Professor Shelley Hymel:

They seem to be. People sometimes demonise the children who bully. It should be remembered that these are kids. Kids are niche finders. They try to figure out how they survive in the world. Many kids entertain bullying because it works. It is a way to get power and what they need. We have to think of them as developing individuals and worry about them from that point of view. Generally, it seems to be fairly consistent around the world.