Essay Example on Childhood Conduct Disorder: Understanding Repetitive Antisocial Behaviors

Introduction

Childhood conduct disorder refers to the mental disorder that begins either during childhood or adolescence. Children with conduct disorder show repetitive and persistent antisocial behaviors that make it difficult for them to cope up with a socially acceptable way of life. They display behaviors that may be destructive, aggressive, or deceitful that always violates the rights of others. Their fellow children may consider them as "bad" and delinquent. Children with conduct disorder may appear confident and tough. Nevertheless, they tend to feel very insecure and consider others harmful to them. This explains their resultant antisocial behaviors towards others. According to Fanti (2018), children with conduct disorder may also show acute aggression towards animals. Childhood conduct disorder distorts the social behavior of children and can influence their social behavior while they grow into adulthood. Early treatment interventions should be administered for children diagnosed with conduct disorder to reduce the likelihood of a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, later as an adult.

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Identification

Childhood conduct disorder may be categorized into three main types according to age at which the child first shows the signs. When the conduct disorder first appears on the child before they reach age 10, then it is known as childhood-onset. Suppose the child displays the conduct disorder symptoms while at teenage, then this type is called adolescent onset. Nevertheless, sometimes the symptoms of conduct disorder may start at the time that may not be well-known by the parent or the victim. When this occurs, this type of conduct disorder may be categorized under unspecified onset (Frick, 2016). Moreover, some children may also be diagnosed with conduct disorder while showing limited prosocial behavior. Such type of conduct disorder is called an unemotional or callous disorder.

Children suffering from conduct disorder can be very difficult to control and also not willing to follow simple rules. They have impulsive behaviors with no consideration of the effects of their actions (Gorman et al., 2015). They also do not consider what others may feel about their actions. For one to be considered as having conduct disorder, they must display one or some of the following behaviors: aggressive behavior, destructive behavior, deceitful behavior, or violation of rules.

Aggressive Behavior

A child with aggressive behavior draws their pleasure from actions that intimidate others. They may involve in bullying their fellows. The child with conduct disorder likes actions that can physically harm people and animals. They feel happy when doing such activities as slapping, kicking, or beating people or animals (Pringsheim et al., 2015). They may also use weapons to harm their fellows on purpose. These behaviors, if not controlled at their childhood, maybe carried into adulthood as antisocial behaviors. When this happens, the person may involve in committing rapes since that is their character.

Deceitful Behavior

Childhood conduct disorder may predispose kids into unwanted deceitfulness. The children with conduct disorder may be prone to lying to others about things that may be considered serious or important. They may also indulge in forgery and stealing. Moreover, kids with conduct disorder can also like breaking and entering into places prohibited for them.

Destructive Behavior

Some kids with conduct disorder may indulge themselves in activities that may be very dangerous such as arson or any other activity that involve the destruction of property intentionally. While doing so, they seem to take it normal and have less regard for the consequences caused by such activities.

Violation of Rules

Kids with conduct disorder may entangle behaviors that go against the normal requirements for them such as going to school, staying at home, and keeping moral codes of conduct. Instead, they may be found doing the opposite (Pringsheim et al., 2015). Normally, such kids like skipping school. They may develop no interest in attending school. Therefore, they end up staying away from school with no cause (Fanti, 2018). Some kids may run away from home and stay whenever they deem fit for them. Others may get involved in serious drug and alcohol abuse making their life vulnerable to criminality. Moreover, some kids with conduct disorder may indulge in sexual behavior while still young making them susceptible sexually-related risks.

Generally, boys suffering from conduct disorder may be more likely to show destructive or aggressive behavior as compared with girls (Frick, 2016). On the other hand, girls may be more likely to show rule-violating and deceitful behavior than boys.

Development

Scientists believe that the development of childhood conduct disorder can be associated with impairment in the frontal lobe of the brain (Zhou et al., 2016). This is because this part of the brain is believed to be responsible for helping children control their behavior and learn from their experiences. The impairment of the frontal lobe of the brain, therefore, makes children insensitive to their negative behavior resulting from conducting disorder.

