Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Childhood Experiences

Details of childhood contact sexual violence

This chapter examines the details relating to the unwanted contact sexual violence experienced as a child. This covers experiences which occurred under the age of consent in Ireland (under 17 years) and is based on replies from those aged 18 and over.

Unwanted contact sexual violence experiences include sexual touching (where the respondent as a child was touched in a sexual way or made to touch somebody else in a sexual way), unwanted sexual intercourse, unwanted attempted sexual intercourse or another not-specified sexual contact that was attempted. These experiences are not described as “non-consensual” as these individuals were under the age of consent at the time, hence the use of the term “unwanted”. See the Background Notes for further details.

Please note that this chapter looks at child sexual violence experienced in the past by adults currently in Ireland – it does not provide insights on current levels of child sexual violence. It does not cover experiences between children which include any sexual experiences that they were comfortable with, for example, with a boyfriend or girlfriend who was a similar age to them at the time.

Please also 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 with the perpetrator of contact sexual violence experienced as a child was published in the Perpetrator of Sexual Violence chapter in the Sexual Violence Survey 2022 - Main Results publication.

In summary, more women (50%) than men (37%), who experienced contact sexual violence as a child, reported that it happened more than once. Almost nine in 10 (88%) adults who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that the perpetrator was male. Overall, almost half of adults (49%) who experienced contact sexual violence as a child identified that the perpetrator was an adult (18 and older). The rates for both men (48%) and women (50%) were similar. However, almost three quarters (73%) of those aged 18-24 who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that a child (person under 18) was the perpetrator. The equivalent figure for those aged 65 years and over was 17%. The most prevalent location for contact sexual violence as a child was in a public place/outdoors, with 28% of men and 33% of women reporting this as the location of the experience.

Half of women who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that it happened more than once

Key findings for those who experienced contact sexual violence as a child by the occurrence of the experience:

• Half of women (50%) who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that it happened more than once. This compares with the equivalent figure of 37% of men who reported that it happened more than once. See Figure 7.1 and Table 7.1.
• More men (57%) than women (43%), who experienced contact sexual violence as a child, reported that it happened once.
• Those aged 18-24 who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported the highest levels of experiencing it once (53%) compared with the lowest rate for those aged 25-34 (39%).

Almost nine in 10 adults who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that the perpetrator was male

Key findings for those who experienced contact sexual violence as a child by the sex of the perpetrator:

• Almost nine in 10 adults (88%) who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that the perpetrator was male. See Table 7.2. 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 contact sexual violence as a child reported that the perpetrator was male (95%) at a higher rate than men (73%). Please note that the levels of contact sexual violence as a child were different for the sexes. In the Contact Experiences chapter in this publication, women reported a level of contact sexual violence as a child at over twice the rate (26%) than men (12%).
• Those aged 45-54 and those aged 55-64 who experienced contact sexual violence as a child were most likely to report that the perpetrator was male (92%) compared with those aged 18-24 (78%). Overall, no matter the age category, the perpetrator was most likely to be male. See Figure 7.2.
• Those aged 18-24 who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that the perpetrator was female (22%) at a higher level than older age groups, for example, 8% of those aged 55-64 noted that it was a female perpetrator.

Almost three quarters of those aged 18-24 who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that a child (person under 18) was the perpetrator

Key findings for those who experienced contact sexual violence as a child by the age of the perpetrator:

• Almost three quarters (73%) of those aged 18-24 who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that a child (person under 18) was the perpetrator. This consists of the 4% who identified that it was a child (0-12 years old) and the 69% who identified that it was an adolescent (13-17 years old). 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 age category of all the perpetrators in the survey.
• Overall, almost half of adults (49%) who experienced contact sexual violence as a child identified the perpetrator was an adult (18 and older). The rates for both men (48%) and women (50%) were similar.
• Older persons who experienced contact sexual violence as a child were most likely to report that the perpetrator was an adult. Seven in 10 (70%) of those aged 55-64 and 65% of those aged 65 and over reported that the perpetrator was an adult compared with those aged 18-24 (17%).

Four in 10 men who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that it first began between the ages 10-14

Key findings for those who experienced contact sexual violence as a child by the age when the experience first occurred:

• Four in 10 (40%) men who experienced contact sexual violence as a child reported that it first began between the ages 10-14. The rate is similar for women, with 36% of reporting that this sexual violence began at the same age. See Figure 7.3 and Table 7.4.
• Women who experienced contact sexual violence as a child first experienced it aged 9 years and younger (25%) at a higher level than men (18%).
• Younger adults aged 18-24 who experienced contact sexual violence as a child identified that it began aged 15-16 (58%) which is at a higher level than that experienced for those aged 65 and over (16%). In addition, younger adults were less likely to experience contact sexual violence as a child aged 10-14 (29%) compared with those aged 55-64 (46%) and those 65 and over (45%).

Three in 10 adults who experienced contact sexual violence as a child experienced this in a public place/outdoors

Key findings for those who experienced contact sexual violence as a child by the location of the experience:

• Three in 10 adults (32%) who experienced contact sexual violence as a child experienced it in a public place/outdoors. See Figure 7.4 and Table 7.5. This was also the most prevalent location for men (28%) and women (33%).
• Overall, a home was the most likely location for contact sexual violence as a child, with just over four in 10 (43%) of adults reporting it as the location. This consists of the 19% who experienced contact sexual violence as a child at their own home and the 24% of adults who experienced this in another person’s home.
• Older adults who experienced contact sexual violence as a child identified that this happened in their home at a higher level than younger adults with 24% of those aged 45-54 identifying this as the location compared with 14% of those aged 18-24.

One in 10 adults who experienced contact sexual violence as a child think it stopped because they told someone about it

Key findings for those who experienced contact sexual violence as a child by the reasons they thought the childhood experience of contact sexual violence stopped:

• One in 10 adults (10%) who experienced contact sexual violence as a child think it stopped because they told someone about it. Women were more likely to think this was a reason why the experience of contact sexual violence stopped (11%) compared to men (6%). See Table 7.6.
• One in five adults (20%) who experienced contact sexual violence as a child do not know why it stopped with men more likely to think this (26%) than women (18%). Younger adults aged 18-24 and 35-44 were most likely to identify that they do not know why the experience stopped (27%) compared with those aged 65 and over (14%).
• The perpetrator being investigated by the Gardaí was the least likely reason given for why the contact sexual violence stopped - with 2% of adults selecting this.