What Is Oppositional Behavior?

Oppositional disorder, which is usually called oppositional defiant disorder in the medical community, is a pattern of disobedient, hostile behavior directed by a young person toward authority figures. Oppositional defiant disorder's cause is unknown, but psychological, social and biological factors are all being considered by researchers.

  1. Features

    • Oppositional defiant disorder is diagnosed only in children and adolescents, and it is more common among boys. Some studies have estimated the incidence rate to be as high as 20 percent of all schoolchildren, but this may reflect changing expectations of children more than the incidence of the disorder.

      As adults, people who had this disorder as children may be diagnosed with passive-aggressive personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder.

    Identification

    • Common symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder include actively disobeying adults, blaming other people for mistakes, having a quick temper and being vindictive, among others. These symptoms must be present for at least six months, be more extreme than normal childhood behavior and cause problems for the child in order to qualify as symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder.

    Treatment

    • Treatment for oppositional defiant disorder must include therapy with a professional; this may be done on an individual basis, in a group or with the whole family. Medication may also be prescribed.

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