Four Federal Agencies Manage Ten Efforts to Collect Data on Sexual Violence, which Differ in Target Population, Terminology, Measurements, and Methodology

		Federal Agencies Collect Sexual Violence Data on the General Population and on Segments of the Population

Four federal agencies manage at least 10 data collection efforts that  include data on sexual violence, among other things. Some of these  data collection efforts focus on a target population that the agency serves. Data Collection Efforts Differ in the Terms They Use to Describe Sexual Violence, and Measurements and Definitions for Some Efforts are Inconsistent

Data collection efforts use a range of terms to describe sexual violence in  publicly-available agency documentation. Further, these data  collection efforts do not have publicly-available descriptions of what is  included in their respective measurements to allow persons using the  data to understand the differences. Differences in Data Collection Efforts May Hinder the Understanding of the Occurrence of Sexual Violence; Agencies Have Taken Steps to Explain and Lessen Differences, but Efforts Have Been Fragmented and Limited in Scope

The differences across the data collection efforts may hinder  understanding of the extent of sexual violence, and agencies have taken  steps to clarify differences and harmonize the data collection efforts. Differences in Data Collection Efforts Collectively May Hinder Understanding of the Extent of Sexual Violence

Collectively, the differences across federal data collection efforts lead to  differing estimates of sexual violence, for example rape, in the United  States, as shown in selected data collection efforts on the general  population in table 4. Also, as previously discussed, some data  collection efforts’ measurements and definitions do not align and  information on what is included in these measurements is not publicly  available, which may lead to confusion for data users. Further, officials  from the federal agencies and entities we spoke with that use federal data  on sexual violence emphasized that the differences across the data  collection efforts are such that the results are not comparable. Agencies Have Taken Some Steps to Clarify Differences across Sexual Violence Data Collection Efforts, but Efforts to Harmonize the Data Collection Efforts Have Been Fragmented

Federal agencies have acknowledged that differences exist among data  collection efforts, for example in terms of methodology, context, and data  sources, which has led some agencies to take steps to identify and  explain differences across the data collection efforts. Specifically, coordination  has been bilateral—generally involving only 2 of the 10 data collection  efforts at a time and limited in scope. For example, OMB has convened the following  interagency groups:
The Interagency Working Group for Research on Race and Ethnicity  was formed in 2014 to exchange research findings, identify  implementation issues, and collaborate on a shared research agenda  to improve federal statistics on race and ethnicity. Recommendations for Executive Action

To enhance the clarity and transparency of sexual violence data that is  reported to the public, we recommend that the Secretary of Education  direct the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education,  the Secretary of Health and Human Services direct the Director of CDC,  and the Attorney General direct the Director of BJS to make information  on the acts of sexual violence and contextual factors that are included in  their measurements of sexual violence publicly available. In an email responding to our recommendation that OMB establish a  federal interagency forum on sexual violence statistics, OMB stated that it  did not believe convening a forum at this time was the most strategic use  of resources. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope and Methodology

Our objectives for this report were to address the following questions:  (1) What are the federal efforts underway to collect data on sexual  violence, and how, if at all, do these efforts differ? (2) How do any differences across the data collection efforts affect the  understanding of sexual violence, and to what extent are federal agencies  addressing any challenges posed by the differences? To address the first question, we identified federal efforts to collect data  on sexual violence, for which the data: provided information on the extent to which acts of sexual violence  occur in the United States in a particular year (for example, the  number of times a rape or sexual assault has occurred or the number  of victims of rape and sexual assault); were collected recently (i.e., 2010 or after); were collected periodically (i.e., at least once every 2 years); were reported publicly; and were not focused primarily on minors.
Why GAO Did This Study

Concerns have grown about sexual violence—in general, unwanted sexual acts—in the United States, particularly involving certain populations such as college students, incarcerated individuals, and military personnel. Data on the occurrence of sexual violence are critical to preventing, addressing, and understanding the consequences of these types of crimes. GAO was asked to identify and compare federal efforts to collect data on sexual violence.
This report addresses two questions: (1) What are the federal efforts underway to collect data on sexual violence, and how, if at all, do these efforts differ? (2) How do any differences across the data collection efforts affect the understanding of sexual violence, and to what extent are federal agencies addressing any challenges posed by the differences? GAO reviewed agency documentation and academic literature, and interviewed agency officials.

What GAO Found

Four federal agencies—the Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Justice (DOJ)—manage at least 10 efforts to collect data on sexual violence, which differ in target population, terminology, measurements, and methodology. Some of these data collection efforts focus on a specific population that the agency serves—for example, the incarcerated population—while others include information from the general population. These data collection efforts use 23 different terms to describe sexual violence. Data collection efforts also differ in how they categorize particular acts of sexual violence. For example, the same act of sexual violence could be categorized by one data collection effort as “rape,” whereas it could be categorized by other efforts as “assault-sexual” or “nonconsensual sexual acts,” among other terms. In addition, five data collection efforts—overseen by Education, HHS, and DOJ—reflect inconsistencies between their measurements and definitions of sexual violence. Further, these data collection efforts do not have publicly-available descriptions of what is included in their respective measurements to allow persons using the data to understand the differences, which may lead to confusion for data users. Publicly-available measurement information could enhance the clarity and transparency of sexual violence data. Data collection efforts also differ in terms of the context in which data are collected, data sources, units of measurement, and time frames.
Differences in data collection efforts may hinder the understanding of the occurrence of sexual violence, and agencies' efforts to explain and lessen differences have been fragmented and limited in scope. Differences across the data collection efforts may address specific agency interests, but collectively, the differences lead to varying estimates of sexual violence. For example, in 2011 (the most recent year of available data), estimates ranged from 244,190 rape or sexual assault victimizations to 1,929,000 victims of rape or attempted rape. These differences can lead to confusion for the public. Officials from federal agencies and entities GAO spoke with who use federal data on sexual violence emphasized that the differences across the data collection efforts are such that the results are not comparable, and entities reported using data that best suited their needs. Agencies have taken some steps to clarify the differences between the data collection efforts. For example, two DOJ entities coauthored a statement that describes the differences between their two efforts. In addition, agencies have taken some steps to harmonize the data collection efforts—that is, coordinate practices to achieve a shared goal. However, actions to increase harmonization have been fragmented, generally only involving 2 of the 10 data collection efforts at a time, and limited in scope. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) through its authority to coordinate federal statistics has previously convened interagency working groups, such as the Interagency Working Group for Research on Race and Ethnicity, to improve federal statistics. OMB has no plans to convene a working group on sexual violence data. Additional collaboration, facilitated by OMB, between agencies that manage data collection efforts about which differences help or hinder the overall understanding of sexual violence could help to clarify the scope of the problem of sexual violence in the United States.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that Education, HHS, and DOJ make information that is included in their measurements of sexual violence publicly available. GAO also recommends that OMB establish a federal interagency forum on sexual violence data. Education, HHS, and DOJ agreed with the recommendation. OMB stated that convening a forum may not be the most effective use of resources at this time, in part because the data collection efforts are not far enough along in their research. However, OMB said it will consider convening or sharing information across agencies in the future.