The young celebrity singer Justin Bieber recently made headlines for yet more infamous behavior. He was arrested for street racing his Lamborghini under the influence of a cocktail of drugs, including alcohol, marijuana, and Xanax. Bieber is just one of many young celebrities following this trend of childhood stardom to adult infamy.

There have been previous complaints about the singer’s behavior, reports of spending time and money on prostitutes, assaulting his limousine driver, spitting on fans, being a neighborhood menace, and much more. The internet has erupted with doubtable but hopeful rumors that the singer will be deported to Canada. His parade of f*** bombs and belligerent attitude toward the police after some drunken street racing reveals more than just a bad attitude. Bieber was downright dangerous. There are serious concerns that his celebrity status and deep pockets will save Bieber from facing any real consequences for his actions.

Of course, Justin Bieber is just one of many child stars that has grown from an idol for youngsters to a criminal. Amanda Bynes met a premature end to her acting career after hit and run charges, possession of marijuana, tossing a bong out her window, a brief time in treatment, and a final diagnosis of schizophrenia. Lindsey Lohan pulled a Freaky Friday level personality switch from talented actress to rehab rebounder. Her career started in fashion when she was just three years old. However, her success as an actress, model, and recording artist has been over shadowed by her struggles with drugs and alcohol and her visits to rehab. Lohan’s legal issues, including theft, led to sentences of community service and a period of house arrest. She has become the butt of many a late night talk-show joke, and her name has become nearly synonymous with train wreck.

Miley Cyrus is yet another celebrity that started her career in innocent roles and has since, uh, matured to more adult performances. Daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, she began her singing and acting career as the Disney character Hannah Montana. She enjoyed a flourishing, age-appropriate career, touring her “Best of Both Worlds” and co-writing many of her own songs. She even spent time exploring more mature acting roles.

Then, in 2013, after a called-off engagement to Liam Hemsworth, Miley broke out with a very different image packed with bizarre costumes, wild style, and completely different new pieces to perform. Although Miley has thus far managed to maintain an extremely successful career, her explicit music videos and open drug use have completely changed public perception of the young celebrity. Much of her renewed popularity is rooted in a mixture of talent and controversy. They say any publicity is good publicity, and we can’t seem to stop talking about what on earth she is doing.

It’s hard to say what the cause of this phenomenon really is. After all, it’s not all that unusual for teenagers to experiment and take risks. Perhaps the poor choices made by some young celebrities have nothing to do with their fame. Their behavior is just scrutinized more thoroughly because they are in the limelight. Or perhaps the public develops unrealistic ideas of who these celebs are based on the characters they play. Perhaps it’s unfair to expect child stars to grow up to be role models. But there are clear instances of fame and fortune twisting charming children into rotten eggs.

An article by Mara Wilson, the adorable girl we all remember from Matilda, points to some of the reasons child stars go bad. As a child star who managed to move on to a successful career as a playwright and writer without scandal, Wilson points to the support of her parents. Unlike many child star parents, who push their baby into the spotlight, Wilson’s parents made sure to keep her grounded.

“My parents tried to keep me grounded: they made me share a room with my sister, kept me in public elementary school, and encouraged me to think of acting as just a hobby,” Wilson said in the article.

Wilson also points to the risks of exposing a child to the ruthless and very adult environment of Hollywood. Teenage years are vulnerable enough without the attention of the public watching every step of puberty. Kids brought up in the acting world also have difficulty returning to normalcy. After skimming through their early education, child stars don’t know where else to take their lives besides the spotlight.

College and family life is a rare choice for children raised in the spotlight. Pitfalls of drugs abuse and scandal are just too common. Children exposed to such demanding, public, and high paying careers at such a young age have serious struggles achieving stability.