Quote:
Originally posted by spectre
Not if the kid turns out to be a serial killer. To my knowledge, every serial killer started out by viciously torturing and killing animals for pleasure. The kid needs some serious help before he becomes more fucked up than he already is.
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Someone who tortures animals does not always become a serial killer. However, if you do torture animals, you have a high chance of qualifying for conduct disorder, a childhood mental disorder that is required for diagnosing antisocial personality disorder later in life, the mental disorder that is commonly linked to serial killers. Most people who have conduct disorder do not go on to have antisocial personality disorder. Most people who have antisocial personality disorder do not go on to be serial killers.
Yes, he may have tortured/killed an animal. Assuming the report is true and he showed true remorse for his actions, it's very likely that it's an isolated incident and that he doesn't really have the severe psychological disturbances generally associated with people who go on to become serial killers.
That being said, I think a much more effective way of dealing with the situation than sending him to jail is, on the off chance that he's a good actor, to have him go through some sort of therapy to diagnose him and treat him if necessary. When someone does something like this, it's a red flag, certainly, but it doesn't mean he's guaranteed to be a derranged psychopath.