I was bullied mildly throughout school (who wasn't?)... When I think back upon it, they were being snarky, and not really bullies. Making stupid comments about my name, or my shoes, or my hair, etc. While I didn't like it and considered it bullying back then, now that I'm older I don't consider it bullying at all.
As the saying goes, sticks and stones...
However, when I was in high school, someone 'bullied' me quite a bit, mostly just verbally, but then one day the same guy pushed my face into the drinking fountain while I was drinking, and my teeth smashed the metal dispenser, and while I didn't get a chipped tooth or anything else, I remember being furious. I went up to that dude, grabbed him by the neck and said "If you want to go, let's go..." He said "I'm just playing with you man." I let him go. He never bothered me again, and never had any trouble in school after that, verbally or physically.
In some fashion, I believe people should learn how to deal with bullies and learn how to cope with it. As the world doesn't get any easier as you grow up. In some way I believe people just learn how to cope better.