Conduct Disorder is a serious behavioral and emotional disorder that is common in children and teens. A child with this disorder normally demonstrates streaks of violent behavior and has a hard time being disciplined. The symptoms vary from aggressive behavior, destructive behavior, deceitful behavior, and violation of rules. Once a child shows signs of conduct disorder he or she is taken to a doctor to be diagnosed, but each individual shows different symptoms of the disorder. Most children with the disorder come across as very innocent when in reality they are doing horrible, inhumane things. This is the case for young Henry Evans in the movie The Good Son. He not only has aggression towards people and animals but also destructs property while lying, stealing and being deceitful.
DSM Multi-Axial Model
Subject: Henry Evans
Axis I: Clinical Disorders & Childhood Mental Illnesses
N/A
Axis II: Personality Disorders & Mental Retardation
Conduct Disorder
Axis III: General Medical Concerns
Smoking
Axis IV: Environmental Influences
Permissive parents
Jealousy
Mark
Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF Scale – Rating of 1-100)
N/A
The Good Son: Diagnosing Henry
Conduct disorder is sometimes overlooked by parents of the child because it is so natural for the child to act blameless around his or her parents and display destructive behavior behind their backs. In the movie The Good Son this is the case for Henry. He come across as the perfect son to his parents, but his cousin, Mark, sees the real him while they are out all day playing around town. When Mark tries to explain to his aunt and uncle that Henry is doing horrible things they ignore the thoughts and do not believe him.
Aggression to People and Animals
Siblings/Cousin
Henry bullies his cousin Mark by forcing him to do things he does not always think are right. This is even demonstrated the first night Mark was at Henrys house, by repeatedly kicking him