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Research on Social Work Practice, Vol. 18, No. 3, 251-259 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1049731507310193

The Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale: The Development of a Psychometric Assessment Instrument

Wesley T. Church

The University of Alabama, wchurch{at}sw.ua.edu

Emily E. Wakeman

The University of Alabama

Sarah L. Miller

The University of Alabama

Carl B. Clements

The University of Alabama

Fei Sun

The University of Alabama

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the nature of individual attitudes toward sex offenders. Because the term "sex offender" tends to evoke strong emotions, and given that open-ended self reports tend to be highly subjective, particularly in the context of such pointed terminology, this study sought to develop an attitude assessment tool that addresses specific domains found in the literature. Methods: Through a number of iterations, the Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale was developed. Results: Exploratory and subsequent confirmatory factor analyses found a four-factor, 18-item version to best represent the domains of interest. Factor and item characteristics are reported. Conclusions: Replication and extension to other populations appears warranted.

Key Words: sex offenders • instrument development • attitudinal scales • assessment


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