CHILD DRAWING VIOLENT PICTURES

[Crystalc720]

My step-son is has been drawing disturbing pictures for the past 2 years. He draws himself killing people, guns, himself stabbing people, people in pain, and most disturbing of all, he draws himself killing his little sister (my daughter). I've confronted his father about this many times but he always says that he used to draw guns when he was little and he doesn't really pay much attention to it. It upsets me because the relationship he has with his sister is not so well and I just don't think it's safe for her in my own home. Am I stressing about nothing or does something really need to happen?

[witchpooh]

A related discussion, what to do when your teenage stepson draws pictures of killing parent was started.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

You should arrange professional intervention as soon as possible. The behavior is symptomatic of emotional disturbance and should be addressed as such. No attempt to handle this via parenting techniques alone (though you may need some help with that as well) will suffice.

[Crystalc720]

He will be 7 in September. He's always been very popular in school, up until 2 years ago everything sort of changed. His mother just lost custody and no longer visits him and he began to start bullying in school. His teacher says he struggles a lot with following directions and self control. Today I decided to go through his backpack with my husband and we found a picture he drew of someone committing suicide. It was a boy holding a gun to his head with blood coming out of his head. What is most disturbing about these pictures is that he puts a lot of detail into them. My husband and him are close. My husband is also very passive with him when it comes to discipline because of the fact that he's had a hard life. Since he was only child for four years, he does not really get along with his sister. When she was born he grew resentful. I remember when she was a newborn he would yell in her ear to make her cry and when we would ask him why he does those things he just says he doesn't know. Same thing with the drawings we ask him and try to talk to him about why he feels the need to draw those pictures and he just says he doesn't know why. I have a fairly good relationship with him. He talks back a lot to me but I know it's just because he doesn't have self control yet.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

The behavior definitely invites concern, though without a clinical evaluation it is not possible to indicate the degree of concern. How old is this boy? Does he have friends? How does he interact with others? How is he doing in school? What is his relationship like with you, your husband and his sister?