Yes that is what the whole school thought of the boy I had charge of.

Extreme out of control violent behaviour. He threw a cafeteria 4 seater bench at the principal in front of the whole school when he was 7.

He did not have the ability to control the anger or outbursts.   He was diagnosed with extreme emotional disability and mild hyperactivity (for which he was put on ritalin). His educability and intelligence was high, but the ritalin knocked him out. I spent mornings trying to keep him awake. I noticed that his anger became more strident and his self control weaker as he fought to stay awake through the drug.

Even though he had an IEP, there was no one to one help for him until the last two months of his primary education. And that only to ensure the principal could "wash his hands of him". What he needed all along was congnitive behaviour therapy in the classroom and input from social services to his family from the time he started showing difficulty in school.

I know that ritalin can have an adverse effect on children. My son with mild ADD & hyperactivity was put on very low dose Ritalin. It was like I suddenly had a changling. He would attack his baby sister (hands on her throat) and willfully destroy things (tried to burn the house down twice).

I didn't know who he was. No more my sweet, generous, curious little boy. I had to take him off the meds and home school him for the rest of his 2nd grade year. I suspect his behaviour stemmed from the school he was in in San Antonio. It was quite poor, violent. The teachers roamed the halls between classes with whistles and paddles. He told me about knife wielding big kids. The following year back in Virginia he was fine.