Scale Overview
The GLSEN National School Climate Survey – Biased Remarks and Victimization Scales (GLSEN-NSCS) was developed by Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) (1999). It is designed to measure School climate, biased language exposure, and school-based victimization. The scale is intended for use with Middle and high school students.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Hearing Homophobic Remarks, Hearing Racist Remarks, Hearing Sexist Remarks, Hearing Gender Expression Remarks, Victimization.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Hearing Homophobic Remarks |
1,2,3,4 |
4 |
| Hearing Racist Remarks |
5,6,7 |
3 |
| Hearing Sexist Remarks |
8,9,10 |
3 |
| Hearing Gender Expression Remarks |
11,12,13,14 |
4 |
| Victimization |
15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36 |
22 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Never, 1 = Rarely, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Often, 4 = Frequently.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 144. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Exposure / Victimization: 0 – 36
- Moderate Exposure / Victimization: 37 – 72
- High Exposure / Victimization: 73 – 108
- Severe Exposure / Victimization: 109 – 144
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha typically ranges from .75 to .90 across subscales.
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.