About Bullying:
This is a really grave problem, as I think it shows the problems with entire generations of people who do not learn how to behave and respect each other at a young age and I am afraid they never will. But I am not an education expert, I don't have children, so I can only tell from what I notice from the streets.
I have never been in a bullying environment, so I don't think that every school (let alone every parent) is drifting to that direction. I don't think entire generations are to blame, and I am even sure it's not a recent development. I do however think that lots of parents and teachers are not as strict as they used to be any more, at least that's a trend I notice here, which doesn't help teaching misbehaving children how they should behave.
I do have lots of respect for people that have to deal with it on a daily basis, like teachers or people that have been bullied in the past. I know they 'what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger', but it's not always true, I think that you don't always have to get stronger. I always like to think that every thing I go trough no matter how hard or awful it is (like studying Chinese) is just an other lesson that I learn to shape my soul and my character, I know this painful experience in your pasts has shaped your personalities beautifully!