Children and teens are often the targets of bullying, and it’s frequently the first hint of the perpetrator’s dark side.

A school psychologist once told us that she could spot—as early as third grade—a child who was destined for the criminal/justice system.

Bullying can evolve as a gang that preys upon the weak. Taken to its highest level, it’s the equivalent of stronger nations going to war against weaker ones.

Some people try to make excuses for bullying; they rationalize the behavior as an early form of social Darwinism—survival of the fittest— but it’s not. It’s totally unacceptable whenever one child dominates or berates another. Bullies are cruel. If you suspect, even slightly, that your child is a bully, you must take action immediately.

According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, almost 30 percent of teens in the U.S.—nearly 6 million—are probably involved in bullying, as a bully, a victim or both. Bullying can also be sexual harassment when it targets a member of the opposite sex or someone who’s homosexual.

Children and adolescents can be brutal, especially when they pick on kids who are handicapped, or of a different race or religion, or those who speak a different language or are economically deprived.

But the victims of the worst forms of bullying—particularly rape— are scarred for life.

School district administrators, teachers and counselors must do whatever they can to make campuses safe for all students. Bullies should be dealt with harshly, reported to law enforcement and expelled.

Allowing bullies to stay in school is the equivalent of condoning their behavior—it’s totally unacceptable.

Public schools should build self esteem, not destroy it.