Using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) With Transgender/Gender Nonconforming Children and Adolescents

• Published in: Clinical practice in pediatric psychology 2019-09, Vol.7 (3), p.291-301
• Main Authors: Rider, G. Nic, Berg, Dianne, Pardo, Seth T, Olson-Kennedy, Johanna, Sharp, Carla, Tran, Kathy M, Calvetti, Sam, Keo-Meier, Colton L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavior Problems; Child Behavior Checklist; Effect Size (Statistical); Female; Gender Nonconforming; Human; Male; Scoring (Testing); Screening Tests; T Test
• ISSN: 2169-4826; 2169-4834
• DOI: 10.1037/cpp0000296

Objective: The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) is a widely used instrument to screen for emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. This study examined the impact that the choice of scoring template (male/female) had on scale scores in transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth as well as scores in the clinical range. Method: The analytic sample consisted of 108 participants (including 55 TGNC children ages 6-11 years and 53 TGNC adolescents ages 12-18 years). Paired samples t tests, McNemar's test for dependent samples, and Cohen's dav effect sizes were used for comparisons. Results: While statistically significant differences were found for several syndrome and broad band scale scores, there were largely trivial differences when comparing female versus male templates. Further, the number of scores in the clinical range when comparing male versus female templates were not statistically significantly different. For example, parent/guardian report of transgender boys (12-18 years) showed significant differences between scores based on a male versus female template on 9 of 11 scales; however, only the somatic problems, rule-breaking behavior, and internalizing subscales showed a difference in the number of clinical range scores (albeit not statistically significant). Conclusions: Choice in template does not seem to significantly impact whether a score will be clinically significant or not in this community-based sample. More research that is inclusive of nonbinary youth, with clinical samples, and with larger sample sizes is needed to build upon this preliminary work. Implications for Impact Statement This study suggests that using the male versus female template for the Child Behavior Checklist does not result in significantly different numbers of scores that fall in the clinical range in this community-based sample of transgender children and adolescents.