Scale Overview
The Social Support Scale for Children – Close Friend Support Subscale (SSSC-CFS) was developed by Susan Harter (1985). It is designed to measure Close Friend Social Support. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 6 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Really True for Me (Negative statement), 2 = Sort of True for Me (Negative statement), 3 = Sort of True for Me (Positive statement), 4 = Really True for Me (Positive statement).
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 6 to 24. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Close Friend Support: 6 – 11
- Moderate Close Friend Support: 12 – 18
- High Close Friend Support: 19 – 24
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.