The Validation of the Chinese Aggression and Victimization Scale (CAVS) for Adolescents

Abstract

The psychometric properties of the Chinese Aggression and Victimization Scale (CAVS) were examined among 484 adolescents aged between 11 and 16 years. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied and the goodness of fit of the model to the data was determined using multiple criteria. Results confirmed a two-factor structure which fitted well with the data. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for age and sex yielded evidence for good internal reliability with values ranging from 0.63 to 0.88 that were not affected by age or sex. The convergent validity was investigated by correlations among the CAVS and the CES-Depression for Children, Zung's Anxiety Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed that both subscales and the total scale were positively and significantly correlated with depression and anxiety, but negatively related to the Self-Esteem scale. The CAVS is a valid instrument for measuring aggressive behavior and victimization among adolescents.

Keywords:

• aggression
• victimization
• assessment
• psychometric
• factor structure
• validity
• reliability