Measuring sexual aggression perpetration in college men: A comparison of two measures

Objective: The present study was designed to provide a comparison of rates of self-reported sexual aggression perpetration obtained using 2 different measures-a version of the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES; Abbey, Parkhill, Clinton-Sherrod, & Zawacki, 2007; Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987) and the Sexual Strategies Scale (SSS, Strang, Peterson, Hill, & Heiman, 2013; Struckman-Johnson, Struckman- Johnson, & Anderson, 2003). We also examined the psychometric structure of each measure using Rasch model item analysis (Rasch, 1966). Method: Two equivalent cohorts of entering freshman males (n = 994 and n = 1043) from a large northeastern university completed online measures at the end of their first semester. Results: Identical proportions of men reported using intoxication strategies (3%) and physical force (1%) during the past semester on both measures. More men reported verbal strategies on the SSS (7.8%) compared with the SES (3.7%), even when restricting to equivalent items. Rasch analysis suggested that the SSS conformed better to a unidimensional continuum of perpetration severity than the SES; however, Rasch analysis did not provide definitive support for either a tactic-based (SSS) or a tactic-plus-outcome- based (SES) hierarchy. Conclusions: Both measures functioned adequately. However, the SSS may be preferred for its better Rasch properties, better assessment of the less severe tactics, and simpler wording.