A Pilot Test to Improve Methods to Collect Self-Report Data on Rape and Sexual Assault

This supplemental award allows for the completion of previously funded tasks. Under this cooperative agreement, Westat will develop and test optimum data collection procedures for self-report data on rape and sexual assault.

The key objectives for the study remain the same: 1. Develop and pilot test an optimal design to collect self-report data on rape and sexual assault. 2. Develop and pilot test a comparison design using Random Digit Dialing (RDD) to collect self-report data on rape and sexual assault. 3. Conduct detailed analytical comparisons of the two designs against each other and the existing NCVS program.

The Feasibility study revealed that substantial changes to the instrument were needed to meet all three objectives. One important result was the burden of the survey was higher than anticipated. This had implications for designing a survey for the NCVS (objective 1), as well as the ability to compare the telephone and in-person results (objective 2). To respond, the project shortened the instrument and revised algorithms to prioritize the collection of details of the reported events. The telephone test found lower-than-expected eligibility rates for the cell phone component of the survey and differential answering patterns between male and female respondents. This led to conducting a second, smaller Feasibility study to estimate the rates and plan for the Pilot test. The low rates also suggested the need to boost the sample size for the RDD portion of the pilot test (objective 2). The cognitive interviews and the pretest found the use of the incident narratives to be extremely useful in evaluating the quality of the survey instruments. Supplemental funding will also be used to conduct additional analysis of the narratives to assess the quality of the data collected on the Pilot (objective 3). CA/NCF