[Page 829]Conduct disorder (CD) is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), as a presentation of repetitive and persistent behaviors in which the rights of others and societal norms or rules are violated. These violations can range from more minor behaviors, such as violation of rules, lying, or stealing, to more severe antisocial behaviors, such as aggression toward people or animals, or destruction of property. At the core of a CD diagnosis are three distinct behaviors: (1) compliance/noncompliance, (2) anger, and (3) aggression. The typical progression of CD is covered first in this entry, followed by the distinction between childhood-onset and adolescent-onset CD, and finally the developmental trajectory of the three behaviors of CD.

Typically, oppositional defiant–type behaviors (i.e., those ...