Data Collection and Analysis

Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services (SAPSS) collects and analyzes data on services delivered by agencies it funds, as well as data on sexual assaults reported to rape crisis centers. (To protect client confidentiality, the sexual assault data SAPSS collects does not include any information that could identify individuals.) These data are used for a variety of purposes, such as to inform program development, monitor contract performance, and produce funders' reports. In 1999, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health published a 10-year report on these data.

Since 1997, SAPSS has participated in the development and analysis of questions on sexual assault incidence, prevalence, and attitudes on the Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS), a telephone survey administered by the Department of Public Health to monitor state-level prevalence of major behavioral health risks among adults.

SAPSS also helped develop questions related to sexual assault and teen dating violence for the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a student health survey administered by the Massachusetts Department of Education that monitors the prevalence of adolescent risk behaviors over time. To see results from the 1997 survey, you can download the following presentations:

SAPSS has presented its work on sexual assault data collection and surveillance at national and regional forums such as American Public Health Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conferences.

Publications

The following Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services (SAPSS) publications are available free from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. To order a copy, call Olga at 617-624-5463, or send an email to olga.higuera@state.ma.us. Documents with links are available to read or download on your computer.

Reports and Informational Packets

Massachusetts Rape Crisis Center

Annual fact sheets on rape crisis support services delivered by SAPSS-funded programs

Annual fact sheets on sexual assault incidents reported to SAPSS-funded programs

 

The following DPH-funded publications are available from Jane Doe, Inc: The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (telephone: 617-248-0922). You can also request photocopies of these publications from the Department of Public Health, at the phone or email address listed above.

  • Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault: A Journey to Justice, Health, and Healing (rape crisis counselor training manual available in English and in Spanish) (2002)
  • Private Nightmares, Public Secrets: Sexual Assault by Intimate Partners (1999)
  • Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training Manual for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Providers (2002)
  • Untold Stories, Unmet Needs: Understanding the Needs of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Survivors with Physical and Sensory Disabilities (2001)
  • Taking Action Against Sexual Assault: A Call to Action for Massachusetts (2001)
  • The Power of Prevention: Presentation Skills, Training and Resource Guide for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Educators (2000)


This information is provided by the Violence Prevention and Intervention Services within the Department of Public Health.