I do wonder what I would have done if he'd told me. I mean taking him off the bus wouldn't be enough. The problem would still be there at school. And, as you say, the school is often useless in helping with this kind of behavior.

What would and could I have done?

We moved a lot when he was young. Different schools every year until junior high - although some were duplicates, he went to the same school for 1st and 3rd grade and also the same school for 4th and 6th grade. Each year, each school there a kid picking on him in class. In 5th grade I met with the teachers (at their request, over academics). I mentioned that my son was complaining of a bully named Joseph. The teachers all looked mystified but promised they'd watch. A month later they reported that my son and Joseph had what appeared to outsiders to be a joking relationship. In fact, if Joseph looked away or stopped paying attention to my son, he would start poking him to get his attention back.

I don't know if all of my son's grade school bullies were that way, but I do know that in at least one case (kindergarten, Matthew), the teacher seemed to think the two of them were friends, although my son was complaining at home about Matthew. It's puzzling.

I didn't get "bullied" myself. I put "bullied" in quotes, because I can remember isolated incidents of meanness from other kids but never systematic or ongoing mistreatment. I never took any of it to heart. Maybe I just wasn't an interesting enough target?

I did some research at one time about the victims of bullies and whether they had traits that attracted bullies. I found an interesting article that I printed off, and now for the life of me I can't remember what trait they focused on. It did resonate with me, though. It seemed to describe my son. I never talked with him about it for fear he'd think I was 'blaming' him for being tormented. I wouldn't intend that.