Severity of Violence Against Women Scale / Severity of Violence Against Men Scale – SVAWS/SVAMS
Measures the frequency and severity of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse experienced by individuals in intimate partner relationships.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Severity of Violence Against Women Scale / Severity of Violence Against Men Scale – SVAWS/SVAMS was developed by Linda L. Marshall (1992). It is designed to measure Intimate partner violence severity. The scale is intended for use with Adults in intimate partner relationships.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 46 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Threats of Violence, Physical Violence, Sexual Aggression.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Threats of Violence | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 | 19 |
| Physical Violence | 20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40 | 21 |
| Sexual Aggression | 41,42,43,44,45,46 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Once, 3 = A few times, 4 = Many times.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 46 to 184. Interpretation guidelines:
- No reported violence: 46 – 46
- Presence of violence (higher scores indicate greater severity): 47 – 184
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (typically alpha > .90 for 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.