Antisocial Behavior

Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence

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Antisocial behavior can be broken down into two components: the presence of antisocial (i.e., angry, aggressive, or disobedient) behavior and the absence of prosocial (i.e., communicative, affirming, or cooperative) behavior. Most children exhibit some antisocial behavior during their development, and different children demonstrate varying levels of prosocial and antisocial behavior. Some children may exhibit high levels of both antisocial and prosocial behaviors; for example, the popular but rebellious child. Some, however, may exhibit low levels of both types of behaviors; for example, the withdrawn, thoughtful child. High levels of antisocial behavior are considered a clinical disorder. Young children may exhibit hostility towards authority, and be diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder. Older children may lie, steal, or engage in violent behaviors, and be diagnosed with conduct disorder. Mental health professionals agree, and rising rates of serious school disciplinary problems, delinquency, and violent crime indicate, that antisocial behavior in general is increasing. Thirty to 70% of childhood psychiatric admissons are for disruptive behavior disorders, and diagnoses of behavior disorders are increasing overall. A small percentage of antisocial children grow up to become adults with antisocial personality disorder, and a greater proportion suffer from the social, academic, and occupational failures resulting from their antisocial behavior.

Causes and characteristics

Factors that contribute to a particular child's antisocial behavior vary, but usually they include some form of family problems (e.g., marital discord, harsh or inconsistent disciplinary practices or actual child abuse, frequent changes in primary caregiver or in housing, learning or cognitive disabilities, or health problems). Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is highly correlated with antisocial behavior. A child may exhibit antisocial behavior in response to a specific stressor (such as the death of a parent or a divorce ) for a limited period of time, but this is not considered a psychiatric condition. Children and adolescents with antisocial behavior disorders have an increased risk of accidents, school failure, early alcohol and substance use, suicide, and criminal behavior. The elements of a moderate to severely antisocial personality are established as early as kindergarten. Antisocial children score high on traits of impulsiveness, but low on anxiety and reward-dependence--that is, the degree to which they value, and are motivated by, approval from others. Yet underneath their tough exterior antisocial children have low self esteem.

SCHOOL SOCIAL BEHAVIOR SCALES (SSBS)

The School Social Behavior Scales is one rating scale designed for teachers to assess social competence and antisocial behavior in a K-12 educational setting. Following is a selected list of some of the behaviors it measures:

From SSBS Scale A, Social Competence. These describe prosocial behaviors.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Offers help to other students when needed
• Effectively participates in group discussions and activities
• Understands other students' problems and needs
• Invites other students to participate in activities
• Exhibits skills or abilities that are admired by peers
• Interacts with a wide variety of peers
• Is skillful at initiating or joining conversations with peers

Self-Management Skills:

• Cooperates with other students in a variety of situations
• Remains calm when problems arise
• Is accepting of other students
• Compromises with peers when appropriate
• Follows classroom rules

Academic Skills:

• Appropriately transitions between different classroom activities
• Completes individual seatwork without being prompted
• Listens to and carries out directions from teacher
• Asks for clarification of instructions in an appropriate manner

From SSBS Scale B, Antisocial Behavior. These describe antisocial behaviors.

Hostile-Irritable Behaviors:

• Blames other students for problems
• Teases and makes fun of other students
• Is disrespectful or "sassy"
• Is easily provoked; has a "short fuse"
• Acts "better" than others
• Will not share with other students
• Has temper outbursts or tantrums

Antisocial-Aggressive:

• Takes others' things
• Defies teacher or other school personnel
• Cheats on schoolwork or in games
• Gets into fights
• Lies to teacher or other school personnel

Disruptive-Demanding

• Ignores teacher or other school personnel
• Is overly demanding of teacher's attention
• Is difficult to control
• Bothers and annoys other students

A salient characteristic of antisocial children and adolescents is that they appear to have no feelings. Besides showing no care for others' feelings or remorse for hurting others, they tend to demonstrate none of their own feelings except anger and hostility, and even these are communicated by their aggressive acts and not necessarily expressed through affect. One analysis of antisocial behavior is that it is a defense mechanism that helps the child to avoid painful feelings, or else to avoid the anxiety caused by lack of control over the environment.

Antisocial behavior may also be a direct attempt to alter the environment. Social learning theory suggests that negative behaviors are reinforced during childhood by parents, caregivers, or peers. In one formulation, a child's negative behavior (e.g., whining, hitting) initially serves to stop the parent from behaving in ways that are aversive to the child (the parent may be fighting with a partner, yelling at a sibling, or even crying). The child will apply the learned behavior at school, and a vicious cycle sets in: he or she is rejected, becomes angry and attempts to force his will or assert his pride, and is then further rejected by the very peers from whom he might learn more positive behaviors. As the child matures, "mutual avoidance" sets in with the parent(s), as each party avoids the negative behaviors of the other. Consequently, the child receives little care or supervision and, especially during adolescence, is free to join peers who have similarly learned antisocial means of expression.