1. When does bullying become excessive? Where does the "normal" urge to hurt others (kids will be kids, it was just a joke, etc) end and personal, moral responsibility begin? How much bullying should one put up with before it can be considered a legitimate problem?
I believe bullying becomes a problem when the individual can no longer focus on their school work and begins to show signs of anxiety and depression.
2. What makes people like Amanda Todd more important than the many, many other suicides related to bullying?
I'm honestly not sure. However, like many victims of bullying she showed the signs extreme distress.
3. What are some practical ways to help prevent bullying in a school setting?
I believe some practical ways to help prevent bullying in a school setting is by actually taking it very seriously. Also, I think expulsion of the students who do bullying would be a great start. However, according to law bullies have the right "to learn and stay in school" even if they don't give a damn about learning or being in school. Plus, expelling students from school is extremely hard, so maybe there should be some revisions to how easy it should be to expel troublesome students?
In addition, contrary to popular belief many bullies do not end up with dead end jobs after school, many of them actually do become successful because of their sociopath nature and ability to manipulate and use others. Heck, look at the bullies in government and see for yourself.