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Have you ever met a child psychopath?

542 replies

TheJuryIsOut · 17/05/2026 16:23

There's some debate about whether psychopaths are born like that or made as a consequence of their environment/upbringing. If they are born that way (which I believe they are) have you ever met one? What were the signs?

I say this because there is a child in my wider family who I think may be a psychopath, there has been signs from when he was very very young and as he moves through his teenage years things have only got worse. I can't get on board with it being an environment thing as no one else in the family behaves the way he does, it's quite terrifying to think that no matter what you do your child could still go on to do horrific things and not feel a jot of guilt.

What do you think? Are they born or made?

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montysmaw · 30/09/2026 09:54

Batties · 17/05/2026 17:08

Nobody is saying it’s a switch. What they mean is that it is not possible to tell with a child under 18. Therefore, you cannot say you have met a child psychopath because nobody can say whether they are one or not.

There are many other reasons that can cause similar behaviours. If a psychiatrists can’t tell with a child under 18 you definitely can’t.

So you belive that psychiatrists cannot dignose a psychopath aged 17 years and 364 days but can diagnose them the day after. A violent deranged act is not psycopathy in a 17 year old . But the day after the 18th birthday it is?

These are are just the current arbitrary lines set by people in the medical profession. They may wll change . These things change all the time.

montysmaw · 30/09/2026 09:59

MyTrivia · 19/05/2026 18:23

That’s factually correct though? Under 18 it’s conduct disorder.

Which is just nomenclature and an current arbitrary distinction. The actual facts are that children can be psychopaths. Arguably they are even more obvious than adult psychopaths because they have not yet learned the skills to hide it. Its dangerous for professionals not to acknowedge this .

HeyHoHenryHippy · 30/09/2026 13:42

RunningJo · 30/09/2026 08:51

It’s an interesting read isn’t it

I've read it too, interesting.

FeeLipa · 30/09/2026 14:36

My nephew. When he was around 3yrs old we couldn't leave him alone with any pets and then I refused to let our DC near him. He was asked to leave 2 preschool nurseries due to constantly targeting other children even with a 1-1 with him.
He was permanently excluded from a SEN primary in yr3 after he started hurting staff aswell. In the end none were willing to work with him. He was home schooled for ages with a long string of different tutors.

QuaintPlayer · 30/09/2026 14:41

Yes, I am 99% certain that she is a psychopath. I've knew her from a baby and her mother had her prematurely which, I think, coloured her attitude towards her. The eldest child got a lot of special extra attention that was very obviously not directed towards her. However, whether it started as a reactionary thing or whether her mother realised what she was very early on and subliminally rejected her, I can't say. Her mother clearly felt a lot of guilt for how this child acted towards other children and didn't discipline her when she acted (very) badly.

What I can say is that she was extremely hard to deal with from the start: p*ssed over every surface long after she was potty trained (including on my daughter), would turn every single drawer and cupboard's contents out and trample it onto the floor, break things deliberately or play with them so savagely that a breakage was certain and she would steal things constantly. The stealing was noticed when she was a very small child, at nursery care, but that seems to be a family trait. As time went on, we would dread her coming around because both she and her older sister would make our children (and any others nearby) argue and cry and storm off at the least opportunity. I was trying to manage the situation with her mother who was also a very difficult character and prone to flying off the handle in cold rages but whom I also felt sorry for because she clearly had difficulties she was dealing with. And her eldest claimed my eldest was her best friend so they 'had to' associate.

Then they moved into our village without announcing it. They'd been turning up on Saturday mornings unannounced for some time, going to a local shop, and would then spend hours with us. I'd be downstairs making small-talk, listening to the screams, bangs and cries from upstairs and wondering when to intervene. I left it far too long but, when they moved in to the village, it felt like our fate was sealed. The youngest child then started a campaign of absolute menace. She would relentlessly bully my youngest, whisper genuinely appalling things to her, hit her, steal her things, line up other belongings that she was to donate to her when she went home (because caring is sharing) and choose precious things to break (most of this I learnt later). When my child finally reacted, her mother went apeshit on her and had to be restrained by another parent.

I finally called things off with them all shortly after this and forbade them from coming around all the time, definitely not going upstairs if they ever did 'drop in' and not responding to invites out. I know her mother to be a narcissist because so much of what the kids said came directly from her mouth and their entitlement to other people's belongings, time and lives was unbelievable. The bullying to my children started in earnest and the mother teamed up with another awful local family to provoke me into responding. Then she turned on the waterworks, pretended it was me causing the problem and called the police to warn me off.

I've heard since how other people have banned this child from their houses or friendships with their children. Their pet cats have gone missing (and I wish them luck - if they really did escape - because the way they treated their poor dog was appalling). I've no doubt we're the villains in their story but anyone who meets this child has exactly the same reaction. It's a visceral dislike that you're almost guilty for feeling, but not quite. The glee I spotted a couple of times in her face when she had provoked another child (often my own) into tears of rage and humiliation was unnerving. I've no doubt what she is and I suspect the rest of her family knows too, but they're deep in denial for all sorts of things and their mother is an absolute horror to deal with (also deeply abusive to her partner), so she won't address it and neither will they. I fully expect this child to develop into something truly unmentionable and, if it wasn't going to be a wider problem than just theirs, I'd think they deserved it.

