problem child

plural problem children

1. euphemisticA child who is particularly difficult to raise or educate, especially due to a lack of self-control and disruptive and antisocial behavior.

   Hill was a problem child who was sent to Woodlands because his parents couldn't handle him at home.

   2006 October 21, Alan Fryer, “The Children of Woodlands”, in ctv.ca, retrieved 11 Jun 2009

   2 more examples

   Of recent times very much has been said regarding the problem child, but as Lady Stradbroke pointed out last week but little is being done to cope with the menace that child is to itself and to the community.

   1926 March 30, “General Topic: The Problem Child”, in The Age, Australia, retrieved 11 Jun 2009

   An’ here I am. Your dream problem child. A facety ghetto rude gyal grateful for your remarkable lack of judgeyness, an’ ready to be dazzled and inspired by your penetrating insight.

   2022, Tom Wright, “Scene Two: Classroom”, in I Ain’t Dumb (Modern Plays), London; New York, N.Y.; Dublin: Methuen Drama, →ISBN, page 12

2. broadlyidiomaticSomeone or something persistently difficult or vexing; a frequent source of trouble or annoyance.

   Locally and across the nation, middle schools have generally been regarded as the problem child for school systems.

   2009 April 16, Theresa Vargas, “Superintendent Thinks Small in Plan to Revamp Middle Grades”, in Washington Post, retrieved 11 Jun 2009

   1 more example

   [A]n ambitious supersonic carrier fighter called the F3H Demon . . . proved too heavy for its Navy-specified Westinghouse engine (in itself a problem child), and turned into a $265 million fiasco.

   1959 January 26, “Payoff for Pioneers”, in Time

   Antonyms: problem-solver