Scale Overview
The Attitudes Toward Guns and Violence Scale (ATGV) was developed by Shapiro, J. P., Dorman, R. L., Welker, C. J., & Clough, J. B. (1997). It is designed to measure Attitudes toward guns and violence. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and youth.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Attitudes Toward Violence, Attitudes Toward Guns, Attitudes Toward Gangs.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Attitudes Toward Violence |
1,2,5,9,12,13,15,17 |
8 |
| Attitudes Toward Guns |
3,4,6,7,8,10,11,14,18,19 |
10 |
| Attitudes Toward Gangs |
16,20 |
2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 2 = Agree, 1 = Not Sure, 0 = Disagree.
The scale includes 5 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 0 to 40. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low endorsement of guns and violence: 0 – 13
- Moderate endorsement of guns and violence: 14 – 26
- High endorsement of guns and violence: 27 – 40
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.85.
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.