HIGHER NUMBERS OF reports of abuse in universities do not indicate that the problem has grown, but rather that data collection is working, researchers say.

Speak Out is a website that allows staff and students at higher education institutions to anonymously report bullying, harassment, discrimination and sexual violence. 

The purpose of the tool is not to investigate the claims, but to collect data on the levels and types of abuse prevalent. People who chose not to report an incident through official channels are asked why, so that institutions can improve attitudes and processes.

Since 2021, more than 2,000 reports have been made to Speak Out, and each year more people are choosing to also make a formal report to gardaí or to their college.

Elaine Mears, a national coordinator for Speak Out, emphasised that their data collection is not a prevalence study.

“If there are higher levels of reports within your institution, that’s not a sign that there are higher levels of violence … It’s more likely a sign that you’re doing a really good job of actually promoting the reporting options available to people,” she told The Journal.

In the 2024/25 academic year, a total of 560 reports were made across 17 higher education institutions using the Speak Out platform, as well as University College Dublin’s Report and Support tool, which is similar.

Some 72% of these were made by the person affected, and the rest were made on behalf of them by someone else.

The most common behaviours reported were harassment, bullying and discrimination.

Of the reports that came from staff, 30% were about bullying.

For students, harassment was the most common complaint, accounting for 24% of their reports.

Sexual violence accounted for 20% of behaviours disclosed by students. One in four of these disclosures was about rape, while the rest were about either sexual assault or sexual harassment. 

While more people are using the Speak Out tool each year, the figures are far from reflecting the true scale of Ireland’s sexual violence problem in particular.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), 52% of women and 28% of men have experienced sexual violence. For women aged 18 to 24, the figure rises to 65%.

“Higher Education Institutions are a microcosm of society,” Mears says.

It’s not just that the abuse is happening inside the walls of the institution. It is happening all over Ireland. 

Staff were more likely to formally report abuse to their institution (25%). Only 16% of students did. However, this is up from last year, when 12% made a formal report to their institution, and 4% reported to gardaí. Some did both.

The most common reasons given by students for not making a formal report were feeling that their case wasn’t serious enough, fear of retaliation from the perpetrator, and fear that nothing would be done if they made a complaint.

Some didn’t know how to make a formal report.

Mears says Speak Out is not only about collecting information, but giving victims an opportunity to express what happened to them. 

“They might not even have the words or the language to put on what happened to them … so it helps them find those words,” Mears explained.

They’re also signposted to appropriate services and supports based on how they answer the questions.

Among both staff and students, the vast majority of reports were made by women.

Across staff and students, 43% of reports were from someone with a disability.

Psychological and emotional conditions were the most common forms of disability disclosed by students.

Some 29% of students and 19% of staff who made a report were lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or pansexual.

In November, Speak Out will host a number of events around the country for leadership of universities, to show them the data and explain how they can help reduce rates of abuse in higher education.

It’s part of creating a “web of support”, Mears says, so that the wider college community can support victims, not just a few staff members who specialise in the area.