Answer: C – Conduct disorder begins in late childhood and early adolescence, more common in boys than girls. Children with this problem do not get along well with others, lack a sense of guilt, and are selfish. They tend to see the actions of others as being threatening, causing an aggressive reaction. Repetitive behaviors violate age-appropriate social norms.
Conduct Disorder is a DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition), diagnosis typically assigned to individuals under the age of 18. Individuals diagnosed with Conduct Disorder habitually violate the rights of others, and will not conform their behavior to the law or social norms appropriate for their age. Conduct Disorder may also be described as juvenile delinquency; behavior patterns that will bring a young person into contact with the juvenile justice system, or other disciplinary action from parents or administrative discipline from schools. It is well established that Conduct Disorder can be a premorbid condition for APD (Antisocial Personality Disorder) or habitual adult criminality, especially when CU (Callous-Unemotional) traits are present.
There is well-established co-morbidity and premorbidity with ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) (Pardini & Fite, 2010). The direction of causality may be bi-directional, as ADD/ADHD children are at risk for maltreatment from peers and parents, and maltreatment is established as a risk factor for both Conduct Disorder and adult criminality (De Sanctis, Nomura, Newcorn, & Halperinb, 2012). Studies have found that the rate of Conduct Disorder resulting in adult criminality is as high as 50% (Bonin, Stevens, Beecham, Byford, & Parsonage, 2011).
According to the DSM-5, to diagnose Conduct Disorder, at least four of the following have to be present:
- Aggressive behavior toward others and animals.
- Frequent physical altercations with others.
- Use of a weapon to harm others.
- Deliberately physically cruel to other people.
- Deliberately physically cruel to animals.
- Involvement in confrontational economic order crime- e.g., mugging.
- Has perpetrated a forcible sex act on another.
- Property destruction by arson.
- Property destruction by other means.
- Has engaged in non-confrontational economic order crime- e.g., breaking and entering.
- Has engaged in non-confrontational retail theft, e.g., shoplifting.
- Disregarded parent's curfew prior to age 13.
- Has run away from home at least two times.
- Has been truant before age 13.
