Current prevalence rates of Conduct Disorder (CD) in girls may be an underestimate due to inappropriate diagnostic criteria, biased perceptions by those responsible for reporting problematic behavior, and differential social constraints for each gender. Relatively few published studies of CD and related behaviors in girls exist. Available evidence suggests adolescent girls with CD have a poor outcome including early and violent death, arrest, substance abuse and dependence, antisocial personality disorder, failure to finish high school, pregnancy, sexual promiscuity, and contraction of sexually transmitted disease. Even with its relatively low, possibly underestimated prevalence rate in comparison with that of boys, CD has been found to be the second most common psychiatric disorder in adolescent girls. In addition to examining possible reasons for the lack of research on CD in girls, this article reviews possible risk factors and suggested assessment and intervention strategies for this population. Particular attention is paid to implications for practitioners in the school setting. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Males are consistently diagnosed with Conduct Disorder (CD) at a higher rate than females. Specifically, males under the age of 18 exhibit rates ranging from 6% to 16% of the population while females' rates range from 2% to 9% (Sholevar & Sholevar, 1995). However, although there are relatively few published studies of CD and related behaviors in girls (Zoccolillo, 1993), current prevalence rates of CD in the female population may be an underestimate. The underestimate may be due to inappropriate diagnostic criteria, biased perceptions by those responsible for reporting problematic behavior, and differential social constraints for each gender. Adolescent girls with CD have a poor outcome, including early and violent death, arrest, substance abuse and dependence, antisocial personality disorder, failure to finish high school, pregnancy (Zoccolillo, Tremblay, & Vitaro, 1996), sexual promiscuity, and contraction of sexually transmitted disease (Bardone et al., 1998).Even with its relatively low prevalence rate in comparison with that of boys, CD has been found to be the second most common psychiatric disorder in adolescent girls (Cohen, Cohen, & Brooks, 1993). In light of the poor prognosis for girls with this disorder, the possibility of an underestimation in prevalence rates for CD in girls, and the lack of research in this area, more attention to this issue is warranted. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review available evidence in relation to the following questions: What are the reasons for the paucity of research on CD in girls? Why might CD rates be higher among girls than current information suggests? What are the possible causes and risk factors for CD in girls? What assessment and intervention techniques are suggested by available research in this area? It is hoped that the answers to these questions will provide additional information for school psychologists and other school personnel...

Using the principles of mental health and behavioral consultation, combined with concepts from positive psychology, this paper generates a new preventative model of school consultation. This model has two steps: (1) the school psychologist aids the teacher in the development and use of his/her personal positive psychology (e.g., optimism, objective happiness, etc.); and (2) the teacher is then encouraged to utilize positive psychology in the classroom. In support of this model a brief overview of consultation, a discussion of primary prevention in the schools, and a description of positive psychology is presented. It is the authors' belief that teachers who are taught to develop their own personal positive psychology and practice positive psychology in the classroom will (a) provide a more reinforcing classroom environment which may prevent behavior problems from developing; (b) be more accepting of the use of the behavioral principles in the classroom; and (c) implement interventions with greater integrity.