So are a lot of children. But in the case of the children, it might be a good thing. If more kids sincerely believed one or both of their parents were capable of murder, those kids might treat their parents with a little more R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Sure they can....if the parents do their jobs right and discipline their kids effectively and consistently. The kids who aren't afraid of anything are the kids most likely to end up in jail or the emergency room, and the soonest to end up in caskets.