When I first heard of conduct disorder, I wondered whether it was some conjured up name for kids who’ve been badly parented. I mean, honestly… “conduct” disorder? Have we gone so far with creating disorders and diseases that we’re giving bad behavior a medical excuse? But the symptoms of conduct disorder are so shockingly anti-social that, one must reason that something has gone wrong in the child’s psyche. This is not merely the case of a spoiled, manipulative child who throws tantrums. The child with conduct disorder has a surprising inability to feel empathy for other living things. This is a child who is dangerous, violent and destructive. It’s a child who, without immediate intervention, could ultimately become a serious threat to society.
Conduct disorder is clearly described by both the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the National Mental Health Association. You’d find it in psychiatric textbooks. It’s known and accepted as a bona fide condition.
Yes, but doesn’t bad parenting cause it?
It’s possible that a child with conduct disorder was exposed to abuse, neglect, or some form of trauma. But sometimes this isn’t the case. It’s been suggested that for some kids, biological conditions such as sensory integration disorder cause an inability to properly relate to others. If the child cannot process social cues its likely he or she has been shunned by peers from an early age. Conduct disorder is often connected with ADHD, depression, manic-depression, and other neurological and psychiatric conditions. There are good parents who have children with conduct disorder. It has both genetic and environmental components. Regardless, the classification of this disorder is based on symptoms, and not the cause.
What are the symptoms? (Some or all may apply.)
- The child intentionally intends to bully or harm others, gets into fights, etc.
- The child has used a weapon or object to threaten others.
- He or she is deceitful and steals, often taking things right out of other children’s hands.
- He or she has demonstrated cruelty to animals or has killed animals.
- The child purposely damages property by setting fires, defacing with graffiti, or uses other kinds of vandalism.
- May use profanity and shock-value language, and viciously insults others.
- Has a reckless or purposeful disregard for rules set by adults. Defies authority, runs away, stays out past curfew, and creates mischief.
- May have sexually harassed other children or even forced sexual acts upon them.
What can parents do?
- At the earliest possible opportunity, the child must be given a psychological assessment and a psychiatric evaluation to rule out various mental and neurological problems. This may take a period of time, even months, to complete. And since it’s likely the child is suspicious of adults, he or she may refuse to comply or may attempt to deceive the person giving the assessment, further complicating the process. A medical health professional should conduct family interviews, collect behavioral data from parents and teachers, and research the child’s past to determine whether trauma has occurred. Without an accurate diagnosis, the child cannot be properly helped.
- Medications may be recommended by the psychiatrist, and may be a very viable option in some cases.
- A family-centered approach is necessary, since the condition affects parents and siblings. The child should see a mental health professional on a regular basis, until an atmosphere of trust is created. Therapy should include anger management, multi-systemic treatment, and the most current approaches to behavior therapy. Regular family input should be sought.
- Children with conduct disorder are eligible for special education, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. Special education for these kids might include individual private tutoring, a specialized classroom setting, counseling through the school, etc.
There is hope…
We once thought conduct disorder was a nearly hopeless situation, where the child was on a direct path toward prison. But new research in behavioral therapies has proven that CD kids can have happy, contributing adulthoods free of their anti-social past. Early intervention and aggressive therapies are the key. For more information, visit the National Mental Health Association.
Do you know of a child with conduct disorder who is receiving treatment? What were the child’s symptoms? Is therapy making a difference?
Kristyn Crow is the author of this blog. Visit her website by clicking here.