Explain the general progression of CD

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The earliest indications of conduct problems may be a difficult temperament in the first few years of life, expressed as fussiness, irritability, irregular sleeping and eating patterns, or fearfulness in response to novel events. During the preschool and early school years, a child with a difficult temperament displays an increase in hyperactivity and impulsivity with growing mobility, weak emotion-regulation skills, and a heightened risk for simple forms of oppositional and aggressive behaviors that peak during the preschool years (Tremblay, 2000). Most children with conduct problems show diversification—they add new forms of antisocial behavior over time rather than simply replacing old behaviors. Poor social skills and social–cognitive deficits often accompany early oppositional and aggressive behaviors, predisposing the child to poor peer relationships, rejection by peers, and social isolation and withdrawal. In this progression, we see a snowballing negative cycle over time, where one deficit or problem behavior produces direct and indirect changes in others. For example, peer rejection leads to social–cognitive deficits and aggression; social–cognitive deficits lead to peer rejection and aggression; aggression leads to peer rejection (Lansford et al., 2010). Conversely, better social–cognitive skills may increase peer acceptance and lower aggressiveness. These cascading effects highlight the importance of looking at the progression of antisocial behavior over time as a dynamic developmental process involving relationships among neurobiological dispositions, social environments, cognitions, and behavior (Lansford et al., 2010).