Testing the factor structure of the brief sense of community scale among black girls and the relationship with ethnic identity, empowerment and social support

•This study is reveals the validity of the Brief Sense of Community Scale among Black girls, which measures Psychological Sense of Community (SOC)•Findings indicate that sense of community can be conceptualized and measured through four dimensions among Black girls using the Brief Sense of Community Scale.•Intrapersonal psychological empowerment, social support, and ethnic identity were associated with sense of community among Black girls. Research on Psychological Sense of Community (SOC) among Black girls are limited due to lack of validated measures for this group. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the first and second-order factor structure of the Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) used to measure Psychological SOC was examined using a sample of Black girls from an urban community (N = 340). Using a regression-based approach, the second-order five-factor model of the BSCS was also examined with intrapersonal psychological empowerment (PE), social support, and ethnic identity as conceptually related variables. Findings support that: (1) psychological SOC can be conceptualized and measured through four dimensions among Black girls; and (2) intrapersonal PE, social support, and ethnic identity were significantly associated with SOC.