Kids really are pills when you get a bunch of them together. It must be that they exhibit a more raw and unfiltered version of human nature, but man are they cruel to each other. They try their darndest to find strange or undesirable traits in their peers, and then just hound them endlessly about it.
When I was in elementary school, I was the nerd...despite praise from the adults, I would've traded in my smarts if it meant the other kids would just leave me alone. I got along alright with most kids and I had a nice group of friends, but that didn't stop the bully types from making me miserable at every turn. Those days are long gone, but that crap sticks with you even if it's only in subconscious ways. One thing's for sure, it won't be pretty if I ever find out my own children are participating in bullying.