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Childhood Experiences Disclosure - Police

Childhood 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 a child and disclosure to the police

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

Sexual violence as a child is defined as a range of unwanted experiences from non-contact experiences to contact experiences. Unwanted sexual non-contact experiences include being shown pornographic material, being asked to pose in a sexually suggestive manner for photographs, having someone expose themselves or someone masturbating in front of a child. Unwanted sexual contact 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. 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 a child 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 those 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 a child and disclosed to others, most adult (81%) did not disclose to the police. The most frequently selected reason they did not disclose to the police was that they thought the experience was not serious enough with 41% of adults choosing this, with rate for men and women similar (39% and 41% respectively). Just over a quarter of adults (28%) did not disclose an experience of childhood sexual violence to the police because they felt ashamed or embarrassed with 15% who thought that they would not be believed.

Over eight in 10 adults, who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, did not disclose to the police

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

  • Over eight in 10 adults (81%), who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, did not disclose to the police. The equivalent rates for men and women were the same at 81%. See Figure 8.1 and Table 8.1.
  • Overall, one in eight adults (12%) who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, did disclose to the police. In addition, 6% did not know whether the police were informed of their experience by someone else.
  • Women, who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, were more likely to disclose to the police (13%) than men (8%).
  • Those aged 35-44 who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, were more likely to tell the police (17%) than those aged 18-24 (7%).
X-axis labelNot statedDon't knowNoYes
Male47818
Female068113
Table 8.1 Those who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others by whether they disclosed to the police, 2022

Over four in 10 adults who experienced sexual violence as a child, and who disclosed to the police, did so less than 6 months of the experience

Key findings for those who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to the police by how long it took them to disclose to the police:

  • Over four in 10 adults (46%), who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to the police, indicated that they did so less than 6 months after they experienced the childhood sexual violence. See Table 8.2.
  • Around a fifth of adults (21%), who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to the police, indicated that they did so more than 5 years after they first experienced it.
  • Due to the low number of survey observations for this variable, data can only be provided at a State level.
Table 8.2 Those who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to the police by how long it took to disclose to the police, 2022

Over four in 10 adults who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, but did not disclose to the police, did not disclose to the police because they did not think what happened was serious enough

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

  • Over four in 10 adults (41%), who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, but not the police, did not disclose to the police because they thought what happened was not serious enough. Please note that the definition of sexual violence as a child includes non-contact experiences as well as contact experiences. The next most frequently chosen reason for not disclosing to the police was that they felt ashamed or embarrassed, with 28% of adults choosing this. See Figure 8.2 and Table 8.3.
  • Women, who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, but not the police, were over twice as likely to indicate that they did not think they would be believed (17%) than men (8%). Women were also more likely to identify that they did not go to the police as they blamed themselves for what happened (14%) than men (5%).
  • Those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as a child 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 what happened was not serious enough (68%) compared with those aged 65 and over (28%).
  • Likewise, those aged 18-24 who experienced sexual violence as a child 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 blamed themselves for what happened (19%) compared with those aged 65 and over (5%).
  • Those aged 25-34, who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, but not to the police, were more likely to indicate that they did not disclose to the police because they thought that the police would not be able to help (27%) than those aged 55-64 (3%).
  • For those who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, but not the police, 3% indicated that they did not disclose to the police as they were under the influence of alcohol or dugs when it happened and 7% did not want the perpetrator(s) to be punished.
Reasons why person did not disclose to the policeReasons why person did not disclose to the police
Thought that the police would not have been able to help16
Afraid of family's reaction15
Felt ashamed or embarrassed28
Thought that what happened wasn't serious enough41
Blamed themself for what happened12
Were under the influence of alcohol or drugs when it happened3
Did not think they would be believed15
Did not want the perpetrator(s) to be punished7
Did not want to go to court9
Other25
Not stated4
Table 8.3 Those who experienced sexual violence as a child and disclosed to others, but not the police, by the reasons for not disclosing to the police, 2022