Conduct disorder in girls and boys: The identification of distinct psychosocial profiles

In this study of 20 male and 20 female conduct disordered adolescents matched for age and sociodemographic variables, distinct psychosocial profiles were identified. Girls had fewer conduct problems overall because, compared with boys, they had fewer overt behaviour problems. Boys showed higher levels of cruelty, bullying, destructiveness, weapon carrying and initiating fights. Girls had similar levels of covert symptoms to boys but had a significantly higher ratio of covert to overt behaviour problems than their male counterparts. The female pattern of conduct problems was unique and included deviant peer group membership, lying and running away. While co-morbid ADHD was common among boys, girls had significantly lower IQ scores. Girls came from less dysfunctional families and showed better psychological adjustment than their male counterparts. However, for both boys and girls, lack of parental supervision and family communication difficulties were present in more than three quarters of all cases, and half of the group studied had experienced some form of child abuse or neglect.