Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Conduct Disorder - Sindy McLain

Conduct Disorders
By Sindy McClain

Why has conduct disorders escalated over the years? Could it be some of the circumstances that didn’t exist in days gone by? Mothers are no longer at home for their children. Drugs, alcohol and unemployment are all factors that play to the stressors of family. Sadly, these stressors often bleed over into the lives of children. Latch key kids are common place and divorce places children in a volatile situation. These are surface factors, but too often they are the first things that are blamed for conduct disorders. All too often internal factors are overlooked.
Before we look at internal factors for conduct disorders we should give you the definition of conduct disorders. Conduct disorder is a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in children and adolescents in which the rights of others or basic social rules are violated.¹
Children who have conduct disorders all too often do not realize that they have a problem. Adolescence is a time of increased emotional instability and intensity. That could be one of the reasons that children, as well as adults, fail to acknowledge the disorder. Sadly, additional problems can occur if a child does not receive the proper treatment for conduct disorders.
Physicians and families should be knowledgeable about this disorder for several reasons. After being diagnosed with conduct disorder the clinician is then able to refer the student to the appropriate specialists. Also and possibly the most serious, conduct disorders increase the risk of several public health problems, including violence, weapon use, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and dropping out of school.² If conduct disorder is not identified, intervention is impossible.
According to Officer Long at the Abilene Police Department a large number of adolescents, approximately 75 to 80 percent who are arrested for weapons charges, do have a history of inappropriate conduct at home and at school. This is a tangible sign that children who go untreated for conduct disorders are at risk of that behavior escalating.
Knowledge is key for any medical condition. As a society we cannot just assume that life’s circumstances are the problem. As parents and teachers, when students begin to cross the normal lines of adolescents, we should be there to provide proper assistance to the student and their family. In order to provide proper assistance you should be aware of the signs of conduct disorder.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, some symptoms for conduct disorders typically include aggression, frequent lying, running away from home overnight and deliberately sets fires and causes destruction of property. These children may also be cruel to animals, show deceitfulness or theft and demonstrate serious violations to rules.³
As you can see conduct disorders are not just from not having a parent at home or having an alcoholic or drug addicted parent. These factors give any child to be angry and act out, however, students with Conduct Disorder will take their behavior to level that is socially inappropriate.
Today is the day we need to reach out and make a difference. We need to not only be educated on what our children need academically, but we need to be aware of their emotional needs as well.
References
Mental Health America. (2006). Factsheet: Conduct Disorder. Retrieved July 1,
2008 from http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/conduct-disorder/

Searight, Russell H., & Rotinek, Fred & Abby, Stacey L. (2001). American Family Physician. Conduct Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment in Primary Care. Retrieved July 1, 2008 from http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010415/1579.html

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth Edition. DSM-IV Conduct Disorder. Retrieved July 1, 2008 from http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/cndctd.htm

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