Translation of Domestic Violence Instruments for Use in Research

The Abuse Assessment Screen, Severity of Violence Against Women Scales, and Appraisal of Violent Situations scales were translated into versions for women originating from Brazil, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. The procedure of back translation was chosen as the most reliable method for translation of these three instruments. The translated instruments were used to screen women for abuse during pregnancy and to determine the prevalence and severity of that abuse. This article discusses the translation process and illustrate with versions of the instruments for use with pregnant women from Puerto Rico.