Almost 40 percent of parents in the study population said they would
tell their child it is OK to hit if another person pushes or hits him
or her

Absolutely. If the kid doesn't hit back, the bullies will attack him
again. I would spank the child for attacking nother person unprovoked,
or after any sort of provocation that didn't involve being hit. But you
hit my kid and he'll hit you back, and rightly so.

Jennie