Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Disclosure of Experiences

Sexual violence experienced as an adult and details on disclosure

The disclosure of sexual violence which was experienced as an adult is the focus of this chapter. When we refer to disclosure to someone in the following text it refers to having told one person or many persons or an organisation/group. The statistics quoted in this chapter relate to those who reported experiencing sexual violence as an adult and do not relate to the overall population of adults in Ireland.

Sexual violence as an adult is defined as a range of non-consensual experiences, from non-consensual sexual touching to non-consensual sexual intercourse. See the Background Notes for further details.

Overall, almost half of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult (49%) did not disclose to someone, with little difference between men and women (51% and 49% respectively). People aged 18-34 had the highest level of disclosure rates (51%), with those aged 65 and over having the lowest (27%). Almost three in 10 adults (29%) who disclosed an experience of sexual violence as an adult did so because they wanted to get help for themselves. Almost half of adults (48%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose, indicated that they did not disclose as they thought what happened was not serious enough. For those who did disclose an experience of sexual violence as an adult, they were most likely to disclose to someone in less than 6 months (67%) following the sexual violence experience, and most likely to disclose to a friend (56%).

Younger adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult were almost twice as likely to disclose this to someone than older adults

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult by whether they ever disclosed an adulthood sexual violence experience:

• Those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as an adult were almost twice as likely to disclose to someone (51%) than those aged 65 and over (27%). Overall, 44% of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult disclosed to someone.  See Figure 4.1 and Table 4.1.
• Two in five men (41%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult disclosed to someone. This was similar to the disclosure rate for women (44%).
• Nationally, almost half of adults (49%) reported that they did not disclose an experience of sexual violence as an adult to someone.
• Those aged 65 and over who experienced sexual violence as an adult were more likely to not disclose (63%) than those aged 25-34 (40%).

Over three in 10 women who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed, disclosed because they wanted to get help for themselves

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed by the reasons for disclosure:

• Over three in 10 women (32%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed, disclosed because they wanted to get help for themselves. This was twice as high as the rate for men (15%). See Table 4.2. 
• Overall, 29% of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult identified that they disclosed as they wanted to get help for themselves. Those aged 18-24 were twice as likely to identify this (40%) than those aged 55-64 (19%).
• Almost one in five (18%) women who experienced sexual violence as an adult disclosed because they were afraid that the perpetrator(s) might do it again, compared with 11% of men.
• Media coverage was the least likely reason given (1% of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed) as a reason for disclosure. See Figure 4.2.

Almost half of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and who did not disclose, did not disclose as they thought that what happened was not serious enough

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose by the reasons for not disclosing:

• Almost half of those (48%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose thought that what happened was not serious enough. Women and men identified this as a reason for not disclosing at a similar rate (47% and 48% respectively). However, those aged 25-34 were more likely to report this (57%) than those aged 55-64 and 65 and over (both 35%). See Table 7.3.
• Women who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose were more than twice as likely to indicate that they did not disclose because they felt ashamed or embarrassed (36%) than men (15%). Similarly, those aged 45-54 were more than twice as likely to identify that reason (40%) than those aged 18-24 (18%). Overall, almost three in 10 adults (31%) who did not disclose identified that they did not disclose as they felt ashamed or embarrassed.
• For adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose, 20% indicated that they did not disclose because they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs when the sexual violence experience happened. Women were more likely to report this as a reason for not disclosing (22%) compared with men (14%). Those aged 25-34 were also more likely to report this (30%) than those aged 65 and over (2%).
• Women who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose were five times more likely to indicate that they did not disclose because they blamed themselves for what happened (16%) compared with men (3%).
• Those aged 55-64 who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose were more likely to indicate that they did not know who to turn to (14%) than those aged 18-24 (6%).
• For those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and did not disclose, the least frequently chosen reason for not disclosing was that they did not want to go to court (4%). This was followed by those who identified that they did not want the perpetrator(s) to be punished (5%).

Over two thirds of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed, disclosed to someone less than 6 months after the experience

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed by how long it took to first disclose:

• Over two thirds of those (67%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, did so less than 6 months after the experience. Men were more likely to disclose less than 6 months after the experience (71%) compared with women (66%). See Table 4.4.
• If those who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, did not disclose less than 6 months after the experience, they were then more likely to disclose more than 5 years after the experience (14%).
• Those aged 18-24, who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed, were more likely to disclose less than 6 months after the experience (80%) than those aged 55-64 (55%).
• Those aged 65 and over who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed were more likely to disclose more than 5 years after the experience (25%) than those aged 18-24 (4%).

Two thirds of those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, disclosed first to a friend

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed by who they disclosed to first:

• Two thirds of those aged 18-24 (66%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, disclosed an experience of adult sexual violence to a friend first. This compared with 46% of those aged 45-54 and 55-64 who first told a friend. Over half of adults (56%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, did so to a friend first. See Figure 4.3 and Table 4.5.
• Women who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, were more likely to disclose to a family member first (16%) than men (9%).
• Conversely, men who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, were more likely to disclose to a partner first (23%) than women (13%).
• Those aged 55-64 who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, were more likely to disclose an experience of sexual violence experienced as an adult to a partner (22%) than those aged 35-44 (10%).
• Overall, 1% of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult, and disclosed, identified that they disclosed sexual violence experienced as an adult to the police first.