Ever hear the phrase "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down?"
Don't flaunt it or encourage them to make fun of you, don't overreact or get upset when they make fun of you. Indifference is the best way to avoid school conflicts. Kids who make fun of other kids are LOOKING for you to react, they want to see you get upset or say something stupid or try to fight back or try to defend yourself. If it gets physical then by all means defend yourself, but if they're just throwing childish banter your way, ignore them. Once they know that they can't get a reaction out of you they'll get bored and move on to someone more vulnerable.
if you show 'em that you're proud of who you are then they'll leave you alone!
As someone who's observed many fights at a violent school, and who currently teaches middle school kids, this is not always the best idea. In my experience if you flaunt it then they just try harder to hammer you down. Ignoring them and not giving them the satisfaction of any sort of reaction is the best when dealing with verbal abuse in my opinion. Don't let it get you down, but don't try to shove it in their face either; Just keep calm and carry on, as the British say.
