I think betting out or checkraising the flop is a must. Positionally speaking, I think I'd just bet out.
I'll say it's to "protect your hand", but in a game like this you'll have people calling (or coldcalling) you with a 2 or with a 4. Yeah, you may not be ahead but there are enough idiots in a game like this to pay enough to make you money (even though sometimes you're dominated by the preflop raiser).