Assignment One Ecology of a LanguageDialectAnthropology 7Spring,.docx

Assignment One: Ecology of a Language/DialectAnthropology
7/Spring, 2020
Your assignment is to research and report on the ecology of a
language. Important dates for this assignment are:
Choice of language/dialect approved by February 7th, in class.
Student will give a brief oral statement on the language they
chose, and why they made that choice.
Rough Draft: Each student is to write a rough draft, to be
exchanged with another student in class. The draft must be
evaluated in terms of clarity, and meeting the grading criteria
listed below. Final paper must include the name of the
classmate who evaluated the rough draft.
Rough drafts should be submitted to classmate by February
21st, and final paper is due in class (only hard copy will be
accepted) on March 27th. This paper must be at least 3 pages in
length, standard fonts and 1 inch margins.
Topic Choice.You will choose to write on a particular
language/dialect. Your choice must not be one of the more
wide-spread “languages” such as Spanish, French, Russian,
Latin, Greek, Chinese, etc. Instead, you must narrow your
focus to a specific dialect or variety of one of these or some
other language; or you may choose a lesser-known non-
European language. For example, rather than “Spanish,” you
might choose Cuban Spanish, or Andean Spanish. Instead of
“French,” you might look at Quebec French, or West African
French. You are also welcome to choose a dialect of English.
This might be a regional dialect, such as New England,
Southwestern, or Appalachian; or it might be a social dialect,
such as Cajun, or Boston Brahmin.

You may, if you wish, report on a creole language. Some
examples include: Sea Island Creole (“Gullah”); the West
Indian Creole languages (Jamaican, Haitian, Belizean,
Trinidadian, Papiamentu, etc.); South American creoles (Sranan
Tongo, Saramakan, Ndjuka, etc.); Tok Pisin (Papua New
Guinea); Krio (Sierra Leon); Kamtak (Cameroon); etc. It should
be noted that African American (Ebonics), may be analyzed as
either a dialect of American English, or as a creole language; if
you choose this language variety, you must explain how you
classify it, and why. You may chose an endangered language,
or a language in a “post-vernacular phase. NO DEAD
LANGUAGES ACCEPTED!
Questions you will address.A successful paper will address
questions relevant to the language variety under investigation
and, where possible, suggest answers for the questions
presented. Some questions that may be relevant are given
below. Depending on the variety you choose, you may find that
one or more of these questions are not relevant, and you may
encounter other questions as you research your language
variety. Addressing these questions should be the main focus of
your paper. DO NOT come to me and complain that you can’t
find this information about the language your chose. Either you
aren’t looking hard enough, or you need to choose a different
language. Here are the basic questions you should answer
(Adapted from The Linguistic Reporter, Winter 1971, page 25):
· What is the name of the language variety (what do its speakers
call it; what do non-speakers call it; what do linguists call it)?
· Who are its users, and how are they grouped by nation,
geographical location, class, religion, or any other relevant
grouping?
· What larger “language” does it belong to? What are the main
closely related dialects?
· What other dialects are employed by its users?
· Is this dialect written? If so, how and in what contexts?

· Is its use restricted or limited in certain ways, for example
religion or ritual, written literature, legal proceedings, folk
tales, and so on?
· What issues of power and authority are relevant to this
dialect?
· Is the dialect endangered? If so, what factors might be
involved? If not, what might be contributing to its vitality?
Criteria by which the paper will be evaluated by classmate and
graded by instructor:
Citations: All references must be from valid, scholarly sources,
and properly cited. All listed references must be cited in the
text. Internet sources should be scholarly works made available
on the Internet, or print sources such as journal articles
accessed through the Internet. HINT: If there is no author’s
name, it probably isn’t a scholarly source; DON’T CITE IT!
Travel and tourist guides, brochures, commercial websites, and
other non-scholarly sources will not be accepted as primary
sources. You must site at least six separate sources, three of
which must be print sources (WE HAVE A LIBRARY!) Two of
your sources (or more) must be ethnographic/anthropological
rather than specifically linguistic works that may contribute to
your understanding of the cultural context of the speakers of the
language. If you tell me you can’t find any sources, I will tell
you to either look harder, or change your language choice. DO
NOT use Wikipedia as a primary source, and be judicious in
your use of any Internet source. Do not repeat nonsense about a
language, such as statements that it “has a vocabulary of only
300 words”, or is “the most beautiful language in the world”, or
“it is the most difficult language to learn”, etc. If in doubt,
consult with me. Suggested format: state the questions (above)
as subheadings, and then deal with them. If you only look for
sources on the language itself, and ignore ethnographic writings
by cultural anthropologists or sociologists, you are missing the
point of this class – if you don’t write about the culture, but
only the language, you are missing the point.

You are expected to strictly adhere to Chicago Manual of Style
guidelines for margins and for IN-TEXT Author-Date citations
and CITATION page. The Manual has various alternatives
which are used by different publications. But for most
anthropology journals AND for this class – ONLY ONE form
will acceptable. No citations shall be cited as foot-or endnotes
with a bibliography page. Only a Reference List – a separate
page (which does not count as one of the three pages for the
paper) and in-text citations will be accepted. The Reference
List MUST be in alphabetical order, and must adhere to Chicago
Style. If any reference is pasted in from the Internet, or in a
different font from the rest, or if there is any violation of the
required style, you will lose all points for Formatting, listed
below.
Almost everything you need to know to follow this style is at
this Webpage (and you can explore the rest of the manual at this
site if you need more information):
https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citati
on-guide-2.html
Organization. Make sure to organize your paper into sections
(and subsections) in a way that is easy to understand. In
addition, give an introduction at the beginning of the paper, and
have a conclusion at the end. The introduction should clearly
state your research. WARNING: If I don’t know what you are
writing about by the time I finish the first paragraph, I will not
read the rest of your paper, and you will receive no credit. If the
first page of a three page paper is unnecessary padding, it is
really a two-page paper, and it will receive a “D.”
The body of your paper should address the questions, above.
Trust me, this will give you plenty to write about.

You can also comment briefly on the similarities and
differences of the language you are examining and your first
language. In the main body of the paper, describe your findings,
illustrating with examples, where appropriate. You may also
want to devote a more in-depth comparison of the language you
looked at and Standard English. In the conclusion, summarize
your main points. You may also want to point out areas where
you feel that further research is needed.
Take these questions seriously! A paper that ignores them will
lose at least 5 points. The best papers will not only address
these questions, but be organized around them, with each
section covering one of these questions. If a question doesn’t
apply to the language you have chosen, explain why. If you
find other questions/topics that are relevant to the language,
feel free to add them.
References: All references must be from valid, scholarly
sources, and properly cited. All listed references must be cited
in the text. Internet sources should be scholarly work made
available on the Internet, or print sources such as journal
articles accessed through the Internet. HINT: If there is no
author’s name, it probably isn’t a scholarly source; DON’T
CITE IT! Travel and tourist guides, brochures, commercial
websites, and other non-scholarly sources will not be accepted.
You must site at least six separate sources, three of which must
be print sources (WE HAVE A LIBRARY!) If you tell me you
can’t find any sources, I will tell you to either look harder, or
change your language. DO NOT use Wikipedia as a primary
source, and be judicious in your use of any Internet source. Do
not repeat nonsense about a language, such as statements that it
“has a vocabulary of only 300 words”, or is “the most beautiful
language in the world”, or “it is the most difficult language to
learn”, etc. If in doubt, consult with me. Suggested format: state
the questions (above) as subheadings, and then deal with them.
If you only look for sources on the language itself, and ignore

ethnographic writings by cultural anthropologists or
sociologists, you are missing the point of this class – if you
don’t write about the culture, but only the language, you are
missing the point.
Transcription system. The transcription system you use depends
what you’ve decided to discuss in your paper. If you are talking
about phonology, you will want to use IPA transcription. If you
are talking about syntax, you can probably simply use the
writing system of the language if it uses the Latin alphabet (but
make sure you mention if there are any important discrepancies
between writing and pronunciation); or if it uses a non-Latin
alphabet you may choose to transcribe it using IPA or simple
Latin letters. As an example, if your language of choice were
Russian (not allowed for this project, you would have to use a
dialect of Russian; or perhaps a study of мат words as used by a
“gopnik” sub-culture), the sentence ‘I love you’ would be
written in Cyrillic as Я тебя люблю. Since most Americans
cannot read Cyrillic script you should not use it in your paper.
You may want to transcribe the sentence using IPA (especially
if discussing phonology/phonetics), but it will also be
acceptable to transliterate it into Latin characters:
Я тебя люблю.[Russian]
ja tjIbjja ljublju [IPA]
ya tyebya lyublyu [Latin Characters]
The key point here is to always make sure you give enough
information. If you’re talking about morphology and different
allomorphs are used in different phonological environments,
you need to make sure this is clear in your transcription – and it
may not be clear in the actual writing system of the language.
When in doubt, use IPA.
Examples. When discussing data from a language other than
English, give a translation of the sentence. In addition, provide

