Child Behavior Disorders (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Conduct disorders

All kids misbehave some times, but behavior disorders go beyond mischief and rebellion. With behavior disorders, your child or teen has a pattern of hostile, aggressive or disruptive behaviors for more than 6 months.

Warning signs can include

Harming or threatening themselves, other people or pets
Damaging or destroying property
Lying or stealing
Not doing well in school, skipping school
Early smoking, drinking or drug use
Early sexual activity
Frequent tantrums and arguments
Consistent hostility towards authority figures

If you see signs of a problem, ask for help. Poor choices can become habits. Kids who have behavior problems are at higher risk for school failure, mental health problems and even suicide. Classes or family therapy may help parents learn to set and enforce limits.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Start Here

Children and Adolescents with Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/CA-0006/default.asp

Overviews

Behavioral and Developmental Problems in Young Children(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec23/ch269/ch269a.html
How Do I Know If My Child's Behavior Is Normal?(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK5_Behavior.htm

Latest News

Quick Check-Up Helps Parents Handle Terrible Twos(09/26/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69750.html
Extremely Preemie Babies Prone to Behavior Woes Later On(09/02/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68814.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Checklists for Preliminary Screening(MADI Resource Center) - http://www.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry/checklists_table.asp
Children's Threats: When Are They Serious?(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Childrens+Threats%3A+When+Are+They+Serious%3F§ion=Facts+for+Families
Also available in Spanish http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Informacion+para+la+Familia&name=Las+Amenazas+de+los+Ninos%3A+Cuando+Hay+Que+Tomarlas+en+Serio%3F+No.+65
Screening Tools and Rating Scales(MADI Resource Center) - http://www.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry/screeningtools_table.asp
When to Seek Help for Your Child(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=When+To+Seek+Help+For+Your+Child§ion=Facts+for+Families
Also available in Spanish http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Informacion+para+la+Familia&name=Sepa+Cuando+Buscar+Ayuda+para+su+Hijo%2FHija+No.+24

Treatment

Child Behavior: What Parents Can Do to Change Their Child's Behavior(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/behavior/201.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/behavior/201.printerview.html
Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Psychotherapies+For+Children+And+Adolescents§ion=Facts+for+Families
Also available in Spanish http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Informacion+para+la+Familia&name=La+Sicoterapia+Para+Ninos+y+Adolescentes+No.+86
Teaching Your Child Self-Control(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/self_control.html
Treatment of Children with Mental Disorders(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/treatment-of-children-with-mental-disorders/summary.shtml
What Kind of Mental Health Professionals Are Trained to Help Children?(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_MentalHealth.htm

Specific Conditions

Aggressive Behavior(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK0_Aggression.htm
Behavioral / Mental Health(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/behavior.cfm
Cheating(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK5_Cheating.htm
Children and Adolescents with Conduct Disorder(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/CA-0010/default.asp
Children and Lying(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Facts%20for%20Families&name=Children%20And%20Lying
Also available in Spanish http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Informacion+para+la+Familia&name=Los+Ninos+y+el+Mentir+No.+44
Children Who Won't Go to School (Separation Anxiety)(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Children+Who+Won%27t+Go+To+School+%28Separation+Anxiety%29§ion=Facts+for+Families
Also available in Spanish http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Informacion+para+la+Familia&name=Los+Ninos+que+se+Niegan+a+ir+a+la+Escuela+%28Ansiedad+por+la+Separacion%29+No.+7
Disobedience(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK5_Disobedience.htm
Fighting and Biting(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Fighting+And+Biting§ion=Facts+for+Families
Also available in Spanish http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Informacion+para+la+Familia&name=Cuando+un+Nino+Pelea+o+Muerde+No.+81
My Child Is Stealing(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/shoplifting.html
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/oppositional-defiant-disorder/DS00630/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Self-Injury/Cutting(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/self-injury/DS00775/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Shyness(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK5_Shy.htm
Swearing(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK5_Swearing.htm
Temper Tantrums(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/tantrums.html
Trichotillomania(Mental Health America) - http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/trichotillomania
Understanding Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Understanding+Violent+Behavior+In+Children+and+Adolescents§ion=Facts+for+Families

Related Issues

How Can I Better Understand My Child's Temperament?Links to PDF(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.childcareaware.org/docs/pubs/111e.pdf
Myth of the Bad Kid(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/Ca-0021/default.asp
Myth of the Bad Parent(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/Ca-0035/default.asp
Your Child's Habits(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/five_habits.html

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Behavior Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=%22behavior+disorders%22+%5BCONDITION%5D+AND+child+%5BAGE-GROUP%5D
ClinicalTrials.gov: Conduct Disorder(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Conduct+Disorder%22

Research

Preschoolers' Severe Tantrums May Signal a Problem(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/research/tantrums.html

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Understanding the behavioral and emotional consequences of child abuse. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18762538&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: The role of psychosocial therapies in managing aggression in children... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18533767&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Kinship care and lessened child behavior problems: possible meanings and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18524753&tool=MedlinePlus
Child Behavior Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=child+behavior+disorders[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Directories

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/child_and_adolescent_psychiatrist_finder/child_and_adolescent_psychiatrist_finder

Organizations

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - http://www.aacap.org/
American Academy of Pediatrics - http://www.aap.org/
Center for Mental Health Services - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
National Institute of Mental Health - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/

Law and Policy

Services in School for Children with Special Needs: What Parents Need to Know(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Services+In+School+For+Children+With+Special+Needs%3A+What+Parents+Need+To+Know§ion=Facts+for+Families

Children

Cheating(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/cheating.html
Going to a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or Therapist(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/going_to_therapist.html

Teenagers

Cutting(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/mente/cutting_esp.html
Going to a Therapist(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/therapist.html
Shoplifting(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/shoplifting.html
Trichotillomania(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/trichotillomania.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder.html
Child Development - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childdevelopment.html
Child Mental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childmentalhealth.html
Teen Development - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teendevelopment.html
Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
Mental Health and Behavior - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealthandbehavior.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Child Behavior Disorders is the National Institute of Mental Health - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/