QuinnP
Do you have children? Or, even a rooster? Roosters absolutely can and will go after little kids without provocation, or seemingly so. I think little ones, by their wound-up, mile-a-minute ways, tend to make some animals a bit nervous. Also, consider that children are generally wearing more brightly colored clothing which chicken tend to investigate (there's a reason feeders and waterers are usually bright red). Of course, children tend to be somewhat fearful of some animals as well. Who knows, roosters can probably sense that and want to assert their dominance (that's their job so to speak). There are many subtle things, things that a child may not necessarily think about that might influence a rooster's behavior that have nothing to do with them being "wretched little buggers".
I had to dispatch one such rooster this weekend for just such an offense. The roo in question gave me wide birth b/c I establish, early on, that I was in charge. The kids were only allowed in the pen if I let them in and was watching over them. Sunday, however, my little girl was feeding the roo treats at the side of the pen (still outside). All of a sudden, he stepped back, fluffed himself and came at her. Although she wasn't hurt (little scratch on the hand), there did not seem to be a provocation, nothing that we could correct her for anyway. I was five feet away and saw absolutely nothing that I could fault her for. She was actually being exceedingly kind to the animal at the time of the occurrence.
Keeping roosters around little ones is something of a risky proposition, IMHO. At least I think it's risky until you can teach them to defend themselves and be kind yet assertive as well. Certainly there are roosters that are good around kids and hopefully our new top guy is one of them. If he isn't, he'll be the last roo until I'm sure the kids can stop a roo that's coming after them and assert themselves over him.
