🛡️ Teen Survival Guide for Police Encounters
- 1. 1.1 What to Do When You’re Stopped by Police on the Street 00:04:13
- 2. 1.2 What to Do If You’re Pulled Over While Driving 00:04:17
- 3. 1.3 How to Stay Alive When You're Scared During a Police Encounter 00:04:17
- 4. 1.4 When a Cop Tells You to Stop, Sit, or Lay Down – What’s Legal? 00:04:19
- 5. 1.5 Keeping Your Hands Visible: Why Movement Matters 00:04:37
- 6. 1.6 What NOT to Say During a Stop (Even If You’re Innocent) 00:03:31
- 7. 1.7 Surviving the Stop if You’re a Passenger in a Car 00:03:46
- 8. 1.8 What to Do If You’re Cuffed or Pinned Without Reason 00:05:23
- 9. 1.9 If They Point a Gun at You – Stay Alive First 00:04:54
- 10. 1.10 What Happens When You Try to Run – Real Talk 00:05:04
- 11. 1.11 What to Do If You’re Slammed Against a Wall or Car 00:05:19
- 12. 1.12 When to Stay Still – and When You’re Allowed to Move 00:04:51
- 13. 1.13 How to De-escalate When a Cop Is Yelling or Angry 00:04:06
- 14. 1.14 How to Breathe and Stay Calm When It Feels Like Life or Death 00:04:44
- 15. 1.15 What to Say If You’re With Friends and One Person Is Targeted 00:03:43
- 16. 1.16 How to Protect Yourself When a Cop Grabs You 00:04:15
- 17. 1.17 What to Do If You’re Chased by Police (Foot or Car) 00:04:54
- 18. 1.18 If You’re Stopped on a Bike, Scooter, or Skateboard 00:04:49
- 19. 1.19 Cop Said You “Fit the Description” – Now What? 00:04:46
- 20. 1.20 What Happens If You Touch a Cop (Don’t) 00:04:49
- 21. 1.21 When You're Told to “Stop Resisting” – Even If You're Not 00:04:02
- 22. 1.22 Do You Have to Talk at All? (No.) 00:00:00
- 23. 1.23 “Why Are You So Nervous?” – What to Say Without Losing It 00:00:00
- 24. 1.24 Why Complying Doesn’t Guarantee Safety (But It Helps You Survive) 00:00:00
- 25. 1.25 If It Goes Bad: How to Make It Out Alive to Fight Another Day 00:00:00
- 1. 2.1 What Are Your Miranda Rights (And When They Apply) 00:00:00
- 2. 2.2 Detained vs. Arrested – What’s the Difference? 00:00:00
- 3. 2.3 You Have the Right to Remain Silent – Use It Safely 00:00:00
- 4. 2.4 Can They Search You or Your Stuff? – What’s Legal 00:00:00
- 5. 2.5 What to Say If They Ask to Search Your Backpack or Pockets 00:00:00
- 6. 2.6 When They Want to Search Your Phone – Say This 00:00:00
- 7. 2.7 How to Say “I Want a Lawyer” the Right Way 00:00:00
- 8. 2.8 Can You Refuse to Be Searched at School? 00:00:00
- 9. 2.9 Why You Should Never Lie – Even When Scared 00:00:00
- 10. 2.10 Saying “I Don’t Consent to a Search” Without Starting a Fight 00:00:00
- 11. 2.11 Are You Required to Show ID? (Depends on the State) 00:00:00
- 12. 2.12 Understanding "Stop-and-Frisk" Laws in Your Area 00:00:00
- 13. 2.13 What Happens If You’re Searched Without a Warrant 00:00:00
- 14. 2.14 What the Police Are Allowed to Lie About 00:00:00
- 15. 2.15 When a Cop Asks You to Come to the Station Voluntarily 00:00:00
- 16. 2.16 Can They Go Through Your Social Media or DMs? 00:00:00
- 17. 2.17 What If You’re on Probation or Have a Record? 00:00:00
- 18. 2.18 Your Rights During a House Visit or Knock-and-Talk 00:00:00
- 19. 2.19 What Happens If You Refuse to Talk or Walk Away? 00:00:00
- 20. 2.20 When Can a Cop Use a Taser on You Legally? 00:00:00
- 21. 2.21 How Body Cameras Work – and How to Request Footage 00:00:00
- 22. 2.22 Are Cops Allowed to Trick You into Confessing? 00:00:00
- 23. 2.23 Can You Be Held Without Charges? For How Long? 00:00:00
- 24. 2.24 Knowing the Difference Between State and Federal Laws 00:00:00
- 25. 2.25 How to Protect Your Rights When You Don’t Know Them All 00:00:00
