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Key Findings

Almost one in ten adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult had done so in the last 12 months

CSO statistical publication, , 11am
National Helplines

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this survey, help is available from the following national helplines or from local/regional helplines which you can find in the Background Notes.

The Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Adult Experiences was published on 18 May 2023. Data within the publication were revised on 1 June 2023. These data revisions were due to a formatting issue relating to the marital status classification where the divorced/legally separated and widowed were incorrectly labelled. All content relating to the tables, including the text of the statistical release, Publication Briefing presentation and PxStat tables (data.cso.ie), now reflect the revised data.

Details as to the extent of these revisions on previously published data can be found in the Information Note Sexual Violence Survey - Adult Experiences.

Key Findings

  • Almost one in ten adults (9%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult experienced sexual violence in the last 12 months. For younger adults (aged 18-24), the rate was more than three times greater at 30%.  

  • Around one in three adults (34%) with a third level education reported experiencing sexual violence as an adult, compared with 6% of those with a primary level of education or below.

  • Bisexual and gay/lesbian people reported higher levels of sexual violence as an adult (55% and 40% respectively) than heterosexual/straight people (25%).

  • One in four (25%) women experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner. This was over four times the level for men at 6%.

  • Those who were “White - Irish Traveller/Roma/other white background” were more likely to have reported experiencing sexual violence as an adult with a partner (19%) than those who were “Asian or Asian Irish” (7%).

  • Almost three in ten (29%) women experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner. This was over three times the level for men at 9%.

  • For sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner, the most prevalent location was in a pub/club/disco for men (30%) and women (26%).

  • Overall, the majority of perpetrators were male. Over eight in ten adults (84%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner and almost nine in ten adults (87%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that the perpetrator was male. 

Statistician's Comment

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) today (18 May 2023) released Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Adult Experiences.

Commenting on the results, Helen McGrath, Statistician in the Social Analysis Section, said:

“Today’s publication builds on the recent publication of the Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Main Results. In that report, we highlighted the prevalence of sexual violence in Ireland and found that four in ten adults reported experiencing sexual violence over their lifetime and 26% of adults experienced sexual violence as an adult. This report provides greater detail on adult sexual violence experiences including those with a partner (current or ex) and non-partner and provides additional information on the sociodemographic breakdowns of the overall prevalence levels.

These publications are derived from the Sexual Violence Survey (SVS) which was conducted in 2022. The objective of the survey was to provide high quality national prevalence data on sexual violence in Ireland which will act as a new baseline for the levels of sexual violence in Ireland. In the survey, sexual violence as an adult is defined as a range of non-consensual experiences, from non-consensual sexual touching to non-consensual sexual intercourse. The word ‘violence’ is sometimes associated with the use of force. However, as outlined in the Luxembourg Guidelines, which is a set of guidelines to harmonise terms on childhood sexual violence and abuse, ‘violence’ can also mean having an event that had a marked or powerful effect on someone. The experiences detailed in this publication range across a variety of experiences up to and including those which result in the most serious violations of personal dignity. 

We appreciate that behind the data in today’s publication are a range of individual stories, which speak to the lived experience of those who have, and those who have not, experienced sexual violence. The publication today presents greater additional insight on the prevalence and patterns of sexual violence for those who have experienced it as an adult.

Adult Experiences

Adult experiences cover those which occurred over the age of consent in Ireland (17 years) which were shared in the survey by respondents who were aged 18 or over. Around one in three adults (34%) with a third level education reported experiencing sexual violence as an adult. Adults with a third level education were over five times more likely than those with up to a primary education (6%) to report having experienced sexual violence as an adult. 

Almost one in ten adults (9%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult experienced sexual violence in the last 12 months (prior to survey). This figure consists of the 3% of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner in the last 12 months, the 5% who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner in the last 12 months, and the 1% who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner and a non-partner in the last 12 months. For younger adults (aged 18-24) who experienced sexual violence as an adult, the rate was more than three times greater at 30%. This consists of the 9% of those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner in the last 12 months, the 18% who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner in the last 12 months and the 3% who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner and a non-partner in the last 12 months. 

Sexual Violence as an Adult by Sociodemographic Characteristics

Please note that the demographic characteristics provided are based on the information given by the respondent when the survey was collected, and so may not necessarily accord with their demographic profile when the sexual violence took place. For example, they may have had a lower educational level when the sexual violence occurred but have a higher educational level now when engaging with the survey.

