Disruptive Behavior Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Summary
Disruptive behaviour disorders (DBDs) encompass a spectrum of persistent patterns of antisocial, defiant or aggressive conduct emerging in childhood and adolescence. The two principal diagnoses, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), present along a continuum of severity, with ODD characterised by emotional lability, irritability and argumentativeness, and CD by more severe rule-breaking, aggression towards people or animals, and violation of social norms. Epidemiological data indicate a prevalence of up to 10% in community samples, with higher rates in clinical settings. Aetiological models emphasise the interplay of genetic vulnerability, neurobiological factors in emotion processing and executive function, and environmental influences such as parenting style, peer relationships and broader socioeconomic stressors. Developmental trajectories vary: some children remit during adolescence, whereas others progress to persistent antisocial behaviour. Early identification and intervention, targeting emotion regulation and parent–child interactions, have demonstrated efficacy in mitigating long-term impairments in academic, social and mental health outcomes.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Disruptive Behavior Disorders in Children and Adolescents publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescents across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Disruptive behaviour disorders: A group of psychiatric conditions characterised by persistent patterns of antisocial, defiant or aggressive conduct impairing social and academic functioning.
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD): A condition marked by recurrent negativistic, defiant and disobedient behaviours towards authority figures, often accompanied by irritability and temper outbursts.
Conduct disorder (CD): A more severe behavioural disorder involving aggression towards people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violations of rules.
Emotion regulation: The processes by which individuals monitor, evaluate and modify emotional responses to achieve adaptive social and cognitive outcomes.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): A structured, time-limited psychological intervention focused on identifying and changing maladaptive thought patterns and behaviours to improve emotional regulation and functioning.
References
- Development of symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder from preschool to adolescence: the role of bullying victimization and emotion regulation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (2023).
- The Effects of Emotion Regulation Treatment on Disruptive Behavior Problems in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (2022).
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.