Understanding Conduct Disorders: Causes, Diagnosis, and Risk Factors, Slides of Psychology

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Psychosocial Risk Factors

Conduct disorder: major clinical groupings •-early onset with language-based/visuospatial learning difficulties•-prior anxiety before the onset•-co-existing family trauma, disruption, stress as a major feature•-co-existing alcohol/substance abuse/dependence disorders•-psychopathy•- prevalence: 2%-16% as for ODD; M:F 2-5:1• (Isle of Wight study, Rutter et al., 1970;•^ Great Smokey Mountain study, Costello et al., 1996) Courtesy Prof Vance

Aetiological factors -cognitive style-deficient and/or deviant-behavioural models of socialisation-deficient and/or deviant-peer influences, especially in late childhood/early adolescence-neurobiology: hypo-arousal; hyper-arousal; irritability;lower verbal/performance IQ; executive function deficits-especially response inhibition and working memory-comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms-comorbid substance abuse Courtesy Prof Vance

Problem Youth

Probably the mostimportant single factabout crime is that it ismainly committed byteenagers and youngadults (p. 395)Smith, J. D. (1995), ‘Youth Crime and Conduct Disorders’, M. Rutterand J. D. Smith (eds.),^ Psychosocial Disorders in Youth , Chichester,Wiley Courtesy: Prof Rutter

Table: Home Office figures showing percentage of those found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences: bygender, type of offence and age^ 10-^

14-17^ 18-20^ 21-34^ 35+^

All 10+(1000s) Males Theft & handling stolen^7

goodsDrug offences^ -^

Violence against person^4

Burglary^8

Criminal damage^8

Sexual offences^4

Robbery^6

Other^1

All indictable offences^4

Females Theft & handling stolen^10

goodsDrug offences^ -^

Violence against person^8

Burglary^15

Criminal damage^7

Sexual offences^10

Robbery^8

Other^1

All indictable offences^8

Source: Social Trends 2002

What makes^ a young persondelinquent?^ • ‘Scientific’ enquiry can identify tangible andquantifiable factors correlating with delinquentbehaviour^ • Correlates suggest causes (i.e. effect presupposes acause). We can thus establish an aetiology of youthcrime^ • Youth delinquency is behaviour determined – thereare factors that make^ a young person delinquent^ Courtesy: Prof Rutter

Modern studies: • There are extensive and elaborate studies of youngdelinquents: longitudinal or cross-sectional surveys: e.g.West (1967, 1977), Farrington (1996), Bowling &Graham (1996), Browning (1999), Wikstrom (2003) • They conclude that youth delinquency is the outcomeof interplay of psychological and social factors. • Assumption that: Most youth are delinquent – i.e.delinquency is ‘normal’ – but some are ‘abnormally’delinquent. Most ‘grow out’ of delinquency • Focus on the ‘hard core’ of persistent and seriousyoung offenders (Newburn 1997) Courtesy: Prof Rutter

Research constructs and models extensive andelaborate schemas (Farrington 2002; Wikstrom 2003;Browning 1999). Key factors: • prenatal and perinatal factors: teen mothers – anti-social, substance use, sexual promiscuity, absentfathers, poor parenting • personality: impulsiveness, hyperactivity, restlessness • intelligence: low IQ, poor school performance,truancy • parental discipline: harsh/erratic parenting, coldparents, abuse Courtesy: Prof Rutter

Salient features of understandings^ z^ ‘delinquency’ exists alonga continuum – what isnormal and abnormal?^ z^ establish correlates notcauses; ‘risk’ nowreplaces language ofcausation^ z^ causal mechanisms whichlink risk factors to actionare never elaborated

z^ behind the ‘facts’ lies anassumption of consensus– but who defines what isdelinquent (and why); andwhy are certain groupsapprehended? z^ delinquency is determinedbehaviour – but whatabout meaning andpurpose?

(Taylor, Walton and Young 1973; Muncie 2003)

‘Strain’ and Merton’s (1938) Anomie^ z^ delinquency is a consequence of ‘strain’: thetension between culturally sanctioned goals andstructural means to achieve these^ z^ at points of ‘pressure’ a condition of ‘anomie’ candevelop – normlessness or alienation can result^ z^ one possible consequence of this anomiccondition is delinquency; the development ofillegitimate means to achieve legitimate endsCourtesy: Prof Rutter

The Problem of Very Young Delinquents(Loeber and Farrington 2000)^ z^ Recent interest in very young delinquents (7-12years old)^ z^ Delinquency in very young is uncommon. But v.young children showing persistent disruptivebehavior is predictive of child delinquency andserious or chronic adolescent crime^ z^ Early warning signs (<5): more persistent severe ordisruptive behaviour than average; history ofaggression, inattention or sensation-seeking^ z^ Initial risk factors’ lie within individual (impulsive)behaviour and family (child-rearing practice)Courtesy: Prof Rutter

Social impact

z^ "I am saying that where it isclear, as it very often, at ayoung age, that children are atrisk of being brought up in adysfunctional home wherethere are multiple problems,say of drug abuse or offending,then instead of waiting until thechild goes off the rails, weshould act early enough ... toprevent it." (Tony Blair05/09/06)

Conduct disorder (DSM)repetitive and persistent pattern of behaviour in whichthe basic rights of others and/or major age-appropriate normsor rules are violated, evidenced by three or more of thefollowing criteria within the previous 12 months, with at leastone criterion present in the past 6 months:Aggression/Cruelty towards people and/or animalsDestruction of propertyTheftSerious violations of social rules/norms-behaviours are clinically impairing in the domains of social,academic or occupational functioning->/= 18 years of age, criteria for antisocial personality disorder not met

The Spectrum of Antisocial Behaviour

Steiner

-antisocial behaviour-criminality and delinquency-antisocial behaviour and psychopathology-persistent aggression/disruption/oppositionality (5-

% -conduct disorder-psychopathy

Courtesy Prof Vance