International comparisons of behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children: parents’ reports from 24 societies

International comparisons were conducted of preschool children’s behavioral and
emotional problems as reported on the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½–5 by parents
in 24 societies (N¼19,850). Item ratings were aggregated into scores on syndromes; Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–oriented scales; a Stress Problems scale;
and Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales. Effect sizes for scale score differences
among the 24 societies ranged from small to medium (3–12%). Although societies
differed greatly in language, culture, and other characteristics, Total Problems scores for
18 of the 24 societies were within 7.1 points of the omnicultural mean of 33.3 (on a scale of
0–198). Gender and age differences, as well as gender and age interactions with society,
were all very small (effect sizes<1%). Across all pairs of societies, correlations between
mean item ratings averaged .78, and correlations between internal consistency alphas
for the scales averaged .92, indicating that the rank orders of mean item ratings and internal
consistencies of scales were very similar across diverse societies.