Hide From Someone at School (Hallway Evading)
If someone at school is following, threatening, or making you feel unsafe, do not try to vanish into a closet or evade staff. Move calmly toward a staffed, occupied area, tell an adult what is happening, and follow the school’s safety plan. Keep halls and exits clear, and call your local emergency number if danger is immediate and it is safe.
It can feel safer to get out of sight. Yet if someone may be threatening you, being alone or hidden can make it harder for staff to find and help you. The safer goal is not to disappear. It is to reach a supervised place, explain what is happening, and make sure a trusted adult takes responsibility for the next step.
If your concern is an awkward interaction rather than a threat, you can still choose a busy, public route and ask a teacher or counselor for help. You do not need to confront the person or explain yourself in the hallway. What matters is that you avoid creating a new risk for yourself or others.
Plan ahead: know whom to contact
Planning means knowing which adults and school procedures can help before a difficult moment occurs. It does not mean mapping secret routes or finding places to hide. Identify a few trusted staff members and learn how to reach the main office, counseling office, or security staff during the school day.
If you are a student, consider a teacher, counselor, coach, administrator, or another adult you trust. If you work at a school, follow your role’s reporting procedure and contact the staff member responsible for student safety. Ask the school where you should go if you feel unsafe and what to do if that adult is not available.
Keep the plan simple enough to remember:
- Name at least one trusted adult and one backup.
- Know how to contact the main office or school security.
- Learn how your school asks students or staff to report threats.
- If you use a phone, know the school’s rules and keep it available for permitted safety use.
- If you have a disability or need mobility support, ask staff how your safety plan should account for that need.
A plan should fit your school’s rules. Do not rely on a route, room, or door that staff have not approved as a safe place. If you are unsure, ask an adult before an incident occurs.
If someone follows or threatens you: move toward help
A staffed, occupied area is a place where an adult can see you and respond, such as the school office or a classroom with a teacher present. If danger feels immediate, move toward the nearest such area without blocking others. Do not stop in a doorway or stairwell, and do not approach the person to argue.
Use the closest safe option that fits the situation. That might be a teacher’s room, the main office, a staffed reception area, or a nearby group of adults. Follow school directions if staff guide you elsewhere. If the person is close, focus on reaching an adult rather than choosing a perfect route.
Tell an adult plainly:
“I feel unsafe. Someone is following or threatening me. Please stay with me and contact the appropriate staff.”
If speaking is hard, show the message on your phone if school rules allow, or ask another student or adult to tell staff. Share what you know: who the person is, where you last saw them, what they did or said, and whether anyone else may be at risk. Do not guess or add details you are unsure about.
If there is immediate danger, call your local emergency number if you can do so safely. If you cannot call, ask an adult or bystander to call. Follow the school’s emergency plan and instructions from staff or responders.
Why a closet or hidden space is not a safe plan
A concealed or lockable space is an enclosed place that staff may not be able to see or reach quickly. A closet, cabinet, ceiling void, or unapproved locked room can delay help, create an entrapment risk, or interfere with school emergency procedures. Do not use one as a refuge from another person.
A hallway is also not a refuge by itself. It may be busy, and stopping there can block movement or make it harder for others to pass. Keep moving toward staff, and follow their directions about where to wait. A staff-directed safe location is different from choosing a hidden space on your own.
No universal airflow or hardware standard makes an improvised hiding place safe. Building rules and emergency plans vary by school and location. Do not test a lock, wedge a door, move furniture to block an exit, or enter a restricted area. Those actions can put you and others at risk.
If you are already inside an enclosed space, do not make the situation more difficult by locking yourself in or blocking the door. Contact staff or emergency services if you can, state your location, and follow their instructions.
Keep hallways, doors, and exits clear
An accessible route is a path people can use to move through a building, including people who use mobility aids. Keep the path open as you move toward help. Do not crowd a doorway, stand in a stairwell, or place bags or furniture where they narrow a hall.
In the United States, the ADA Standards generally set a minimum clear width of 36 inches for accessible routes, with specific conditions for limited reductions. Where an accessible route is less than 60 inches wide, the standards generally require passing spaces at intervals no greater than 200 feet, subject to the section’s criteria. These measurements describe design requirements, not a target for students to measure during an emergency.
