Survey shows high rates of sexual exploitation in the USA

A revised version of the Sexual Experiences Survey – Victimization (SES-V), the gold standard for measuring sexual exploitation for adults over 18 years of age, was published in a special issue of the Journal of Sex Research.

The first revision since 2007, the new SES-V is the result of an interdisciplinary collaboration of experts from more than ten U.S. universities and the Kinsey Institute, under the direction and coordination of Dr. Mary Koss of the University of Arizona. It uses more inclusive language and takes into account additional tactics and actions that victims face today, such as online sexual assault, attempted penetration, or lying about contraception.

“Research on sexual exploitation must keep pace with the real-world experiences of victims,” ​​said Dr. Koss. “Better solutions will come from the more comprehensive and accurate measurement of sexual exploitation captured by the updated SES-V.”

The special issue also includes preliminary data collected using the revised SES-V, one of the first national surveys since the #MeToo movement began. In this nationally representative sample of 347 adults ages 18 to 83, 90% of survey respondents experienced some degree of sexual exploitation. In addition, 60% of women and 29% of men reported experiences that met the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s definition of rape or attempted rape.

“Although these findings are preliminary, they paint a broader – and more alarming – picture,” said Dr. Zoe Peterson, director of the Kinsey Institute’s Sexual Assault Research Initiative and lead author of this study. “We urgently need to expand our fight against sexual exploitation to account for the range of experiences – from unwanted sexual attention online to physically forced sexual penetration – that SES-V brings to light.”

SES-V has been made available free of charge in English and Spanish to allow other researchers to contribute data in a standardized manner. Further preliminary results suggest:

• Across all categories, women were more likely than men to report having experienced sexual exploitation, with the exception of exploitation enabled by technology.
• 67% of respondents experienced technology-enabled exploitation, such as receiving unwanted sexual content or threats to share intimate photos online.
• 18 percent of respondents experienced reproductive coercion, such as lying or manipulating contraception or “stealthing” (removing a condom without permission).
• Seventeen percent of respondents reported being forced to penetrate another person using illegal methods. This category was particularly important in capturing men’s experiences of sexual victimization.
• Experiencing lower levels of sexual exploitation, such as non-contact voyeurism or exposure, was associated with experiencing more severe sexual exploitation, such as illegal sexual assault.
• When victims were asked to describe the incident they remembered most clearly, the exploitative tactic most frequently cited was ignoring their refusal.

According to RAINN, an American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds. The CDC estimates the annual economic cost of rape in the United States at nearly $3.1 trillion, although the actual cost could be much higher. Despite increased federal funding promised in recent years—such as $1 billion in additional funding for the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act—this latest SES-V data shows that more comprehensive action is urgently needed to effectively address this health and social crisis.

About the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University

For over 75 years, the Kinsey Institute has been the leading research institute on human sexuality and relationships and a trusted source of evidence-based information on critical issues in sexuality, gender, reproduction, and well-being. The Kinsey Institute’s research program integrates scientific fields such as neuroscience, psychology, public health, anthropology, history, and gender studies. Kinsey Institute activities include traveling exhibitions, public fellowships, research lectures, and a human sexuality education program. Visit our website kinseyinstitute.org and follow us on LinkedIn.