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Older people more likely to believe women 'make up or exaggerate reports of rape', study finds

The CSO has released new findings from its Sexual Violence Survey 2022.

A WIDE-RANGING STUDY into sexual violence in Ireland has found that people over the age of 65 are more likely to believe that women fabricate reports of rape compared to all other age groups.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has released several sets of statistics arising from its Sexual Violence Survey 2022, with the latest batch of data focusing on public attitudes toward sexual violence.

Respondents were asked whether they agreed, disagreed, or were uncertain about various statements, including whether “women often make up or exaggerate reports of rape”.

Overall, 62% of people disagreed with that idea, though nearly one-third (29%) said they were uncertain.

The rates of people agreeing with their statement were relatively low but there was a noticeable difference between the beliefs of over-65s and all younger age groups.

Only 6% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 45 to 54-year-olds agreed, rising slightly to 7% among 25s to 34s and 55 to 64s. Just 5% of 35 to 44-year-olds agreed.

However, that figure tripled among over 65s to 15%. The cohort had the lowest rate of disagreement with that statement (53% compared to between 59% and 67%) and the remaining 31% were uncertain.

Another question on the survey was whether people agreed with the statement that “if a person who has been raped is not visibly upset by the experience, it probably was not rape”.

The vast majority (87%) disagreed, with almost no difference between men and women. 10% were uncertain and 2% agreed.

On whether “men may be too embarrassed to say they have been raped”, 80% agreed, with only a 2% difference between men and women (80% and 82% respectively).

People who have not experienced sexual violence in their lifetime or sexual harassment in the last 12 months were asked if they believe sexual violence in Ireland is common. 

Overall, 77% thought that sexual violence against women is common, while 39% believed that sexual violence against men is common.

For both of the questions, women were more likely than men to believe sexual violence is common (86% vs 72% and 53% vs 31% respectively).

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre CEO Noeline Blackwell said the findings indicate “considerable progress in our societal understanding of the prevalence of sexual violence”.

“Where once upon a time, it was generally thought that a person who was raped had to behave in a certain way – something which inhibited our work at DRCC – now, almost nine in ten (87%) adults interviewed rejected the idea that a survivor must react and behave in one set way after sexual violence,” Blackwell said.

However, “there is still a sizeable minority across age groups who remain uncertain as regards common misconceptions around sexual violence”.

“While 62% of respondents disagreed with the statement that women exaggerated or fabricated reports of rape, a substantial 29% of people were uncertain, with a marked number of those being in the age group over 65 years,” she said.

“This is consistent with reactions to our work in Dublin Rape Crisis Centre where, despite all the painstaking, difficult and long-drawn out investigation that accompanies investigation of rape and other sexual violence, those we support must often struggle with long-held societal myths and attitudes that those who report rape – mainly women – are not to be trusted.”

Similarly, Rape Crisis Network Ireland Executive Director Dr Clíona Saidléar said the high proportion of people who understand that rape victims may not be visibly upset “points to a significant shift towards an openness to believe survivors and perhaps an understanding that different people react differently to sexual violence”.

In other words, increasingly the Irish public is showing a willingness to not act as judge and jury regarding survivors.

“What we also see in the data released today by the CSO is a generational difference – there is positive news in that younger respondents are less likely to regard allegations of rape as ‘made up’ or ‘exaggerated’,” she said.

“Younger people are less likely to see shame as a barrier to disclosure which again speaks to a cultural openness to believe and support survivors.”

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:17 PM

    So none of the users are under 18?!

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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:27 PM

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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:30 PM

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    Mute thejournaltroll
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:00 PM

    Probably a large number of people clustered around the “just turned 18″ group, representing all of those aged 12 and upwards.

    135
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    Mute thejournaltroll
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:50 PM

    The “18 yr olds” (ahem!) are finished after 20 secs

    124
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    Mute Ger O'Brien
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:24 PM

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    196
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:31 PM

    “It is necessity and not pleasure that compels us”

    83
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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:17 PM

    I knew I forgot to do something today !

    167
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    Mute Steve Wright
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:34 PM

    This report sponsored by kleenex

    175
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    Mute Al Beebak
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:19 PM

    I was cracking one off over PornHub the other day and all of a sudden my Mum walks in.

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    Mute Joe
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    Mar 4th 2015, 10:08 PM

    How do they know the ages? Is it not a free site.

