Conduct Disorders Essay

We have all heard the names Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. Most of us even know the specific crimes they committed. Dahmer, a cannibalistic serial killer of seventeen men, and Bundy, a kidnapping, rapist necrophiliac who ultimately admitted to thirty homicides before his execution. Anyone you ask may have varying labels for these men or anyone who commits these types of crimes, they may vary from pure evil, to psychopath, and even some may be empathetic saying that these people were merely sick, misguided or even abused. However there are a group of maladaptive behaviors that both of these men, and other like them, presented with throughout varying stages in their lives. Although it is important to note that while individuals of this nature who commit these crimes all show symptoms of these behaviors/disorders, not everyone with these disorders go on to be these type of criminals, or criminals at all. The first disorder that would present earliest in life is known as Oppositional Defiant Disorder. This diagnosis is generally reserved for children. With this disorder the individual would, as its title reveal, be defiant towards adults, hostile, argumentative, and in the earliest stages, throw severe 'temper tantrums'. It is normal for children at a certain developmental stage to exhibit some defiance towards their parents or adults, as well as have temper tantrums so this is not to say that every defiant two year old you come across will grow up to be Ted Bundy. It is when these symptoms are excessive and long lasting, that it can be a cause for concern. With disorder being so early in life, there is a good chance it can be addressed, and not turn into a more serious issue such as Conduct Disorder. The reason being, children with ODD tend to by rejected by their peers, due to their aggressive and purposely annoying behaviors. Should this happen, these children would lack basic social skills for a healthy development. The prognosis for one with Oppositional Defiant Disorder can be positive, although with mitigating factors such as inconsistent parenting, and dysfunction in the home, it can certainly lead to criminal behavior later in life. As aforementioned, ODD is a precursor to a more serious behavioral disorder known as Conduct Disorder. This diagnosis is given to children and teens mostly. Anyone who has ever seen the neighborhood kid kick a dog, or be cruel to an animal can be heard saying, "That's how serial killers start off." In reality this is not a far off assessment. Individuals with Conduct Disorder are very aggressive. They are often times bullies who have a general lack of remorse or guilt for their hurtful and destructive actions. These symptoms are long lasting and are always with the intent of violating others. Young adults with this disorder are also commonly destructive to property by way of arson and vandalism. Also, they are habitual liars who often steal, break into vehicles, engage in sexual activity at a young age, and may ultimately drop out of school. Under the Moffitt Theory, these individuals could be either Life Course Persistent Offenders (LCP) who continue this behavior across all stages of life, or they may be Adolescent-Limited Offenders (ALs), who are quick to learn that if they stay on this path, they have a lot to lose. The majority of these offenses can be considered Status Offenses,

Show More

Adolescent Conduct Disorders

Disruptive Behavior Disorder Case Study

M3 Unit 3 Assignment 1

Antisocial Personality Disorder Research Paper

Oppositional Defiant Disorder In Children

The Dsm =-5 Book Report

Love: Mental Disorder and Steve Doughty Updated Essay

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Antisocial Personality Disorder Analysis

Problem Child 2: Assignment