Here's a question, Dr. Skinner, could you give an overview of conduct disorder?
An overview of conduct disorder? Well, it depends. If we're talking about—again, there's so many different types of conduct—but if we look at this in general, there are specific things that we look for.
We don't pay attention to authority. We act out, we bully, we are aggressive. Aggression is a typical trait of conduct disorders. We don’t see how our actions influence others around us. The more we behave this way, the more our energy turns inward. That means my rage could happen at any time and could be directed at anybody.
In these situations, I minimize my behavior. I don’t recognize how my actions hurt or influence other people. And when this happens consistently over time, we begin to push people away. There are social consequences—others may not want to be around us. They feel distant and want to distance themselves.
In human relationships, when we feel safe, we are more likely to connect or bond with others. But if I’m dealing with conduct disorder, I don’t want to be around people, and I don’t like people. I often treat others accordingly. These are things to be mindful of in situations like this.
I would want to help this child develop a safer environment where they feel like they can stabilize and have some security. But that’s not easy. Conduct disorder is a very complex issue. Someone dealing with it doesn’t necessarily respect authority, they don’t like being told what to do, they can be very negative or defiant, and they put people down. It’s hard to bond or connect with them, and they tend to push away those who try to get close.
If someone asks me, "Why does that happen?" one reason—though not the only reason—is that they’ve had tremendous trauma or negative experiences early in life. Some refer to this as attachment injuries or wounds. This can include experiences like abuse, witnessing abuse, violence, or not feeling safe. These are common factors, though not always the cause, but they are often significant contributors.
