TWO THIRDS OF 18-24 year olds who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed it to someone told a friend first, according to a new report from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). 

This compares to 13% who told a family member first.

The publication of the figures is the fourth in a series of releases based on the findings of a sexual violence survey, which was conducted by the CSO last year.

The survey found that women who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed it were more likely to tell a family member first (16%) than men (9%).

Over a third (36%) of women who did not disclose any experience of sexual violence as an adult did so because they felt “ashamed or embarrassed”.

This was more than twice the rate for men, at 15%.

People aged 18-24 had the highest level of disclosure rates (51%), with those aged 65 and over having the lowest (27%).

23% of women who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed it were more likely to identify that a reason for disclosure was that they wanted to get help for themselves, compared with 13% of men.

Two-thirds of those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed told a friend firsthttps://t.co/CKuIjVSpOj#CSOIreland #Ireland #SexualViolenceSurvey #SVS #Crime #SocialInterests #Health #SafetyOfThePerson pic.twitter.com/9Aq7bktcAJ

— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) July 31, 2023

Almost three in ten adults (29%) who disclosed an experience of sexual violence as an adult did so because they wanted to get help for themselves.

48% of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose it indicated that they thought what happened was not serious enough.

12% of those who experienced sexual violence disclosed it to police, compared with 5% of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed it to police.

The survey did not interview children but it did ask adults about their experiences when they were a child.

Nationally, 39% of adults reported that they disclosed an experience of childhood sexual violence.

For those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to someone, over half (56%) made it known to someone less than six months after the experience began.

One in four men who experienced sexual violence as a child disclosed to someone, almost half the disclosure rate of women at 47%.

People aged 55-64 who experienced sexual violence as a child were more likely to disclose it (42%) than those aged 25-34 (34%)

Overall, the survey found that 79% of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult did not use a service, with very little difference between men (80%) and women (79%) in this respect.

It also found that 83% who experienced sexual violence as a child and used a support service found it helpful.

More information on how the survey was conducted and how it defined sexual violence is available on the CSO website.

Support is available at:

• National Sexual Violence Helpline: 1800 778 888 or rapecrisishelp.ie
• National Domestic Violence Helpline (for women): 1800 341 900
• Male Advice Line (for men experiencing domestic abuse): 1800 816 588
• Dublin Rape Crisis Centre: 1800 77 88 88 or drcc.ie
• Galway Rape Crisis Centre: 1800 355 355 or galwayrcc.org
• Sexual Violence Centre Cork: 1800 496 496 or sexualviolence.ie