Clare Haven claims younger people are more likely to call out sexual violence.
A recently published CSO report shows that almost 1 in 10 adults who have experienced sexual assault encountered it within the last 12 months.
A survey published by the Central Statistics Office details adult experiences of sexual violence in Ireland.
Among the stark findings, 9pc of adults who have experienced sexual violence have experienced it in the last year with this number tripling to 30pc for those between the ages of 18 and 24.
A significant finding is that one in three adults who have attended third level education have experienced sexual violence compared to just 6pc for those with a primary level education or below.
In addition, one in four women have experienced sexual violence with a partner compared to just 6pc of men while 3 in 10 women experienced it with a non-partner compared to just 9pc of men.
While the findings are staggering, Manager of Clare Haven Services Siobhan O’Connor is optimistic and believes the survey shows that young people are becoming more confident in identifying sexual violence.
The survey’s findings only reflect the experiences of those who came forward which suggests that the actually figures are in fact much higher.
Director of Rape Crisis Midwest Karen O’Donnell says that a lot of work has to be done to make the climate more conducive to victims of sexual violence coming forward.
Listen to the full interview here: