"Sexual violence is a significant public health problem in the United States. However, measuring the problem can be difficult due to the lack of consistency in the use of terminology and data elements for sexual violence. Without consistency, we cannot monitor and track trends for sexual violence to determine the scope of the problem.... Better quality and timely incidence and prevalence estimates can be useful for a wide audience, including policymakers, researchers, public health practitioners, victim advocates, service providers, and media professionals."
Uniform definitions are provided for:
- Violence and Associated Terms
- Involved Parties
- Terms Associated with the Circumstances and Consequences of Violence
The data elements are organized into the following sections:
- Two sets of data elements for Traditional and Survey Surveillance of Sexual Violence
- Recommended Data Elements for Sexual Violence