Introduction

Abstract

Over the last 20 years, the child psychopathology literature base has burgeoned with much of this research focusing on high prevalence, commonly recognized disorders of childhood such as attention–deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum, and learning disabilities. There is considerably less research available on topics that are more extreme and in some cases infrequently observed in the child population. These topics include juvenile firesetters, gender identity disorder, feral children, Munchausen by proxy, the gang member, childhood schizophrenia, self-injurious behavior, juvenile sexual predators, selective mutism, and impulse control disorders including trichotillomania, kleptomania, and intermittent explosive disorder. The literature base also lacks a source that brings together these extreme conditions of childhood. This book, therefore, fills a gap in the research and clinical base by providing an overview of the historical context, diagnosis, etiology, theory, assessment, and treatment literature on more arcane issues in children’s mental health. Each chapter in this book also highlights important research trends and future directions. In totality, this book brings together for the first time an overview of less understood, intense, and extreme disorders of childhood.