Ok...there was a reason I asked about early years being chaotic.
Kids without consciences often have had serious lack of attachment in their very early years and learned not to trust anyone but themselves, thus they develop attachment disorders which look like "I take care of myself and forget you! I don't care about you! If I don't look out for me...who will?" Even a great deal of love does not cure this...it requires a lot of intensive therapy with a therapist who truly understands attachment issues. And most don't. I'm not sure, of course, if this child is acting out due to lack of attachment, but it is possible. I am going to post a link about attachment disorders. The kids are about THE most difficult kids that exist because they don't feel that the world is a safe place or that anybody except them will make sure they are ok...and they have little respect for the rights of others. Here are links both explaining attachment issues and to a book about it that I feel is a good one:
Reactive attachment disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amazon.com: Attachment, Trauma, and Healing: Understanding and Treating Attachment Disorder in Children and Families (9780878687091): Terry M. Levy, Michael Orlans: Books
Good luck. See if this rings a bell.
