中華心理衛生協會

 Purpose: Intimate partner violence is an important issue in human rights and mental health. We developed the psychological violence self-assessment scale to provide victims with a reliable and valid anonymous tool to help them assess their level of risk for psychological violence. Methods: We developed the scale in 4 stages. In the first 3 stages, different groups of social workers, psychological counselors, clinical psychologists, teachers, and medical staff completed an intimate partner violence assessment to confirm the items to be included on the scale. In the fourth stage, 180 victims (37 males, mean age 38.56; 143 females, mean age 35.79) to completed the questionnaire. We used CFA to verify its reliability and validity, and multi-group analysis and ROC curve analysis to test gender invariance and screening ability. Results: We identified 4 reliable and valid dimensions for the scale with good fit: derogatory speech, intimidation, forced isolation, and emotional threats. The analysis demonstrated gender invariance and verified that the scale has good screening ability and can provide appropriate assessment. Conclusions: The distinction between high and low risk as measured by the new tool indicates the level of severity of psychological violence that the victim has experienced. This tool can help individuals to recognize their level of risk.