The child vulnerability scale: an instrument to measure parental perceptions of child vulnerability.

Developed and validated an instrument for identifying children perceived as vulnerable. Mothers of 1,095 children, aged 4-8 years, completed interviews that included the original 12-item Child Vulnerability Scale. Eight items that correlated best with each of two major variables that contribute to vulnerability were retained in the revised scale and a cutoff score was identified for children perceived as vulnerable. The internal consistency of the revised scale was good. Using the revised scale, 10.1% of children were identified as perceived vulnerable. Children categorized as perceived vulnerable had a significant increase in behavior problems and acute medical visits. The revised Child Vulnerability Scale should be useful in providing a better understanding of the causes and effects of an important factor in child development.