Conduct disorder refers to a serious emotional and behavioral disorder that occurs in teens and children. A child having conduct disorder manifests violent and disruptive behavior. These children have issues with following rules.
It is common for teens and children to have problems related to behavior at some stages of development. However, your behavior is considered a conduct disorder if it violates other’s rights and lasts for a long time.
Teens and children with this order go against the norms. Symptoms of the disorder disrupt the everyday life of a child and his/her family.
Symptoms
Conduct disorder symptoms can vary depending upon the intensity of the disorder and the age of the child. Generally, symptoms of conduct disorder are divided into four categories. These categories are given below.
Aggressive Behavior
These behaviors cause physical harm including bullying, fighting, using weapons, being cruel to animals and others, and forcing another individual for sexual activities.
Destructive Behavior
It involves intentional destruction of any property like vandalism that is harming the property of others and arson that is deliberate fire-setting.
Deceitful Behavior
This behavior includes shoplifting, breaking into cars and homes for the purpose of stealing, and repeated lying.
Rules Violations
This behavior involves going against the rules that society accepts or showing behavior that does not match the age of the person. Such behaviors include playing pranks, running away, skipping school, or being active sexually at a younger age.
Many children who have conduct disorder have a low level of self-esteem. They are irritable and throw continuous temper tantrums. Some may be involved in abusing alcohol and other drugs. Children with this disorder have little remorse about harming or hurting others.
Causes
Researchers are still working to find the exact cause that leads to conduct disorder. They believe that a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and social factors play a role in causing the disorder.
Biological Factors
Some studies believe that certain brain defects or injuries can cause behavioral disorders. Conduct disorder is associated with specific regions of the brain that are involved in impulse control, emotion, and regulating behavior.
Symptoms of conduct disorder appear when circuits of nerve cells along these regions of the brain do not perform proper functions. Many teens and children with conduct disorder may suffer other mental illnesses like learning disorders, substance abuse, and depression.
They can also suffer attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorder. These disorders can contribute to the conduct disorder signs and symptoms.
Genetics
Many teens and children with this disorder have some close family members who are suffering from mental illnesses including anxiety disorder, substance use disorders, mood disorders, and personality disorders.
The genetics perspective suggests that vulnerability to develop a conduct disorder is inherited partially.
Environmental Factors
Factors like having a substance abuse family history, dysfunctional family life, childhood abuse, traumatic experiences, and inconsistent discipline from parents may play a role in contributing to the conduct disorder development.
Psychological
Some experts revealed that issues with moral awareness like lack of remorse and deficits in the cognitive processes are the reflections of conduct disorder.
Social
Having low socioeconomic status and unacceptance from peers contribute as the risk factors for progressing the development of symptoms of conduct disorder.
Treatment Of Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder treatment is based on different factors including the symptoms severity, child’s age, and the ability of your child to take part in and tolerate some specific therapies. Following are the combination of treatments for conduct disorders.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a counseling type that focuses on helping the children to learn control and express anger in an appropriate way. Another therapy named cognitive behavior therapy aimed to reshape the thinking or cognition of children to improve their anger management.
This therapy also improves problem-solving skills, impulse control, and moral reasoning skills. Psychologists may use family therapy to enhance family communication and interactions.
Another technique that can be applied is parent management training (PMT). In this technique, parents teach their children behavior alteration in a positive manner.
Medication
Doctors have not formally approved any medicine for the treatment of conduct disorder yet. But they may use different off-label drugs to treat the distressing symptoms of conduct disorder such as dysregulated mood, impulsivity, and aggression.
These drugs are also used to treat other mental illnesses that may occur such as major depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
