Antisocial Personality Disord... : Symptoms

A person with antisocial personality disorder: Breaks the law repeatedly; Lies, steals, and fights often; Disregards the safety of self and others; Does not show any guilt.

The central characteristic of antisocial personality disorder is an extreme disregard for the rights of other people. Individuals with APD lie and cheat to gain money or power. Their disregard for authority often leads to arrest and imprisonment. ...

Factors that contribute to a particular child's antisocial behavior vary, but they usually include some form of family problems (e.g., marital discord, harsh or inconsistent disciplinary practices or actual child abuse , frequent changes in primar...

An aggressive child who repeatedly victimizes a less powerful child with physical and/or emotional abuse. Bullying usually involves an older or larger child (or several children) victimizing a single child who is incapable of defending himself or herself. Although much bullying goes unreported, it is estimated that in the average school an incident of bullying occurs approximately once every seven minutes. Bullying occurs at about the same rate regardless of class size or school size, but, for an unknown reason, rural schools appear to have a higher rate of bullying than urban or suburban schools. Even when bullying is reported, it is not always taken seriously by teachers and parents because many adults believe that children should learn to "stand up for themselves" or "fight back." Although the stereotypical bully is male, girls engage in bullying behavior almost as often as boys. Their tactics differ, however, in that they are less visible. Boy bullies tend to resort to one-on-one physical aggression, while girls tend to bully as a group through social exclusion and the spreading of rumors. Girls who would never bully individually will often take part in group bullying activities such as "slam books," notebooks that are circulated among the peer group in which comments and criticisms are written about particular individuals. Bullying begins at a very early age; it is not uncommon to find bullies in preschool classrooms. Up until about age seven, bullies appear to choose their victims at random. After that, they single out specific children to torment on a regular basis. Nearly twice as much bullying goes on in grades two to four as in grades six to eight, and, as bullies grow older, they use less physical abuse and more verbal abuse. Until about sixth grade, bullies are not necessarily unpopular. They average two or three friends, and other children seem to admire them for their physical toughness. By high school, however, their social acceptance has diminished to the point that their only "friends" are other bullies. Despite their unpopularity, bullies have relatively high self-esteem. Perhaps this is because they process social information inaccurately. For example, bullies attribute hostile intentions to people around them and therefore perceive provocation where it does not exist. "What are you staring at?" is a common opening line of bullies. For the bully, these perceived slights serve as justification for aggressive behavior. In general, children who become the targets of bullies have a negative view of violence and go out of their way to avoid conflict. They tend to be "loners" who exhibit signs of vulnerability before being singled out by a bully. Being victimized leads these children—who are already lacking in self-esteem—to feel more anxious and thereby increase their vulnerability to further victimization. Being the target of a bully leads to social isolation and rejection by peers, and victims tend to internalize others' negative views, further eroding their self-esteem. Although bullying actually lessens during adolescence, that is the period when peer rejection is most painful for victims. In a number of well-publicized cases (in Scandinavia, Japan, and Australia, as well as the United States), adolescents tormented by bullies have been driven to suicide. Evidence indicates that bullying is not a phase a child will outgrow. In a long-term study of more than 500 children, University of Michigan researchers discovered that children who were viewed as the most aggressive by their peers at age eight grew up to commit more (and more serious) crimes as adults. Other studies indicate that, as adults, bullies are far more likely to abuse their spouses and children. TIPS FOR PREVENTING BULLYING BEHAVIOR Parents and teachers can do a number of things to prevent bullying: All children should be given regular opportunities to discuss bullying and ways to deal with bullies. In role-playing exercises, for examp

Bullies are aggressive children who repeatedly physically or emotionally abuse, torment, or victimize smaller, weaker, or younger children.

Bullying comes in different forms. It is commonly thought of as an actual or threatened act of physical violence. But name calling, spreading rumors, unrelenting teasing, and deliberately excluding a child from an activity can be other forms of bullying. Racial slurs, mocking cultural traditions, and unwanted physical contact are bullying.

You can now add bullying to the list of things made easier by technology. Bullies use e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging on cell phones to reach victims.

Boys are both more likely to bully others and more likely to be victims of bullying than are girls.

Crooks from computer experts to purse snatchers can steal personal information and run up bills in victims' names. Clearing up the mess can be costly and stressful.

Stealing is taking another person's property without permission.

Vehicle thefts, carjackings and thefts of vehicle contents are common crimes. Here are suggestions that can help you prevent them.

