I think a kid is between a rock and a hard place when trying to help a friend being bullied.
Most schools have a zero tolerance, meaning if a kid who is hit, hits back -- that child is also punished.
A smaller/younger child trying to stand up for a friend will also become a target for the bully, almost always!
A kid who tries to get an adult, as instructed by most of the anti-bullying training, will get a reputation as a tattle tail, and usually becomes a target for bullies.
Kids who turn and walk away from bullies will usually get hit in the back. Bullies don't care about 'fighting fair', and bullies don't like to be ignored.
Our school is trying a new program this year that appears to be a bit of a project for grad students at the local college. They've picked about a dozen 5th graders from the K-5 school. They are 'training' them to be leaders to thwart bullying. GS10 happens to be one, as well as several others from his scout den. Their theory is to pick the older kids to act as models who speak out against bullying, and to portray good sportsmanship & academic achievement. We'll see.
