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Nine Year-Old Shows Homicidal Tendencies

Question:

My nine year-old stepson has been saying he wants to know what it is like to kill someone. He recently shot a bee-bee gun at a dog. Also awhile back his cousin and stepsister were playing and tied him up. He went inside, got a pair of scissors and said he was going to stab them. I believe the boy is a mental case but my husband said it is only for attention and would never harm anyone. He has become defiant. What do I do?

Answer:

 

We're glad you decided to contact us about your stepson. It definitely sounds like he is struggling with some behaviors and it's no surprise that you are concerned.

Regardless of why your stepson is saying these things, they are not okay. Even if your husband is correct, and your stepson is saying these things for attention, he needs to learn healthier ways to seek attention. If in fact you are correct and he is saying these things with the intent of following through, then he needs to be assessed immediately. 

A therapist can work with ​your stepson on why he is saying these things and can help him learn alternative coping skills. He might be saying these things out of anger and therefore needs to learn anger management skills. Having a mental health evaluation done by a therapist will help you understand what's going on with your stepson.

If you need assistance in locating an agency that will do evaluations or offer counseling, send us your city and county and we can help you find you some.