9-year-old charged with manslaughter
 

It's stories like this that break your heart. It's almost something out of a Stephen King novel. I feel sorry for both families. Do you think she actually meant to kill the girl? It said they were just about as close as sisters. But, it also said that she got rather violent when she didn't get her way.

Sounds like a tagline for a movie.

i especially like this line

"The police said the 9-year-old stabbed Queenie in the chest with a steak knife"

I think the girl needs to learn to control her temper when things dont go her way, how would she go through high school when just about nothing goes your way?

Juvy isn't necessarily spoiling her life. Obviously, things aren’t peachy right now. Just for a counter-point, all records of juvenile offenses get the "magic wand" when you turn 18 and are in almost all cases sealed forever away from employers, prosecutors etc. While I agree psychological help would most likely be the best thing for her, Juvy isn't Oz. Perhaps that form of rehabilitation would work too. It works for plenty of kids and adults, but nobody hears about it. I've worked with some upright people who had a troubled childhood. The only reason I know that they were in Juvy is because they told me. Crime breeds crime. Familiarity breeds neglect. Loose lips sink ships. The system can work and it does help a lot of people.
Just a counter-point.

"I had a fight with my cousin. I just stabbed her"

How sad. Little girls can really be that angry? Did she feel any remorse for what she had did? What makes children have temper problems at such a young age? I never knew that a child of less then 10 was capable of killing intentionaly.

She needs serious help, and her parents need to stop making excuses for her. "Nice little girl when things go her way..."

Yes, I'm sure she was, but that doesn't change the fact that she did something utterly abominable.

Why does no one seem to realise that even if she did intend on hurting the girl and killing her was an "obvious solution," at her age, she could not grasp the magnitude of the death fully, as all child deaths are. "She pissed me off, I'll go a little further, and kill her, that will teach her--" very simple child psychology.

i know this isnt much but in my opinion, child physcology shows that a childs reaction to not being able to do something is to cry. i think the only reason in why this theory seems flawed, in my opinion, is that the child wont have to anyone who will react in their favor if they were crying i.e. a parent or elder.

but seriously locke, do you REALLY think that in that situation, a child's main thought is to kill the friend?? that just doesnt seem reasonable. it isnt a normal child reaction.

also, if there were to be any physical violence, most children would kick and scream and probably hit someone but never stab to death or something like that.

and yes locke, children at that age really dont seem to grasp the thought of death that seriously at all. i would imagine a kid having heard someone die and maybe forgetting about it the "next day". though, this situation would definetely would not work with someone dieing that was VERY close to the child i.e. brother,father,mother..

There is no way that is true. When I was 9 years old I never though, "I hate her. She stole my ball. If I kill her I can get my ball back." I knew, even then, that killing was wrong. I blame this on the parenting. Her mom knew her daughter had anger issues. My parents never let me get away with ever having a fit. If I didn't get what I want I pouted quietly or called them stupid childish names. The girls mother should have seen that there fights were just getting worse and were gonna keep getting worse. Sometimes when you see to much of a person you get in more fights. This happens with best friends and the only solution is to spend more time apart.

Damn... I mean damn. Well, all I can say is that if what Locke says is really how her mind works, there is the potential for a serious serial killer. If her thinking process is in fact "she took my ball so I'm gonna stab her and get my ball back," then without immediate specialized attention she has the potential to become a very dangerous person later in life, especially coupled with a decent amount of intelligence. I doubt Juvy will help her, she needs to change her basic thougfht processes and I'm not sure that's possible.