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Definition: A pattern of behavior that is aggressive, defiant, uncooperative, irresponsible or dishonest defines anti social behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2002). This pattern of behavior is disruptive to the individual, to his or her relationships and to the community at large.
Characteristics: School-age children extend their antisocial behavior into the school setting. Teachers report that these children
- Often fight and steal and are disobedient
- Antisocial children often fail at school and are disliked by peers, teachers, and sometimes even their parents.
- Antisocial behavior begins in the form of noncompliance with parental requests and frequent temper tantrums; progresses to fighting, stealing, and lying in late childhood; and culminates in noncompliance with authority and law in adolescence and adulthood.
A history of antisocial behavior as a child is related to a wide array of adult mental health problems, including troubled marriages, failure at work, and crime. Antisocial adults tend to rear antisocial children, thus perpetuating the cycle across generations.
Factors Affecting the Development of Antisocial Behavior
Diverse factors influence the development of antisocial behavior. The important influences can be grouped into four categories:
Fig: Factors for antisocial behaviour in late childhood
- Biological factors: Antisocial behavior is partially influenced by biological factors. Studies of identical twins revealed similar life-course patterns of antisocial behavior. However, the genetic component of antisocial behavior is demonstrated more clearly in adolescents and adults than in children. Studies also show that ADHD and certain traits associated with a difficult temperament (such as impulsivity and irritability) are related to antisocial behavior patterns.
Antisocial children have an overactive reward system and an underactive inhibition system, resulting in impulsive and reward-seeking behavior. Overactive reward systems an underactive inhibitory systems have been linked to the production of certain biochemical called dopamine.
- Environmental factors: Antisocial behavior also is likely to be found in children who have
- Few opportunities to engage in positive social interactions with parents
- observed physical spouse abuse at home
- a parent who suffers from a mental illness
- Parents who are stressed, depressed or antisocial
- Parents who are using ineffective or inappropriate parenting practices
These above environmental factors contribute to antisocial behavior in their children.
- Peer relationships: Experiences with peers promote antisocial behavior in the following ways; Children who have
- Poor peer relationships: these are at risk for antisocial behavior because they lack positive experiences that help them learn how to control their antisocial impulses.
- Poor role models: Peers may act as model and reinforces for antisocial behavior. Antisocial children sometimes attract one another and form their own groups that then promote antisocial behavior.
- Social milieu: The degree to which children engage in antisocial behavior depends on their social environment. For example, antisocial behavior is more prevalent in urban than suburban areas and in low-income than middle-class neighborhoods. Elevated rates of antisocial behavior are found among minority children in the United States because they most often live in low-income urban areas.
Treatment for Antisocial Behavior
Several forms of treatment have been developed for antisocial behavior. Some focus solely on the antisocial children, others on the family and still others on the community. No single treatment has been found to effectively address antisocial behavior problems due to the multiple causes of antisocial behaviors, representing a complex interplay of individual, family, peer and societal factors. Treatment is more successful with children and families who are motivated to receive help.
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Participants