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Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin is one of the most disturbingly brilliant books I have ever read. The title character is a boy born to a successful businesswoman named Eva and her husband. Eva is not very maternal, and her efforts to bond with her son are not aided by the infant’s apparent dislike of his mother. As he grows older Kevin demonstrates a complete lack of interest in or affection for his family, which by now includes his little sister Celia. The siblings are both very different; Celia’s love for her family is a complete contrast to Kevin’s hatred for the world and all those living in it. When Kevin decides to act out his hatred the consequences are horrific and irrational. His mother is left to question her own role in Kevin’s character, and deal with her helplessness at his behaviour.
It’s never easy to think of a child as being capable of committing a cold blooded act like murder. Society and culture enforces the opinion that children are innocent beings, in need of nurture, care, love and attention to ensure they grow into responsible adults.
There is ample evidence to prove that psychopathic behaviour can manifest in children as well as adults. Some experts claim childhood psychopathic behaviour is increasing at an alarming rate, and these so-called “fledgling psychopaths” will become more dangerous as they grow older. The psychopathic behaviour might not result in these children become killers; other signs of psychopathy include the manipulation, exploitation and deception of others for personal gain. Their failure to develop the affectionate bonds and relationships that allow people to empathise with others’ pain lad to the development on other traits, such as arrogance, callousness, dishonesty, narcissism and shamelessness.
Psychiatrists claim psychopathic-prone children are different in temperament to other children. They’re also supposedly at a greater risk for delinquency. Statistics on juvenile crime prove very few children are born with anti-social tendencies. Of those few a small percentage appear to be fearless with no control of their behaviour, but this can generally be attributed to poor parenting skills – absent fathers and mothers who fail to socialise their child. This could be because the child frustrates the parents, who may lack the adequate parenting skills to deal with their offspring’s problems.
Studies do indicate criminal behaviour can be hereditary, but traits like aggressive, fearless and sensation-seeking behaviour – all of which contribute to the anti-social character – can be channelled in positive behaviour, with parental intervention. When the intervention fails the traits may manifest into violence. Some studies suggest psychopaths have abnormal brain activities, taking longer to make specific connections than other children and exhibiting less fear of punishment. There also appears to be a need to do thrill-seeking activities to excite the nervous system.
A survey conducted by “The New York Times” collected a list of one hundred cases of “rampage killers” in the USA over the last fifty years. Nineteen teenage killers made the list, and it was proved that while adult killers tend to act alone, child killers often act with the support of their peers. In some cases the children were assisted by other children; those who drove them to school, some showed them how to use a gun while others helped procure a firearm… and other simply watched the murder. At times the guilty children were goaded into committing the act. Sometimes the killers boasted about what they were planning to do, and even encouraged friends to be a witnesses.
In a study of 40 cases of school violence during the past twenty years, the Secret Service's National Threat Assessment established that teenagers often told someone before they did the deed. Most of these children are white and they prefer - and somehow acquire – semiautomatic weapons. Almost half had shown some evidence of mental disturbance, including delusions and hallucinations prior to carrying out the crime. There's little doubt that at least some of them would score high on a psychopathy scale.
Common traits in the background of psychopathic children include:
 a mother exposed to deprivation or abuse as a child
a mother who shows a tendency toward isolation
a transient father or the family migrates frequently
a mother who cannot maintain stable emotional connection with a child
low birth weight or birth complications
hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to pain
hyperactivity
failure to make eye contact when touched
absence of fear of strangers
low frustration tolerance
transient psychotic episodes
sense of omnipotence
easily distracted
transient relationship
cruelty toward others
Personality traits defining juvenile psychopathy can be exhibited from a very early age, and persist through to middle age. Characteristics of juvenile psychopathy include:
lack of remorse or empathy
shallow emotions
manipulativeness
lying
egocentricity
glibness
low frustration tolerance
episodic relationships
parasitic lifestyle
the persistent violation of social norms
need for stimulation
criminal versatility
In Doris Lessing’s The Fifth Child in the family is named Ben. Ben’s behaviour slowly destroys his happy family, and doctors are unable to find any reason or rationale for his seemingly congenital malice. Ben joins a street gang of juvenile delinquents, as his close knit and loving family is destroyed by his actions.
