We were in the waiting area before seeing the principal about an earlier push+shove in class. He kept going on and on about how after school was over, he was gonna fuck me up, etc, etc.

I "snapped," I lost my shit and stood up and started wailing on him. Or I would have liked to, but my first few punches were wild and didn't touch him, and he was up before I knew it and suddenly I was on the ground with part of glasses frames stuck in my face. And then he kicked me a couple times before one of the secretary's pulled him away from me.

We were both suspended, and when we got back, he hunted me down and started threatening me with a tree branch. Thankfully I had friends around, and one of them punched him. That stopped him.

So fuck your "all you need to do is retaliate". What I needed was several months of fight training??? A body I knew how to control???

Had you stalked him and hit him good, he would have left you alone. But your friend retaliated for you, and he did leave you alone afterwards, so similar result.

Okay. OP's advice is no good if it's not applicable to everyone.

The lines between which types of violence "bring you respect" and which don't might not be clearly established at a young age.

There comes a point where you have to stop picking out unlikely scenarios and using them as a wet blanket.

But I'd also explain why you shouldn't play on tall staircases or leave serious wounds untreated. Maybe I'd make a terrible parent?

A sheltered child never learns how to take care of himself in the real, hostile world.

Education isn't "sheltering".

Proper education allows children to avoid or resolve hostility without resorting to violence. Not in all situations, but like you said, the other situations are "unlikely scenarios" and peaceful resolution should be preferred otherwise.

In most societies we only respect violence as a defensive measure and before it gets to that point you should do what you can do resolve the issue by other means.