My son was recently hit by a fellow classmate after the aggressor was warned by his teacher. It wasn’t a serious issue, just the typical elementary school kid that had some misplaced energy (or aggression).

At night I talked about it with my son, investigated some options on how to handle the situation in the future, and even did some roleplaying.

I found there is a difficult balance between the clichés: “stand up for yourself” vs. “fighting doesn’t solve anything”.

Standing up for yourself is obviously bigger than just this scenario. It’s fighting for what you believe in, protecting oneself, and standing up to adversity. It’s essential for life success.
However, walking away from an unnecessary fight however can show maturity, and is essential to character-building. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi aren’t shabby role-models.

Fathers are often relied upon for these types of issues. When do you think it is appropriate to fight back? When do you think it is right to walk away? What else should be considered?