glosses for the individual words in the sentence – the gloss can
differ substantially from the translation. For example:
ya tyebya lyublyu
I-nominative you-accusative love-1sg
“I love you”
“I adore you”
Presentation:You may be an intelligent and perceptive person,
but in the context of your paper, I don’t care what your
“unschooled” opinions might be. Your conclusions must be
scholarly opinions: they must follow from the facts you present,
placed in the context of theory or other scholarly work on
language and culture.
Be clear and to the point. Don’t try to sound “fancy.” Do not
write a long and convoluted or “cute” or “clever” introduction.
If I don’t know what language and/or dialect is the subject of
your paper by the first three sentences, I will hand it back
unread.
You are expected to write in a scholarly manner. Do not start a
sentence with, “Well, . . ” If I come upon a phrase such as “in
nowaday’s culture”, which is both grammatically and
intellectually wrong at so many levels, you will lose points. If
you present grand generalizations or pure hyperbole, such as
“since the dawn of time”, “people have always”, “throughout
history”, etc., you will lose points. If you use an apostrophe in
standard plurals, or don’t use one in standard possessives, you
will lose points.
Don’t use a word if you don’t know what it means. If it doesn’t
make sense, you will lose a point. Throw away your hardcopy
thesaurus, or delete your thesaurus software. If those words
really all meant exactly the same thing, we wouldn’t have all
those words.

Do not refer to authors by their first names. They are not your
friends; you have no personal relationship with them. It will
cost you points. Refer to authors by their last names and do not
use titles such as “Dr.” or “Prof.”
Do not use the word “lifestyle” when you mean “way of life.”
Individuals have a “lifestyle,” societies have a “way of life.”
If the first sentence is awkward, or ungrammatical, or simply
does not make sense, I WILL NOT read the rest of the paper,
and will hand it back.Grading:
Choice of dialect/variety cleared with instructor: 2
points
(Inappropriate choice may be returned without grade)
Formatting (including adhering to Chicago Style): 2
points
Substance (organization, treatment of questions, etc.): Up to
10 points
Grammar and usage: Up to 4
points
Wow factor (did I learn something unexpected?): 2
Points
Total: 20 Points
Disruptive, Impulse-Control,
and Conduct Disorders
Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders include
conditions involving
problems in the self-control of emotions and behaviors. While
other disorders in DSM-
5 may also involve problems in emotional and/or behavioral

regulation, the disorders in
this chapter are unique in that these problems are manifested in
behaviors that violate the
rights of others (e.g., aggression, destruction of property)
and/or that bring the individual
into significant conflict with societal norms or authority
figures. The underlying causes of
the problems in the self-control of emotions and behaviors can
vary greatly across the disorders
in this chapter and among individuals within a given diagnostic
category.
The chapter includes oppositional defiant disorder, intermittent
explosive disorder, conduct
disorder, antisocial personality disorder (which is described in
the chapter “Personality
Disorders”), pyromania, kleptomania, and other specified and
unspecified disruptive, impulse-
control, and conduct disorders. Although all the disorders in the
chapter involve
problems in both emotional and behavioral regulation, the
source of variation among the
disorders is the relative emphasis on problems in the two types
of self-control. For example,
the criteria for conduct disorder focus largely on poorly
controlled behaviors that violate the
rights of others or that violate major societal norms. Many of
the behavioral symptoms (e.g.,
aggression) can be a result of poorly controlled emotions such
as anger. At the other extreme,
the criteria for intermittent explosive disorder focus largely on
such poorly controlled emotion,
outbursts of anger that are disproportionate to the interpersonal
or other provocation
or to other psychosocial stressors. Intermediate in impact to
these two disorders is oppositional
defiant disorder, in which the criteria are more evenly

distributed between emotions
(anger and irritation) and behaviors (argumentativeness and
defiance). Pyromania and
kleptomania are less commonly used diagnoses characterized by
poor impulse control related
to specific behaviors (fire setting or stealing) that relieve
internal tension. Other specified
disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorder is a category
for conditions in which
there are symptoms of conduct disorder, oppositional defiant
disorder, or other disruptive,
impulse-control, and conduct disorders, but the number of
symptoms does not meet the diagnostic
threshold for any of the disorders in this chapter, even though
there is evidence of
clinically significant impairment associated with the symptoms.
The disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders all tend
to be more common in
males than in females, although the relative degree of male
predominance may differ both
across disorders and within a disorder at different ages. The
disorders in this chapter tend to
have first onset in childhood or adolescence. In fact, it is very
rare for either conduct disorder or
oppositional defiant disorder to first emerge in adulthood. There
is a developmental relationship
between oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, in
that most cases of conduct
disorder previously would have met criteria for oppositional
defiant disorder, at least in
those cases in which conduct disorder emerges prior to
adolescence. However, most children
with oppositional defiant disorder do not eventually develop
conduct disorder. Furthermore,
children with oppositional defiant disorder are at risk for
eventually developing other problems

besides conduct disorder, including anxiety and depressive
disorders.
Many of the symptoms that define the disruptive, impulse-
control, and conduct disorders
are behaviors that can occur to some degree in typically
developing individuals.
Thus, it is critical that the frequency, persistence, pervasiveness
across situations, and impairment associated with the behaviors
indicative of the diagnosis be considered relative
to what is normative for a person’s age, gender, and culture
when determining if they are
symptomatic of a disorder.
The disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders have
been linked to a common
externalizing spectrum associated with the personality
dimensions labeled as disinhibition
and (inversely) constraint and, to a lesser extent, negative
emotionality. These shared personality
dimensions could account for the high level of comorbidity
among these disorders
and their frequent comorbidity with substance use disorders and
antisocial personality
disorder. However, the specific nature of the shared diathesis
that constitutes the externalizing
spectrum remains unknown.
15 Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders
This chapter contains an amalgam of disruptive, impulse-control
and conduct disorders (CDs) characterized by externalizing
behaviors previously spread throughout many chapters of earlier
DSM editions. However, these disorders are no longer
categorized by age (e.g., disorders of infancy, childhood, and
adolescence), and all share the loss of restraint (i.e., poor
control) in terms of an individual's emotional or behavioral
responses that are demarcated by an infringement on the rights
of others or breach of social norms. Attention should be paid to

the symptom overlap that these diverse disorders share with
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (which can be
found in Chapter 2 on Neurodevelopmental Disorders);
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) (which can
be found in Chapter 5 on Depressive Disorders); Substance Use
Disorders (SUDs) (the adjoining Chapter 16), as well as
Antisocial Personality Disorder (which has a dual recording in
both this chapter and in Chapter 18 on Personality Disorders)
(APA, 2013).
First on the hierarchical spectrum of externalizing disorders
in this chapter is Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). An
individual with must display at least four out of eight
symptoms/behaviors with an individual who is not a sibling for
at least 6 months from the following three categories: (1)
angry/irritable mood; (2) argumentative/defiant behavior; and
(3) vindictiveness. For example, argumentative/defiant behavior
symptoms include: being argumentative; demonstrating a lack
of compliance with authority figures' requests; annoying others
deliberately; and blaming others for his or her mistakes. The
anger/irritability category symptoms include loss of temper;
getting easily upset and/or annoyed, and anger/resentment. The
final category has only one symptom vindictiveness or
spitefulness demonstrated at least two times within the previous
6 months (APA, 2013).
Many symptoms of this diagnosis are commonly displayed
during normal childhood/adolescent developmental stages.
Therefore, in an effort to help differentiate the symptoms that
are characteristic of this diagnosis, practitioners are cautioned
to consider the persistence and frequency of behaviors. For
example, in young children under the age of 5, the symptoms
must occur for the majority of days for at least 6 months. For
older individuals, the symptoms must occur at least once weekly
within a 6-month period. However, for vindictiveness regardless
of age, the criterion is the same, twice within the previous 6-
month period. Along with frequency, other factors must be
taken into consideration, such as symptom intensity, and

