Conduct Disorder and what exactly is it? This disorder is known to be the act of very repetitive and extremely persistent patterns or behaviors displayed by child or teen. Others rights or the social rules get violated. A child will display these certain behaviors in multiple settings (home, social situations, school, etc). It causes a significant amount of impairment in their social, family and academic functioning.

Signs and Associated Symptoms Related to Conduct Disorder

Behavioral characteristics:

• Behavior that is aggressive and threatens to harm others and/or animals. Examples would be bullying and threatening others, intimidating others with fighting, intentionally harmful and cruel to innocent animals.
• Any non-aggressive acts of conduct that cause property loss and/or damage (fire-setting and/or deliberate destruction to others property.
• Acts of deceitfulness and/or theft, (breaking into homes or cars, lying and conning other people).
• Serious acts of rule violation, (staying out during the night, running away, truancy at school).

Many of our children and youth that display conduct disorder have trouble and find it difficult to express empathy and lack remorse. They have a hard time picking up on social cues. The child tends to misinterpret actions of other people and becomes very hostile and aggressive. They escalate situations into major conflicts. Conduct disorder is linked to substance abuse and use, increased problems at school, ongoing physical harm and injury due to fights.