4 Troubled Teens Blog

When Assistant District Attorney H.C. Bright started working in Hamilton County, Tennessee, he was shocked at the number of juvenile arson cases. While it was rare in adult cases, it was almost "normal" in juvenile ones.

"Children younger than 18 set more than 17,000 of the 32,500 intentional fires in 2007, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Juvenile arson and accidental fires result in more than 300 deaths and 2,000 injuries annually ...
(Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press)

While some kids start playing with fire out of mere curiosity, others do it as a way of acting out (which may indicate the presence of a conduct disorder or other mental health issue). Regardless of their motivation, few young people who start fires seem to be aware of the potential damage that their actions can cause to people and property.

Labels: behavioral_issues, conduct disorder

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Two new research studies have found biological links to both antisocial behavior and schizophrenia.

The first study was from the University of Cambridge in Great Britain. Professor Ian Goodyer, and his colleagues used brain scanning techniques to discover differences between the brains of normal children and those who have conduct disorders.

• Dr. Goodyer had the children look at faces with angry, sad or neutral expressions.
• Normal children showed activity in the area of the brain responsible for processing emotions.
• However, children with conduct disorder showed less activity. In fact, the more aggression and antisocial behavior they were known to exhibit, the greater their level of brain abnormality.
• The study appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

The second study, this time from the University of Nottingham, found differences in the type of brain waves among people who have brothers or sisters with schizophrenia.

• The researchers used electroencephalography or EEGs from 30 teenagers who had siblings with schizophrenia and compared them with 36 teenagers who did not.
• The differences that show up in the EEG are also related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
   

Labels: conduct disorder

Posted By: Troubled Teens 1 Comment