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An investigation on the validity of two self-report questionnaires on attitudes and perceptions towards sex offenders
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Maryam Bakhtiari    , Amin Sohrabzadeh , Meysam Bazani * , Arezoo Hosseini |
| PhD in clinical psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Bazani.misam@yahoo.com |
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Abstract: (1741 Views) |
Background and aims: Sex offenders cause many problems at the individual and social level. The availability of appropriate assessment tools is one of the most important necessities for identifying and designing effective interventions and programs for the prevention and management of sexual crimes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of two questionnaires about attitudes as well as perceptions of sex offenders.
Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 250 individuals from all adults living in Tehran were selected by available sampling method and completed the questionnaires online. Attitudes toward sexual offenders (ATS) and perceptions of sex offenders (PSO) scales were completed by participants, and data were analyzed using mean (± standard deviation), Pearson’s correlation test, independent t-test, content validity index, content validity ratio, and confirmatory factor analysis in SPSS and AMOS softwares.
Results: Factor structure of ATS (trust, intent, and social distance) (RMSEA=0.045) and PSO (sentencing and management, stereotype endorsement, and the risk perception) towards sex offenders (RMSEA=0.077) was confirmed. Both scales had a good content validity. Also, a good reliability coefficient, from 0.61 to 0.85, was obtained for all factors. Factors had a moderate to strong correlations.
Conclusion: The findings show that these two scales are valid tools for measuring the attitudes and perceptions towards sex offenders that can be used for this purpose.
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| Keywords: Sex Offenses, Reliability and Validity, Perception, Attitude |
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Full-Text [PDF 936 kb]
(1840 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Military Psychiatry
Received: 2021/06/28 | Revised: 2021/12/22 | Accepted: 2021/12/31 | Published: 2021/12/31
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