Aggression & CD Flashcards
Antagonism is an ancient construct with aggression dating back centuries to the days our ancestors
displayed violence to establish control, an act they considered as assertion of dominance and power
Aggressive outbursts can happen suddenly
as an emotional reaction to frustration or upset
However, sustained aggression and antisocial behaviour is cause for concern
and can be observed during every stage of human development, from early childhoof through to adult life
Aggressive behaviours are rather universal in young children
though as they grow older most children tend to socialise and learn to inhibit these aggressive behaviours
The key mechanisms involved in this process of socialisation are
> development of cognitive control of impulses
sensitivity to feedback in particular punishment through conditioning
development of empathy
sense of morality
Some children, however, fail to follow this path of socialisation and continue manifesting
aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour
These children may fall within the categories of psychiatric disturbance behaviour disorder
of which the most severe is conduct disorder
According to DSM-, CD is defined as the repetitive and persistent pattern of antisocial behaviour in children
associated in particular with violation of social norms and basic rights of others
Early onset CD can be recognised in children as young as 5 years of age
with diagnosis commonly confirmed between ages of ten to nineteen
To qualify for CD diagnosis
deliquent behaviour must be sustained lasting for a period of over six months
Specific criteria for CD diagnosis including
aggression towards humans and animals
deceitfulness or theft
destruction of property
serious violation of authority
the mechanisms underlying development and progression of such behaviours
include several factors, both biological and environmental
development of conduct problems in children can be largely attributed to the environment in which a child has been brought up in
with evidence of certain prenetal factors including smoking and consumption of alcohol shown to have a strong negative impact on the development of CD
Exposure of children to negative experiences such as trauma, violence and neglect
during their early years can have drastic consequences on their day to day behaviour
Youths diagnosed with such conditions have often not received the level of care and prosocial behaviour that innocent children deserve
instead these individuals have often been subjected to parental rejection, substance abuse or antisocial behaviour at home, leaving children to fend for themselves
They feel as if the world is out to get them
and rightly so with the unfortunate circumstances they have been through
It can be said therefore that a lack of prosocial behaviour
can lead to antisocial traits
Early life stress is a large contributor in the development of CD
with aggressive behaviour shown to increase with heightened stress levels
Several animal studies have provided valuable insights into the effects of early stress of development of aggression
whereby separation of young male rats from their mothers has been shown to increase aggressive behaviour
Children raised in stressful situations are left feeling constantly threatened therefore
leading to unregulated emotional responses and frustration based reactive aggression
So while there should be no excuse for antisocial behaviour
in cases of CD, there often is an environmental explanation for it
Furthermore, studies linking ADHD presentations including inattention, impulsivitity and hyperactivity
to conduct problems propose a causal link, suggesting that those with ADHD may be at a higher risk of CD development (Aggressotype consortium, 2013 - 2018)
Genetic mechanisms of CD
5-HTT gene SLC6A4
COMT
MAOA
The MATRICS project (2013 - 2019)
sought to further understand the neural, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying these psychiatric disruptive behaviour disorders, notably ODD and CD
