I don't believe Casey had a choice in trying to stop the bullying in a non-violent way, as you insinuate he ought to have done like the girl at the end of the video. While you call the girl who stepped in afterward a "hero", I don't believe Casey asking his attackers politely or assertively to stop would have resolved the issue. Casey was completely justified to stand up for himself in this instance.

In regards to male bullying, I have a completely different approach. Those who are victimized by bullies ought to learn boxing or some form of self-defence. As a victim of bullying myself, and having witnessed bullying many times, bullies only respect one thing: superior force. 99% of the time the bully backs down if he is intimidated or fears ridicule or physical abuse. Trying to "re-educate" the bully through "sensitivity training" doesn't work.

'I empathise with the boy who had been bullied, victimised and assaulted repeatedly before retaliating. But I think if we want to use the word "hero," we should look at the girl at the end of the video.

After the assaults, a friend of the bully comes forward to retaliate against the assault on the bully. The girl walks over and stands between them and assertively tells the bully's friend to back off.'

Hahaha! Very cosy when you know the boys wont hit a girl.

So, in this position of impunity, the girl lends a hand. Better than doing nothing, but to put her up as a hero in comparison with the kid who finally stood up for himself is really quite offensive.

'That's why it is so important to create a school culture in which bullying is not tolerated and bystanders are encouraged to step up and say: "It's not on!"'

This flies in the face of the general Police advise for bystanders not to get involved in violent disputes in the wider community, but to call the police.

It's all very well and good to try, but in the end this is something kids need to sort out for themselves. Little boys especially want to be tough in the eyes of their fathers, not some simpering weakling, so they're never going to tell they're being bullied.

In every case I have seen of bullying in the playgroud, getting the teachers or parents involved was a big mistake, leading to an escalatioon of the bullying and a total ostracisation from even the more sympathetic peers for being a dobber. Even more respect is lost for someone who wont fight their own battles.

From my school experience, there was a culture of us vs them in the playground. Us being the students and them being the teachers or 'screws'. Nobody looks favourably on any cooperation with the oppressors.

Kids will experiment with power and learn boundaries and form heirachical structures. Parents and teachers attempting to usurp these natural heirachies just doesn't work. That 85% sounds about right. They just aren't there and are in no position to infiltrate this closed society of kids and decipher the powers that be and the forces of good and evil.

Enforcing the rules consistently is all that's required for kids to go about their school day.

The Clackmannanshire Report, available at the OLO site, shows that bullying largely disappears where children are involved is philosophical discussion of open ended questions form an early age.
Not only does each student's behaviour improve but their cognitive ability improves by some 6.5%. The NSW ethics classes are based on this concept so other states need to get on board, at least for state schools.
The benefits are long lasting, probably for the whole of life and therefore into the next generation.

How do we ward off the bullying we receive from politicians ?

No australian child will be safe until the closet communists & feMANazis are in a labour camp for life.