Also, the standard disciplinarian rules of a normal Christian household assume a child who is not already a nut.
How did the gospel deal with the situation of the boy who wandered among the gravestones cutting himself on sharp rocks and hurled himself in the fire? Did Jesus come along saying why didn’t you whip him when it counted? The demon is rebuked, it flees and the boy comes back... NORMAL.
Friend, I listed occult problems and even baptism above bad parenting in the list where you promptly responded with a put-down using Latin and jargon.
Indeed, it well could be a problem of demonic possession—or certainly demonic influence, which is why I brought it up. While insanity isn’t always caused by occult powers, occult powers do bring insanity.
It still sounds as if the parents are very inconsistent in their approach—and lack any standard for applying appropriate discipline for the child’s bad behavior. Reading Dobson’s “Dare to Discipline” is different than actually applying it.
Disciplining adults for irrational & bad (non-criminal) behavior isn’t appropriate—counseling—or exorcism....is. Disciplining your own kids though, appropriately, is commanded.
And yes, I do love and appreciate Jesus and His compassionate approach, to all of us. Why would you assume otherwise?