Psychology RootsPersonal Safety – Joyce Foundation Youth Survey
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About Personal Safety – Joyce Foundation Youth Survey
Scale Name
Personal Safety – Joyce Foundation Youth Survey
Author Details
LH Research, Inc.
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The Personal Safety scale, part of the Joyce Foundation Youth Survey, developed by LH Research, Inc. in 1993, is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure how safe middle school students in grades 6-8 (ages 11-14) feel in their neighborhood, school, and while commuting to and from school. Commissioned by the Joyce Foundation, the survey was conducted to assess youth perceptions of safety in urban environments, particularly in Chicago, as part of broader efforts to understand the impact of community violence on adolescent well-being. The scale aligns with ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), which emphasizes the influence of environmental contexts (e.g., school, neighborhood) on development, and is informed by research linking perceived safety to academic performance and mental health (Bowen & Bowen, 1999).
The Personal Safety scale comprises items (exact number not specified, but typically 5-8 based on similar measures) rated on a Likert-type scale (e.g., 1 = “very unsafe” to 4 = “very safe”), assessing feelings of safety in specific settings (e.g., “How safe do you feel in your school?” or “How safe do you feel walking to school?”). Scores are summed or averaged, with higher scores indicating greater perceived safety. Validated in urban middle school samples, the scale is used to identify environmental risk factors and inform violence prevention and school climate interventions.
Psychologists, educators, and public health researchers use the scale to assess safety perceptions, evaluate community and school-based programs, and study the impact of perceived safety on academic and psychosocial outcomes. Its focus on urban youth and moderate internal consistency make it suitable for targeted research, though its unpublished status, English-only availability, and specific age range may limit accessibility and broader application.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the Personal Safety scale from authorized sources, such as Dahlberg et al. (2005) Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths or Joyce Foundation archives, ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses how safe they feel in different places to support school and community safety, emphasizing confidentiality and using age-appropriate language.
- Provide instructions, asking students to rate each item based on their feelings of safety in their neighborhood, school, and during their commute, using the Likert scale.
- Approximate time for completion is 3-5 minutes, depending on the number of items and reading ability.
- Administer in a classroom or research setting, using paper or digital formats, ensuring a private environment to promote honest responses. Oral administration may be used for students with reading difficulties.
Reliability and Validity
The Personal Safety scale demonstrates moderate psychometric properties, as reported in Dahlberg et al. (2005). Internal consistency is acceptable, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.63, indicating modest item cohesion, possibly due to the diverse settings (neighborhood, school, commute) or variability in adolescents’ safety perceptions. Test-retest reliability is not reported, but stability is inferred to be moderate based on similar safety perception scales (e.g., r ≈ 0.60-0.70 over weeks).
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with related constructs, such as exposure to community violence (r ≈ -0.30 to -0.50) and school connectedness (r ≈ 0.30-0.40), and its association with academic achievement, consistent with findings from urban school studies (Milam et al., 2010). Discriminant validity is inferred from weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, such as academic self-efficacy (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by its ability to identify students at risk for poor mental health or absenteeism due to safety concerns, aligning with research on school climate (Lacoe, 2016). Factor analyses are not detailed, but the scale’s focus on safety across contexts supports construct validity. The moderate reliability suggests cautious use, ideally supplemented by other measures like observational data or multi-informant reports.
Available Versions
05-Items
Reference
Dahlberg, L. L., Toal, S. B., Swahn, M. H., & Behrens, C. B. (2005). Measuring violence-related attitudes, behaviors, and influences among youths: A compendium of assessment tools. Centers for disease control and prevention.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Personal Safety scale measure?
It measures how safe youths feel in their neighborhood, school, and commuting to school.
Who can use the scale?
Psychologists, educators, and researchers studying safety perceptions in urban youth.
How long does the scale take to complete?
It takes about 3-5 minutes.
Is the scale specific to middle school students?
Yes, it targets grades 6-8 in urban settings.
Can the scale inform safety interventions?
Yes, it identifies safety concerns, but moderate reliability requires caution.
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