Three out four of my children are in school and have faced bullying be it currently or in the past.  I try to make sure they know how important and valuable they are.  Of course the bullying is addressed at the school level, which usually gets nowhere, then it's addressed at the parent level and usually yields the same results.  But I feel strongly about letting my children know that words can be hurtful and it's okay to talk about it and they should always know that I'm here to listen, protect and defend them.   People are different and unique in great ways and that's what makes the world a beautiful place, but with the good there is bad.   We need to learn to look for the good in people and encourage the good, strive for the good.  And maybe, just maybe these children who are outright bullies, maybe they need some kind of intervention at home, maybe they are lacking the encouragement to be a better person, maybe their home life isn't so great, parents aren't attentive, too busy, in denial.  So maybe we need someone to stand in on behalf of these bullies, not to make excuses but to fix the root of the problem.   But most of all we need more voices for the victims of bullies, standing together with a message of that it's not okay to hurt others and it's not going to be tolerated.