A 15-year-old boy in trouble for fights and truancy may be diagnosed primarily with which disorder?

The diagnosis of conduct disorder is appropriate for a 15-year-old boy exhibiting behaviors such as fighting and truancy. Conduct disorder is characterized by a pattern of behavior that violates the rights of others or societal norms. This may include aggressive actions toward people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness, or serious violations of rules. The behaviors presented in this case, such as fighting and truancy, indicate a significant disruption in the adolescent's social and academic life, aligning well with the criteria for conduct disorder.

In contrast, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) typically involves symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, but does not specifically focus on the antisocial behaviors reflected in this scenario. Intermittent explosive disorder is characterized by recurrent, impulsive outbursts of aggression that are disproportionate to any provocation but wouldn't typically include ongoing patterns of truancy or fighting as primary indicators. Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) involves a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness, but while it might share some behavioral traits with conduct disorder, it does not usually include severe violations of social norms to the same extent. Thus, conduct disorder fits the behaviors described in