NCJ Number
212063
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 20 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 529-547
Date Published
October 2005
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a second validation study of the Composite Abuse Scale (CAS), using a larger heterogeneous sample of women patients of Australian general practitioners; and it outlines a further reduction in number of items and reports on the reliability and validity of the shorter version of CAS (30 items).
Abstract
After identifying the weaknesses in previous instruments for measuring intimate partner violence (IPV), this study discusses the development of the CAS, which is intended for use in measuring women's experience of IPV. The CAS has four dimensions: Severe Combined Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, and Harassment. The CAS differs from other measures of partner abuse in measuring a range of types of abuse; and prior to the current study, it had been validated on a large clinical population. In the current study, the CAS was used with 1,836 women patients of general practitioners in Brisbane, Australia. This report presents evidence of the CAS's criterion and construct validity in the current test. The CAS thus appears to be a reliable instrument for measuring a broad feminist definition of multidimensional IPV against women. In addition, the CAS is apparently well-validated for both abused and nonabused populations and could be used in clinical settings as a research tool rather than a screening tool to enable future studies to determine the following: the longitudinal nature of women's experience of partner abuse; whether women experiencing different types of partner abuse have different antecedents and outcomes and require different interventions; and what interventions will help women victims of partner abuse. 9 tables and 35 references