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Grew up military, in a Marine family with Marine values. Military DoD schools were all fine and dandy, it wasn't until I moved back to the U.S. where I began to get bullied. From 4th grade all the way until 10th grade I was picked on. Not just verbally abused (called Jap, *****, etc.), but the first year I moved here, I was in the principal's office every week for physical altercations with students. Several times I had to fight multiple kids at once.
It's just something you get used to. I was taught to ignore the insults, they're simply words. It wasn't until someone laid hands on me that I was given the okay to retaliate - because to not do so would only encourage more violence. I've found it as a good solution.
Ironically enough, the friends that I would later have in life would be some of the meanest people to me (and me to them). Although that sounds counter intuitive, it makes it so that others' words don't really offend me anymore.
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