Psychiatric ward worker watched a new child patient play Legos and stick up for a peer, then read what the boy allegedly did to the family dog

JayPitts is a rapper now, but not too long ago, he worked at a psychiatric ward, where he built up plenty of stories, lessons, and advice. Some of them now feature on his TikTok channel. One of his recent stories is about an encounter with a child of 10 or 11 whom he describes as the first potential psychopath he ever met. The TikToker’s story reached over 1.3 million views in under a week, and many of his viewers were shaken by it.

In his video, JayPitts described himself as a floater who moved through every department but noted that he liked working with children, since they are in the middle of their development. He described them, claiming, “There’s still hope. There’s still wet cement, and they can still be formed and smoothed out before their personalities and character starts to harden into unresolved issues.” It is with this outlook that he went on his morning rounds and met his new patient. 

JayPitts told his audience that the child seemed “sweet” and “empathetic.” He was playing with Legos, laughing, and even sticking up for a peer. In the group session, he answered questions about coping skills and triggers, and he was pleasant and well-spoken in his one-on-one. JayPitts claimed, “He’s one of the brightest among the bunch.” However, the boy’s file hadn’t arrived when the day started. After JayPitts left the boy, his coworkers urgently called him over to share it.

The boy’s file allegedly told a very different story

JayPitts claimed that his coworkers asked about the boy’s family and the family pet. When he said he didn’t know anything about them, they showed him the file. JayPitts alleged, “[the boy] proceeds to take his father’s drill, and while the dog was sleeping, he drilled a long nail into the dog’s jaw and bolted him to the ground. Then he goes upstairs and threatens his older sister with the same nails.” The parents purportedly returned in time to prevent more harm.

Reflecting on his alleged experience with the boy, JayPitts told his audience, “The narcissism, manipulation, and dishonesty was top tier.” When he finally attempted to broach the subject with the boy the next day, JayPitts claimed that the child’s demeanor changed instantly, especially when he was asked about pets.  JayPitts described it as if the child had “some deep ancient spell that woke up the real him.” 

According to JayPitts, the boy began screaming, forcing staff to move him to a quiet room. During the struggle, the child allegedly unleashed a torrent of obscenities and threats, revealing a side different from his earlier, charming behavior. It should be noted that this is only JayPitts’ account of events, and it can’t be independently verified.

This story has sparked a massive conversation online about whether children can truly be psychopaths. One user claimed, “Yea. Child psychopaths are scarier than the adults! They are way too advanced in their manipulation and their ability to mimic other’s feelings.” Another wrote, “It baffles me that some people think children can’t be incredibly dangerous.”

According to Parents, while “psychopath” is not an official mental health diagnosis, the term describes a cluster of behaviors characterized by being callous, uncaring, and deceitful. Antisocial personality disorder, the closest clinical diagnosis, can only be given to adults, and children who show these traits are more commonly evaluated for conduct disorder with callous-unemotional traits.

Experts note that while many children may be mean at times, it is important to watch for specific warning signs. Per Parents, this could include a lack of guilt after misbehaving, a failure to respond to punishment, or a tendency to be sneaky.

The outlet noted that older children with these traits may exhibit behaviors similar to adults, including harming animals for sport, which is a significant indicator of a lack of empathy. While the debate regarding whether individuals are born or made continues, researchers have found links to brain differences and early exposure to dysfunctional environments. Psychopathy is also widely misunderstood, and one diagnosed psychopath TikToker has explained that psychopaths aren’t the same as serial killers.

Parents emphasize that children exhibiting these early traits require specialized treatment, as they often do not respond to traditional disciplinary methods. Some residential programs use reward-based interventions to help children earn privileges through positive choices. While there is no specific medication for psychopathy, some healthcare providers may use antipsychotics or mood stabilizers to help manage aggression and emotional dysregulation.

In the video, JayPitts admitted, “After that day, I looked myself in the mirror, and I said, man, you never know what you don’t know, and I think I just met a psychopath.”