Chippin' in real late.
I wasn't really a cool kid in school. High school and before that. I wasn't exactly a social butterfly, either, with the social anxiety disorder and all. All the ingredients for being bullied in this day and age.
Not once did I get bullied, though.
Your kid has some special qualities, I'm sure of that, we all do.
Mine was, as hard as that might be to believe, humour. Like I said, I wasn't that strong socially, but I got the right people on my side. There's always the one big guy in elementary school. He thought I was hilarious. I became the 2nd hand man pretty fast in that class. Being slightly more intelligent that him, as well, meant I was in charge. As the nerdy kid, with the nerdy hair, who really didn't dare to talk back to anyone, teachers and kids alike.
But that's enough about my time as a manipulating little bastard.
The thing that helped me most was elementary school diplomacy.
I had my smarts going for me.
I befriended a huge guy.
I did the talking, he did the intimidating.
A bit like in those children cartoons, really.
We didn't bully anyone, but it was sort of a defensive pact. Helped me immensely.