The American Psychiatric Association, through its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; 1994), defines conduct disorder (CD) as a [Page 1227]repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates the basic rights of others or the key age-appropriate social norms and rules of conduct that operate within particular settings (home, school, community). Youth who are diagnosed with CD typically engage in a serious pattern of acting-out, aggressive, and disruptive behavior that is often called antisocial. Examples of such behavior include bullying, hostile verbal or physical assault, defiance of existing rules, resistance to adult influence, stealing, fire setting, and property destruction.

CD is part of a cluster of DSM-IV diagnoses that define disruptive behavior disorders across the developmental spectrum, including oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) ...