Acting out is defined as the release of out-of-control aggressive or sexual impulses in order to gain relief from tension or anxiety . Such impulses often result in antisocial or delinquent behaviors. The term is also sometimes used in regard to a psychotherapeutic release of repressed feelings, as occurs in psychodrama.

A defense mechanism whereby an individual expresses feelings through behavior rather than word. The term "acting out" was first coined to describe the behavior exhibited by a patient in expressing inner feelings about his or her psychoanalyst in a psychotherapy session. By the mid-1990s, the expression had acquired a broader definition, and was used to describe any situation where an individual's behavior seemed to reflect the expression of unconscious feelings or conflicts in actions rather than words. Acting out behavior may range from mildly disruptive in a preschool or home setting to dangerous, such as self-harm or suicidal gestures. In children, acting out may result in social isolation and limit his or her ability to engage in and learn from new experiences. Children may act out as a way to express powerful, painful, and/or confusing feelings that they are unable to verbalize. Parents and teachers dealing with acting out behavior often select a two-pronged approach, depending upon the severity of the situation. The first strategy is aimed at managing the behavior itself: the adult helps the child to learn to substitute an acceptable behavior as an expression of his or her feelings. Secondly, the adult may want to support the child in investigating and dealing with the feelings he or she is expressing in acting out behavior. This investigation often requires the guidance of a trained child psychologist or psychotherapist.

Problem behavior is often associated with adolescence but may manifest in the very young or in adults. Delinquency, drug use, academic failure, risky sexual behavior, violence, property damage, vandalism and disregard of the rights of others are all problem behaviors.

Failure to attend school regularly without parents' approval. In the 1990s, truancy has become a serious problem in many communities worldwide. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 80% of those in prison were at one time truants. The percent of juvenile offenders who started as truants is even higher, approaching 95%. The majority of the states in the United States require that students attend school until at least the age of 16. All states have laws governing compulsory education, and noncompliance results in penalties for the parents) or guardian of the truant student. Obviously, the state's objective is to educate its young people so that they will become capable, employable citizens. Although fines and jail terms for parents are prescribed if truancy becomes chronic, most states provide for mediation and counseling to return the student to school, and many are seeking positive incentives to combine with the penalties. In the late 1990s, there were more than 51 million students in U. S. public and private schools, and the number was expected to continue to grow at least through 2010. The rising number of students combined with an increase in juvenile crime underline the urgent need for initiatives to keep young people in school, off drugs, and away from weapons and violence. Most experts believe that truancy is the first step toward involvement in crime and violence. For many truant students, feelings of academic inadequacy, peer pressure, chaotic family life, and feelings of hopelessness about future employment prospects lead them to give up on school. Schools can introduce incentives for attendance and punishments for non-attendance. In 1996, a study conducted by the Rand Corporation evaluated programs designed to divert young people from crime. One of the most effective provided cash and other incentives to induce students to stay in school until graduation. The researchers estimated that incentives and other early intervention programs to keep students in school save enough money (by not having to arrest, process, and incarcerate juvenile offenders) to pay for themselves. In Peoréa, Arizona, a Phoenix suburb, the city prosecutor estimates that it costs about $15,000 per year to house a juvenile delinquent for one year, and the cost of a diversion program is about $1,000 per child. Since the program, which is known as Project AIM (Attendance Is Mandatory), was begun in 1994, truancy has been reduced by 92%. (Prior to initiating the program, 17% of the school population had truancy problems.) The features of Project AIM are: after three unexcused absences, the truant student's parents receive a letter. After five unexcused absences, the truant is referred to the city prosecutor's office and a criminal complaint is filed. The truant and his or her family choose between two options. The first is to pay a $200 fine plus have a police record; the second involves participating in counseling, training, and a support group. Since 1994, 72% of the truants went back to school after the initial letter was sent. The prosecutor reports that gang activity, violent crime by juveniles, and crimes against children diminished after the program was begun. In July 1996, the U. S. Department of Education, under the direction of then-Secretary Richard Riley, published the Manual to Combat Truancy, and announced the availability of $300,000-$500,000 grants to school districts for programs to address truancy problems. While there are no reliable data on truancy, the Manual to Combat Truancy stated that, in some U.S. cities, truant students number in the thousands on any given school day. It also cited reports from major urban centers. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania schools reported 3,500 students, or 12% of all students were absent on an average school day; 70% of those were unexcused. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reported 4,000 unexcused absences on an average school day. Miami, Florida, reported that over 70% of 13-16-year-olds prosecuted for

Truancy is unapproved absence from school, usually without a parent's knowledge.

Aggressive behavior is reactionary and impulsive behavior that often results in breaking household rules or the law; aggressive behavior is violent and unpredictable.