[D Rider]

My Assumptions: Sounds like her Daughter had drug problems, so she and her husband adopted their grandchild. The kid was probably a drug baby.

[eccentric]

I though the same thing. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, when not severe, can impare judgement more than intellegence. They have trouble connecting cause and effect.

Or possibly some detatchment problem that sometimes occurs when babies are raise in an orphange setting.

[mabelkitty]

Yep. Or an alcoholic.
I know from personal experience that babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome (the ones I am aware of came from the former Soviet Union and the adoptive parents were clueless) show the same type of behavior - some types of problems with the emotional part of their brain and they are violent. Even at a very young age. I won't go into details about my friend's situation, but I told her she was a far better person than I because I would have nulled the adoption in fear of my life. And I would have.