Why are children cruel?

This morning when I got into work I couldn't help but read the newest developments in the Virgina Tech Massacre... It was very disturbing to read how this young man was bullied as a child... Now before I start let me state that I am not making any excuses or feel any empathy what so ever for this sick man!

I strongly believe that childhood bullying is a very serious problem in today's society! I can remember as a child I had a neighbor that thought he was "cooler" than I was... He thought his parents had more wealth and he tried to make my brother and I feel that he was better than us... This did not just affect me as a child but continues to affect me subconciously today! I have extreme resentment towards this A**hole! Who cares if you have a better name brand on your jeans or if you have the NEW Air Jordans... Or if I have a few more pounds on me than I should? Did that make me a bad kid? "NO" But how do you tell a child that? As a parent you can tell your children how special they are and how beautiful they are, but does it have as big of an impact as a peer telling them the opposite? I think not.. I can look back today and say "who gives a rat's Ass?" But truth be told... It hurt... It still hurts... Why? Why do children feel the need to point out imperfections of other children??? Maybe if for once we start teaching children to RESPECT each other, and to be KIND... It will prevent something like this happening... Instead of worrying so much about more security, and stricter gun laws, maybe we should be looking at the root where this type of behavior stems.... (Childhood)

This tragedy brings a tear to my eye... I think about the few kids that I went to school with that were bullied, I can see the pain in there eyes... No I don't think they could do something like this... But you never know... What do you say? How do you make them stop?