Philippines - VACS Cognitive Lab Report

Attachment M: Philippines VACS Questionnaire Cognitive Interview Report

VACS COGNITIVE INTERVIEW STUDY, MANILA, PHILIPPINES:
FINAL REPORT
The Questionnaire Design Research Laboratory, National Center for Health Statistics
November 6, 2012
Daniel G. Harwell
Dr. Kristen Miller

INTRODUCTION
This report outlines findings of the VACS cognitive interviewing study conducted August 2012
in Manila, Philippines.
The analytic purpose of the VACs cognitive interviewing study was to provide understanding
regarding:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Feasibility of collecting such data given the sensitivity and age suitability of the questions
Assurance that meaning of terms and concepts are understood
Length of the questionnaire
Ordering of sections
Length of section introductions
Ability of respondents to distinguish between types of violence
Ability of respondents to distinguish specific events

The entire VACS field questionnaire is lengthy and can take as much as 2 hours to complete (as
determined by NCHS mock interviews). A cognitive interview requires respondents to not only
answer each survey question, but also requires respondents to explain each answer. The
cognitive interview, therefore, is more burdensome for respondents and requires much more time
than field interviews. (Because of the cognitive burden, a reasonable length for a cognitive
interview is limited to no more than 1.5 hours). It was estimated that, in order to examine the
questionnaire in its entirety, at least 4 hours would be required. Therefore, in order to accomplish
the analytic goals, it was necessary to reduce the length of the questionnaire for the cognitive
interview. In reducing the questionnaire, all topics were retained but repetitive question patterns
were omitted. (See Appendix A for the revised cognitive interview questionnaire). These
changes allowed a full examination of the above issues within the time frame and structure of the
cognitive interview setting.

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
This section outlines findings of the cognitive interview study, as well as provides a set of
recommendations for revising the general structure of the questionnaire. Assessment of
individual questions and recommendations is provided in the question by question review

section. A proposed questionnaire, primarily based on study findings, is presented in Appendix
B.
Feasibility of questioning children about sexual violence
While a survey regarding violence against children is of international significance, a primary
consideration is the actual feasibility of collecting this type of data for children. As articulated
at the front of this document, study feasibility was a focal point of the cognitive interviewing
study, and cognitive interviewers conducted each interview with this principal goal in mind.
Interviewers were to document any incidence of respondents not understanding terminology or
not wanting to answer questions because of their sensitivity or past experiences. Additionally,
interviewers were to change course, even ending the interview, if respondents became
uncomfortable. This type of respondent reaction alone would indicate the feasibility of asking
children about these types of experiences. Among the 20 interviews, however, no respondent,
including the youngest, skipped any of the questions; all respondents successfully completed the
interview. Even respondents who reported incidents of violence displayed no overt distress
requiring the interview to end.
While this finding cannot be generalized to all potential respondents—for example to rural, lesseducated children or those raised in a different region or country, there was no evidence within
this cognitive interview sample to suggest that a survey covering these concepts would not be
feasible. Of note, the structure of the cognitive interview requires respondents to speak in-depth
and explicitly about interpretations of key concepts as well as experiences of various types of
sexual violence. In this regard, the cognitive interview is much more invasive and potentially
sensitive than an actual survey interview would be. While some respondents spoke more freely
about sexual behavior than others, all respondents answered with a reasonable degree of candor.
For example, when asked about their interpretation of sexual experience questions, a few
respondents showing a greater sense of humility explained that sex was “an activity that a man
and a woman do to have children.” Another respondent stated that the question asked about
“coitus.” When describing their interpretation of the question about being touched “in a sexual
way without your permission,” one respondent explained “that would mean if someone touched
my private parts.”
In addition to the practicality of asking children about sexual violence, the veracity of reports is a
significant concern: it is one thing to ask children about sexual violence, it is another to collect
honest and accurate reports. False negative reports can occur 1) if the respondent does not
understand the question or 2) if the respondent understands the question but does not want to tell
the interviewer. Since the cognitive interview format asks respondents to explain their answer,
false negatives due to misunderstanding are often revealed. In this study, there were no cases
where a respondent provided a negative answer because of misunderstanding. The cognitive
interview format, however, can do little to identify a false negative report if a respondent simply
does not want to report a positive answer. The interviewer, to the best of their ability, would ask
the respondent to provide clear and detailed information regarding their interpretation of the
question. Respondents could still provide evasive responses to follow up questions so as to not
disclose—although, the vast number of respondents did not provide evasive or vague
descriptions of their experiences. Indeed, multiple cognitive interview respondents in this study
reported and described experiences of violence and abuse. Of the 20 interviews that were
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conducted, in only one case was it discovered that a respondent did not report an incident. The
discovery of this false negative did not emerge in the course of the interview, but rather in
discussion with the respondents’ guardian who volunteered that the child’s neighbor held a gun
to her head. The guardian explained that she told the child not to report the episode in the
interview; she was afraid that there may be some type of repercussion. The respondent did not
report this in the interview. She reported that her neighbor was verbally abusive and that she was
afraid of him, but she spoke evasively about the nature of her fear.
Recommendation: Because of the stigma and fear surrounding the topic, it should be assumed
that in the larger survey there will be an unknown amount of underreporting. Regardless of
wording, question design cannot lessen respondents’ fear or the stigmatization of sexual abuse.
Therefore, questions should be written in an explicit, straightforward manner that does not
incline respondents to conceptualize a question as potentially upsetting. It is possible, as this
cognitive testing study reveals, that most respondents are willing to provide accurate answers and
do not view questions as overly sensitive. Question wording, then, does not need to be nor
should it be evasive as an attempt to lessen to the potential impact of the question. In the end it
is necessary for a respondent to have a clear understanding of what is being asked. Asking
explicit questions creates less confusion for respondents and requires less time for interviewers
to explain concepts or repeat questions.
Similarly, it is not advantageous to include introductions to sections that forewarn respondents
that upcoming questions may be seen as sensitive or potentially embarrassing. Related, it is
important that interviewers do not make assumptions that respondents will view questions as
sensitive. If interviewers present questions in a straight-forward manner, respondents are much
more likely to view questions as matter-of-fact.
Structure of Questionnaire: Length of questionnaire, order of sections and content of
section introductions
Administration of the questionnaire within the cognitive interview revealed that its length and
repetitiveness is problematic. In several cases interviewers found themselves apologizing to
respondents for the repetitiveness of the questionnaire as well as questions that appeared
senseless given respondents answers to previous questions. While the questionnaire for the
cognitive interview was dramatically shortened (15 pages compared to 54), this shortened
questionnaire remained lengthy and repetitive. This was true for respondents who reported
multiple episodes of violence as well as those who reported one or two minor experiences.
Recommendation: An overly long and repetitive questionnaire can burden survey respondents
and, ultimately, reduce data quality. It is often the case that questionnaires can be shortened
without eliminating analytically necessary constructs. This questionnaire can be condensed
utilizing the following strategies:
1. Eliminating Questions: There are two primary ways that the number of questions can
be reduced on the questionnaire:

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a) Increased use of Skip Patterns: Increasing the number of skip patterns ensures
that only essential and relevant questions are asked of the respondent,
ultimately decreasing the interview length.
b) Eliminating Repetitive Questions: A number of the questions included are
very similar in wording, and are actually interpreted similarly by respondents
(discussed in more detail in the forthcoming Question by Question Review),
causes respondents to believe that they are being asked the same question
multiple times.
2. Rephrasing Questions: Rewording questions so that they are easier for the
interviewer to read and allow respondents to understand the question immediately
will decrease interview time.
3. Reducing Section Introductions: Introductions to sections can be eliminated or
greatly reduced. The goal for many of the introductions is to alert respondents to the
fact that the upcoming set of questions is sensitive and to remind the respondent that,
although their answers are important to the survey, they may skip them. For the
cognitive interview questionnaire, many of the introductions that appear in the field
questionnaire were omitted. It was never indicated that any of these introductions
were required. Similarly, previous QDRL projects have illustrated that these
introductions can create a more sensitive perception of the questions than the
respondent would normally have, as well the introduction gives the respondent
explicit permission to skip out of the section. Eliminating these introductions will
generate less item non-response and will dramatically reduce interview time.
Assurance that the intent of the questions are understood
A recurring theme throughout the interview was that, for those respondents with little or no
experience of violence, the intent of questions were sometimes missed. Specifically, while those
who experienced significant episodes of violence understood questions as asking about abuse,
those without such unwanted experiences did not always interpret questions within that intended
scope. Because respondents typically rely on their own life experience to interpret survey
questions and are unaware of the analytic intent of specific questions, this is not an uncommon or
unexpected finding. Significantly, depending on the respondent and the specific question, these
misinterpretations could sometimes lead to false-positive responses.
This pattern of false-positive reporting was evident in a number of questions, but particularly in
the physical violence questions. For example, one respondent answered “many times” to the
question, Has a parent or other relative punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you with an object:
never, once, a few times, many times?. In explaining her answer, she stated that she and her
sisters often fight and described the previous night when she and her sister fought over the only
calculator in the house when needing to do their homework. In another example, one respondent
who did not interpret the suicide question as assessing serious depression answered affirmatively
stating that, when she received a grade that was not up to her expectation, she would sometimes
feel like dying. Upon further discussion, she stated that she was only exaggerating when
answering the question—suicide is an act of sin, she stated, that is “against god’s will.”
Recommendation: False-positive reports due misinterpretation of question intent can likely be
reduced by writing questions so as to make them explicit in regard to the intended construct.
Subtlety or evasiveness written into questions-- particularly with the intention of lessening
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potential embarrassment—can generate various interpretations. It is also possible that screener
questions may reduce this type of error by skipping respondents out of questions that do not
pertain to them.

METHODS
This section details the methodology, including an overview of cognitive interviewing
methodology and methods used for this specific project.
Cognitive Interviewing
The aim of cognitive interviewing study is to investigate how well survey questions perform
when asked of respondents, that is, if respondents understand the questions according to their
intended design and if they can provide accurate answers based on that intent. As a qualitative
method, the primary benefit of cognitive interviewing is that it provides rich, contextual insight
into the ways in which respondents 1) interpret a question, 2) consider and weigh out relevant
aspects of their lives and, finally, 3) formulate a response based on that consideration. As such,
cognitive interviewing provides in-depth understanding of the ways in which a question operates,
the kind of phenomena that it captures, and how it ultimately serves (or fails) the scientific goal.
Findings from a cognitive interviewing project typically lead to recommendations for improving
a survey question, or results can be used in post-survey analysis to assist in data interpretation.
Traditionally, cognitive testing is performed by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews
with a small sample of approximately twenty to forty respondents. The typical interview
structure consists of respondents first answering the evaluated question and then answering a
series of follow-up probe questions that reveal what respondents were thinking and their
rationale for that specific response. In this regard, cognitive interviews unfold within a narrative
format and are often personal and, in comparison to traditional survey interviews, are unique to
each respondent. Through this semi-structured design, various types of question-response
problems, such as interpretive errors or recall accuracy, are uncovered—problems that often go
unnoticed in traditional survey interviews. By asking respondents to provide textual verification
and the process by which they formulated their answer, elusive errors are revealed.
As a qualitative method, the sample selection for a cognitive testing project is purposive.
Respondents are not selected through a random process, but rather are selected for specific
characteristics such as gender or race or some other attribute that is relevant to the type of
questions being examined. When studying questions designed to identify persons with
disabilities, for example, the test sample would likely consist of respondents with a previously
known disability and, to discover potential causes of false positive or false negative reporting,
some respondents with no known disability. Because of the small sample size, not all social and
demographic groups are represented. Analysis of cognitive interviews does not produce
generalizable findings in a statistical sense, but rather, provides an explicit exploration of
response processes including patterns of interpretation which could lead to response error.

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Analysis of cognitive interviews can be conducted from transcribed interviews or, as is often the
case, from interviewer notes. The texts of the interviews (either transcribed materials or
interviewer notes) are collated by question so that comparisons can be made systematically
across all respondents. Several levels of analysis can typically be performed. First, distinct
occurrences in which respondents experience difficulty or confusion while answering are
identified. Additionally, specific instances or patterns of error are also noted and, most
importantly, the particular causes of those errors are identified. In addition to response errors,
analysis of cognitive interviews can be conducted to reveal patterns of question interpretation.
By comparing each respondent’s interpretation to a particular question, patterns can be identified
and then examined for consistency and degree of variation among respondents. This type of
interpretive analysis does not necessarily illustrate overt response errors, but rather provides
deeper insight into the substance or the actual meaning that constitutes the survey data.

VACS Cognitive Interviewing Study
Twenty English cognitive interviews of children between the ages of 14 and 23 years
were conducted by 3 staff of the Question Design Research Lab, National Center for Health
Statistics. Respondents included 10 males and 10 females. Table 1 shows the breakdown of the
respondents by gender and age.
Table 1: Respondents by Gender and Age
14-17 yrs

18-23 yrs

Male

2

8

Female

5

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Additional demographic information was not formally obtained in order to minimize the
collection of personally identifiable information in order to ensure that the risk to participants
was minimal; however, through conducting the interviews we were able to learn additional
information. Only four respondents had ever had sexual intercourse, but many stated that they
had had a boyfriend or girlfriend. Additionally, eight respondents said that they had worked or
were currently working for pay. Respondents who participated in the study also had varying
experiences with across the different forms of abuse.
Respondents were recruited via flyers and word-of-mouth by staff of the Council for the Welfare
of Children (CWC), Department of Social Welfare and Development in Manila, Philippines.
Special emphasis was taken to ensure that respondents came from varying parts of the
Metropolitan Manila area. Interviews were conducted on site at the CWC. Interviews were
structured as described in the cognitive interviewing summary provided above. Interviews lasted
approximately 1 hour.
Method of analysis: Analysis of interviews includes a three stage process involving data
reduction and theory building (i.e. drawing conclusions). A data entry and analysis software
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application (Q-Notes) was used to conduct analysis. Q-Notes, developed by the Question Design
Research Laboratory, ensures systematic and transparent analysis across all cognitive interviews
as well as provides an audit trail depicting the way in which findings are generated from the raw
interview data. Without such an analysis, conclusions presented in cognitive interview reports
can, without the reader’s knowledge, consist of anecdotal reports derived from one or two
standout interviews or the general impressions of interviewers.
To conduct analysis for the VACS study, original interview text from every interview was first
summarized into detailed interview notes. Summary notes specified the way in which individual
respondents answered every survey question, including each respondent’s interpretation of
questions and key terms, activities and experiences considered by respondents, and any response
difficulties and errors. Next, analysis was conducted systematically across interviews, identifying
interpretive patterns (including patterns of response errors) across interviews. Findings from this
second level of analysis depict the phenomena captured by each question and allows for the
assessment of construct validity. The final stage of analysis involves examination of themes by
specific subgroups. Identifying the presence of specific patterns occurring only within in a
particular subgroup (e.g. girls vs. boys) can signal potential bias in resulting survey data.
The following is a question by question report of cognitive interview findings. A proposed
questionnaire which is derived from these findings can be found in Appendix B. As indicated
earlier, not all questions in the full survey questionnaire could be examined because of its length.
(See Appendix A for cognitive interview questionnaire.) However, findings gleaned from the
cognitive interviews provide insight for all items and can indicate the best wording and
organization for the entire questionnaire.

QUESTION BY QUESTION REVIEW
Note: Some questions that were included in the cognitive interview protocol have been omitted
from this analysis due to a lack of substantive findings.

Section 1: Respondent Background Information
Questions pertaining to respondent background information worked as a well as an
introduction to the questionnaire. The section contains relatively non-sensitive questions which
allowed interviewers to establish rapport and for respondents to become comfortable with the
question response process prior to the more sensitive subsequent sections. For the cognitive
interviews the questions about parents and marriage were moved to this front section because the
content was similar. In the proposed questionnaire, all questions pertaining to respondent
information were placed in this section.
F2

How old were you on your last birthday?

