I have been taking care of my brother for about six months because of domestic abuse with his parents. At first he was happy, but now he misses his mother. He thinks that the worse he behaves, the better chance he'll have of living with her again. He is very troubled and it breaks my heart. His teacher tells me he is the social outcast of the school, and that he has no friends, and that children are even afraid to sit next to him. He has pulled down his pants and showed his privates to other children several times, and threatens to kill other students or to kill himself. He is very supported, loved, and supervised at home, but I cannot change the fact that he has been abused in the past. I take him to a counselor but they can only tell me what is wrong, and don't have any advice on how to deal with this. I have tried putting belts on him just so it is harder for him to undress at school. The best thing I can do is be patient and loving with him. He breaks down and cries at home and says he hates his life. It is not a tantrum or a way to get attention. I can feel his grief and it just breaks my heart. No matter how much I tell him what he is doing isn't the way to make friends, he still continues with the behavior. I have tried discipline, ignoring it, talking with his teachers, showing up at his school every day; I will try anything. Please help.
I agree, counselling is the only option, trained professionals will need to peel off the layers and retrain his behaviour. Very difficult, but I wish you all the best of luck, you obviously love him very.
