Cultural Trauma Scale – CuTS
A 27-item self-report scale designed to assess the structural roots, cognitive-emotional consequences, and coping responses related to cultural trauma in Black men.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Cultural Trauma Scale – CuTS was developed by Virgil Lee Gregory Jr., Joseph Tucker Edmonds (2024). It is designed to measure Cultural Trauma. The scale is intended for use with Black Men (Adults).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 27 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: American and its justice system: cognitive–emotional responses, Cognitive–behavioral coping, Willingness to seek treatment for cultural trauma, Tripartite police fear, Resilience.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| American and its justice system: cognitive–emotional responses | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 | 10 |
| Cognitive–behavioral coping | 11,12,13,14,15,16 | 6 |
| Willingness to seek treatment for cultural trauma | 17,18,19 | 3 |
| Tripartite police fear | 20,21,22,23 | 4 |
| Resilience | 24,25,26,27 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly disagree, 4 = Neither agree nor disagree, 5 = Slightly agree, 6 = Agree, 7 = Strongly agree.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 27 to 189. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low level of cultural trauma impact: 27 – 81
- Moderate level of cultural trauma impact: 82 – 135
- High level of cultural trauma impact: 136 – 189
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of American and its justice system: α = .88; Cognitive–behavioral coping: α = .77; Willingness to seek treatment: α = .88; Tripartite police fear: α = .81; Resilience: α = .61.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 8 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.