Should I be concerned at my son killing flies, bugs etc.

[bumble79]

My son aged 9 has autism and is a little young for his so say the maturity of a 6-7 year old in some aspects.

He keeps killing Bugs, flies, spiders etc.

He doesn't like them and wants them gone but I tell him we must let them out, not kill them.

But he does it anyway when I'm not looking.

He just managed to kill a fly and then decided to cut it in half when I wasn't looking.

This is a relatively new problem.

Posting here for traffic. Should I be concerned? He's really gentle with animals such as cats and dogs but I keep telling him bugs are animals too.

Is killing bugs a sign he's going to have issues? I mean I'm guilty of squatting annoying flies but he seems to like squishing them...

Normal or not??

Hmm not sure really maybe seek professional advice if it continues as he gets older as it can be a typical trait of pyschotic behaviour or another issue like phychosis.

Killing bugs is not a trait of "psychotic behaviour." Nor is it an indicator of psychosis. Also, what do you mean by "a trait of psychotic behaviour or psychosis?" Those are the same thing.
Did you mean psychopathic by any chance? Because psychosis and psychopathy are two completely different things. Though killing bugs isn't an indicator of psychopathy either.

@Lactarius
That's unbelievably cruel to do such a thing to small, helpless birds. I know you said you were younger when you did it and I know we all did silly things in our younger years but you don't seem to have any remorse!!
Whether you like a particular creature or not it doesn't deserve to be hurt or killed.

I still kill flies on a reflex. I was brought up to consider them to be foul, incontinent, disease-spreaders.

I blame it on my mother reciting, "Every fly you kill remember means 300 fewer in September."

www.rentokil.ie/blog/10-interesting-facts-house-flies/

[quote Idontlikeyoghurt]@Lactarius
That's unbelievably cruel to do such a thing to small, helpless birds. I know you said you were younger when you did it and I know we all did silly things in our younger years but you don't seem to have any remorse!!
Whether you like a particular creature or not it doesn't deserve to be hurt or killed.[/quote]
No remorse because it doesn't bother me - it was over 30 years ago and even if I did care, beating myself up about it wouldn't resurrect the birds so what's the point?

@Lactarius it was a vile thing to do in the first place.

I think it's something many children do but quickly grow out of. It's thought to be part of normal curiosity and experimentation and is considered typical up to about age 6 (or more in developmentally delayed children)

Most violent criminals were cruel to animals when they were children. Older children that abuse animals are thought to have most likely been exposed to abuse themselves and need intervention.

I had a partner who would purposely stamp on snails and ants. He looked demented when he'd be doing it and I felt uneasy about how much he seemed to enjoy it. He didn't treat cats or dogs well and would quite happily cull animals as part of his job.

I knew of one child who killed his pets with bricks. He progressed to attacking younger children. He had no interest in killing bugs.

I think that it is probably linked to ASD. I would try a social story about being kind and gentle with smaller creatures.

Another thread when I wonder if anone on MN is real !

I kill any kind of bug that gets inside my home: flies, spiders, wasps, daddy-long-legs, creepy-crawlies etc
I certainly don't wish to cause them unnecessary pain, just to kill theme
They are dirty creatures that can spread disease
Some of them bite

I'd not kill a rat or mouse personally, as I haven't the skill to do so painlessly, but I'd get in the exterminators if there were any small rodents in my home, as they are vermin

Normal

@BigChocFrenzy, could you tell me how those that you mentioned are 'dirty creatures that spread disease'?? I can only think of flies being a possible example of that.....

My kids have dismembered all sorts of insects in our garden unintentionally. I think they want to see how they work or touch them, and it is nothing to worry about. In fact, I'd say 6 or so was the peak of that. Just keep saying "Insects move. We don't hurt anything that moves." I also explained the important jobs lots of bugs do, and now they generally leave them alone.

at the competitive scientists on here more keen to show off their credentials than answer the OP.
I wouldn't worry OP, it's not unusual or dodgy behaviour.

Pollaidh, I'm intrigued (and not a little scared, tbh). What profession involves making decisions on who does and who survives?

Is your real name Boris?!

I don't kill bugs. I am vegetarian and don't think it's my right to take another animals life when I could just put it outside. Although probably normal for the age I think it's really important to teach care for living things from a young age. So although I'm not sure it's massively worrying you should make lots of effort to show him you putting things outside and where you can stop him killing them.

*who dies, fgs!

Thank you all. I'm not sure if I was clear enough in my op. I honestly don't think he's doing it for pleasure. He is petrified of bugs. He wants them gone. Cutting the fly in half was the first time he'd done that and hopefully the last (it was already dead obviously, I'm not even sure he killed it as it may have already been dead). We live in a rural area we do get a lot of flies. tbf myself and it often kill them as they are nuisance. But it's the spiders I'm more concerned. He wants spiders gone when he sees them. We keep modelling how to pick them up (lightly with tissue) and letting them out!

It's fine. I'd start worrying if he progressed to killing small animals.

We've all squished bugs as kids and turned out fine so I wouldn't worry. I would rather flush spiders or splat wasps whereas DH runs around with a cup trying to "save" them - I might be biased but I think we are "normal" well adjusted people

If he does it with a more science mindset or I hate small insects they have to not be near me then ok but a 'i want to kill' way then yes an issue

lightly with tissue

No wonder he'd rather kill them 😱
At least show him how to use a cup/glass and a piece of card. Or get him a spider catcher contraption.

I have bucketloads of empathy, probably too much for my own good, but I still kill bugs, moths, slugs, spiders etc.

I’d not worry about your son.