ODD and CD Risk Factors - Term Paper Example

The symptoms are: arguing with adults, loss of temper, refuse to obey rules, vindictive, low self-esteem, hold others responsible for their mistakes, angry and annoys people deliberately. Risk Factors Male children and teenagers are more prone to acquiring the disorder than their female counterparts. These children mostly are raised by parents who have a substance abuse problem, moody or with attention deficit. Marital conflicts coupled with child abuse are other factors that increase chances of acquiring ODD.

Low socioeconomic status is also noted to contribute and lastly the presence of an inconsistent parental attention. Many researchers maintain that ODD is a benign disorder. Children suffering from ODD are associated with low intelligence and hence are poor academic performers. However, this does not mean that highly intelligent children do not exhibit conduct problems. Due to the hostility aspect exhibited by ODD children they likely end up with poor social lives. Their delinquent nature lands them usually in trouble with authorities.

In respect to neurochemicals and their relationship with ODD development, studies have shown that low levels of salivary cortisol have a huge correlation with ODD. There is also evidence of genetic attributes liable for ODD. This is where family negativity links up well with antisocial behaviours mostly at the adolescent stage. In order to identify the progressive nature of the disorder in a child one is required to examine them through discussions, talk to their parent(s) and research on their medical past records.

Other tests are also necessary so as to determine that it is actually ODD and not any other disorder or problem. This is necessitated by the fact that ODD manifests itself among other neuropsychiatric disorders (Boden, Fergusson & Horwood, 2010). This is in other words termed as comorbidity and examples are ODD coupled with depression and ODD and ADHD. Case disorder Douglas is now 18 years old and is in high school. He is fully rehabilitated from drugs and is seemingly quite happy with the way life is going.

However, life as it is has turned for the better for a boy whose life remained a nightmare for him and those around him since he was 12 years old. At this age he started being hot tempered especially when he was denied to go for dances by his parents. He was suspended at the 8th grade after fighting with other children. After returning to school he took up a lifestyle of bullying others and later swore at a judge. He was taken to a Youth Centre for 3 months where he assaulted a guard and got an extension to 7 months.

After returning home he decided that was it and unsuccessfully attempted to hang himself. It was later found that apart from having ODD he was also a deeply depressed teenager. Conduct Disorder This is regarded by many researchers as a higher version of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The one suffering from this disorder hugely curtails the right of others in a social setting. They tend to be quite aggressive to people and animals. They bully and intimidate them, physically harm others, force others into sexual acts and engage in stealing mostly by confronting their victims.

They destroy property deliberately e.g. by setting it on fire and other such destructive measures. They are deceitful and act as thieves by breaking into houses. They often lie to get what they want and involve themselves in petty thefts (Harley, Murtagh and Cannon, 2008). They seriously violate rules