School Counselors Serving Students with Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Abstract

School counselors are in a prime position to collaborate with school and community stakeholders to both prevent and respond to the challenges experienced and exhibited by students with one or more disruptive behavior disorders (DBD). In this article, the DBDs discussed include conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct. After a brief examination of the costs, classifications and characteristics, comorbidity, and prevalence of this category of mental health disorders, this article presents risk factors and cultural considerations. Finally, the author explores implications and interventions for school counselors.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Adelman

H. S.

, & Taylor

(2010). Mental health in schools: Engaging learners, preventing problems, and improving schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

American School Counselor Association. (2009). The professional school counselor and student mental health. Retrieved from http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/PS_StudentMentalHealth.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2010). The professional school counselor and school-family-community partnerships. Retrieved from http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/Partnerships.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2012). The ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

Auger

(2011). The school counselor's mental health source book: Strategies to help students succeed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Auwarter

A. E.

, & Aruguete

M. S.

(2008). Counselor perceptions of students who vary in gender and socioeconomic status. Social Psychology of Education, 11, 389–395.

Barker

E. D.

Oliver

B. R.

, & Maughan

(2010). Co-occurring problems of early onset persistent, childhood limited, and adolescent onset conduct problem youth. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 51, 1217–1226. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02240.x

Bernes

K. B.

Bernes

J. I.

, & Bardick

A. D.

(2011). Externalizing behavior disorders: Supporting students with aggression and violent tendencies. In Sink

(Ed.), Mental health interventions for school counselors (pp. 16–34). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

10.

Beauchaine

T. P.

Hinshaw

S. P.

, & Pang

K. L.

(2010). Comorbidity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and early-onset conduct disorder: Biological, environmental, and developmental mechanisms. Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice, 17, 327–336. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2010.01224.x

11.

Biederman

Petty

C. R.

Dolan

Hughes

Mick

Monuteaux

M. C.

, & Faraone

S. V.

(2008). The long-term longitudinal course of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in ADHD boys: findings from a controlled 10 year prospective longitudinal follow-up study. Psychological Medicine, 38, 1027–1036. doi:10.1017/S0033291707002668

12.

Bird

H. R.

Canino

G. J.

Davies

Zhang

Ramirez

, & Lahey

B. B.

(2001). Prevalence and correlates of antisocial behaviors among three ethnic groups. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29, 465–478.

13.

Bongers

I. L.

Koot

H. M.

van der Ende, J., & Verhulst, F. C. (2008). Predicting young adult social functioning from developmental trajectories of externalizing behaviour. Psychological Medicine, 38, 989–999. doi:10.1017/S0033291707002309

14.

Breslau

Aguilarar-Gaxiola

Kendler

K. S.

Williams

, & Kessler

R. C.

(2006). Specifying race-ethnic differences in risk for psychiatric disorder in a USA national sample. Psychological Medicine, 36 (1), 57–68. doi:10.1017/S0033291705006161

15.

Breslau

Saito

Tancredi

D. J.

Nock

, & Gilman

S. E.

(2012). Classes of conduct disorder symptoms and their life course correlates in a US national sample. Psychological Medicine, 42, 1081–1089. doi:10.1017/S003329171100198X

16.

Bryan

Day-Vines

N. L.

Griffin

, & Moore-Thomas

(2012). The disproportionality dilemma: Patterns of teacher referrals to school counselors for disruptive behavior. Journal of Counseling & Development, 90, 177–190.

17.

Coccaro

E. F.

, & McCloskey

M. S.

(2010). Intermittent explosive disorder: Clinical aspects. In Aboujaoude

& Koran

L. M.

(Eds.), Impulse control disorders (pp. 221–232). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

18.

Conner

B. T.

, & Lochman

J. E.

(2010). Comorbid conduct disorder and substance use disorders. Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice, 17, 337–349. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2010.01225.x

19.

Cooley

M. L.

(2007). Teaching kids with mental health & learning disorders in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.

20.

Corcoran

Broce

& Shadik

(2011). Oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in children. In Corcoran

, Mental health treatment for children and adolescents (pp. 36–65). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

21.

