Growing up as a kid I was bullied...pretty violently I might add. Telling the adults didn't do anything. The only things that worked were hanging with my friends (strength in numbers) and fighting back to defend myself. Humiliating a bully publicly and hitting hard are the only things that made them stop. All the anti bullying policy stuff is rooted in good intentions, but it's total bullshit that the kids getting bullied who are legitimately defending themselves are getting punished. That's flat out wrong. I am not saying you should hit the bully first, but dammit, if they start it you have every right to beat them down to the ground and end it. We all have a right to defend ourselves from harm. Bullies are assholes and don't deserve sympathy.