Exposure to Gangs – Houston School Cohort Survey
Measures youth exposure to gangs and their favorability toward gang membership.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Exposure to Gangs – Houston School Cohort Survey was developed by Houston Community Demonstration Project (1993). It is designed to measure Gang exposure and favorability. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and school-aged youth.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 6 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Yes, 0 = No.
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 0 to 1. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low exposure and favorability: 0 – 0
- Moderate exposure and favorability: 0 – 0
- High exposure and favorability: 0 – 1
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 2 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.