Author(s)

Sumayah A. Alrubayie, Keetam D. F. Alkahtani

Department of Special Education, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

School-based universal screening for behavioral/emotional risk is a necessary first step to providing services in an educational setting for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). Psychometric properties are critical to making decisions about choosing a screening instrument. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the student risk screening scale for internalizing and externalizing behaviors (SRSS-IE). Participants included 3145 students and their teachers. Item-level analyses of the current sample supported the retention of all items. The internal consistency of the SRSS items ranged from 0.83 to 0.85. Convergent validity between the SRSS-IE and a well-established screening tool, the strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), was found for the total score (r = 0.70). Additionally, the results of this study demonstrate strong social validity, suggesting the SRSS-IE to be a useful and functional screening tool. We conclude that the SRSS-IE is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the level of emotional and behavioral difficulties among elementary students.

The Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors (SRSS-IE), Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties, Screening Tools, Systematic Screening

Alrubayie, S. and Alkahtani, K. (2024) Evidence for the Reliability and Validity of the Arabic Version of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors (SRSS-IE). Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 14, 32-45. doi: 10.4236/jbbs.2024.141004.