Conduct disorder (CD) is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) as “a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 93). Patterns of behavior associated with CD fall into four main categories (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 94):

• 1.
  “Aggressive conduct that causes or threatens physical harm to other people or animals”
• 2.
  “Nonaggressive conduct that causes property loss or damage”
• 3.
  “Deceitfulness or theft”
• 4.
  “Serious violations of rules”

Conduct disorder may have its onset in childhood or in adolescence; prevalence estimates of CD in the population of youth range from 1% to more than 10% (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

Researchers have found ...