Youth At Risk Screening Questionnaire (YAR)

Abstract

The Youth At Risk Screening Questionnaire (YAR) is an instrument developed by Michael G. Conner in 1989 designed to identify adolescents exhibiting behaviors and emotional patterns indicative of high risk for future psychological, social, or legal difficulties. The YAR focuses on a broad spectrum of challenging behaviors, ranging from difficulties in executive functions and defiance against authority to aggressive actions, substance abuse indicators, and chronic interpersonal difficulties. The scale serves as a preliminary screening questionnaire tool for professionals working in clinical, educational, or juvenile justice settings who require a quick assessment of potential youth at risk.

Keywords

Youth At Risk, Screening Questionnaire, Adolescent behavior, Behavioral problems, Oppositional Defiance, Conduct Disorder, Substance abuse indicators, Michael G. Conner, Psychological assessment, Emotional dysregulation.

Authors

Michael G. Conner, 1989

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Youth At Risk Screening Questionnaire (YAR) is to provide clinicians, counselors, and educators with a structured checklist to quickly assess the presence and severity of behaviors commonly associated with maladjustment and high-risk trajectories in youth. By compiling 51 distinct items spanning various domains of functioning, the scale aids in the early identification of individuals who may require immediate therapeutic intervention or more comprehensive psychological evaluation.

The instrument is particularly useful for identifying patterns that exceed typical adolescent rebellion, focusing instead on persistent traits such as poor impulse control, chronic defiance, deceitfulness, and signs of social alienation or aggression. Early detection through instruments like the YAR is crucial for initiating preventative measures and mitigating the long-term consequences associated with conduct disorder and serious behavioral problems.

Construct

The YAR measures a broad, multifaceted construct generally categorized as “Youth At Risk,” encompassing symptoms related to several clinical diagnoses, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD). The 51 items are structured to capture deficits across four major domains often implicated in youth maladjustment: executive functioning deficits, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, defiance/authority conflicts, and aggressive/anti-social behaviors.

Specific behaviors assessed include failure to follow instructions, difficulties with organization (executive functions), emotional reactivity, vindictiveness, truancy, substance abuse indications, and various forms of cruelty or destruction of property. The scale aims to quantify the frequency and intensity of these high-risk behaviors, providing a profile of the youth’s current level of risk exposure and severity of impairment.

Validity

Specific psychometric studies detailing the construct, criterion, and concurrent validity of the YAR were not provided in the original source documentation. However, the face validity of the scale is high, as its items directly reflect criteria found in established diagnostic manuals (such as the DSM) related to disruptive behavior disorders and substance-related problems. The items cover a comprehensive range of behaviors recognized clinically as indicators of serious risk, including aggression, deceit, and chronic rule-breaking.

For clinical application, validation often relies on the instrument’s ability to differentiate between normative adolescent behavior and patterns requiring intervention. Users should exercise caution and supplement YAR findings with other validated instruments and clinical interviews, particularly given the lack of publicly available, peer-reviewed documentation on its statistical validation properties.

Reliability

Information regarding the internal consistency (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha), test-retest reliability, or inter-rater reliability of the Youth At Risk Screening Questionnaire is not detailed in the available source material. Given that the scale is intended as a quick screening tool, high reliability across subscales would typically be desired to ensure consistent measurement of the various behavioral domains it covers. Users are advised to seek further psychometric documentation from the author or publisher to ascertain the reliability of the scores for research or high-stakes diagnostic purposes.

Factor Analysis

A formal factor analysis structure for the YAR is not provided in the source documentation. Based on the content of the 51 items, it is conceptually possible that the scale could yield several factors reflecting distinct dimensions of risk, such as defiance, impulsivity, and social aggression. The breadth of the instrument suggests its potential to assess multiple comorbid conditions. Without empirical analysis, the scale must currently be treated as a unitary measure of overall risk severity, highlighting the need for further research into its latent structure and the relationship between items related to executive function and those related to emotional dysregulation.

