It’s a shame that people will create this kind of conflict. It’s petty and cruel. But managing confrontation is something anyone can learn. I feel I’m terrible at it now, and the advice is never failsafe. Intervening kindly to the victim really can help. People do it. I imagine bystanders learn something by observing.
Nasty attention seeking attacks can’t be the end of the story. I think other than escalating or ignoring, to use distraction techniques can be pretty powerful with some experience.
