The cost of antisocial behaviour in younger children

Antsocial behaviour (conduct disorder) is the commonest psychiatric problem in childhood. An interview was developed to<p><p>measure the direct and indirect costs arising from antisocial behaviour over a range of domains, including behaviours inside and outside the home. Data were collected for a pilot sample of ten children aged 4-10 years who had been referred to child and adolescent mental health services. The average cost across the ten families was £15,382 a year, ranging from £5,411 to £40,896 per family. The greatest cost fell on the families themselves (average nearly £5,000 per year) and the education authority (average nearly £5,000) per year; and there were significant costs for the health service, social services and the Benefits Agency.