Scale Overview
The Attitudes Toward Rape Victims Scale – ARVS was developed by Colleen Ward (1988). It is designed to measure Attitudes toward rape victims. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 25 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Disagree strongly, 1 = Disagree mildly, 2 = Neutral (neither agree nor disagree), 3 = Agree mildly, 4 = Agree strongly.
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low victim-blaming attitudes / High empathy toward victims: 0 – 33
- Moderate victim-blaming attitudes: 34 – 66
- High victim-blaming attitudes / High rape myth acceptance: 67 – 100
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.