Real Talk About Bullying

My friend's son is in middle school and is getting bullied. The father is obviously upset. Kid is a good kid, but absolutely a bit of an outlier. He has plenty of friends but would likely never win any homecoming king competitions.

Father is demanding that the school "do something". Plenty of other parents chime in, backing his calls, and sharing their own stories of these kids being bullied. It's all very sad. Other parents also demand school "do something".

Parents are all acting as if this is some new thing that if the schools just "do something" it will take care of itself.

I feel bad for the family, and I know there is a chance when my own kids get into middle school, they could be bullied (or be the bully). We talk to our kids about treating everyone with respect, that they don't have to be friends with everyone, but there is a base level of respect to show everyone.

Parents can do a better job, sure, but even then... we are all fighting biology, and that usually never works.

Kid has been previously suspended because he beat up one of the other kids bullying him. That doesn't appear to have stopped the bullying. Parent has told child to try not to administer a second arse-whipping.

The O-T is probably the wrong place for this, but if this parent was a friend of yours, what would you tell him (if anything).