Behavior Rating Index for Children (BRIC)

Abstract

The Behavior Rating Index for Children (BRIC) is a concise, 13-item psychological assessment tool designed to quickly measure the frequency and severity of behavioral and emotional problems in children. Developed by Stiffman and colleagues in 1984, the BRIC serves as a brief screening instrument valuable for both clinical practice and research settings where rapid data collection on general child adjustment is required. The instrument utilizes a simple 5-point Likert scale response format, making it easy for parents, teachers, or other informants to complete.

Its primary utility lies in identifying children who may require further, more detailed diagnostic evaluation, as well as tracking changes in behavior over the course of an intervention. The brevity of the BRIC is one of its key strengths, allowing for efficient administration and scoring.

Keywords

Child behavior, Behavior problems, Rating scale, Clinical assessment, Psychological assessment, Brief measure, BRIC, Child psychopathology.

Authors

Stiffman, A.R., Orme, J.G., Evans, D.A., Feldman, R.A., Keeney, P.A.

Purpose

The core purpose of the Behavior Rating Index for Children (BRIC) is to provide a rapid and psychometrically sound measure for the screening and evaluation of common behavioral problems in pediatric populations. It is intentionally brief to maximize efficiency in settings such as pediatric clinics, school counseling offices, or large epidemiological studies.

The scale is designed to quantify the frequency of both adaptive and maladaptive behaviors, offering clinicians and researchers a snapshot of the child’s overall level of functioning and distress. This information is crucial for making preliminary decisions regarding the necessity of therapeutic intervention or specialized educational support.

Construct

The BRIC is primarily intended to measure a broad, underlying factor of general maladjustment or behavioral disturbance in children. The 13 items sample a range of observable behaviors that broadly fall into typical domains assessed in child psychology, including aspects of social competence, emotional regulation, attention/persistence, and externalizing behaviors.

While the scale is often used to yield a single total score reflecting overall problem severity, the items implicitly touch upon constructs related to both internalizing behaviors (e.g., feeling sick, feeling upset, hiding thoughts) and externalizing behaviors (e.g., hitting, cheating, losing temper). The concise nature of the BRIC allows for quick quantification of these behaviors without requiring the detailed subscale structure found in longer instruments.

Validity

The original research detailing the development of the BRIC focused on establishing its efficacy as a streamlined measure for identifying children with significant behavioral issues. Although specific validity coefficients (such as correlation with external criteria) are usually detailed in the primary source literature, the acceptance of the BRIC in major clinical sourcebooks attests to its recognized construct validity within the field of child assessment.

Researchers utilizing the BRIC generally aim to demonstrate strong concurrent validity, showing that scores correlate highly with established, comprehensive measures of child psychopathology, such as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Furthermore, the scale must demonstrate sensitivity in distinguishing between clinical samples (children referred for services) and non-clinical samples (general population peers).

Reliability

Reliability estimates, including measures of internal consistency and test-retest reliability, are foundational to the utility of the BRIC. For a brief index to be effective in clinical tracking, it must demonstrate robust internal consistency, ensuring that the 13 items measure a coherent underlying construct.

The initial psychometric properties established by Stiffman et al. (1984) confirmed its dependability. Adequate test-retest reliability is essential for an instrument used to measure change over time, ensuring that variations in scores are due to genuine changes in the child’s behavior rather than measurement error.

Factor Analysis

Given the scale’s brevity (only 13 items), the BRIC is most commonly scored as a unidimensional total score reflecting global behavioral problems. However, factor analytic studies on similar brief measures often seek to confirm whether the items cluster into meaningful subscales.

If factor analysis were applied, the items would likely distribute across the dominant dimensions of child behavior: one factor related to Externalizing Problems (e.g., aggression, non-compliance) and another related to Internalizing Problems (e.g., anxiety, somatic complaints). The ultimate recommendation for scoring (total score vs. subscales) depends on the clarity and strength of the factor structure observed in diverse pediatric samples.

Instrument

Test Type: Behavior Rating Scale (Informant Report)

Format: 13-item scale utilizing a 5-point frequency-based Likert response format.

Language Available: English (Primary publication language).

Population Group: Children and adolescents.

Age Group: Typically school-age children (implied).

Population Details: Used across general population, clinical, and high-risk youth samples for quick screening of maladaptive behaviors.

Test Methodology: The scale is typically completed by an informant (parent, teacher, or caregiver) who rates the frequency of the child’s behaviors over a specified period.

Keywords

Child assessment, Emotional regulation, Externalizing behaviors, Internalizing behaviors, Psychometric properties, Screening tool, Stiffman.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original development and publication year for the Behavior Rating Index for Children (BRIC) was 1984. The scale was introduced in the journal *Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development*. While the instrument is frequently reprinted in reference sourcebooks for use in non-commercial research and educational contexts, specific licensing permissions and associated fees for commercial use or large-scale clinical implementation should be sought directly from the original authors or the holding publisher.

Reference’s

• Stiffman, A.R., Orme, J.G., Evans, D.A., Feldman, R.A., and Keeney, P.A. (1984). A brief measure of children’s behavior problems: The Behavior Rating Index for Children. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 16, 83-90.
• Stiffman, A.R., Orme, J.G., Evens, D.A., Feldman, R.A., Keeny, P.A. (1984). Behavior Rating Index for Children (BRIC). In Fischer, Joel., Corcoran, Kevin J. (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY. Oxford University Pr. Vol. 1, Page(s): 438-439.
• Further information on this instrument can be found at: http://dcyfernetsearch.cehd.umn.edu/content/behavior-rating-index-children-bric

Items of the Behavior Rating Index for Children (BRIC)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

In general‚ how often does this child:

1. Feel happy or relaxed?
2. Hide his/her thoughts from other people?
3. Say or do really strange things?
4. Not pay attention when he/she should?
5. Quit a job or task without finishing it?
6. Get along well with other people?
7. Hit‚ push‚ or hurt someone?
8. Get along poorly with other people?
9. Get very upset?
10. Compliment or help someone?
11. Feel sick?
12. Cheat?
13. Lose his/her temper? 5. Quit a job or task without finishing it?

Response Scale:

1 = rarely or never‚ 2 = A little of the time‚ 3 = Some of the time‚ 4 = A good part of the time‚ 5 = Most or all of the time