Television talk shows often feature drill sergeant–type individuals yelling in the faces of troubled children who likely meet criteria for conduct disorder. The crowd cheers when these children are taken to boot camps. Why do you think that people desire this type of treatment for these children? What do you think is likely to happen to the children who go through this experience? Why? What would be a better option?

Research studies support the efficacy of intensive, multimodal interventions for conduct disorder, yet these programs are fairly expensive and not all children have access to them. How would you persuade funding agencies to invest in these programs?

Why is it important to know whether conduct disorder has its onset in childhood or adolescence? How would knowing this affect your interventions?

In the popular media, conduct disorder is often equated with juvenile delinquency and crime. Is this appropriate? How are the two different? If we equate the two, are there some individuals who will not receive treatment? How could this be addressed?