California Bullying Victimization Scale-Retrospective (CBVS-R): Validation of the Spanish Adaptation

Bullying in childhood and adolescence is a worldwide problem. There is a general lack of validated retrospective measures of bullying, especially in Spanish-speaking populations. The present study aimed to adapt the retrospective version of the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS-R) to Spanish and examine its psychometric properties. The CBVS-R was translated and adapted into Spanish, and school victimization was evaluated in a sample of 1,855 Spanish adults (69.3% women). Factor structure, test-retest reliability, and predictive validity were explored. The types of victimization by educational level and the total victimization score for each participant were analyzed. Factor analysis showed a one-factor structure. Values of internal consistency (α = .80) and test-retest reliability ( r = .87, k = .73) were satisfactory. Victimization was associated with self-reports of mental health. Victimization patterns peaked around adolescence, the most frequent victimizing behavior was being teased or called names. Results support the usefulness and suitability of the Spanish adaptation of the CBVS-R as a retrospective self-report measure of bullying victimization in adults.