Of the 20 respondents, 12 respondents did not answer their current age, but rather their current
age less one year. These respondents interpreted the question as asking their age prior to their
most current birthday. Most answered immediately and unaware that they had provided an
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incorrect answer. A couple respondents asked for the question to be repeated, and a couple
respondents hesitated in providing an answer.
F3
Have you ever attended school? Yes/No
F4
Are you currently attending school? Yes/No
All respondents reported that they have attended school at some point. Sixteen of the 20
respondents reported still being in school. There were no problems or difficulties associated
with these questions. Those who reported being in school described the type and level of school
in which they were enrolled; those who reported not being in school described the work that they
were currently doing.
F5

How would you describe you grades in school?
Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor

None of the respondents had difficulty answering or understanding the intent of the question. All
respondents’ answers were, however, based on a self-assessment that was unrelated to an
external measure such as a grade point average. Instead, respondents based their answers along a
number of different themes that may or may not be comparable.
Some respondents based their answer on test performances. Respondents who scored very high
answered “excellent” and those who did not score well answered “good” or “fair.” (No
respondent reported having poor grades). Many of these respondents, however, did not perform
consistently across subjects and had to construct a single answer summarizing their performance
to answer the question. For the most part, respondents took a general average, noting that they
scored high grades in several subjects but they did not do as well in other subjects, so the picked
a response option in the middle. For example, one respondent, who failed one of her mid-term
exams, reported having “fair” grades. She explained that she had passed all of her mid-terms
except for one.
Other respondents tended to base their answers on their rank in class. Regardless of how well
they scored on tests, if there were students ranked higher, they would answer “very good” or
“good.” One student explained that, even though her grades were very high, she was not ranked
at the top of her class; only highest ranking students, she explained, would qualify as having
“excellent” grades.
In contrast, a couple other respondents did not focus on scores or rank, but rather how well they
understood the material presented in class. For example, one student who answered “very good”
explained that, in all but two of her classes “I believe that I understand the subject matter very
well. Understanding the material allows me to excel.” Finally, a couple other respondents also
did not focus on grades or rank, but on their perception of self. One respondent, for example,
stated "I'm an over achiever" and explained that she was admitted into a science program in a
prestigious high school. While no respondent related their answer to a poor self-image, it is
possible to see how those students who do not have a positive view of themselves would more
likely report on the lower end of the scale.

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F6
How do you travel to school on most days?
While respondents had no difficulties understanding the question, the response options do not
always match the respondent’s open-ended answer. A number of respondents stated that they
walk to school; however, there are two response options for walking to school (alone or with
others). This requires the interviewer to ask some follow-up questions in order to accurately
place the respondent into the correct category. Providing the response options in the questions
tells respondents how to format their answer and will reduce interviewer burden and minimize
the chance that an interviewer would inaccurately record a respondent’s answer.
F7
What is the highest level of schooling you have completed?
Some respondents reported their current year as opposed to the level that they graduated. For
example, one respondent answered high school, even though he is currently in high school.
Many respondents answered higher than secondary even though they were only in their first or
second year of college and the correct answer should have been secondary. This is a concern
given that some respondents do answer the highest level actually completed. For example one
respondent who was in her 5th year of college and who was about to graduate stated that her
highest level was only high school.
While some respondents answered without hesitation, basing their answer on one or the other
interpretation, other respondents were confused not knowing if they should report their current
grade or the highest degree. One respondent, for example, responded: "Completed? [That would
be ] High school.” Another respondent at first said that he was enrolled in university and getting
a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, and explained that he is currently writing his
thesis. Then, without prompting, the respondent said that the highest level that he had actually
completed was high school.
F8
How close do you feel to other students at your school?
In answering this question, respondents tended to focus on their social interactions with other
students at school. Respondents frequently mentioned that they felt that they could trust other
students and felt that they could discuss issues they were having with their family or at home, in
addition to school related issues with fellow students. A few respondents discussed feeling close
to other students because they participate in recreational activities with them outside of school,
such as playing video games or simply “hanging out”.
In addition to interpreting the question stem, respondents had to interpret each of the response
options. Due to this fact, there was variation in responses and explanations for how respondents
came to their answers. For example, one respondent said that he feels “somewhat close” to his
classmates at school because he has quite a few friends and that he has been in many of the same
classes with them, so they have known each other for “a long time”. Another respondent said
that they felt “somewhat close” because, “Some of my classmates… I’m not that close to them.
Not all that I want to say to them I can say.” While both of these respondents said that they feel
“somewhat close” to other students at their school, these two responses have different sentiments
behind them and ultimately different ideas of what “somewhat close” meant.
A problem arose among respondents who were not currently attending school. Many of these
respondents tried to apply their current life experiences in order to answer the question. A
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respondent who graduated from college in 2011 said that he feels “somewhat close” to other
students at his school because he still gets to see them sometimes and said that he is friends with
some of them. Another respondent said that he feels “very close” to the students at his school
because he volunteers and the school where his mother teaches and enjoys working with the
children.
F9
How much do you feel that your teachers care about you?
In answering the question, respondents focused more on their teachers involvement and concern
regarding their academic progress, rather than how much teachers care about their personal wellbeing. In discussing their answer, respondents frequently mentioned that their teachers provide
academic support by giving them test taking tips, checking on a student’s progress, or following
up when a student received low grades. While students primarily focused on how teachers care
about their academic success, a few respondents also mentioned teachers caring about their
personal lives.
A common theme among college students was to compare their current professors to their high
school teachers. Several respondents said that their high school teachers seemed to care more
about them, but said that their college professors did not care as much. One respondent said that
her college and high school teachers are “very different” and said that her high school teachers
tended to “keep in touch” with her, but she said that in college she feels like she is alone.
Another respondent said that his teachers care “a lot” about him; however, the respondent was
thinking about his high school teachers, and said that in comparison to his high school teachers
his college teachers do not seem to care very much.
F10
Have you ever worked for money or any other form of payment?
The central issue that caused a problem for a number of respondents in answering this question
revolved around what constitutes working. Respondents ultimately reached their own
conclusions based on their own experiences; however, respondents answered yes to this question
if they had received any money for any type of labor that they had done. For example, one
respondent ultimately did not answer the question because she was unsure whether her elected
position as a local government representative constituted working. While the respondent said
that she does receive an allowance for this position, she was unsure if she should count it because
it is an elected position. A different respondent indicated that she had worked for pay because on
one occasion she received a small amount of money to sing as part of a choir at an event.
F12
What was this type of work?
Of the eight respondents who had ever worked for some type of payment, seven of the
respondents fell into the “other” category. Respondents worked in a wide range of industries
including chemical engineering, customer service, tutoring, and nursing. While the response
options for this question would typically be comprised by a broad range of occupations, the
response options that should be provided for this question should ultimately be determined by the
intent of this question. If the goal of the question is to identify the type of work that children
perform then the response options provided in this question should be more generic and
inclusive; however, if the intent of this question is to identify respondents working in potentially
dangerous conditions then you would have different response options.

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Another issue was identified during an interview when one of the respondents had difficulty
responding to this question because the question assumes that the respondent has only worked in
one industry. This respondent had worked in three very different industries and was not sure
how to accurately answer the question. The respondent said that he had worked doing
maintenance on a bridge, delivering picture frames, and as a customer service representative at a
call center. The open ended format of this question ultimately leaves it up to the interviewer to
accurately record this response.
Substance Abuse
It should be noted that this section is susceptible to social desirability bias, which occurs when
respondents answer questions in a particular manner in order to present themselves in a favorable
manner. Social desirability can ultimately lead to underreporting of substance abuse. In our
interviews, the majority of our respondents stated that they had never smoked cigarettes, used
drugs, or consumed alcohol to the point of becoming intoxicated. While there was no evidence
of false negatives, it is not entirely possible to know if negative reports were due to social
desirability.
F1027 In the past 30, have you used drugs such as marijuana, pills, ecstasy or
huffed/sniffed any chemical such as shabu or rugby?
None of our respondents reported using drugs, but most respondents had some exposure to drugs
either through education at school about drugs, seeing people use them on the street, or from
friends who do use drugs. One respondent who said that she had learned about drugs through
school and television ads said “Drugs can destroy everything in your life.” This same respondent
said that she sees people on the street using drugs, which makes her feel nervous. Another
respondent said that some of her friends use drugs, and that a friend invited her to smoke rugby
but she chose not to. Additionally, a number of respondents were specifically asked if they knew
shabu or rugby. Respondents were able to provide descriptions of these drugs and some
respondents reported that they had seen people use these drugs.
While the majority of respondents did know what huffed means, one respondent stated that they
did not know this word.
F1028 In the past 30 days, on how many days did you drink alcohol to the point that you
became drunk?
All of our respondents, except one, reported that they had not been drunk in the last 30 days;
however, a number of respondents said that they had consumed alcohol. Respondents discussed
consuming alcohol in the context of going to bars and clubs with friends as well as on special
occasions such as weddings. The majority of respondents who had consumed alcohol also said
that when they do drink they do not get drunk. While we were unable to determine respondents’
exact interpretation of “becoming drunk,” we know from other studies about teen driving, what
constitutes as “being drunk” is sometimes interpreted liberally. That is, in answering questions
about drinking and driving, some teens defined “being drunk” as “being inebriated”—well above
the legal limit.

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F1029 During the past 30 days, did you smoke cigarettes daily, occasionally, or not at all?
None of the respondents reported that they smoke cigarettes and the majority said that they have
never tried a cigarette. In answering the question, one respondent was confused and thought the
question was asking about second hand smoke, so she answered “occasionally”. The respondent
had never smoked a cigarette, but said that she is exposed to cigarette smoke.
Social Network and Safety
F1016

Now let us talk about the people in your community. How much do you
think that people in your community can be trusted?
A lot, Some, Not too much, Not at all
In responding to this question, respondents had varying ideas of what constituted their
community. While some respondents thought of their community as being a neighborhood or
village, other respondents said that they thought of the Metropolitan Manila region as being their
community. Respondents also answered the question thinking of previous places that they lived
or workplaces as their community. One respondent also stated that to him, community means his
group of friends rather than a specific geographical area. The amount of variation in the way that
respondents define their community is likely to pose a problem in the usefulness data gathered
from this question.
Just as respondents have a range of definitions of community, respondents also mentioned a wide
variety of reasons that they do or do not trust people in their community, including gossiping,
violence, and theft. The issue of gossiping was the most common topic that emerged in
discussing this question. Several respondents evaluated how much they could trust people in
their community primarily based on whether they could or could not trust community members
with secrets. A female respondent said that people in her community could be trusted “some”
because, “We are having an issue in our community. They are telling things that are not true.”
Another female respondent said “…many are gossipers, so why would I trust them?”
Respondents also frequently mentioned thinking of violence and their physical safety in the
community when answering this question. One respondent explained that he feels he can trust
people in his community a lot, because in the condominium where he lives there are a lot of
guards who patrol. Another respondent stated that she could not trust people in her community
too much because people in her neighborhood get drunk at night and scream. A third respondent
mentioned that he didn’t feel he could trust people in his community because he had been held
up at knifepoint. Another topic that emerged in discussing this question was theft. One
respondent said that compared to the village where he is originally from, he did not feel that he
could trust people very much because he has to constantly worry about having things stolen.
F1018
How safe do you feel in your home, where you currently sleep?
In answering this question, a majority of respondents focused on circumstances in the area
around their home rather than safety inside the respondent’s home. A number of respondents
said that they did not feel entirely safe because of alcohol or drug use by people outside of their
home, while other respondents said that they worried about their belongings being stolen by
people outside of their home. Several respondents also stated that they answered this question
thinking of the same factors as the previous question (F1016). If the intent of the question is to
capture physical or sexual violence occurring in the respondent’s home, the question should be
rephrased to better focus on the intended information.
12

Parents
F1000

Now, I would like to ask you some questions about your biological parents,
your natural parents who gave birth to you. Is your biological mother living
with you?
The majority of respondents had no difficulty with this question; however, two respondents had
difficulty answering this question. While the majority of respondents knew what biological
meant or understood based on the definition provided in the question, one respondent did not
know this word and was confused by it. A different respondent answered that his mother does
live with him, but his mother is not currently living with him. The respondent said that he
answered yes because she plans to come live with him again once she finishes working a job in
another city.
F1001
How old were you when you last lived with her?
Respondents generally answered this question without difficulty, but one respondent who had
moved to Manila to go to college had difficulty answering. Despite previously stating that she
had moved to Manila seven years ago, the respondent stated that the last time she had lived with
her mother was at age 23, which is the respondent’s current age. The respondent explained that
she frequently goes home to visit her family on the weekends, so the respondent felt that she has
two homes and so she sometimes lives with her mother, but not always. While none of our other
college age respondent exhibited this pattern, this could appear in a larger field survey.
F1002
What was the main reason you stopped living with her?
No difficulties were identified in the cognitive interviews. All respondents who are not currently
living with their parents stated that they moved away to attend school.
Gender Attitudes
F15 Sometimes a husband is annoyed or angered by things his wife does. Do you believe
that it is acceptable for a man to hit or beat his wife:
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

If she goes out without telling him
If she neglects the children
If she argues with him
If she refuses to have sex with him
If she makes bad food

F16 Sometimes men and women have different ideas about having sex. Do you agree or
disagree with the following statements:
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

It is the man who decides when to have sex
Men need more sex than women do
A man needs other women, even if things with his wife are fine
Women who carry condoms are “loose”
A woman should tolerate violence to keep her family together

While these questions are intended to capture the respondent’s beliefs or attitudes, not all
respondents interpreted these questions as asking about their personal feelings. Respondents
13

frequently stated that they answered these questions based on what actually occurs in their
communities. Interviewers asked follow up questions or probes to determine whether
respondents were answering the question based on their beliefs or their personal experiences.
More problematic is the fact that some respondents switched between answering these questions
based on their personal feelings and answering the question based on what they have witnessed.
Additionally, several respondents did not understand some of the words used in these questions,
such as neglect or “loose”.
Witnessing Physical Violence
F232A

Have you seen any adults in your home hit, kick, slap, punch, or hurt each
other intentionally: never, once, a few times, many times?
In responding to this question, respondents discussed incidents involving a wide range of
physical violence committed by adults. The types of incidents that respondents discussed fell
into three categories: fights or arguments between relatives, violence by neighbors, and parents
using corporal punishment. Several respondents mentioned arguments between their parents or
other adults in their home. One such respondent said that “a few times over the last few years”
he had seen his father hit or slap his mother over financial issues. Another respondent stated that
she had witnessed her mom hit her aunt with a wooden object that had a nail in it.
A number of respondents mentioned witnessing their neighbors commit violent acts; however,
not all respondents included these types of events in their response. In one case, a respondent
answered the question saying that he had witnessed physical violence once because he once saw
a neighbor hit her daughter in the heat of an argument. Another respondent, who also reported
witnessing one violent incident, mentioned witnessing other violent acts in her neighborhood, but
decided not to include these instances in her answer because she felt the question was only
asking about violence inside her home. Some respondents also mentioned witnessing parents
using corporal punishment to discipline their children. One respondent answered the question by
saying “a few times” because he had seen his parents discipline his siblings by spanking them;
however, he said that this “was only natural”.
Several respondents also reported that they had had heard violence or were told about the
violence between adults in their home, but did not actually witness the violence. This left
respondents unsure of whether they should include these instances in their answer. In all of these
cases, respondents ultimately chose not include these instances in their response to the question
because the question asks about violence that they had witnessed. In one case, a respondent said
that she had heard her aunt and uncle arguing in the apartment next door and said that she could
hear them screaming and throwing things. In the other instance, a female respondent reported
“never” because when she was younger she only heard her parents yelling, but said that when
she got older she learned that her mom had been beaten by her father.
Another problem arose because a couple of respondents focused on fights between siblings
rather than what the question is asking about: physical violence between adults. One respondent
said that he had seen physical violence “a few times” because his siblings often fight and said
that this gets fairly violent including pushing, kicking, and punching. Another respondent also
answered the question by saying “a few times” because of fights that she had been in with her
siblings.

