children s health issues
Conduct Disorder
Introduction
A conduct disorder involves a repetitive pattern of behavior that violates the basic rights of others. Children with a conduct disorder are selfish and insensitive to the feelings of others and may bully, damage property, lie, or steal without guilt. Doctors base the diagnosis on the history of the child’s behavior. Psychotherapy may help, but separating children from an at-risk environment and providing a strictly structured setting, as in a mental health facility, may be the most effective treatment. Normal behavior in children varies. Some children are better behaved than others. Conduct disorder is diagnosed only when children repeatedly and persistently violate rules and the rights of others in ways inappropriate for their age. Conduct disorder usually begins during late childhood or early adolescence and is much more common among boys than girls. Heredity and the environment probably influence the development of a conduct disorder. Children often have parents who have a mental health disorder, such as a Substance Use Disorders , 