Chapter 9: Conduct Problems

The chapter distinguishes between these two diagnostic categories, with Oppositional Defiant Disorder characterized primarily by defiance, argumentativeness, and emotional dysregulation, while Conduct Disorder involves more serious violations of others' rights including aggression, property destruction, and rule-breaking behavior. Understanding conduct problems requires integration of multiple perspectives including developmental psychopathology, neurobiology, and social-ecological frameworks that recognize how genetic predispositions interact with environmental risk factors such as parental psychopathology, family conflict, socioeconomic disadvantage, and peer relationships. The chapter addresses the role of neurobiological factors including executive function deficits, emotional processing abnormalities, and reward sensitivity that may underlie problematic behavior patterns. Prevalence estimates and demographic variations in conduct disorders are examined, noting sex differences and developmental trajectories that influence prognosis and treatment response. The chapter reviews evidence-based prevention and intervention approaches ranging from early childhood programs targeting parenting practices to school-based interventions and individual therapies designed to modify maladaptive behavior patterns. Specific treatment modalities discussed include behavioral parent training, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and comprehensive multimodal programs that address the multiple systems influencing child behavior. The chapter emphasizes the importance of early identification and intervention, as conduct problems in childhood and adolescence carry significant risk for long-term adverse outcomes including academic failure, substance abuse, legal involvement, and persistent antisocial behavior in adulthood.