Web resource:	https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07148r.pdf
Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Prevalence of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking
Authors:	United States. Government Accountability Office
Keywords:	Statistics;Stalking;Sexual assault
Year:	2006
Publisher:	U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington
Notes:	General Overview:In this document the United States Government Accountability Office (GOA) presents the findings of an investigation into the extent that national data collection efforts report the prevalence of men, women, youth and children who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. Two aims were identified for a review of available research: Objective: The GOA sought to gather research data on the prevalence of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking, with the understanding that there are many inconsistencies with available data. This includes the use of different definitions and no tracking of unreported violence. Method: In reviewing the data available the GOA conducted interviews with officials and obtained information from a number of federal agencies responsible for collecting data on these issues. It gathered information from research and advocacy organisations related to the crimes under study. The GOA also reviewed pertinent federal laws and conducted literature searches, focusing on reporting systems and surveys, from which results were issued or reported since 2001. The current study did not evaluate any of the studies or make assessments regarding their merit. The study noted that some agencies are engaging in efforts to establish uniform definitions for domestic violence and sexual assault (e.g. CDC and Office of Justice Programs). For some organisations, however, changing definitions to be more uniform presents challenges, as existing definitions for collection efforts produce comparable data, allowing them to monitor trends over time. Conclusion: The study concluded that existing national data collection efforts deal with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking among different portions of the population. Due to the varying definitions and scope of these data collection efforts, it is not possible to accurately estimate nationwide prevalence of these social problems. The GOA argues that a lack of prevalence information limits the ability to make informed decisions about policy and resource allocation. The study process did initiate efforts to bring more uniformity to data collection across agencies and organisations, however, gaps will remain. * require the use of common definitions when conducting or providing grants for federal research to leverage individual collection efforts, so that the results of such efforts can be readily combined to achieve nationwide prevalence estimates.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16296
Physical description:	53 p.
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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