Zhuravel Maria
Dragomanov
National Pedagogical University
The
Institute of Corrective Pedagogy and Psychology, student
Pet’ko Lyudmila,
Scientific supervisor,
Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Dragomanov
National Pedagogical University (Ukraine,
Kyiv)
BEHAVIOURAL
DISORDERS IN CHILD
All young
children can be naughty, defiant and impulsive from time to time, which is
perfectly normal. However, some children have extremely difficult and challenging
behaviours that are outside the norm for their age.
Young people can have mental, emotional, and
behavioral problems that are real, painful, and costly. These problems, often
called "disorders," are sources of stress for children and their
families, schools, and communities. The number of young people and their
families who are affected by mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders is
significant. It is estimated that as many as one in five children and
adolescents may have a mental health disorder that can be identified and
require treatment [4].
The behavioral
disorders in children, including mood and anxiety disorders [5]. The most
common disruptive behaviour disorders include oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD) and attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These three behavioural disorders
share some common symptoms, so diagnosis can be difficult and time consuming. A
child or adolescent may have two disorders at the same time. Other exacerbating
factors can include emotional problems, mood disorders, family difficulties and
substance abuse [3].
Around one in ten
children under the age of 12 years are thought to have oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), with boys outnumbering girls
by two to one. Some of the typical behaviours of a child with ODD include:
easily angered, annoyed or irritated, frequent temper tantrums, argues
frequently with adults, particularly the most familiar adults in their lives,
such as parents, refuses to obey rules, seems to deliberately try to annoy or
aggravate others, low self-esteem, low frustration threshold, seeks to blame
others for any misfortunes or misdeeds [6; 11].
Children with conduct disorder (CD) are often judged
as ‘bad kids’ because of their delinquent behaviour and refusal to accept rules
[9]. Around five per cent of 10 year olds are thought to have CD, with boys
outnumbering girls by four to one. Around one-third of children with CD also
have attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD).
The
child with a Conduct Disorder does not respect authority, has little regard for
the basic rights of others and breaks major societal rules; he or she
demonstrates aggressive conduct that threatens physical harm or property
damage, deceitfulness, theft, truancy or running away from home. The child with
a Conduct Disorder is often vengeful, irascible, and has a chip on his
shoulder. The cause of Conduct Disorder is believed to be a combination of
genetic vulnerability and environmental factors. Treatment plans might include
behavior therapy with the child and parents and pharmacotherapy [7; 12; 8].
Some
of the typical behaviours of a child with CD may include: frequent refusal to
obey parents or other authority figures, repeated truancy, tendency to use
drugs, including cigarettes and alcohol, at a very early age, lack of empathy
for others, being aggressive to animals and other people or showing sadistic
behaviours including bullying and physical or sexual abuse, keenness to start
physical fights, using weapons in physical fights, frequent lying, criminal
behaviour such as stealing, deliberately lighting fires, breaking into houses
and vandalism, a tendency to run away from home, suicidal tendencies – although
these are more rare [3; 8].
Researchers
at the University of Leicester, a UK institution, carried out the study
analyzing the relationship between smoking during pregnancy and the juvenile
development of a conduct disorder (CD).
A somewhat simple behavioral problem, CD includes children that become
highly aggressive, antisocial, and/or defiant. More specifically, two types of
the disorder are presently defined as follows: Early onset CD – When a child exhibits symptoms of the disorder
before reaching the age of 10. It is frequently connected to Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Adolescent-onset
CD – The more common type of CD, this is attributed when the child exhibits
CD symptoms after the age of 10. Adolescent-onset CD typically ensues alongside
ADHD [10; 12].
“A Closer Look at
Conduct Disorder” – this documentary, created by Jessica Defiore, describes and
demonstrates how Nelson Muntz from "The Simpsons" displays symptoms
of conduct disorder. This was created for Dr. Caleb Lack's "Abnormal
Psychology" course at the University of Central Oklahoma [1].
Around two to five
per cent of children are thought to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with boys outnumbering girls by
three to one. The characteristics of ADHD can include: inattention –
difficulty concentrating, forgetting instructions, moving from one task to
another without completing anything; impulsivity – talking over the top
of others, having a ‘short fuse’, being accident-prone; overactivity – constant restlessness and fidgeting [3; 2].
Bibliography
3. Behavioural Disorders in Child [Web site]. – Access
mode: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Behavioural_disorders_in_children
4. Child Behavior Disorders [Web site].
– Access mode: http://www.psychology.com/resources/child_behavior.php