The Father-Thing

I find it interesting that the children in 'The Father-Thing' are able to easily set aside their differences in order to work towards and accomplish a common goal. This becomes more admirable when we consider their ages—Charles is 8, Daniels is 9, and Peretti is 14. Strangely enough, the first person Charles Walton decides to turn to after learning his father has been consumed by an alien life form is the neighborhood bully, Tony Peretti. Even stranger, is the fact that Peretti does not laugh off the ramblings of an 8-year old boy he normally beats, but asks to see his father's remains with b.b. gun in hand. To add to this, both he and Daniels risk their lives in order to save Charles. I’m wondering what possessed Peretti and Daniels to follow an 8-year old boy into a possible suicide mission. Why the lack of questions and concern for their well-being? Can a child's intuition triumph over an adult's?