What is the difference between a "good" kid and a "bad" kid?

[NeverlandClub23]

I was watching a show on E! about teenagers who kill their classmates/parents/random people and quite a few the people/parents that knew the murderer says they were a "good kid". I also listen to Dr. Laura on AM radio during the day and many callers call in and say they have a kid that berates them, leaves for 3 days, does drugs, does illegal activities, is involved in gangs, has sex openly in their home, etc. but starts the call off with "I want you to know they're a good kid first...". So what's a bad kid? Is this just something people say so that the kid isn't judged by their actions? I've just been thinking about this a lot and wondered what others thought.

 

[NikiM20]

I was watching a show on E! about teenagers who kill their classmates/parents/random people and quite a few the people/parents that knew the murderer says they were a "good kid". I also listen to Dr. Laura on AM radio during the day and many callers call in and say they have a kid that berates them, leaves for 3 days, does drugs, does illegal activities, is involved in gangs, has sex openly in their home, etc. but starts the call off with "I want you to know they're a good kid first...". So what's a bad kid? Is this just something people say so that the kid isn't judged by their actions? I've just been thinking about this a lot and wondered what others thought.

I would say the bolded is a child with bad behaviors

I would have to do something if my child did that.

There are no bad children only bad behaviors

 

[Disney Doll]

I was watching a show on E! about teenagers who kill their classmates/parents/random people and quite a few the people/parents that knew the murderer says they were a "good kid". I also listen to Dr. Laura on AM radio during the day and many callers call in and say they have a kid that berates them, leaves for 3 days, does drugs, does illegal activities, is involved in gangs, has sex openly in their home, etc. but starts the call off with "I want you to know they're a good kid first...". So what's a bad kid? Is this just something people say so that the kid isn't judged by their actions? I've just been thinking about this a lot and wondered what others thought.

Teenagers who kill their clasmates/parents/random people are bad kids.

Kids that berate their parents, leave for 3 days, do drugs, do illegal activities, are involved in gangs, & have sex openly in their home are bad kids.

And yes, some people really are just bad seeds.

 

[AntePrincess]

The difference between a good kid and a bad kid is the prefix. "Your" and "bad" are synonyms. "Mine" and "good" are synonyms.

 

[shellybaxter]

The difference between children with bad behaviors and good behaviors often is tracable back to mental health issues

 

[Ember]

Hmm... I think the answer can often be found in defining what a "good" or "bad" parent is. (Though I agree, there are few bad seeds out there who will turn out bad even with the best family and parents.)

 

[RitaZ.]

Is this just something people say so that the kid isn't judged by their actions?

Absolutely. People want to be seen in a positive light. Bad things happen to 'other people', not to us or ours.

 

[barkley]

a common factor can be that the murderer/killer is a sociopath. a sociopath can be very adept at appearing to blend in with the 'norm' of their social group.

then there are those that for whatever reason kill-i grew up with 3 of these types, they killed separatly and i was in no way surpised when i learned of it. they had been mean as young kids and continued until they did the ultimate mean act.



if you like a long but interesting read get the book 'columbine'. it shows the very different reasons/psychologies of the killers, and how those differences and how the enabling effects the differences had on each other facilitated and fed those killings.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I was watching a show on E! about teenagers who kill their classmates/parents/random people and quite a few the people/parents that knew the murderer says they were a "good kid". I also listen to Dr. Laura on AM radio during the day and many callers call in and say they have a kid that berates them, leaves for 3 days, does drugs, does illegal activities, is involved in gangs, has sex openly in their home, etc. but starts the call off with "I want you to know they're a good kid first...". So what's a bad kid? Is this just something people say so that the kid isn't judged by their actions? I've just been thinking about this a lot and wondered what others thought.

It is basically "beauty is in the eye of a beholder" thing or a subjective label.

Look at Casey Anthony's mother. Her parents believe her denial of the crime of the alledged murder of her child. Judging from the support they are giving her I am going to assume they do not think she is a "bad kid".

What about teens that get abortions? Certain groups are going to consider them a "bad teens".

Take it down to the numerous posts we have here about children that talk back to their parents and other behaviors. Some people would consider that a "bad kid" because of the parental upbringing, as a PP said.

In the example of the kid that is doing drugs, having sex, etc., what if you moved the kid to nowhereville where they had no access to drugs, gangs, etc., would they still be bad kids? You could say that they had bad behaviors if they stopped doing them.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I believe there is tremendous danger in separating a child (or teen) from their actions. Children have to be taught to OWN their behaviors, not think that they are a "good" person who does "bad" things, so those bad things are ultimately forgiven. It's a slippery slope to always give children the impression that their behavior isn't actually connected to them, because it is.

Can good kids do bad things? Absolutely. Can bad kids do good things? Absolutely. Labels are tricky. Which is why it is important to teach children not to do bad things, even if they are "good" children!

 

[Gabes_mommy]

Adult sociopaths don't start out as "good kids" - they are sociopaths even as children. They are "bad seeds" from the very beginning. My DH has a relative who is a really horrible person and DH told me that when they were little kids the relative was already torturing and killing cats. True sociopaths are a small percentage of the population though thankfully.

This topic fascinates me. I did a paper of Conduct Disorder in grad school. Conduct Disorder is the title they use to label children/teens who show signs of being a sociopath.