Sorry, Parker, but I wholeheartedly disagree with you. Some torment is expected, and most children that have a certain amount of resiliency can get by. However, when teasing gets to the point of bullying and harassment, intervention needs to happen. No child should have to be tormented in that manner. You might be speaking a whole different tune if your kid was getting harassed at school.
The problem is when parents get involved, the shit gets worse. Because the kids view you especially if you are a boy, and even more so if you are black boy, as a punk. Just as adults have their world, so do kids have theirs...
In high school my mom told me a way to handle it, and calling someone names that are SAT words doesn't really cut it. One has to face one's tormentor, thru-out history people have confrontations, and children are no different. How you handle it, sets the tone on how you handle other things and life. The strong survive, period. I do think it is wrong to bully and pick on others because they are weaker, but just because it is wrong, doesn't mean it does not have it's place.
To try and create a environment where there is no bullying, no teasing, is impssible. And it helps to create or foster even more fragile children and adults. What happens when they do meet that adversary, how will they respond? Will it be flight or flight---most likely flight.