I think a child's community and school plays a very important role here. I grew up in a very cookie cutter community. It was not ever good to be different.
As an adult, I worked in a school that really seemed to attract every "weird" kid out there. They were all different in their own ways. The school did a great job nurturing everyone's unique personality. So, truly, no one got picked on in this school for being an oddball. (And pretty much most of the kids did very well in college, found their own niches and had few adjustment problems. In fact, I was always surprised at how smoothly the high school to college transition had seemed to go for these kids.)
Fortunately my weirdo children will be able to attend this school someday!
