Girls and Boys Suffering from Opposition Defiant Disorder - Term Paper Example

 Assessment and Treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder: Is there a Differential Treatment for Boys and Girls? Introduction Adolescence stage is challenging many people because they have to make a choice between confusion and reality. Research study presented by Siegel (2011) in his publication show that some pattern of defiance usually crops at adolescence stage. However, this defiance should be mild in normal circumstances. When the uncooperative behavior stems up beyond the normal level, chances are that opposition defiant disorder might be the case. Defiant behavior is part of child development characteristics (Semrud-Clikerman & Ellison, 2009). Children and adolescent do react when angry or stressed. Some children or adolescent may argue, defy their teachers or parents, or talk back. These characteristics are normal as long as they do not exceed a certain limit. Boys indicate defiant characteristics than girls. This paper seeks to establish difference in treatment given to girls and boys suffering from opposition defiant disorder. Symptoms of Opposition Defiant Disorder Physician definition of ODD states that it is a defiant attitude that a person directs towards the authority. In this case, the authority refers to people who directly influence the life of the adolescent. Parents, guardian, or teachers are in direct control of adolescent because of the responsibility that they play in his or her life. ODD has a constant behavioral pattern (Murrihy, 2010), which makes it different from other attitudes observed among children and adolescents. Scholars have not established a distinct difference that appears between girls and boys who suffer from ODD (Graven 2011). The observable symptoms of ODD displayed by children and adolescents are serious violation of orders, theft, or deceitfulness, destruction of property, and aggression directed to people or animals (Burke, et.al, 2011). Causes of Opposition Defiant Disorder Opposition defiant disorder is evident when a child attains the age of eight years and early stages of adolescence (Cacioppo & Bernston, 2009). Psychologists associate the disorder to a number of factors that contribute to its causes. The broad classifications of the causes are biological factors, psychological factors and social factors. Psychologically, biological factors influence the brain functions or cognitive development of the child or adolescent. Parental biological factors contribute to ODD in children and adolescent (Murrihy, 2010). A child share fluids from the mother during early developmental stages. Research indicates that a parent that experienced Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or any disorder is likely to pass similar traits to his or her child (Cardo, et.al. 2009). Parents who show mood disorders pass these traits to their children (Cacioppo & Bernston, 2009). Parents who smoke, drink, or abuse substance bear children who show ODD. Other biological factors responsible for ODD include exposure to toxins, which impair brain functions, chemical imbalance in the brain, and impairment of brain especially the part responsible for reasoning (Graven, 2011). Chemical supply to the brain comes from what people take as food. Poor nutrition contributes to ODD. Tejeda (2009) argues that psychological factors that influence brain development can contribute to ODD among children and adolescent. Children from families with relationship problems are likely to suffer ODD compared to their counterparts from stable families. Parents who show neglect to their children constrain their children to psychological torture. This attribute is likely to influence ODD. Arguably, children who have difficulty in forming friends are likely to experience ODD. Other than psychological factors, social factors are responsible for human behavior. Social factors, which influence family relationship often, contribute to ODD cases. These factors include chaotic environment, abuse, and poverty, lack of supervision, inconsistent discipline, and neglect among other factors (Graven, 2011). Psychosocial theory of development put forward by Erickson argues that environmental factors influence human behavior (Tejeda 2009). Cognitive development depends on two factors: biological factors and physical factors (environmental factors). Children require security from their parents. The parental attachment during early stages of child development usually influences child behavior at later life stages (The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2009). This argument support findings, which attributed social factors to child behavior. Gender Differences According to Cardo, et.al. (2009), in establishing the defiant disorder between girls and boys, it is evident that boys show high degree of defiance compared to girls. Some researchers have argued that these differences occur due to methodological approach taken when handling boys or girls in the society. It is important to note that defiant conduct increases as age advances. Girls do not show high degree of ODD. The situation in girls indicates levels of anxiety (Semrud-Clikerman & Ellison, 2009). During early stages of learning, girls usually display high ability to grasp what they learn when compared to boys. This attribute explains the reason behind the differences exhibited among different sexes. Assessment of Opposition