An Examination of the Reliability of Sexual Assault Reports

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which individuals are consistent in their survey interview reports of sexual assaults over time and the impact of consistency on prevalence and risk factor estimates for sexual assaults. Specifically, persons whose sexual assault reports are consistent over time (positive on two occasions or negative on two occasions) are compared to individuals whose reports are inconsistent over time (positive on one occasion and negative on the other). Data are from a longitudinal mental health survey of a large (N = 3,132), gender- and ethnically diverse, community-based sample, interviewed twice over a 1-year interval. Results reveal that consistency is a function of the individual's position in society. Also, prevalence estimates, which appear stable over time, are based on positive reports by differing groups of respondents.