Cross-Cultural Validation of a Spanish-Language Version of the Composite Abuse Scale (Revised) – Short Form (CASR-SF)

Abstract

The Composite Abuse Scale (Revised) -Short Form (CASR-SF) was developed to provide a brief, reliable, and valid self-report measure that could adequately capture the complexity of intimate partner violence (IPV). Unlike many commonly used IPV instruments, it is a multidimensional measure that is appropriate for diverse groups and contexts and can be easily incorporated in population-based surveys or studies with multiple scales. Despite these benefits, however, there is limited evidence regarding its psychometric properties. Thus, the current study aimed to perform a broad cross-validation study of a new Spanish-language version of the CASR-SF. Methods: A large community sample of adults residing in the Dominican Republic (n = 1,117) responded to measures of IPV, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The analyses included assessments of content validity, dimensionality (exploratory graph analysis), factor structure (exploratory structural equation modeling), measurement invariance (multiple indicators multiple causes modeling), criterion validity (structural equation modeling), and reliability. Results: the Spanish-language CASR-SF emerged as a valid, measurement invariant, and reliable measure of the four core dimensions of IPV: sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and stalking, the latter a novel finding of this study. The analyses also revealed several at-risk populations for IPV, including females, sexual minorities (lesbian/gay/bisexual), and those with lower economic and education levels. Psychological abuse emerged as the IPV dimension most consistently and uniquely related with negative mental health outcomes. Conclusions: The Spanish CASR-SF is an excellent tool for the research of IPV victimization across Spanish-speaking groups and cultures.