title: [Oppositional behavior in children and adolescents].
abstract: Opposition is a natural and beneficial process for children to shape their personality, it is a necessary step in their own and parents' life. It challenges the five rules governing children's life: parents' educational principles, school constraints, social rules, rules with "peers" and children's own rules. However, opposition can become pathological: symptoms of oppositional behaviors include defying requests, psychosomatic disorders in infants, offending behavior and oppositional defiant disorder. It is essential to identify them, encourage active family participation and look for a coexisting psychological condition. Oppositional disorders should be managed rapidly to prevent them from becoming chronic or evolving towards oppositional defiant or conduct disorders.
authors.affiliation: gisele.george@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: Gisèle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans