Assessing child-to-parent violence: Measures of invariance and frequencies in young adults

Objective: The main objective was to analyze the reliability, psychometric properties, and validity evidence of the Child-to-Parent Violence Questionnaire (CPV-Q), youth version, with an Ecuadorian sample. Background: Child-to-parent violence (CPV) is a form of youth violence in which children engage in violent behavior toward their parents. Previous studies have reported that CPV extends beyond the age of 18.Method: A total of 1,516 intentionally selected young adults, aged between 18 and 26 years, participated in this study. They completed a sociodemographic form and the CPV-Q to assess CPV behaviors. Several factor analyses were conducted; reliability indices, measurement invariance by sex, convergent and discriminant validity, and percentages by type of CPV toward both parents were calculated. Results: The CPV-Q demonstrates an excellent psychometric model, as well as good reliability and evidence of validity. Psychological CPV was the most frequent, with percentages ranging from 43.9% to 52.3%. Physical CPV was the least reported, ranging from 1.9% to 3.4%.Conclusion: CPV is a type of family violence that can be assessed and identified through the CPV-Q. This scale presents adequate measurement indicators. Additionally, the percentages of the different types of CPV are shown. Implications: This study provides an adapted, reliable psychometric instrument supported by solid validity evidence for the assessment of CPV in young adults. It can be used by professionals working in various fields related to family violence. The main implication for future prevention and intervention studies is that this instrument can be employed in longitudinal studies and for the development of explanatory models of this issue.