Background: Despite research has consistently demonstrated the prevalence and physio-psycho-social consequences of dating violence in college students, attention and resources are not devoted to preventing and ameliorating dating violence in Taiwan.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop and to test an instrument that may be used to assess behavioral intention of dating violence in college students.
Methods: A mixed methods design was used. The Dating Violence Behavioral Intention Questionnaire (DVBIQ) was developed using a two-phase qualitative and quantitative study, developing the instrument and testing validity and reliability. In phase one, we developed the questions of interview based on Ajzen (1985) "Theory of Planned Behavior". The initial items were developed through content analysis of interview data from 10 college students who have a conflict or violence with dating partner. Four experts in intimate partner violence assessed the content validity of these items. In phase two, four hundred and fifty college students recruited from seven universities in southern Taiwan were invited to complete the DVBIQ based on their current experience. Data obtained in this study were analyzed with regard to content validity, internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis.
Results: A 37-item questionnaire was developed through the qualitative study. It was added to a 43-item after content validity. The content validity of the initial 43 items was .93, internal consistency reliability was .89. The confirmatory factor analysis determined a model with appropriate fitness for the data after delete 6 items. The questionnaire has four constructs (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intension of dating violence) containing 37 items (7, 8, 21, and 1 statements, respectively). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients show good internal consistency (alpha= 0.94) for the total scale and three subscales (ranged from .81 to .92).
Conclusion: The DVBIQ is a reliable and valid theory-based measurement and can be used as a research tool related to dating violence in the future. It can also provide relevant units to assess the status of college students' dating violence intentions, and then to develop and implement programs designed to prevent dating violent behaviors.
