No, Homo sapiens do not need bullies and for 97% of human history they were actively suppressed and managed by the rest of the tribe or community - for the good of the group. One might say it was our primary survival strategy and the reasons we made it when all other early hominids died out. Being a bully IS bad - it's weak and invariably comes out of insecurity and externalized emotions.

Cooperation Was the Main Survival Strategy of Our Early Ancestors

You can determine in your own mind who you imagine deserves your compassion but it's an asshole move to tell someone expressing pain that they haven't passed your test. Like I said before, if you can't make it better, at least don't make it worse.