When I think back on some of the cruel things I said at school, I cringe. There were always targets of abuse, that's how kids form their hierarchies. That said, there were limits. If the decent alpha lads caught you bullying too often or being too nasty, you'd get a talking to. There were codes of conduct that we don't see so much today, if at all. You solved your disputes after school and they were fair fights. No kicking and certainly no weapons. I remember being shamed for wanting to hit a kid with a piece of metal conduit. Never made that mistake again. We also had a boxing club in a mate's garage. He was one of the best fighters in the school and so it was prestigious to do well and anyone who competed got respect. I was small for my age, but I could box well and that message got out, so I was rarely picked on. Now you get knifed if you diss the wrong kid. No sense of honour or fair play.
Social media is a curse for kids and adults alike. It's turns boys into bitches and bitches into evil c#nts.