Cowan

R. J.

, & Sheridan

S. M.

(2009). Evidenced-based approaches to working with children with disruptive behavior. In Gutkin

T. B.

& Reynolds

C. R.

(Eds.), The handbook of school psychology (4th ed., pp. 569–590). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.

22.

Davis

K. M.

(2011). Students with severe acting out behavior: A family intervention approach. In Sink

(Ed.), Mental health interventions for school counselors (pp. 123–134). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

23.

Delligatti

Akin-Little

, & Little

S. G.

(2003). Conduct disorder in girls: Diagnostic and intervention issues. Psychology in the Schools, 40, 183–192.

24.

Duncombe

M. E.

Havighurst

S. S.

Holland

K. A.

, & Frankling

E. J.

(2012). The contribution of parenting practices and parent emotion factors in children at risk for disruptive behavior disorders. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 43, 715–733. doi:10.1007/s10578-012-0290-5

25.

Erford

B. T.

Lee

V. V.

Newsome

D. W.

, & Rock

(2011). Systemic approaches to counseling students experiencing complex and specialized problems. In Erford

B. T.

(Ed.), Transforming the school counseling profession (3rd ed., pp. 288–313). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

26.

Farris

J. R.

Nicholson

J. S.

Borkowski

J. G.

, & Whitman

T. L.

(2011). Onset and progression of disruptive behavior problems among community boys and girls: A prospective longitudinal analysis. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 19, 233–246.

27.

Foster

E. M.

, & Jones

D. E.

(2005). The high costs of aggression: Public expenditures resulting from conduct disorder. American Journal of Public Health, 95, 1767–1772.

28.

Galassi

J. P.

, & Akos

(2007). Strengths-based school counseling: Promoting student development and achievement. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

29.

Grothaus

, & Johnson

K. F.

(2012). Making diversity work: Creating culturally competent school counseling programs. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.

30.

Grothaus

McAuliffe

, & Craigen

(2012). Infusing cultural competence and advocacy in strength-based counseling. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 51, 51–65.

31.

Grothaus

McAuliffe

G. J.

Danner

M. J. E.

, & Doyle

(2013). Equity, advocacy, and social justice. In McAuliffe

G. J.

(Ed.), Culturally alert counseling: A comprehensive introduction (2nd ed., pp. 45–73). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

32.

Guevara

J. P.

Mandell

D. S.

Rostain

A. L.

Zhao

, & Hadley

T. R.

(2003). National estimates of health service expenditures for children with behavioral disorders: An analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel survey. Pediatrics, 11 2, 440–446.

33.

Henggeler

S. W.

, & Sheidow

A. J.

(2012). Empirically supported family-based treatments for conduct disorder and delinquency in adolescents. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 38 (1), 30–58.

34.

Hodgins

Cree

Alderton

, & Mak

(2008). From conduct disorder to severe mental illness: Associations with aggressive behaviour, crime and victimization. Psychological Medicine, 38 975–987. doi:10.1017/S0033291707002164

35.

Huey

S. J.

Jr. , & Polo

A.J.

(2008). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for ethnic minority youth. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 37, 262–301. doi:10.1080/15374410701820174

36.

Huey

S. J.

Jr. , & Polo

A. J.

, (2010). Assessing the effects of evidence-based psychotherapies with ethnic minority youths. In Weisz

J. R.

& Kazdin

A. E.

(Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (2nd ed., pp. 451–465). New York, NY: Guilford.

37.

Jenkins

(2007). When a child struggles in school: Everything parents and educators should know about getting children the help they need. Charleston, SC: Advantage.

38.

Kaffenberger

C. J.

(2011). Helping students with mental and emotional disorders. In Erford

B. T.

(Ed.), Transforming the school counseling profession (3rd ed., pp. 342–370). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

39.

Kataoka

S. H.

Zhang

, & Wells

K. B.

(2002). Unmet need for mental health care among U.S. children: Variation by ethnicity and insurance status. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 1548–1555.

40.

Kazdin

A. E.

(2010). Problem-solving skills training and parent management training for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. In Weisz

J. R.

& Kazdin

A. E.

(Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (2nd ed., pp. 211–226). New York, NY: Guilford.

41.

Kessler

R. C.

Coccaro

E. F.

Fava

Jaeger

Jin

, & Walters

(2006). The prevalence and correlates of DSM-IV intermittent explosive disorder in the national comorbidity survey replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63, 669–678.

