At the school I went to, the bullying was institutionalised. A system of sub-prefects, prefects, house masters and a deputy head master who would probably be locked away now (thinking about the way he used to relish beating the naked behinds of small boys with a split garden cane like a cat 'o nine tails). As well as the deputy head's cane being split, the tip of it was left intact, so that this would lash around your legs and hit you in the genitalia
Typical incidents. We were required to wear a school uniform, and wearing a cap was compulsory whenever we were outside the school grounds. Some of the school prefects used to stand just in front of the school gates and being 15 or 16 years old used to find it very easy to whip the cap from the heads of 12 to 13 year olds and throw them over the wall into some waste ground. 5 yards later on, the other prefects would take your name as being 'improperly dressed' ouside of school and add you to a list of people who would be given 6 strokes of the cane later that day. The school masters knew that their victims were there simply on a bully's whim, but caned us nonetheless.
We were also supposed to line up outside class before filing into the classroom. On my first ever lesson with one teacher, as I filed in and before I had said a word he said "you boy, I don't like your face...get out of my class". Guess what the punishment was for being found outside of class after the bell - yep, the deputy head swooping round with his big black cape looking for miscreants to cane.
We were also required to write with a fountain pen. Bullies would tip your ink down the toilet - guess what the punishment was for not writing in ink, yep, the cane
Caned for not being in class on time because some prefects had ripped up my class timetable in the first week of school before I'd had time to memorise what lesson we had and where.
Caned for not being able to keep up with the lesson because somebody had taken my glasses off and crushed them underfoot, so I couldn't see the board when a question was asked of me.
Caned once for clapping in time for a few bars to The Beatles "Revolution" when it was played IN A MUSIC LESSON!!!! How was I to know it was only being played to demonstrate how subversive this 'rock and roll' music was.
I was never a wild child, I was bought up to be very polite and respectful, but I was caned for just about everything you can think of for the 5 years I was there. I didn't have the heart to tell my parents, firstly because when you have no frame of reference and the bullying is backed up by adults you think the bullying must be your fault, and secondly because my parents were very proud that I suceeded in getting into a 'prestigious school' that was way above the expectations of their humble background, that I felt at the time that I would be letting them down. Years later, and I mean 30 odd years later, I told my Mum what really happened and she was distraught, said she would've pressed charges against the school if she'd have known.
What people don't realise is that during late chilhood, on the verge of adolescence, people are forming their core beliefs and understanding about themselves. If your peers are continually bullying you into thinking that you are worthless, that whatever you do to try and fight back is futile, and when that perception is being backed up by the very institution that should protect you from all of this, it does damage that can harm your own sense of wellbeing for decades.
I'm not whining, this is just a fact. It doesn't happen anymore...being a 2nd Dan Shotokan black belt sees to that
