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Seven-Year-Old Is Acting Out
Q: My seven-year-old son gets angry very easily, talks back, refuses to do what he's told, and hurts my four-year-old daughter old when he's angry. He has also said a couple of times that he is going to kill himself. I am worried about how he is acting now. Will he be even worse as a teenager? Should I be worried?
A: As if often the case, your answer is in your question: You ask if you should be worried, yet you already are worried, so the real question is: Should you do something about it? I think (and imagine you also think) the answer is Yes. Your family will likely benefit from professional advice, and your seeking it will be an act of love to your boy, your four-year old daughter, and yourself.
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Gavin de Becker is widely regarded as the leading U.S. expert on the prediction and management of violence. His work has earned him three Presidential appointments and a position on a congressional committee. He is currently co-chair of the Domestic Violence Council Advisory Board, and a Senior Fellow at the UCLA School of Public Policy.
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