Measuring the Impact of Victim Services: Developing the Victim Outcome and Satisfaction Survey Instrument and Platform, United States, 2022 (ICPSR 39130)
Version Date: Feb 25, 2026 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
Lynn Langton, RTI International;
Jaclyn Houston-Kolnik, RTI International
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR39130.v1
Version V1
Summary View help for Summary
In recent decades, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) have spearheaded efforts to build, grow, and professionalize the victim services field. As a result, the United States service infrastructure for persons impacted by crime has advanced. Despite advancement, efforts to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of victim services have lagged. Grantee and subgrantee data collected by OVC and OVW demonstrated how hard programs are working, both in terms of the number of victims being served and the range of services offered, but to continue to advance the field, a new platform and survey instrument was developed for victim service providers (VSPs) to move from measuring outputs to outcomes and from anecdote to evidence in demonstrating the effects of these programs on victims' lives. The Measures for Providers Responding to Victimization Experiences (iMPRoVE) platform and survey instrument was the result.
The iMPRoVE platform and survey instrument built on the existing efforts of VSPs to develop a validated, trauma-informed, low-burden outcome measurement instrument that can be completed by victims and survivors. It was designed to provide a victim outcome and service quality survey intended for assessing the effectiveness and quality of services, for supporting the use of best practices, for justifying funding allocations and demonstrating responsible stewardship of funds, and for advocating for additional resources as necessary. Many VSPs previously administered outcome and/or satisfaction surveys to clients with considerable variability in the type, quality, and timing of questions asked and the methodology used to ask them. The iMPRoVE survey instrument was designed to address this issue by providing a standardized client survey instrument and methodology, allowing VSPs to benchmark their findings against other similar programs.
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Access to these data is restricted. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete a Restricted Data Use Agreement, specify the reason for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research.
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Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes
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DS3 (Cognitive Interview Notes from Interviews with Adult Survivors Who Received Victim Services Data) and DS4 (Cognitive Interview Notes from Interviews with Adults Responding on Behalf of Dependent Survivors Data) are being released as zipped packages with the qualitative data in the original Excel format as deposited excluding changes made for disclosure risk.
Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose
The overarching goal of this study was to guide the victim services field from a focus on effort to a focus on results and effectiveness through the creation of an outcome measurement tool and a platform to support victim service providers (VSPs) in administering the tool.
Study Design View help for Study Design
The study design included three primary objectives:
1) Build on the existing efforts of victim service providers (VSPs) to develop a validated, trauma-informed, low-burden outcome measurement instrument that can be completed by victims and survivors to measure outcomes, the quality and utility of referrals provided, and satisfaction with the quality of services provided. As part of this objective, the project team:
- Compiled and reviewed existing outcome measures used throughout the victim services field,
- Assembled a panel of practitioners representing the varied segments of the field for input and buy-in,
- Obtained survivor perspectives on service outcomes and quality measures through interviews,
- Worked with practitioners to identify and categorize the intended outcomes of services and develop measures accordingly, and
- Conducted rigorous cognitive testing of the survey tool with survivors to ensure that the measures are valid and reliable across the diverse spectrum of providers and services offered.
2) Develop a standardized methodology for survey administration and data analysis. This involved considerations such as the appropriate cultural and linguistic translations, eligibility criteria, consistent language for presenting the survey to clients, and the appropriate point in the duration of services to administer the survey.
3) Customize an intuitive, freely available software application Tangerine(Copyright) for VSPs to use for administering the outcome survey instrument and securely collecting, viewing, and exporting data in an easily accessible format. This involved conducting extensive usability and pilot testing with service providers to ensure the platform works in a real-world setting and supporting VSP implementation through the development of a User Guide, implementation of a Helpdesk, and delivery of several training sessions.
Sample View help for Sample
This study included two rounds of cognitive interviews and an administered pilot test of the Measures for Providers Responding to Victimization Experiences (iMPRoVE) survey.
Eligibility to participate in the cognitive interviews was based on the following criteria:
Eligibility to participate in the pilot test iMPRoVE survey: All persons reaching the substantial completion of services (as defined by the victim service provider) during the pilot test period. A proxy respondent (parent or guardian) was asked to complete a proxy version of the survey for persons under age 18 who received services.
Time Method View help for Time Method
Universe View help for Universe
Persons impacted by crime who received victim services from a participating victim service provider.
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Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)
Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection
Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables
DS1 (Feedback Analysis Data): This dataset included variables regarding feedback of the victim analysis survey. Variables included ease of use, clarity, administering the survey, and provider type.
DS2 (Victim Analysis Data): This dataset included analysis variables of the victim analysis survey. Variables included description of provided services, demographics, and description of victimization.
Users should note that the variable AGENCY_ID can be used to link DS1 and DS2.
HideOriginal Release Date View help for Original Release Date
2026-02-25
Version History View help for Version History
2026-02-25 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Notes
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