Anti-Social Behaviors and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Anti-social behaviors are common with ADHD individuals. About 60% of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder kids are also oppositional or defiant. Some are even getting in trouble with the law.

Impulsive-Hyperactive ADHD kids are the most likely to get into trouble than are the Inattentive  ADHD kids, as they tend to crave the stimulation of anti-social behaviors, and impulsively "act-out". Because they are impulsive, they don't plan their crimes well, and are usually easily caught.

Teens untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder average two arrests by the age of 18.  About 20% of teens untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder will be arrested for a felony, versus only about 3% of teens without ADHD.

As many as 50% of all men in prisons have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and were untreated as children or teens for ADHD. It is also estimated that as many as 50% of all teenagers in juvenile facilities have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder but were untreated for ADHD.

Teenagers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Impulsive Type ADHD - have 400% more traffic accidents and traffic tickets related to speeding, than teens without ADD ADHD. 

Twice as many teens with ADHD will run away from home than teens without ADHD. About 16% of teens run away from home at some point, versus 32% of teens untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Arson is often associated with Attention Deficit Disorder, as teens with untreated Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are three times more likely to be arrested for arson than those without ADHD: 16% vs. 5%.

Teenagers untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are ten times more likely to get pregnant, or cause a pregnancy, than those without ADHD.

Teenagers untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are 400% more likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease than teens without ADHD: 16% to 4%.

Around the house, the inattentive kids tend to be non-compliant due to not being motivated enough to remember the things he was asked to do.

ADHD causes problems in our homes, and in our nation. We need to learn more about Attention Deficit Disorder, how to diagnose it and how to treat it successfully. To learn more visit the ADHD Information Library.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.