One day at lunch, I was talking with a student about fighting.  She said that students were bullying her afterschool.  They threw objects at her and her friends and were talking about her family.  They were threatening to fight her.  She was going to fight back.  I asked her a question and she had some very valid concerns.

Why do you want to fight?

I'm not going to let them do that to me.  They don't get to bully me.  If they do that to me, I'm going to fight back.  I'm not going to let them fight me and not do anything about it!

I understand...that you want to defend yourself.  Nobody wants to be bullied, but you have to pick your battles. 

Battle #1:  If someone is threatening your safety, call security or the police.  That is their job:  to defend you. 

Battle #2:  If people are talking about you or your family, it's different.  They are talking about your family because they have issues.  If you react (such as fighting), you are giving them the power.  You are letting their issues control your time.  They want a reaction--a fight.  Don't give it to them.  If you don't react to them, you keep the power.  You do not have time to waste on people with issues. 

Miss Smith