Violent Child, Desperate Parents

Nine-year old Jack is just months away from turning 10, the age of criminal responsibility, yet he risks being locked up because he is terrorizing his single-dad, Damien. When Mandy arrives, she witnesses Jack's brutal onslaught of kicks, punches, spitting, and swearing towards his father before he turns his aggression on her. Can she force a change in all their behavior before it’s too late?

Hazel is at the end of her tether. She bringing up six kids on her own, and one of them is showing terrifying signs of violence. Mandy investigates the family dynamic to understand what isn’t working. She uncovers that amidst a house full of wild kids is a heartbreaking tale of a desperately isolated mum attempting to cope with her own demons while trying to keep her family together.

In this episode, therapist Mandy Saligari visits a young family in Kettering where 25-year-old Mum of four, Alex, is struggling to get her partner Carl to help cop with the violent outbursts of their 9-year-old son, Harry. Mandy believes that a lack of clear boundaries from both parents is leading to Harry’s violent outbursts. Is it already too late to salvage their relationship?

In this episode, pioneering child psychologist Laverne Antrobus meets Debbie and her 8-year-old son, Joe, whose uncontrollable rages dominate the entire family.  Debbie is so scared of Joe's violent outbursts that she's effectively trapped in her own home. With support from Debbie and his siblings, will Joe be able to overcome his anxiety and control his emotions?

Laverne meets 6-year-old Demi and her 29-year-old mum, Lisa, who live with Lisa’s parents, Sharon and Pete. The family agree that “Good Demi” is a little angel, sweet and affectionate, but when “Bad Demi” takes over, she becomes extremely violent, and it’s Lisa who bears the brunt of it. Can Demi perhaps come to terms with some buried feelings in a more peaceful way?

Emma and Adrian are at their wits’ end when it comes to dealing with their son. He’s difficult during the day, but getting him to bed can take 6 hours, and it's starting to take a toll on Emma and Adrian's marriage. Laverne has to find out why Adrian is so absent from him son’s life and what in Emma’s past may have affected her view of the role fathers play in their children’s lives.

Lacey’s youngest daughter, 8-year-old Rayne, has outbursts of aggression and physical violence that has brought Lacey's relationship to a breaking point. Diagnosed with ADHD and excluded from school, Rayne's mother likens her to "a wild animal”. Laverne steps in to discover that Lacey rage is a part of the problem, and needs to find a way to get the two of them engaging differently.