I think one of the biggest challenges that parents, children, and schools are facing regarding bullying, is that by definition........there are loopholes through which to escape.
Bullying, while defined by some as demonstrating specific associated behaviors, can not be defined within such limited parameters.
Years ago some of these bullying behaviors would have been dismissed as nothing more than part of growing up or a rite of passage. Yet, as we see more analysis and studies on the subject, and are being faced with some of the extreme end results, it is no longer prudent or justifiable to shrug things off.
The word "bully" draws an immediate picture in many of our minds....yet that picture is based upon our own life and personal experiences. I suspect that many people that are so quick to "dismiss" the term or concept, are doing so because they have lived through similar experiences and feel that it is no different than it was for them as a child.
The problem with using your own life experiences as the basis for your opinion on bullying, is that the world we live in today hardly compares to the one in which we were raised. In essence....you are comparing apples to oranges.
School educators are being thrust into a controversial issue without the appropriate tools. IMO, some of them will be quick to dismiss a complaint based upon their own interpretation of the scenario.
I preach to my children daily that kids will be mean and that they will say and do mean things. I encourage them to dismiss hurtful words and rude behavior. What I encourage them to stand against...are the comments that become habitual....the behaviors that encourage group harassment, and anything that includes physical action against them.
School administrators are put in a delicate position of trying to address "real and valid issues" and weed out the complaints from "helicopter parents" who are unwilling to allow their children to develop their own social skills.
It will take the commitment of educated parents and school administrators to effectively impact this issue. But more importantly....it will require identifying parents with their own bullying tendencies and addressing their issues in order to fully impact the issue.