Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Adult Experiences

Details of sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner

This chapter examines the details relating to the sexual violence experienced as an adult with a non-partner. 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. Where the text refers to sexual violence with a non-partner, this relates to experiences where the person was not a partner or ex-partner. In this survey, a partner is defined as a person that they are/were married to, living with, a boyfriend/girlfriend or someone they are/were regularly dating. 

Please note that people may have experienced multiple sexual violence experiences or with multiple perpetrators. In the case where the person experienced multiple sexual violence experiences, the person was asked to respond thinking about the experience that affected them most and to report the details for that particular experience. See the Background Notes for further details.

Further information on the relationship between the perpetrator for sexual violence experienced as an adult with a non-partner was published in the Perpetrator of Sexual Violence chapter in the Sexual Violence Survey 2022 - Main Results publication.

In summary, more men (60%) than women (50%), who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner, reported that it happened once. Almost nine in ten (87%) adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that the perpetrator was male. The most prevalent location for sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner was a pub/club/disco, with 30% of men and 26% of women reporting this as the location of the experience.

Six in ten men who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that it happened once

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner by the occurrence of the experience:

• Six in ten men (60%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that it happened once. This compares with the five in ten women (50%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner who reported that it happened once. See Figure 7.1 and Table 7.1.
• More women (45%) than men (32%), who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner, reported that it happened more than once.
• Those aged 18-24 and those aged 45-54 who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported the highest levels of experiencing it once (57%) compared with the lowest rate for those aged 35-44 (46%). Those aged 35-44 who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported the highest level of experiencing it more than once (48%) compared with those aged 65 and over (35%).

Almost half of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that different perpetrators were involved in different experiences

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner by the number of perpetrators involved:

• Almost half of adults (48%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that different perpetrators were involved in different experiences. See Table 7.2.
• More women (53%) than men (35%), who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner, reported that different perpetrators were involved in different experiences. Men who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner were more likely to report that the same person/people were involved in the experience (58%) compared with women (41%).
• Over half (53%) of persons aged 55-64, who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner, reported that the same person/people were involved in the experience, compared with 36% of those aged 35-44.
• Those aged 25-34 who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner were most likely to have reported different perpetrators were involved in different experiences (58%) compared with those aged 65 and over (31%).

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

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner by the sex of the perpetrator:

• Almost nine in ten adults (87%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that the perpetrator was male. See Table 7.3. This information was based on those cases where there was one perpetrator involved in the sexual violence experience – those where multiple perpetrators were present were not asked the sex of all the perpetrators in the survey.
• Women who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner were more likely to report that the perpetrator was male (98%) compared with men (47%). Please note that the levels of sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner were different for the sexes. In the Non-Partner Experiences chapter in this publication, women reported a level of sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner at almost three times the rate (29%) than men (9%).
• Those aged 35-44 who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner were most likely to report that the perpetrator was male (90%) compared with those aged 18-24 (83%). Overall, no matter the age category, the perpetrator was more likely to be male.

Over half of adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that it first began between the ages 18-24

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner by the age when the experience first occurred:

• Over half of adults (55%) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that it first began between the ages 18-24, with 11% of adults reporting that this sexual violence began when they were aged 0-17 years. Cases where the sexual violence experienced as an adult first began under the age of 17 (age of consent) were those which continued into adulthood. Please note that when the text refers to adulthood or sexual violence as an adult, it covers experiences which occurred over the age of consent in Ireland (17 years). See Table 7.4.
• Women who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner were more likely to have first experienced it between 18-24 years (57%) compared with men (49%).
• All age groups report that they mostly experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner for the first time when they were aged 18-24 years, with for example, two-thirds (66%) of those aged 18-24 reporting that this was when they first experienced this form of sexual violence. See Figure 7.2.

Three in ten men who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner experienced this in a pub/club/disco

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner by the location of the experience:

• Three in ten 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 too (26%). See Table 7.5.
• Overall, a home was the most likely location for sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner, with almost a third (32%) of adults reporting it as the location. This consists of the 10% who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner at their own home and the 22% of adults who experienced this in another person’s home. See Figure 7.3.
• Women were more likely to have experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner in another person’s home (24%) compared with men (15%).
• Those aged 65 and over who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner were over six times as likely to have it happen at work (13%) compared with those aged 18-24 (2%). Conversely, those aged 18-24 were over three times more likely to have it happen in a pub/club/disco (38%) compared with those aged 65 and over (13%).
• Younger adults (aged 18-24) who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner were least likely to have experienced it in a park/other public space, with 8% of that cohort reporting it as the location. The equivalent rate for those aged 55-64 was 19%.