NCJ Number
249545
Date Published
January 2016
Length
425 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of a nine-school pilot test conducted to develop a campus climate survey that will collect school-data on the sexual victimization of undergraduate students.
Abstract
The Campus Climate Survey Validation Study (CCSVS) achieved its goal of using a collection of techniques to efficiently and confidentially collect valid data from undergraduate students about their sexual victimization experiences and the campus climate related to sexual harassment and sexual assault. After refinement based on an extensive cognitive testing process, the final web-based survey instrument uses behaviorally specific screening questions to identify sexual assault victims, and it uses detailed incident-level follow-up questions to obtain information on up to three incidents of sexual assault. The pilot testing focused on the 2014-15 academic year. The CCSVS also achieved its second goal of implementing a data-collection methodology that yielded reasonable response rates and high data quality. The sexual assault victimization incidence rate for completed sexual assault, averaged across the nine participating schools, was 176 per 1,000 undergraduate females. It ranged from 85 at one school to 325 at another school. The average victimization incidence rate for sexual battery per 1,000 undergraduate females was 96, ranging from 34 at one school to 221 at another school. The full technical report presents victimization estimated by key student subgroups, including age, year of study, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. In addition, the project achieved its third goal of implementing a methodology in a standardized manner that enables cross-school comparisons and procedures for conducting climate surveys and measuring rape and sexual assault. 55 figures, 44 tables, and appended cognitive interview materials, pilot test survey instrument, and pilot test data collection materials