DETECTING THE SCOPE OF RAPE - A REVIEW OF PREVALENCE RESEARCH METHODS

This article focuses on rape prevalence research and examines the rela tionship between measurement methods and level of rape detection. Afte r a brief overview of empirical data, the relative threat to the valid ity of prevalence estimates posed by fabrication versus nondisclosure is weighed. Then various methodological choices and their relationship to the magnitude of prevalence estimates are examined. Addressed are the definitions underlying the studies, the questions used to elicit r eports of rape, the context in which rape questioning occurred, the co nfidentiality of the responses, the method of data collection, and the sample integrity. The conclusions include 10 recommendations for the design of future studies of rape prevalence.