ABSTRACT
This chapter explores statistical properties of sexual assault estimates, and gives examples of how researchers have studied effects of measurement methods and missing data. A 2016 Study by the US Government Accountability Office identified 10 separate data collections about sexual violence conducted by federal agencies since 2010. Rape includes psychological coercion and physical force, and forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender. Rape also includes incidents where penetration is from a foreign object, victimizations against male and female victims, and both heterosexual and homosexual rape.” Many of the differences among estimates of sexual assault from surveys can be explained by the methods used to collect the data and measure sexual assault. Much of the research on measuring sexual assault has been conducted on women in college. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey has much higher estimates of rape and sexual assault than the National Crime Victimization Survey.
