Preliminary Prevalence Estimates of Sexual Exploitation as Measured by the Sexual Experiences Survey-Victimization (SES-V) in a National US Sample

Abstract

ABSTRACT The new Sexual Experiences Survey-Victimization (SES-V) was designed to capture a larger range of sexual exploitation and to be applicable to more diverse populations than prior measures. This study represents the first administration of the SES-V in a national sample of adults (N = 347). Participants were recruited from a crowdsourcing platform and selected to reflect the national distribution in terms of age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Rates of sexual exploitation since age 14 were very high in this sample (90%), providing evidence that the SES-V was successful in capturing experiences on the low end of the severity continuum. Using the items corresponding to the FBI definition of rape, 60% of women and 29% of men endorsed rape on the SES-V. Compared to men, women reported higher rates of sexual exploitation overall, and higher rates of every type of sexual exploitation except technology-facilitated. The new SES-V also asks participants to estimate the number of separate instances of four types of sexual exploitation that they have experienced; results provided support for the value of these incident estimates in understanding the scope of sexual exploitation. Finally, this study evaluated new sexual acts and exploitative tactics that were added to the SES-V and found that they demonstrated utility and validity. These findings offer preliminary support for the validity and functionality of the SES-V, although the high prevalence of sexual exploitation on the SES-V is discussed as both a strength and limitation. Future research should evaluate prevalence and demographic differences in a larger national sample.