General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 300 to 1 is disproportionate warfare [View all]christx30
(6,241 posts)my past was to illustrate that a tit-for-tat approach does not always work when it comes to bullies. And in the 5th grade, the teachers, principals, ect were useless. They did not give a rip about what was going on with me, as long as I wasn't fighting back. The kids would assault me, then hide behind the teacher's against any retaliation. I was totally powerless. I was isolated from the rest of the class.
When that kid started his crap, I figured getting in trouble with the school was not as bad as dealing with another year of being the punching bag. And, yes, I got in trouble. I was put in ISS for 2 weeks. But I was able to go to school without worrying about the other kids. They never messed with me. I had told myself 'Never again'.
And as far as other ways of dealing with childhood conflicts, the peaceful solution only works if the other party wants to work it out with you. You can try to make friends, you can try to resolve things. But if he's determined to attack you, and the teachers either don't believe you or want you to 'man up', you are on your own.
My son has been bullied in school. He's been pushed down and made fun of. I told him to tell the teacher and she actually seperated the two kids to avoid trouble. But, worst comes to worst, he's a big kid that is unaware of the potential power he holds. He could hold his own in a fight with a gradeschooler, if he had to.