Children and adolescents with conduct disorders tend to experience several different symptoms. Although patients of either gender many experience any of these symptoms, certain symptoms are more likely depending on the child’s gender.

Boys are more likely to act aggressively toward others and to engage in bullying behavior or to pick fights often. They may also be cruel to other people and to animals. Meanwhile, girls are more likely to lie, skip classes, run away, or engage in substance abuse or prostitution.

Symptoms associated with conduct disorders include:

• Aggressiveness
• Cruelty to animals and other humans
• Verbally or physically abusive behavior
• Poor frustration tolerance
• Irritability
• Lying
• Reckless behavior (e.g., early sexual intercourse, problems with the law)
• Substance abuse
• Temper outbursts
• Difficulty feeling or expressing empathy

The nature of the symptoms also determines whether or not conduct disorders are described as mild, moderate or severe:

• Mild. Symptoms are just enough to qualify for diagnosis of a conduct disorder, and cause relatively minor harm. Examples include lying, truancy and staying out past curfew.
  
  
• Moderate. Symptoms are greater in number than in a mild conduct disorder, and the behaviors affect others. Examples of such behaviors include stealing without confronting the victim and vandalism.
  
  
• Severe. Symptoms are far greater than the minimum necessary to diagnose a conduct disorder. In addition, behaviors cause considerable harm to others and may include physical cruelty, sexual assault, use of weapons, stealing while confronting a victim and breaking and entering. 

In some cases, patients experience a conduct disorder that begins with mild symptoms, which progress to severe symptoms over time. Conduct disorders may also be associated with other mental health disorders, including:

• Anxiety disorders
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
  Learning disorders
• Communication disorder
• Mood disorders
• Substance abuse