My father was confronted with an older bully when he was in the first grade. His father told him to learn to fight his own battles, so he taunted the bully until the guy chased him around the corner...where he had stashed the 2 X 4. Knocked the guy out cold. Was never bothered by him again.
My middle daughter kept telling the teacher that several boys were taunting her and knocking her down in elementary school. The teacher did nothing. So after knocking her down, she went to the sports equipment barrel and took out a baseball bat, and went to work. I got called at work to come and face the music with her. I told the police officer and principal that he was ever assaulted again and the teachers ignored it, she could go get and use the same bat.
That happened to me at about the same age. We took our recesses at a local park a block away from the school. On the way, a kid bigger than I started taunting me. When we got to the park, I cold-cocked him, then jumped on him and hit him again a couple times.
I don’t recall getting into trouble (some of the other kids backed up my story), and the kid never, ever, bothered me again. That would have been back in the very late 40’s, or early 50’s. It was a different time then. And it was a Lutheran school. They weren’t very tolerant of mischief.
Last year my daughter (16) was having trouble with a boy who insisted on inappriopriate touching. (Slapping her butt, groping her breasts, etc.)
I gave her several steps to follow and told her that if none of that worked, her family had her back.
1. She clearly told the boy that if he touched her again, she’d hurt him.
2. He touched her again, she broke his finger.
3. A couple of days later he slapped her on the butt. She beat the crap out of him in front of the whole class. (He thought it was funny and she got into trouble for “encouraging” him.)
4. She went to the principal and filed a formal complaint, making sure he was aware that her parents were observing the situation.
5. After two days, there was no change. She returned to the principal, asked what was being done to resolve the situation and demanded action within 48 hours or both her parents would be at the school for answers.
The kid was expelled.
Step 6 would’ve been daddy and mama marching into the school for blood.
At her age, I felt it was important for her to have the chance to resolve the situation on her own before she was “rescued”. Had she been younger, it would’ve been a different story. I’m really glad we handled it the way we did. She’s one heck of a lot more confident. No “victim mentality” in this house!
My son is a little guy and had a problem with a large bully last year. The kid finally crossed the line from words and shoving and caught my kid in the bathroom.
Surprise! My kid can fight! No more issues. Because there were other kids in the bathroom, all bullying problems stopped completely.