7-year-old's more than wild - he's evil
Our 7-year-old grandson has been a handful since he was able to walk.
DEAR ABBY: Our 7-year-old grandson has been a handful since he was able to walk. He has been sneaky and has told lies for as long as any of us can remember. He has been suspended from school more than 10 times for various things. He stole several hundred dollars from his mom's purse and took it to school so he would have money to buy snacks. He stays awake longer than everyone else in the house so he can take things and hide them in his closet.
He knows what he does is wrong, but it doesn't bother him. He is also abusive to his disabled sister. It is hard to imagine that a 7-year-old could give hate-filled looks that you don't even see from adults. I'm afraid at the rate he is going, he will seriously hurt someone or be hurt himself.
He also has a very big heart. That is why we don't understand what is going wrong in this little boy's head. Please help if you can. - Grandma of a Bully
DEAR GRANDMA: Your grandson's behavior may have something to do with the fact that his disabled sibling needs more of his parents' attention. Or he may have serious emotional problems.
The boy needs to be evaluated by a mental-health professional so that his parents will understand what's driving his behavior, and it can be addressed.
Please don't wait.
DEAR ABBY: I'm 17 and a few months ago I made the mistake of taking and sending nude photographs to my boyfriend.
An adult co-worker, "Jim," got the photographs without my knowledge or permission and showed them to my other co-workers, including managers. Jim threatened to continue showing the pictures around unless I did him a "favor."
Out of distress, I quit my job, not realizing that managers had seen the photographs. I now know they were aware of the situation, but did nothing.
How should I approach the situation? It would be very bad if my parents found out.
- Facing the Consequences
DEAR FACING THE CONSEQUENCES: You now know why it's a bad idea to send nude pictures, because once they are out of your control, anything can be done with them.
While this is embarrassing, you should absolutely tell your parents what happened because they may want to take this matter to their lawyer. Your former employers ignored sexual harassment, attempted coercion and blackmail. If it can be proven, they should pay the price for it.