They're only children. They've done nothing, have no choice in the matter, and men do it because it's easy.

[ a swell of temper that she tries to fight down, though it shows in her face. katsa's distracted for a moment, forgetting briefly that the point of hearing all this was to learn from where porthos came ]

Is it to show off their power? To pretend they're more than they are by bullying children?