The American Journal of Family Therapy, 37:287–298, 2009 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0192-6187 print / 1521-0383 online DOI: 10.1080/01926180902754687 Development of a Brief Version of the Children’s Roles Inventory (CRI-20) RICHARD S. WAMPLER and ADAM B. DOWNS Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA JUDITH L. FISCHER Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA In the present study, a brief version of the Children’s Role Inventory (CRI-60) was developed. Along with other measures, 840 under- graduates completed the CRI-60. Exploratory factor analysis yielded two interpretable factors (Hero vs. Scapegoat, Mascot vs. Lost Child). Structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures identified items for four 5-item CRI scales (CRI-20). Each CRI-20 scale correlated closely with the corresponding CRI-60 scale. Selecting the highest 5-item scale score, four categories were established. Category differences were found for family dysfunction and codependency. Further, χ 2 -tests indicated that participants in the CRI-20 categories dif- fered significantly in risk of alcoholism, self-reported addiction, and father’s addiction. Potter and Williams (1991) developed the Children’s Roles Inventory (CRI-60) to assess children’s roles in families with an alcoholic parent. Following the terminology of Black (1981) and Wegscheider (1981), items were developed that seemed related to four extreme roles in the family that the child of an alcoholic might take on: Hero, Mascot, Lost Child, and Scapegoat. When taken to extremes, each of these roles is costly to the child in the family; however, the roles of Lost Child and Scapegoat are particularly challenging. Address correspondence to Richard S. Wampler, Family and Child Ecology, Rm. 7, Human Ecology Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. E-mail: rwampler@msu.edu 287