I think there's something to smaller people escalating things faster than taller and bigger people because smaller stature is an obvious disadvantage. Raising a big stink, throwing around threats more readily etc. to prevent a situation from actually getting physical seems like a sensible tactic to me under those circumstances. Same for being more brutal when things actually do get physical. Simple scare tactics.
It's easy for tall people to be calm and collected when a would be opponent looks like a child relative to their size. If they are outnumbered however, I expect anyone to act like a smaller person (and to then run like there's no tomorrow, because fuck inferiror numbers).
