I was 'lucky', because I was already far away from my family and friends most of the time. Still miss them of course, but I'm used to it. And my mother died when I was eight, so I suppose I was spared from double potential parental embarrassment.
I went to a private school for a while, when the bullying got to be too much. It was one of the best experiences in my life. It's also where I met my ex.