What Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder?

Since kids pass through many developmental stages as they mature, it is important to understand the differences between normal childhood attempts to defy authority and symptoms of full-blown Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Oppositional defiant kids share many of the following characteristics: are driven to defeat authority figures are relentless in their pursuit of proving authority figures to be wrong or stupid are socially exploitive and very quick to notice how others respond; they then use these responses to their advantage in family or social environments are vigorously intent on “getting their way” deny responsibility for their misbehavior and have little insight into how they impact others. have thoughts that revolve around defeating anyone’s attempt to exercise authority over them possess a strong need for control, and will do just about anything to gain power tolerate a great deal of negativity – in fact they seem to thrive on large amounts of conflict, ...

Re: Would a “scared straight” boot camp work for a child with oppositional defiant disorder? The short answer is: not according to the research . “Scared Straight” is a program designed to deter “bad” teens from future criminal offenses. The teenagers visit inmates, observe first-hand prison life, and have interaction with adult inmates. Since many desperate parents are looking for a “quick fix,” these programs have become very popular. The basic idea behind these programs is that children and teens who see what prison is like will be deterred from future violations of the law (i.e., they will be frightened into behaving properly). Scared Straight emphasizes severity of consequences, but neglects two other key components of “deterrence theory” — certainty and swiftness. Why is this important? Because teens (in their naiveté) believe (a) “incarceration is never going to happen to me” and (b) “even if I do get incarcerated, it’s not going to happen anytime soon.” One ...