14

F232B
How old were you when this first happened: 0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18 or older?
Out of the eight respondents who reported witnessing physical violence by adults in the previous
question (F232A), three respondents had a difficult time recalling their age the first time they
witnessed physical violence by adults. In one instance, the respondent simply could not recall
and ultimately declined to answer the question. In another instance, the respondent reported that
she was between the ages of 6 and 11; however, through probing it was discovered that this
instance was likely not the first time the respondent had witnessed violence, but rather was the
most memorable incident.
F232C
How old were you the most recent time this happened?
This question proved to be confusing for respondents who said that they had only witnessed
violence once. In one case the respondent did not answer the question, while in other cases the
respondent simply provided the same answer as they did to the previous question (F232B).
F232D
Did this happen in the last 12 months?
Respondents were able to answer this question without difficulty, which is likely due to the
recency of the recall period. In fact, the two respondents who said that they had witnessed
violence in the last year both stated that they had seen this in the last week.
Section 2: Physical and Emotional Violence
This section was moved earlier in the questionnaire as the questions become more sensitive, but
they are not as sensitive as later questions, such sexual history and violence questions.
F153

Has a parent or other relative punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you with an
object: never, once, a few times, many times?
Respondents commonly interpreted this question as asking about corporal punishment. Of the
nine respondents who reported experiencing some sort of physical violence, six of these
respondents said that at least one of the times when they were hit was a form of discipline. For
example, one respondent explained that her father would slap her or hit her with his belt as
punishment when she did something wrong. Another respondent said, “When I was a child and I
was naughty… She [her mom] hit me with a hanger.” Two additional respondents answered that
they had never experienced physical violence, but during probing mentioned that they had been
spanked or hit as a form of discipline. These respondents stated that they did not report this
because they believed that the violence was justified and as a result the respondent opted not to
report this incident in his answer.
While the majority of respondents focused on violence that they had experienced as a
punishment, one of our respondents had other experiences with physical violence. A respondent
reported experiencing physical violence that was perpetrated by a non-relative living in his home
as a tenant. The respondent explained that the tenant had tried to sexually abuse him and when
the respondent would not comply, the tenant would physically abuse the respondent.
One issue arose among respondents who reported that they had experienced physical violence
once. In two instances, respondents reported that they had only experienced physical violence
once, but when interviewers went back and asked additional follow up questions, respondents
recalled that there had actually been more than one instance when they had experienced physical
15

violence. For example, one respondent said that she was initially thinking of the time when her
mom slapped her with her hand, but then thought of another instance where her mom hit her arm.
F154
How old were you the most recent time this happened?
Several respondents had a difficult time recalling the most recent time that they had experienced
physical violence. For example, one respondent who was not really sure the most recent time
when this occurred explained that he is currently 14, and because he knew that this had not
happened for a while the respondent estimated that the most recent time was around age 10 or
11. Requiring respondents to estimate the precise age when the event occurred may introduce a
greater amount of error than if the categorized response options were provided.
F155

What was your relationship to the relative who did this to you this most
recent time?
Generally, respondents did not have a hard time recalling the perpetrator of the most recent
instance of physical violence; however, one respondent had difficulty recalling whether it was
his mother or father who had hit him due to the amount of time that had elapsed since the event
occurred.
F156
Was this relative older than you, younger than you, or about the same age?
The majority of respondents stated that the perpetrator of the act was a parent. Respondents
found it confusing to be asked if the person was older or younger because they had just stated
that the person was one of their parents. Respondents who report that the perpetrator is a parent
should skip this question.
F157

Would you say this relative was more than 10 years older than you, 5-10
years older or less than 5 years older?
The majority of respondents stated that the perpetrator of the act was a parent. Respondents
found it confusing to be asked if the person was older or younger because they had just stated
that the person was one of their parents. Respondents who report that the perpetrator is a parent
should skip this question.
F159

As a result of this most recent time when a relative punched, kicked,
whipped, or beat you with an object, did you experience?
A)
Cuts, scratches, bruises, aches, redness or swelling or other minor
marks
B)
Sprains, dislocations, or blistering
C)
Deep wounds, broken bones, broken teeth, or blackened or charred
skin
D)
A miscarriage
E)
Permanent injury or disfigurement
All respondents said that they had experienced only bruises, red marks, or soreness due to the
physical violence. Given the escalating severity in the injuries in this series of questions, we
would recommend having a respondent skip out of the remaining questions if they answer no to
one of the questions. Implementing this change will shorten the questionnaire and will minimize
the amount of time that respondents spend recalling potentially traumatic events.
16

F160
How old were you the first time this happened?
Similar to other questions asking about an age when a specific event occurred, several
respondents had difficulty recalling the exact age that the first instance of physical violence
occurred.
F166

Has a parent or any other relative choked, smothered, tried to drown,
burned or scalded you intentionally: never, once, a few times, many times?
In comprehending this question, respondents had varying interpretations of this question. While
some respondents felt that this question was different from the previous question (F153), other
respondents felt that it was asking about the same topic. One respondent said that he felt that this
question was different from the previous question because the focus of this question was
“intentional violence”, while the previous question was asking about actions that might be done
as a form of discipline. Another respondent noted that this question involved “more extreme
forms of violence” compared to the previous question. Other respondents did not view this
question as being different from the previous question (F153). Several respondents stated that
they did not see a difference from other questions in this series. Additionally, several
respondents did not understand some of the words in this question, including scolded or
smothered; however, this did not result in any inaccurate answers.
F179

Has a parent or other relative used or threatened to use a knife or other
weapon against you: never, once, a few times, many times?
Generally, respondents were able to answer this question without much thought; however, one
respondent asked the interviewer if a belt would count as a weapon. When the respondent was
asked what he thought, the respondent stated, “A weapon has the particular function to cause
harm.” The respondent ultimately decided that a belt would not count as a weapon because its
primary function is as a piece of clothing.
F300

Has/did a parent or primary caregiver ever say that you were not loved, or
did not deserve to be loved, or that they wished you had never been born or
were dead, or has a parent or primary caregiver ever ridiculed you or put
you down (for example say that you were stupid or useless): never, once, a
few times, or many times?
The primary observation of this question was its difficulty to administer. Interviewers had to
repeat the question multiple times due to its complexity. Consequently, interviewers often noted
that this question was difficult to administer because of its length and visual density . Once the
question was administered, most respondents did not have difficulty responding to this question;
however, there were a few cases where the respondent had difficulty. In one instance, a male
respondent said that he felt confused by the question, so the interviewer broke the question down
into smaller questions and the respondent was able to answer the questions without issue. The
respondent said that he could not explain what about the question he found confusing; however,
this is likely due to the complexity of the question. Separating the question into multiple
questions will make this question easier to administer and will likely decrease respondent
difficulties.

17

Section 3: Perpetration
F1021

Have you slapped or pushed a current or previous partner/husband: never,
once, a few times, many times? By partner I mean a boyfriend, romantic
partner, fiancé, live-in partner, or husband.
The majority of respondents said that they had never hit a partner, two respondents said that they
had hit their partners. One respondent said that she has done this “many times” because they get
in fights a lot about various issues. Another respondent said that she has done this “a few times”
in a joking manner; however, the respondent said “It’s joking, but they complain that it hurts…
one even got a bruise.” The respondent also asked the respondent if the question was asking
about hitting a partner “jokingly or violently”. Depending on the intent of the question, this may
be a false positive.
F1022

Have you punched, kicked, whipped, or beat with an object a current or
previous partner/husband: never, once, a few times, many times?
Only one respondent said that she had beat a partner with an object. The respondent said that she
has hit her boyfriend with a pillow on a few occasions when they were fighting. Again, like the
previous question, depending on the intent of the question, this may be a false positive.
Section 4: Sexual Behavior, Sex History, and Risk Taking
F400

Have you ever had sexual intercourse whether this was something you
wanted to do at the time or something you did not want to do?
While the majority of our respondents had not had sexual intercourse, they had a similar
understanding of the term. Almost all of our respondents stated that they believed sexual
intercourse was between a man and a woman. However, one gay respondent counted his
experience of oral sex as sexual intercourse. Respondents used a broad range of age appropriate
language to describe their understanding of sexual intercourse. Some respondents said that
sexual intercourse would involve vaginal penetration, while others simply said that sexual
intercourse involves a penis and a vagina. Another respondent when asked to define sexual
intercourse simply said “coitus”, while another respondent explained that sexual intercourse
meant mating.
In addition to defining sexual intercourse, a number of respondents mentioned specific contexts
where sexual intercourse would occur. For example, a number of respondents explained that
sexual intercourse is reserved for men and women who are married. Additionally, a number of
respondents specifically stated that they had not had sex because they are waiting until they are
married. Another group of respondents said that sexual intercourse is something that occurs for
reproductive purposes. For example, one respondent said that sexual intercourse is something
men and women do “to make children”.
While the majority of respondents had no difficulties answering this question, there were
problem areas. Two respondents did not know what intercourse meant, but were able to answer
the question because they knew what sex meant. Additionally, two other respondents were
confused by the fact that the question mentions both consensual and non-consensual sex. One
respondent needed to have the question repeated and was still confused because she said that she
18

wanted to have sex and did not want to imply that she had been forced to have sex. Another
respondent said, “In the second line, I was a little confused.” The respondent further explained
that she was confused about whether the question was asking about consensual or nonconsensual sex.
F406

In your life, how many sexual partners have you ever had? A sexual partner
is any person with whom you have had sexual intercourse whether this was
something you wanted to do at the time or something you did not want to do.
While recalling the number of sexual partners was generally not a difficult task for respondents,
one respondent had a difficult time because she found this to be a very sensitive question and
was embarrassed answering. The respondent answered the question by saying “no more than 5”.
The sensitivity of this question could lead respondents to self-edit their responses to minimize
the embarrassment or social stigmas.
F410.1

What is/was your relationship to the most recent person with whom you had
sexual intercourse?
Respondents were able to answer this question without difficulty. Three respondents reported
that their partners had been friends, while another stated that it was a live in partner.
F410.2

Now think back to the partner you had sexual intercourse with before the
partner we just talked about. What is/was your relationship to the person
with whom you had sexual intercourse?
Only three respondents reported having more than one sexual partner, and of those three one
respondent had difficulty answering this question. The respondent did not understand what the
question was asking; however, through additional questions the interviewer was able to note that
the respondent was able to recall her second most recent partner. Rephrasing this question to be
written in more basic language would likely help respondents with this issue.
One respondent also reported that her first sexual partner had been a friend; however, during
probing this relationship the interviewer learned that this partner was one of the respondent’s
professors. The respondent stated that she was 16 years old at the time when this occurred and
explained that the sex was consensual and only occurred once. This same respondent also
answered that her most recent sexual partner was also a friend. The respondent explained that
she is currently in an ongoing sexual relationship with a college professor, but said that they do
not really have a label for this relationship, which is why she did not mark the partner as a
boyfriend.
F411

In the past 12 months, how often did you or this partner use a condom
during sexual intercourse? Would you say always, sometimes, or never?
This question posed problems for interviewers attempting to administer the questionnaire, as
well as for respondents attempting to answer the question. In administering the questions,
interviewers were unsure if they should administer the question before moving onto a second or
third partner, or if they should ask about each sexual partner (F410) and then come back to
administer this question.
Respondents had difficulty with this question in two different scenarios. One respondent reported
that he had not had a sexual partner in the last twelve months, so he was unsure if this question
19

applied to him or not. Another respondent had difficulty answering this question because she
was confused by the wording in the previous question asking about the “second most recent” and
“third most recent” partner. Ultimately, both of these issues could be resolved by clarifying the
wording in this question and the preceding question (F410), as well as providing clear
instructions for the interviewer.
Section 5: Sexual Violence
F501A
Has anyone ever made you upset by speaking to you in a sexual way or
writing sexual things about you?
Three respondents reported that someone had upset them by speaking to them in a sexual way;
however, other respondents relayed experiences that would likely fall into what this question is
trying to capture. For example, one respondent said that there are some men near her house who
say that she is “yummy”, but the respondent answered the question by saying that nobody has
spoken to her in a sexual way because she is not bothered by these men. Another female
respondent said that she sometimes gets cat calls or whistles when walking down the street, but
she also said that she had never been spoken to her in a sexual way because she said that this
does not bother her and sometimes she thinks of it as a compliment.
Respondents were asked to explain what they thought “speaking to you in a sexual way” meant;
however, a number of respondents were not able to articulate a definition or explain what they
thought this phrase meant. Additionally, a number of respondents, including several who
reported having this type of experience, thought that this phrase meant people asking them to
have sex. One respondent said that she was thinking of some older boys at school who talk to
her about performing sexual acts. Other respondents said that “speaking in a sexual way” meant
people directly asking them to have sex, or as one respondent put it “people trying to take
advantage of me”.
F501B
How old were you when this first happened: 0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18 or older?
Respondents were able to answer this question without much difficulty; however, a number of
respondents acknowledged their answer was an estimate.
F501C
How old were you the most recent time this happened?
Three respondents ultimately ended up responding to this question; however, one respondent had
difficulty switching between the first time that this type of violence had occurred (F501C) and
the most recent time. The respondent initially said that the most recent time that this had
occurred was ten years ago, but then in the next question (F501D) stated that this type of
violence had occurred in the last year. While this issue can likely not be fixed with question
wording, implementing a flag in the next question (F501D) will help to ensure data quality.
F501D
Did this happen in the last 12 months?
No problems were detected in the question wording of this question; however, as described in
F501C we recommend implementing a flag for interviewers to re-administer the previous
question if there is not agreement between the respondent’s answer to this question and the
previous question.

20

F502A

Has anyone made you witness sexual activities or sexual abuse, even without
making you participate (e.g. images/photos, videos, online)?
A number of respondents reported that they had been made them witness sexual activities, but
during probing many of these respondents admitted that they chose to watch or look at the
material out of curiosity. While none of our respondents were physically forced to watch this,
they likely felt some level of social pressure from others to watch the material. In one case a
respondent answered yes to the question and during the follow up questions she explained that
her friend showed her a video online, but through additional follow up questions the interviewer
learned that the respondent chose to watch the video. Another respondent said that a classmate
had taken a nude photograph of her and her boyfriend, which ended up being shared around
school. A different respondent explained that she answered yes to this question because her
boyfriend had shown her a video of an old man having sex with young girls, which she said
disturbed her.
F503A
Has anyone made you participate in a sex video or in sexual photos?
None of the respondents had experienced this type of violence. Interviewers also noted that it
was difficult to probe on this topic because the majority of our respondents had not had any
sexual experiences and had previously stated this fact.
F504A

Has anyone made you look at their sexual body parts or made you show
them yours?
Respondents interpreted the phrase “sexual body parts” as meaning genitals. When asked what
they thought sexual body parts meant, respondents said that this meant their “private parts”.
While there was almost no variation in interpretation between respondents in the terminology
used, respondents did have variation in their interpretations of the question. Several female
respondents stated that this would include consensual sexual encounters. During probing, two
respondents who said that they had encountered this type of violence said that this had occurred
as part of a consensual sexual experience with their partners. One respondent asked, “Is this
something that I like or not?” The respondent further explained that the first time this type of
incident occurred, it was her father who exposed himself to her, but the most recent instance was
with her boyfriend and was associated with consensual sexual intercourse. Some respondents
also had interpretations that are more likely what this question intends to capture. One
respondent explained that while she was travelling in a jeepney (a form of public transportation
in Manila) a man was “showing his private parts”. Another respondent who had experienced
sexual violence stated that a tenant living in the respondent’s home had attempted to force the
respondent to give the tenant oral sex. The respondent explained that he had been forced to see
the tenant’s genitals during this experience.
F505

Has anyone ever given you money, food, gifts, or any favors to have sexual
intercourse or perform any other sexual acts with them?
The majority of respondents said that this question was asking if they had ever been a prostitute.
One female respondent explained that some girls have to do this because of poverty and said,
“…this is called prostitution”. A number of other respondents answered this question by
reiterating that they had never had sexual intercourse. Additionally, one respondent thought
about this question in the context of the one person that she has had sex with: her boyfriend. The

21

respondent explained that she found the question “a bit strange” because she felt the question
was asking if she received gifts from her boyfriend after having sex.
F600

