I know that, and that is exactly my point. By the way, I do not believe in spanking, but I do believe in self defense.
The light smack you advocated doesn't help either. It's often considered 'cute' and 'playful' and is the desired reaction. I tried the 'smacking the hand away' defense myself. I ended up having to escalate it all the way to breaking the boy's nose (after trying many other options - informing teachers who used the 'oh he likes you' and 'boys will be boys', etc...) in order to deal with the situation. The boy was literally leaving bruises on my chest and the chests of the other girls with the misfortune to develop early.
Girls should not be taught that such behavior is normal or that they need to accept it. The girls should also not be taught that their only recourse is violence. The school needs to take this behavior seriously and deal with the boys in question, without making excuse or justifications. And if the schools won't do anything, then yes, the public needs to be made aware of their inaction. If bringing the school's incompetence in the matter of bullying to the news is the only way to get a result, then yes, it is newsworthy.
If it could be handled 'so simply', it wouldn't be an ongoing problem that continues well into adulthood. I suggest you check out sites like 'hollaback.com' and others to see just how widespread and heinous this kind of issue really is. I'm in my 30s and have been subjected to this kind of behavior while on a mode of public transportation by a man in a business suit. If he (and his ilk) had been taught such behavior was wrong when he was in elementary school instead of having it laughed off, the world would be a much better place.