I read with great interest the June 23 Bangor Daily News article titled, “Singled out, picked on, put down,” as I was one of those children. Unlike the girl in the article, I was in that position because of facial scarring left by a dog bite at age 3.

Yes, children can be cruel but, with age and experience, I learned that they only do what they see done. If parents criticize others, children will, too. If parents shun the abnormal and whisper replies to the innocent questions of small children, they only teach these small children that someone else is different. Programs are needed for adults, not children.

All children deserve a happy childhood, and it is our responsibility, as adults, to make sure this happens. Catherine Blake Alexander