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

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.

DOI