Big clicks from me
I was in a not dissimilar situation at the age of 10, although nothing so dramatic. As one of the "good guys" I repeatedly got into scrapes in the playground, sometimes reacting to taunting but not enough to actually harm anyone else (because frankly I don't like hurting people), meaning I would take the brunt of it. In retrospect I guess I was being bullied, although I didn't see it that way at the time.

One day I remember my dad came into school in the afternoon to let me know some good news (I'd passed the entrance exam for my secondary school). He saw that, once again, my trousers were filthy and torn slightly, so I explained that, once again, I'd been in a scrape at lunchtime with a boy I shall call Adam (for that was his name). Now as my dad was the local vicar, he was on the board of school governors and went off to have a word with the headmaster. To his eternal credit, the head's response was that I should give as good as I get in the playground next time and not worry about the consequences.

So the next day, having being appraised of this advice by my dad the previous evening - and probably also in the knowledge that I would only be spending a few more months at the same school as him - I did indeed give Adam as good as I got. I didn't hurt him badly at all, but it was enough to make sure he didn't try it on again for the rest of my time there.

Yay for good headmasters.
(Armour Dillow, Mon 2 Feb 2009, 17:20, Reply)