What do you do if your kid is being bullied?

[Ronin13]

A friend shared this story from a family friend, and while I don't have kids yet, I know all about bullying, as I was victim to it pretty much the entire time growing up. What do you do if your kid is being bullied? I've thought maybe when I have kids bringing them up around martial arts so they can be trained to defend themselves (keyword being defend- last resort, my kids will never be taught to throw the fist punch, and moreso be taught to avoid conflict if possible), but if cornered by a bully they can stand up for themselves.
Here's the story as shared:

YESTERDAY, MY SON WAS BODYSLAMMED 3 TIMES BY A BULLY, THE SAME BULLY THAT HAS BEEN MAKING MY SON'S SCHOOL YEAR A NIGHTMARE, INCLUDING STEALING A NECKLACE I GAVE MY SON AS A SPECIAL GIFT FOR HIS FIRST YEAR OF LITTLE LEAGUE. LAST NIGHT, I CALLED THE COPS TO PUT A STOP TO THIS, AND WHEN THE COP CAME OVER, HE SAID THE SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER WOULD HANDLE THE CASE. WHEN I GOT A CALL TODAY FROM THE RVMS PSLO, HE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE MY SON VOLUNTARILY WALKED INTO THE AREA THAT THE BULLY WAS, THAT IT WAS MY SON'S FAULT FOR GOING "INTO THE LIONS DEN" AND THERE WAS NOTHING HE WOULD DO ABOUT IT. WHEN I TOLD THE OFFICER THAT THIS BULLY HAD BEEN BULLYING MY SON ALL YEAR, HE SAID HE ONLY TAKES ONE ISSUE AT A TIME AND THE PAST WAS DONE, AND THE NECKLACE WAS THE BULLY'S BECAUSE THE BULLY WAS ABLE TO NAME A STORE WHERE THEY SELL THEM. THE KAUKAUNA AREA SCHOOLS IS PROTECTING BULLIES AND IGNORING THEIR VICTIMS! PLEASE SHARE AND SEND A MESSAGE TO EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT PROTECTING BULLIES AND DOING NOTHING ABOUT THEIR ACTIONS IS WRONG!! MY SON HAS BEEN BULLIED ALL SCHOOL YEAR BY THIS GROUP OF THUGS, AND NOT 1 TEACHER, ADMINISTRATOR, COUNCILLOR OR OFFICER WILL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE IT STOP, THEY ONLY OFFER EXCUSES AND BLAME THE VICTIMS!!! PLEASE HELP ME IN THE EFFORT TO STOP BULLYING!!!

What would you do in this situation? As a parent is it appropriate to go to the bully's parents? If LE can't do anything, and the school isn't doing anything, can you seek out legal remedy against the school, maybe even the PD/SO?

[MrPrena]

They won't protect the kid.
They won't let the kid defend him/herself. If kid does, he/she gets suspended.
This is why crazy shit happens at school.
It is retarded school system, not guns.

[Boulderar15]

Fight back

[blacklabel]

Teach him some BJJ and tell him to defend himself.

[BushMasterBoy]

Contact the cops Chief. If that don't work, City Council or County Commissioner. If that don't work, file lawsuit against school district. When you go after the pocketbook, in front of a federal jury...

[Ronin13]

Teach him some BJJ and tell him to defend himself.

I was actually thinking of Krav Maga... But dispense with the fine details, this is what I was thinking. I defended myself in HS, got suspended, but was taught that I did the right thing, no matter what the fascists in the administration said.

[Colorado_Outback]

Teach him some BJJ and tell him to defend himself.

THIS.


I was bullied a lot in High School. And was always told to avoid the situation etc.. FUCK THAT.

My son will know how to defend him self and be encouraged to do so, If he gets suspended for it so be it.

[blacklabel]

I defended myself in HS, got suspended, but was taught that I did the right thing, no matter what the fascists in the administration said.

I'm sure there would be ramifications but we need to stop teaching our children to be victims. Don't instigate but also don't allow your personal safety or freedom to come into question.

[mr_dove]

I've sometimes thought that because bullying also takes place in workplaces and adult life that it would be best to let a child learn to overcome the stress of being bullied. I think that physical altercations go way past bullying though. I was often mocked and made fun of as a child but I was never in a physical confrontation.

I think that this situation is past letting the child resolve it on his own. I think that it is time for parental intervention. I would likely take it to 1) the principal 2) the officer's boss 3) the bully's parents. At each step I would inform them that I intended to take the story to the media and/or the court if it was not corrected.

My kids are still young but we homeschool so I don't anticipate that bullying will be much of an issue.

[Ronin13]

THIS.


I was bullied a lot in High School. And was always told to avoid the situation etc.. FUCK THAT.

My son will know how to defend him self and be encouraged to do so, If he gets suspended for it so be it.

That's the problem- I started HS in Jefferson County the year after Columbine, do you have any idea how tyrannical that was? We weren't even allowed backpacks my freshman year! You fought, regardless of who started it or whatnot, or even if you didn't throw a punch, both parties were suspended. That's how incredibly fucking stupid zero tolerance is. What kind of a lesson is that teaching kids? Even if you defend yourself you're still bad? If someone is attacking you, you hit that MFer. That's what I was taught and that's what I'll teach my kids.