SPacES Scale Validation Data

Sport for Development (SfD) programmes are increasingly used to support adolescent mental health, yet outcomes depend heavily on intervention design and implementation fidelity. A core proposed mechanism is the provision of physical and emotional safe spaces, but until now SfD has lacked a validated tool to assess participants’ perceptions of safe-space implementation. This study reports the development and validation of the SPacES (Safe Physical and Emotional Spaces) Scale. In Phase 1, an evidence-informed item-generation process and a three-round Delphi study with 26 coaches from 12 SfD organisations across eight countries produced consensus statements that were refined into a 42-item, seven-factor questionnaire. In Phase 2, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with 497 adolescents (14–18 years) from the Waves for Change Surf Club programme in South Africa. The initial 42-item model showed inadequate fit; after removing seven low-loading items and theoretically justified error correlations, a 35-item, seven-factor model demonstrated acceptable fit, adequate internal consistency, and moderate test–retest reliability. A conceptually representative 7-item short form showed adequate unidimensional fit, strong internal consistency, and moderate test–retest reliability. The SPacES Scale offers a robust, theory-driven measure to benchmark and optimise safe-space delivery, support implementation monitoring, and enable comparative and mechanism-focused research across SfD