A quarter of adults have experienced sexual violence, ESRI says

More than a quarter (26 per cent) of the population has experienced sexual violence as an adult, according to research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

Women, younger adults, bisexual people and gay men face significantly higher risks, while most perpetrators are known to victims, it finds.

The research was published on Thursday by the ESRI in conjunction with Cuan, a Government agency dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Drawing on data from the 2022 Central Statistics Office (CSO) Sexual Violence Survey, it examined patterns of adult sexual violence, including both intimate partner and non-intimate partner sexual violence.

Women (39 per cent) were considerably more likely to report experiences of sexual violence than men (12 per cent). The analysis also found that younger adults (those aged 25-29), bisexual people and gay men faced significantly greater risks of sexual violence.

A majority of respondents that reported one or more sexual violence experiences indicated they were aged between 18 and 24 when it first happened, both for intimate partner (54 per cent) and non-intimate partner violence (63 per cent).

Of the seven types of sexual violence examined, non-consensual touching of breasts/genitals was the most common type reported (21 per cent). This was followed by attempted other sexual contact (14 per cent) and attempted sexual intercourse (12 per cent).

The study identified a group in the population, comprising 6 per cent, who had experienced an average of five different types of intimate partner violence, including forced penetrative sex and attempted sexual intercourse.

The research also identified a group comprising 4 per cent of the population who had experienced multiple forms of non-intimate partner violence, including forced penetrative sex and non-penetrative sex when they were unable to give consent because of being asleep, passed out or under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

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Ireland is implementing its third national strategy to address domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

This research highlights that, “while sexual violence is pervasive across Irish society, there are a number of population subgroups that report higher rates of sexual violence, particularly women, younger people and those from sexual minority groups”.

Authors of the research said Government policy should focus on understanding the reasons behind this so that targeted interventions can be developed and implemented to support groups at higher risk of sexual violence.

Dr Elish Kelly, lead author of the study, said: “This research provides important new evidence on the factors associated with sexual violence victimisation in Ireland. While sexual violence affects people from all backgrounds, the findings show that risks are higher among particular subgroups of the population, including women, younger adults, bisexual individuals and gay men.

“The study also challenges common assumptions regarding perpetrators, demonstrating that many victims experience sexual violence from people they already know and also in familiar surroundings, such as their home or another person’s home.”