Criminologists Explain Why Children Kill

Very biased and NON-scientific article. Just next politcorrect "science" in line. Tabula rasa? It is a notion from 19-th century scence, not of 21 st century. I have a nice teaching experience and can assert that genetical inclinations shall prevail and win SOONER OR LATER.
I remember it quite well when I taught a "problem child" with aggresive and cruel behaviour, who pested his class-mates and teachers. No startegies (good attitude- strict attitude) would work. Teachers-colleagues would say that his parents were quite kind, decent and generous people, but their son..But one day one teacher told me that that boy had been adopted. Ha! Why hadn't they told me that before? The puzzle could have been solved at once and easily. I know several more stories about adopted children in respected families with decent parents and where these "tabula rasa" turned their foster parents' lives into complete nightmare. Please, do not fool your readers with all this politcorrect stuff. It doesn't work! I DO hope that neither you nor your children will ever have to deal with those "tabula rasas" with "crippled destinies".
Believe me, I had a very troubled and miserable childhood and youth due to the causes independent of me, but I have never terrorised or humiliated others.
Be honest!

Your nickname says it all.

It is true that some children are born with mental problems that cause them to behave in horrible ways, and others behave this way because of life experiences. The little boy you speak of could've been horribly beaten at one point in his life, or maybe his adoptive parents are emotionally or verbally abusive, even in the slightest. Some children are born very with very sensitive minds and one episode of abuse from the parents could've damaged him. You do not know everything about the child, therefore you could not pinpoint the exact reason. He might not respond to treatment because he is strong willed, or maybe he is just too fare gone, who knows. But there is one thing I do know and that is that a child is not born evil, they behave the way they do for a reason, ether because of a mental illness, neurological problem or a scaring experience.

The info in this article does not belong to me. Check out the link for more details.

"genetical inclinations shall prevail and win SOONER OR LATER. "

that may be true, to some extent, but tabula rasa is a concept that still applies today. Plus, the age of a notion has no bearing on whether it's applicable to this day or not. Tabula rasa refers to the state of the brain, and not that of the genes, so it's very much valid to this day.

I agree in part with Heathen. The jury is still out on Nature V. Nurture, and on whether or not the hen or the egg came first Not all cases of sociopathology are nurture and not all cases are nature. Some not all cases are nature, some not all are nurture, some not all are a mixture of both nature v. nuture, and most if not all cases of sociopathy are a case of only God knows why.

The only thing all parties can agree on is "Nothing Works." Nothing and may God help you if you become a target of a socipath because nobody else will help you. At least let them make up their own poor excuses for such wanton disregard for humanity. Heaven forbid we should blame the aggressor and find that what a sociopath does and says is his or her own choice and fault. Blaming their many victims for them really doesn't help. GASP!

There are far too many children coming out of the violent dysfunctional homes and environments who function for humanity just fine and to dispute these creatures are "created." In fact, Dr. Robert Hare's research finds that over 80% of psychopaths he studied have doting mothers, so there goes your blame the mother. These children may be abandoned by their families as family is the first victim, as the violence escalates until they are old enough to go to prison where they are seldom kept for long, until or unless the victim is more important.

Btw, "tabula rasa" is an Enlightenment Theory and this is too far of a stretch.

I read an excellent book by CarolAnn Davies 'children who kill'. Every child murderer in that book had suffered horrendous abuse, including rape, beatings, torture and psychological abuse. As Davies pointed out, when a child has been abused like this all their lives, why are we so shocked when some of them commit horrific acts themselves; We should be more shocked that it does not happen more often; This is in no way excusing such behaviour, and Davies absolutely empathises with the victims of these young killers, and their families. But what it comes down to is this; The adults who turned these children in to 'monsters' (the wicked parents, the paedophile rings) are the real villains; It is they who should be in prison.