whether symptoms are normal given the individual's age,
developmental stage, gender, and culture. In addition, the
symptoms must cause significant suffering in the individual or
in his/her immediate relationships (e.g., family, friends, peers)
as well as impairment in psychosocial functioning. Further, the
symptoms cannot manifest only during the development of
another mental disorder, and diagnostic criteria for DMDD are
not satisfied. Also, severity must be identified and is tied to the
number of settings that symptoms present at, with mild equal to
symptoms present at only one setting (e.g., home) to severe with
symptoms present at 3 or more settings (e.g., home, school,
peers). For further details refer to the DSM-5 (APA, 2013).
The next disorder in this spectrum is Intermittent Explosive
Disorder. The key criteria are a minimum age of at least 6 years
(or developmental equivalent) and recurrent episodes of failing
to resist aggressive impulses that manifest as either verbal
and/or physical aggression, twice weekly for a 3-month period
(that do not result in actual assault and/or property destruction);
or three physically aggressive behavioral outburst that are
destructive and injurious to either an animal/individual over the
course of a year. Other criteria stipulate that these destructive
outbursts are impulsive (not intentional) and the degree of
aggressiveness involved is judged to exceed a reasonable
response to the specific provocation. The symptoms must cause
significant suffering, and/or negative consequences (i.e., legal
fees), and/or psychosocial impairment. The final criterion is
ruling out a wide range of other medical and mental disorders
that could include such outbursts. Moreover, this diagnosis can
be made in addition to ADHD, conduct disorder, ODD, and
autism spectrum disorder when symptoms are severe enough to
merit additional clinical focus (APA, 2013).
Conduct Disorders involve behaviors and activities that
violate developmentally appropriate social norms often of an
illegal/criminal nature. This diagnosis requires that the
individual has engaged in three or more symptomatic behaviors
or activities over a 12-month period, with at least one

characteristic behavior presenting in the previous 6-month
period. These behaviors are classified into four broad
categories: (1) aggression to people or animals; (2) destruction
of property; (3) deceitfulness or theft; and (4) serious violations
of rules. These behaviors are chronic, repetitive, and form a
pattern that significantly impairs social, academic, or
occupational functioning and is primarily diagnosed in
childhood (APA, 2013).
If one or more symptoms are displayed before the age of 10,
the child is diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, Childhood-Onset
Type. If there is no evidence of these behaviors before the age
of 10 and the pattern of behaviors is diagnosed after the age of
10, then the child would be diagnosed as having Conduct
Disorder, Adolescent-Onset Type. If diagnostic criteria are met,
but information is unavailable to help determine the age at
which symptoms first developed, then Conduct Disorder
Unspecified Onset is appropriate. Individuals with childhood
onset are more likely to have coexisting ADHD, poorer peer
relationships, demonstrate more aggression, and develop a more
chronic pattern of this disorder into adulthood (APA, 2013).
Research has lead to the creation of the limited prosocial
emotions specifier in order to help distinguish individuals who
may need more clinical attention. This specifier is used when an
individual who meets the diagnostic criteria for conduct
disorder also displays two or more behaviors characteristic of
the following categories (1) lack of remorse or guilt and (2)
callous—lack of empathy. However, practitioners are cautioned
to use great care when employing this specifier due to the
serious implications that may accompany it. For further details
on the very specific criteria (i.e., multiple information sources
from multiple settings) clinicians should consult the DSM-5.
Additional terms indicate the level of severity of the disorder:
Mild, Moderate, or Severe. The practitioner considers the
number of conduct problems and the degree of harm to others in
assessing these levels of severity (APA, 2013).
The next two externalizing disorders' criteria are related to

building and relieving tensions by the conclusion of the
involved impulsive behavior. In Pyromania, the client is
involved in premeditated fire setting for more than one
occasion, and demonstrates a general fascination with fire.
Again, the fire setting is not motivated by receiving material
gain, expressing some ideological viewpoint, or concealing
other criminal activity. It is not in response to anger/vengeance
or to a delusion, or the result of diminished judgment. Also,
various other mental disorders should be ruled out including
conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and bipolar
disorder (APA, 2013).
Quite similarly, the diagnosis of Kleptomania involves cycles
of growing internal discomfort and a sense of relief when
performing the theft as part of the diagnostic criteria. This
disorder's key feature is the continuous inability to resist the
urge to steal. Further, the objects stolen are not needed for
personal or monetary use or to express anger or revenge toward
their owner and cannot be in response to a delusion. Again,
several other mental disorders should be ruled out before
making this diagnosis such as those mentioned above in
pyromania (APA, 2013).
The final two disorders in this section Other Specified
Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorder and
Unspecified Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorder
are similar in that they are used when the symptoms
characteristic of the disorders in this chapter cause significant
distress and impairment but are not able to meet diagnostic
criteria. In the first, the clinician chooses to specify why
criteria were not met, and in the later, the clinician lacks
enough information to make this determination.
Assessment Instruments
The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla,
2000, 2001) is one of the most widely used, paper-based,
screening measure of a broad range of behavioral and emotional
problems in children. This questionnaire can be self-
administered or given by interview and is available in multiple

versions and varies by respondent (i.e., parent, teacher, self),
age assessed (e.g., preschool: 1.5 to 5 years, school age: 6 to 18
years) and total items (e.g., range from 100 to 120). Answers to
the CBCL questionnaire can be grouped to produce 7 syndrome
scales, an internalizing scale, an externalizing scale, and total
problem scale as well as 5 DSM-oriented scales (including ODD
and conduct disorder). The CBCL has demonstrated strong
psychometric properties including validity and reliability
(Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000, 2001; Hudziak, Copeland,
Stranger, & Wadsworth, 2004). Although very well respected,
some of the disadvantages to this instrument include the cost
associated with training/interpretation and scoring. Further
information can be obtained in Chapter 2 on
Neurodevelopmental Disorders or on the author's website—The
Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA)
at www.aseba.org.
The Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale
(CAFAS; Hodges, 1997) is a multidimensional rating scale
designed to measure emotional, behavioral, and psychological
problems in children (aged 7 to 17). A preschool version
(PECFAS) for younger children is also available. This clinician-
administered scale rates functional impairment over a given
time period across 5 to 8 domains depending on the version
employed. The child subscales include: school/work,
community, home (which are combined into role performance
for the 5-scale version), moods/emotions, moods/self-harm
(which are combined to form the mood/emotions for the 5-scale
version), behavior toward others, thinking, and substance use.
In addition, two scales assess caregiver functioning including
material needs and family/social support but are not included in
the child scores (Bates, 2001).
For the child subscales, each item is given a functional
impairment score based on a behavioral descriptor and rated on
a 4-point scale from “0” to “30” (by increments of ten), with
“0” = minimal or no impairment to “30” = severe
disruption/impairment. Scale scores can be used independently

or summed to produce a child total score. Total scores can range
from 0 to 150 for the 5-point scale or 240 for the 8-point scale.
Higher scores indicate greater impairment. Although it can take
only 10 minutes to administer, specialized training is required.
The practitioner can customize to assess which behaviors to
measure that best meet their need (i.e., frequent display of anger
toward others, angry outbursts).
Over 25 years of published research exist on this scale and
demonstrates good psychometrics including reliability and
validity. Hodges and Wong (1996) reported good inter-rater
reliability with Pearson correlations of .74 to .99 for 4 child
subscale domains (role performance, behavior, moods/emotions
and substance use) and total score correlations from .92 to .96
as well as satisfactory internal consistency (.63 to .78).
However, Bates (2001) contends that the alpha values were too
low to construe good internal consistency. Predictive validity in
terms of service utilization and costs has also been reported in
numerous studies (Hodges, Wong, & Latessa, 1998). Total score
was also found to be predictive of future contacts with the law
and school attendance in a study set using national evaluation of
the demonstration service grants (Hodges & Kim, 2000).
The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI, Eyberg &
Robinson, 1983) is a frequently utilized and validated measure
of disruptive behaviors in children that was developed in the
late 1970s and published by Psychological Assessment
Resources in 1999. This brief, 36-item, parent-rated scale is
designed to measure the frequency and severity of behaviors
associated with conduct, aggression, and attention problems in
children and adolescents from ages 2 through 17. The ECBI can
also rate how troublesome this behavior is for the
parent/guardian. Moreover, this scale can differentiate children
with conduct problems from those without as well as measure
change in behaviors due to treatment (Corcoran & Fischer,
2013).
Each item is rated by whether it is a problem for the
parent/caregiver dichotomously (problem scale) and by intensity

