Conduct Disorder (CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are two types of childhood disruptive behaviour disorders characterised by anti-social behaviour due to the impulsive and aggressive nature of their symptoms. There exists a sub population known as Callous Unemotional (CU) who display an increased severity of symptoms in particular a lack of guilt, empathy and emotion that have been found to lead to an increased severity and persistence of anti-social behaviour (Chabrol, Valls, Leeuwen, & Bui, 2012; Hawes & Dadds, 2005; Pardini, Lochman & Powell 2007 p.328). Thus it is important to apply the principle of sEquifinality to conduct disorders to identify and acknowledge the different etiological underpinnings of UC traits (Frick & Ellis,
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The cause of Callous-Unemotional traits has implications on how we approach treatment for children with ODD or CD who possess these traits as the better we understand the disorder, the better we may approach and tailor effective treatment. ODD and CD have behavioural origins that form through parent-child interaction (Dadds & Rhodes, 2008). Effective treatment of CD and ODD uses operant learning to positively shape the child's behaviour through specific disciplinary action enforced by the parent (Dadds & Rhodes, 2008). A study by Hawes & Dadds (2005) however found parent intervention to be ineffective for children with CU traits as high CU traits were linked to poor results and poor responsiveness to disciplinary action, in particular an indifference to punishment. However children with CU traits were found to respond positively to reward based disciplinary intervention by parents. Furthermore CU traits and antisocial behaviour was seen to decrease over time if parenting limited physical punishment and focused on parental warmth and involvement instead (Pardini et al., 2007).Conversely, other studies have found that high levels of punishment are related to the development and increase of antisocial behaviour highlighting the importance of tailored treatment (Loeber & Farrington, 2001 as cited …show more content…
Dadds & Rhodes (2008) address the importance of recognising and acknowledging CU as a separate subpopulation of CD and one that subsequently calls for a different treatment. This is the principle of Equifinality in that there are many causal and developmental pathways which may lead to antisocial behaviour (Frick & Ellis 1999; Frick et al., 2003). As parent intervention is found to yield poor results in children with CU traits it is vital to identify these children from those with CD or ODD alone (Hawes & Dadds, 2005 as cited in Dadds & Rhodes, 2008). This way treatment is better suited and the outcomes more favourable. Currently, parent intervention is the number one method for treating conduct disorders in children (Dadds & Hawes, 2008). However it is important that we cease to think of CD as a homogenous group and rather an umbrella term to leave room for further classification, effective diagnosis and thus better treatment. The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-5, lists Callous and Unemotional traits as a specifier under Conduct Disorder (Scheepers, Buitelaar, & Matthys, 2010). Of children with CD it was found that 10-50% demonstrated increased aggression and cruelty and classified as CU, emphasising the need and relevance of the
The cause of Callous-Unemotional traits has implications on how we approach treatment for children with ODD or CD who possess these traits as the better we understand the disorder, the better we may approach and tailor effective treatment. ODD and CD have behavioural origins that form through parent-child interaction (Dadds & Rhodes, 2008). Effective treatment of CD and ODD uses operant learning to positively shape the child's behaviour through specific disciplinary action enforced by the parent (Dadds & Rhodes, 2008). A study by Hawes & Dadds (2005) however found parent intervention to be ineffective for children with CU traits as high CU traits were linked to poor results and poor responsiveness to disciplinary action, in particular an indifference to punishment. However children with CU traits were found to respond positively to reward based disciplinary intervention by parents. Furthermore CU traits and antisocial behaviour was seen to decrease over time if parenting limited physical punishment and focused on parental warmth and involvement instead (Pardini et al., 2007).Conversely, other studies have found that high levels of punishment are related to the development and increase of antisocial behaviour highlighting the importance of tailored treatment (Loeber & Farrington, 2001 as cited …show more content…
Dadds & Rhodes (2008) address the importance of recognising and acknowledging CU as a separate subpopulation of CD and one that subsequently calls for a different treatment. This is the principle of Equifinality in that there are many causal and developmental pathways which may lead to antisocial behaviour (Frick & Ellis 1999; Frick et al., 2003). As parent intervention is found to yield poor results in children with CU traits it is vital to identify these children from those with CD or ODD alone (Hawes & Dadds, 2005 as cited in Dadds & Rhodes, 2008). This way treatment is better suited and the outcomes more favourable. Currently, parent intervention is the number one method for treating conduct disorders in children (Dadds & Hawes, 2008). However it is important that we cease to think of CD as a homogenous group and rather an umbrella term to leave room for further classification, effective diagnosis and thus better treatment. The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-5, lists Callous and Unemotional traits as a specifier under Conduct Disorder (Scheepers, Buitelaar, & Matthys, 2010). Of children with CD it was found that 10-50% demonstrated increased aggression and cruelty and classified as CU, emphasising the need and relevance of the