Screening of Child Behavior Problems for Prevention Programs at School Entry

Targeted programs designed to prevent conduct problems in childhood and adolescence rely on screening systems to identify high-risk individuals. This study examines the proximal usefulness of a multiple-gating approach to screening, using teacher and parent ratings in a 2-step procedure with a sample of 382 kindergarten children. The study explored differences in the accuracy of the 2 steps of screening information and whether parents' reports of parenting practices augments the prediction of negative outcomes. The 2-step screening system was found to effectively predict negative behavior outcomes over 1 year later, although some false-positive and false-negative predictions were evident. The Parenting Practices Screen did not substantially add to prediction accuracy. The discussion emphasizes the potential contributions and problems of using screening measures.