of behavior (intensity scale) on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = never
to 7 = always). Higher scores indicate greater disruptive
behaviors and the need for treatment. Scoring for the problem
scale is accomplished by summing the number of items marked
“yes” (total score range from 0 to 36) with the suggested
clinical cutoff score of 11. Scoring for the intensity scale (total
score range from 36 to 252) is the total frequency of behaviors
with the suggested clinical cutoff score of 127.
Numerous studies have validated this instrument with
excellent internal consistency (alpha = .91 for the problem
scale; .93 for intensity scale) and good concurrent validity,
discerning children with conduct disorders from
nonsymptomatic children (Corcoran & Fischer, 2013). Good
test–retest reliability has been reported for the problem and
intensity scales across a 3-week period (.88 and .86
respectively) by Robinson, Eyberg, and Ross (1980), and across
a 10-month period (.75 and .75) by Funderburk, Eyberg, Rich,
and Behar (2003). A factor analysis by Burns and Patterson
(2000) identified three clinically significant dimensions for
possible subscales: oppositional defiant, conduct problem, and
inattentive behaviors and provided screening cutoff scores.
However, others suggest that the full ECBI scale may be more
useful than screening dimensions/components (Weis, Lovejoy,
& Lundahl, 2005).
Emergency Considerations
It is easy to infer how aggressive behavior, fire setting, and
poor impulse- and self-control, the key characteristics of many
disorders in this chapter, can pose possible threats to the
individual and society at large. Moreover, when conduct
disorder coexists with ADHD, ODD, and substance use
disorders it can result in worse outcomes (APA, 2013).
Furthermore, research shows that individuals with conduct
disorder have higher rates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts,
and completed suicide (APA, 2013).
Cultural Issues
How symptoms of aggression and self-control are viewed within

a culture can affect the diagnosis and prevalence of disruptive
behaviors and impulse-control disorders (Canino, Polanczyk,
Bauermeister, Rohde, & Frick, 2010). In addition, it is
important for all practitioners to be mindful of the cultural
suitability and of possible bias of an assessment instrument.
Research has shown that diagnostic bias may contribute to the
overdiagnosis in youth of color of conduct disorder. Further,
this misdiagnosis can lead to poorer outcomes for youth of color
in contrast to their white peers in both the mental health and
juvenile justice systems (Mizock & Harkins, 2011). The
disproportionate representation of minority youth in the juvenile
justice system may be the effect of inconsistent treatment within
the juvenile justice system or from dynamics within their social
environment (e.g., poverty, school failures, and mental health
problems) (NAMI, 2007).
The lower socioeconomic status of many ethnic and racial
minority children has been shown to negatively impact mental
health outcomes resulting in a wide range of difficulties
including behavioral problems. Additionally, many of these
children face violence and trauma in their homes and
communities, which is associated with higher rates of mental
illness and externalizing behaviors (McFarlane, Groff, O'Brien,
& Watson, 2003; Moylan, Herrenkohl, Sousa, Tajima, et. al.,
2010). Links have been made between child welfare and
the juvenile justice systems worldwide. For example, a 2004
survey by the National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom established that
almost 40% of children in the child welfare and child protective
systems had a conduct disorder (NICE, 2013). In the United
States, a National Institute of Justice study showed that children
exposed to child abuse and neglect had an increased probability
for juvenile arrest by 27%, adult arrest by 42%, and for violent
crime by 18% (Widom & Maxfield, 2001).
Furthermore, the burden of persistent racism and
discrimination increase the risk for the development of a mental
disorder (Alegria, Vallas, & Pumariega, 2010). Data from the

2007 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH)
demonstrated that higher prevalence rates of CD and ODD were
linked to lower household educational levels and lower
household income (Perou, Bitsko, Blumberg, et al.,
2013). Moffitt, Arseneault, Belsky, Dickson, et al.
(2011) reported that a child's self-control could predict
outcomes in terms of health (i.e., substance use/abuse), low
economic status, and criminality by adulthood. Fergusson,
Boden, and Horwood (2013) built upon this research by showing
that childhood self-control from ages 6 to 12 years was linked
to adult outcomes, and correlated with childhood conduct
problems, SES, IQ, and gender. These studies expanded upon
the findings of Lahey, Loeber, Burke and Applegate
(2005) showing that an earlier diagnosis of conduct disorder in
childhood (but not ADHD) among mental health outpatients
from lower SES families, could predict the later development of
antisocial personality. Similar findings were also reported in a
longitudinal study of male youths with a history of ADHD,
whereby ODD predicted the later development of CD and
antisocial personality disorder, with greater risk for those with
CD; but CD alone predicted the later development of
psychoactive substance use disorders, smoking, and bipolar
disorder (Biederman, Petty, Dolan et al., 2008).
Gender and developmental differences have been reported for
conduct and disruptive and impulse-control behaviors. Males
are more often diagnosed with childhood-onset CD and
pyromania (APA, 2013) with antisocial behavior predicting
future crime (Odgers, Moffitt, Broadbent, et al., 2008).
Although females are diagnosed less frequently with CD, its
prevalence over the past 20 years has risen substantially
(Fairchild, Hagan, Walsh, et al., 2013). Some debate the
validity of current CD diagnostic criteria citing gender bias
(i.e., emphasis of overt versus covert behaviors) and criterion
bias as most studies used to validate criteria were primarily
made up of males (Klem, Klem, Parrish, & Brown, 2007).
Females diagnosed with CD are at a greater risk of teenage

pregnancy (Odgers et al., 2008), have higher mortality rates,
and a significant increase in criminal behavior in comparison to
their normative peers (Pajer, 1998). Furthermore, when girls
with antisocial/delinquency behaviors are compared to boys
with antisocial/delinquency behaviors they report higher rates
of child abuse (92% versus 10% to 47%) as well as sex-related
differences in coping with the abuse. Female offenders in
comparison to their male co-offenders report more comorbid
mental disorders, but they are less likely to access or complete
treatment (Future of Children, 2008). Developmental
differences (as evident in onset subtypes) show that children
with conduct disorder early-onset (versus adolescent type) are
more likely to exhibit aggressive symptoms and continue into
adulthood to develop antisocial personality disorder (APA,
2013).
Social Supports
The economic and social costs of mental illness are great.
Estimates of this cost come from the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, which found that over $57 billion was
spent on mental health services in 2006, and this number
excluded the indirect costs associated with loss of income due
to chronic disability and social services that often start in early
childhood (Insel, 2011). The National Comorbidity Survey-
Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A) revealed that a little less than
one in every five children in the United States meet the
diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder with severe impairment
during their lifetime (Merikangas, Jian-ping, Burstein,
Swanson, et al., 2010). The prevalence range for CD is from 2%
to 10% (APA, 2013) with one study estimating the direct cost of
care to be $14000/child with CD versus $2300/child without
such a diagnosis (Merikangas, Nakamura, & Kessler, 2008).
According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), a
mental health condition ranks fourth in terms of reason for
hospitalization for American children. They also highlighted the
inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the current fragmented
intervention systems providing treatment to individuals with

behavioral problems (AHA, 2012).
Preventing the negative trajectory from conduct disorder and
antisocial personality disorder to adult criminality is well worth
the investment in terms of dollars and lives saved. Incorporating
intervention support services aimed at lessening chronic
disruptive behaviors in children has been shown to reduce
frequent violent behaviors and criminality in adulthood
(Wasserman, Keenan, Tremblay, et al., 2003). Effective and
appropriate support services involve culturally sensitive
interventions that are community-based (e.g., schools,
community organizations) and that engage children and their
families while protecting against various risk factors including:
aggression/poverty, poor parenting, child abuse, early substance
use, and deviant peers. The earlier services are implemented the
more they appear to be of benefit and help to improve outcomes
(e.g., early childhood versus adolescence).
The following are a listing of Internet resources available for
individuals suffering from conduct, disruptive, and impulse-
control disorders.
· www.aacap.org: The American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry is a nonprofit advocacy organization
made up of psychiatrists and physicians dedicated to providing
information and support resources to children, adolescents, and
their families living with mental illness.
www.nami.org: The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the
nation's largest nonprofit, grassroots mental health organization
dedicated to advocating for people living with mental illness
and their families by providing information and support group
programs.
www.samhsa.gov: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a government agency
charged with improving the behavioral health of this nation's
citizens through education, prevention, and treatment support
services for substance use disorders and other mental illnesses.
Case 15.1
Identifying Information

Client Name: Bobby Jones
Age: 9 years old
Ethnicity: African American
Educational Level: Fourth grade
Parent: Susan Jones
Background Information
Bobby, a 9-year-old African-American boy, attends Lewistown
Elementary School and is in the fourth grade. He is the third
child in a family of six children ranging in ages from 3 to 12
years old. He has two older sisters, a younger sister, and two
younger brothers. His mother, Susan, is 30 years old. She is a
single mother and works as the activities director of a nursing
home. She has a high school education and an associate's degree
from a technical college. She has had two previous marriages,
with three children by each husband. Bobby's alcoholic father
has never worked or paid child support.
Bobby's teacher, Ms. Mathews, contacts you, the school
counselor, about Bobby's behavior after the first 3 weeks of
school. She states that Bobby has a very negative attitude about
school, is disruptive, and never completes his work. She tells
you that she has tried everything from rewards to “time out” in
an attempt to change Bobby's negative behaviors. Ms. Mathews
states that she doesn't know what goes on in Bobby's life
outside school since he is rarely willing to share anything about
his home life with her.
You ask Ms. Mathews if she can tell you more specifically
what kinds of behaviors she has observed in Bobby.
“Well, ever since the first day of school, Bobby has been a
major problem in class. He refuses to follow any of the rules,
and when I confront him, he either stands there and just stares
at me and won't say a word, or he says, ‘Make me.’ Several
times when I have forced the issue, he has thrown a tantrum,
pushing everything off his desk or knocking chairs over on his
way to ‘time out.’ He never volunteers any information. I've
tried talking to him one-on-one, and he refuses to talk to me. He
won't tell me anything about how he's feeling or why he's angry.