42.

Kessler

R. C.

Coccaro

E. F.

Fava

, & McLaughlin

K. A.

(2012). The phenomenology and epidemiology of Intermittent Explosive Disorder. In Grant

J. E.

& Potenza

M. N.

(Eds.), The Oxford handbook of impulse control disorders (pp. 149–164). New York: Oxford University Press.

43.

Lee

S. M.

Daniels

M. H.

Puig

Newgent

R. A.

, & Nam

S. K.

(2008). A data-based model to predict postsecondary educational attainment of low-socioeconomic status students. Professional School Counseling, 11, 306–316.

44.

Lochman

J. E.

Boxmeyer

C. L.

Powell

N. P.

Barry

T. D.

, & Pardini

D. A.

(2010). Anger control training for aggressive youth. In Weisz

J. R.

& Kazdin

A. E.

(Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (2nd ed., pp. 227–242). New York, NY: Guilford.

45.

Lopez-Villalobos

J. A.

Andres-De Llano

, Sanchez-Azon

I.M.

, Sanguino-Andres

, Alberola-Lopez

, (2012). Disruptive behavior disorders: Multidimensional analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 12, 405–417.

46.

Lumley

V. A.

McNeil

C. B.

Herschell

A. D.

, & Bahl

A. B.

(2002). An examination of gender differences among young children with disruptive behavior disorders. Child Study Journal, 32 (2), 89–99.

47.

Madaus

J. W.

, & Shaw

S. F.

(2008). The role of school professionals in implementing Section 504 for students with disabilities. Educational Policy, 22, 363–378.

48.

Mager

Milich

Harris

M. J.

, & Howard

(2005). Intervention groups for adolescents with conduct problems: Is aggregation harmful or helpful? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 349–362. doi:10.1007/s10802-005-3572-6

49.

Malgady

R. G.

(2010). Treating Hispanic children and adolescents using narrative therapy. In Weisz

J. R.

& Kazdin

A. E.

(Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (2nd ed., pp. 391–400). New York, NY: Guilford.

50.

McAuliffe

G. J.

Grothaus

Pare

, & Wininger

(2008). The practice of culturally alert counseling. In G. McAuliffe & Associates, Culturally alert counseling: A comprehensive introduction (pp. 570–631). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

51.

McCloskey

M. S.

Berman

M. E.

, & Noblett

(2012). Assessment and treatment of intermittent explosive disorder. In Grant

J. E.

& Potenza

M. N.

(Eds.), The Oxford handbook of impulse control disorders (pp. 344–352). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

52.

McCloskey

M. S.

Kleabir

Berman

M. E.

Chen

E. Y.

, & Coccaro

E. F.

(2010). Unhealthy aggression: The association between intermittent explosive disorder and negative health outcomes. Health Psychology, 29, 324–332.

53.

McCloskey

M. S.

Lee

Berman

M. E.

Noblett

K. L.

, & Coccaro

E. F.

(2008). The relationship between impulsive verbal aggression and intermittent explosive disorder. Aggressive Behavior, 34, 51–60.

54.

McMahon

(2007). Educational administrators’ conceptions of whiteness, anti-racism, and social justice. Journal of Educational Administration, 45, 684–696.

55.

Mellin

E. A.

(2009). Responding to the crisis in children's mental health: Potential roles for the counseling profession. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87, 501–506.

56.

Murray

, & Farrington

D. P.

(2010). Risk factors for conduct disorder and delinquency: Key findings from longitudinal studies. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 55, 633–642.

57.

Murphy

J. J.

(2008). Solution-focused counseling in schools (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

58.

Nock

M. K.

Kazdin

A. E.

Hiripi

, & Kessler

R. C.

(2007). Lifetime prevalence, correlates, and persistence of oppositional defiant disorder: Results from the national comorbidity survey replication. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48, 703–713.

59.

Nguyen

Huang

L. N.

Arganza

G. F.

, & Liao

(2007). The influence of race and ethnicity on psychiatric diagnoses and clinical characteristics of children and adolescents in children's services. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 13, 18–25. doi:10.1037/1099-9809.13.1.18

60.

