Sexual Experiences Survey

What is a Sexual Experiences Survey?

The Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) is a comprehensive research tool developed to measure various forms of sexual victimization and perpetration. Originally created by Dr. Mary P. Koss and Dr. Christine Oros in the 1980s, the SES has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of sexual aggression and its impacts. The survey underwent significant revisions in 2007 and again in 2024, ensuring it remains relevant and accurate in capturing the nuances of sexual violence across different populations, particularly among university women and college-going women.

The SES questionnaires include items and response options related to a wide range of behaviors, such as sexual coercion, sexual harassment, gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and unwanted sexual contact. These behaviors can manifest in various forms, including repeated requests for sexual activity, taking advantage of someone’s vulnerability, or using physical force. The survey also covers more severe instances, such as attempted rape, interpersonal violence, and coercive acts like forcing oral sex.

Researchers and organization administrators (especially universities and colleges) can use the SES to study sexual harassment and its broader impacts, particularly in educational settings where such issues are prevalent. The scoring guidelines use confirmatory factor analysis, letting researchers validate the constructs measured by the SES, ensuring that the survey reliably assesses the intended behaviors and experiences. This makes the SES particularly useful in distinguishing between different types of sexual misconduct, such as unwanted sexual attention and more severe forms like sexual assault and rape.

The data gathered from the SES is crucial for informing public policies, developing prevention programs, and providing support services, especially for university or college administrators. By capturing detailed information about the prevalence and nature of sexual violence, the SES helps in creating targeted interventions that address the specific needs of those affected. Moreover, it highlights the importance of addressing sexual violence in environments like universities, where young adults are particularly vulnerable to such experiences.

The SES not only helps in quantifying these behaviors but also plays a vital role in raising awareness about the different forms of sexual misconduct, encouraging a proactive approach to tackling these issues within communities and institutions.

How to use our Sexual Experiences Survey template

Our Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) template provides a comprehensive tool for researchers and healthcare professionals to assess sexual victimization and perpetration. This template includes the short form of the SES published by the Koss et al. in 2007, ensuring thorough data collection for research purposes.

Step 1: Access the template

Users can access the Sexual Experiences Survey (short form) template by clicking "Use template," which opens it in the Carepatron app. The app allows users to customize, share, print, and fill out the template. Alternatively, users can download a non-customizable but fillable and printable PDF version by clicking "Download."

Step 2: Administer the survey to the respondents

Once the template is ready, distribute the survey to the respondents. Explain the purpose of the survey clearly, emphasizing that it is for research purposes only. Encourage honesty and reassure respondents that their responses will remain anonymous. Depending on the study design, you can administer the survey as in-person inteviews, online, or in a group setting, ensuring that respondents have the necessary time and privacy to complete it.

Step 3: Calculate the responses according to the scoring guide

Once the surveys are completed, carefully calculate the responses using the provided scoring guide. The SES template includes detailed instructions on scoring, which vary depending on whether you are evaluating victimization or perpetration. This step involves categorizing responses based on the frequency and severity of the reported experiences, such as sexual coercion, physical force, and unwanted sexual contact. Be thorough in this process to ensure accurate data collection and analysis.

Step 4: Compile the data into a report

After scoring, compile the data into a comprehensive report. This report should highlight key findings, such as the prevalence of certain behaviors like attempted rape or repeated requests for sexual activity. Use this data to guide further research, inform policy decisions, or develop prevention programs. The report can also be used to compare findings across different populations, such as university women or college-going women, to better understand the scope of sexual experiences in various contexts.

Scoring and interpreting

Scoring the Sexual Experiences Survey short forms involves careful calculation based on the specific version of the survey—either the victimization or perpetration version. The process ensures accurate categorization of the responses to reflect the prevalence and severity of the experiences reported.

