Condition : Conduct disorders

A child or young person may have a conduct disorder if they have a persistent pattern of antisocial behaviours (actions that go against what is socially or legally acceptable).

Sometimes, a child may go through a phase of behavioural problems due to environmental factors, or their behaviour may be caused by another mental health condition. Because of this, conduct disorders can be difficult to diagnose.

Signs of a conduct disorder will usually start from a young age and develop as your child ages. For example, blaming others can evolve into lying, which then might turn into manipulative behaviour.

A child with a conduct disorder may lack empathy, meaning they have difficulty understanding or responding to the feelings of others, and they may even seem to enjoy hurting others.

From the ages of 5 to 7, signs of a conduct disorder might include:

• aggressive behaviour (for example, shoving other children)
• annoying or provoking others
• disobedience and arguing
• tantrums
• destroying property

In older children (8 to 11 years), these behaviours might progress into:

• bullying and fighting
• swearing and other offensive actions
• stealing
• cruelty to animals
• setting fires

As teenagers, they might advance to:

• hurting people (by getting into physical fights or assaulting others)
• threatening and intimidating behaviour
• truancy (skipping school), running away from home, or staying out past curfew
• misusing alcohol and drugs
• committing crimes, such as burglary, vandalism, and car theft

Adults cannot be diagnosed with a conduct disorder. An adult with these behaviours might be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).

Most children who are diagnosed with a conduct disorder will no longer exhibit antisocial behaviours by the time they reach their 20s, but some may go on to be diagnosed with ASPD or another condition. The risk of this is higher if the behaviours started at an earlier age, are more severe, or if your child doesn’t receive the right support.

It's not clear exactly what causes conduct disorders, but risk factors include:

• being male
• having special educational needs
• having a neurodevelopmental condition, such as ADHD
• having a parent or sibling with a conduct or personality disorder
• having parents with poor mental health
• childhood abuse or neglect
• challenging circumstances during childhood, such as domestic violence, poverty, or unsettled family life
• maternal smoking
• involvement with other difficult young people

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