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Since this is from Canada, although not exactly international, it does make me think that there is universal behavior amongst kids that age. I recall so-called bullies from my early teen years and how they were dealt with. What is different today from the mid-70's when I was an early teen, is that school teachers would let you fix the problem. The result in "fixing the problem" worked out well for the bully and the kid being bullied.

I was an unassuming kid, not a bully, not super popular, but I had plenty of friends in 8th grade. I made good grades and I didn't get into trouble. There was this kid that was about 6 foot tall, a good 8-inches taller than me that decided to make me his target in gym class. He wasn't a jock, and I can't say I was jock either, I was more of an academic, but I fit into the jock set at the time since I played football, wrestled and played baseball. After gym class one day as we were getting dressed in the locker room the tall bully literally snuck me with a upper cut as I was tying my shoe on a bench. I immediately put him into a head lock and start to pound on his face in self defense. This drew everyone in the locker room around including the gym teachers. The gym teachers stood there watching as I decimated this kids face. I recall looking up and saying to a gym teacher, "If I let this guy up, he's going to kill me. Are you going to stop it?" He let me continue to punch this kid's face in until I was too tired to continue. That is when the gym teacher broke things up.

I was sent home for the rest of the day because my pants were covered in blood. The bully was suspended for 10 days. I remember being worried when he came back to school because I would see him the halls and I figured he would come after me the moment he saw me again.

I vividly remember walking down the hall at school the day he came back and seeing him move from the middle the hall to the lockers along the side of the hall to avoid me.

The bottom line, the bully learned a lesson. I gained some confidence and a ton of respect for doing the right thing. The teachers let it happen, because this is how 13 and 14 year boys behave before they become men.

The teachers let it happen, because this is how 13 and 14 year boys behave before they become men.

Part and parcel of becoming men.

I had a bully on the bus that I finally got tired of and elbow punched hard to the solar plexus.

When he could breath again, he asked why I did that.

I 'splained.

He never bothered me again.

Turned out later that his old man was a drunk that beat his kids and wife.

Gotta feel a little bit sorry for the bullies when you thrash them into behaving like men.

/johnny