Risk, Adultification, Messaging, and Protection Scale ( RAMPS ): The development of a measure for Black girls

Abstract Adultification, protection, and stereotyping of Black girls and their associated sexual and reproductive health risks are understudied concepts that are challenging to measure. This study developed and validated the Risk, Adultification, Messaging, and Protection Scale (RAMPS), designed to assess the relationship between sexual development, adultification, messaging, and protection, which are constructs of the Becoming a Sexual Black Woman framework. Preliminary items were derived from qualitative interviews with Black girls aged 9–18 years old. Adolescent responses ( N = 575) to the RAMPS were subjected to several analyses to evaluate the measure's psychometric properties. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) guided by the Becoming a Sexual Black Woman theory were used to test item fit; correlations between the refined measures and theoretically relevant measures were examined for validity; and measurement invariance of the RAMPS was evaluated across three age groups. CFA demonstrated a strong fit for a 3‐factor model. The interpretation of the measure was fully invariant across age groups. Findings indicated that the RAMPS represents a valid framework for measuring factors impacting Black girls' sexual development. The final 12‐item measure demonstrated respectable to very good internal consistency—adultification (α = .81, very good), protection (α = .76, respectable), messaging (α = .78, respectable), and total protection (α = .80, very good). This paper presents psychometric information about the RAMPS and the full set of items. The next steps will be to validate the measure within a larger sample and to explore its correlation with sexually transmitted infections and HIV risk.