Antisocial behaviors in children refer broadly to a variety of acts that reflect social rule violations and/or that are actions against others. Such behaviors as fighting, lying, and stealing are evident in clinically referred children but also are seen in varying degrees in most children over the course of development. For present purposes, the term “conduct disorder" will be used to refer to antisocial behavior that is clinically significant and clearly beyond the realm of" normal" functioning.'Whether antisocial behaviors are sufficiently severe to constitute conduct disorder depends on several characteristics of the behaviors including their frequency, intensity, and chronicity and whether they are isolated acts or part of a larger" package" or syndrome with other deviant behaviors. Typically, conduct disorder is reserved for instances in which antisocial behaviors lead to impairment in everyday functioning, as reflected in unmanageability at home and at school or dangerous acts that affect others (peers, siblings).

Conduct disorder is identified in childhood as a pattern of clinical dysfunction, usually during elementary school years. Yet, for many individuals, conduct disorder is a pattern of functioning over the life-span. The present chapter discusses characteristics of conduct disorder, continuities and discontinuities over the course of development, issues and challenges for research, and implications of selected findings for social policy.