My mom did something similar. A little neighbor friend had scratched me hard enough to draw blood. I ran home shocked and despondent and talked to my mom about it. She asked,”What do you want to do?” I said,”Scratch her back!” And my mom said, “Good. Go do it.”
Looking back, she gave me permission not to be a perpetually “nice girl” and to defend myself.
Our Moms ultimately raised girls who could privately take care of their business, but publicly remain soft enough to still be feminine.