Table of Contents
Abstract
The Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBCSAM), which is also known as the Child Sexual Abuse and Betrayal Questionnaire, was created by Wolf, Linn, & Butler in 2023. Its purpose is to evaluate the feelings of betrayal experienced by adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA). This evaluation encompasses feelings directed not only toward the perpetrator but also toward other individuals within the survivor’s immediate circle, such as family and friends, during the period the abuse occurred. The content for this scale was adapted from two existing measures: the Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire (IBQ; Smith & Freyd, 2013) and the Betrayal subscale of the Measures of Stigma, Betrayal, Powerlessness, and Self-Blame (Coffey et al., 1996). The final instrument consists of 6 items. It was assessed through a study involving an anonymous online survey of CSA survivors. The psychometric properties, including factor analysis and reliability results, were reported for these items.
Keywords
Adult Attitudes, Adult Survivors, Betrayal Trauma, Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Emotional Betrayal by Others, Emotional Betrayal by the Perpetrator, Emotional Trauma, Sexual Abuse, Survivors, Trauma Measures
Authors
Wolf, Molly R.; Linn, Braden K.; Butler, Lisa D.
Purpose
The purpose of this questionnaire is to be of use to clinicians treating survivors of child sexual abuse, as well as researchers, to reveal and evaluate aspects of emotional betrayal that has impacted survivors.
Construct
Child Sexual Abuse Betrayal
Validity
No data is Available
Reliability
The internal consistency for the scale was reported with a Cronbach’s α of .85.
Factor Analysis
An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted. After the deletion of problematic items, the results of the EFA suggested a two-factor solution that collectively accounted for 74.18% of the variance. Following this, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed. The results of the CFA with two factors produced a good fitting model. However, modification indices suggested permitting errors to covary. The authors then permitted items 8 and 10 to covary in the next model run. The final model yielded fit statistics that surpassed established norms: Confirmatory Fit Index = .99; Tucker-Lewis Index = .99; Root mean square error of approximation = .05; and Standardized root mean squared residual = .03.
Instrument
Test Type
This is an original Inventory/Questionnaire.
Format
The instrument is administered electronically. Each of the 6 items is rated using the following five response options: Not at all, A little bit, Moderately, Quite a bit, and Extremely.
Language Available
English
Population Group
Human; Male; Female
Age Group
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Population Details
The instrument was tested on adult survivors of child sexual abuse located in the United States.
Test Methodology
The development and validation involved Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Exploratory Factor Analysis.
Keywords
Adult Attitudes, Adult Survivors, Betrayal Trauma, Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Emotional Betrayal by Others, Emotional Betrayal by the Perpetrator, Emotional Trauma, Sexual Abuse, Survivors, Trauma Measures
Authors
Author ocrid Identifier and Affiliation
Wolf, Molly R.
Affiliation: PennWest University, Department of Social Work
Linn, Braden K.
Affiliation: State University of New York, University at Buffalo School of Social Work
Butler, Lisa D.
ORCID: No data is Available
Affiliation: State University of New York, University at Buffalo School of Social Work
Email addresses
Wolf, Molly R.: [email protected]
Correspondence Address
Wolf, Molly R.: PennWest University, Department of Social Work, 235 Scotland Road, Hendricks Hall, G33, Edinboro, Pennsylvania, United States, 16444, [email protected]
Permissions & Fee and Test Year
Permissions: May be used for Research/Teaching.
Commercial: No
Fee: No
Test Year: 2023
reference’s
Wolf, M. R., Linn, B. K., & Butler, L. D. (2024). Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBSCAM): A psychometric analysis. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 16(3), 416–424. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001514
Items of the Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBCSAM)
This is a 6-item scale. The test items are available in Appendix B, Page 9 of the source publication by Wolf, Linn, & Butler (2024).
| Item Number | Item Description |
| 1 | During (or after) the abuse, did you feel betrayed by the perpetrator of the abuse? |
| 2 | During (or after) the abuse, did you feel betrayed by others in your environment regarding the abuse? |
| 3 | During (or after) the abuse, did you feel your trust was violated by the perpetrator of the abuse? |
| 4 | During (or after) the abuse, did you feel your trust was violated by others in your environment regarding the abuse? |
| 5 | Do you feel people you trusted let you down regarding the sexual abuse? This questionnaire asks about the people in your environment at the time of the sexual abuse and |
| 6 | Do you feel that your faith in people was broken by this experience of abuse? |
Response Options:
Not at all
A little bit
Moderately
Quite a bit
Extremely
Subscales:
Emotional Betrayal by the Perpetrator Subscale: Items 1, 3
Emotional Betrayal by Others Subscale: Items 2, 4, 5, 6
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBCSAM). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/emotional-betrayal-from-child-sexual-abuse-measure-ebcsam/
Mohammed looti. "Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBCSAM)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 6 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/emotional-betrayal-from-child-sexual-abuse-measure-ebcsam/.
Mohammed looti. "Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBCSAM)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/emotional-betrayal-from-child-sexual-abuse-measure-ebcsam/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBCSAM)', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/emotional-betrayal-from-child-sexual-abuse-measure-ebcsam/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBCSAM)," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Emotional Betrayal From Child Sexual Abuse Measure (EBCSAM). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.
