Rice and beans
Seems to me putting a kid in a coma is a line crossed that was never done. I don’t know.
In “The Bells of St. Mary’s”, indicative of the times, the principal, horrified by the bullying, determined to stop it, listened to the advice of the man on the premises (without letting him know). she knew she needed insight into boys’ subculture.
She learned the art of boxing’ clandestinely taught it to the bullied (fatherless) child and secretively cheered him on in his next fight.
End of problem.
Getting kids to box was a fairly common approach back then. In many cases afterwards, they would actually become friends.