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Adult Experiences Disclosure - Police

Adult Experiences Disclosure - Police

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.

Sexual violence experienced as an adult and disclosure to the police

This chapter looks at those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and their interaction, or not, with the police. The experiences detailed in this chapter covers experiences 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.

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.

Please note that the statistics quoted in this chapter relate to those who reported experiencing sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to someone and do not relate to the overall population of adults in Ireland.

Please also note that the term “police” is used in this chapter. This refers to An Garda Síochána or any other relevant policing authority in another country. This survey captures the prevalence of sexual violence for adults currently living in Ireland. Details relating to the sexual violence experience did not capture whether the experience happened in Ireland or another country, both for those who lived in a different country before moving to Ireland and for those who may have experienced sexual violence on a short-term period abroad. Hence the term “police” is used to acknowledge that the experience, and any related disclosure, may have occurred in a different policing jurisdiction to Ireland.

In terms of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, most adults (93%) did not disclose to the police. The most frequently selected reason they did not disclose to the police was that they thought that the experience was serious not enough, with almost six in 10 (59%) of adults choosing this. Almost a third of adults (32%) did not disclose an experience of sexual violence as an adult to the police because they felt ashamed or embarrassed, with a quarter reporting (25%) that they thought the police would not have been able to help.

5%
of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others,
disclosed to the police
Source: CSO Ireland, Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Disclosure of Experiences

Over nine in 10 adults, who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, did not disclose to the police

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others by whether they disclosed to the police:

  • Over nine in 10 persons (93%), who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, did not disclose to the police. The equivalent rates for men and women were similar at 95% and 93% respectively. See Table 5.1.
  • Overall, 5% of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, did disclose to the police.
  • Rates of disclosure to the police for men and women, who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, were similar at 4% and 6% respectively.
  • Those aged 55-64 who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, were more likely to disclose to the police (11%) than those aged 25-34 (2%). See Figure 5.1.
Age groupNot statedNoYes
18-241945
25-342962
35-440964
45-543925
55-6428711
Table 5.1 Those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others by whether they disclosed to the police, 2022

Almost six in 10 of those who experienced sexual violence as an adult did not disclose to the police because they thought what happened was not serious enough

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not to the police, by the reasons why they did not disclose to the police:

  • Almost six in 10 of those (59%), who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not the police, did not disclose to the police because they thought what happened was not serious enough. The next most frequently chosen reason for not disclosing to the police was that they felt ashamed or embarrassed, with 32% of adults choosing this. See Table 5.2.
  • Women, who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not the police, were more likely to identify that they felt ashamed or embarrassed (34%) as a reason for not disclosing to the police than men (22%). Women were also more likely to identify that they did not go to the police as they blamed themselves for what happened (26%) than men (17%).
  • Those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not to the police, were more likely to indicate that a reason why they did not disclose to the police was they thought that the police would not be able to help (39%) compared with those aged 55-64 (12%).
  • Likewise, those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not to the police, were more likely to identify that a reason for not disclosing to the police was that they were afraid of their family’s reaction (22%) compared with those aged 54-64 (6%).
  • For those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not the police, 25% indicated that they did not disclose to the police as they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs when it happened. Adults aged 25-34 were more likely to identify this (34%) than those aged 55-64 (8%).
  • Younger adults, those aged 18-24, who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not to the police, were more likely to indicate that they did not disclose to the police because they did not want to go to court (26%) than those aged 55-64 (10%).
Table 5.2 Those who experienced sexual violence as an adult and disclosed to others, but not the police, by the reasons for not disclosing to the police, 2022