Oppositional defiant disorder

Definition:

A pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior towards an authority figure. There is an absence of violation in the social norms.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

This disorder is more prevalent in boys than girls and is found in 16 to 22% of the school age population. The onset typically begins by age 8. The cause of this disorder is unknown, but parents of children with this disorder are overly concerned with issues of power and control which might lead to the eruption of oppositional defiant behavior.