How many times in your life has anyone touched you in a sexual way without
your permission, but did not try and force you to have sex of any kind?
Touching without permission includes being fondled, pinched, grabbed, or
touched without your permission.
The majority of respondents were able to quickly identify that this had never happened to them.
When asked what they thought “touching in a sexual way” meant, the majority of respondents
said that that this meant a person touching their genitals, “private areas”, or the “sensitive parts”.
While the majority of respondents focused solely on people touching their genitals, a few
respondents also included some broader examples such as someone pinching their butt or a
stranger caressing them without their permission. For example, one respondent who answered
yes to this question said that while riding in the sidecar of a motorcycle and that the man who
was sitting behind her began touching and caressing her leg, even after she attempted to get him
to stop by placing her bag on her lap.
Two respondents had difficulty answering this question. Both of these respondents had
experienced long term sexual abuse. In one case a male respondent said that a tenant, who
rented a room in his house, had sexually and physically abused the respondent over a period of
time. The respondent explained that sometimes this tenant who try and force him to have oral
sex, while other times the perpetrator would touch his genitals or force the boy to touch the
perpetrator’s genitals. The respondent had a difficult time distinguishing between the number of
times when the man had tried to force him to have sex and the number of times where only
touching had been involved. Additionally, a female respondent said that she simply could not
answer this question because she had been molested so many times. Ultimately, the wording of
this question could lead to error in cases where there has been long term abuse because
respondents would have a hard time accurately recalling the number of times it occurred or a
difficult time differentiating each individual occurrence. Providing a scale (such as the one used
earlier: never, once, a few times, many times) may allow respondents to more accurately report
their experiences.
F601
How old were you the most recent time this happened?
Two respondents had difficulty with this question. In one instance, the respondent reported the
age of the first time that he was touched. Another respondent was a little confused by the
wording of the question because she had only had something like this occur once. The
respondent felt that the question was assuming that this had occurred more than once, and so she
wanted reiterate that this only occurred on one occasion.
Of these people who touched you in a sexual way without your permission this most recent
time, think of the person you know the best for the following questions:
F605
What was your relationship to the person who did this to you?
For the small number of respondents who had experienced this type of violence, the responses
provided aligned with the provided response options, but this was not true for one respondent.
This respondent stated that a tenant who was living in his home was the perpetrator. The
interviewer ultimately recorded this answer as “other male”.
22

F606
Was the person older than you, younger than you, or about the same age?
As with similar questions earlier in the questionnaire, respondents found it awkward to be asked
if their parents were older than them.
F607

Would you say this person was more than 10 years older than you, 5-10 years
older or less than 5 years older?
As with similar questions earlier in the questionnaire, respondents found it awkward to be asked
if their parents were older than them.
F608
Where were you when this happened to you?
As with other open ended questions, the response options provided for this open ended question
did not match well with the answers provided by respondents. One respondent said that the
event occurred in a train station, but this does not really fit into any of the response options
provided to the interviewer. Another respondent said that the event occurred in the sidecar of a
motorcycle, which was being used as a form of public transportation, however there was not a
response option for motorcycles or public transportation. Also, in two cases, the respondent
lived with the perpetrator, so the interviewers were not sure how to code this since the response
options are not mutually exclusive.
F612
Did this happen to you within the past 12 months?
All respondents stated that they had not encountered this type of violence in the last twelve
months. One respondent explained that while the person who had touched him without the
respondent’s permission in past had not touched the respondent within the last year, but that the
perpetrator had attempted to force him to have oral sex in the last twelve months.
F700

How many times in your life has anyone tried to make you have sexual
intercourse of any kind without your permission, but did not succeed?
The majority of respondents were able to quickly answer that this has never happened to them;
however, respondents who had someone try to make them have sexual intercourse had a more
difficult time responding to this question. One respondent ultimately said that this type of events
had occurred three times, but through follow up questions the interviewer learned that the
respondent had provided the number of men that had tried to force her to have sex. The
respondent explained that her father had tried to make her have sex multiple times. Additionally,
during probing the respondent said that the two strangers who she said tried to make her have sex
only did this verbally. Another respondent said that someone had tried to force him to have sex
five times, but the respondent only guessed a number and put little thought into the answer. The
respondent explained that this had happened on a number of occasions.
F800

Have you ever had sexual intercourse of any kind with anyone, male or
female, after they pressured you by doing things like telling you lies, making
promises about the future they knew were untrue, threatening to end your
relationship, or threatening to spread rumors about you?
The majority of respondents had previously indicated that they had never had sexual intercourse,
so this question and others that followed were not applicable. A number of respondents
answered this question by simply reiterating that they had never had sexual intercourse.
23

Additionally, a few respondents indicated that they did not understand the question. After
hearing the question one respondent asked, “Why would they do that to me?” After some
additional questions from the interviewer, the respondent admitted that he did not understand
some of the words in the question. A different respondent interpreted this question as asking if
she had ever had sex with someone who had made false promises.
F900

How many times in your life have you been physically forced to have sexual
intercourse of any kind regardless of whether you did or did not fight back?
By physical force, we mean things like being pinned or held down or use of
violence like pulling your hair, pushing, shoving, punching, using or
threatening to use a weapon, or threatening to physically harm you or a
loved one.
As with a number of the question leading up to this one, the majority of respondents reiterated
that they had never had sexual intercourse.
Additionally, a number of respondents were not read the definition of physical force and were
asked to provide their own definition of the term. Respondents discussed a number of different
methods of physical force including: hitting, punching, pushing, or holding a person down.
Given the fact that respondents are interpreting physical force as including a broad range of
violence, it is unnecessary to define the term.
One problem arose in this question when a respondent answered that he had been physically
forced to have sex, but the respondent had not actually been forced to have sex. After answering
the question, the respondent explained that the perpetrator had attempted to force the respondent
to have oral sex but had not actually succeeded. Based on this finding, the wording of the
question may need to be altered to clarify that this question is asking about only times when the
respondent was actually had sexual intercourse.
Section 7: Miscellaneous
F1031
Have you ever had thoughts of ending your life?
While seven respondents answered this question saying that they had thought about ending their
lives, during probing several respondents explained that they had thought about wanting to die
but did not want to commit suicide. For example, one respondent said that when she gets bad
grades she become very upset because she does not want to disappoint her parents. The
respondent said that she didn’t really have thoughts about killing herself and explained that she
was exaggerating when she answered this question. Another respondent said that she had gone
through a rebellious phase with her parents and said that she has thoughts of ending her life, but
never developed a plan to commit suicide. Also, one respondent interpreted this question as
asking about “thinking about dying”. The respondent answered yes to the question because
when she was younger she had a serious case of Dengue Fever and thought that she was going to
die, but she explained that she did not actually want to die.
While the majority of respondents who answered yes to this question hadn’t truly considered
suicide, a couple respondents said that they had thought about committing suicide in the past.
One respondent explained that he felt this way because there had been times when his family did
24

not have enough to eat, and he said that he wanted to die rather than continue to feel hungry.
Another respondent explained that while he has been in college, there have been times that he
considered suicide because he thought he was going to be unable to complete college due to
health or financial issues.
F1034
Have you ever been tested for HIV?
An overwhelmingly majority of respondents had never been tested for HIV; however, through
follow up probes interviewers discovered that respondents had little knowledge about HIV or
HIV testing. Several respondents did not know what HIV was, but when AIDS was mentioned
they then understood what it was. Other respondents did not know what HIV is, but said that
they thought it was connected to sex or explained that it was a sexually transmitted disease. It
should be noted that younger respondents (under the age of 18) were less likely to know what
HIV was. Overall, respondents who knew about HIV said that they had been educated about this
topic through television as well as through school.
F1035
What is the main reason you have never been tested?
Respondents were frequently confused by this question. Many stated that they were unsure of
how to answer the question, and ultimately the interviewer was required to explain the question.
The majority of respondents said that they had never had sex and therefore they did not feel that
they did not need to be tested. Other respondents mentioned that they had not had the
opportunity to have the test, were afraid of the results, or that they felt they were too young to
have this test done.
F1038
Have you ever had a sexually transmitted infection?
All respondents understood the term “sexually transmitted infection,” citing gonorrhea, syphilis
and herpes as examples. The vast majority of respondents interviewed had never had sex, so
they reported that they had never had any sexually transmitted diseases. One respondent said
that doctors thought that he might have hepatitis, which he explained may have been sexually
transmitted, but the respondent said that he had not had a sexually transmitted infection because
the doctors were not sure if he actually had hepatitis.

25

APPENDIX A
Cognitive Interview Questionnaire
HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED FOR THIS HOUSEHOLD: YES

NO

F1
RECORD THE TIME THE INTERVIEW BEGAN (00:00):

F2

The first questions are about yourself:
YEARS OLD:
How old were you on your last birthday?

F3

EDUCATION:

F4

Have you ever attended school?
Are you currently attending school?

F5

How would you describe your grades in school?
Excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?
How is R determining this?

F6

How do you travel to school on most days?
(Interviewer, respondent should provide only one
answer)

F7

What is the highest level of schooling you have
completed?
How many years was R in school?

F8

F9

F10

How close do you feel to other students at your
school? Very close, somewhat close, not too close,
not close at all?
How is R determining this?
How much do you feel that your teachers care about
you? A lot, A little, Not very much, Not at all?
How is R determining this?
(Interviewer prompt if necessary: Do you strongly
agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree?)
WORK:
Have you ever worked for money or any other form
of payment?

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.................................................
YES.....................................................................................
NO......................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
YES....................................................................................
NO.....................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
EXCELLENT...................................................................
VERY GOOD..................................................................
GOOD..............................................................................
FAIR.................................................................................
POOR...............................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
SCHOOL BUS..................................................................
CAR..................................................................................
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION........................................
WALKING ALONE.........................................................
WALKING WITH SIBLINGS/FRIENDS........................
BICYCLE..........................................................................
I BOARD AT SCHOOL...................................................
OTHER (SPECIFY) : ___________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
LESS THAN PRIMARY...................................................
PRIMARY.........................................................................
ELEMENTARY………………………………………….
SECONDARY...................................................................
HIGHER THAN SECONDARY……………….………..
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
VERY CLOSE........................................................
SOMEWHAT CLOSE.......................................................
NOT TOO CLOSE.............................................................
NOT CLOES AT ALL.................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

1
2
99
1
2
99
1
2
3
4
5
99
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
88
99
1
2
3
4
5
99
1
2
3
4
99

A LOT........................................................
A LITTLE.......................................................
NOT VERY MUCH..........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

1
2
3
4
99

YES...................................................................................
NO.....................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED………………………….

1
2
99

99

F10

F7

F15

26

F12

What was this type of work?

F1027

F1028

F1029

F1016

F1018

F1000

F1001

MINING………………….................................................
QUARRYING.....................................................................
PYROTECHNICS PRODUCTION...................................
FISHING………................................................................
DOMESTIC WORK……………......................................
CONSTRUCTION..............................................................
OTHER (SPECIFY) : ___________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
In the past 30 days, have you used drugs such as
marijuana, pills, ecstasy or huffed/sniffed any chemical
such as shabu or rugby?
In the past 30 days, on how many days did you drink
alcohol to the point that you became drunk?

During the past 30 days, did you smoke cigarettes daily,
occasionally, or not at all?

SOCIAL NETWORK AND SAFETY:
Now let us talk about the people in your community.
How much do you think that people in my community
can be trusted? A lot, Some, Not too much, or Not At
all?

How safe do you feel in your home, where you currently
sleep?

PARENTS:
Now, I would like to ask you some questions about your
biological parents, your natural parents who gave birth to
you.
Is your biological mother living with you?
How old were you when you last lived with her?

1
2
3
4
5
6
88
99

YES.................................................................................
NO...................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED......................................

1
2
99

NUMBER OF DAYS:

DON’T KNOW / DECLINED....................................
DAILY............................................................................
OCCASIONALLY.........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED......................................

A LOT......................................................
SOME............................................................................
NOT TOO MUCH...............................................................
NOT AT ALL...............................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
VERY SAFE…………..……….......................................
SAFE……………...……………………………………..
NOT SAFE…………………...…....................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

YES......................................................................................
NO.......................................................................................
DONT’T KNOW/DECLINED...........................................

99
1
2
3
99

1
2
3
4
99
1
2
3
99

1
2
99

F1005
F1005

YEARS OLD:

F1002

What was the main reason you stopped living with her?

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………...
MOTHER DIED.................................................................
I LEFT OR WAS SENT AWAY FOR WORK..................
I LEFT OR WAS SENT AWAY FOR SCHOOL..............
MOTHER REMARRIED..................................................
I GOT MARRIED.............................................................
MOTHER GOTDIVORCED/SEPARATED....................
I WAS ABANDONED……………………………………
OTHER (SPECIFY):_____________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

99
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
88
99

27

F1004

F15

F16

GENDER ATTITUDES:
Sometimes a husband is annoyed or angered by
things his wife does. Do you believe that it is
acceptable for a man to hit or beat his wife: (Read
categories below)
A) If she goes out without telling him
B) If she neglects the children
C) If she argues with him
D) If she refuses to have sex with him
E) If she makes bad food
INTERVIEWER: PLEASE CIRCLE THE
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FOR QUESTION A
THROUGH E
Sometimes men and women have different ideas
about having sex. Do you agree or disagree with the
following statements: (Read categories below)
A) It is the man who decides when to have
sex
B) Men need more sex than women do
C) A man needs other women, even if things
with his wife are fine
D) Women who carry condoms are “loose”
E) A woman should tolerate violence to keep
her family together

F231

F232

F153

A. IF SHE GOES OUT
WITHOUT TELLING HIM
B. IF SHE NEGLECTS THE
CHILDREN
C. IF SHE ARGUES WITH HIM
D. IF SHE REFUSES TO HAVE
SEX WITH HIM
E. IF SHE MAKES BAD FOOD

A. MEN DECIDE WHEN TO
HAVE SEX
B. MEN NEED MORE SEX
C. MEN NEED OTHER WOMEN
D. WOMEN WHO CARRY
CONDOMS ARE “LOOSE”
E. WOMEN SHOULD
TOLERATE VIOLENCE

YES
1

NO
2

DK/
DTA
99

1

2

99

1
1

2
2

99
99

1

2

99

YES
1

NO
2

DK/
DTA
99

1
1
1

2
2
2

99
99
99

1

2

99

INTERVIEWER: PLEASE CIRCLE THE
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FOR QUESTION A
THROUGH E
PV4: WITNESSING PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
The following questions are about physical violence by strangers or people you know well in the home or the community.
A)
B) How old were you
C) How old were you the
D) Did this happen
WITNESSING AT
when this first happened:
most recent time this
in the last 12
HOME
NEVER...
1
F233 0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18 or
happened?
months?
Have you seen any
ONCE.....
2
older?
adults in your home hit,
FEW.......
3
kick, slap, punch, or hurt MANY....
4
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
0 TO 5 YEARS.........
1
YES.............. 1
each other intentionally:
DK/DTA.
99 F233 6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
6 TO 11 YEARS.......
2
NO................ 2
never, once, a few times,
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
12 TO 17 YEARS.....
3
DK/DTA...... 99
many times?
18 OR OLDER....... 4
18 OR OLDER.......... 4
DON’T KNOW/
DON’T KNOW/
(Determine if these
DECLINED ……..
99 DECLINED..............
99
specific acts are being
considered or if other
acts are also included)
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
PV2: PARENTS AND OTHER RELATIVES
(Ask highlighted questions in this section, and then probe for accuracy
of answers)
Now let us discuss parents and other relatives.
PV2A:
Has a parent or other relative punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you
with an object: never, once, a few times, many times?
(Determine if these specific acts are being considered or if other acts
are also included: Punched, kicked, whipped, choked, smothered,
drowned, weapon)

NEVER..........................................................
ONCE............................................................
FEW...............................................................
MANY...........................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…...................

1
2
3
4
99

F166
F160

F166

28

F154

F155

0 TO 5 YEARS.............................................
6 TO 11 YEARS...........................................
How old were you the most recent time this happened?
12 TO 17 YEARS.........................................
18 OR OLDER.............................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…...................
What was your relationship to the relative who did this to you this most recent time?
PV2A: MOST RECENT TIME

MALE
FATHER....................................................................
STEP FATHER..........................................................
BROTHER.................................................................
STEP BROTHER.......................................................
UNCLE.......................................................................
OTHER MALE RELATIVE/CAREGIVER
(SPECIFY)_________________________________

1
2
3
4
99

FEMALE
MOTHER.........................................................................
STEP MOTHER..............................................................
SISTER............................................................................
STEP SISTER..................................................................
AUNT..............................................................................
OTHER FEMALE RELATIVE/CAREGIVER
(SPECIFY)___________________________________

1
2
3
4
5
77

6
7
8
9
10
88

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...........................................................................................................................
F156

F157

Was this relative older than you, younger than you, or about the same
age?

Would you say this relative was more than 10 years older than you, 510 years older or less than 5 years older?

F158

Did this happen in the last 12 months?

F159

As a result of this most recent time when a relative punched, kicked,
whipped, or beat you with an object, did you experience?

OLDER........................................................
YOUNGER..................................................
ABOUT SAME AGE..................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED......................
MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLDER…...........
5-10 YEARS OLDER………………………
LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLDER…...............
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED........................

