Conduct disorder can be challenging for both young people and their families, but with the right support, positive change is possible.

Get the help your child needs to build healthier behaviour patterns and stronger relationships.

Conduct disorder is usually diagnosed in early childhood or adolescence, and is characterised by a young person showing longstanding disruptive and aggressive behaviours. This pattern of behaviour is a challenge to parents and teachers, as the person tends to disregard rules and isn’t concerned about the consequences of their behaviour for others. The young person’s conduct can lead to worsening behaviour as they grow into adulthood. At Your Mind Matter, we focus on early diagnosis and treatment to help the family manage the young person’s behaviour.

What are the symptoms of conduct disorder?

Depending on the age of your child and the severity of their condition, their symptoms and behaviour can vary.

Some of the most frequent symptoms and behaviours your child may display if they have conduct disorder include:

Aggressive behaviour

This is when your child causes physical harm to others, which may present in younger children as pushing, biting or hitting, and older children and adolescents as bullying others in school, physically harming animals or other people, picking fights frequently and turning to crime.

Destructive behaviour

Intentional damage or destruction of someone else’s property, which may include vandalism, arson, or deliberately breaking objects in the home.

Deceitful behaviour

More commonly present in older children and adolescents with conduct disorder, this can involve repeatedly lying or stealing from others after gaining their trust.

Breaking rules and orders

Knowingly going against the rules of society and institutions such as school or college, which can include playing pranks on others, missing school, or being sexually active at an inappropriate age.

The young person may feel gratification when they behave in an inappropriate way. Displays of aggression and a disregard for honesty can be pre-meditated and are often perceived by the young person as gaining power over others.

Treatment for conduct disorder at Your Mind Matter
When receiving treatment for conduct disorder at Your Mind Matter, factors such as the age of your child and severity of their symptoms will impact on what type of treatment they receive and for how long.

After a full assessment, a treatment plan may combine one-to-one therapy and family therapy, with a focus on encouraging desired behaviours and managing conduct disorder in a home environment. Therapy methods for teenagers may target peer relationship skills and improvement in interaction with authority figures outside of the home. A positive change in communicating with others in less aggressive ways can increase the young person’s social confidence and self-esteem and improve their behaviour.
While it can take a long time to establish new thought and behaviour patterns, early treatment can reduce the severity of symptoms or prevent the disorder progressing into adulthood.

Alongside treatment for conduct disorder, with highly experienced therapists and consultants, a healthy support system for your child both at home and in school can also help. This will aim to encourage desired emotional behaviours and re-build positive relationships with parents and peers.

Some of the talking and behavioural therapies used to treat conduct disorder in young people at YMM include:

CBT
FAMILY THERAPY
PSYCHTHERAPY