Cross-Cultural Validation of the Sexual Experiences Survey: Sexual Violence in Costa Rica - Datasets and Materials

Cross-cultural validation of research measures is a necessary and often overlooked step when conducting research within new study populations. This study focuses on the translation and adaptation of the Sexual Experiences Survey - Short Form Victimization (SES; Koss et al., 2007) for its use in Costa Rica. A total of 182 women participated in two studies testing the original, translated SES and later the adapted Costa Rican Sexual Experiences Survey (CRSES). Adaptation of the instrument followed guidelines from local experts in gender-based violence, feedback from study participants, and translation support from a local philologist. Results show an increase in reporting rates with the CRSES, excellent internal reliability when using both instruments, as well as reliable construct validity when testing the association between the CRSES and post-traumatic stress disorder, a variable commonly associated with sexual violence victimization. Sexual violence rates in this study were high, urging future research on the subject in Costa Rica.