Research PaperThe Makeup of a Child KillerWe as parents always have hopes and dreams that our children will become doctors, lawyers or someone successful and a law abiding citizen. Not until life throws a major curveball and we get that dreaded phone call that your son has been involved in something so unimaginable that you never thought he was capable of and that the crime is murder. We parents always want to believe that our children are not capable of performing such an action, but we often tend to see the things we want to see and not what is actually in front of us. Most people like to call it “turning a blind eye,” which means without seeing. When a tragedy like this occurs and it affects someone we know or our own children, we find ourselves not wanting to address the problem or issue. Before children reach this point, they typically show the first signs of strange or abnormal behavior. Psychologists believe that most warning signs appear in the early stages of childhood. When we don't understand something or don't have the answers, our first instinct is to ignore the warning signs in hopes that they'll go away or that we'll put them in prison and let someone else figure it out. Anna Bracket, 85 years old, lives alone in a condominium complex. She opened the door and let girls aged 14 and 15 into the house who stabbed her 28 times because they wanted to steal her car. The reason I used part of this article is because usually our first thought is “why” a child commits such a horrible act and “what” drove them to do it. When we find ourselves having to ask these types of questions, we need to understand what is the motivating factor that drives them to kill. Often when we watch the news or read a newspaper article and there is a report... in the middle of the paper... the dictations and goals serve them and assure them of your love and support. Find someone to mentor your child. If your teenage son's father is not around, take him to your father or an older male relative to keep your son on the right path. Or, if your father or male relatives live out of town, enroll your son in a local mentoring program where he can receive additional guidance. Tell the program director some details about your child and ask what services they offer to teens and their families. Encourage your child to participate in activities. If you notice that your daughter has a talent for art, enroll her in some free art classes at the local community center. Or, if your child needs to develop his or her social skills and your friend also has a teenage child, arrange for both of you to occasionally spend weekends together playing sports in the park or hanging out at the skating rink. eHow