The following factors contribute to the development of childhood conduct disorder. Poor parenting in which the child is abused may significantly contribute to the development of conduct disorder. Abuse by parents or a senior may threaten kids and make them feel insecure socially. Poverty can also contribute to conducting disorder as it may lead to alienation of the kid from their colleagues (Sully et al., 2015). With time, the kid develops antisocial behaviors that culminate in conduct disorder. Sometime, the kid with conduct disorder may have suffered brain damage due to a disease that may have impaired the healthy functioning of the frontal lobe of the brain. Other trauma may also cause such effects leading to conduct behavior among kids (Zhou et al., 2016). Parental substance abuse and family conflicts can be considered to have notable contributions to the development of childhood conduct disorder. Abuse of substances such as alcohol may make parents abusive and lack proper concern for their children. This may contribute to the vulnerability of kids to conduct disorder because they may feel threatened and develop antisocial behaviors as well. The presence of other mental health disorders is also believed to contribute to the development of childhood conduct disorder (Frick, 2016). Mental disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders are believed to contribute significantly to the development of childhood conduct disorder. Researchers also believe that genetics may also be a significant factor contributing to the development of childhood conduct disorder. Kids whose parents or siblings may have suffered from conduct disorder are most likely to develop conduct disorder as well. This is due to genetic influence.

Treatment

The method of treating conduct disorder may vary based on the symptoms observed and the age of the kid. Childhood conduct disorder may lead to other complications later in the life of the kid such as bipolar disorder, depression, or other behavioral and mental disorders. Therefore, early treatment is advised once the persistent symptoms are observed (Sully et al., 2015). Treatment administration may also be difficult since the kids may not be very cooperative with adults. Therefore, parents, guardians, or any senior in the life of a kid should remain committed and patient in working with them to build trust and team support for their help.

Treatment of childhood conduct disorder normally involves the use of both family and individual therapy to help the kid improve their social interactions (Gorman et al., 2015). The following are some of the most commonly used methods of treating childhood conduct disorder.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

This is a psycho-social intervention that psychiatrists use to boost the mental health of the patients. By using CBT, the psychiatrist focuses on changing undesirable behaviors, boosting emotional control, and helping the patient develop personal coping strategies for solving the current problem (Frick, 2016). CBT can sometimes be used to help a kid with conduct disorder in managing their impulsive behaviors as well as deal with stress using appropriate coping strategies.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy where a psychologist provides psychological counseling to members of the family to help resolve conflicts and improve family communication. Family therapy can help provide parents with suitable knowledge of de-escalating conflicts with the kid (Zhou et al., 2016). It significantly helps in discouraging risk factors that contribute to antisocial behavior among children.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a kind of psychotherapy where patients are brought together to discuss and describe their problems. Group therapy with the kid's peers can greatly boost the kid's confidence, trust, and effective communication with others (Gorman et al., 2015). As they share about their problems, they adapt to the social skills required for them to interact in a healthy way.

School Support

School support can be very significant in treating childhood conduct disorder. School support involves assembling children with conduct disorder at school and providing them with necessary counseling and diagnosis (Fanti, 2018). A team of people, including school psychologists, school counselors, administrators, and social workers, can be very influential in the treatment of conduct disorder. Kids diagnosed with conduct disorder can then be given the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to assist them with their social and academic success at school.

Prevention

Childhood conduct disorder can be prevented in various ways as follows. Positive parenting can be a crucial tool to improve child confidence, trust, and communication thereby, reducing the risk of conduct disorder (Zhou et al., 2016). Parents should provide a safe and supportive environment in which the child grows to boost their behavior and character. The risk factors that lead to conduct disorder are known. They include poverty and abuse, parent-child conflict, and drug abuse among others. Elimination of these risk factors can significantly discourage the development of childhood conduct disorder (Sully et al., 2015). Children should not be neglected or abused whatsoever so that they may remain positive and focused as they grow and develop into adulthood.

Strengths

The childhood conduct disorder may occur in three different levels of strength, including mild strength, moderate strength, and severe strength based on the severity of observed symptoms. Kids may show mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of conduct behavior. Mild symptoms may include showing such behaviors that may be less detectable as symptoms of conduct disorder (Zhou et al., 2016). Their behavior may have less or no harm to others. Mild symptoms may include truancy, lying, or staying outside in the dark without parental knowledge or permission (Frick, 2016). Kids with moderate symptoms may show many of the antisocial behaviors with mild to severe effects on others. They may indulge in such activities as stealing things or vandalism. Nevertheless, kids with severe symptoms of conduct disorder may display antisocial behaviors that have a severe impact on others (Fanti, 2018). Such behaviors may include breaking and entering into prohibited places, using weapons to harm others, and involving themselves in rape activities. This makes conduct disorder a very serious condition requiring strict control to minimize its effects resulting from the antisocial behaviors of those in...