Looking at the experiences of sexual violence as an adult by sociodemographic characteristics (educational attainment, sexual orientation, marital status, disability status and ethnicity), we can see different patterns for certain cohorts of the population. For example, those who were single were more likely to have experienced sexual violence as an adult (33%) compared with those who were married (22%). People with a disability experienced sexual violence as an adult at a higher rate (30%) than those without a disability (25%). Bisexuals and gay/lesbian people reported higher levels of sexual violence (55% and 40% respectively) than heterosexual/straight people (25%).

Partner Experiences

One in four (25%) women experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner. This was more than four times the level for men at 6%.

Those who were “White - Irish Traveller/Roma/other white background” were more likely to have reported experiencing sexual violence as an adult with a partner (19%) than those who were “Asian or Asian Irish” (7%).

More than half of adults (52%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner reported that it happened more than once. More women (54%) than men (45%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner reported that it happened more than once.  

More than eight in ten adults (84%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner reported that the perpetrator was male.

Non-Partner Experiences

Almost three in ten (29%) women experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner. This was more than three times the level for men at 9%. Women also reported experiencing non-consensual sexual intercourse as an adult with a non-partner (10%) at a rate five times higher than men (2%).

Single people reported the highest levels of non-consensual sexual touching (22%) and non-consensual other sexual contact experiences (16%) as an adult with a non-partner.

Six in ten men (60%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that it happened once, which could mean in one event or across time with one perpetrator. This compares with the one in two women (50%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner who reported that it happened once.

Almost nine in ten adults (87%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that the perpetrator was male.

Three in 10 men (30%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner experienced it in a pub/club/disco. This was also the most prevalent location for women who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner (26%).

Appreciation

The CSO would like to thank everyone who took part in this survey. We are extremely conscious that this survey was very sensitive. We are very appreciative of the trust respondents put in us in terms of our conduct of the survey and in how we will protect the confidentiality of their experiencesEach person who engaged with this survey has helped the CSO to present a clear picture of the prevalence of sexual violence in Ireland.

We would also like to thank the 500 or so respondents who indicated that they had not disclosed any of their sexual violence experience(s) to anyonebut these respondents did feel comfortable enough to share their experience with the CSO. We are grateful to those people for placing their trust in us, to all those who took part in the survey, and everyone who contributed to this project.”

Editor's Note

Survey Details

The data for the survey was collected between May and December 2022. For the data collection phase, the survey was known as the “Safety of the Person” survey in accordance with ethical guidelines to ensure a graduated introduction to the survey and to better ensure the personal safety of respondents who may be in an ongoing abusive relationship. To ensure that a wide range of respondents could engage with the survey, a range of data collection modes were used: secure web form, self-completion facilitated by an interviewer, and a paper form. Despite the sensitive nature of the survey, more than 4,500 respondents took part. An FAQ for the survey is available. In addition, where the word reported is used in this publication it means that the person told the CSO as part of this survey.

Definitions on Sexual Violence Experiences

Sexual violence as an adult is defined in this survey as a range of non-consensual experiences, from non-consensual sexual touching to non-consensual sexual intercourse. Non-consensual sexual intercourse is defined as sexual intercourse where the person was coerced, threatened or forced into having sex or when sexual intercourse occurs when the person cannot consent or stop what was happening. While this may generally meet the definition of “rape”, the Office will refer to these experiences as “non-consensual sexual intercourse”, because this is how we framed the relevant questions for respondents. We did this to ensure we captured, to the fullest extent possible, the range of sexual violence experiences which people may have encountered. See Background Notes for further details. In addition, where the word reported is used in this publication it means that the person told the CSO as part of this survey.

Comparability of Results with Other Surveys or Results from Other Countries

Comparing the results of sensitive surveys like the SVS to other surveys or the results from other countries can be very challenging. Comparability between surveys on similar topics must take into consideration with several factors, such as differences between definitions of variables over time and between countries, how the survey is introduced or collected, etc. For further information, see the Introduction to the publication and the Background Notes.

Publication Briefing

A presentation outlining the key points in the publication is available on the CSO website. Please visit the Publication Briefing page to view the recording and download the presentation slides.