Definition of Conduct Disorder According to the DSM, the definition 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 (APA, 2013). Children and adolescents are categorized into three different subtypes, which are established at the onset of the disorder and their age. The different subtypes of conduct disorder are childhood onset, adolescent onset, and unspecified onset. Childhood onset is when a child that is experiencing signs of conduct behavior appear before the age of ten. This usually appears in males, which show frequent aggression toward people. ADHD is also found in this subtype. Another subtype is adolescent onset.
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The common symptoms of this disorder include: aggressive behavior, destructive behavior, deceitful behavior, and violation of rules. They show aggressive behavior by threatening or causing physical harm to people around them by bullying, being harsh to others or animals, using weapons, and forcing another into sexual activity (“Mental Health,” 2015). Another symptom that is also found is destructive behavior. This is when a person commits arson or vandalizes someone’s property. Deceitful behavior is also a symptom found in conduct disorder where the person lies constantly, is a thief, and will break into a person’s house or vehicle just to steal. The final symptom shown by this disorder is a serious violation of rules. This means going against the rules that their parents, teachers, or someone of higher authority have established for them. These behaviors include: running away, skipping class, playing pranks, or being sexually active at a very young age (“Mental Health,” 2015). In addition to all of these symptoms, people with conduct disorder may also have low self-esteem problems, abuse drugs or alcohol, throw temper tantrums, and are irritable. These people are unable to feel remorse or guilt for the hurtful behavior they have shown to others. They also often misinterpret the actions of others as being hostile or aggressive and respond by escalating the situation into a conflict (“Conduct Disorder,”
The common symptoms of this disorder include: aggressive behavior, destructive behavior, deceitful behavior, and violation of rules. They show aggressive behavior by threatening or causing physical harm to people around them by bullying, being harsh to others or animals, using weapons, and forcing another into sexual activity (“Mental Health,” 2015). Another symptom that is also found is destructive behavior. This is when a person commits arson or vandalizes someone’s property. Deceitful behavior is also a symptom found in conduct disorder where the person lies constantly, is a thief, and will break into a person’s house or vehicle just to steal. The final symptom shown by this disorder is a serious violation of rules. This means going against the rules that their parents, teachers, or someone of higher authority have established for them. These behaviors include: running away, skipping class, playing pranks, or being sexually active at a very young age (“Mental Health,” 2015). In addition to all of these symptoms, people with conduct disorder may also have low self-esteem problems, abuse drugs or alcohol, throw temper tantrums, and are irritable. These people are unable to feel remorse or guilt for the hurtful behavior they have shown to others. They also often misinterpret the actions of others as being hostile or aggressive and respond by escalating the situation into a conflict (“Conduct Disorder,”