Conduct Disorder

Signs & Symptoms

There are two types of Conduct Disorder:

Childhood-Onset Type: Onset of at least one criterion characteristic of Conduct Disorder prior to age 10 years.

Adolescent-Onset Type: Absence of any criterion characteristic of Conduct Disorder prior to age 10 years.

Criterion Characteristics:

• often bullies, threatens, or intimidates others
• often initiates physical fights
• has used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others (e.g. a bat, brick, broken bottle, knife, gun)
• has been physically cruel to people
• has been physically cruel to animals
• has stolen while confronting a victim (e.g. mugging, purse snatching, extortion, armed robbery)
• has forced someone into sexual activity
• has deliberately engaged in fire setting with the intention of causing serious damage
• has deliberately destroyed other's property (other than by fire setting)
• often stays out at night despite parental prohibitions, beginning before 13 years old
• has run away from home overnight at least twice while living in parental or parental surrogate home ( or once without returning for a lengthy period)
• often truant from school, beginning before age 13 years
• has broken into someone else's house, building, or car
• often lies to obtain goods or favors or to avoid obligations (i.e., "cons" others)
• has stolen items of nontrivial value without confronting a victim (e.g., shoplifting, but without breaking and entering; forgery)

Severity:

Mild: Few if any conduct problems in excess of those required to make the diagnosis and conduct problems cause only minor harm to others.

Moderate: Number of conduct problems and effect on others intermediate between "mild" and "severe".

Severe: Many conduct problems in excess of those required to make the diagnosis or conduct problems cause considerable harm to others.

Back to the Conduct Disorder Fact Sheet.

Sources: American Psychological Association Monitor, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Mental Health Net and National Mental Health Association.