help! malicious vindictive behaviour -how to stop it

[mumhas1syllable]

My child is what i would consider a well developed and intelligent 2year old, who is independant to the point of dressing herself and communicates to a good standard. However i am hitting serious issues when it comes to socialising. She can share and play nicely in group scenarios but it is when she is in the care of another person that her behaviour becomes an issue. With two separate care givers she has repeated the routine of becoming intentionally violent towards another child in their care. It is most certainly intended and rather worrying to the point of hair pulling, scratching, punching etc. It is always the same child and she seems able to play nicely with the others. The care givers are wonderful and have such patience trying to teach her it is wrong but it ends up she loses her place as it no longer becomes fair on the other child. She does not behave like this at home!! I'm beyond concerned and completely out of ideas how to tackle the issue and if it is just a phase or something i am doing wrong?? Advice, help, morale are all much needed please! I am a mother on the edge!!! :-/

It's just a phase. Really.

You say "it is most certainly intended" but it isn't really, is it? At 2, children may understand that they shouldn't do something, but they don't have the cognitive function to know why. The grasp of good/bad or right/wrong is hazy, at best. You certainly couldn't get a concept like "treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself" through to a 2 year old.

So - she dislikes a child and she's following her instincts. Keep doing what you're doing - distract, remove, distract, remove. She'll get there, I promise.

Do you mean the same child in both situations? or that each time she has fixated on a certain child to pick on? if it's different ones, can you see anything in common between them? I don't think 2 year olds can be malicious as they aren't capable of being so calculating, but it is odd that she targets specific "victims".

It is a different child in both situations but they are both female and around the same age, about a year older than my child. I was flirting with the idea that it was some kind of Hero worship gone mad as she is very fond of older children. I'm also starting to wonder if it is just frustration and that perhaps I would be better to send her to nursery so she is in a more routine and stimulating environment? Would anybody agree that is it worth a try? Thank you so much for the replies, peace of mind is everything right now! :-)

It is a different child in both situations but they are both female and around the same age, about a year older than my child. I was flirting with the idea that it was some kind of Hero worship gone mad as she is very fond of older children. I'm also starting to wonder if it is just frustration and that perhaps I would be better to send her to nursery so she is in a more routine and stimulating environment? Would anybody agree that is it worth a try? Thank you so much for the replies, peace of mind is everything right now! :-)