The Full Informed Consent: Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is the 21st Century Version of Drapetomania

ODD is a disruptive, impulse-control and conduct disorder characterized by at least four symptoms occurring in three categories of behavior: anger or irritability, being argumentative or defiant, and vindictiveness. Difficulty with rules and authority figures or adults is also a key feature. Black children are far more likely to be diagnosed with a disruptive behavior disorder like ODD than White children, even when these groups demonstrate similar externalizing behaviors. Children entangled in carceral settings, like juvenile detention or child welfare—most of whom are of color—are also more likely to carry an ODD diagnosis. However, treatment guidelines from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, do not account for these inequities at all. They recommend adult supervision, proper discipline, and parent training as primary interventions.