I. Description of the problem. Behaviors comprising temper tantrums include crying, yelling, stamping, stiffening, attacking self and others, throwing things, dropping to the floor, and running away. Tantrums typically begin with anger (e.g., yelling or hitting) and then progress to distress or sadness (e.g., crying and attempts to gain proximity to the parent). Most tantrums last less than five minutes; the briefest ones tend to begin with stamping or dropping to the ground. Typical tantrums are normative; those predicting disruptive disorders are longer, more frequent, more violent, and persist past age four.