Well, anti-bully sentiments were preached in early gradeschool, which I think helped. Reinforcing the idea that bullying is wrong at an early age is infinitely more beneficial than trying to preach these values to older kids. For example, there is an anti-bullying program now in place at my highschool. But in all honesty, there isn’t really a bullying problem in my highschool to begin with. Granted, when there is an instance in which it occurs, it’s always horrible.
The school trying to crack down on bullying is a noble intention, but it seems laughable and downright juvenile to most of the students. I can’t help but think that maybe programs like these are better suited for kids in grade/middle school, where the bulk of bullying goes on. Teaching tolerance and empathy to kids at that age would probably yield better results. Oh, and actually reprimanding the aggressor is a step in the right direction. If someone is “bullied” in highschool, the protocol for teachers is to apologize to the student for the bullying. Which I, and most of the other teachers, think is ridiculous. Calling attention to a total douche isn’t negative. Hell, it’s practically necessary.
As for kids who get bullied, my advice is this; Stay true to yourself, and don’t think for even a moment that the words they say are true. Tell a teacher, tell a friend, but don’t bottle up what happened inside. Years from now, you’ll be a much better person for moving yourself through it, while the majority of kids who picked on you won’t have changed a bit. Except by then, they’ll be into drugs.