From a psychological point of view, children are certainly not inherently bad. What may contribute to negative childhood behavior that grown-ups may regard as “bad” is ignorance of commonly accepted acts of kindness and courtesy that adults may indulge in. This is where a parent’s job starts: To teach the young child right from wrong, to set a positive example by role modeling appropriate behavior and by gently guiding or redirecting the child when inappropriate behavior occurs, as well as to provide healthy learning opportunities that foster childhood development into a well-rounded person.
A child who is considered “bad” typically displays acts of aggression, anger, frustration, disregard of others, or stubbornness (such as not listening to the parent or persistent whining). Such behavior is often met by the parent not only with disapproval, but also with harsh words and physical punishment. When a child is met with a negative response from the parent, such as yelling, accusing, or even spanking for undesirable behavior, the child not only grows sad and distrustful of the most important persons in his/her life, but also learns that physical punishment and loud vocalizations are effective ways to resolve conflict. This may be when children opt to employ these options themselves when faced with a challenge they find hard to resolve. Fact is, children need to test their boundaries to learn which behaviors are appropriate. Young children are also relatively selfish creatures who need immediate attention paid to their important matters. Whether they are hungry, need help reaching a toy, want to watch a show on TV, or just want to spend some time with Mom, in a child’s little world their needs come first and the world around them must adapt to accommodate these needs effectively. Parental (or other care-giver) responses to childhood behavior tend to have a great impact on how successfully the child can moderate his/her own behavior.
Telling a child that he or she is “bad” may be regarded as verbally abusive by some and can arouse the effect of the self-fulfilling prophecy, which may actually induce a child to behave bad in the first place. The child who is repeatedly reminded by a grown-up caregiver or other adults and individuals in his life that he is bad, will internalize these remarks and come to see himself in a negative light. He will likely develop low self-esteem, have low self-regard, and come to believe that he cannot do anything right. This constantly perceived failure may then lead to learned helplessness and either cause the child to completely retreat from peers and other social situations, or he/she may act out aggressively when things are not going his/her way. Part of this aggression may stem from anger at himself for feeling like a failure or “bad” guy (he may blame himself for being “made” or “born” bad) and from the frustration he feels when faced with discouraging social situations (he may sense others judging or frowning upon his actions). What is worse is that once a parent calls his/her child bad, the term becomes a label that is not only recognized by the child but also by others that are occasionally exposed to the child. For instance, if a girl is acting up in dance class and her mother asks her “Why are you always acting so bad?” the simple wording of this sentence may make others who are not always with the child assume that this is how the child constantly acts. If these individuals then see the child misbehaving again on another occasion, their suspicions may be confirmed and every action by that child will then be scrutinized or critiqued with negative aspects readily observed (even if none are present).
As to the existence of a “bad” gene that could predispose children to becoming aggressive or even criminally inclined, some studies have suggested that up to “62 percent of antisocial and criminal behavior be "heritable,"”. However, rather than a clear-cut “bad” gene being responsible for such behavior, there appear to be other genetic factors involved in determining a person’s ability to become violent or prone to criminal activity. Depression is one example of a heritable mental disorder (among many others) that can negatively affect a person’s way of thinking, feeling, and acting. Further, “a mutant gene for a brain enzyme known as MAO-A”, which is inherited, has been linked to families with histories of violence and impulsiveness. Therefore, there is no back-or-white answer on whether a child is “born” bad or whether he/she is “made” bad. However, if a child is raised in a loving, caring environment and receives consistent positive discipline, his/her chances of growing into a loving and caring adult are greatly enhanced, regardless of genetic composition.