title: How to Score the Sexual Experiences Survey? A Comparison of Nine Methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although assessments of sexual assault victimization and perpetration have greatly improved, current scoring methods do not fully utilize the wealth of information they provide. The present studies assessed new methods for scoring sexual assault severity using the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES; Koss et al., 2007).
  
  
  METHODS
  In two studies of female (n= 436) and male (n= 313) non-problem drinkers who had engaged in unprotected sex within the past year, we compared three severity ranking schemes as well as three scoring methods per severity scheme for a total of nine scoring methods. New severity ranking schemes considered tactic types separately, varied combinations of assault outcomes, and accounted for multiple types and frequencies of assaults. Measures assessing convergent validity were also administered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-eight percent (n= 340) of the women reported victimization, and 58% (n= 180) of the men reported perpetration. All severity scoring methods were strongly associated with convergent measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each scoring method is viable; however especially among samples with greater victimization/perpetration rates, there can be advantages to incorporating multiple types and frequencies of assault experiences into SES scores. Recent refinements of the SES necessitate commensurate improvements in its scoring methods in order to significantly advance the field of sexual assault assessment.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Kelly Cue
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Amanda K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stappenbeck
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Balsan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Washington.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norris
keywords: perpetration; psychometrics; sexual aggression; sexual assault severity; victimization