Defiant Disorder Assessment of ODD among girls is not different from the assessment given to boys. Parental assessment is one of the ways of establishing ODD among adolescent girl (Burke, et. al. 2009). Family members are able to establish the defiant behavior displayed by adolescent girls through the reaction they display whenever they are subject to command. Girls who suffer ODD will show qualities such as temper tantrum, open defiant, doing things against instructions among other qualities (Siegel, 2011). Findings indicate that when parents observe such qualities in a girl child during adolescent age it is important to seek medical therapy ((The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2009). Teachers are able to monitor behavioral defiance exhibited in class especially among adolescents who over display their defiant characteristics. It is evident that defiant character is often displayed during adolescent (Gullotta, 2005), extreme levels of these characteristics indicate that the person is not normal. Psychiatrists assessing ODD usually interview the adolescent, parents or people that influence the action of the child. To establish whether the child display characteristics associated with ODD, school performance record is very vital. Adolescent spend time with their teachers more than they do with their parents. However, parents have vital information when assessing ODD. Family social behavior is a factor that assessor evaluates. Research indicates that stressors in family influence girls more than they influence boys (Cacioppo, & Bernston, 2009). Girls react with anxiety and panic whenever their social life crumples. For instance, girls who belong to broken families displayed high level of ODD compared to those that came from social comfortable families. The social fabric that brings the family together assures security and attachment to girls than they offer to boys. This explains why girls who belong to broken families responded in defiant than their male counterpart. Psychologists attribute these attitudes to development stages as influenced by the environment. Assessors give instructions and monitor the response that adolescent girl would give. Research indicate that adolescent girls would display their ODD characteristics at home more than they do in school (Trepat & Ezpeleta, 2011). No clear reason supports this finding however; psychologists believe that girls tend to grasp concepts in class faster as compared to boys. Treatment of Opposition Defiant Disorder Treatment of ODD focuses on parenting factors as the major area, which has influence to adolescent behavior. Some research indicates that intervention, which addresses factors affecting multi domain, has proved effective in preventing ODD among girls (Trepat & Ezpeleta, 2011). The treatment of ODD must address factors that influence family psychology if the treatment is to yield a good result. ODD treatment can be through psychopharmacological treatment. Studies indicate that adolescent who displayed ODD characteristics had sensory deficits (The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2009). Human brain cells perform specific duties in the body. It is apparent that a deficit in sensory cells in the brain would influence behavior. Health therapists offer chemicals, which stimulates the growth of deficit cells in the brain (Glicken, 2009). ODD treatment would not be effective if parenting factors are not in place to boost this treatment. Since parenting factors would influence the way the child would react, parents should observe that they do not engage their children or adolescent in factors that aggravated the condition. Psychologists believe that family response to adolescent temperament influence the level negatively or positively (Graven 2011). Gender factors influence the approach that families use when handling cases of defiant behavior. Some parents handle boys differently from the way they handle female counterpart. Psychologists attribute this treatment to methodological approaches in parenting (Siegel, 2011). Differences attributed to ODD treatment among girls largely lies in the approach taken by parents. Chemical treatment for adolescent suffering from ODD remains the same among girls and boys. Graven (2011) depicts that parental training programs established in the community help in handling cases of ODD among adolescent. This training provides an opportunity to parents to develop good parental practices, which accommodate ODD behavior among children. Results of this approach show that many adolescents have shown positive response to the reactions of their parents. Treatment to Girls Research by Cacioppo, & Bernston (2009) on treatment of ODD with special attention to girls have indicated that psychotherapy treatment given to girls tend to differ from the therapy offered to boys. Gender aggression observed among different gender explains the approach taken. Girls are less gender aggressive, this make their treatment a bit easy compared to the therapy offered to boys (Murrihy, 2010). Kearney & Trull (2011) assert that researchers have not established difference in application of chemicals that prevent or reduce the amount of opposition disorder among girls and boys. Human brain has similar component in both girls and boys. This helps to explain uniform chemical therapy prescribed to people who suffer from ODD (Cardo, et.al. 2009). Chemicals administered among ODD patient