Oppositional Defiant Disorder

As reported in the Telegraph

Scientists in America have devised a new syndrome that 'explains' bad behaviour in under-10s - Oppositional Defiant Disorder Children who behave badly are no longer described as naughty but suffering from Oppositional Defiant Disorder - or ODD syndrome.

The condition, which was established by scientists in America, is said mainly to affect children under 10 and result in a number of disruptive symptoms including defiance, provocative conduct and disobedience. Literature on the subject says that sufferers "argue persistently with adults", "actively refuse to comply with adults' requests or rules" and "often deliberately annoy people". Other ODD children are said to "consistently blame others for their own misbehaviour". ODD is one of about 300 classified mental disorders - most identified in the US - that doctors and psychologists use to explain bad behaviour. Some of these "conduct disorders" are considered to be treatable with drugs such as Ritalin. [...]

Michele Elliott, the director of the child welfare charity Kidscape, said: "Other parents are getting fed up with sending their well-behaved children to school only for them to have their lessons disrupted by children who are not properly disciplined. "I do not believe that we should be excusing bad behaviour with medical terms. What we need is a situation where children face consequences for their actions and good parenting skills."

The Office for National Statistics study, published earlier this year, found that children from the poorest backgrounds were three times more likely to have conduct disorders than those whose parents were in professional occupations, and that children of lone parents were twice as likely to suffer from poor mental health as those living with couples.

Another disease, another potential market.