Can You Call a 9-Year-Old a Psychopath?

The New York Times ^ | May 13th, 2012 | Jennifer Khan

[KantianBurke]

One day last summer, Anne and her husband, Miguel, took their 9-year-old son, Michael, to a Florida elementary school for the first day of what the family chose to call “summer camp.” For years, Anne and Miguel have struggled to understand their eldest son, an elegant boy with high-planed cheeks, wide eyes and curly light brown hair, whose periodic rages alternate with moments of chilly detachment. Michael’s eight-week program was, in reality, a highly structured psychological study — less summer camp than camp of last resort.

[KantianBurke]

Reading about these feral animals, I'm reminded of how fortunate we are to have the 2nd Amendment. If one lives nearby one these "kids," it'd be in one's best interests to inform the "parents" that if little Junior becomes a threat to one's family, there will be lethal consequences.

[jocon307]

This was a sad and creepy article.

[rabidralph]

There’s a bunch of stupid comments on the site such as he’ll do well in the corporate world to psychopathy is a variation where the successful ones are republican presidential candidates and the stupid ones end up in jail. Really stupid liberals.

[KantianBurke]

It’s safe to say “Michael” is going to cause plenty of harm in the near future.

[taxcontrol]

I am of the opinion that “first born syndrome” comes directly from the parents who dote hand and foot on the first born. They don’t teach him to be a well behaved child and to obey his parents. The child is allowed to get away with behavior that is not tolerated when the child gets older.

Then, when the next child comes along, there is a sudden switch. The parents attention is now on the new born and the oldest is expected to behave but has never been corrected or taught to behave. The child develops a deep seated resentment, especially for being forced to grow up all of a sudden.

The corrective action is the rapid application of a switch anytime a tantrum starts, the kid acts out or disobeys. However, since the child was not taught discipline from the beginning, I doubt the parents will apply discipline now.

[KantianBurke]

The symptoms described in the article are way beyond that sort of rivalry. These individuals are clearly dangerous now and more so later.

[ClearCase_guy]

Sometimes brains don't work right. It's not always about bad parenting.

[davius]

The question posited by the headline is ridiculous. It presumes that psychopathology can only manifest after 18? The human animal is one of the most dangerous, complicated, and unpredictable predators to ever walk the Earth. A primary survival mechanism is to identify those with faulty wiring and avoid them as they are a threat to ones survival. Age is immaterial.

At my advanced age, I have learned to pay close attention to the hairs on the back of my neck. They have never failed me in identifying someone who was ‘off’. Some, like Bill Ayers argue that children cannot be classified as predators. Ironically, Bill Ayers raises my hackles to a greater degree than does the 'patient zero' of this sad story.

[Joe 6-pack]

While certainly, some people just aren’t “wired right,” it makes you wonder how much spiritual structure there is for some of these kids in their households.

[hosepipe]

Any spoiled child is a Psychopath....
America loves to spoil their children generally..

Proof: Republicans running the inventor of Romney-care against the inventor of Dohbama-Care..

America spoils the children they do not murder thru abortion..
Dohbama(biden) is just punishment for doing that..
A Psychopath as President and Vice President..
who fills the Executive Branch with other Psychopaths..

[muawiyah]

Recall that in the topic case the father had had similar problems and then one day just 'grew up'.

Many parents send their troublesome juniors into Boy Scouts (and other youth programs). I can put names on these guys ~ Hoon, .............. ~ dozens of them! One boy had an additional blood pressure problem and he'd have to run in place most of the time.

And I've seen them just "grow up".

Not once did we have a cutting.

My impression has been that these kids are all a problem to everybody in their growing years, but not necessarily so once they are adults ~ but some are. Paul Baker pops into my mind! And some others ~ mostly their parents ~ the interstate car thieves, the mobsters, the girls who ran away with the carnival.......

[Cvengr]

Makes one wonder if some haven’t dabbled in the occult and some children might be demon possessed.

[cripplecreek]

It’s safe to say “Michael” is going to cause plenty of harm in the near future.

Hard to say. The kid sounds a lot like my nephew did till he became a teenager and my sister was forced to put him out to fend for himself. After a year or so of struggling to feed himself and keep a roof over his head he became a well mannered, respectable young adult.

He's picked up some valuable skills which will serve him well at some point like welding.

[muawiyah]

That’s a legal question ~ I gather professionals in this field have to pay attention to age just to avoid malpractice suits by crazy parents who thought their kids could be cured instantly.

[Chode]

they are simply a bad seed...

[HarleyD]

My aunt and uncle had two children; the oldest was the nicest person one could meet while the youngest was a terror diving into drugs and sex. Same environment with the same loving parents who never exhibited any different treatment for either of the kids. My aunt and uncle were constantly running off to see psychologists and therapists to no avail.

Sometimes it can be the parents but I’m convinced that sometimes it can just as easily be the mixture. Parents simply can’t be blamed for everything.

[KantianBurke]

That might be the case. Regardless, I’ll purchase some more ammo. Can’t be too careful.

[cripplecreek]

Same with my sister. She has 5 kids that run the whole range.

[I still care]

At the end of the article he says, why don’t more people do bad things? And the answers he offers are because they are inhibited, by empathy, by worries of isolation, by fears of getting caught.

I’ll throw in my own two cents and say part of it is these people believe they are masters of their own lives; they don’t believe in God or authority. Why should they listen to anyone? How many times in people’s lives would they do things, but for the fear of God?

[huldah1776]

Back in the day it was worse being the firstborn, easier being second and third, we could watch and find out how the “game” is played to stay out of parents line of fire. The youngest was the spoiled “baby” of the family.