influence the brain function. Sometimes these chemicals influence reasoning of these children. Burke, et.al (2009) asserts that treatment of ODD have indicated that parental role influence treatment of ODD. The reason behind this finding support social theories, which argue on the role of parent in behavioral development (Cacioppo & Bernston, 2009). The conduct of a child directly projects the input of a parent to the child’s behavior. Parents who spend their time with their children during medication period often produce positive result over parents who administer little or no attention. The social environment of the ODD patients should project positive concern to the patient. It is evident that people who suffer from the disorder react negatively to social instructions. Response to these reactions should not be negative because this would aggravate the situation (Blakemore, et.al. 2008). Parents should accompany their children to therapy alongside other roles that they perform in the society. Neglected children usually grow without proper guidance and this might not produce a good result. Adolescents need to establish confidence in what they do during adolescence stage (Glicken, 2009). This confidence comes from family support that a child gets during the adolescence stage. The changes in family practices influenced ODD cases among girls than boys (Graven 2011). Psychiatrists advise that parental support among ODD adolescent is necessary. Adolescence stage is confusing because adolescent have to battle between reality in life and myths. Attention offered by parents consolidates the trust thus influencing ODD patient to act positively. In conclusion, oppositional defiant disorder is a condition which children and adolescent display as they grow. The condition is evident from eight years old to early adolescent (Siegel 2011) Adolescent would show resentment when angry. However, the symptoms for this condition repeat itself among the character of the child. Defiance to authority characterizes the attitude of a person suffering from this condition. Parental assessment is a vital step used to identify the condition among adolescents. Researchers have been able to demonstrate that parents will notice unusual defiance to instructions as projected by a person suffering from ODD condition (Gullota 2005). Girls display this condition at home, than they do in school. Siegel (2011) believes that gender treatment difference applied to people who suffer from the condition. However, the methodological differences that parent apply to handle cases of their children are evident (Cacioppo, & Bernston, 2009). Treatment for this condition includes psychotherapy and administration of chemicals. Chemical imbalance in the brain can interfere with the reasoning ability of an individual. Findings of this paper indicate that effective treatment involve parental training in order to influence parenting methods. It is apparent that parenting methods influence behavior of a child. In essence, a change in parental methods and therapy would lead to positive conditions. References Blakemore, O.E. J. et.al. (2008).Gender development. Michigan: Psychology Press. Burke, D. J. et. al. (2009). Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder: Retrieved 2 April 2012 from http://clclinic.cos.ucf.edu/Documents%20and%20Files/Burke,%20Loeber,%20%26%20Birmaher%20ODD%20review%20Part%20II.pdf Burke, D. J. et.al. (2011). Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder: A Review of the Past 10 Years, Part II. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Volume 41, Issue 11, Pages 1275-1293. Retrieved 2 April 2012 from http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S089085670960633X?via=sd Cacioppo, T. J. & Bernston, G. G. (2009). Handbook of Neuroscience for the Behavioral Sciences, Volume 2. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Cardo, E. et.al. (2009). Oppositional defiant disorder: aspects related to sex differences and informant. Retrieved 2 April 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19280568 Glicken, D. M. (2009). Evidence-based practice with emotionally troubled children and adolescents. Academic Press. Graven, R. A. (2011). ODD symptoms in girls most often disputed. Retrieved 2 April 2012 http://sciencenordic.com/odd-symptoms-girls-most-often-disputed Gullotta, P. T. (2005). Handbook of adolescent behavioral problems: evidence-based approaches to prevention and treatment. London: Springer. Kearney, A. C. & Trull, J. T. (2011). Abnormal Psychology and Life: A Dimensional Approach. New York: Cengage Learning. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2009).ODD: A Guide for Families. Retrieved 2 April 2012 from http://clinic.psych.ubc.ca/files/2010/06/Child-ODD-Fact-Sheet-AACAP.pdf Siegel, J. L. (2011). Criminology. New York: Cengage Learning. Tejada, L. (2008). Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Retrieved 2 April 2012 from http://www.a4pt.org/download.cfm?ID=27419 Trepat, E. & Ezpeleta, L. (2011). Sex differences in oppositional defiant disorder. Retrieved 2 April 2012 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22047856 Semrud-Clikerman, M & Ellison, T. A. P. (2009). Child Neuropsychology: Assessment and Interventions for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2nd Edition. London: Springer. Murrihy, C. R. (2010). Clinical Handbook of Assessing and Treating Conduct Problems in Youth. London: Springer. Read More