“I Think You Covered the Three Levels of Drugs and Consent”: Qualitatively Testing Different Operationalizations of an Alcohol and Other Drugs-Involved Sexual Violence

Abstract

Substance-involved rape is increasing among college students, particularly women (Koss et al., 2022). Addressing rape requires first measuring it accurately in surveys to understand its true scope and nature. We used cognitive interviews with 40 young adults to qualitatively test the construct validity of an alcohol- and other drugs (AOD)-involved rape item in the Sexual Experiences Survey by asking participants to comment on different operationalizations of this construct. Our findings revealed that different phrasings elicited different interpretations of the items by participants. Specifically, the results indicated that (1) respondents viewed the different operationalizations as a sequence of events with varying severity; (2) some participants focused on the intentionality and responsibility of the perpetrator as opposed to opportunistic perpetration; and (3) study participants consistently chose one of the operationalizations as describing “being roofied” (being drugged without consent). Participants also contributed additional scenarios not described in the questionnaire and shared their interpretations of the items. The results underscore the importance of refining survey language to properly measure AOD-involved rape and allow us to understand how to tailor appropriate questions for best comprehension. The findings indicate the benefit in including several items about AOD-involved rape in questionnaires such as the Sexual Experiences Survey, with each item addressing different scenarios of victim intoxication. The results could also have important implications for sexual violence prevention programs, which should discuss consent, intentions, and responsibility specifically in the context of AOD consumption.