Studies of sexual victimization (e.g., unwanted sexual experience, sexual coercion, rape) among adolescents reveal this to be a pressing societal concern. Depending upon how sexual victimization is operationalized and measured, rates range from 5% to 68%. A major limitation of the existing literature is the lack of a psychometrically sound measure of sexual victimization for use among adolescents. The Sexual Experience Survey (SEXS, 12 items, yes/no response format), which measures sexual intercourse under various degrees of coercion, threat, and force, has high levels of reliability and validity among samples of adults. Although this survey has been used with adolescents, no data exist concerning its psychometric properties. The focus herein was to evaluate the reliability and validity of this instrument for use among African American female adolescents (N=249, M age=16.4; SD=1.47). A high level of internal consistency was obtained for the SEXS (alpha=.81). Convergent validity was evidenced with a significant correlation of this scale with a measure of childhood sexual abuse (r=.40). Scores on the SEXS were significantly correlated with measures of self-esteem, depression, and mastery (r’s ranged from -.27 to .29, p’s <.01). There were no statistically significant correlations between the survey and socio-demographics, providing some evidence of discriminant validity. These results provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the SEXS. Healthcare professionals could administer this survey to their adolescent female patients as a means of identifying unwanted sexual experiences. This may lead to an increase in the rate of females receiving counseling.
Learning Objectives: (1) Recognize the complexity of measuring sexual violence (2) Articulate the importance of documenting the psychometric properties of an instrument (3) Identify the utility of the Sexual Experience Survey
Keywords: Adolescents, Sexual Assault
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.