When students verbally bully one another, this is the best advice I can give to the victim: reacting gives them power over you; it makes them think you care about their opinion, which only entices them to bully you more. The opinions of bullies should, in fact, be beneath you. (Of course, when I witness bullying, I do try to step in and request everyone always be respectful towards everyone. But that advice for situations where I'm not present.)
Similarly, when students attempt to say disrespectful things to or about me (whether the disrespect is intended or accidental), I tend to react with, at most, gentle bafflement.
In the same vein, it does not concern me whether I am students' favorite or least favorite teacher; really, I'm basically indifferent to whether they even like me at all. As long as I am doing my best to be both kind and effective (I aspire to the "warm demander" archetype of teacher), some students will love me, some will loathe me, and most will be somewhere in the middle. I do not feel any need nor desire to be these teenagers' friend, though I always try to be their ally and comrade.