Adaptation and validation of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2 for a national study of child maltreatment in Australia

Ben Mathews; Franziska Meinck; Holly E Erskine; Nam Tran; Ha Lee; Karen Kellard; Rosana Pacella; James G Scott; David Finkelhor; Daryl J Higgins; Hannah J Thomas; Divna M Haslam

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106093

Adaptation and validation of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2 for a national study of child maltreatment in Australia

Child Abuse Negl. 2023 May:139:106093. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106093. Epub 2023 Feb 16.

Authors

Ben Mathews¹, Franziska Meinck², Holly E Erskine³, Nam Tran⁴, Ha Lee⁵, Karen Kellard⁶, Rosana Pacella⁷, James G Scott⁸, David Finkelhor⁹, Daryl J Higgins¹⁰, Hannah J Thomas¹¹, Divna M Haslam¹²

Affiliations

¹ School of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. Electronic address: b.mathews@qut.edu.au.
² School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom; School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; OPTENTIA, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.
³ Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Qld, Australia; School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
⁴ ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Family over the Life Course, University of Queensland, Australia.
⁵ School of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
⁶ Qualitative Research Unit. Social Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
⁷ Institute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.
⁸ Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Qld, Australia; QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, Australia.
⁹ Crimes Against Children Research Center, Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
¹⁰ Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia; Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
¹¹ Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Qld, Australia; QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
¹² School of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia; Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

PMID: 36805615
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106093

Abstract

Background: To establish national prevalence of child maltreatment, reliable, valid and contextually appropriate measurement is needed. This paper outlines the refinement, adaptation and testing of child maltreatment sections of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ)-R2 for use in the Australian context.

Methods: Three phases were undertaken: 1) Conceptual analysis of the five forms of child maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, neglect, and experience of domestic violence), item mapping and review, item development, and independent expert review; 2) Cognitive testing with members of the general population, and individuals who have experienced maltreatment; and 3) Pilot testing and quantitative psychometric assessment with a random sample of Australians aged 16-65+ years.

Results: The final measure included a total of 17 child maltreatment screener items, assessing Physical Abuse (2 items), Sexual abuse (5 items (including 2 non-contact items and 3 contact items), Emotional Abuse (3 items), Neglect (3 items), and Experience of Domestic Violence (4 items). Screener items were also included on corporal punishment (1 item), and internet sexual victimization (2 items). The final 17-item revised JVQ had high face and conceptual validity and good internal reliability (α = 0.86 and Ω = 0.87). Test re-test reliability was moderate to high for individual screeners ranging from k = 0.45 to 0.89.

Conclusions: Results indicate the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2: Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study) is a suitable instrument for assessing population-wide prevalence of maltreatment. It is congruent with conceptual models of maltreatment and shows good reliability and validity in this Australian sample.

Keywords: Adaptation; Child abuse; Child maltreatment; Measurement; Psychometrics; Validation; Violence against children.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Australia / epidemiology
Child
Child Abuse* / psychology
Crime Victims* / psychology
Humans
Reproducibility of Results
Surveys and Questionnaires