Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is characterized by a persistent pattern of violating basic societal norms and the rights of others.  Behaviors can start as early as age 4, though usually become evident by age 12.  Symptoms cause significant social and academic impairment and, at times, legal consequences.  A diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in early childhood often precedes a diagnosis of conduct disorder.  Symptoms can develop into antisocial personality disorder if they continue to be recurrent and pervasive into adulthood.

Conduct disorder is estimated to have a prevalence in the range of 5%-10% and is more common in males than females.  The etiology of conduct disorder is multifactorial and can include environmental influences (eg, abuse, neglect, harsh or inconsistent discipline styles, parental criminality), genetic predisposition, and neurobiological factors (prefrontal cortex and amygdala abnormalities may contribute to emotional regulation and processing deficits as well as impaired impulse control and judgment).