ABSTRACT
Behaviors symptomatic of conduct disorder (CD) are one of the most common reasons for referral to children’s mental health services (Kazdin, 1995). CD is a chronic childhood disorder that is highly resistant to treatment and the primary precursor to antisocial behavior in adulthood (Kazdin, 1993). Consequently, over the last 2 decades there has been a surge of etiological and developmental research on CD to facilitate the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies. Children with CD are at risk for developing psychiatric problems, substance abuse, chronic unemployment, divorce, a range of physical disorders, motor vehicle accidents, dependence on welfare systems, and generalized levels of reduced attainment and competence in adulthood (Moffitt, Caspi, Rutter, & Silva, 2001). CD and its associated behavior problems are not only persistent across an individual’s life span but are often transmitted across generations (Huesmann, Eron, Lefkowitz, & Walder, 1984; Serbin et al., 1998). In addition, CD often has severe effects on others such as siblings, peers, parents, educators, and strangers who are victims of children’s antisocial and aggressive acts. The individual, social, and monetary costs of CD are high: CD children generate life-long costs because they are involved in multiple systems such as the mental health, juvenile justice, special education, and social services. To date, there is a large body of research identifying and reviewing the risk factors associated with CD (see Tremblay, LeMarquand, & Vitaro, 1999, for a review), but effective treatments over the long term remain elusive.
