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8 Year Old Child Killer: Criminal, Mentally Ill, or Trauma Victim

Most youth that become violent have a history of trauma. Their ability to cope with everyday living is

less than that of their peers. Risk assessments such as the CARE2 and early intervention can preventtragedies such as the events surrounding the 8 year old child who killed his father.

The headlines read: Eight Year-Old Kills Father and a Boarder. Was this tragedy preventable? If it isproven that the known causes of youth violence were there, it was entirely preventable. This is worse

than a tragedy and it must be fixed.

Experts agree that most youth who become violent share certain elements in their histories. These include

a history of trauma, such as child abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence, (especially as a

young child).

Disrupted attachment patterns from maladaptive caregiving, neurological impairment, dual diagnosis of

mental illness and substance abuse, and a history of violence or aggression are also associated with

violent behavior in children.

Research supported by The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention shows that youth with

more than 5 of the established risk factors for violence and fewer than 6 protective factors have an 80%greater risk of violent behavior.

In addition to the above, risk factors include school difficulties, poor social or problem solving skills,family violence, and deviant peers. Resiliency factors consist of participating in effective therapy,

engaging in pro-social activities, and caregivers having adequate treatment for their own issues.

Childhood trauma, if not sufficiently treated, can result in symptoms of depression, ADHD, and PTSD, asis seen in the work of S. Braaten, B. Van der Kolk, and many others. Dr. Van der Kolk also asserts that

trauma can interfere with the development of appropriate coping skills, such as problem solving,

interpersonal, communication, task, and adaptive skills. Reducing the risk of future violence, involvesstopping and resolving trauma and building skills to an age appropriate level.

Thirty years of research on risk and resiliency factors and treatment outcomes has resulted in thedevelopment of the risk assessment, the CARE2: Chronic Violence Risk and Needs Assessment and

intervention system used in many parts of the US and Canada. The CARE2 is a valid, reliable, and

systematic way to assess the risk and needs of youth and his/her family. This prevention tool will

determine appropriate interventions for the youth and the family to prevent future violence and otheracting out behaviors.

In the case of the 8 year old who shot his father and neighbor, issues of suspected child abuse, domesticviolence, and strained relationships between the child and both parents have now been raised by an

interview with the child. A complete investigation of these allegations and the youth's developmental

level of coping skills will paint a picture of the history of events which led to this horrible outcome.

Intervening early in environments of family violence can prevent such tragedies from occurring. Children

who come to the attention of child protective services and those in homes with domestic violence shouldbe screened for treatment needs.

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Children need to be well bonded to their parents or caregivers to learn the skills they need for appropriate

social interactions. For example, a father who spanks excessively and a mother who does not appear to be

in the child's everyday family group raise red flags that need investigation. Children who do not have

strong pro-social family attachments to their caregivers do not internalize reciprocity, empathy, or theneed to follow rules to be an effective member of a school or family group.

If strong pro-social attachments or developmental skills are missing they must be built in an appropriatedevelopmental sequence. We learn to sit before we stand, and stand before we walk, and walk before we

run. Interpersonal skills also follow a predictable pattern, with each skill built on the mastery of the one

before it. If a youth's survival depends on putting all of his energy, and brainpower into safety and stressmanagement, there is little left to put in acquiring skills such as empathy, self-management,

communication and social skills. Those skills can become stunted.

So, what is the answer to "How do we prevent future youth violence?" Violence is, in part, a traumamatter and a developmental skills issue. So when there is violence in the household, it is often because

people lack the skills to do things differently from how they were raised. Growing up in a violent

environment skews one's ideas of right and wrong. Higher intensity services and a more structuredenvironment are needed for youth who are greatly at risk for committing acts of violence against

themselves and/or others. This also allows the system to focus the most intensive and thus expensive

services on youth and families with the greatest needs. The families also need support services toimprove skill levels and prevent family violence.

We've all experienced the shock of watching stories like these on TV, but have you ever wonderedwhy some seemingly ordinary youth commit violent crimes? Would you be amazed to know that

many of them could have been predicted and prevented if someone had seen the warning signsand intervened before it was too late? Would you like to know how you can protect your children

from becoming either the victims or perpetrators of a violent crime? Do you need some way tomeasure youth violence risk?

Dr. Kathryn Seifert is a psychotherapist with over 30 years experience in mental health,

addictions, and criminal justice work. Dr. Seifert has authored the CARE2: Chronic Violence Riskand Needs Assessment and a parent and professional version of "How Children Become Violent."The parent version has an orange cover and a kindle book on Amazon. She speaks nationally on

mental health related topics and youth violence. She is an expert witness in the areas of youthand adult violence and sexual offending. Get a free email newsletter at

http://www.drkathyseifert.com

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