- 1. 3.1 Your Rights with School Resource Officers (SROs) 00:00:00
- 2. 3.2 What to Do If You’re Searched at School Without Consent 00:00:00
- 3. 3.3 Can You Be Arrested at School? What Happens? 00:00:00
- 4. 3.4 What Happens When You’re in a Group and Cops Show Up 00:00:00
- 5. 3.5 How to Handle Being Accused for Someone Else’s Actions 00:00:00
- 6. 3.6 What to Do During Protests, Rallies, or Large Events 00:00:00
- 7. 3.7 If You're Filming the Police – What You Must Know 00:00:00
- 8. 3.8 Can You Be Forced to Delete a Video? (Hint: No) 00:00:00
- 9. 3.9 When They Tell You to Leave an Area – What to Know 00:00:00
- 10. 3.10 If You See a Cop Abusing Someone Else – Stay Safe While Helping 00:00:00
- 11. 3.11 Your Rights in School Interrogations (With or Without Parents Present) 00:00:00
- 12. 3.12 Can Teachers or Staff Search You or Your Stuff? 00:00:00
- 13. 3.13 How to Stay Safe When Tensions Rise in a Group Setting 00:00:00
- 14. 3.14 Your Rights on the Bus, at Lunch, and During After-School Events 00:00:00
- 15. 3.15 Do School Rules Override Your Legal Rights? 00:00:00
- 16. 3.16 What to Do If You're Targeted by a School Officer Repeatedly 00:00:00
- 17. 3.17 How to Report Police Misconduct at School 00:00:00
- 18. 3.18 What Happens If Your School Contacts the Police on You 00:00:00
- 19. 3.19 Your Rights at Dances, Games, Field Trips, or School Travel 00:00:00
- 20. 3.20 What to Do If a Fight Breaks Out and Police Get Involved 00:00:00
- 21. 3.21 Public Spaces: Are You Allowed to Stand There? 00:00:00
- 22. 3.22 What If You’re Stopped at a Park, Store, or Skate Spot? 00:00:00
- 23. 3.23 Can You Be Searched for Hanging Out in a “Bad Area”? 00:00:00
- 24. 3.24 Group Guilt: What Happens When One Person Has Contraband 00:00:00
- 25. 3.25 How to Stay Safe Without Being the “Snitch” 00:00:00
- 1. 4.1 What to Do After You’re Let Go from a Stop 00:00:00
- 2. 4.2 How to Report a Cop for Harassment or Excessive Force 00:00:00
- 3. 4.3 What to Write Down After a Police Encounter 00:00:00
- 4. 4.4 How to Save Videos, Notes, and Screenshots the Right Way 00:00:00
- 5. 4.5 If You’re Charged with Something – What Happens Next 00:00:00
- 6. 4.6 Juvenile Court vs. Adult Court – Know the Difference 00:00:00
- 7. 4.7 Getting a Public Defender – What They Do and Don’t Do 00:00:00
- 8. 4.8 Can You Clear Your Record Later? (Yes, Here’s How) 00:00:00
- 9. 4.9 What to Do If You’re Put on Probation 00:00:00
- 10. 4.10 If You’re Locked Up – Who to Call and What to Say 00:00:00
- 11. 4.11 How to Prepare for Court Without Panicking 00:00:00
- 12. 4.12 Understanding Plea Deals: What They Offer and What They Take 00:00:00
- 13. 4.13 What Happens If You Miss a Court Date 00:00:00
- 14. 4.14 What a Judge Can Legally Do to You 00:00:00
- 15. 4.15 Understanding Bail, Bond, and Release Conditions 00:00:00
- 16. 4.16 How to Talk to a Lawyer – Even If You’re Scared or Angry 00:00:00
- 17. 4.17 What to Expect in a Juvenile Hearing 00:00:00
- 18. 4.18 How to Get a Copy of Your Police Report 00:00:00
- 19. 4.19 Can You Sue the Police? Here's What It Takes 00:00:00
- 20. 4.20 How to Get Help from a Civil Rights Organization 00:00:00
- 21. 4.21 If You’re a Victim of Wrongful Arrest 00:00:00
- 22. 4.22 The Long-Term Consequences of a Record (Even If You’re a Teen) 00:00:00
- 23. 4.23 What a “Diversion Program” Is and How to Qualify 00:00:00
- 24. 4.24 Clearing Your Name: What Expungement Means 00:00:00
- 25. 4.25 Rebuilding Your Life After the System Tries to Break You 00:00:00
- 1. 5.1 Processing Trauma After a Scary Police Encounter 00:00:00
