Citation

Green JG, Furlong MJ, Astor RA, Benbenishty R, Espinoza E. Vict. Offender 2011; 6(3): 290-305.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15564886.2011.581883

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

There is a need for cross-national estimates of school victimization prevalence, yet limited methodological research in this area. The current study evaluates the School Victimization Scale (SVS), administered in the U.S., Guatemala, and Israel (total N = 9,722). SVS measurement equivalence was tested to compare subgroups within each country. Two SVS factors emerged in all countries reflecting higher-severity (weapon-related) and lower-severity (physical/verbal) victimization. Israeli data had poor scalar equivalence; Jewish and Arab students with the same SVS score endorsed different items.

FINDINGS illustrate the complexity of cross-national measurement of school victimization and the potential for misleading results when psychometric equivalence is ignored.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescents; assessment; cross-cultural; international; school violence