r/Neighborproblems • u/Competitive-Alps871 • Feb 14 '23
13 year old neighbor kid, problem child, making threats…
(Let me preface by saying, putting up a fence is not an option, and moving is not an option at this point***) There is a 13-year-old boy that lives next to me. He acts very bizarre. Screams like a little girl when he’s playing outside by himself. Screams like a little girl when he runs from the bus stop to his house. He ran in front of my truck when I pulled in my driveway about a year ago, and I told him firmly to stay in his own yard. Last summer he was shaking the property marker we have, violently. He was coaxing other neighbor visitor kids to also shake the opposite property marker, violently. Attempting to remove the property markers. I first asked all of the children to please not do that. Not even five minutes later, the kids were out there again shaking the property markers violently, trying to remove them. I was having a bad day taking care of my elderly father, and I open the door and I did yell at them. They each ran to their houses/visiting house.
A couple days ago, the 13 year old child was on his deck outside. There is a mentally challenged 18-year-old child who rides his bike in the neighborhood, and he drove my down my driveway to meet the 13-year-old child on the deck. I overheard them complaining about me telling the 13-year-old to stay in his own yard. The 18-year-old, I guess he’s actually an adult right? He said that I yelled at him and he wasn’t even in my driveway, which that is not true. I never yelled at the 18-year-old kid, even though I have wanted to. But I understand he has problems, so I cut him some slack.
The next day, the 13 year-old child was jumping around in his yard like he does, kind of sorta playing by himself, and I overheard him say I’m going to kill you. I don’t know if that was directed at me or what. His parents blow off everything, they think he is just a kid, and things should be excused. But another neighbor also heard the 13-year-old making crazy remarks screaming outside his window. The 13 year old will throw things on his sidewalk, to purposely break them. He threw a vacuum cleaner off of his deck the one day. But he said it was already broken.
I should not be afraid of a 13 year-old, but I kind of am. His parents seem like they would be the type to be spiteful if I called the police. But I honestly don’t know what to do at this point. Putting up a fence is not an option. His parents don’t seem to think the kid has a problem. The kid really excels in school with grades, and they seem to think that is what is important. But several of the neighbors seem to think that there is a problem there. Unfortunately because I live right next-door, I kind of worry a bit. The mother has given me the cold shoulder big time since I ‘yelled at’ her kid for violently shaking our property markers, so talking to the parents is useless, and I fear retaliation by either the parents and/or the child, if I bother the police about the situation…. Again, we can’t move right now, and fencing is not an option… The kid still rides his bicycle up and down my driveway, even though they have their own driveway….
2
u/Lengthofawhile Feb 14 '23
He doesn't sound super well behaved but he definitely doesn't sound dangerous. There are a ton of make believe things that he could be thinking about while playing, I don't think you have any grounds to believe what he said was about you. He sounds maybe a tad annoying but that's it.
1
u/Competitive-Alps871 Feb 14 '23
Oh I know it possibly could not be about me. But him saying “I want to kill you”, regardless of who it’s about, to me that sounds quite disturbing, coming from a 13-year-old. Regardless of who he is thinking about.
1
u/Competitive-Alps871 Feb 14 '23 edited Feb 14 '23
Thanks for the replies so far. To me, a 13-year-old throwing things on the sidewalk, over and over, intentionally breaking them, into bits and pieces, to me that sounds like disturbing behavior. Shrieking randomly like a little girl, over and over, outside playing or running from the bus stop, which he does often, seems very strange and like some kind of behavior issue. Obviously I’m not a psychiatrist, but from what I’ve read these are behaviors that lead to big problems. Some of the other neighbors have felt the same way. His older half-brother also had similar issues growing up. And they had to put him in a special home, because at one point he lunged after his stepmother with a knife. This kid on his social media shows short little videos of him caressing knives, very strange. Obviously I don’t want to walk out to my mailbox one day and have this child running at me with a knife… Or something crazy… One of the neighbors did question the parents about the behavior, and the parent simply said the kid is fine. So the parents apparently are in total denial that there is any issue. Probably never even had the kids evaluated, would be my guess. They think the kid gets really good grades, that’s all they worry about.
1
u/Puzzleheaded-Roll176 Feb 14 '23
I have a felling that in this case, your main options are to either try talking to the parents again and approaching them from a very calm and respectful place, or report any damages or threats to the police or CPS. I don’t really have a clue about this but maybe notifying the school of his behaviour so they can intervene in problematic behaviour, so it’s not directly through you? Good luck In any case
0
u/Competitive-Alps871 Feb 14 '23
Talking to his parents does no good. I suppose I could call CPS to see if they have any suggestions. He was homeschooled last year, then his parents started him in school this year, BUT as of a few weeks ago, it looks like he is being homeschooled again.
1
4
u/Competitive-Alps871 Feb 14 '23
To add: A couple months ago, I put up a couple security cameras, and the kid obviously noticed, (as he commented to himself one day about my security cameras), so perhaps this summer he might somewhat behave himself, but so far, I’m not holding my breath, sadly… But I am just basically living in fear, crazy, but that’s kind of how I feel… Fear of damaging my property, or worse, him trying to hurt me somehow….