He just says, ‘I don't know.’ I am so frustrated I could scream.
He disrupts the whole class. The other children don't want to be
around him because he blames them when he breaks the rules. If
he is on the playground with other children playing a game, he
will begin fighting with them if he's not getting his own way. I
just don't know what to do at this point. I've tried everything.
Ms. Cameron, the third-grade teacher, told me Bobby was a
handful, but I had no idea what a problem this child would be.
Do you have any suggestions?”
You ask Ms. Mathews if Ms. Cameron, Bobby's third-grade
teacher, had similar problems last year with Bobby. She
indicates that Ms. Cameron was always talking about Bobby's
bad behavior in the faculty lounge.
You state that you will try to talk to Bobby and also contact
his mother. You feel that, perhaps, there are issues at home of
which the school might be unaware. The following day, you talk
with Bobby during lunch and free time at school.
Interview with Bobby
Bobby follows you down the hall to your office. Although
you've asked him to come into your office and have a seat, he
remains standing at the door looking as if he's trying to decide
whether or not he will follow your directions. After some delay,
he finally walks in and slouches down in a chair, crossing his
arms in a defensive manner. When you ask him if he'd like to
draw a picture, he tells you that he hates to draw. When you ask
him what he would like to do, he points to the box of checkers.
While playing checkers, you ask him about his behavior in
class. Bobby never makes eye contact and simply states “I don't
know” to every question you ask. When you ask Bobby what he
would like to talk about, he replies, “Nothing.”
After three games of checkers, you tell Bobby it's time for
him to go back to class. Bobby slams his fist on the table and
turns the checkerboard upside down, sending checkers flying all
over the room. You say, “You must really be angry about
something.” Bobby only shrugs his shoulders and begins
walking to the door.

You tell Bobby that before he can go back to his classroom,
he must help you pick up the checkers. Bobby says, “It's not my
fault the stupid checkers fell on the floor.” He quickly runs out
of the room, slamming the door on his way out. You wait a
minute or two and then go to his classroom to make sure he is
there.
· 15.1–1 At this point, what symptoms have you noted?
· 15.1–2 Does Bobby display any strengths? If so, what are
they?
· 15.1–3 Who are the other people involved with Bobby that you
would like to interview in order to get more information?
Interview with Susan Jones
You call Susan at work and ask her if she can come in to the
school to talk with you about Bobby. She states that she works
until 4:30 every day but could come after she gets off work.
You agree to see her at 5 P.M. Bobby attends the after-school
program at the YMCA, which is open until 6:30 P.M.
Susan is a bubbly, enthusiastic woman who is neatly dressed
in blue pants with a matching print blouse. She is petite with
long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She states that she has
been having a very hard time dealing with Bobby at home and is
glad someone is taking an interest in him at school.
You ask her what it's like at home with Bobby. She states that
he argues with her about every little thing. She states that
Bobby will be negative even about things she knows he would
like to do. She explains, for example, “The other night I said,
‘Bobby, do you want to go have pizza?’ His response was,
‘Can't we get it delivered?’ When I finally convinced him that I
was going out without him, he decided he'd go along. When we
got to the restaurant, he argued about what kind of pizza to get,
what kind of drink, and where to sit. I was so worn out by the
time we got home, I just let him have his way. He wears me
down. Every morning it's a tug-of-war getting him ready for

school. He never wants to do as he's told.”
You ask Susan about other negative behaviors like fighting
with other kids or hurting animals. Susan tells you that he
would never hurt an animal. She said they had a dog and a cat,
and one thing Bobby does well is to take care of the pets. He
likes to get the cat on his lap when he's watching TV, and he'll
sit there petting him for hours. He also takes the dog out to play
in the yard and seems to really care about the animals.
On the other hand, when it comes to following the rules,
Bobby never complies. “He fights me over every little thing,”
Susan tells you. She rolls her eyes and rubs her forehead. “I just
don't know what to do anymore. It's all I can do to get all the
kids clothed and fed these days. My job doesn't pay much even
though I got a college degree. It's hard to make ends meet with
six kids.”
“Does Bobby have any contact with his father?” you inquire.
Susan looks out the window and sighs. “Bobby's daddy never
paid any attention to any of his kids. He's a drunk, and I think
it's probably better that he never comes around. Bobby thinks
his dad is superman, though. He has this fantasy that his daddy
will come to the house one day and ask Bobby to come live with
him. I've tried to explain to Bobby that his daddy has a drinking
problem and can't hold a job and won't ever take care of him.
That makes Bobby mad as can be when I tell him that. He
doesn't want to believe his daddy doesn't want him. I think
that's what's making Bobby so angry all the time.”
“It sounds like it might have been hard being married to
Bobby's father. How long were you married to him?” you ask
empathically.
“Oh, I'd say too long,” Susan says with a little laugh.
“Actually it was about 6 years. Jerry was mean when he got
drunk. He'd get so mad sometimes that he'd haul off and hit me
and the kids and threaten to throw us out of the house with no
place to go. I was going to school so I could get away from him.
It took about 2 years but I finally got up the courage and left. It
was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I knew I had to do it

for the kids.”
“Wow, that took a lot of courage,” you respond. “How old
was Bobby when you left?”
“He was almost 6 years old, I believe,” Susan says. “He
started being real disagreeable around that time, but he's never
liked other people telling him what to do even when he was a
toddler.”
“When he gets so disagreeable, how do you usually handle
that?” you ask.
“Sometimes I just try to ignore his bad behavior,” Susan
acknowledges. She frowns and begins tapping her foot on the
floor. “Sometimes, when I just can't ignore it, I send him to his
room. That doesn't always work, though, because he can throw a
temper tantrum and tear up his room so it's almost destroyed by
the time he gets through. Sometimes, I put him in the bathroom
for ‘time out.’ I haven't really found anything that works very
well.”
“Okay, so perhaps one of the things we might work on is
figuring out how to get Bobby to show more positive behaviors.
What are some of the positive things you see in Bobby?” you
ask.
“Well, like I said before, Bobby is real good with animals. He
can talk to them and show them a lot of affection that he doesn't
seem to be able to do with other people. Another thing is that
there are times when I can just tell that Bobby really wants to
be close to me, but he doesn't seem to know how to do it. It
always makes me sad when he seems to want it so much, and
then when I try to give it to him, he rejects me or gets angry and
tells me to get away. I think he's crying for help.”
“So there are times when you see some kindness and
tenderness in Bobby that maybe other people don't get to see
very often. Is that correct?” you suggest to Susan.
“Yes, that's absolutely right. I'm hoping this therapy will help
Bobby and me to get closer and for Bobby to be able to get
some control over all his anger,” Susan says with a sigh.
“I think I can help you with both of those things, Susan. You

are clearly very invested in helping your son, and that's a
hopeful sign that we'll be able to help Bobby together. I'll need
to be working closely with you in order to help Bobby since you
are his mother. Okay?”
Susan sits back in her chair and looks relaxed for the first
time in the session. “Okay, that sounds like a very good plan.”
· 15.1–4 What strengths have you have assessed that Susan
Jones possesses?
· 15.1–5 Who would you want to get permission to contact for
additional information about Bobby's behavior?
· 15.1–6 What is your diagnosis for Bobby?
Case 15.2
Client Name: Michael Barron
Age: 12 years old
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Educational Level: Seventh grade
Parents: Mandy and Jerry Collins (stepfather)
Intake Information
Mike, a 12-year-old Caucasian male, was referred to the
Children's Counseling Center by the school counselor at the
middle school where he attends seventh grade. You are a
practitioner at the Counseling Center and have had other
referrals from this counselor. The referral resulted from an
incident in which Mike and a friend were picked up by the
police for skipping school. Mike and Bobby were hanging out
near a local pool parlor when two patrol officers questioned
why they weren't in school. Although Bobby gave the officers
his correct name and address, Mike told the officers his name
was “Barry Burrito” and he lived in Chihuahua on the border of
Mexico.
When Mike and Bobby were taken to the local police station,
Mike finally told the police his real name. He was given a