Victimization version

For the sexual harassment victimization version, responses are scored based on the frequency of unwanted sexual experiences, such as sexual coercion, sexual harassment, or attempted rape. The scoring involves categorizing the respondent's experiences into several subcategories:

• Non-victim: If the respondent reports zero instances across all items, they are classified as non-victims.
• Coercion: If the respondent reports any frequency greater than zero for items related to verbal pressure or manipulation (e.g., repeated requests or taking advantage, items 2-7), they fall under the coercion category.
• Non-contact: This category includes respondents who reported unwanted sexual attention, such as being stared at or receiving sexual comments, but did not experience physical contact.
• Contact: Respondents who experienced unwanted sexual contact without penetration, such as unwanted touching or fondling (item 1), fall into this category.
• Attempted rape: Any respondent who reports attempted but unsuccessful acts of penetration (items 5, 6 and 7) is classified here.
• Rape: This category includes respondents who report any instance of forced penetration (items 3, 4 and 5), whether vaginal, anal, or oral, under any circumstances, such as the use of physical force or when the victim was incapacitated.

This scoring is for non-mutually exclusive groups. Check out the template to see the scoring rules for creating mutually exclusive/non-exclusive categories.

Perpetration version

For the perpetration version, the scoring follows a similar structure but from the perspective of the perpetrator's actions:

• Non-perpetrator: If a respondent reports zero instances of perpetration across all items, they are classified as non-perpetrators.
• Coercion: Respondents who report using verbal pressure or manipulation (such as telling lies, making promises, showing displeasure, or insulting—items 2 through 7) to gain sexual contact fall under this category.
• Non-contact: This category includes individuals who engaged in non-contact sexual harassment, such as staring or making sexual comments, without physical touch.
• Contact: Perpetrators who report unwanted sexual contact, such as touching or fondling, without penetration (item 1), are categorized here.
• Attempted rape: Those who attempted but did not succeed in forced penetration (items 5, 6 and 7) are included in this group.
• Rape: This category includes individuals who admit to acts of forced penetration under any circumstances, including the use of physical force or when the victim was incapacitated (items 3, 4, and 5).

Again, these are the scoring rules for creating non-mutually exclusive groups. The template contains a more comprehensive set of scoring rules, including those for creating non-redundant groups.

Interpreting the scores

The interpretation of these scores provides critical insights into the prevalence and severity of sexual experiences within a population. High scores in victimization categories may indicate significant issues of sexual violence, coercion, or harassment in the studied group. Similarly, high scores in the perpetration categories could suggest a higher prevalence of aggressive or coercive behaviors among the respondents. These findings are crucial for guiding policy development, prevention programs, and further research into sexual behaviors and experiences. Let's go over those next.

Next steps after conducting this survey

After completing the Sexual Experiences Survey, it’s essential to take appropriate follow-up actions based on the results. Here are some steps you can take:

After interpreting the results of the Sexual Experiences Survey, the following steps are crucial for leveraging the findings effectively:

• Implement preventive measures: Based on the survey results, develop and implement strategies to prevent sexual coercion, unwanted sexual attention, and gender harassment. This could involve educational initiatives, training programs, and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing the occurrence of these behaviors.
• Support affected individuals: Ensure that individuals who have been identified as victims of sexual harassment, attempted rape, or other forms of interpersonal violence receive appropriate support. This might include counseling services, legal assistance, or referrals to specialized support groups.
• Policy development and revision: Use the survey findings to inform the development or revision of institutional policies. For instance, if high rates of sexual harassment or unwanted sexual contact are reported, it may be necessary to strengthen reporting mechanisms and enforce stricter consequences for perpetrators.
• Conduct follow-up studies: The data may indicate the need for further research, such as exploring specific areas where sexual violence is prevalent or assessing the effectiveness of existing interventions. Follow-up studies can provide a deeper understanding of the issues and inform future actions.
• Engage with the community: Share the results with key stakeholders, including university leaders, healthcare providers, and advocacy groups. Engaging the community in discussions about the findings can help build a collaborative approach to addressing sexual violence and promoting a safer environment for everyone.

This approach ensures that the survey results lead to meaningful actions that address the issues identified, improve safety, and support those affected. However, their thoroughness and efficacy will depend on the researchers and the implementers of the policies.

References

Koss, M.P., & Oros, C.J. (1982). Sexual Experiences Survey: A research instrument investigating sexual aggression and victimization. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50(3), 455-457. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.50.3.455

Koss, M.P., Abbey, A., Campbell, R., Cook, S; Norris, J., Testa, C., Ullman, S., West, C., & White, J. (2007). Revising the SES: A collaborative process to improve assessment of sexual aggression and victimization. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 357-370. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2007.00385.x