National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Child Behavior Disorders is the National Institute of Mental Health
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Child Behavior Disorders
Also called: Conduct disorders
All kids misbehave some times, but behavior disorders go beyond mischief and rebellion. With behavior disorders, your child or teen has a pattern of hostile, aggressive or disruptive behaviors for more than 6 months.
Warning signs can include
- Harming or threatening themselves, other people or pets
- Damaging or destroying property
- Lying or stealing
- Not doing well in school, skipping school
- Early smoking, drinking or drug use
- Early sexual activity
- Frequent tantrums and arguments
- Consistent hostility towards authority figures
If you see signs of a problem, ask for help. Poor choices can become habits. Kids who have behavior problems are at higher risk for school failure, mental health problems and even suicide. Classes or family therapy may help parents learn to set and enforce limits.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Start Here
- What You Can Do to Change Your Child's Behavior(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
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The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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Overviews
- Changing Your Child's Behavior(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Normal Child Behavior(American Academy of Pediatrics)
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Latest News
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Temper Tantrums
(08/29/2012, HealthDay)
- Snoring Toddlers May Have More Behavior Problems(08/13/2012, HealthDay)
- More Kids Taking Antipsychotics for ADHD(08/07/2012, HealthDay)
- Dad's Early Engagement with Son May Shape Behavior Later(07/19/2012, HealthDay)
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Coffee, Tea and Bad Conduct(07/09/2012, HealthDay)
- More News on Child Behavior Disorders
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Temper Tantrums
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Children's Threats: When Are They Serious?(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Also available in Spanish
- When to Seek Help for Your Child(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Also available in Spanish
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Treatment
- Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Also available in Spanish
- Suggestions for Improving Behavior(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Taking Your Child to a Therapist(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Teaching Your Child Self-Control(Nemours Foundation)
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Treatment of Children with Mental Illness(National Institute of Mental Health)
- Also available in Spanish
- What Is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician?(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- What Kind of Mental Health Professionals Are Trained to Help Children?(American Academy of Pediatrics)
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Specific Conditions
- Aggressive Behavior(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Biting(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Children and Lying(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Also available in Spanish
- Children Who Won't Go to School (Separation Anxiety)(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Also available in Spanish
- Competition and Cheating(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Conduct Disorder(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Also available in Spanish
- Disruptive Behavior Disorders(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Fighting and Biting(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Also available in Spanish
- My Child Is Stealing(Nemours Foundation)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Self-Injury/Cutting(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Swearing(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Temper Tantrums(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Understanding Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Also available in Spanish
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Related Issues
- What about Punishment?(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Your Child's Habits(Nemours Foundation)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Behavior Disorders(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Conduct Disorder(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Behavior Disorders
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Research
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Daily or Severe Tantrums May Point to Mental Health Issues(National Institute of Mental Health)
- Young Children Engage in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Study Finds(American Academy of Pediatrics)
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Daily or Severe Tantrums May Point to Mental Health Issues
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Effects of sleep-disordered breathing on physical traits, school performance, and...
- Article: RCT of a mentoring and skills group program: placement and...
- Article: Disrupted action perception in autism: behavioral evidence, neuroendophenotypes, and diagnostic...
- Child Behavior Disorders -- see more articles
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Directories
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
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Organizations
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Law and Policy
- Services in School for Children with Special Needs: What Parents Need to Know(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
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Children
- Cheating(Nemours Foundation)
- Going to a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or Therapist(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Teenagers
- Cutting(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Going to a Therapist(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- How Can I Deal with My Anger(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Shoplifting(Nemours Foundation)
- Trichotillomania(Nemours Foundation)
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Patient Handouts
- Conduct disorder
- Also available in Spanish
- Discipline
- Also available in Spanish
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Also available in Spanish
- Temper tantrums
- Also available in Spanish
- Trichotillomania
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
