Sadly it is often the kindest, most decent and smart children who fall victims to bullying. I firmly believe that at least part of the problem is our subconscious acceptance of bullying on the adult level by our submission to the authorities and letting them control our lives. That is the example we give our children. Schools encourage bullying by having rules forbidding children to defend themselves and leaving them helpless because by the time a teacher gets to the scene it is too late and the perpetrators receive a slap on the hand. What kind of an oppressive environment is that? While we obviously don't want to encourage fighting, no human, young or old, should be forbidden from self defence.