The kid definitely shows the lack of a father, and a good mother as well. It will only get worse from here on.
I think some people are just born psychopaths - I went to school with one who was adopted as a baby and raised all right as far as anyone knew. After several escalating incidents, he went "away" after squirting acid into a pet rabbit's eyes.
It may not be the parents' fault. It does make me wonder what God was thinking.
Mrs VS
If the boy is a sociopath or psychotic, it wouldn't matter how good a mother the woman is. At least she wants him to understand that adult actions call for adult consequences. Of course, without knowing much more than an apparent lack of a father, I'd have to support her decision to protect herself and her other child who apparently isn't a monster in the making.
You jump to that conclusion but it just could be a "bad seed." There are such people in the world -- anti-social, pathological, whatever you want to call it -- that even the best parents can not handle. They are that way from birth. Thankfully, it's rare, but I have seen it.
I agree with the part, lack of a father. A father could possibly make a difference. But not always.
In the society we live in, these kids have a hard road to go. I don't blame the mother ,either. She did what she should have. Hopefully, before it is too late.