Introduction

In the history of clinical psychology and psychiatry, troublesome children have been referred to with a variety of labels. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and ICD systems of classification concur on the basic features and behaviours of this clinical syndrome, including behaviours considered to be oppositional by adults and conduct disordered by mental health professionals. The behaviours represented with these domains are quite heterogeneous and include: (a) noncompliance to adult requests; (b) verbal and physical aggressivity to siblings, peers, and adults; (c) behaviours such as lying, stealing and destruction of property.

From a syndrome perspective, the heterogeneity in the behavioural and social profile of troublesome children presents a theoretical dilemma. Theorists of the past have provided some organization to children's clinical presentation by posing subtypes of troublesome behaviour. For example, a distinction has been made between socialized and unsocialized conduct problems (Quay, 1964), or covert and overt behaviour (Loeber, 1988), or of late, proactive and reactive aggression (Dodge & Coie, 1987; Poulin & Boivin, 2000).

As we shall see, the distinctions are important to explore for model building and for understanding the functional mechanisms underlying various forms of conduct problems in children and adolescents (Dishion & Patterson, 1997). From a reinforcement perspective, however, we often use the term ‘antisocial behaviour’ to describe the wide array of behaviours falling within the ICD and DSM classification systems. Antisocial behaviour is defined simply as behaviour experienced as aversive by other social interactants (see also Patterson et al., 1992).