When a repetitive and persistent pattern of behaviour in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated, as manifested by the presence of three (or more) of the following criteria in the past 12 months, with at least one criterion present in the last 6 months:

Aggression to people and animals

• often bullies, threatens or intimidates others
• often initiates physical fights
• had used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others (e.g., a bat, brick, broken bottle, knife, gun)
• has been physically cruel to people
• has been physically cruel to animals
• has stolen while confronting a victim (e.g., mugging, purse snatching, extortion, armed robbery)
• has forced someone into sexual activity

Destruction of Property

• has deliberately engaged in fire setting with the intention of causing serious damage
• has deliberately destroyed others property (other than by fire setting)

Deceitfulness or theft

• has broken into someone’s house, building or car
• often lies to obtain goods or favours or to avoid obligations (i.e. cons others)
• has stolen items of nontrivial value without confronting a victim (e.g., shoplifting, but without breaking and entering, forgery)

Serious Violations of rules

• often stays out at night despite parental prohibitions, beginning before the age of 13 years
• has run away from home overnight at least twice while living in parental or parental surrogate home (or once without returning for a lengthy period)
• is often truant from school, beginning before the age of 13 years

Other key issues to consider

• When the disturbance in behaviour causes clinically significant impairment at social, academic or occupational functioning.
• If the individual is age 18 years or over, criteria is not met for Antisocial Personality Disorder

 

Specify type based on age at onset

Childhood-Onset Type:

Onset of at least one criterion characteristic of Conduct Disorder prior to 10 years

Adolescent-Onset Type:

Absence of any criterion characteristic of Conduct Disorder prior to age of 10 years

 

Specify severity

Mild: When few if any conduct problems are in excess of those required to make the diagnosis and conduct problems cause only minor harm to others.

Moderate: When the number of conduct problems and the effect on others fall between “mild” and “severe”.

Severe: When many of the conduct problems are in excess of those required to make the diagnosis or the conduct problems cause considerable harm to others.