99
1
2
3
99
1
2
3
99

YES…....................….....….....….................
1
NO.................................................................
2
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……..………..
99
YES
NO

A. CUTS, SCRATCHES, BRUISES
1
B. SPRAINS, DISLOCATIONS,
1
BLISTERING
C. DEEP WOUNDS, BROKEN
1
BONES, CHARRED SKIN
D. MISCARRIAGE
1
E. PERMANENT INJURY OR
1
DISFIGUREMENT
0 TO 5 YEARS..............................................
PV2A: FIRST TIME
6 TO 11 YEARS............................................
How old were you the first time this happened?
12 TO 17 YEARS…......................................
18 OR OLDER..............................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…....................
What was your relationship to the relative who did this to you the first time?
A) Cuts, scratches, bruises, aches, redness or swelling or other minor
marks
B) Sprains, dislocations, or blistering
C) Deep wounds, broken bones, broken teeth, or blackened or
charred skin
D) A miscarriage
E) Permanent injury or disfigurement

F160

F161

MALE
FATHER.....................................................................
STEP FATHER...........................................................
BROTHER..................................................................
STEP BROTHER.......................................................
UNCLE.......................................................................
OTHER MALE RELATIVE/CAREGIVER
(SPECIFY)_________________________________

F162

1
2
3
4
5
77

F158

2

99

2

99

2

99

2

99

1
2
3
4
99

FEMALE
MOTHER........................................................................
STEP MOTHER.............................................................
SISTER...........................................................................
STEP SISTER.................................................................
AUNT.............................................................................
OTHER FEMALE RELATIVE/CAREGIVER
(SPECIFY)___________________________________

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...........................................................................................................................
Was the relative than you, younger than you, or about the same age?
OLDER........................................................
YOUNGER..................................................
ABOUT SAME AGE..................................

2

DK
/DTA
99

6
7
8
9
10
88
99

1
2
3

F164

29

F163

Would you say this relative more than 10 years older than you, 5-10
years older, or less than 5 years older?

F164

Did this happen in the last 12 months?

F165

As a result of this first time when a relative punched, kicked, whipped,
or beat you with an object, did you experience?
A) Cuts, scratches, bruises, aches, redness or swelling or other minor
marks
B) Sprains, dislocations, or blistering
C) Deep wounds, broken bones, broken teeth, or blackened or
charred skin
D) A miscarriage
E) Permanent injury or disfigurement

F166

PV2C:
Has a parent or other relative used or threatened to use a knife or other
weapon against you: never, once, a few times, many times?

F300

A. CUTS, SCRATCHES, BRUISES
B. SPRAINS, DISLOCATIONS,
BLISTERING
C. DEEP WOUNDS, BROKEN
BONES, CHARRED SKIN
D. MISCARRIAGE
E. PERMANENT INJURY OR
DISFIGUREMENT

99
1
2
3
99
1
2
99
NO

1

2

DK
/DTA
99

1

2

99

1

2

99

1

2

99

1

2

99

PV2B:
Has a parent or any other relative choked, smothered, tried to drown,
burned or scalded you intentionally: never, once, a few times, many
times?

F179

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED......................
MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLDER.............
5-10 YEARS OLDER………………..……...
LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLDER..................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED........................
YES...............................................................
NO.................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……..………..
YES

NEVER.........................................................
ONCE............................................................
FEW..............................................................
MANY..........................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................
NEVER.........................................................
ONCE...........................................................
FEW..............................................................
MANY.........................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…...................

1
2
3
4
99
1
2
3
4
99

F179
F173

F179
F192
F186

F192

EMOTIONAL VIOLENCE
EV1
Has/did a parent or primary caregiver ever say that you were not
loved, or did not deserve to be loved, or that they wished you had
never been born or were dead, or has a parent or primary caregiver
ever ridiculed you or put you down (for example say that you were
stupid or useless): never, once, a few times, or many times?

F1021

F1022

NEVER............................................................
ONCE..............................................................
FEW.................................................................
MANY.............................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…......................

1
2
3
4
99

F400
F306

F400

PERPETRATION
(Ask highlighted questions in this section,
and then probe for accuracy of answers)
Have you slapped or pushed a current or
previous partner/husband: never, once, a few
times, many times?
By partner I mean a boyfriend, romantic
partner, fiancé, live-in partner, or husband.
Have you punched, kicked, whipped, or beat
with an object a current or previous
partner/husband: never, once, a few times,
many times?

NEVER.................................................................................
ONCE...................................................................................
FEW......................................................................................
MANY..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED..............................................
NEVER.................................................................................
ONCE...................................................................................
FEW......................................................................................
MANY..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED..............................................

1
2
3
4
99
1
2
3
4
99

30

F1023

Have you choked, smothered, tried to drown,
or intentionally burned or scalded a current or
previous partner/husband: never, once, a few
times, many times?

F1024

Have you used or threatened to use a knife or
other weapon against a current or previous
partner/husband: never, once, a few times,
many times?

F1025

Have you forced a current or previous
partner/husband to have sexual intercourse or
perform any other sex acts with you when
they did not want to: never, once, a few
times, many times?
F1026
Have you forced someone who was not your
husband or partner at the time to have sexual
intercourse or perform any other sex acts
with you when they did not want to: never,
once, a few times, many times?
F400 SEXUAL BEHAVIOR:

NEVER.................................................................................
ONCE...................................................................................
FEW......................................................................................
MANY..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED..............................................
NEVER.................................................................................
ONCE...................................................................................
FEW......................................................................................
MANY..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED..............................................
NEVER.................................................................................
ONCE...................................................................................
FEW......................................................................................
MANY..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED..............................................
NEVER.................................................................................
ONCE...................................................................................
FEW......................................................................................
MANY..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED..............................................

1
2
3
4
99
1
2
3
4
99
1
2
3
4
99
1
2
3
4
99

(Ask highlighted questions in this section, and then
probe for accuracy of answers)

The next set of questions is about your sexual activity
and practices. Some of these questions are personal
but keep in mind that your name is not on the survey
and no one else will know your answers. There are no
right or wrong answers, and remember that you can
skip any question that you don’t feel comfortable
answering.

F401

YES..........................................................................
NO............................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……………………

1
2
99

F500

Have you ever had sexual intercourse whether this was
something you wanted to do at the time or something
you did not want to do?
How old were you when you had sexual intercourse
for the very first time?
YEARS OLD:

F402

F406

The first time you had sexual intercourse, would you
say that you
had it because you wanted to, or because you were
made to have it without your permission?
SEX HISTORY AND RISK TAKING:

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……………………
WANTED TO.........................................................
MADE TO...............................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……………………...

99
1
2
99

NUMBER OF PARTNERS:
In your life, how many sexual partners
have you ever had? A sexual partner is
any person with whom you have had
sexual intercourse whether this was
something you wanted to do at the time
or something you did not want to do.

F407

Have you had sexual intercourse in the
past 12 months?

(INTERVIEWERS: 0 IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER
FOR THIS QUESTION, IF RESPONDENT SAYS 0 THEN
REFER BACK TO F400 AND CORRECT IF NECESSARY)
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………………….
YES.................................................................................................
NO...................................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………………….

99
1
2
99

F500

31

F408

F409
F410

F411

How many partners have you had
sexual intercourse with in the past 12
months?

NUMBER OF PARTNERS

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……………………………………
99
INTERVIEWER: CONTINUE DOWN THE COLUMN, ASKING ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR PARTNER 1 BEFORE CONTINUING TO
PARTNER 2 AND PARTNER 3.
(Refer back to F406; are
answers to this question
consistent? The point is to
assess whether R is counting
all partners or only certain
relationships)

In the past 12 months, how
often did you or this partner
use a condom during sexual
intercourse? Would you say
always, sometimes, or never?

F412
INTERVIEWER: CHECK
NUMBER OF PARTNERS
REPORTED IN F408

PARTNER 1
MOST RECENT

PARTNER 2
SECOND MOST RECENT

PARTNER 3
THIRD MOST RECENT

What is/was your relationship
to the most recent person with
whom you had sexual
intercourse?

Now think back to the partner
you had sexual intercourse with
before the partner we just talked
about.

Now think back to the partner you
had sexual intercourse with
before the partner we just talked
about.

HUSBAND.....................
LIVE-IN PARTNER......
BOYFRIEND NOT
LIVING WITH YOU......
SOMEONE YOU PAID
FOR SEX………………
SOMEONE WHO PAID
YOU FOR SEX...............
CASUAL
ACQUINTANCE............
FRIEND..........................
OTHER(SPECIFY)____
____________________
DK/DTA.........................

1
2

What is/was your relationship to
the person with whom you had
sexual intercourse?
HUSBAND.....................
1
LIVE-IN PARTNER.......
2
BOYFRIEND NOT
LIVING WITH YOU......
3
SOMEONE YOU PAID
FOR SEX……………….
4
SOMEONE WHO PAID
YOU FOR SEX...............
5
CASUAL
ACQUINTANCE............
6
FRIEND..........................
7
OTHER(SPECIFY)_____
____________________
88
DK/DTA.........................
99

What is/was your relationship to
the person with whom you had
sexual intercourse?
HUSBAND.....................
1
LIVE-IN PARTNER.......
2
BOYFRIEND NOT
LIVING WITH YOU......
3
SOMEONE YOU PAID
FOR SEX……………….
4
SOMEONE WHO PAID
YOU FOR SEX...............
5
CASUAL
ACQUINTANCE............
6
FRIEND...........................
7
OTHER(SPECIFY)_____
_____________________ 88
DK/DTA........................... 99

ALWAYS........................
SOMETIMES..................
NEVER...........................
DON’T KNOW /
DECLINED.....................

1
2
3

ALWAYS........................
SOMETIMES..................
NEVER...........................
DON’T KNOW /
DECLINED......................

ALWAYS........................
SOMETIMES..................
NEVER...........................
DON’T KNOW /
DECLINED....................

IF F408=1
F500
IF F408>1
F410
PARTNER 2

3
4
5
6
7
88
99

99

IF F408=2
IF F408>2
PARTNER 3

F500
F410

1
2
3
99

GO TO F500

32

1
2
3
99

F403
(Ask highlighted questions in this section, and then
probe for accuracy of answers)

YES..................................................................................................
NO....................................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………………….

1
2
99

F406

PREGNANCY:
The next questions are about pregnancy.

F404

Have you ever been pregnant?
How old were you the first time that you got
pregnant?
YEARS OLD:

F405

F500

F501

F502

F503

Have you ever had a pregnancy that did not end in a
live birth?

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………………….
YES.................................................................................................
NO..................................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………………….

99
1
2
99

SEXUAL VIOLENCE : NON-CONTACT SEXUAL VIOLENCE/EXPLOITATION
The next set of questions is about different kinds of sexual violence. Some of these questions are personal but keep in mind that your
name is not on the survey and no one else will know your answers. There are no right or wrong answers, and remember that you can skip
any question that you don’t feel comfortable answering.
A)
B) How old were you when
C) How old were you the
D) Did this happen in
NON CONTACT
this first happened: 0-5, 6most recent time this
the last 12 months?
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
YES.... 1
11, 12-17, 18 or older?
happened?
Has anyone ever made
NO..... 2
you upset by speaking to DK/
F502
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
YES.................... 1
you in a sexual way or
DTA.... 99
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
NO...................... 2
writing sexual things
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
DON’T KNOW/
about you?
18 OR OLDER...... 4
18 OR OLDER...... 4
DECLINED........ 99
DON’T KNOW /
DON’T KNOW /
(Ensure that R is not
DECLINED……... 99
DECLINED……... 99
limiting answer to
E) How well did you know the person who did this to you?
NOT AT ALL…………...…………. 1
certain types of
NOT VERY WELL………………... 2
relationships)
VERY WELL……………………… 3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……… 99
Has anyone made you
A)
B) How old were you
C) How old were you the
D) Did this happen in
witness sexual activities
when this first happened:
most recent time this
the last 12 months?
or sexual abuse, even
YES.... 1
0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18 or
happened?
without making you
NO..... 2
older?
participate (e.g.
DK/
F503
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
0 TO 5 YEARS......
1
YES.................... 1
images/photos, videos,
DTA.... 99
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
6 TO 11 YEARS....
2
NO...................... 2
online)?
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
12 TO 17 YEARS..
3
DON’T KNOW/
18 OR OLDER...... 4
18 OR OLDER......
4
DECLINED........ 99
DON’T KNOW /
DON’T KNOW /
DECLINED……... 99
DECLINED……...
99
E) How well did you know the person who did this to you?
NOT AT ALL………………....….
1
NOT VERY WELL…………..…..
2
VERY WELL………………….…
3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED….....
99
Has anyone made you
A)
B) How old were you when C) How old were you the
D) Did this happen in
participate in a sex
this first happened: 0-5, 6most recent time this
the last 12 months?
video or in sexual
YES.... 1
11, 12-17, 18 or older?
happened?
photos?
NO..... 2
0 TO 5 YEARS......
1
0 TO 5 YEARS......
1
YES....................
1
DK/
F504 6 TO 11 YEARS....
2
6 TO 11 YEARS....
2
NO......................
2
DTA.... 99
12 TO 17 YEARS..
3
12 TO 17 YEARS..
3
DON’T KNOW/
18 OR OLDER......
4
18 OR OLDER......
4
DECLINED........
99
DON’T KNOW /
DON’T KNOW /

33

DECLINED……...

99

DECLINED……...

99

NOT AT ALL………………....….
1
NOT VERY WELL…………..…..
2
VERY WELL………………….…
3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED….....
99
C) How old were you the
D) Did this happen in
most recent time this
the last 12 months?
happened?

E) How well did you know the person who did this to you?

F504

F505

Has anyone made you
look at their sexual body
parts or made you show
them yours?

A)

B) How old were you
when this first happened:
YES.... 1
0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18 or
NO..... 2
older?
DK/
F505
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
0 TO 5 YEARS......
1
YES.................... 1
DTA.... 99
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
6 TO 11 YEARS....
2
NO...................... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
12 TO 17 YEARS..
3
DON’T KNOW/
18 OR OLDER...... 4
18 OR OLDER......
4
DECLINED........ 99
DON’T KNOW /
DON’T KNOW /
DECLINED……... 99
DECLINED……...
99
E) How well did you know the person who did this to you?
NOT AT ALL…………...……….
1
NOT VERY WELL……………..
2
VERY WELL……………………
3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……
99
SEXUAL VIOLENCE : MONEY, GOODS OR FAVORS
EXCHANGED FOR SEX/EXPLOITATION
Has anyone ever given you money, food, gifts, or any favors
to have sexual intercourse or perform any other sexual acts
with them?

YES.................................................................................
NO..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED.......................................
F600

SEXUAL VIOLENCE: SEXUAL ABUSE
(Ask highlighted questions in this section, and then probe for accuracy of
answers)

0..................................................................
1..................................................................

1
2
99

F600

0
1

F700
F613

SV1: TOUCHING WITHOUT PERMISSION- LIFETIME
How many times in your life has anyone touched you in a sexual way
without your permission, but did not try and force you to have sex of any
kind? Touching without permission includes being fondled, pinched,
grabbed, or touched without your permission
F601

WRITE NUMBER IF
2 TIMES OR MORE:

F601

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.....................

99

F700

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...................................................
YES...........................................................................................
NO, ONE PERSON ONLY......................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...................................................
NUMBER OF PEOPLE:

99
1
2
99

F605

SV1A: TOUCHING – MOST RECENT
YEARS OLD:
How old were you the most recent time this happened?

F602

This most recent time, did more than one person touch
you in a sexual way without your permission?

F603

This most recent time, how many people touched you in a
sexual way without your permission?

