That "ignore them completely" strategy works well
I did it for about a year, 2-3 years ago. Worked like a charm. WIthin a few months, the bully in question (a bully that mainly worked on their own) was simply embrassaing himself whenever he spouted some bollocks that received no reply whatsoever from me (about from the occasional comically half-raised eyebrow).
( ejlflop errrrrgs. Regularly., Mon 18 May 2009, 21:30, 2 replies)

He fucking hated it.
And I thought it was brilliant; he thrived totally on attention from everyone, so to have me totally ignore him used to send him into apoplexy "Maaaaalaaaaadiiiiiictaaaaaaa... why won't you talk to meeeeeee?" "..." "Maaaaalaaaaadiiiiiiiiiictaaaaaaaaaaa?".

Except in class, where I would have to if it was asked of me, but outside of that it was like he didn't exist :D so satisfying.
( Maladicta, Tue 19 May 2009, 20:43, closed)

I'm also a proponent of the 'ignoring' stratergy.
However, this will probably only work if the bullies do it because they're bored rather than because they're on a campaign to torment you. In my teenaged years on my school bus (1 hour each way), I went through phases of being bullied. Usually just low to medium intensity psychological bullying with the occasional bit of physicalness thrown in for good measure (nothing like some of the stories posted this week). I found that if I adopted a more laid-back or 'meh' attitude (i.e. one that didn't involve me trying to get my own back), it would usually die down. Of course, this is easier said than done.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Thu 21 May 2009, 1:39, closed)