Internalizing or externalizing: Screening for both problem youth

This study is an initial report of work to develop simple procedures to screen out children and adolescents who internalize or externalize their psychological problems. Such screening procedures can easily be used in classrooms by teachers, peers, children themselves or other observers who know the students in class. Most children are referred to counseling services because they are disturbing to others or externalizing their problems. However, other children who internalize their problems get much less attention of teachers and referral to counseling services. Instead of working mainly with referred children, counselors need to make sure that both children are screened out so that their services could be equally disturbed. The screening procedures in this study are intended to help in identifying particularly the "internalizer" who may get neglected in distribution of counseling services.