Translation and validation of the Hebrew HITS screening tool for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

TL;DR

This paper translates and validates a Hebrew version of the HITS tool for detecting intimate partner violence, showing it is reliable and ready for use in Israel.

Contribution

The paper introduces the first Hebrew-language version of the HITS screening tool for intimate partner violence, validated for use in Israel.

Findings

The Hebrew HITS tool showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.75; McDonald’s ω = 0.864) and good structural validity.

Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed an acceptable model fit for the Hebrew HITS tool.

Men reported significantly higher IPV scores than women, with no differences found based on religiosity.

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a critical public health and human rights issue that remains underreported and often undetected, particularly in cultural contexts where stigma or taboo hinder disclosure. The Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream (HITS) screening tool is a brief, validated measure widely used in clinical and community settings for IPV detection (Sherin et al., Fam Med 30:508–12, 1998). However, a Hebrew-language version of the HITS tool has not previously existed.

We translated and validated the HITS tool into Hebrew using a multi-step process: forward translation, expert panel review, back-translation, and cognitive appraisal with 18 diverse participants. This was followed by field testing with 219 Hebrew-speaking students and recent graduates of Social Work in Israel, of whom 144 were women (M = 27) and 75 were men (M = 31). The study obtained prior approval by the Institutional Review Board of the Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College (no. 2023 − 382).

The Hebrew HITS scale demonstrated acceptable to strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.75; McDonald’s ω = 0.864) and good structural validity. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an acceptable model fit across multiple indices. Gender differences emerged, with men reporting significantly higher IPV scores than women, while no significant differences were found across levels of religiosity.

The Hebrew version of the HITS tool is a valid and reliable instrument for IPV screening in Hebrew-speaking populations and holds promise for use in clinical, academic, and community settings in Israel. Further research is needed to assess its use in more diverse and high-risk populations.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-026-26480-8.

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