Parent Emotional Reaction Questionnaire – PERQ
Measures parental emotional distress, guilt, and shame in response to their child's traumatic experience.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Parent Emotional Reaction Questionnaire – PERQ was developed by Judith A. Cohen & Anthony P. Mannarino (1996). It is designed to measure Parental emotional response to child trauma. The scale is intended for use with Parents and caregivers of children who have experienced trauma.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 15 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Distress, Guilt and Shame.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Distress | 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,11,14 | 9 |
| Guilt and Shame | 4,5,10,12,13,15 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Frequently, 5 = Always.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 15 to 75. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low parental distress: 15 – 35
- Moderate parental distress: 36 – 55
- High parental distress: 56 – 75
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Alpha values typically range from 0.79 to 0.89.
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.