How to handle bullying (am I overreacting?)

[missmaddysmomma08]

My dd is 6. She is in 1st grade. There is a girl in her class that has repeatedly hit her, and verbally attacked her. I have gone to the teacher 3 times, as my child is quite upset by this, and I feel she didnt really resolve the issue. Today my husband I spoke to the principal. She sounded like she was passing the buck and asking my child what she did to warrant that kind of reaction from the other child. Im not saing my kid is perfect.. beleive me! But, no child should be hit at school and made to feel unsafe. So the principal told us she ahs to go through the "proper channels" to deal with this.She also said "but they are friends" even though my child is afraid of this other kid. My child is not the only one this other girl picks on like this.
Here is where it gets tough, the other girls mom is a teacher at the school, and her and my husband coach our kids soccer team together.
Did i over react by going to the principal?

[TazDevil]

You did not over react at ALL. I have had the same type of issues with my children too. I find it VERY odd that a teacher or a Principal would accept ANY type of this behaviour in a school age child without severe consequences. A toddler, yes but by the time they are 6 they should know better and if they don't then they should be disciplined so they learn quickly.

I agree that having a concrete solution really helps the Principal because it can be measured and tracked. With my child I asked that the child causing the issues be kept away from my child on the carpet, desks, lines, cubbies, centers etc. There is NO instance where a child "asks" to be physically or verbally abused by anyone but I find vicinity plays into it a lot. Often with children who do bullying behavior it is the person closest to them that gets the brunt of it.

There are days though when I wish I could just tell my child what my father told me - "Just punch her in the face". I only ever hit one person in my entire life but it was the most productive because it stopped the behaviour and I was never bothered again by anyone.