F604

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED................................................... 99
Of these people who touched you in a sexual way without your permission this most recent time, think of the person you know the best for
the following questions:

34

F605

What was your relationship to the person who did this to you?
MALE
BOYFRIEND/ROMANTIC PARTNER…………...
HUSBAND………………………………………….
FATHER………………….........................................
STEP FATHER……………………………………...
BROTHER…………………………………………..
STEP BROTHER…………………………………
UNCLE……………………………………………...
OTHER RELATIVE (SPECIFY)_______________
MALE TEACHER......................................................
MALE POLICE..........................................................
MALE SECURITY PERSON...................................
MALE EMPLOYER...................................................
MALE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD………………...
MALE COMMUNITY LEADER…………………..
MALE RELIGIOUS LEADER..................................
MALE FRIEND……………………………………..
MALE STRANGER………………………………...
OTHER MALE (SPECIFY) ___________________

F606

F607

F608

F609

F610

F611

F612

F700

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

FEMALE
GIRLFRIEND/ROMANTIC PARTNER……………………….
WIFE…………………………………………………………….
MOTHER………………………………………………………..
STEP MOTHER………………………………………………...
SISTER……………….................................................................
STEP SISTER…………………………………………………...
AUNT……………………………………………………………
OTHER RELATIVE (SPECIFY)________________________
FEMALE TEACHER...................................................................
FEMALE POLICE........................................................................
FEMALE SECURITY PERSON…............................................
FEMALE EMPLOYER................................................................
FEMALE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD……………….................
FEMALE COMMUNITY LEADER……………………………
FEMALE RELIGIOUS LEADER................................................
FEMALE FRIEND……………………………………………...
FEMALE STRANGER………………………………................
OTHER FEMALE (SPECIFY) __________________________

WEARING MASK/IT WAS DARK/COULDN’T SEE…..……88
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED …………………………………99
Was the person older than you, younger than you, or about the
OLDER.............................................................................
same age?
YOUNGER......................................................................
ABOUT SAME AGE.......................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...............................

19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36

1
2
3
99

F608

Would you say this person was more than 10 years older than
you, 5-10 years older or less than 5 years older?

MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLDER................................
1
5-10 YEARS OLDER………………………………….
2
LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLDER..................................... 3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED..........................................
99
Where were you when this
MY HOME………................................... 1
INSIDE A CAR/BUS.........................................
happened to you?
PERPETRATOR’S HOME…………….. 2
LAKE, RIVER, OTHER BODY OF WATER...
SOMEONE ELSE’S HOME…………… 3
FIELD OR OTHER OUTDOOR AREA………
ON A ROAD/STREET…….…………… 4
BAR/RESTAURANT/DISCO/CLUB…………
MARKET/SHOP/MALL……………….. 5
OTHER LOCATION (SPECIFY):__________
SCHOOL………………………………... 6
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.............................
About what time of day did this happen?
MORNING (SUNRISE TO NOON).............................
1
AFTERNOON (NOON TO SUNSET)..........................
2
EVENING (SUNSET TO MIDNIGHT).......................
3
LATE AT NIGHT (MIDNIGHT TO SUNRISE)..........
4
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................................
99
Was the person that did this to you drunk or on any illegal
YES.................................................................................
1
drugs when the touching happened?
NO..................................................................................
2
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................................
99
Were you drinking, drunk, high, drugged, passed out or on any YES.................................................................................
1
illegal drug when someone touched you without your
NO..................................................................................
2
permission this most recent time?
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................................
99
Did this happen to you within the past 12 months?
YES.................................................................................
1
NO..................................................................................
2
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................................
99

7
8
9
10
88
99

SV2: ATTEMPTED SEX- LIFETIME
How many times in your life has anyone tried to make you
have sexual intercourse of any kind without your
permission, but did not succeed?

0............................................................................................
1............................................................................................

0
1

F800
F713

35

WRITE NUMBER IF
2 TIMES OR MORE:

F701

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...............................................
F800

99

F800

SV3: PRESSURED INTO SEX- LIFETIME

Have you ever had sexual intercourse of any kind with anyone, male
or female, after they pressured you by doing things like telling you
lies, making promises about the future they knew were untrue,
threatening to end your relationship, or threatening to spread rumors
about you?

F801

F802

F900

Have you ever had unwanted sexual intercourse of any kind with
anyone, male or female, after they pressured you by repeatedly asking
for sex, or showing they were unhappy?
Have you ever had unwanted sexual intercourse of any kind with
anyone, male or female, after they pressured you using their influence
or authority over you, for example, saying they will give you bad
grades, that they will fire you, or that they will arrest you?

YES.......................................................................
NO........................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED................................

1
2
99

YES.......................................................................
NO……………………….....................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED………………......

1
2
99

YES.......................................................................
NO……………………….....................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED……………….....

1
2
99

SV4: PHYSICALLY FORCED SEX- LIFETIME

How many times in your life have you been physically forced to
have sexual intercourse of any kind regardless of whether you did or
did not fight back? By physical force, we mean things like being
pinned or held down or use of violence like pulling your hair,
pushing, shoving, punching, using or threatening to use a weapon, or
threatening to physically harm you or a loved one.

0.........................................................................
1.........................................................................

0
1

F931
F916

WRITE NUMBER IF
2 TIMES OR MORE:

F901

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED............................

F931

IF F600=1 or more OR F700=1 or more OR F804=1 or more OR F900=1 or more

F932

IF F600=0/99 AND F700=0/99 AND F804=99 AND
SV: HELP-SEEKING AND REPORTING

F900= 0/99

99

F931

CONTINUE TO F932

SKIP TO F1000

I would like you to think back to all the sexual
experiences that happened without your permission.
These experiences may include: unwanted sexual
touching, attempted sex, pressured sex, or physically
forced sex.

F933

Did you ever tell anybody about any of these experiences
of unwanted touching, attempted sex, pressured sex, or
physically forced sex?
Were there any sexual experiences that you did not tell
anyone about?

YES.....................................................................................
NO.......................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.............................................

1
2
99

F934

YES.....................................................................................
NO.......................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.............................................

1
2
99

F935

36

F934

Why didn’t you tell
anyone about these
experiences?
(Circle all
mentioned)

F935

AFRAID OF GETTING INTO TROUBLE.......
EMBARRASSED FOR SELF/FAMILY...........
DEPENDENT ON PERPETRATOR.................
PERPETRATOR THREATENED ME..............
DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM...........
FELT IT WAS MY FAULT...............................

A
B
C
D
E
F

DIDN’T WANT ABUSER TO GET IN TROUBLE
AFRAID OF BEING ABANDONED.......................
OTHER REASON (SPECIFY):________________
__________________________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED......................................

G
H
X
Z

SV SERVICES

Did you talk to or receive services from:
A) Doctor, nurse, or other professional healthcare
worker
B) Lawyer, judge, or anyone else working for an
organization other than the police in order to
have your case reviewed in court
C) Police/security
D) Counseling from a professional
E) Any other person or place

NO

DK
/DTA

1

2

99

1
1

2
2

99
99

1

2

99

1

2

99

YES
A. DOCTOR, NURSE, OTHER
HCW
B. LAWYER, JUDGE
C. POLICE/SECURITY
D. COUNSELING FROM
PROFESSIONAL
E. OTHER PERSON/PLACE

OTHER PERSON/PLACE (SPECIFY):_______________________________
F936

SKIP
IF F935A OR F935B OR F935C OR F935D OR F935E=1

SKIP TO F938

IF F935A AND F935B AND F935C AND F935D AND F935E=2/99
F937

What was the main reason you did not talk to or receive
services?

CONTINUE TO F937

DID NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO……………………..…
AFRAID OF CAUSING MORE VIOLENCE OR
GETTING IN TROUBLE ………………………….............
EMBARRASSED FOR SELF OR MY FAMILY.................
DID NOT WANT ABUSER TO GET IN TROUBLE...........
TOO FAR TO SERVICES.....................................................
AFRAID OF BEING ABANDONED....................................
DID NOT THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM............................
COULD NOT AFFORD TRANSPORT................................
COULD NOT AFFORD SERVICE FEES.............................
DID NOT NEED/WANT SERVICES...................................
NO ONE TO HELP ME.........................................................
FELT IT WAS USELESS…………………………………..
OTHER (SPECIFY):______________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.................................................

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
88
99

F938

Were there any professional services that you would have
wanted but were not available?

YES................................................................................. 1
NO................................................................................... 2
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED......................................... 99
F940
COUNSELING SERVICES......................... A SHELTER…………………………………... G
MEDICAL SERVICES................................ B OTHER (SPECIFY):__________________
X
LEGAL COUNSEL.....................................
C DON’T KNOW/DECLINED......................... Z
TRADITIONAL HEALER SERVICES......
D
POLICE SERVICES....................................
E
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS…………
F

F939

What services would you have
wanted?
(Circle all mentioned)

F940

Was there anyone else that you spoke to regarding any sexual experiences that happened without your permission? (Circle all mentioned)
MOTHER…………………………………………
FATHER………………………………………….
SISTER……………………………………………
BROTHER………………………………………..
OTHER RELATIVE……………………………...
HUSBAND……………………………………….
BOYFRIEND/ROMANTIC PARTNER…………
FRIEND…………………………………………...
NEIGHBOR……………………………………….

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

TRADITIONAL HEALER……………………………...
HOTLINE……………………………………………….
NGO WORKER………………………………………...
TEACHER………………………………………………
EMPLOYER…………………………………………….
COMMUNITY LEADER……………………………....
RELIGIOUS LEADER………………………………....
OTHER (SPECIFY)____________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………..

L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
X
Z

37

F941
Have any of these incidents caused you to do any of the
following: (Read categories below)
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)
I)
J)

Stop going to school?
Decrease the amount of time you spend in school?
Spend less time at home?
Spend more time at home?
Spend more time alone?
Avoid going outside at night?
Stop going to work?
Decrease the hours you are able to work?
Not seek health services that you needed?
Other (Specify)

A) STOP GOING TO SCHOOL?
B) DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TIME
YOU SPEND IN SCHOOL?
C) SPEND LESS TIME AT HOME?
D) SPEND MORE TIME AT HOME?
E) SPEND MORE TIME ALONE?
F) AVOID GOING OUTSIDE AT NIGHT?
G) STOP GOING TO WORK?
H) DECREASE THE HOURS YOU ARE
ABLE TO WORK?
I) NOT SEEK HEALTH SERVICES THAT
YOU NEEDED?
J) OTHER

Yes
1
1

No
2
2

DK/
DTA
99
99

1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2

99
99
99
99
99
99

1

2

99

1

2

99

OTHER (SPECIFY):_________________________________

F1031

The next two questions ask about things that have ever
happened to you.
Have you ever had thoughts of ending your life?

YES.................................................................................
NO...................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED.......................................

1
2
99

YES.................................................................................
NO..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED.......................................

1
2
99

NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HIV TEST.......................
DON’T KNOW WHERE TO GET HIV TEST……...
TEST COSTS TOO MUCH...........................................
TRANSPORT TO TEST SITE IS TOO MUCH............
TEST SITE TOO FAR AWAY......................................
AFRAID OTHERS WILL KNOW ABOUT
TEST/TEST RESULTS..................................................
DON’T NEED TEST/LOW RISK.................................
DON’T WANT TO KNOW IF I HAVE THE AIDS
VIRUS............................................................................
CAN’T GET TREATMENT IF I HAVE AIDS.............
OTHER(SPECIFY)____________________________
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED.......................................
YES.................................................................................
NO...................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................................

1
2
3
4
5

F1033

F1034
Have you ever been tested for HIV?

F1035

F1038

What is the main reason you have never been tested?

Have you ever had a sexually transmitted infection?

6
7

F1036
F1036

F1038

8
9
88
99
1
2
99

38

Appendix B
Proposed VACS Questionnaire

Below is the NCHS proposed questionnaire. It is based on findings from the cognitive
interviewing study as well as existing knowledge about question design. In producing a revised
questionnaire, the primary goal was to reduce length and respondent burden—which can
sacrifice data quality. The following strategies were used:







Most of the questions were re-written to be more consistent, straight-forward and easier
for interviewers to administer.
Skip patterns were added throughout the questionnaire
Questions capturing the same phenomena as another question were deleted
Questions that were cognitively difficult and (as a result) error prone, were deleted
Introductions were condensed
The questionnaire was restructured so the organization makes better sense to respondents

We have renumbered the questions so that skip patterns would be easy to follow. However,
previous numbers (italicized and in parentheses) were retained. Our comments appear in red.

39

Section I: Respondent Background Information

R1

I would like to start by asking you questions about
yourself:

(F2)

How old are you?

R2

EDUCATION:

(F3)

Have you ever attended school?

R3

Are you currently attending school?

YEARS OLD:

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.................................................

(F4)
R4

What is the highest level of schooling you have
completed?
Response categories must be country-specific.

(F7a)
R5

What is your current level of school?

F7b

Response categories must be country-specific.

R6

When you travel to school, do you mostly take a
school bus, walk alone, walk with others, bicycle,
ride in a car, or use public transportation?

(F6)

(Interviewer, respondent should provide only one
answer)

R7

How would you describe your grades in school?
Excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?

(F5)

R8

How much do your teachers care about you? A
lot, A little, Not very much, Not at all?

(F9)

R9

(F8)

How much do you feel connected or close to other
students? A lot, A little, Not very much, Not at
all?

99

YES.....................................................................................
NO......................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
YES....................................................................................
NO.....................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
LESS THAN PRIMARY...................................................
PRIMARY.........................................................................
ELEMENTARY………………………………………….
SECONDARY...................................................................
HIGHER THAN SECONDARY……………….………..
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
LESS THAN PRIMARY...................................................
PRIMARY.........................................................................
ELEMENTARY………………………………………….
SECONDARY...................................................................
HIGHER THAN SECONDARY……………….………..
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
SCHOOL BUS..................................................................
CAR..................................................................................
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION........................................
WALKING ALONE.........................................................
WALKING WITH SIBLINGS/FRIENDS........................
BICYCLE..........................................................................
I BOARD AT SCHOOL...................................................
OTHER (SPECIFY) : ___________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
EXCELLENT...................................................................
VERY GOOD..................................................................
GOOD..............................................................................
FAIR.................................................................................
POOR...............................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

1
2
99
1
2
99
1
2
3
4
5
99
1
2
3
4
5
99
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
88
99
1
2
3
4
5
99

A LOT........................................................
A LITTLE.......................................................
NOT VERY MUCH..........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

1
2
3
4
99

A LOT........................................................
A LITTLE.......................................................
NOT VERY MUCH..........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

1
2
3
4
99

R10
R5
R4
R10
R10

40

R10

FRIENDSHIPS:
How much do you talk to friends about important
things?

(F1019)

R11

How much can you count on friends for support?

(F1020)

Consider combining 2 friendship questions

R12

WORK:

(F10)

Have you ever worked for money or any other form
of payment?

R13

How old were you when you first began working?

R14

Do you currently work?

R15

Adding this question and then asking about the
current work resolves the problem arising when R
has had more than one type of job. This is,
however, only resolved for those who are currently
working.
What type of work do/did you do?

R16

(F1000)

R19
(F1001)

1
2
3
4
99

YES...................................................................................
NO.....................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED………………………….

1
2
99

R18

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………. 99
YES...................................................................................
NO.....................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED……………….

Response Categories Needed

1
2
3
4
5
6
88
99

NUMBER OF HOURS:

Do/did you work every day of the week, or do/did
you have a rest day?

(F14)
R18

A LOT........................................................
A LITTLE.......................................................
NOT VERY MUCH..........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…

It may likely be too difficult to get appropriate
response categories, in which case it might be best
to eliminate this question. The current categories
do not fit many respondents’ experiences. Another
option is to restructure the question so that it more
specifically gets at the intent of the question.
How many hours do/did you work per day?

(F13)
R17

1
2
3
4
99

YEARS OLD:

(F11)

(F12)

A LOT........................................................
A LITTLE.......................................................
NOT VERY MUCH..........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

PARENTS:
Now, I would like to ask you some questions about
your biological parents, your natural parents who
gave birth to you.
Is your biological mother living with you?
How old were you when you last lived with her?

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………. 99
REST DAY.....................................................................
EVERY
DAY...............................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED………………………….

YES......................................................................................
NO.......................................................................................
DONT’T KNOW/DECLINED...........................................

1
2
99

1
2
99

R23
R23

YEARS OLD:
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………...

99

41

R20

What was the main reason you stopped living with
her?

(F1002)

R21

Is your biological mother still alive?

(F1003)
R22

MOTHER DIED.................................................................
I LEFT OR WAS SENT AWAY FOR WORK..................
I LEFT OR WAS SENT AWAY FOR SCHOOL..............
MOTHER REMARRIED..................................................
I GOT MARRIED.............................................................
MOTHER GOTDIVORCED/SEPARATED....................
I WAS ABANDONED……………………………………
OTHER (SPECIFY):_____________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
YES...................................................................................
NO....................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
88
99
1
2
99

R22

R23
R23

How old were you when she died?
YEARS OLD:

(F1004)

R23

How much do you feel that she cares/cared about
you? A lot, A little, Not very much, Not at all?

