Bullying/Namecalling - Unneeded abuse or rite of passage?

[Dionysus]

We've all heard the old adage, "What doesn't kill you can only make you
stronger." Does it apply in cases of bullying or namecalling? That is, does
mild-to-moderate verbal and physical abuse prepare(not make) one for adulthood, or is it a
cruel and unneeded hindrance to the learning process?

In other words, can mild to moderate forms of childhood bullying prepare one for the "dog-eat-dog" world in adulthood? Or, will it make the adjustment worse?

*edited for clarification*