Introduction: A History and Brief Overview of Conduct Disorder
Conduct Disorder has been a part of the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manuel (DSM) since its original release date in 1994. Although, there is new information about the disorder that was previously unknown, Conduct Disorder is distinguished by a “repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate norms or rules are violated” (American Psychiatric Association, 1994.) This mild, moderate, or severe antisocial behavior begins to appear either in childhood, categorized as early-onset conduct disorder , or in adolescence after ten years of age, classified as adolescent-onset conduct disorder (Passamonti et al., 2010.) The criteria to meet to be diagnosed with this disorder are separated into four subgroups: aggressive conduct, nonaggressive conduct, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violations of the rules. Three or more incidents must be present in the past twelve months with at least one of the characteristics being present in the past six months. This disorder causes severe impairment of functioning across a variety of situations so it is important to keep in mind society and individual situations because this diagnosis may be “misapplied to individuals in settings where patterns of undesirable behavior are sometimes viewed as protective” (American Psychiatric Association, 1994.) For example, a patient that has recently relocated from a war torn country would most likely not be a candidate for Conduct disorder even though he or she may exhibit some of the characteristics.
An interesting distinction between the two subcategories is that those diagnosed with early-onset Conduct Dis...
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The hallmark of Conduct Disorder (CD) is an obvious and careless apathy for the rules, the rights, the emotions, and the personal territory of others. Aggression, deceitfulness, duress, and power over others are enjoyable to a child with CD. Children with CD pick fights, trespass, lie, cheat, steal, vandalize, display abusive behaviors, and, for older children, perpetrate unwanted sexual advances. The display of signs in younger children can be: ruthless bullying, lying for the purpose of lying, and stealing of useless things.
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According to the DSM-IV, if a child's problem behaviors do not meet the criteria for Conduct Disorder, but involve a pattern of defiant, angry, antagonistic, hostile, irritable, or vindictive behavior, Oppositional Defiant Disorder may be diagnosed. These children may blame others for their problems.
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Antisocial personality disorder is a personality disorder marked by a general pattern of disregard for a violation of other people’s rights. Explanations of antisocial personality disorder come from the psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and biological models. As with many other personality disorders, psychodynamic theorists propose that this disorder starts with an absence of parental love during infancy leading to a lack of basic trust. In this view, the children that develop this disorder respond to early inadequacies by becoming emotionally distant, and they bond with others through use of power and destructiveness. Behavioral theorists have suggested that antisocial symptoms may be learned through modeling, or imitation. As evidence, they point to the higher rate of antisocial personality disorder found among the parents of people with this disorder. Other behaviorists suggest that some parent’s unintentionally teach antisocial behavior by regularly awarding a child’s aggressive behavior. The cognitive view says that people with this disorder hold attitudes that trivialize the importance of other people’s needs. Cognitive theorists also believe that these people have a genuine difficulty recognizing a point of view other than their own. Finally studies show that biological factors may play an important role in developing antisocial disorder. Researchers have found that antisocial people, particularly those with high impulse and aggression, display lower serotonin activity and has been linked this same activity with other studies as well.
Wright, S., & Farrell, A. D. (2012). A qualitative study of individual and peer factors related to effective nonviolent versus aggressive responses to problem situations among adolescents and high incidence disabilities. Behavioral Disorders, 37(3), 163-178.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders text revision 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR) states that “the essential feature of Conduct Disorder is a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated”(2000). The DSM-IV-TR goes on to list criteria for conduct disorder as, aggression to people or animals (i.e. forced sexual activity or mugging), destruction of property (i.e. fire setting), deceitfulness or theft (i.e. burglary or forgery), and serious violations of the rules (i.e. running away for periods of time) (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). A child must have at least three of those criteria present in the past year, with at least one manifested in the p...
... abuse in adulthood. In conclusion to the study the following evidence suggests that children with conduct disorder may be at risk for major mental disorders. Other outcomes also show that children with conduct problems also have a higher incidence of criminality as an adult. Antisocial personality disorder in adulthood is almost always preceded by conduct disorder in childhood.
Conduct Disorder (CD) appears to be linked with substance abuse disorders (SUD) among adolescents when compared to other mental disorders within this population. There is a strong correlation between childhood diagnosis of CD because of environmental and genetic factors and is more common among boys than girls when there is a positive parental history of SUD. Pagliaro & Pagliaro (2012) have indicated that a dual diagnosis involving CD may be mediated among adolescents with childhood A-D/HD by the factor of deviant peer affiliation and co-morbidity of CD or of ODD is at an increased risk for developing a peer-mediated SUD during adolescence.
An individual is diagnosed with Conduct Disorder (CD) when he/she exhibits a frequent pattern of behavior that violates the “basic right of others” (APA, 2013) or important societal norms without regard. These behaviors are classified ...
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Individuals who are diagnosed with conduct disorder have repeatedly shown behaviors that are considered aggressive. Further, these behaviors disregard the rights of other persons or they oppose what society has deemed as appropriate behavior for that particular age. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) has put these problem behaviors into four categories; aggression towards people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious rule violations. Aggression towards people or animals can include bullying or threatening others, or physically harming animals such as abusing them. Purposely setting someone’s house on fire is an example of destruction of property while lying to others to get what one wants is an illustration of deceitfulness or theft. The last area of performance would constitute as the teenager staying out past curfew, regardless of what their parent says or being constantly absent from school (Mash & Wolfe, 2013).
... Threshold, and Expansion of the Nosology of Conduct Disorder for Girls. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119(4), 689-698
Case studies are a collection of data obtained using various methods gathered on an individual or group to record areas of interest in order to assist with analysis and provide recommendations. The study should include the name of the person, although this should be protected to provide anonymity where appropriate, and a brief description of the subject. The setting where the study is to be performed should be included. The aim of the observation must be presented along with a report of the findings. The type of method used will depend upon the subject and the area of interest. Data is gathered on the subject in this case observations were used to provide the data. An interpretation of the study will be made in order to provide a conclusion and recommendations made if applicable. Freud famously used the case studies that he carried out on his patients to develop his Psychoanalytic Theory.