Does violence solve anything? Conduct disorder as adaptive behaviour

Authors

  • Rick Nelson Noble McGill University

Keywords:

conduct disorder, adaptive, violence, adolescence

Abstract

Many teachers and students report that in recent years violence is becoming more prevalent in schools. This paper examines the adaptive component of behaviours associated with a specific disruptive behavioural disorder: conduct disorder. The influence of biology, evolution, and environment on the development of the disorder is considered, and a critical analysis is presented. Conduct disorder is adaptive in certain contexts, particularly among members of communities in which resources and opportunity for conventional success are limited. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Author Biography

Rick Nelson Noble, McGill University

Rick N. Noble is a graduate student in the department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University. His research interests focus on emotional resilience in adolescence.

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Published

2010-06-25

Issue

Section

Literature Review/Revue de la documentation