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Comparing sexual assault prevalence estimates obtained with direct and indirect questioning techniques
Christopher P Krebs1, Christine H Lindquist, Tara D Warner
1RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. krebs@rti.org
Violence Against Women
|February 11, 2011
Summary
This study on sexual assault prevalence found that indirect questioning methods yielded similar results to direct questioning. This suggests direct questioning may be a valid method for estimating sexual assault rates among college women.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Public Health
- Criminology
Background:
- Self-reported data on sexual assault faces validity concerns due to potential underreporting by victims.
- Accurate prevalence data is crucial for understanding the scope of sexual assault and informing prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the validity of direct versus indirect questioning methods in assessing the prevalence of physically forced sexual assault.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the item count technique in improving disclosure rates for sexual assault.
Main Methods:
- An anonymous, web-based survey was administered to 5,446 undergraduate women.
- Participants were questioned about experiences with physically forced sexual assault using both direct and indirect questioning approaches.
Main Results:
- Prevalence estimates for physically forced sexual assault were slightly higher with indirect questioning compared to direct questioning.
- The difference in prevalence estimates between the two methods was not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Direct questioning methods appear to provide reasonably valid estimates for the prevalence of sexual assault.
- The item count technique did not yield substantially more valid estimates than direct questioning in this sample.
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