My first incident with bullying when I was young changed me, for sure. My dad went and bought some boxing gloves and calmly asked me if I wanted my a$$-whooping from him or them. I learned to fight back and it stopped. OK, eventually growing up to be 6’4” and 235 didn’t hurt either but you get my point.
As for beating up the principal my dad told me to break his arm once. My dad wasn’t a violent man at all but the prinicpal told me to do something my dad wasn’t too happy with. He called his friend the school board president and then handed me a very large crescent wrench. Told me if the principal touched his truck that I was to drive to school today to break the principal’s arm with the wrench. Principal followed me to the truck and started to lean in the window. I warned him not to, and told him what my dad said to do. End of problem.
I was a three-sport star, an Illinois State Scholar, and not a troublemaker at all. Sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself.
My wife and I handled all the complaints between ourselves or our kids and the school administration, and we never felt compelled to resort to physical violence against anyone while doing it. The kids were taught to give unconditional respect to the people who taught them. If they had a problem they would bring it to us and let us take care of the contention.