A Scoping Review and Exploratory Analysis Applying Hamby's 2017 Conceptual Definition of Violence to Measures of Sexual Violence.

Abstract

Prior research has demonstrated how the lack of consistent, empirical, and conceptually grounded definitions has hindered research on sexual violence (SV). Hamby (2017) outlined a four-part framework for defining violence - intentional, non-essential, harmful, and unwanted - to ameliorate definitional conundrums and improve methodology. This scoping review aimed to apply Hamby's framework to measures of SV to evaluate their alignment and identify areas for improvement in measuring SV across victimization and perpetration. A scoping literature review identified 37 questionnaires assessing SV victimization (n = 28) or perpetration (n = 9), each containing at least one relevant item. A two-stage coding process was used to develop and implement rating scales to operationalize Hamby's framework. Stage 1 coding suggested that all measures demonstrated face validity for each of the four criteria, highlighting the potential complexities of operationalizing the intentional and non-essential criteria. Stage 2 involved more detailed coding of the two criteria. Most questionnaires met the criteria for intentional (56%), and less than a third met the criteria for non-essential (24%); all questionnaires met the criteria for either non-essential or intentional. Perpetration questionnaires were more likely to meet the intentional criteria than victimization questionnaires. Seven questionnaires (18%) met both the non-essential and intentional criteria. This review demonstrated the conceptual complexities in defining and operationalizing SV using Hamby's functional definition. Future research focused on clarifying how intent and the non-essential nature of sexual acts are captured in questionnaires could improve conceptual precision within SV research.