A 14-year-old girl killed her mother with a hammer in 2008.
Last year, a 14-year-old boy arrested in San Diego was found guilty in a Mexican court for being an assassin for a drug cartel.
Today, a 10-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing his 12-year-old friend goes back to court as his lawyers evaluate his mental competency.
These news stories have caused many parents to wonder if their child’s anger is dangerous.
The answer, says Dr. Jeff Rowe, Supervising Psychiatrist for Mental Health Services for the County Health and Human Services Agency, is not a simple one.
Anger that leads to aggression, he indicated, can come from different sources; the main ones being:
- Response to fear or humiliation
- Genetic abnormalities of brain development
- Prenatal drug exposure
- Injury to the frontal lobe of the brain
- Repeated psychologically traumatic events
“Anger can come from many causes,” said Rowe. “It’s important to be able to identify its roots.”
Anger issues, he added, usually are a sign of something else. Simple anger usually is a cover for fear or hurt. Extreme anger mostly has to do with other types of mental health problems. If there’s ongoing, frequent anger, it could be a sign of a mood disorder or some other kind of behavioral disorder.
What is truly important, Rowe says, is being able to identify when anger in children could turn to aggression and knowing when to get help. Parents should look for:
- Anger that results that in physical aggression with a weapon
- Anger that causes the person to appear unable to control himself
- Anger that is grossly out of proportion compared to the situation
“Anger that seems hard to understand is something they should get checked out,” said Rowe.” If children are harmful to themselves or to others, parents should seek professional help immediately. Help can be found by calling the Access and Crisis line or 9-1-1.”
If the situation is not an emergency, there are other places where parents can get help for a child with anger issues.
Help is available at schools and parents can contact the child’s teacher, counselor or principal. If a school has no resources on site, administrators will be able to refer the parent to appropriate help. A child’s pediatrician is also a great source for help.
County Mental Health Services operates many services in our community. There is an Emergency Screening Unit for children and adolescents under age 18 who are experiencing a mental health emergency or crisis. The unit is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Parents can call the County Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240 for assistance.
