Conduct disorder can have its onset early, before age 10, or in adolescence. Children who display early-onset conduct disorder are at greater risk for persistent difficulties, however, and they are also more likely to have troubled peer relationships and academic problems. Among both boys and girls, conduct disorder is one of the disorders most frequently diagnosed in mental health settings. Recent research on Conduct Disorder has been very promising. Researchers are also gaining a better understanding of the causes of conduct disorder, as well as aggressive behavior more generally.
Conduct disorder has both genetic and environmental components.
That is, although the disorder is more common among the children of adults who themselves exhibited conduct problems when they were young, there are many other factors which researchers believe contribute to the development of the disorder. For example, youth with conduct disorder appear to have deficits in processing social information or social cues, and some may have been rejected by peers as young children. Despite early reports that treatment for this disorder is ineffective, several recent reviews of the literature have identified promising approaches treating children and adolescents with conduct disorder. The most successful approaches intervene as early as possible, are structured and intensive, and address the multiple contexts in which children exhibit problem behavior, including the family, school, and community. Examples of effective treatment approaches include functional family therapy, multi-systemic therapy, and cognitive behavioral approaches which focus on building skills such as anger management.