The standards generally require a 32-inch minimum clear door opening, measured with the door open 90 degrees, subject to stated exceptions. Requirements can depend on the setting, the adopted code, and the details of the route. Do not try to decide in the moment whether a hallway or door meets code. Keep it clear and follow staff directions.
| Situation | Safer next step | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Someone is following you | Move toward a staffed, occupied area | Ducking into a closet or restricted room |
| You reach a doorway | Continue through if staff direct you | Stopping in the opening |
| A hallway is crowded | Follow staff directions and leave space to pass | Blocking the path with a bag or group |
| You cannot find your trusted adult | Go to the main office or another staffed area | Waiting alone in a hidden location |
| There is immediate danger | Call local emergency services if safe, or ask an adult to call | Confronting the person |
Tell staff what happened and stay with an adult
A report is a clear account of what occurred, given to someone who can act on it. Once you reach staff, explain the facts as best you can. You can say what happened, when and where it happened, who was involved, and whether you are worried the person may approach you again.
Ask the adult to stay with you while they contact the appropriate school staff. If you are a student, ask whether a caregiver should be informed. If you are an employee, use the school’s workplace reporting process. Do not assume that one conversation has reached every person who needs to know.
Before leaving, confirm the next step:
- Which adult is responsible for you now?
- Where should you go next?
- Who will contact your caregiver or another support person, if needed?
- How will you travel between classes or leave school safely?
- Who should you tell if the person appears again?
If the first adult cannot help, go to another staff member or the main office. Keep reporting until an adult clearly takes responsibility. If the threat continues or becomes immediate, use the school’s emergency process and contact emergency services when safe.
Practical examples: choose supervised help, not concealment
These examples are illustrative situations, not reports of specific school incidents. They show how to apply the same basic steps in different settings: move toward adults, communicate clearly, keep routes open, and follow the school’s plan.
- Between classes: You notice someone repeatedly following you. Walk toward a nearby classroom with a teacher or the main office. Tell the adult what you noticed and ask them to stay with you while they contact the right staff.
- In a quiet corridor: You feel uneasy and do not see an adult nearby. Move to the nearest occupied area rather than entering a storage room or waiting behind a door. If the person is close, ask a passerby to get staff.
- After reporting: You are told to wait while staff contact a caregiver. Stay in the location staff direct you to, and ask who will accompany you if you need to move.
- If you are unsure whether it counts as a threat: You can still report unwanted following or behavior that makes you feel unsafe. Describe what you saw or heard without labeling the person or making claims you cannot verify.
The key test is simple: does this choice bring you closer to help, or make it harder for others to find and support you? Choose the option that keeps you visible to responsible adults and leaves access clear.
Frequently asked questions
These answers cover common questions about staying safe when you feel followed or threatened at school. School procedures differ, so use the plan and directions set by your own school. If danger is immediate, prioritize getting help from an adult or emergency services when safe.
Should I hide from someone following me at school?
Do not enter a closet, cabinet, ceiling void, or unapproved locked room. Move to a staffed, occupied area and tell an adult what is happening.
Where should I go if I feel unsafe in a hallway?
Go to the nearest staffed place, such as a classroom with a teacher, the main office, or another area your school identifies. Follow staff directions.
What should I say to a teacher or office worker?
Say, “I feel unsafe. Someone is following or threatening me. Please stay with me and contact the appropriate staff.” Share facts you know.
Should I confront the person?
No. Avoid confrontation if you can. Focus on reaching an adult and explaining the situation.
What if my trusted teacher is not there?
Go to another staff member, the main office, or school security. Keep asking until an adult takes responsibility.
Can I call emergency services from school?
If danger is immediate and it is safe to call, contact your local emergency number. You can also ask an adult or bystander to call.
Should I tell my caregiver?
Ask school staff to contact your caregiver when appropriate. If you can safely do so, tell them what happened and where you are.
What if I am not sure the behavior is serious enough to report?
You can report behavior that makes you feel unsafe. Describe what happened without exaggerating, and let staff assess what steps are needed.
Can I wait in a stairwell or doorway until the person leaves?
Avoid stopping there. These areas can block movement. Move toward staff and follow their directions about where to wait.
What if I already went into a locked room?
Contact staff or emergency services if you can, tell them where you are, and follow their instructions. Do not block access or make the space harder to reach.
(This article was written by one of our staff writers, Samuel Thornton. Visit our Meet the Team page.)
