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The only time my younger daughter was bullied was when she was in 7th grade. She developed a facial melanoma and although she became cancer free, she had (and still has) a significant facial scar.

The kids from school made cards, gave her special "Build-a-Bears", sent emails, called, etc. The girls that bullied her were a group of home-schooled girls at church. Several told her to her face they couldn't be her friend because her cancer was a sign of sin and she needed to repent. At Sunday School, they refused to sit next or across from her. They sent her emails that they were forming prayer pools for her to repent and no longer be such a horrible sinner. 3 of them even put on a mock play where the main character worm a white bandage on her face and engaged in really ugly acts. All this happened on Sundays and during Saturday activities. She didn't want to tell me because she knew how upset I would be. I was.

After speaking to the pastor who spoke to the girls and their parents, two girls refused to apologize and started sending her emails pretty much all the time. Their parents defended their actions and blamed it on my daughter. The excuse? "Our girls are home-schooled and don't have the evil influences of public school. They aren't capable of this." Not until I printed out the emails did they sort of, kind of believe, even then, they were sceptical. The entire incident became known to the church at large and just went from bad to ugly. Three families ended up leaving because of it.

So, yes, home-schooled children, even churched ones, are capable of meanness and cruelty, and publically schooled children are capable of kindness. It all goes back to the parents.