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Risk, Adultification, Messaging, and Protection Scale (RAMPS): The development of a measure for Black girls
Natasha Crooks1, Nyssa Snow-Hill2, Abigail Bushnell2
1University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Summary
This study introduces the Risk, Adultification, Messaging, and Protection Scale (RAMPS) to measure factors affecting Black girls' sexual development. The validated 12-item scale offers a reliable tool for understanding these critical influences.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Adultification, protection, and stereotyping of Black girls are understudied and difficult to quantify.
- These factors are linked to significant sexual and reproductive health risks for this demographic.
- Existing research lacks comprehensive tools to measure these complex constructs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Risk, Adultification, Messaging, and Protection Scale (RAMPS).
- To assess the relationship between sexual development, adultification, messaging, and protection within the Becoming a Sexual Black Woman framework.
- To provide a psychometrically sound instrument for research on Black girls' sexual health.
Main Methods:
- Preliminary scale items were derived from qualitative interviews with Black girls aged 9-18.
- The Risk, Adultification, Messaging, and Protection Scale (RAMPS) was administered to 575 adolescents.
- Psychometric properties were evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), validity correlations, and measurement invariance testing across age groups.
Main Results:
- Confirmatory factor analysis supported a robust 3-factor model for the RAMPS.
- The scale demonstrated full measurement invariance across three age groups.
- The final 12-item RAMPS showed good to very good internal consistency for its subscales and total score (adultification α=.81, protection α=.76, messaging α=.78, total protection α=.80).
Conclusions:
- The RAMPS is a valid and reliable measure for assessing factors influencing Black girls' sexual development.
- The scale provides a crucial tool for future research into the sexual health of Black adolescent girls.
- Further validation and correlation with health outcomes like STIs and HIV are planned.
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