ABSTRACT
The diagnosis of conduct disorder (CD) should be eliminated from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The CD diagnosis fails to meet criteria for being a valid medical diagnosis, does not inform treatment, and in fact has resulted in a kind of therapeutic nihilism that denies many youngsters a chance at getting effective help. In this chapter, I argue that eliminating this diagnosis will require a reexamination and revision of the nosology with respect to children and adolescents—taking into account pathogenesis and knowledge about etiology.
