my 13 year old son

He is my middle son of three. He has always been very shy and quiet. Although he seems to be okay with friends and kids his age  he is very shy with teachers and grown ups in general even with us his parents.  I never knew what to do about it if anything? Today I found a disturbing picture he drew. He is holding a knife saying I am , his name, and on his shirt it says I hate my brother. He is stomping on his brother's (older brother) and there is aknife through his midsection. Also a report card saying  his name and an F. He doesn't do as well in school because he gets lazy with his homework. How worried should I be about this picture, his shyness and what should I do?
  

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Nadia,

I wouldn't be worried about the shyness if it were confinec only to adults. The fact that ypour son is shy with you and your husband is more of a concern.

Pictures such as the one you describe can be worrisome, but it's important to know about the context in which they are drawn. So any one picture shouldn't be blown out of proportion. In the overall context, though, I think it would be wise to seek an evaluation by a child mental health professional in order to determine the nature of your son's psychological makeup/functioning and offer you some guidance.

[MYLADYDEN]

A related discussion, 13 YO Son will not stop talking in class was started.