Scale Overview
The Dating and Acquaintance Rape Scales – DARS was developed by Walsh, J. F., DeVellis, B. M., & DeVellis, R. F. (1997). It is designed to measure Dating and acquaintance rape perceptions and attitudes. The scale is intended for use with College students and young adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 25 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Perceived Vulnerability, Self-Efficacy, Self-Determination, Victim-Blaming.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Perceived Vulnerability |
1,2,3,4,5 |
5 |
| Self-Efficacy |
6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 |
8 |
| Self-Determination |
14,15,16,17,18,19,20 |
7 |
| Victim-Blaming |
21,22,23,24,25 |
5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Moderately disagree, 3 = Mildly disagree, 4 = Mildly agree, 5 = Moderately agree, 6 = Strongly agree.
The scale includes 10 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 25 to 150. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Agreement: 25 – 62
- Moderate Agreement: 63 – 112
- High Agreement: 113 – 150
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.