citation, and his parents were called and interviewed at the
station. Mandy works as a technician for a local computer
corporation, and Jerry is a self-employed house painter and
carpenter. At the request of the school counselor, Mandy made
the initial appointment and arrived on time at 8 A.M. with Mike
and her 2-year-old daughter, Elisa. Mandy is pregnant with her
third child and is expecting to deliver in the next month.
Initial Interview
You greet the family in the waiting room and notice that Mike
is sitting off in the corner looking very glum, while Mandy is
reading a book to Elisa. You suggest that a student intern can
stay with Elisa in the playroom while you talk with Mike and
Mandy. Mike makes no eye contact with you but gets up and
follows his mother to your office. Mandy appears to be dressed
for work in a tailored pantsuit, while Mike is wearing baggy
blue jeans and an oversized T-shirt with a rock band logo on the
back of it. Mandy apologizes for needing to bring Elisa with
her, but she takes her to the childcare center at her job.
Mandy begins the session by stating that she feels as if she's
losing control of Mike and is concerned about his risky
behaviors and constant lying. “I just can't trust him anymore,”
she says.
The latest incident with the police is just one in a series of
problems she has been having over the past year. She feels that
Mike disregards any rules that are placed on his behavior. She
states that on the day of the incident with the police she took
Mike to school and told him to walk home afterward. She told
him that she'd be home at 5 P.M. Mike and Bobby apparently
decided to leave school during the midmorning break. They
walked down to the local pool parlor where they were found
panhandling to buy lottery tickets at the convenience store next
door.
“I think Bobby is a bad influence on Mikey. Bobby is 16
years old and has been nothing but trouble since becoming
friends with Mikey. That's when Mikey began sneaking out of
the house at night, lying about his whereabouts, and drinking

alcohol at Bobby's house when his parents weren't home.”
Mandy states that this is the first time the police have been
involved and it's really scared her.
Interview with Mike
You decide to talk with Mike alone about the incident with the
police, and ask Mandy if she'd like a cup of coffee in the
waiting room. Mike remains slouched in his chair, looking
disinterested and depressed. When his mother leaves the room,
he states that she's always bugging him about school.
“She's always griping about my grades and how I'm never
going to get into college if I don't make good grades. I don't
even want to go to college. I'm never going to make A's in
school. I'm just dumb, I guess.”
“What grade are you in, Mike?” you query.
“Seventh grade, middle school,” Mike replies.
You ask Mike if there's anything he likes about school, and he
states that he likes to be with his friends and likes art class. “I
don't like math; I hate language arts; science is okay, but I'm
really not good at anything except art.”
“What do you like to do in art?” you query. For the first time
during the interview, Mike appears animated. “I like to draw,
paint with watercolors or acrylics, and work with clay. One of
my sculptures won a prize in the art contest last year.” You note
that Mike seems to feel good about this accomplishment.
You ask about any other activities Mike might enjoy. He
states that he tried out for basketball but quit after being a
substitute for part of the season. “It was so boring; I just sat on
the bench the whole game.”
“What about at home? How are things at home?”
Mike shrugged his shoulders and said, “Okay I guess.”
“How do you get along with your stepfather, Jerry?”
Mike slumps back down in his chair and stares at the ceiling.
“He's never home. He works all the time, and he's always telling
me what to do. He's not my real father, and he doesn't care
about me, just Elisa and the new baby.”
“Do you ever get to see your real father?” you ask.

“He doesn't live here anymore and got married to someone
else. I haven't seen him in about a year, and he never calls. My
mom is always saying he never pays his child support. I don't
really care about him. He and my mom got divorced when I was
just 5 years old, and all I remember is that he was drunk all the
time and used to yell at my mom and sometimes hit her.”
You ask Mike if there's anything else he likes to do. He states
that he likes to go to the mall with his friends; he likes to surf
the Internet and play Nintendo. “My mom is a computer nerd.
She knows everything about computers. I wish I had my own
computer like hers.”
“It sounds like you have some things you do very well and
other things that you aren't so happy about. Maybe we can talk
more about these things.” Mike nods his head and plays with his
belt buckle.
Mike appears to be getting noticeably more uncomfortable
sitting still and talking. He taps his feet, fidgets with his
fingers, and appears distracted by every sound in the hallway.
You decide to stop the interview with Mike at this point and
talk further with Mandy. You escort Mike back to the waiting
room and give him some paper and colored pencils, asking him
if he can draw a picture for you. He sits on the floor, using the
child's table to spread out the paper and pencils, and seems
occupied with the project. You tell him that you are going to
talk to his mother about the family situation and his childhood.
Mike shrugs his shoulders and says, “Okay.”
Interview with Mandy
You ask Mandy if she would mind coming back to your office to
talk about the family situation when Mike was younger. You
start by explaining to Mandy that you'd like to get some
information about the years when Mike was growing up and the
family situation at the time.
“I'd like to start at the beginning and find out as much as I
can about your experience with Mike as your son. So, I'd like to
go back to the time before Mike was born and ask you about the
pregnancy and birth and so forth,” you begin.

Mandy nods and says, “Well, the pregnancy was fine. I had
some morning sickness for about 3 months in the beginning, but
it wasn't that bad and went away by about the fourth month of
pregnancy.” She goes on to tell you that she and her former
husband, Tim, hadn't really planned on having a baby, but they
were happy about her pregnancy. She states that nothing
unusual occurred during the pregnancy and she had a normal
birth without any complications.
Mandy goes on to say that shortly after Mike was born, she
began having problems in her marriage due to Tim's drinking all
the time. “He worked construction, and when he came home,
he'd just sit in front of the TV and drink one beer after another.
At first, he'd just fall asleep in front of the television, but then
he began getting belligerent and would pick fights with me over
little things.”
Mandy describes a great deal of marital discord in the first 5
years of Mike's life. She finally decided to leave Tim and went
to live with her mother for a couple of years while attending a
community college to learn computer programming.
Mandy states that Mike seemed like a normal, happy, but very
active little boy and didn't have any problems until he got to
kindergarten. At that point, he began having trouble getting
along with other kids in his class. He was so active that he
would sometimes aggravate the other children, and the teacher
called several times that year and said Mike just refused to
follow the rules. It was apparent that Mandy was focused on her
marital situation, as well as busy going to school, and had felt
that he would just grow out of it.
In first grade, Mike had difficulties with his letters and
numbers and seemed to be a little behind other kids his age. The
teacher felt that he had a developmental problem and was
maturing more slowly than other kids but didn't seem too
concerned about it. In the second and third grades, it became
apparent to Mandy that something more than just immaturity
was going on, so she had him tested by the school psychologist,
who told her Mike had ADHD and should be seen by a

physician.
Mandy took him to a pediatrician who put him on Ritalin
during the weekdays. He did not take Ritalin on the weekends.
She said it helped his activity level, and he seemed better able
to pay attention in class. His grades improved a little; he was
making B's and C's instead of D's after he started taking the
Ritalin. He still got into trouble for his conduct, especially on
the playground. He couldn't seem to get along and never had
many friends.
Mandy mentions an incident in sixth grade that really worries
her. Apparently, Mike had walked into a neighbor's house
through the back door and stolen some cookies that were sitting
out on the counter, as well as a jar of loose change that was
within eyesight. He had hidden the jar of change under his bed.
Jerry walked into his room one night when he was sitting on his
bed counting the money. Mandy was chagrined, and Jerry was
livid. Jerry thought that Mike had stolen the money from his
drawer in the bedroom, but Mike confessed he'd taken it from
the neighbors' house. Jerry made Mike go over to the neighbors'
and tell them he'd taken the money and apologize. Luckily, the
neighbors didn't call the police or try to prosecute him.
Mandy relates another incident that occurred about 5 months
ago. Mike had been to the swimming pool in the neighborhood
one day during the summer and met another little boy over there
who had some firecrackers from the Fourth of July. Mike and
the other boy were found throwing the firecrackers at some cats
who belonged to a neighbor who lived near the pool. The cats
had been injured, and Mandy and Jerry made Mike work the rest
of the summer to pay the vet fees for the injured cats. “The
thing that bothered me the most,” Mandy sighs, “was the fact
that Mike didn't show any remorse about having hurt the
animals. That really bothered me.”
Mandy states that Jerry and Mike have never gotten along
very well, and she's had to restrain Jerry on a couple of
occasions when he wanted to whip Mike with a belt as
punishment. “Jerry is very traditional. He thinks I've just been

too lenient with Mike and all he needs is a good spanking. I
really don't know what to do with Mike these days. He's getting
bigger and older, and I'm afraid he's going to get into big
trouble with the law if he doesn't learn how to follow the rules.”
You tell Mandy that you feel you have an understanding of
what some of the problems have been for Mike but that you
would also like to know about some of his strengths.
Mandy tells you that Mike's biggest strength is his artistic
abilities. “He is extremely artistic, which he probably gets from
my father, who was an amateur artist. He can draw almost
anything, and he paints and sculpts and can make beautiful
pottery out of clay.” Mandy states that he used to be helpful
around the house, but recently, he won't do anything she asks.
She states that she's concerned about the time she'll have to
focus on the new baby when it arrives and how that will affect
Mike.
· 15.2–1 What are some of the underlying issues that may be
affecting Mike's behavior?
· 15.2–2 What are some of Mike's strengths?
· 15.2–3 What are some underlying fears that you imagine
Mandy is having concerning her son?
· 15.2–4 Who would you like to get permission to talk with
outside the family concerning Mike's behavior?
· 15.2–5 How would you initially diagnose Mike?
Case 15.3
Client Name: Sandra Jenkins
Age: 38 years old
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: “Retired” attorney