- 2. 5.2 Who to Talk To: Counselors, Lawyers, and Safe Adults 00:00:00
- 3. 5.3 How to Talk to Your Parents After an Incident 00:00:00
- 4. 5.4 Supporting a Friend Who Got Stopped or Arrested 00:00:00
- 5. 5.5 When to Speak Out – and When to Stay Quiet for Safety 00:00:00
- 6. 5.6 How Racism and Bias Show Up in Policing 00:00:00
- 7. 5.7 What to Do If ICE or Border Patrol Gets Involved 00:00:00
- 8. 5.8 Knowing the Laws in Your State 00:00:00
- 9. 5.9 How to Stay Informed – Podcasts, TikToks, and Real News 00:00:00
- 10. 5.10 Your Life Matters – Why You Deserve to Come Home Safe 00:00:00
- 11. 5.11 What to Do If You're Feeling Angry, Hopeless, or Numb After an Encounter 00:00:00
- 12. 5.12 How to Cope with Nightmares or Flashbacks 00:00:00
- 13. 5.13 Finding Purpose After Pain: Turning Fear into Fuel 00:00:00
- 14. 5.14 What to Do If You Start to Feel Paranoid About Cops Everywhere 00:00:00
- 15. 5.15 Healing in Community – Why You Don’t Have to Carry This Alone 00:00:00
- 16. 5.16 Art, Music, Writing: Healthy Ways to Let Out the Pain 00:00:00
- 17. 5.17 How to Ask for Help Without Feeling Weak 00:00:00
- 18. 5.18 How to Deal with the Guilt of “Why Did They Target Me and Not My Friend?” 00:00:00
- 19. 5.19 When You’re the One Who Got Away – Survivor’s Guilt is Real 00:00:00
- 20. 5.20 Using Your Voice: Speaking at School, Church, or Online Safely 00:00:00
- 21. 5.21 When to Call a Crisis Line – It’s Not Just for Emergencies 00:00:00
- 22. 5.22 If You’re LGBTQ+ and Feel Unsafe with Police or School Officers 00:00:00
- 23. 5.23 Supporting Siblings and Little Kids Who Witnessed a Scary Event 00:00:00
- 24. 5.24 If You’ve Been Publicly Shamed or Viral After a Stop 00:00:00
- 25. 5.25 Claiming Your Power Back: You’re Not Broken – You’re Woke and Alive 00:00:00
Course overview
Lesson Overview
4.2 – How to Report a Cop for Harassment or Excessive Force: When you feel mistreated by an officer, there’s a process for standing up for yourself safely. The first step is documenting everything clearly and calmly. Write down the officer’s name, badge number, car number, and the department they work for. Save any photos, videos, or witness names right away. Don’t post about it online—take it to the proper channels instead. You can file a complaint directly with the department’s internal affairs or through your city’s civilian review board. If you’re a minor, ask a trusted adult or lawyer to help you fill out the forms. Be clear, honest, and detailed so the complaint holds weight. It may feel like the system is against you, but your record matters. Keep copies of everything you send, and note dates and who you spoke to. Many cities have deadlines for reporting, so don’t wait too long. If you feel unsafe, organizations like the ACLU or local advocacy groups can guide you. Reporting is not revenge—it’s about accountability and change. It shows courage and teaches that rights only mean something when we use them responsibly.
About this course
This comprehensive guide is designed to help teens navigate real-life encounters with law enforcement with confidence, clarity, and caution. From understanding your legal rights to knowing what to say—and what not to say—this series empowers young people
This course includes:
- A full series of engaging, age-appropriate lessons designed specifically for teens
- Real-world scenarios and roleplay examples to prepare for actual police encounters
- Easy-to-understand breakdowns of legal terms like probable cause, reasonable suspicion, and Miranda rights