Child Behavior Disorders

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

Summary

All kids misbehave some times. And some may have temporary behavior problems due to stress. For example, the birth of a sibling, a divorce, or a death in the family may cause a child to act out. Behavior disorders are more serious. They involve a pattern of hostile, aggressive, or disruptive behaviors for more than 6 months. The behavior is also not appropriate for the child's age.

Warning signs can include:

• Harming or threatening themselves, other people or pets
• Damaging or destroying property
• Lying or stealing
• Not doing well in school, skipping school
• Early smoking, drinking or drug use
• Early sexual activity
• Frequent tantrums and arguments
• Consistent hostility toward authority figures

If you see signs of a problem, ask for help. Poor choices can become habits. Kids who have behavior problems are at higher risk for school failure, mental health problems, and even suicide. Classes or family therapy may help parents learn to set and enforce limits. Talk therapy and behavior therapy for your child can also help.

Start Here

• Normal Child Behavior (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Children's Threats: When Are They Serious? (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
• When to Seek Help for Your Child (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage? (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
• Going to a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or Therapist (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Mental Health Care: Who's Who (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
• Taking Your Child to a Therapist (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• What Is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• How to Understand Your Child's Temperament (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Teaching Your Child Self-Control (Nemours Foundation)

Specifics

• Aggressive Behavior (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Children Who Won't Go to School (Separation Anxiety) (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
• Conduct Disorder (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
• Disobedient Child (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Disruptive Behavior Disorders (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Fighting and Biting (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Shyness in Children (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Swearing (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Temper Tantrums (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Understanding Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Behavior Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Conduct Disorder (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Individual Differences in Adolescents' Civic Engagement: The Role of Civic Discussions...
• Article: Predicting Adolescents' Problematic Social Media Use From Profiles of Internet-Specific Parenting...
• Article: National-Level Schoolwork Pressure, Family Structure, Internet Use, and Obesity as Drivers...
• Child Behavior Disorders -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish
• Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association)

Patient Handouts

• Conduct disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Discipline in children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Oppositional defiant disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Temper tantrums (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Trichotillomania (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish