Techniques for Screening Conduct Disturbed Children

Abstract

A direct observation technique was used to investigate differences between children classified as conduct disturbed or normal on the basis of ratings given by their regular classroom teachers. It was found that subjects rated as conduct disturbed engaged in significantly more deviant behavior and significantly less task oriented behavior than subjects rated as normal on a 10 item rating scale. The simultaneous comparison of the overt behavior of children differentially rated by their teacher not only serves as a check on the validity of the teacher's judgment, but also provides a technique for observing the conduct problem child in relation to normative classroom behavior, as perceived by his teacher.