I imagine that's the case - plus people are too lazy to think about things. A lot of people just like to bumble along, preserving the status quo. As soon as anything challenges them, they either get confused or are too lazy to want to comprehend it. This makes them feel insecure and then they lash out.

Equally, the pack mentality has a lot to answer for too. I guarantee they wouldn't do it to my face when they were on their own, for fear of retribution (not that I would) and for the fact that they have no one to impress.