I am a first time step mother to an 8 year old boy, I have been for a bit over 12 months. I have no children of my own. Things started well, I liked my step son initially, he seemed well mannered and well behaved. Over time, I have started to notice things about him that I dislike, charactertistics that I despise. I find him to be dishonest, sly and ungenuine. I guess it all started when he accused my 13 year old dog, that wouldn't hurt a fly of biting him, obviously my dog didn't do such a thing, there wasn't a mark on him and when his father confronted him he admitted to lying about it, he ignores me on purpose when we pick him up, he got sent home from school for fighting, the other day we got a new fish tank, he asked what we were going to do with the old one, I said I was going to turn it into a terrarium he said" we should catch rats and put them in there" I said "I don't think it'd be big enough" he said " we can put them in there and set them on fire" me shocked said " why would you want to do that" he said " because they're mean to which I replied, they don't want to put you in and tank and set you on fire, so who's the mean one? I am finding it extremley hard to move past this, I will not stand for cruelty to animals, ever, and it worries me that he even thinks like this. What worries me the most is, that if this is at all possible for an 8 year old, is that he appears to be caring, but then says stuff like this, like he is putting on a masquerade. I am also friends with my partners ex, she told me he once locked her 3 year old in the bathroom and held the door closed, and once described a stinky bin as smelling like a dead body.  Since this, it is a struggle for me to speak to him, I have to turn my music up so I can't hear him, I know how awful this sounds, and I am hoping I will get past it, I feel awful, but if anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated. Please don't tell me how awful I am, I know my thoughts are terrible. And if anyone can please give their opinion on the things he says, like if it's normal or if my concerns are justified, that'd be great! I'm really new to this parenting thing!!!