(F1005)

R24
(F1006)
R25

Is your biological father living with you?

How old were you when you last lived with your
father?

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
A LOT........................................................
A LITTLE.......................................................
NOT VERY MUCH..........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
YES....................................................................................
NO.....................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
YEARS OLD:

99
1
2
3
4
99
1
2
99

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED..............................................
FATHER DIED..................................................................
I LEFT OR WAS SENT AWAY FOR WORK.................
I LEFT OR WAS SENT AWAY FOR SCHOOL.............
FATHER REMARRIED...................................................
I GOT MARRIED.............................................................
FATHER GOT DIVORCED/SEPERATED.....................
I WAS ABANDONED……………………………………
OTHER (SPECIFY):_____________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
YES....................................................................................
NO......................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...........................................

99
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
88
99
1
2
99

R29
R29

(F1007)

R26

What was the main reason you stopped living with
him?

(F1008)

R27

Is your biological father still alive?

(F1009)
R28

How old were you when he died?

R28

R29
R29

YEARS OLD:
(F1010)

R29

MARRIAGE AND PARTNERSHIP:

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...........................................
A LOT........................................................
A LITTLE.......................................................
NOT VERY MUCH..........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….
A) How old were you when you first got married?

Have you ever been married?

________yrs

How much do you feel that he cares/cared about
you? A lot, A little, Not very much, Not at all?

(F1011)

R30

99
1
2
3
4
99

(F100)
YES..................................................................1

42

NO..........................2
DK/DECLINED.... 99

SKIP TO R31

Marriage/Partnership question was double-barreled
as it combined marriage and partnership as well as
living arrangement. The question needed to be
broken apart.
R31

R32

[Other than your spouse,] Have you ever lived
together with someone as if you were married?
YES..................................................................1
NO..........................2
SKIP TO R32
DK/DECLINED......99
Have you ever had a boyfriend or romantic partner?

(F1014)
R33
(F15)

R33
(F16)

GENDER ATTITUDES:
Do you believe, it is right for a man to hit or beat
his wife: (Read categories below)
F) If she goes out without telling him
G) If she ignores the children
H) If she argues with him
I) If she refuses to have sex with him
J) If she makes bad food
INTERVIEWER: PLEASE CIRCLE THE
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FOR QUESTION
A THROUGH E
Do you believe: (Read categories below)
F) Men should decide when to have sex.
G) Men need more sex than women.
H) Men need to have sex with other women,
even if they have good relationships with
their wives.
I) Women who carry condoms have sex
with a lot of men.
J) A woman should tolerate violence to
keep her family together.

B) What is your marital status now?
Are you married, widowed, divorced, or
separated?

C) Are you currently living with your
spouse?
YES.........................1 SKIP TO R32
NO.................................................. 2
DK/DECLINED.. ……………..…99

MARRIED................................................1
WIDOWED..................2 SKIP TO R31
DIVORCED……………3
SEPARATED..............4
DK/DECLINED…..…99
A) How old were you when you first
started living together?

B) Are you currently living with that
person now?

________yrs

YES..................1
SKIP TO R33
NO.................... 2
SKIP TO R33
DK/DECLINED.. 99
SKIP TO R33
YES..................................................................
1
NO....................................................................
2
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED...........................
99

A. IF SHE GOES OUT
WITHOUT TELLING HIM
B. IF SHE IGNORESTHE
CHILDREN
C. IF SHE ARGUES WITH HIM
D. IF SHE REFUSES TO HAVE
SEX WITH HIM
E. IF SHE MAKES BAD FOOD

A. MEN DECIDE WHEN TO
HAVE SEX
B. MEN NEED MORE SEX
C. MEN NEED OTHER WOMEN
D. WOMEN WHO CARRY
CONDOMS HAVE SEX WITH A
LOT OF MEN
E. WOMEN SHOULD
TOLERATE VIOLENCE

YES
1

NO
2

DK/
DTA
99

1

2

99

1
1

2
2

99
99

1

2

99

YES
1

NO
2

DK/
DTA
99

1
1
1

2
2
2

99
99
99

1

2

99

INTERVIEWER: PLEASE CIRCLE THE
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FOR QUESTION
A THROUGH E

43

Section II: Safety, Physical and Emotional Violence
The next questions are about safety and violence. Remember, you can ask to skip any question that you do not want to answer.

SAFETY:
PV1
How much do you trust people living in your
community: A lot, some, not too much, or
not at all?

(F1016)

PV2

(F1017)
PV3

Is this question intended to count apartment
complex, neighborhood, city? Or does it not
matter that Rs consider different locations? If
the distinction matters, then the question
should be changed.
How safe do you feel in your community?
Very safe, somewhat safe, not safe at all

How safe do you feel in your home, where
you currently sleep? Very safe, somewhat
safe, not safe at all

(F1018)

A LOT........................................................................... 1
SOME..............................................................................2
NOT TOO MUCH .........................................................3
NOT AT ALL………….................................................4
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED………………………….99

VERY SAFE…………..………......................................1
SAFE……………...……….……………………………..2
NOT SAFE…………………...…....................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED………………………….99
VERY SAFE…………..……….......................................1
SAFE……………...……………………………………..2
NOT SAFE…………………...…....................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED………………………….99

See full report. The question may need to be
revised given the intent of the question.
WITNESSING PHYSICAL VIOLENCE:
PV4
A) Have you ever seen an adult physically
hurt or scare someone else in your
community? never, once, a few times, many
times?

(F234)

NEVER... 1 [SKIP TO PV5]
ONCE..... 2
FEW....... 3
MANY.... 4
DK/DTA. 99

B) Did you see this happen in the last
12 months?

C) [Ask only if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask only if seen more than
once]

How old were you the last time that you saw
an adult hurt or scare someone in your
community? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time you
saw this happen? _______ yrs

Interviewer: if needed, this would include
seeing an adult hurt or scare another adult
by hitting, kicking, slapping or punching or
by using a weapon (such as a knife, gun, stick
or rock).

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

44

PV5

Now thinking about inside your home, have
you ever seen an adult hurt or scare another
adult with a weapon such as a knife, gun,
stick or rock: Never, once, a few times,
many times?

A)
NEVER... 1 [SKIP TO PV6]
ONCE..... 2
FEW....... 3
MANY.... 4
DK/DTA. 99

B) Did you see this happen in the last
12 months?

C) [Ask only if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask only if seen more than
once]

How old were you the last time that you saw
this happen in your home? _________yrs

How old were you the first time you
saw this happen in your home?
_______ yrs

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

(F232)

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

PV6

(F233)

Inside your home, have you ever seen an
adult scare or hurt another adult without
using a weapon, for example, by hitting,
kicking, slapping or punching: never, once, a
few times, many times?

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

A)
NEVER... 1 [SKIP TO PV7]
ONCE..... 2
FEW....... 3
MANY.... 4
DK/DTA. 99

B) Did you see this happen in the last
12 months?

C) [Ask only if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask only if seen more than
once]

How old were you the last time that you saw
this happen in your home? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time you
saw this happen in your home?
_______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

45

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
PV7
[Skip if answered no to marriage/partner question [R29, R30 and R31]
The next questions are about things that can happen to girls and women who date, have a romantic partner, or who are married.
Remember, you can ask to skip any question that you do not want to answer.
Has a partner or husband ever:
 slapped or pushed you?
 punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you with an object?
 choked, smothered, tried to drown you, or burned you intentionally?
 used or threatened you with a knife or other weapon?
Placing questions together in this format will (hopefully) help respondents better distinguish between the different actions.
PV8

[If slapped or pushed]
A. How many times have you been slapped
or pushed by a partner: once, a few times or
many times?

(F101)
The phrase “About how old” should be added
to the age questions throughout the
questionnaire.

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

About how old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

About how old were you the first
time this happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

E) [Ask if currently or previously married]
The last time this happened, was this partner your boyfriend, romantic partner,
husband?
HUSBAND……………………………..1
PARTNER……………………………...2
DON’T KNOW…………………………99

F) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO H]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO H]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO H]

G) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person:
less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older,
or more than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

46

H) This last time that you were slapped or pushed by this partner/husband did you:
 Get hurt with cuts scratches, bruising, redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV9

[If punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you
with an object]
A. How many times has a partner punched,
kicked, whipped, or beat you with an object:
once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

(F114)

E) [Ask if currently or previously married]
The last time this happened, was this partner your boyfriend, romantic partner,
husband?
HUSBAND……………………………..1
PARTNER……………………………...2
DON’T KNOW…………………………99
G) [Ask if older]
F) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO H]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO H]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO H]

How much older was this person:
less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older,
or more than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

47

H) This last time that your partner/husband punched, kicked, whipped or beat you, did
you:
 Get hurt with cuts scratches, bruising, redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV10

(F127)

[If choked, smothered, tried to drown you,
or burned]
A. How many times has a partner choked,
smothered, tried to drown you, or burned
you: once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

E) [Ask if currently or previously married]
The last time this happened, was this partner your boyfriend, romantic partner,
husband?
HUSBAND……………………………..1
PARTNER……………………………...2
DON’T KNOW…………………………99

F) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO H]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO H]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO H]

G) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person:
less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older,
or more than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

48

H) This last time that your partner/husband choked, smothered, tried to drown you, or
burned you, did you:
 Get hurt with cuts scratches, bruising, redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV11

(F140)

[If used or threatened to use a knife or
other weapon against you]
A. How many times has a partner used or
threatened you with a knife or other weapon:
once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

E) [Ask if currently or previously married]
The last time this happened, was this partner your boyfriend, romantic partner,
husband?
HUSBAND……………………………..1
PARTNER……………………………...2
DON’T KNOW…………………………99

F) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO H]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO H]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO H]

G) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person:
less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older,
or more than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

49

Note that a respondent’s answers to this set
of question could be about only one incident.
The way that the questions are structured
(and the way it was originally structured), it
will be difficult to determine whether or not
this is the case. Since this is the case, this
may be a good place to strike questions. The
screener questions can be retained as well as
the injury question.

H) This last time that your partner/husband used or threatened you with a knife or
other weapon, did you:
 Get hurt with cuts scratches, bruising, redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?

PARENT AND RELATIVE VIOLENCE
PV12
The next questions are about parents or other relatives.
Remember, you can ask to skip any question that you do not want to answer.
Has a parent or other relative ever:
 slapped or pushed you?
 punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you with an object?
 choked, smothered, tried to drown you, or burned you intentionally?
 used or threatened you with a knife or other weapon?
PV13

[If slapped or pushed]
A. How many times have you been slapped
or pushed by a parent or relative: once, a few
times or many times?

A skip pattern was added after mother and
father since parents are obviously more than
10 years older than respondents.

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask only if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask only if happened more
than once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

E) The last time this happened, which relative did this?

MALE
FATHER ……………………….1 (SKIP TO
H)
STEP FATHER…………………2
BROTHER………………………3
STEP BROTHER………………..4
UNCLE………………………….5
OTHER (Specify: ______) ……..6

FEMALE
MOTHER………….…1 (SKIP TO
H)
STEP MOTHER……..2
SISTER………………3
STEP SISTER……….4
AUNT…………………5
OTHER (Specify: ______) ……..6

50

F) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO H]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO H]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO H]

G) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person:
less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older,
or more than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

H) This last time that you were slapped or pushed by this relative did you:
 Get hurt with cuts or scratches, bruising, or redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV14

[If punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you
with an object]
A. How many times has a parent or relative
punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you with
an object: once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

E) The last time this happened, which relative did this?
MALE
FATHER ……………………….1 (SKIP TO
H)
STEP FATHER…………………2
BROTHER………………………3
STEP BROTHER………………..4
UNCLE………………………….5
OTHER (Specify: ______) ……..6

FEMALE
MOTHER………….…1 (SKIP TO
H)
STEP MOTHER……..2
SISTER………………3
STEP SISTER……….4
AUNT…………………5
OTHER (Specify: ______) ……..6

51

F) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO H]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO H]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO H]

G) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person: less
than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older, or more
than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

H) This last time that this relative punched, kicked, whipped or beat you, did you:
 Get hurt with cuts or scratches, bruising, or redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV15

[If choked, smothered, tried to drown you,
or burned]
A. How many times has a parent or relative
choked, smothered, tried to drown you, or
burned you: once, a few times or many
times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12 months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

E) The last time this happened, which relative did this?
MALE
FATHER …………………….1 (SKIP TO H)
STEP FATHER…………………2
BROTHER………………………3
STEP BROTHER………………..4
UNCLE………………………….5
OTHER (Specify: ______) ……..6

FEMALE
MOTHER………….…1 (SKIP TO H)
STEP MOTHER……..2
SISTER………………3
STEP SISTER……….4
AUNT…………………5
OTHER (Specify: ______) ……..6

52

F) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO H]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO H]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO H]

G) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person: less
than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older, or more
than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DK/REFUSED……………….99

H) This last time that this relative choked, smothered, tried to drown you, or burned you,
did you:
 Get hurt with cuts or scratches, bruising, or redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV16

[If used or threatened to use a knife or
other weapon against you]
A. How many times has a parent or relative
used or threatened you with a knife or other
weapon: once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12 months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

E) The last time this happened, which relative did this?
MALE
FATHER ……………….1 (SKIP TO H)
STEP FATHER…………………2
BROTHER………………………3
STEP BROTHER………………..4
UNCLE………………………….5
OTHER (Specify: ______) ……..6

FEMALE
MOTHER………….…1 (SKIP TO H)
STEP MOTHER……..2
SISTER………………3
STEP SISTER……….4
AUNT…………………5
OTHER (Specify: ______) ……..6

53

F) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO H]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO H]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO H]

G) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person: less
than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older, or more
than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

H) This last time that this relative used or threatened you with a knife or other weapon, did
you:
 Get hurt with cuts or scratches, bruising, or redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV17

How often has a parent or someone like a
parent to you, ever said that you are not loved
or that you should not have been born?

PV18

How often as a parent or someone like a
parent to you ever ridiculed you or put you
down, for example, saying that you are stupid
or useless?

NEVER.........................................................1
ONCE...........................................................2
FEW..............................................................3
MANY...........................................................4
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99
NEVER.........................................................1
ONCE...........................................................2
FEW..............................................................3
MANY...........................................................4
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99
IF NEVER TO PV17 AND PV18, SKIP TO PV23

PV19

Did this happen in the last 12 months?

PV20

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

PV21

The last time this happened, which relative
did this?

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO PV21]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99
MALE
FATHER
STEP FATHER
BROTHER
STEP BROTHER
UNCLE
OTHER

FEMALE
MOTHER
STEP MOTHER
SISTER
STEP SISTER
AUNT
OTHER

54

PV22

A) Was this person older than you, younger than you or about the
same age?

B) How much older was this person: less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years
older, or more than 10 years older?

OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO PV23]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO PV23]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO PV23]

LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

COMMUNITY MEMBER VIOLENCE
PV23
The next questions are about other people who are in your community. This includes such people as teachers, police, religious or
community leaders, friends, classmates or even strangers.
Has one of these people ever:
 slapped or pushed you?
 punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you with an object?
 choked, smothered, tried to drown you, or burned you intentionally?
 used or threatened you with a knife or other weapon?
PV24

[If slapped or pushed]
A. How many times have you been slapped
or pushed by someone in your community:
once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12 months?

C) [Ask only if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask only if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

E) The last time this happened, was the
person male or female?

