The Perception of School Social Bonding (PSSB) instrument, created by Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, founder of Attendance USA and inaugural Dean of Founder’s College at Butler University, has just been validated.
The PSSB, which is a 10-item self-report questionnaire, is designed to measure a student’s “sense of bonding to their school,” according to a press release. The tool features three subscales — attachment, involvement and belief — and assesses various aspects of school social bonding.
The PSSB is the product of 15 years of research, culminating in a study published with international experts Gil Keppens and Chris Kearney.
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The American Psychological Association has endorsed the PSSB as one of its national PsycTests since 2009. Today, the tool receives world recognition for its role in “understanding school climate and fostering positive education environments,” according to a press release.
Thanks to Gentle-Genitty’s dedication to open access and global collaboration, the PSSB is hailed as a “cornerstone” for social work and education researchers and practitioners working to boost student engagement and reduce absenteeism. Praised for its “scientific rigor and practical impact,” the PSSB is even featured on the International Network for School Attendance (INSA) website for free.
Gentle-Genitty is partnering with a cross-national research team to translate the PSSB for use in a comparative study on youth delinquency and psychosocial risk factors. The pilot study project will examine and compare key risk factors for “delinquent behavior among adolescents placed in youth residential care institutions, such as rehabilitation centers or correctional facilities,” in Poland, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka and England, according to a press release.
Additionally, the study will test and integrate selected criminological theories — such as social control theory, strain theory, and differential association theory — by applying standardized self-report instruments, adapted culturally to each country. It will also support future cross-national comparisons and contribute to evidence-based youth rehabilitation Practices.
The collaboration is being led by Dr. Lukasz Szwejka, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education, Jagiellonian University (Krakow, Poland), University of Rzeszow (Poland), Samarkand State University (Uzbekistan), Liverpool John Moores University (UK) and the University of Colombo (Sri Lanka).
The PSSB will be translated into four languages — Polish, Uzbek, Sinhala and Tamil — and adhere to international standards, which include backtranslation and expert consultation to ensure the “cultural and linguistic integrity” of the tool, according to a press release.
For more information about the PSSB instrument and Gentle-Genitty’s work, visit https://attendanceusa.org/ or insa.network/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Perception-of-School-Social-Bonding-Instrument.pdf.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
 instrument, created by Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, founder of Attendance USA and inaugural Dean of Founder’s College at Butler University, has just been validated.){kind=link}