Instrument

Test Type: Behavioral Checklist / Screening Questionnaire

Format: 51-item descriptive checklist, typically rated by a parent, guardian, or knowledgeable professional based on observed behaviors.

Language Available: English (Original language)

Population Group: Youth and Adolescents exhibiting challenging behaviors.

Age Group: Generally utilized for school-aged children and adolescents (age range inferred).

Population Details: Individuals referred for counseling, mental health services, or those involved with the juvenile justice system due to behavioral issues, truancy, or substance abuse concerns.

Test Methodology: The respondent rates the frequency or presence of 51 specific behaviors and emotional patterns. The scoring methodology is not explicitly detailed but typically involves tallying the number of endorsed high-risk items to establish a total risk score.

Keywords

Adolescent maladjustment, Behavioral screening, Michael G. Conner, Defiance, Aggression, Truancy, Impulse control, ODD, Psychological risk assessment, Youth At Risk.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided.

Affiliation Email addresses: Contact information available via the associated professional services: Crisis Counseling.

Correspondence Address: Bend Psychological Services. Office: 541 388-5660, FAX: 541 323-2000.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed in 1989 by Michael G. Conner. Information regarding specific licensing fees or formal permissions for clinical or research use should be obtained directly from the author or Bend Psychological Services, as this proprietary information was not detailed in the source content.

Reference’s

Conner, M. G. (1989). Youth At Risk Screening Questionnaire (YAR). Retrieved from http://www.crisiscounseling.org/Assessments/YouthAtRiskScreen.htm. Further information available at the Crisis Counseling website: http://www.crisiscounseling.org/.

Items of the Youth At Risk Screening Questionnaire (YAR)

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

1. Does not follow through with instruction and fails to complete tasks
2. Has difficulty organizing tasks or activities
3. Avoids‚ dislikes and is reluctant to engage in tasks that require effort
4. Has difficulty waiting or taking turns
5. Interrupts or intrudes on others
6. Is overly concerned with the opinions of friends
7. Is being used by other kids who are not good friends
8. Stealing without confronting a victim
9. Truancy from school
10. Easily frustrated or impatient with simple and reasonable rules
11. Swears
12. Pushes people away but then desperately wants them back
13. Touchy or easily annoyed by others
14. Easily frustrated and upset by events or circumstances
15. Blames others for circumstances without good reason
16. Blames others for his or her own mistakes
17. Avoids healthy family or social activities
18. Argues with adults over little things
19. Lying
20. Actively defies or refuses the requests of adults
21. Deliberately does things to annoy people
22. Quick to react with anger
23. Spiteful or vindictive
24. Often late without good reason
25. Frequent (at least daily) emotional outbursts and mood swings
26. Reckless or irresponsible behavior
27. Their efforts to solve their problems are not reasonable and are not effective
28. Doesn’t seem to learn from mistakes and then change their behavior
29. Seems unable to see things from another person’s point of view
30. Reacts to criticism or consequences with feelings of intense guilt‚ anger or depression
31. Responds with rage‚ profanity or yelling when their point of view is not accepted
32. Requires an excessive amount of attention and support
33. Avoids discussing or ignores the impact of their behavior on others
34. Tries to negotiate‚ get out of problems and avoid consequences
35. Is manipulative and deceptive
36. Does not follow through with promises
37. Running away from home
38. Deliberate destruction of property or the belongings of others
39. Mental or emotional cruelty to others
40. Justifies hurting others who resist being manipulated or controlled
41. Initiating physical fights
42. Has been in counseling or therapy and has not benefited
43. Breaking into someone’s house‚ building or car
44. Stealing when confronting a victim
45. Friends and family suspect a drug problem
46. Refuses to acknowledge even the obvious consequences or symptoms of drug use
47. Has or is currently on medication for mental‚ emotional or behavioral problems
48. Threatens parents with violence‚ self-harming or self-destructive behavior
49. Denies solid evidence of their drug use
50. Cruelty to animals
51. Physical cruelty to others