In every class there is bound to be a scapegoat. The lowest in the group's hierarchy. Life at school can be a hell for this pupil. A few classmates vent their agression on him or her. The rest of the class thinks he is pathetic, but do not do anything about it, for fear of becoming a victim themselves.
Teachers often fail to notice the phenomenon.
If they do notice it, then the solutions are limited in relation to the size of the problem. The scapegoat phenomenon is to be found everywhere. It is not restricted to one particular social class. It arises among groups too. It is a social phenomenon and one that applies to any period of history.