InOverMyHead84 · 30/09/2026 14:49

As a teacher I have worked with some children who definitely shown signs.

Out of the thousands I've taught, I remember 2 in particular that have scared me. It's all in the eyes.

wherethewaterisdarker · 30/09/2026 14:53

I would highly recommend the book Poisonous People on this subject - it's incredibly readable but also a rigorous academic study of psychopathy and its prevalence, origins, manifestations (as well as the other 'dark' traits eg sociopathy, narcissism). I would have been on the 'children can't be psychopaths' side of the fence before reading this book, but have probably changed my mind. It is a sobering read I will warn you and VERY challenging if, like me, you are inclined to the idea that all humans are fundamentally 'good' given the right conditions/environment/healthy relationships/love etc.

38woman · 30/09/2026 15:05

FeeLipa · 30/09/2026 14:36

My nephew. When he was around 3yrs old we couldn't leave him alone with any pets and then I refused to let our DC near him. He was asked to leave 2 preschool nurseries due to constantly targeting other children even with a 1-1 with him.
He was permanently excluded from a SEN primary in yr3 after he started hurting staff aswell. In the end none were willing to work with him. He was home schooled for ages with a long string of different tutors.

Where is your nephew now do you mind me asking? Is he still the same?

FeeLipa · 30/09/2026 15:09

Currently at a special needs college doing a life skills course, over the summer he blew up all over the towns Facebook group for killing ducks and swans.

RollonSpringplease · 30/09/2026 15:20

I worked in a small secondary school. There was a boy in year 7 who had a permanent glare on his face and was the only child of that age who made me feel uneasy. His body language was so aggressive. One day he tied up another child, poured petrol on them and set them alight. They had terrible burns that ruined their life. I'd say he was a psychopath.

Jimmycooper · 30/09/2026 16:05

@RollonSpringplease My God that is frightening

Boomer55 · 30/09/2026 16:07

Psychopaths aren’t ever properly and professionally diagnosed until adulthood.

Before that, it’s just amateur opinion.

MabelAnderson · 30/09/2026 16:44

JLou08 · 17/05/2026 17:21

No child of that age has genuine empathy yet. Your friend should consider another role if she has them kind of thoughts about such young children.

Of course small children can have empathy.

Muffsies · 30/09/2026 16:54

JLou08 · 17/05/2026 16:50

People can be psychopaths and live by the letter of the law and not harm others. So although I'd lean toward psychopathy being nature, I think how someone acts will come down to nurture. If someone has no empathy or emotion but is taught that there are severe consequences for causing harm to others but they could have a nice life if they abide by social norms, they can live a normal life and people won't have a clue what they actually are. So I would say nurture plays a very big role in it.
There will be people with other MH issues such as schizophrenia or ND conditions like ADHD that can cause people to harm others through delusional beliefs or impulsive behaviour and poor emotional regulation, I'd be more inclined to believe their behaviour is more based on nature than a psychopaths behaviour is.

Edited

This is true. We have a picture in our minds that a psychopaths are all frenzied murderers.

Some are very controlled, and actually quite focussed on rules. There are many successful CEOs and fund managers who have ASPD to the extent that would be regarded as psychopaths (although this is no longer a formal diagnosis). As long as the person is getting their need for thrill seeking and status, and their lack of empathy and emotional flatness is not an issue (or they learn to hide it), they can actually function quite well in certain sections of our society.

I agree that the person's upbringing, oppotunities and environment have a massive bearing on the outcomes for children with developing ASPD. But the brain's complete inability to develop emotional depths and empathy, and the constant need for thrills and desires being met, are very obvious in childhood.

SignGrudgeBluebook · 01/10/2026 09:41

I would say psychopaths are born having had the experience I have had with a family member.

This child from a staggeringly early age, went to immense, thought out and calculated lengths to hurt the people around her, especially those she thought had harmed her (basically saying no to her) or those who had indicated that they could see through her. She was dangerous to be around and I minimised contact as far as I could but I dropped my guard once and she stole my car keys for them to never be seen again.

Her life was centred around causing chaos, small and massive but then she made a decision (related to her personality) that ironically ended her life.

I won't describe it as it is outing.

I have to confess, I felt nothing but relief and whilst they would deny it, her parents, who are two of the most gentle and thoughtful people you would ever meet, had their lives back.

Arran2024 · 01/10/2026 11:47

My daughter has worked in nurseries for the last year. She always says that she won't be surprised to see one particular little boy she cared for splashed all over the headlines for some heinous crime in about 20 years. She has looked after hundreds of kids but this one stands out for her.

GlobalTravellerbutespeciallyBognor · 01/10/2026 19:05

I’m sorry to say that I think I have.

A very spoilt and over confident child

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