Citation

Edelstein I. Violence Vict. 2018; 33(5): 789-812.

Affiliation

Safety and Violence Initiative, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Springer Publishing)

DOI

10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-17-00040

PMID

30567866

Abstract

The assessment of violence risk among youth remains a priority for researchers and practitioners globally. The absence of scales designed or validated in developing countries drives the need for a psychometrically sound, alternative measure. The purpose of this article is to validate the Youth Violence Potential Scale (YVPS). The YVPS was administered twice over 12 months to 318 South African males, aged 12-24 years. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of separate samples confirmed a 19-item, three-factor solution, comprised of a Deviant Peers subscale, a Pro-Gangs Attitude subscale, and a Pro-Violence Attitude subscale. The YVPS exhibited internal reliability (α =.91) and discriminant and convergent validity among its subscales. Correlation with self-reported problem behavior/offending (r =.48, p <.001) and risk assessment from the maternal caregiver (r =.39, p <.001) evidenced concurrent and external validity.

© 2018 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.

Language: en

Keywords

factor analysis; scale development; self-reported offending; violence risk assessment; youth violence