Disruptive behavior disorders.

Disruptive behavior disorders present grave complications to normal childhood development. Their presence is frequently associated with additional psychiatric disorders. The hallmark features of the disruptive behavior disorders range from noncompliance to aggressive hostility toward authorities or peers. Oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are associated with dysfunctional parenting styles and other environmental risks. Temperament and psychobiological mechanisms also play roles in the expression of disruptive behavior. Longitudinal research is providing a means to disentangle etiologic from mediating factors. The origins of developmental pathways to adult maladjustment are apparent in preschool behavior. Unfortunately, nearly all of our assumptions about behavior problems have been based on the study of boys. While many social outcomes for disruptive girls and boys are similar, pregnancy and parenting present a distinct challenge to the adolescent mother, to her children, and to society at large.