Children and teenagers who struggle with conduct disorder are usually the ones in school who have a label that they're bad. Teachers and administrators know who they are and expect them to mess up. Other parents may not want their children and teens to be friends with them. Many times, the children and their parents don't realize the children are struggling with a mental illness. According to Mental Health America, it's more common in boys than girls.
Aggression
Children and teens who have conduct disorder are aggressive toward their peers, adults and animals. An adolescent with this disorder might torture and kill the neighbor's cat on a whim, get into physical fights with his peers at school and become aggressive towards authority figures. He is often known as the school bully, because he incessantly teases and harasses other students. He doesn't think about consequences before hurting someone, and it's not uncommon for a teen with this disorder to use weapons to hurt others. Children and teens with conduct disorder may also sexually assault others.
Destruction of Property
Many children and teens with conduct disorder destroy property. A child with this disorder might set fire to her own home with the intention of burning it down, because she's mad at her parents. She might find pleasure in breaking windows of neighbors' homes. The combination of aggression and property destruction can become extremely serious and lead to death.
Lying and Stealing
Children and adolescents who struggle with conduct disorder lie and steal on a regular basis. For instance, a teen with this disorder may lie to his parents about attending school when he really skipped school to use drugs. He might tell his parents that he needs 30 dollars for a school assignment, when he really wants to buy a new shirt. His parents probably catch him in some of his lies, but many times, they may not know if he's lying or telling the truth, because he lies constantly. Children with this disorder steal from their peers, parents and other adults. They'll take money from their mother's purse without feeling guilty and steal from their friend's parents if given the opportunity.
Breaking Rules
Another characteristic of children and teens with this disorder is that they break serious rules and violations. They might break their curfew on a regular basis and stay out during the night even though their parents are worried sick. They might run away from home for days at a time without contacting their parents, and they often skip school.
