Having been the target of that crap and a parent of a child who does everything in her power to be the target (dressing different, acting different, mentally il

Having been the target of that crap and a parent of a child who does everything in her power to be the target (dressing different, acting different, mentally ill), I'm pretty comfortable in saying things have gotten better. There is a lot of energy put into preventing and punishing bullying, a lot more than when I was a kid (before we had dirt). It changed enough that one of those high school football players asked her to prom last year (needless to say, I was worried about a Never Been Kissed prom scene). It is not perfect, and where you live still matters a lot, but it is better, and when supported by caring, empathetic parents, usually manageable. Sure, something could go drastically wrong, but I don't live my life around black swan events.