Not Just Bad Kids: The Adversity and Disruptive Behavior Link explores the theory that all behavior makes sense in context. If you understand a person’s frame of reference – their background, history and experience – you can imagine what might be driving their behavior. The book describes the social, cultural and environmental factors that shape the lives of many youths, including early childhood attachment which sets the foundation for how they interact with authority figures. The book also delves into an explanation of conduct disorder which is characterized by persistent, repetitive behaviors that violate the basic rights of other human beings and break rules.

Studies have shown that conduct disorder affects 1-4% of adolescents in the United States and oppositional defiant disorder is estimated to develop in approximately 10.2% of children. The presence of DBD is also known to be more prevalent in boys than it is in girls. As there is a growing need to understand why children and adolescent exhibit signs of hostility, defiance and isolation, this book is an ideal resource for this timely topic.