background So far there have been relatively few studies of conduct disorder in girls. It is very important that professionals engaged in preventing and treating this disorder have a sound knowledge of the risk factors involved and of the developmental course of the disorder.
aim To provide an overview of what is known about the risk factors and about the way in which conduct disorder develops in girls.
method We searched the Eric, PubMed and Medline databases for articles on conduct disorder in girls. We reviewed 41 studies and we summarised the results.
results Several risk factors contribute to the development of conduct disorder in girls. Just like boys, girls too can display the life-course-persistent pathway of antisocial behavior. Such girls are often associated with serious risk factors. Those with serious forms of antisocial behaviour have an increased risk of experiencing adjustment problems in later life.
conclusion Future research in this area will have to concentrate on the creation of adequate prevention and treatment programs.