylyn. her parents say they've talked to her about how to deal with confrontation. after she was bullied she started a campaign. >> they had meetings after

school and made posters and that kind of stuff. >> she has a brother with special needs which made her more empathetic and protective. >> big boy. >> with all of these experiences, surely kaylyn will be the one to confront our bullies, right? not so fast. >> saying something at school where you're comfortable is one thing, but in a room full of people you don't know it will be more difficult. >> joining her is 14-year-old britney, an outgoing girl into sports. her mother says britney has been bullied on her school bus. she doesn't know how her daughter will react today. >> i'm unsure. i think it is 50/50. >> remember, they think they're here to answer questions about what teens like. >> i want you guys to have a consensus. but our bullies, remember, they're actors, have a different agenda. once again they quickly single out our victim, dismissing her input about the best tv show. >> like i could see some of the nerdier people in my class

totally watch all of those. >> no, specific, right? >> yeah. >> and compare her to the geeky character from television. >> she is the nerdy character and everyone picks on her, she's so out of it. >> kaylyn and brittany are aware of what is going on and don't like it. >> you read like lord of the rings? >> yes. >> do you know elvish? >> so funny. >> kaylyn tries to stare them down with a long, hard glare. >> i don't think your daughter likes them anymore. >> your daughter gave them a good, cold, hard stare. >> if looks could kill our bullies would be toast by now, but she doesn't say anything. >> no offense, but you're not super with it. >> kaylyn's jaw literally drops as the bullies keep going. >> but you should give us the video game answer because we don't play video games because we like have a social life. >> sure. >> finally she has had enough. >> i think that was really disrespect of. i'm not trying to be disrespect

frank lickliter to y disrespectful, but because her taste is not yours you can't pick on her. >> kaylyn confronts the bullies and doesn't stop. >> you can disagree but it is not nice to shoot her down. >> when the mean girls try to exclude angel from a group selfie, she has an answer. >> we'll take our own. >> brittany seems caught in the middle and unsure what to do? >> yeah, with the video game. >> things escalate with the cyber bullying. this time meaner, the victims make fun writing, only angel would think it is the best video and make it public so she can see it. >> guys, you know i can read the commends. >> it is just a joke. >> but kaylyn won't give them a joke online either. >> you are crossing lines and it is not funny anymore. >> do you feel hurt, angel? >> look at her face.

of course she is hurt. >> kaylyn help as brittany find her voice. >> you shouldn't be doing that. >> i think brittany is hearing him and thinking, i need to be more assertive. >> on top of everything kaylyn goes a step further. she befriends our victim. >> i think your taips is cool. >> thanks. >> and i would love for you to teach me about it more, for real. >> your daughter is so sweet. my gosh, i love your daughter. i want to be friends with her. how do you feel about that? >> i'm very proud. that's kaylyn. >> her dad is overcome. >> got more guts than i do, that's for sure. >> hi, guys. >> i go and tell the girls we've been watching on hidden cameras. >> oh, my dad saw me yell at people. >> no. you were phenomenal. >> wiseman admires how kaylyn handled the tough situation with ease. >> you being able to articulate a strong opinion is not yelling

at people. you did that in an assertive way. it was absolutely perfect. >> wiseman says even though brittany wasn't as vocal, she too helped shut down the bullies. >> i was watching your body language. at one point you completely turned towards angel. i just want tone courage you, like the small things that you were doing actually make a difference. >> come on in, parents. give your kids a big hug. >> both their parents couldn't be prouder. >> getting a little emotional, huh? >> david, did you learn something about your daughter today that you didn't know before this? >> she's got, you know, 1,000 times more guts than i do. >> big hugs all around. >> excellent job, ladies. >> bullying may be one of the most complicated situations you and your kids will ever face. you won't get it right every time, but the important thing is to keep trying. >> i want parents to realize it doesn't make them bad parents or their kids bad kids. it is we're in messy communities where conflict happens.

sit down with your kid and say, you know what, bad things are going to happen so let's figure out how to handle it so you can be proud of it and i can be proud of it. >> we want to say a big thank you to all of the families who took part in our "my kid would never do that" series. that's all for this edition of "dateline." i'm natalie morales. thanks for watching. i'm craig melvin. >> i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline." >> reporter: some fun-loving kids, a table full of treats and this. he sees it. just saw it. these kids have all had safety training -- >> today, we're going to talk about guns. >> reporter: -- telling them to walk away and find an adult. but in the heat of the moment -- >> ooh, a gun! >> reporter: -- with a fake gun and hidden cameras everywhere, we put kids to the test. >> so scary.