While not strictly traditional horror stories the following books provide an interesting insight into the possibilities for negative aspects of a child’s mental development:
In Victoria Redel’s Loverboy a devoted single mother is so determined to protect her son Paul her love for him borders on obsession. While Paul’s character is never clearly revealed his mother’s compulsive behaviour and the lies she tells to ensure her son’s protection escalate and lead to the inevitable conclusion.
In Helen DeWitt’s The Last Samurai Ludo is a single parent child prodigy, who begins playing the piano at three years of age, reading Ancient Greek at four before going on to master Japanese, Inuit, Old Norse, Hebrew and advanced mathematics. Ludo’s favourite film is Kurosawa’s “The Seven Samurai”, and his mother Sibylla encourages his habit of re-watching the film to compensate for the lack of a father figure/male role model in her son’s life. When he reaches his teens he decides, against Sibylla’s wishes, to look for his father, and methodically seeks out and tests all the men who might unknowingly have fathered him.
The idea for this newsletter was mooted by Mavis Moog  , and it’s not been easy to write. Writing a story featuring a child as an evil, malevolent character without alienating readers must be one of the most difficult challenges any writer can face. Yet evidence shows us that children are capable of anti-social, psychopathic behaviour, and the reasons they do are dark, disturbing and ultimately great material for a horror writer. The few books I’ve read and films I’ve seen about psychopathic children do seem to have one common feature – the child character is not killed. I believe this is because the psychopathic child is often the result of external influences, and as an example I think of Kevin in Lionel Shriver’s book. He was born an unemotional, unfeeling child, and his mother’s lack of maternal instinct and inability to bond with her baby brought out the psychopathic tendencies that ruined the lives of everyone associated with Kevin.
This is my last Horror newsletter – I’ve been an editor for over two years and it’s time to pass the pen to another writer. Thank you all for the wonderful support you’ve given my newsletters. It’s your comments and interaction that’s made this such an enjoyable writing stint.
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Lauriemariepea
another engrossing newsletter, sarah--thanks. i'm partial to christian bale, so no problem seeing his mug as often as you'd like to feature it. loved your explanation of the Other. you've given me a new way to think about that 'alien' motivation...you always get my gears moving. thanks also for featuring my stories this newsletter! how exciting!
Yes, as you know I harbour a yen for Mr Bale too! Thank you for all your wonderful support and your brilliant stories. It's been a pleasure to feature them.
A thinker never sleeps
Great newsletter. I think the same principles can be applied when writing villains in general. A villain if often more interesting if they have a normal face but an abnormal, obsessive mind or a monster within rather than just being an obvious monster.
I agree. The deep seated horror lurking behind a normal façade is a dreadful concept, but fascinating and very useful for a horror writer. Add the elements of an obsessive, sadistic person and horror takes on a whole new meaning, e.g Ted Bundy.
Acme
Another ace newsletter, Sarah  I know you made good points which I am bound to use in my future writing, but even the most studious newsletter reader in me gets pushed to the back when you give me eye candy to ogle at. I love Bale's portrayal in American Psycho, but damn if that boy doesn't look good reflected in an axe  While handsome serial killers are sparse (hang on, no: Dexter?) It makes me think of plenty of other 'bad guys' who make good hotties. Pretty much all of the modern Vampire TV and films show ripped abs and pecks... well, apart from Gary Oldman's mad wig in Dracula, but he is a martyr to his art, bless him... Anyway, my thought is this; when it comes to tv and film, does supernatural horror = hot?
Mr Bale reflected in an axe… he really did bring Patrick Bateman to life, didn’t he? I can never imagine DiCaprio doing that role justice, I’m afraid. And yes, I think when we talking about the visual entertainment a baddie needs to look good. Who wants to watch a skanky dude running around naked with a chainsaw when we can ogle the gorgeous Christian doing the same thing? Only he could look hot while throwing a chainsaw at his victim.
larryp
Sarah - You always do a wonderful job of preparation to assist your readers, supplying tools to good writing techniques.
~~Larry
Thank you, Larry, for all the support you’ve given me during my time as a Horror newsletter editor.
billwilcox
Another fabulous edition Sarah. Thanks for all that you do,
-Bill
Bill, thank you for your support over the last two years. I look forward to your monthly newsletters and I thoroughly enjoy your horror writing.
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Horror/Scary: September 03, 2008 Issue [#2589]
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