F) Who was this person:

MALE…………………………………..
FEMALE……………………………….
DK/R……………………………………

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99











TEACHER
POLICE
EMPLOYER
COMMUNITY LEADER
RELIGIOUS LEADER
FRIEND
CLASSMATE
NEIGHBOR
OTHER __________________

55

G) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO I]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO I]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO I]

H) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person: less
than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older, or more
than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

I) This last time that you were slapped or pushed did you:
 Get hurt with cuts or scratches, bruising, or redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV25

[If punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you
with an object]
A. How many times has a community person
punched, kicked, whipped, or beat you with
an object: once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12 months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

E) The last time this happened, was the
person male or female?
MALE…………………………………..
FEMALE……………………………….
DK/R……………………………………

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

F) Who was this person:
TEACHER
POLICE
EMPLOYER
COMMUNITY LEADER
RELIGIOUS LEADER
FRIEND
CLASSMATE
NEIGHBOR
OTHER __________________

56

G) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO I]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO I]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO I]

H) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person: less
than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older, or more
than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

I) This last time that this person punched, kicked, whipped or beat you, did you:
 Get hurt with cuts or scratches, bruising, or redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV26

[If choked, smothered, tried to drown you,
or burned]
A. How many times has a community person
choked, smothered, tried to drown you, or
burned you: once, a few times or many
times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12 months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

E) The last time this happened, was the
person male or female?
MALE…………………………………..
FEMALE……………………………….
DK/R……………………………………

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

F) Who was this person:










TEACHER
POLICE
EMPLOYER
COMMUNITY LEADER
RELIGIOUS LEADER
FRIEND
CLASSMATE
NEIGHBOR
OTHER __________________

57

G) Was this person older than you, younger
than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO I]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO I]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO I]

H) [Ask if older]
How much older was this person:
less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older,
or more than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

I) This last time that this person choked, smothered, tried to drown you, or burned you,
did you:
 Get hurt with cuts or scratches, bruising, or redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?
PV27

[If used or threatened to use a knife or
other weapon against you]
A. How many times has a community
person used or threatened you with a knife or
other weapon: once, a few times or many
times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

E) The last time this happened, was the
person male or female?

F) Who was this person:

MALE…………………………………..
FEMALE……………………………….
DK/R……………………………………

G) Was this person older than you, younger

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99











TEACHER
POLICE
EMPLOYER
COMMUNITY LEADER
RELIGIOUS LEADER
FRIEND
CLASSMATE
NEIGHBOR
OTHER __________________

H) [Ask if older]

58

than you or about the same age?
OLDER…………………………………......1
YOUNGER…………………2 [SKIP TO I]
SAME………………………3 [SKIP TO I]
DK/REFUSED……………99 [SKIP TO I]

How much older was this person:
less than 5 years, 5 to 10 years older,
or more than 10 years older?
LESS THAN 5……………………1
5 TO 10 YRS……………………..2
10 YEARS OR OLDER..…………3
DON’T
KNOW/REFUSED……………….99

I) This last time that this person used or threatened you with a knife or other weapon,
did you:
 Get hurt with cuts or scratches, bruising, or redness or swelling?
[IF NO, SKIP TO NEXT QUESTION]
 Get a sprain, dislocation or blistering?
 Get a broken bone or tooth, deep wound, or burnt skin?
 Have a miscarriage?
 Receive a permanent injury?

PV28
PV29

HELP-SEEKING AND REPORTING
Thinking about this/these times that someone hurt you,
did you ever tell anybody?
Why didn’t you tell anyone about these experiences?
(Circle all mentioned)

PV30

Who did you talk to?
F) A friend
G) A relative
H) A counselor
I) The police
J) A doctor or other healthcare worker
K) A legal professional or judge
L) Any other person or place

YES..................................................................................1
NO...................................................................................2
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED………………………….99
AFRAID OF GETTING INTO TROUBLE....... A
EMBARRASSED FOR SELF/FAMILY........... B
DEPENDENT ON PERPETRATOR................. C
PERPETRATOR THREATENED ME.............. D
DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM........... E
FELT IT WAS MY FAULT............................... F
DIDN’T WANT ABUSER TO GET IN TROUBLE
AFRAID OF BEING ABANDONED................ G
OTHER REASON (SPECIFY):_____________ H
__________________________________________
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.................................

YES

NO

IF YES, SKIP
TO PV30

DK/R

FRIEND
RELATIVE
COUNSELOR
POLICE
HEALTHCARE
LEGAL
OTHER PERSON/PLACE
(SPECIFY):_______________________________

PV30

[Skip if answered no to marriage/partner questions [R29, R30 and R31]
PERPETRATION:
Have you ever done any of the following to a partner?

(F1021)






slapped or pushed?
punched, kicked, whipped, or beat?
choked, smothered, tried to drown, or burned a partner?
used or threatened a partner with a knife or other weapon?

59

Section III: Sexual History
The next questions are about sexual activity. Some of these questions are personal, but remember, you can ask to skip any question that
you do not want to answer. Also, remember that your name is not on the survey and no one else will know your answers.

BEHAVIOR:
S1
Have you ever had sexual
intercourse?

(F400)

YES.............. 1
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

[SKIP TO
NEXT
SECTION]

Interviewer: If necessary,
sexual intercourse is…
definition must be determined.
From previous studies, we have
learned that if a woman does
not think of a rape as sexual
intercourse, a clarification may
still not help.

S2

In the past 12 months, how
many partners did you have
sexual intercourse with?

(F411)

S4

In the past 12 months, how
often did you use a condom?
Would you say always,
sometimes, or never?

(F402)
S6

(F505)
S7

(F509)
S8

ALWAYS........................ 1
SOMETIMES.................. 2
NEVER........................... 3
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED.....................

99

How old were you the first time
you had sexual intercourse?

(F401)

S5

If 0, SKIP TO
S5

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……………………………………99

(F1018)
S3

NUMBER OF PARTNERS

YEARS OLD:

This first time, did you have
sexual intercourse because you
wanted to or were you made to?
Has anyone ever given you
anything, such as money or
gifts, so you would have sexual
intercourse or perform any
other sexual act?
In the last 12 months, how
many times did this happen?
Because F510 is cognitively
difficult as well as the length of
the questionnaire, it was
omitted
How old were you the first time
someone gave you a gift to have
sex?

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……………………99
WANTED TO......................................................... 1
MADE TO............................................................... 2
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED……………………...99
YES.............................................................................................. 1
NO................................................................................................ 2
DK/REFUSED…………………………………….99

IF NO, SKIP
TO S9

NUMBER OF PARTNERS:
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED....................................... 99

YEARS OLD:

60

(F506)
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED....................................... 99

PREGNANCY:
S9
Have you ever been pregnant?

YES.............................................................................................. 1
NO................................................................................................ 2
DK/REFUSED…………………………………….99

IF NO, SKIP TO
NEXT SECTION

(F403)
S10

How old were you when you first got
pregnant?
YEARS OLD:

(F404)

S11

Have you ever had a pregnancy that did
not end in a live birth?

DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………………….
YES.................................................................................................
NO..................................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………………….

99
1
2
99

(F405)

Section IV: Sexual Violence
The next questions are about sexual abuse and sexual violence. Again, you can ask to skip any question that you do not want to
answer. Also, your name is not on the survey and no one else will know your answers.
SV1

(F400)

Has anyone ever:









Upset you by saying sexual things to you or about you?
Forced you to watch sex videos or pictures against your will?
Forced you to be in a sex photo or video?
Made you look at one of their sex parts against your will?
Made you show them one of your sex parts against your will?
Touched one of your sex parts against your will?
Pressured you into having sex without you wanting to?
Physically forced you to have sex?

[IF NONE, SKIP TO SEXUAL ABUSE]

SV2

(F501)

[If saying sexual things]
A. How many times has someone upset you
by saying sexual things to you or about you:
once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

61

12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

E) The last time this happened, how well did you know this person: Not at all, not very
well, very well?
NOT AT ALL……………………………………………………………..………..1
NOT VERY WELL………………………………………………………………...2
VERY WELL……………………………………………………………………….3
DK/REFUSED……………………………………………………………………..99
SV3

[If watch sex videos]
A. How many times has someone forced you
to watch sex videos or pictures against your
will: once, a few times or many times?

(F502)

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

E) The last time this happened, how well did you know this person: Not at all, not very
well, very well?
NOT AT ALL……………………………………………………………..………..1
NOT VERY WELL………………………………………………………………...2
VERY WELL……………………………………………………………………….3
DK/REFUSED……………………………………………………………………..99
SV4

(F503)

[If in a sex photo]
A. How many times has someone forced you
to be in a sex photo or video: once, a few
times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

62

18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

E) The last time this happened, how well did you know this person: Not at all, not very
well, very well?
NOT AT ALL……………………………………………………………..………..1
NOT VERY WELL………………………………………………………………...2
VERY WELL……………………………………………………………………….3
DK/REFUSED……………………………………………………………………..99
SV5

[If see their sexual body part]
A. How many times has someone made you
look at one of their sexual body parts: once, a
few times or many times?

(F504)

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

E) The last time this happened, how well did you know this person: Not at all, not very
well, very well?
NOT AT ALL……………………………………………………………..………..1
NOT VERY WELL………………………………………………………………...2
VERY WELL……………………………………………………………………….3
DK/REFUSED……………………………………………………………………..99
SV6

[If show your sexual body part]
A. How many times has someone made you
show them one of your sexual body parts:
once, a few times or many times?

ONCE...........................................................1
FEW..............................................................2
MANY...........................................................3
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.......................99

B) Did this happen in the last 12
months?

C) [Ask if did not happen in the last 12
months]

D) [Ask if happened more than
once]

How old were you the last time this
happened? _________ yrs

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2

Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

63

(F504)

12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED
……..99

E) The last time this happened, how well did you know this person: Not at all, not very
well, very well?
NOT AT ALL……………………………………………………………..………..1
NOT VERY WELL………………………………………………………………...2
VERY WELL……………………………………………………………………….3
DK/REFUSED……………………………………………………………………..99
SV6

[If Touched]
How many times has someone touched one of your sex
parts against your will: once, a few times or many
times?

ONCE..................................
.........................1
FEW....................................
..........................2
MANY................................
...........................3
DON’T
KNOW/DECLINED...........
............99

B) Did this happen in the last 12 months?

C) [Ask if did not happen
in the last 12 months]

D) [Ask if happened more than once]

How old were you the last
time this happened?
_________ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer
code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/
DECLINED ……..99

(F504)

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

E) The last time this happened, how well did you know this person: Not at
all, not very well, very well?
NOT AT ALL………………………………………………..………..1
NOT VERY WELL……………………………………………………...2
VERY WELL………………………………………………………….3
DK/REFUSED…………………………………………………………..99
SV7

[If Pressured]
How many times has someone pressured you into
having sex without you wanting to: once, a few times
or many times?

ONCE..................................
.........................1
FEW....................................
..........................2
MANY................................
...........................3
DON’T
KNOW/DECLINED...........
............99

B) Did this happen in the last 12 months?

C) [Ask if did not happen

D) [Ask if happened more than once]

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

64

in the last 12 months]
How old were you the last
time this happened?
_________ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer
code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/
DECLINED ……..99

(F504)

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

E) The last time this happened, how well did you know this person: Not at
all, not very well, very well?
NOT AT ALL…………………………………………………..………..1
NOT VERY WELL…………………………………………………...2
VERY WELL………………………………………………………….3
DK/REFUSED…………………………………………………………..99
SV8

[If physically forced]
How many times has someone physically forced you
to have sex: once, a few times or many times?

ONCE..................................
.........................1
FEW....................................
..........................2
MANY................................
...........................3
DON’T
KNOW/DECLINED...........
............99

B) Did this happen in the last 12 months?

C) [Ask if did not happen
in the last 12 months]

D) [Ask if happened more than once]

How old were you the last
time this happened?
_________ yrs
(F504)

Open ended: Interviewer
code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/
DECLINED ……..99

YES.............. 1 [SKIP TO D]
NO................ 2
DK/DTA...... 99

How old were you the first time this
happened? _______ yrs
Open ended: Interviewer code
0 TO 5 YEARS...... 1
6 TO 11 YEARS.... 2
12 TO 17 YEARS.. 3
18 OR OLDER....... 4
DON’T KNOW/ DECLINED ……..99

E) The last time this happened, how well did you know this person: Not at
all, not very well, very well?
NOT AT ALL…………………………………………………..………..1
NOT VERY WELL………………………………………………...2
VERY WELL…………………………………………………………….3
DK/REFUSED………………………………………………………..99

65

66

SV9

(F1025)
SV10
(F1026)

SV11
(F932)
SV12

(F934)

SV13

(F935)

PERPETRATION: Have you forced a partner to have sexual intercourse or to
perform any other sexual act when they did not want to: never, once, a few times,
many times?

NEVER..................
ONCE.........................
FEW...........................
MANY.......................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED
Have you forced someone who was not a partner to participate in a sexual act with
NEVER..................
you when they did not want to: never, once, a few times, many times?
ONCE.........................
FEW...........................
MANY.......................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED
YES..................................................................................1
HELP-SEEKING AND REPORTING
Thinking about all of the times that you had a sexual NO...................................................................................2
experience that you did not want to have, did you ever DON’T KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….99
tell anybody?
Why didn’t you tell anyone about these experiences?
AFRAID OF GETTING INTO TROUBLE....... A
EMBARRASSED FOR SELF/FAMILY........... B
(Circle all mentioned)
DEPENDENT ON PERPETRATOR................. C
PERPETRATOR THREATENED ME.............. D
DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM........... E
FELT IT WAS MY FAULT............................... F
DIDN’T WANT ABUSER TO GET IN TROUBLE
AFRAID OF BEING ABANDONED................ G
OTHER REASON (SPECIFY):______________H
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.................................
Who did you talk to?
A) A friend
B) A relative
C) A counselor
D) The police
E) A doctor or other healthcare worker
F) A legal professional or judge
G) Any other person or place

NO
FRIEND
RELATIVE
COUNSELOR
POLICE
HEALTHCARE
LEGAL

YES
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2

DK
/DTA
99
99
99
99
99

OTHER PERSON/PLACE
(SPECIFY):_______________________________

67

Section V: Mental Health and STDs
H1

(F1027)

H2
(F1028)

H3

SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
The last questions are about your mental and
physical health.
In the past 30 days, have you used drugs such as
marijuana, pills, ecstasy or sniffed any chemical
such as shabu or rugby?
Substance abuse questions were in the beginning
portion of the cognitive interview questionnaire,
and the placement appeared to work. However,
given that the suicide question should be in the
last section, it made sense to move substance
abuse into a health section at the end.
In the past 30 days, on how many days did you
drink alcohol to the point that you became
drunk?

During the past 30 days, did you smoke
cigarettes daily, occasionally, or not at all?

(F1029)
H4

How often do you feel worried, nervous or
anxious? Would you say daily, weekly,
monthly, a few times a year, or never

H5

Thinking about the last time you felt worried,
nervous or anxious, how would you describe the
level of these feelings? Would you say A little,
A lot or Somewhere in between a little and a lot
How often do you feel depressed? Would you
say daily, weekly, monthly, a few times a year,
or never

H6

H7

H8
(F1031)
H9
(F1032)
H10
(F1038)
H11
(F1034)
H12
(F1036)

YES..............................................................................1
NO............................................................................2
DON’T
KNOW/DECLINED…………………………….99

Thinking about the last time you felt depressed,
how would you describe the level of these
feelings? Would you say A little, A lot or
Somewhere in between a little and a lot
Have you ever thought about killing yourself?

Have you ever made an attempt to end your own
life?
Have you ever had a sexually transmitted
infection?
Have you ever gotten a test to see if you have
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS?
When was the most recent time you were tested
for HIV: less than 12 months ago, 1-2 years ago,
or more than 2 years ago?

NUMBER OF DAYS:

DON’T KNOW / DECLINED....................................
DAILY............................................................................
OCCASIONALLY.........................................................
NOT AT ALL.................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED......................................
DAILY
WEEKLY
MONTHLY
A FEW TIMES A YEAR
NEVER
A LITTLE
A LOT
SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN A LITTLE AND A LOT

IF NEVER, SKIP
TO H6

DAILY
WEEKLY
MONTHLY
A FEW TIMES A YEAR
NEVER
A LITTLE
A LOT
SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN A LITTLE AND A LOT

IF NEVER, SKIP
TO H8

YES.................................................................................
NO...................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED.......................................
YES.................................................................................
NO..................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED.......................................
YES.................................................................................
NO...................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................................
YES.................................................................................
NO...................................................................................
DON’T KNOW / DECLINED.......................................
LESS THAN 12 MONTHS AGO..................................
1-2 YEARS AGO...........................................................
MORE THAN 2 YEARS AGO......................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................................

IF NO, SKIP TO
H10

IF YES, SKIP TO
H13

68

H13
(F1037)
H14

This most recent time you were tested for HIV,
did you get the results of your test?

YES.................................................................................
NO...................................................................................
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED.........................................

Did the test show that you had HIV or that you
did not have HIV?

HAD HIV.........................................................................1
DID NOT HAVE.............................................................2
DON’T KNOW/DECLINED........................................99

IF NO, END

69