Both of my children were subject to bullying and, as a mother, it is horrifying to see someone you love more than yourself go through that and not be able to do anything about it. My daughter was lucky that she had a strong group of friend who helped her through and a strong school who grasped the issue and dealt with it well.
My son is a different kettle of fish. He is very big for his age, over 5ft and only 8 years old. He is built like a prop forward (rugby term) and he will not fight back, not because he can't but because he knows he will hurt the bully and will not do that. I have signed him up for karate but he is mildly dyspraxic and doesn't have the co ordination for it. He is gentle and intelligent, intuitive and magical but that does not go down well in school. I can only do my best to make his home life as good as it can be and to increase his confidence in every way I can but it is still heartbreaking to see him cry every Sunday night because he does not want to go to school the next day.
I don't think it is safe any more to assume that when we send our children to school they will be safe and cared for. It's a sad fact. On the other hand it is a hard world out there and if they can't survive in school where there is at least someone watching out for them they are never going to make it in the real world.