Olvera

R. L.

(2002). Intermittent explosive disorder: Epidemiology, diagnosis and management. CNS Drugs, 16, 517–526.

61.

Ortega

A. N.

Canino

, & Alegria

(2008). Lifetime and 12-month intermittent explosive disorder in Latinos. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 78, 133–139.

62.

Paone

T. R.

, & Douma

K. B.

(2009). Child-centered play therapy with a seven-year-old boy diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder. International Journal of Play Therapy, 18, 31–44.

63.

Pardini

D. A.

Fite

P. J.

, & Burke

J. D.

(2008). Bidirectional associations between parenting practices and conduct problems in boys from childhood to adolescence: The moderating effect of age and African-American ethnicity. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 647–662. doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9162-z

64.

Powell

N. P.

Boxmeyer

C. L.

Baden

Stromeyer

Minney

J. A.

Mushtaq

, & Lochman

J. E.

(2011). Assessing and treating aggression and conduct problems in schools: Implications from the Coping Power program. Psychology in the Schools, 48, 233–242. doi:10.1002/pits.20549

65.

Reinke

W. M.

Splett

J. D.

Robeson

E. N.

, & Offutt

C. A.

(2009). Combining school and family interventions for the prevention and early intervention of disruptive behavior problems in children: A public health perspective. Psychology in the Schools, 46, 33–43.

66.

Reschly

D. J.

, & Bergstrom

M. K.

(2009). Response to intervention. In Gutkin

T. B.

& Reynolds

C. R.

(Eds.), The handbook of school psychology (4th ed., pp. 434–460). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.

67.

Rock

, & Leff

E. H.

(2011). The professional school counselor and students with disabilities. In Erford

B. T.

(Ed.), Transforming the school counseling profession (3rd ed., pp. 314–341). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

68.

Runyan

, & Grothaus

(2013). De-escalating extreme behaviors/emotions. In Byrd

& Erford

B. T.

(Eds.), Applying techniques to common encounters in school counseling: A case-based approach (pp. 309–314). Boston, MA: Pearson.

69.

Sakai

J. T.

Risk

N. K.

Tanaka

C. A.

, & Price

R. K.

(2008). Conduct disorder among Asians and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders in the USA. Psychological Medicine, 38, 1027–1036. doi:10.1017/S0033291707001316

70.

Sciarra

D. T.

, & Seirup

H. J.

(2008). The multidimensionality of school engagement and math achievement among racial groups. Professional School Counseling, 11, 218–228.

71.

Schutter

D. J. L. G.

van Bokhoven

, Vanderschuren

L. J. M. J.

, Lochman

J.E.

, & Matthys

(2011). Risky decision making in substance dependent adolescents with a disruptive behavior disorder. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 333–339.

72.

Singh

N. N.

Lancioni

G. E.

Joy

S. D. S.

Winton

A. S. W.

Sabaawi

Wahler

R. G.

, & Singh

(2007). Adolescents with conduct disorder can be mindful of their behavior. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 15, 56–63.

73.

Sue

D. W.

(2010). Microagressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

74.

Ungar

(2006). Strengths-based counseling with at-risk youth. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

75.

U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. (2005). Regulations enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (Section 504). Retrieved from www.ed.gov/policy/rights/reg/ocr/index.html

76.

Walley

Grothaus

, & Craigen

(2009). Confusion, crisis, and opportunity: Professional school counselors’ role in responding to student mental health issues. Journal of School Counseling, 7 (36). Retrieved from http://www.jsc.montana.edu/articles/v7n36.pdf

77.

Webster-Stratton

, & Reid

M. J.

(2010). The incredible years parents, teachers, and children training series: A multifaceted treatment approach for young children with conduct disorders. In Weisz

J. R.

& Kazdin

A. E.

(Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (2nd ed., pp. 194–210). New York, NY: Guilford.

78.

Winslade

J. M.

, & Monk

G. D.

(2007). Narrative counseling in schools: Powerful & brief (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

79.

Zisser

, & Eyberg

S. M.

(2010). Parent-child interaction therapy and the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders. In Weisz

J. R.

& Kazdin

A. E.

(Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (2nd ed., pp. 179–193). New York, NY: Guilford.