1.5 Hours / 1.5 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on The Development of Conduct Disorder and Aggression is presented by Abigail Marsh, Ph.D., in partnership with Society for the Prevention of Disorders of Aggression

In this program, participants learn how to distinguish children with CD from other disruptive behavior disorders and the neurodevelopmental origins of these disorders. The neuroscience of deficits in empathy that have been identified in children with CD and Limited Prosocial Emotions are described. How these recent findings can be incorporated into effective treatment programs is discussed. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the distinct psychological and neural correlates of reactive and proactive aggression
  • 2 Describe the relationship between Limited Prosocial Emotions and empathy
  • 3 Describe how recent findings can be incorporated into effective treatment programs

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other behavioral health professionals (excluding psychiatrists) who work with children exhibiting Conduct Disorder (CD) and related disruptive behavior disorders. It is particularly relevant for those specializing in child and adolescent psychology, neurodevelopmental disorders, behavioral health, and evidence-based interventions for emotional and behavioral regulation in children and adolescents.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Social Workers
    • Counselors
    • Behavioral Health Practitioners
    • Child and Adolescent Therapists
    • Neurodevelopmental Disorder Specialists
    • Behavioral Interventionists

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for mental health professionals at various stages of experience.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to the neurodevelopmental and neurobiological aspects of conduct disorder (CD) and Limited Prosocial Emotions (LPE), and seek foundational knowledge to distinguish CD from other disruptive behavior disorders.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience with disruptive behavior disorders and are looking to deepen their understanding of the neuroscience of empathy deficits, the psychological and neural correlates of aggression, and the integration of recent research into treatment planning.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners typically work in outpatient and community-based behavioral health settings, school-linked services, hospital-affiliated programs, residential/day treatment, and juvenile justice–connected services. These environments support differential assessment of CD versus other disruptive behavior disorders and the delivery of neuroscience-informed, evidence-based interventions for emotional and behavioral regulation, with services offered in person or via telehealth within interdisciplinary teams.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Outpatient child and adolescent clinics
    • School-based mental health programs
    • Community mental health agencies
    • Pediatric hospital behavioral health units
    • Residential treatment centers
    • Juvenile justice mental health services
    • Telehealth behavioral health practices
    • Integrated primary care–behavioral health clinics

Presented By

Abigail Marsh, PhD Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Georgetown University & Director of the Laboratory on Social and Affective Neuroscience

Abigail Marsh is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Georgetown University and director of the Laboratory on Social and Affective Neuroscience. She received her BA from Dartmouth College and her PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 2004 and conducted some of the first research aimed at understanding the neurodevelopment of psychopathy at the National Institute of Mental Health from 2004-2008. She focuses on the development of prosocial emotions like empathy, compassion, and remorse, with an emphasis on the neural structures and systems that support these phenomena. Her research in both adolescents and adults incorporates neuroimaging, cognitive and behavioral testing, and pharmacology techniques and has been covered by media outlets that include PBS, NPR, The Washington Post, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal. She is the author of the award-winning book The Fear Factor and numerous scholarly publications in journals that include the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Psychological Science, American Journal of Psychiatry, and JAMA Psychiatry.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Abigail Marsh, PhD

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.