I have a little book that talks about "Hard Sayings" such as these. Here is a summary of what it says on this topic: 1. The Hebrew phrase used for "little children" has been used elsewhere in the Old Testament to describe "young adults", generally between 12 and 30. 2. Elisha was relatively young at this time, about 25, and whether or not he was actually bald, the term "bald head" was used in contempt, as if calling him despicable. 3. What they said to him was "Go up, thou bald head". The verb used in "go up" is the same one used at the start of this chapter to describe Elijah being taken into Heaven. This implies that they heard Elijah was taken up into Heaven, and didn't believe in God or acknowledge His work, and so they attacked and mocked Him and the prophet Elisha about it. Coming straight out of the book, "To put it in modern terms, they jeered, "Blast off! Blast off! You go too. Get out of here. We are tired of both of you."" 4. It's said that Elisha was citing a warning from God that would've been hundreds of years old at that time: "And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. -Leviticus 26: 21-22". If you want context, the chapter is about how the Lord would bless His people for following the law they covenanted to follow, and how they would be broken down if they went astray and abhorred it, which is what seemed to be happening at that point. So it's not like they weren't warned. If they had not went astray, then they wouldn't have been attacked. If they had not went astray, then worsening judgements wouldn't have kept falling on them and their people. If they had not went astray, then those judgements wouldn't have culminated in the conquering of Israel's capital city, Samaria, at the hands of the Assyrians in 722 BC. It's a shame that they were attacked and killed, but they didn't have to be. I just thought I'd try to clarify this. Do with it what you will.