Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey – BBTS
Assesses and distinguishes exposure to traumatic events based on the level of interpersonal betrayal involved and developmental timing.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey – BBTS was developed by Goldberg, L.R. & Freyd, J.J. (2006). It is designed to measure Betrayal Trauma. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 24 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: High Betrayal Trauma, Medium Betrayal Trauma, Low Betrayal Trauma.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| High Betrayal Trauma | 6,8,10,18,20,22 | 6 |
| Medium Betrayal Trauma | 3,5,7,9,11,12,15,17,19,21,23,24 | 12 |
| Low Betrayal Trauma | 1,2,4,13,14,16 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Never, 1 = 1 or 2 times, 2 = More than that.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 48. Interpretation guidelines:
- No reported trauma exposure: 0 – 0
- Reported trauma exposure (higher scores indicate more frequent/diverse trauma): 1 – 48
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High test-retest stability.
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.