Disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) are a group of behavioral disorders in which there are patterns of ongoing uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behaviors toward authority figures that seriously impacts a child’s daily functioning. When a child’s family experiences their child disrupting activities, ignoring the rules, erupting in defiance, or goading others, every member feels the impact. A parent may feel helpless to control their child’s anger, unsure how to appropriately respond, or how to restore a sense of peace and harmony to the home. The most common types of disruptive behavior disorders include oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder. The main difference between these two disorders is the severity of the symptoms; conduct disorder is often considered the more serious of the two disorders.

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is characterized by a recurrent pattern of negative, defiant, hostile, and disobedient behaviors toward authority figures for six months or longer. Children with ODD often lose their temper, argue with adults over rules or requests. They may become easily annoyed by other people and blame others for their mistakes or misbehavior. Children with ODD often become angry, resentful, spiteful, and vindictive to others. While all children – and people – are capable of displaying these behaviors, children who have ODD display these behaviors more often than others their age. These behaviors severely impact the social, occupational, or academic functioning of the child.