I work with behaviorally disturbed children on a daily basis.
Children develop cognitively and socially at different rates. We have 5th graders that have the mental abilities and associations than a "normal" 3 or 4 year old more than likely possesses.
I have seen children do horrible things to themselves, adults, peers, and even lash out towards me. I have seen an 8 year old try to slash another classmate's throat with a pair of scissors. He was mad because the other child had apparently taken a playing card of his.
Honestly, some of the things these children witness or are a part of is terrible. Some are sexually abused, foster parented, beaten regularly, starved, witness murders in their family, and probably have mild mental disabilities. I do not condone their actions, but I understand where they come from. It is a very sad part of our society.
The main problem I believe is the parents. They are not capable of handling themselves, let alone a growing child that might have cognitive delays or other physical problems. They live in abusive environments. Their homes are falling apart and there is no adult presence whatsoever. Sometimes there are 12 kids raising each other. It's horrible and can cause terrible mental issues, violence issues, and a general distaste for human life.
It is bothering to me that these young kids will grow up and not really be a part of society. I personally know teachers whose students have murdered people, raped women and children, and basically become outlaws. In our schools today we have sexual assaults in elementary and middle school age groups. It's sickening. You try to help them day by day, week by week, but often it might not work. When the kids grow up they turn to violence because that is what they know.
Bad parents=bad kids. No way around it. This has always been a problem, but I believe with a more encroaching media and much more "PC" ways of handling education, our youths look more terrible than ever.
All I can say is, kids are capable of terrible, terrible things.
Do what you have to do to stay alive. You can think about "what-if" for the rest of your life.