CSO: One in four women suffered sexual violence as an adult with a partner

“The Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Adult Experiences” report, published on Thursday, analyses ages, ethnicities and sexual orientation in terms of where the harm happens and who carries out sexual violence.

Almost one in 10 people in Ireland who experienced sexual violence as an adult had this happen in the last year, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

This is the second in a series of reports which the CSO is publishing on the issue and it focuses only on adults who experienced sexual violence when they were over the age of 18. 

“The Sexual Violence Survey 2022 – Adult Experiences” report, published on Thursday, analyses ages, ethnicities and sexual orientation in terms of where the harm happens and who carries out sexual violence.

Almost one in ten adults who experienced sexual violence as an adult had done so in the last 12 monthshttps://t.co/4lv08l84lR#CSOIreland #Ireland #SexualViolenceSurvey #SVS #Crime #SocialInterests #Health #SafetyOfThePerson pic.twitter.com/qBf75Edwqx

— 🎄Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) May 18, 2023

It also found that 25% of women experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner. Overall, the CSO found “the majority of perpetrators were male” whether this person was a partner of the victim or not.

It found 84% of people who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner said the perpetrator was male. Similarly, almost nine in 10 people who experienced sexual violence as an adult with a non-partner reported that the perpetrator was male.

The figures show 30% of younger adults, aged 18 to 24, experienced sexual violence in the last year, a rate over three times greater than the general figure of 9%. The CSO also found bisexual people and gay or lesbian people reported higher levels of sexual violence as an adult (55% and 40% each) than heterosexual people (25%).

People who marked themselves as “White - Irish Traveller/Roma/other white background” were more likely to have reported experiencing sexual violence as an adult with a partner at 19% than people who were “Asian or Asian Irish” at 7%.

While one in four women experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner, the figure was over four times the level for men at 6%, the CSO said. Similarly, for women who experienced sexual violence by someone who was not their partner, the rate of 29% is significantly higher than the 9% of men who reported this.

The most common location where sexual violence takes place against adults is in pubs, clubs and discos at 30% for men and 26% for women.

They found a difference in rates of sexual violence depending on how educated the person reporting the issue is. Some 34% of people with a third-level education reported experiencing sexual violence as an adult. This compares with 6% of those with a primary level of education or below.

The first report, Sexual Violence Survey 2022 published last month, found four in 10 adults had experienced sexual violence through their lifetime. Women were more likely to be affected with 52% of women who responded saying this had happened to them, compared with 28% of men.

CSO Infographic: Sexual Violence Survey 2022. Four in ten adults reported experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime.

Across both genders some 78% knew who had harmed them.

The CSO defines ‘sexual violence’ as being a range of non-consensual experiences, covering non-contact experiences to non-consensual sexual intercourse.

- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.

• National Sexual Violence Helpline (for men and women) - 1800 778 888 or rapecrisishelp.ie
• National Domestic Violence Helpline (for women) - 1800 341 900
• Male Advice Line (for men experiencing domestic abuse) - 1800 816 588