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    Mute Sergeant Yates
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    Mar 4th 2015, 10:10 PM

    Worried?

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    Mute Aaron Kavanagh
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    Mar 5th 2015, 1:43 AM

    “Is it not a free site?”

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    31
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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Does that guy in the picture have a third arm or something????

    161
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:36 PM

    I believe the the computer device is an interactive model.

    41
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:18 PM

    An USB dildo I think lol.

    14
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    Mute Bill Jones
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:35 PM

    Xhamster is much better.

    83
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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:39 PM

    I’ve never heard of this site!!!!!!
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Mar 4th 2015, 9:49 PM

    Post haste? You must be 18 then

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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    Mar 4th 2015, 9:54 PM

    18′s an all too distant memory Dermot

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    Mute Saul Goodman
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:57 PM

    The average user spends 9 minutes and 16 seconds per visit, yeap, that sounds about right in the following steps, surf around, select 2-3 videos, browse quickly, select “the video”, if no suitable video is found, search a favourite, engage, pause, go to journal.ie.

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    Mute thejournaltroll
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:02 PM

    My thumbs feel dirty now that I am replying to commenters who recently visited pornhub before “coming” here

    67
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:28 PM

    Sounds like a sticky situation.

    52
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    Mute Meehawwl O' Buachailla
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Phew! I’m 47 and they seem to have omitted me from their stats.

    61
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    Mute #COYBIB
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:27 PM

    “The over-65 group spend the longest, over 10 minutes”

    Well, they gotta wait for the tablet to kick in, innit?

    57
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Mar 4th 2015, 9:50 PM

    Tablet? The ipad or the Viagra?

    54
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    Mute Ann O'reilly
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    Mar 4th 2015, 9:56 PM

    Neither, it takes them 10 mins to figure out they have logged on to the wrong site and its not the daniel o’donnell fanclub , or the joe duffy page on the rte website !

    36
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    Mute Mike Clinton
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:47 PM

    Why do they have twitter and Facebook share options…
    I’m quite sure you wouldn’t want to broadcast that your having a one in the bed sex romp..
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    56
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    Mute Charles J. Ahern
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:29 PM

    Half the age plus seven …

    55
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:27 PM

    9 mins 16secs eh? i bet sasha grey could do it in under 5 mins..easy.

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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:30 PM

    It’s a wonder that the Immigrant Council and “Turn off the red light”, aren’t trying to stop us from watching porn.

    42
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:34 PM

    Saying ‘us’ makes me a little uncomfortable.

    33
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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Mar 4th 2015, 10:23 PM

    @The Raven,
    Do you really expect me to believe that you’ve never watched porn?

    23
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:16 PM

    Some adult porn is still illegal here amongst adults, sounds bad me saying that…

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:17 PM

    Someone please hit me for saying that, bad joke lol.

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    Mute Patrick Fitzgerald
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:23 PM

    that survey is a load of w*nk

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    Mute Jim Boland
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    Mar 5th 2015, 12:38 AM

    At least the viris they catch on them site’s, won’t kill them

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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Mar 5th 2015, 3:52 AM

    Cant complain , pornhub has a decent gay section. But there are better sites for all mwahaha Xhamster Myvidster

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    Mute greg
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    Mar 5th 2015, 4:05 PM

    Lol 9min on AVERAGE for a wank not bad!!

    8
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:13 PM

    I have invented a computer screen wiper for watchers of any porn site, you just clip it on and let it work away and USB vibrators lol.

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    Mute Rock Stoneballs
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    Mar 5th 2015, 12:57 PM

    9 minutes and 16 seconds? What are the at for the nine minutes?!

    6
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    Mute Barry Glynn
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    Mar 5th 2015, 2:48 PM

    Wxxkers

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    Mute Kevin Hickey
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    Mar 5th 2015, 4:53 AM

    Pornhub is nowhere as good as mushroom tube

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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Mar 6th 2015, 1:05 AM

    apparently lots of lads cant deal with the presence of gay porn near their sacred straight porn so maybe they’d be glad of the tip

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    Mute Sean Mathews
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    Mar 5th 2015, 11:30 AM

    it just takes the over 60s a few more seconds, almost a minute, to prepare and release the one eyed monster

    3
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    Mute Sean Mathews
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    Mar 5th 2015, 11:31 AM

    The one eyed monster with the dribbly eye

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    Mute Pinky Kumari
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