Children: Jessica, age 6
Referral Information
Sandra has been mandated to get counseling as one of the terms
of her probation for a conviction of shoplifting from a local
department store at the mall. She stated that she meant to pay
for the diamond earrings that were found in her coat pocket, but
she got distracted and forgot. From her probation records, you
discover that she has had two prior convictions of shoplifting,
but because she retained a well-known lawyer, she was given
community service without probation. This time, however, the
judge placed her on probation and mandated her to counseling
for the duration of the probationary period.
Initial Interview
Sandra Jenkins, a 38-year-old Caucasian female, is a very
poised, attractive woman who attended a prestigious college and
graduate school. She received a law degree when she was 26
years old and worked as a corporate tax lawyer making over
$100,000 per year. Sandra reports that she has excellent
analytical skills and a very high IQ. She met her husband, Jim,
during her first year of practice. Jim is also a corporate lawyer.
Sandra and Jim married a year after their first date. They live
in a wealthy suburban neighborhood with their only child,
Jessica, age 6. Sandra states that she had two miscarriages
before having Jessica and doesn't plan on having other children.
Sandra quit her job after Jessica was born and has engaged in
volunteer work at the hospital for the past 4 years.
Sandra's grandparents were from Italy, and they passed away
by the time Sandra was 5 years old. Her paternal grandfather
had a history of alcoholism. Sandra's parents moved to the
United States when she was only 2 years old. She had two older
brothers and a younger sister. Sandra came from a lowincome
family and worked her way through college and law school. Her
mother suffered from depression and stayed at home. Her father
worked in the garment industry in New York.
In giving this information, Sandra appears to be nonchalant
and unconcerned about the shoplifting incident, but also a bit

defensive in her responses to your questions. After talking for
some time, however, she begins to seem more willing to engage
in a relationship with you as the counselor.
Beginning where the client is, you ask Sandra what she would
like to work on during these sessions. She states that she is
concerned about her marriage and isn't sure if she wants to stay
married to Jim.
“Life has seemed so unfulfilling lately. Jessica is in school all
day, and I just don't know what to do anymore to fill the hours I
have to myself. I feel bored and lonely a lot of the time. I admit
I need a lot of stimulation in my life. I've always gotten bored
easily. Jim says I should be happy not having to work and that I
can do anything I want to do. Besides, I'm bored in our
relationship, too. We used to go on trips and have a very
exciting sex life, but now, it's just dull. Jim doesn't want to go
to interesting places. He likes to go to the beach and fish. And
we don't even have sex that often anymore. Partly because it's
boring to me, but Jim doesn't seem that interested either. I don't
know; maybe I just need a change.”
“Do you think these feelings are related to the shoplifting
incident?” you ask.
Sandra looks flushed and guiltily turns her head away. “I just
don't know what comes over me. I go into a store thinking I'm
just going to do some window-shopping. I don't really intend to
buy anything, and then this intense urge to take something just
overwhelms me. It's not like I couldn't just buy it. We have
plenty of money. I don't know what happens, but I just feel like
I've got to have something and I take it.”
“How does it feel once you've taken the item?” you query.
“Actually, I feel better—unless I get caught, and then I feel
terrible about myself,” Sandra relates.
“Can you tell me how many times this has happened when you
haven't gotten caught?” you ask.
Sandra eyes you warily. “Who says I've ever done it when I
wasn't caught?”
“You did just a few minutes ago when you were telling me

how it made you feel,” you suggest.
“Well, I guess there have been a few times when I didn't get
caught. It wasn't anything expensive though. Just some fake
jewelry and stuff like that. I didn't even really like the things I
took,” Sandra responds.
“What do you usually do with the items you take from the
store when you get home?” you ask.
“I just throw them in a drawer in my dresser or put them away
in the closet. The urge goes away for a while and then it comes
back again.”
“How often do you have this urge? Is it once a week or once a
month or just every once in a while?” you ask her.
“It's really odd. Sometimes, I feel the urge every time I go
shopping, about twice a week. Then, it disappears for months at
a time before it comes back. If you want to know the truth, it's
been happening to me for years. Even back in college, I was
taking stuff from stores. Sometimes I'd take stuff I didn't even
need and give it to other girls in the dorm. In fact, most of the
time, I stick it in a drawer and end up throwing it away without
ever having used it,” Sandra states.
“Do you have any idea what causes this urge to come over
you?” you ask.
“No idea whatsoever,” Sandra states. “I just see it, I begin to
feel this intense urge to take it, and then after I have it, the urge
goes away and I feel better. I know it's against the law. After
all, I'm a lawyer, for goodness sake. What do you think is wrong
with me?” Sandra wonders.
“I think that's what we're going to work on when you come in
to see me for these sessions. You're required to come to
counseling on a weekly basis for a year. Hopefully, by our
working together, you'll be able to change some of these
behaviors you've been engaging in. Are you willing to work on
making some changes?” you ask.
Sandra agrees to come for weekly counseling sessions. You
feel that you've established some initial rapport with her since
she was willing to admit some of her past behaviors.

· 15.3–1 Sandra has several strengths. List three of them.
· 15.3–2 Are there other questions you would like to ask
Sandra? If so, what are they?
· 15.3–3 What are some resources that might be helpful to
Sandra?
· 15.3–4 What diagnosis would you give Sandra?
Case 15.4
Client Name: Mary Searcy
Age: 34 years old
Educational Level: High school graduate
Occupation: Waitress
Intake Information
Mary Searcy called the Truluck Mental Health Center, a public,
governmentally funded agency, and requested an appointment
with a counselor. She stated that she's about to lose her third
job in 6 months due to an anger problem. When the intake
worker asked her if she could expand on what she meant by
anger problem, Mary stated, “It's just out of my control.”
She further stated that her manager told her if she didn't get
some help, he'd have to let her go. An appointment with you
was scheduled for the following day.
Initial Interview
Mary arrives at the mental health center wearing her waitress
uniform and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She is sitting
calmly in the waiting room reading a magazine when you arrive
to greet her. She smiles and tells you she came a few minutes
early because she's going to have to leave in an hour in order to
get to work. She tells you as you're walking to your office that
she can't afford to be late or she'll lose her job.
“So, you've been worried about your job lately?” you inquire.

“Yes, I just can't lose this job because I might never get
another one,” Mary says.
“What's been happening that makes you think that?” you ask.
You wonder if Mary is being realistic or if she is exaggerating
the problem.
“Well, it's my anger, I think,” Mary tells you. “Although I'm
not really sure my anger is the problem. But it must be.”
“You think you may have a problem with your anger, but
you're not sure,” you suggest.
“Yes, you see it doesn't happen often, but when it does
happen, it's really out of control,” Mary says. She looks
nervously around the room as though she's searching for the
right words to express her thoughts.
“You mean your anger?” you ask.
“Well, I don't really know what else to call it, but it feels like
anger. You see, it started about 2 years ago. I had a job out in
California making good money waiting tables at a really upscale
restaurant. I was doing a good job, and my boss wanted to make
me head waitress. He gave me all the big parties, and I was
finally getting some bills paid and keeping up with my rent and
car payments. Then one night, this other waitress said
something to me like, ‘Could you hand me that pitcher of
water?’ She had a huge platter of food, you know, lobster and
steak dinners, and I don't know what came over me, but I just
hauled off and knocked the tray up against her and hit her
upside the head. She landed on the floor, and the tray landed on
top of her. Or at least that's what she said happened. I don't
clearly remember, you see. It's all kind of a blur. I don't really
remember being angry, but I guess I was. Anyway, $185 worth
of food hit the floor, and my boss was so angry with me I knew
I was going to lose my job. So, I just walked out of the
restaurant and never went back.”
“Did you have problems with this other waitress before the
incident occurred?” you ask.
Mary scowls and rubs her forehead. “I think we got along
okay as I remember,” she says. “I remember I'd had trouble

earlier in the day with my landlord claiming I owed him money
for getting the carpet cleaned. I hadn't asked anyone to clean the
carpet and didn't think I should have to pay for it. I also
remember having an argument with my boyfriend because I had
to work that night and he thought I was off and wanted to go
out. So, I guess it had been a hard day before I ever got to
work,” Mary ponders.
“Do you remember how you were feeling at work that night?”
you ask.
“I just remember being irritable, like in a bad mood,” Mary
suggests. “But I don't think I was really angry at Sue, the
waitress I knocked down, just tense. Then when she asked me
for the water pitcher, I just exploded.”
“How often would you say this type of situation has occurred
over the past 2 years?” you ask.
“Well, I'd say it's been happening once a month or so but not
always at work. It's happened at home several times, and I've
had two relationships that broke up because I just lost control of
myself. One guy told me that I needed to get help after I'd
thrown the frying pan through a window at the house, and he
just left and never came back. That happened about a year ago.
At the time, I didn't think he knew what he was talking about,
but now, I think maybe he was right. I've had three jobs in the
last 6 months, and I just can't afford to lose this one.”
“So, you lost two jobs in the last 6 months because of your
anger?” you inquire.
“Yes, well, it was the same type of thing that happened in
California. I had this one job that I liked and I thought was
going pretty well, and one day I came to work and had a big
party of eight people I was waiting on by myself. Then the
hostess gave me another party of six. Normally, I could handle
it. But, I remember getting real tense because I didn't have any
help, and I was rushing around trying to get all the orders. One
obnoxious guy at the table of eight kept asking me for more
coffee. I was doing my best, but I couldn't get to him right
away. Finally, he puts his arm out and grabs me around my

waist and says, ‘Why are you ignoring me?’ I just lost it. I took
the whole pitcher of water and dumped it on his head and was
yelling, ‘Can't you see I'm a little busy here? I'll get your
damned coffee when I get a chance.’ The guy tipped back in his
chair so far that he fell over onto the floor and threatened to sue
the restaurant. Needless to say, I lost that job.”
Mary sinks into the chair and looks very unhappy. It sounds
as if this is the first time she's admitted to having a problem or
identifying her behavior as a problem for her.
“Looking back on it now, I'm not sure why I dumped the
water on his head. He was obnoxious, but I've dealt with a lot of
obnoxious people in my job, and I never went to that extreme or
got that upset,” Mary remarks. “The most recent thing that
happened wasn't that bad. I just knocked a hole in the wall in
the kitchen at work. It surprised me that I had that much
strength, if you want to know the truth. Anyway, my boss said I
better get control of my anger or he'd send me packing. I really
don't want to lose this job. I've got bills to pay, and I'm tired of
moving from one job to the next. You've got to understand. I'm
really not a violent person. Something just comes over me and I
blow,” Mary tells you.
“Okay, so it sounds as if you've been having a lot of trouble
controlling these sudden outbursts that seem out of proportion
to the problem you're trying to handle. Is that correct?” you ask.
“Yes, I think that's pretty accurate,” Mary says.
“What about other aspects of your life?” you inquire. “Do you
live by yourself? Do you have a boyfriend now? Are there other
things bothering you right now?”
“I'm living by myself right now, although I do have a
boyfriend. We haven't been dating that long though, maybe 6
weeks. He's a nice guy and we get along. I don't want to ruin
that relationship either. I've been having a little trouble paying
all my bills but nothing out of the ordinary. Other than that,
everything has been okay, I guess.”
“Have you been sick at all recently?” you inquire. “Have you
been taking any medications for any medical problems?”

“No, I'm a fairly healthy person. Don't get sick much. Maybe
a cold in the winter, but that's about it,” Mary replies.
“So, you're not taking any medicine right now?” you ask
again.
“Only birth control, but nothing else,” Mary responds.
“What about your family?” you inquire. “Has anyone in your
family ever had similar problems to the one you've been
experiencing?”
“I don't think so,” Mary states. “My mom died when I was 12
years old, and my dad remarried about a year later. I never
remember my mother getting upset about anything. She was a
fun person who loved to take us out shopping and to the movies.
My dad is kind of the quiet type, if you know what I mean. He
sort of blends in with the walls. He's a carpenter and likes to
build stuff. He was always out in the garage making
something—a pretty easygoing fellow.”
“What about your sister?” you ask. “Is she your younger
sister?”
“Yes,” Mary replies, “she's 4 years younger than I am. She
still lives out in California, and I don't see her very often. She
was the smart one in the family. She teaches preschool at a
nursery out there and has two kids of her own. I guess she's like
my mom. Loves children.”
“And how would you describe yourself?” you ask.
“Well, I think of myself as a pretty outgoing person. I like
talking to people and being outdoors. I run and ride bikes and
like to go sailing when I have the chance. Most people tell me I
have a good sense of humor, too,” Mary responds.
“So these outbursts seem to come out of nowhere and don't
necessarily fit with your personality,” you suggest.
“Right, I mean I do begin to feel this tension building up
inside me, but I don't know what it's about. It seems out of sync
with what's actually going on at the time. And then I just have
to get rid of it somehow—I just explode over some small thing,”
Mary says.
“Okay, I think I have the picture,” you respond. “I think I can

help you figure out what's going on and how to get your
feelings under control. Would you like to make another
appointment so we can talk again?” you ask.
“Yes, I think I really could use some help with this problem,”
Mary states.
· 15.4–1 What are some of Mary's strengths?
· 15.4–2 What has Mary already done that you would consider
resourceful?
· 15.4–3 What is your initial diagnosis for Mary?
· 15.4–4 Are there other diagnoses that you would want to rule
out in this case?
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Wk 2 Team - Assessing and Diagnosing Presentation
Assignment Content
Top of Form
Imagine your team has been asked to present to a group of
schoolteachers to discuss the similarities and differences
between disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders.
Create a case scenario for each of the following clients:
A client with a disruptive disorder - Chelsea is fourteen years
old and in her sophomore year of high school. She is now
required to meet with the school counselor due to her consistent
aggressive behavior. They meet once every other day for forty-
five minutes. She has gotten into an altercation with multiple
students at least three times each week for the last 5 months.
Chelsea has demonstrated signs of depression, anxiety, and is
facing expulsion if she cannot stop this behavior. Her parents do
not know what to do anymore they have had her tested for
multiple possible explanations for her behavior. Most thought of
diagnosis have been ruled out, such as ADHD. The school
counselor has been able to determine that Chelsea has
Intermittent Explosive Disorder.
· A client with an impulse-control disorder - Dylan is an 11-
year-old boy who was referred by a family friend. The client’s
parents have concerns about Dylan’s behavior. Dylan interacts

well with peers his own age, his parents note that he can be
easily led and influenced by others. They also report that Dylan
gets upset when he does not receive recognition or feels that he
has been ignored. Dylan describes difficulties with focusing and
sitting still in class. He recognizes that he can focus on some
activities of interest, however he often has difficulty sustaining
his attention at school. His parents and teacher indicate that
Dylan is restless, and often requires reminders to help him stay
on task. Dylan has always had challenges falling asleep, and
sometimes finds that he wakes up in the middle of the night.
When he wakes up, he finds that he has a difficult time getting
back to sleep and, sometimes staying awake for as long as an
hour and a half. Dylan has had several incidents of hitting,
crying outbursts, and inappropriate behavior.
A client with a conduct disorder - Isaiah is a seven-year-old boy
who was referred for services by his medical provider. Clients
parents came in office with concerns about their son's behavior.
Parents state that client becomes aggressive (breaking things/
harming family members), annoys others, and does not follow
rules. Clients parents are worried about client's behavior due to
him getting older, being stronger, and not wanting to focus on
his education material. Clients parents state that client has
expressed these behaviors for two years. They homeschooled
the client in the first grade due to him being aggressive,
refusing to go to school, and annoying others while being at
school/home. Parents state that client would annoy others and
would blame his negative behaviors on others.
Create a 10- to 12-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation
to compare and contrast these three clients. Include the
following:
· Provide a summary of each client's case scenario.
· Outline the behavioral symptoms each client is exhibiting.

· Describe how the behavioral symptoms of each client fit into
diagnostic criteria for each disorder.
· Describe possible assessment instruments that may be used
with each client and explain why each instrument should be
used.
Cite a minimum of three sources.
Format any citations in your presentation consistent with
appropriate course-level APA guidelines.
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Assignment One Ecology of a LanguageDialectAnthropology 7Spring,.docx

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