Conduct Disorder Rating Scale – for Parents (CDRS-P)

Abstract

The Conduct Disorder Rating Scale- for parents (CDRS-P) was developed by Waschbusch and Elgar (2007) to provide a reliable and consistent measure of Conduct Disorder (CD) symptoms in children and adolescents. The scale was created specifically to align precisely with the diagnostic criteria established in the DSM-IV, addressing inconsistencies found in many prior assessment instruments. CD is recognized as a significant public health issue affecting a substantial percentage of youth, often associated with severe long-term outcomes such as violence and substance abuse. The CDRS-P is a parent-report measure utilizing a Likert-type scale format to assess the frequency and severity of 15 core CD symptoms over a 12-month period.

Keywords

Conduct Disorder, CDRS-P, Behavioral Assessment, Parent Rating Scale, DSM-IV, Child Psychopathology, Disruptive Behavior, Adolescents, Externalizing Disorders.

Authors

Waschbusch, D. A., Elgar, F. J.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Conduct Disorder Rating Scale- for parents (CDRS-P) is the measurement and quantification of symptomatic behaviors associated with Conduct Disorder (CD) in youth. It serves as a clinical and research tool, allowing clinicians and researchers to assess the presence and frequency of specific behaviors as reported by the child’s primary caregiver.

The scale is designed to overcome limitations in older instruments by ensuring that the measured items map directly onto the specific criteria defined by the DSM-IV diagnostic system. This alignment ensures greater diagnostic consistency and utility in clinical settings and treatment monitoring.

Construct

The CDRS-P measures the psychological construct of Conduct Disorder (CD). CD is characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated. The scale operationalizes this construct using the fifteen specific symptoms listed in the DSM-IV criteria for CD, which are typically grouped into four dimensions: aggression to people and animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violations of rules.

The instrument not only measures the frequency of these 15 symptoms but also includes items assessing the level of functional impairment these behaviors cause the child across various settings (home, school, and other social environments), providing a comprehensive view of the disorder’s impact.

Validity

The development and validation study conducted by Waschbusch and Elgar (2007) established the scale’s strong validity. The CDRS-P exhibits high content validity, as the 15 symptom items were derived directly and verbatim from the official DSM-IV criteria for Conduct Disorder, ensuring the scale measures the intended domain.

Furthermore, studies investigating its convergent validity have shown that scores on the CDRS-P correlate significantly and positively with other established measures of externalizing behavior and aggression, while demonstrating appropriate discriminant validity against measures of internalizing disorders, confirming its specificity in identifying CD symptoms.

Reliability

The CDRS-P demonstrates robust psychometric reliability. Internal consistency, measured typically using Cronbach’s alpha, is reported to be high, indicating that the individual items consistently measure the underlying construct of Conduct Disorder. This suggests strong homogeneity among the symptom items.

While specific test-retest reliability metrics were established in the original validation paper, the scale is designed for repeated use in clinical contexts to track changes in symptom frequency over time, implying acceptable temporal stability for behavioral frequency ratings reported by parents.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis performed during the scale’s development aimed to confirm that the structure of the CDRS-P aligns with the theoretical dimensions of Conduct Disorder as conceptualized in the DSM. Findings typically support a multi-factor model consistent with the four DSM clusters: Aggression, Property Destruction, Deceitfulness/Theft, and Rule Violations. This factor structure reinforces the scale’s utility in assessing specific subtypes or dimensions of CD, rather than just a global score.

Instrument

Test Type: Parent-report rating scale (Observer-rated).

Format: 19 items total (15 core symptom items, 4 impairment items). The symptom items utilize a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 to 5 (Never, Once, Monthly, Weekly, Daily) to measure the frequency of behaviors over the past 12 months.

Language Available: English (Primary publication language).

Population Group: Children and Adolescents with suspected or diagnosed Conduct Disorder.

Age Group: Typically used for youth aged 4 to 16 years.

Population Details: The scale is administered to the parent or legal guardian who is most familiar with the child’s behavior over the specified time frame.

Test Methodology: Quantitative assessment of behavioral frequency and subsequent functional impairment based on parental observation.

Keywords

CDRS-P, Conduct Disorder, Child Rating, Psychometrics, Behavior Frequency, Externalizing Behaviors, Clinical Assessment, Waschbusch & Elgar.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not publicly provided in source materials.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not publicly provided in source materials.

Correspondence Address: Not publicly provided in source materials.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and validated in 2007. Information regarding current usage permissions and associated fees should be sought directly from the primary authors (D. A. Waschbusch or F. J. Elgar) or the publisher of the journal Assessment, where the validation study appeared.

Reference’s

• Waschbusch, D. A., & Elgar, F. J. (2007). Development and validation of the conduct disorder rating scale. Assessment, 14, 65-74.

• Fabiana. G. A, Pelham, W. E., Waschbusch, D. A., Gnagy, E. M., Lahey, B. B., et al. (2006). A Practical Measure of Impairment: Psychometric Properties of the Impairment Rating Scale in Samples of Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Two School-Based Samples. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35(3), 369–385.

Items of the Conduct Disorder Rating Scale- for parents (CDRS-P)

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

Conduct Disorder Rating Scale – Parent Version

• Child Name:                                                  
• Age:          
• Grade:          
• Sex (circle one): Boy    Girl
• Today’s Date:                        
• Your Name:                                            
• Relationship to child:                                

INSTRUCTIONS: Listed below are items that describe children’s behaviour. Read each item carefully and check the box that best describes this child’s behavior for the past 12 months. You may put DK next to any item that you do not know or do not wish to answer.

In the past 12 months, your child…	Never	Once	Monthly	Weekly	Daily
1.     Has run away from home overnight at least twice while living in parent’s or guardian’s home (or one time without returning for a long period)
2.     Lies to get things he/she wants, or to get favours from others, or to avoid obligations (i.e., ‘cons’ others)
3.     Starts physical fights
4.     Has been physically cruel to people
5.     Has stolen things of value without confronting a victim (e.g., shoplifting; forgery)
6.     Skips school
7.     Has broken into someone else’s house, building, or car
8.     Has deliberately set fires to try and cause serious damage
9. Has stolen while confronting a victim (e.g., mugging, purse snatching, extortion, armed robbery)
10. Stays out at night despite parental rules
11. Has forced someone into sexual activity
12. Bullies, threatens, or intimidates others
13. Has deliberately destroyed others’ property (other than by fire setting)
14. Has been physically cruel to animals
15. Has used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others (e.g., a bat, brick, broken bottle, knife, gun)
How much of a problem do any of the above behaviors cause your child at…	No Problems	Mild Problems	Moderate Problems	Severe Problems	Very Severe Problems
16. Home?
17. School?
18. Other (e.g., team sports, playgrounds, etc.)?
19. How old was this child when he/she started behaving this way?	AGE IN YEARS