General Information

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) is a device by which parents or other individuals who know the child well rate a child's problem behaviors and competencies. This instrument can either be self-administered or administered through an interview. The CBCL can also be used to measure a child's change in behavior over time or following a treatment. The first section of this questionaire consists of 20 competence items and the second section consists of 120 items on behavior or emotional problems during the past 6 months. Teacher Report Forms, Youth Self-Reports and Direct Observation Forms are also available for the Child Behavior Checklist. Two versions of this instrument exist: one for children ages 1 1/2 - 5 and another for ages 6 - 18. Information below pertains to the CBCL for 6-18 year olds.

Number of Versions:	2
Version:	Ages 6-18
Author(s):	Thomas M. Achenbach
Date of Publication:	1991, 2001
Material(s) Needed for Test:	Instrument
Manual:	Available
Time to Administer:	15 minutes
Charge for one form or kit:	Yes

Purpose and Nature of Test

Construct(s) Measured:	Aggression, Hyperactivity, Bullying, Conduct problems, Defiance, Violence
Population for which designed:	Age Range: 6 through 18 years old
Method of Administration:	Group and Individual
Source of Information:	Parent
Subtests and Scores:	Aggressive Behavior, Anxious/Depressed, Attention Problems, Delinquent Rule-Breaking Behavior, Social Problems, Somatic Complaints, Thought Problems, Withdrawn, Externalizing, Internalizing, Total Problems, plus DSM-oriented scales.
Number of Items:	140
Type of Scale:	Likert

Technical Evaluation

Norms: 

Sample Size:	1,753
Population:	Sample of children, age 6-18, from 100 sites in 40 states (northeastern, midwestern, southern, and western) and D.C.
Culture/ethnicity:	African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Other
SES Level:	Low to High

Reliability: 

Psychometric information:	Provided for Full Scales.
The range of Test-Retest Value:	0.95 to 1.00
The range of Inter-rater reliability:	0.93 to 0.96
The range of Internal consistency:	0.78 to 0.97

Validity: 

 Criterion validity was assessed and found to be acceptable.

Practical Evaluation

Scoring Procedure:	Manual and Computer Scoring
Examiner Qualifications and Training Required:	Masters Degree
Permission Required to Use Instrument:	Yes
If yes, by whom:	Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA)

Notes

Original Reference(s):	Achenbach, T. M. (1991) Integrative Guide to the 1991 CBCL/4-18, YSR, and TRF Profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychology
Other Reference(s):	Achenbach, Thomas M. & Rescorla, Leslie A. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA School-Age Forms & Profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont , Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families. Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18 and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry. Achenbach, T. M., & Howell, C. T. (1993). Are American children's problems getting worse? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32, 1145-1154. Atkins, M. S., & Stoff, D. M. (1993). Instrumental and hostile aggression in childhood disruptive behavior disorders. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 21, 165-178. Atkins, M. S., Stoff, D. M., Osborne, M. L., & Brown, K. (1993). Distinguishing instrumental and hostile aggression: Does it make a difference? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 21 (4), 355-365. McConaughy, S. H., Mattison, R. E., & Peterson, R. L. (1994). Behavioral/emotional problems of children with serious emotional disturbances and learning disabilities. School Psychology Review, 23, 77-94. Achenbach, T. M., et al. (1995). Six-year predictors of problems in a national sample of children and youth: I. Cross-informant syndromes. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34 (3), 336-347. Ferdinand, R. F., & Verhulst, F. C. (1995). Psychopathology from adolescence into young adulthood: An 8-year follow-up study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152 (11), 1586-1594. Weine, A. M., Phillips, J. S., & Achenbach, T. M. (1995). Behavioral and emotional problems among Chinese and American children: Parent and teacher reports for ages 6 to 13. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 23 (5). Warren, S. L., Oppenheim, D., & Emde, R. N. (1996). Can emotions and themes in children's play predict behavior problems? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34 910), 1331-1337. Kelly, T. P., & McArdle, P. (1997). Using the Achenbach Child Behaviour Checklist in the differential diagnosis of disruprive behaviour disorders. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 14 (4), 136-138. Greenbaum, P. E., & Dedrick, R. F. (1998). Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis of the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18. Psychological Assessment, 10 (2), 149-155.
Other:	Available in Spanish
	Reviewed in the Buros Institute, Mental Measurements Yearbook. http://www.unl.edu/buros/

Contact

Organization:	Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment
Address:	1 South Prospect Street, Room 6436
City:	Burlington
State:	VT
Zip:	05401-3456
Phone:	(802) 264-6432
Fax:	(802) 264-6433
E-mail:	mail@ASEBA.org
Website:	www.ASEBA.org

Last updated by Violence Institute of New Jersey:  August 2006