A typology of child behavior profile patterns: distribution and correlates for disturbed children aged 6--16

Abstract

This article reports the construction of a typology of behavior problem patterns, as scored on the Child Behavior Profile. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify reliable profile patterns that characterize clinically referred boys and girls aged 6-11 and 12-16. Procedures for classifying the profiles of individual children were developed and good agreement was obtained between classifications based on rating by mothers and a clinician. The distribution of profile patterns was determined for each age and sex group. Children classified by different patterns were found to differ significantly in age, race, school performance, and amount and quality of participation in activities and social relationships. Issues in the application of cluster analysis to behavioral data were analyzed and various options for the classification of individual cases were compared.