NCJ Number
145828
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (1992) Pages: 51-68
Date Published
1992
Length
18 pages
Annotation
The Wyatt Sexual History Questionnaire (WSHQ) is a 478- item semi-structured, face-to-face interview used to obtain retrospective and current data regarding the subject's sexual socialization, age of onset, frequency, and circumstances of consensual and nonconsensual sexual behavior.
Abstract
The items on the questionnaire were administered in telephone and personal interviews, through self-report measures, and in indirect questioning using randomized responses in order to assess their effectiveness in obtaining data. The subjects included white and African-American women. The results showed that face-to-face interviewing was the most effective technique of obtaining information on both consensual and nonconsensual sexual experiences. Interviews could be used in conjunction with the other techniques to enhance and cross-validate the accuracy of the data. The findings illustrate the value of obtaining a history of all incidents of sexual abuse as well as a detailed history covering sexual behavior patterns and consequences of sexual activity. 1 table, 1 note, and 36 references