“Behavioral Earthquakes:” Low Frequency, Salient Behavioral Events that Differentiate Students At-Risk for Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

Children considered to be at high risk (n = 30), moderate risk (n = 55), and low risk (n = 30) for behavioral disorders were contrasted on cognitive/achievement, social competence, externalizing behavior, and school history variables. Risk status was based on a 33-item checklist known as the Critical Events Index (Walker & Severson, 1990) that is a measure of behavioral pinpoints having high salience and intensity, but relatively low frequency. Multivariate and univariate analyses showed that the three at-risk groups were differentiated primarily on social competence and externalizing behavior measures. Cross-validated stepwise discriminant function analyses contrasting the High Risk and the Low Risk groups using combinations of social competence, externalizing, internalizing, and school history variables correctly identified over 85% of the High Risk group and over 78% of the Low Risk group. Discriminant function analysis based soley on externalizing behaviors created an unacceptable false negative rate for risk status. Findings are discussed within the context of teacher judgments, critical behavioral events as being “vital signs” of childhood psychopathology, and the need for multimethod assessments of critical events.