Attitudes Toward Guns and Violence Questionnaire (AGVQ) by Jeremy P. Shapiro, Ph.D.

 At a GlancePurpose: Tells you why specific

individuals are attracted to guns and violence

Ages / Grade: 6 to 29 yearsAdministration

Time 5 to 10 minutes

Format: Self-reportNorms Based on an age-stratified

sample of 1,745 individuals in school and community settings

  Related Products

Aggression Questionnaire (AQ)

Children's Inventory of Anger (ChIA)

Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory (NAS-PI)

If you want to change violent behavior, it helps to knwo what's montivating it.

Now there's a quick and reliable way to find out whether and why specific individuals are attracted to guns and violence. The AGVQ measures the attitudes of young people, ages 6 to 29, toward guns, physical aggression, and interpersonal conflict. Composed of just 26 items and written at a third-grade reading level, this unique self-report inventory can be administered in just 5 to 10 minutes. AGVQ items focus on violence related issues relevant to young people, with an emphasis on guns. The test form (titled "What's Your Opinion?") asks individuals to choose one of three response options to indicate extent of agreement with each item.The test yields a Total Score, plus scores for the following subscales:

 

Aggressive Response to Shame

  Sensitivity to disrespect from others and a belief that violence repairs damage to self-esteem

    Comfort With Aggression

  Acceptance of violence as part of everyday life

    Excitement

  The feeling that guns are intrinsically exciting, stimulating, and fun

    Power/Safety

  The view that guns and violence are a means of preserving personal safety and experiencing feelings of power

 

In addition, a validity scale alerts you to inconsistent responding. Norms are based on a nationally representative, age-stratified sample of 1,745 individuals in school and community settings. AGVQ scores correlate with student and teacher reports of aggressive behavior and interpersonal problems. The AGVQ complements instruments that focus on behavior by providing information about internal processes underlying aggression, as well as violence potential that has not yet been manifested in behavior. For clinicians who need a measure of aggressive behavior, the AGVQ Kit includes the Aggressive Behavior Checklist (ABC), which provides both student and teacher ratings of actual violent behavior. The ABC offers a precise, quantitative assessment of aggressive behavior than can supplement referral information and informal observation.Used in mental health, juvenile justice, and school settings, the AGVQ allows you to accurately target intervention and prevention programs. By assessing attitudes, you can determine what kind of cognitive and behavioral training should be implemented. And, following intervention, the AGVQ serves as an excellent measure of program effectiveness. Using the scoring CD for program evaluation, you can obtain raw scores and T-scores in a form that can be exported for statistical analysis.Quick and inexpensive, the AGVQ is an important addition to any program intended to reduce violence.

ComponentKIT: Includes 25 AutoScore Answer Forms; Manual; 50 Aggressive Behavior Checklists (25 Teacher Forms; 25 Student Forms)