How Can Kids Be So Cruel?

Growing up I can remember a handful of kids that were picked on at school. I remember this one boy when I was in kindergarden that always had a trail of green snot running down his face, and was therefore called names having something to do with boogers (one of the funniest words ever when you were little). Then I remember in middle school a bunch of us moving another girl's desk that was next to mine across the room because we thought she was weird. And then in high school I can remember a boy that was obviously gay being called names by some of the jocks. Other than that, I don't have any recollection of any bullying going on in my childhood. I feel like in my little private school bubble that everyone was pretty much friends with everyone else - or at least they seemed to be on the outside.

That is not to say that it didn't go on of course, because as far as I am concerned it goes on in every school all the time. There is always that one kid that the others think is a little weird, or looks a little different, or is socially awkward that gets picked on. As a parent you pray that this is not your kid. You hope against hope that your kid is the kind kid, who likes everyone and is nice to all her classmates. You hope that if she sees an act of injustice she will do the right thing. You want her to be loved by everyone, and to love everyone the same. You think "there is no way someone won't like my kid! My kid is awesome!" A parent can dream...but kids can be cruel, really cruel.

Yesterday it was brought to my attention that a friend of mine's daughter is being bullied at school. It has been going on for the last year in the form of threatening text messages from another girl in her class. I was horrified to hear about some of the messages that were discovered. All I could do was hug my friend as she was telling me about how this was going on for so long, and how her daughter asks her, "why me mom?" I do not know her daughter very well, but from what I have seen she is an adorable, intelligent young woman with a bright future ahead of her. And I never would have thought of her as the target of any sort of bullying.