Sexual violence surveillance: Uniform definitions and recommended data elements
Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Abstract
Even though the CDC SV definitions were published over 10 years ago, there remains a lack of consensus
regarding the definition of SV and how its various components (e.g., penetrative acts, coercion, sexual
harassment, non-contact acts) should be measured to understand the problem. Many changes have occurred
in the SV field since the first edition of the definitions document was created. These changes impact the
components of a SV data collection system and the prevention approaches that follow. For example, the field of
SV has recognized the use of alcohol and drugs as a common tactic for perpetrating SV and the importance of
distinguishing it from physically forceful tactics. Additionally, there is ongoing debate about how to distinguish
between certain victim-perpetrator relationships, specifically among intimate partners; for example, the term
“date” can refer to a wide range of relationships, including an intimate partner or an acquaintance. Also, with
regard to a “completed sex act,” questions have been raised as to the importance of including the roles of
the victim and perpetrator (i.e., who penetrated whom). Finally, with the technological advances over the last
decade, more attention has been placed on Internet-based relationships, and it is unclear how the changes in
access brought about by new technologies are impacting violence victimization experiences. These and other
questions (described below) were explored in the revisions to the earlier document.
Description
item.page.type
Article
item.page.format
Keywords
sexual violence, surveillance, data elements
Citation
Basile, K. C., Smith, S. G., Breiding, M. J., Blac, M. C., & Mahendra, R. (2014). Sexual violence surveillance: Uniform definitions and recommended data elements. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.