Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Children
Parenting a child is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences a person may encounter in his or her lifetime. Parents find themselves honing their parenting skills as their child grows, sometimes to the child’s detriment, because early childhood is a crucial period for mental, physical, and emotional development. Therefore, children who are substantially negatively impacted by their socio-familial environment may be at higher risk for developing Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) than children raised in a more nurturing environment. This presentation reviews research themes in parenting styles, emotion regulation, parent-child relationship quality, and gender differences. Specifically, one cause of ODD may be negative parenting styles that include inconsistent discipline and harsh punishment toward a child. In addition, children who are subjected to poor parenting styles may develop emotion regulation deficits. As a result, when a parent lacks communication skills and experience, it is common for their negative parent-child interactions to interfere with healthy development. This may then lead children to exhibit inappropriate behaviors, e.g., aggression or hostility. Gender differences may also be a factor in the development of ODD, with symptoms appearing more frequently in males than females. Future directions are addressed, including the need for further research on global child maltreatment measures and deeper examination of post-treatment levels of positive parent-child relationships.
PSY 499, Capstone
Mary Ann Winter-Messiers
P114
2:30 – 3:00