Let him handle it by himself.

 

If you are emotionally involved, he'd think about how you are going to react before he reacts to the situation at hand. It delays his instinctive response because he'd worry more about your feelings first.

The ways he carries himself in school has an effect, how to look strong, how to project strength.  It's both a physical and mental thing.  Watch more westen movies.  Read about the lives of frontiers men in early America.  Read children's version of the Bible.  Have a spiriual life.  Become handy by building things.  Become an expert on certain wars (recommand stories of the American Revolution.)

Sports, definitely help.