Child and Adolescent Mental Health :: Information and Forum for Professionals, Young People and Parents

Children's behavioural patterns develop as a very young baby, and are constantly adapting as a result of their interactions with care-givers, and other people, and through their experiences - including of the way in which they are parented and their experience of events, including stressful or traumatic experiences.

From time to time almost all children display behaviours that might annoy or frustrate parents or teachers - however behaviour problems exist where the nature or degree of these behaviours is such that other aspects of the child's life are adversely affected - whether this be school, friendships with others, or trouble with the law.