Key findings The research shows that sexual violence remains highly prevalent, while public concern and awareness are also high. However, the findings again reveal a gap between concern about sexual violence and the attitudes, trust and reporting behaviours that shape survivors' experiences.

Almost one in three adults (31%) say they have experienced sexual violence, including 42% of women and 20% of men. Reporting and use of formal supports remain low, with fear of not being believed continuing to be the most widely identified barrier.

Attitudes remain an important concern: While most respondents reject victim-blaming and other harmful attitudes, significant minorities continue to hold them. Fifteen per cent assign at least partial responsibility to someone who experiences rape or sexual violence while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, 19% believe there are a lot of false rape allegations and 12% say someone should not be believed without a guilty verdict.

The pattern among younger men is particularly striking: Among men aged 18–24 surveyed, 48% believe there are a lot of false rape allegations, 40% believe rape and sexual violence are often exaggerated by the media, 37% assign at least partial responsibility to a victim who was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, 34% make belief conditional on a guilty verdict and 31% say someone who has not reported to the Gardaí should not be believed.

Victim-blaming in relation to alcohol or drugs is also higher among young women than among the population overall: 25% of women aged 18–24 assign at least partial responsibility to the victim, compared with 15% overall. This indicates that victim-blaming is more prevalent among younger respondents of both genders. However, among young men, higher levels of scepticism are evident across a wider range of attitudes.

These subgroup findings should be interpreted cautiously because the number of men aged 18–24 surveyed was small, at 42 respondents. However, Ipsos identified a similar pattern in the 2025 research. Rather than treating these findings as representative of all young men, they point to an important area for further research and prevention.

There is also a striking difference in how young women and young men perceive sexual violence. More than half (54%) of women aged 18–24 feel personally at risk of rape or sexual violence. At the same time, some of the most sceptical attitudes towards victims are found among men of the same age. This contrast raises questions about how attitudes towards sexual violence are being shaped among younger people.

Fear of not being believed remains the most widely identified barrier to accessing support. This makes belief particularly important: public recognition that disbelief is a barrier needs to translate into how we respond when someone discloses sexual violence.