The purpose of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of an 11-item Personal Safety Decision Scale (PSDS) in a sample of child welfare workers.

Data were derived from a larger cross-sectional online survey to a random stratified sample of 477 public child welfare workers in a mid-Atlantic State. An exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine the construct validity of the revised scale.

Results indicated the presence of a two-factor structure in PSDS. CFA resulted in a revised 7-item, two-factor structure. The revised PSDS internal consistency reliability was .78.

A valid and reliable measure can be useful for assessing the level of perceived home visit risks that child welfare social workers may experience. The scale can be used to explore the risk and protective factors and worker behaviors that surround workers’ safety concerns.