Study co-lead by Dr. Philip Hyland finds one in five women have been raped in their lifetime

Wednesday, November 25, 2020 - 09:30

Irish Version
Researchers from Maynooth University and Trinity College Dublin are set to publish the first study on the prevalence of sexual violence in the Republic of Ireland since the landmark ‘Sexual Assault and Violence in Ireland’ (SAVI) report was published in 2002.
 
The study explores the rates of sexual violence, and the mental health and social functioning of survivors, based on a nationally representative sample of over 1,000 Irish adults. The findings of the study have been recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
 
While the Irish government announced in 2018 that it would fund a follow up SAVI report, this is expected to take an additional three years to complete at a cost of over €1m.
 
In the interim, this study, funded by the two Irish universities, provides up-to-date figures on how many people in Ireland have been affected by different forms of sexual violence.
 
The key findings of the study are:
 

  • 15% of Irish adults have been raped at some point in their life
  • 1-in-3 adults have experienced some form of sexual violence
  • 1-in-5 women have been raped in their lifetime, compared to 1-in-10 men
  • 1-in-2 women have experienced any form of sexual violence compared to approximately 1-in-5 men.

 
Dr Philip Hyland, Associate Professor of Psychology at the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University and study co-lead, said:
 
“Our findings show that people who had been raped or sexually harassed were more likely to suffer from a range of mental health problems in adulthood including Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depression, and Generalized Anxiety.”
 
While at greater risk of mental health problems, the researchers also found that survivors of sexual violence were not experiencing greater disruption to their social functioning. Dr Hyland explained:
 
“Survivors of sexual violence were just as likely as those who had never been exposed to sexual violence to be in long-term committed relationships, to be employed, to be earning a high salary, and to have attended university. In some cases, survivors of sexual violence were doing better compared to those who had not suffered sexual violence. These findings show that despite living with the mental health effects of their trauma, survivors of sexual violence are extremely resilient.”
 
Dr Frédérique Vallières, Director of the Trinity Centre for Global Health, Trinity College and study co-lead said:
 
“We noted substantial differences in the rates of sexual violence between men and women, whereby women were found to be significantly more likely than men to have experienced sexual violence. These figures are particularly important to communicate today, on the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.”
 
Researchers also examined whether people who had suffered sexual violence were more likely to experience mental health problems and difficulties in their lifetime.
 
Noeline Blackwell, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said:
 
“These findings clearly demonstrate the pernicious mental health effects of sexual violence and the need to increase access to mental health services for survivors of sexual violence.
 
Ensuring that available and accessible mental health services are integrated into sexual violence response programmes is central to achieving this. The research finding that survivors have great resilience mirrors our similar experience of their strength."  
 

Faigheann staidéar de chuid OMN agus na Tríonóide amach gur eigníodh bean amháin as gach cúigear le linn a saoil 

Tá taighdeoirí ó Ollscoil Mhá Nuad agus ó Choláiste na Tríonóide ar tí an chéad staidéar ar fhorleathacht an fhoréigin ghnéasaigh i bPoblacht na hÉireann ó foilsíodh an tuarascáil shuntasach ‘Ionsaí agus Foréigean Gnéasach in Éirinn’ (SAVI) sa bhliain 2002 a fhoilsiú.

Fiosraíonn an staidéar rátaí an fhoréigin ghnéasaigh, chomh maith le meabhairshláinte agus feidhmiú sóisialta na marthanóirí, bunaithe ar shampla atá ionadaíoch ar bhonn náisiúnta de bhreis agus 1,000 duine fásta. Glacadh fionnachtana an staidéir le déanaí le foilsiú san irisleabhar Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
 

Cé gur fhógair rialtas na hÉireann go gcuirfidís maoiniú ar fáil do thuarascáil SAVI leantach, táthar ag súil go dtógfaidh sé seo trí bliana sa bhreis le críochnú ar chostas de bhreis agus €1m.   

Idir an dá linn, cuireann an staidéar seo, maoinithe ag an dá ollscoil, figiúirí thuas chun dáta ar fáil de líon na ndaoine in Éirinn a bhfuil tionchar ag na cinéalacha éagsúla de fhoréigean gnéasach orthu.
 
Is iad príomhfhionnachtana an staidéir ná:
 

  • Tá 15% de dhaoine fásta Éireannacha tar éis bheith éignithe ag am éigin ina saolta
  • Tá eispéireas de fhoréigean gnéasach tar éis bheith ag duine amháin as gach triúr
  • Tá bean amháin as gach cúigear tar éis bheith éignithe ina saolta, i gcomparáid le fear amháin as gach deichniúr
  • Tá eispéireas de fhoréigean gnéasach tar éis bheith ag bean amháin as gach beirt, i gcomparáid le fear amháin as gach cúigear.

 
Dúirt an Dr Philip Hyland, Ollamh Comhlach sa tSíceolaíocht i Roinn na Síceolaíochta in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad agus comhphríomhfhiosraitheoir an staidéir: 
“Léiríonn ár bhfionnachtana go raibh sé níos dóchúla go mbeadh daoine a eigníodh nó ar rinneadh ciapadh gnéasach orthu thíos le réimse de fhadhbanna meabhairshláinte agus iad lánfhásta, lena n-áirítear Neamhord Struis Iarthrámaigh Casta (PTSD), Dúlagar Ollmhór agus Imní Ginearálta.”
 
Cé go raibh baol níos mó de fhadhbanna meabharshláinte ann, thug na taighdeoirí faoi deara nach ndeachaigh sé i bhfeidhm go suntasach ar fheidhmiú sóisialta mharthanóirí an fhoréigin ghnéasaigh. Mar a mhínigh an Dr Hyland é:
 “Bhí sé chomh dóchúil céanna go mbeadh marthanóirí an fhoréigin ghnéasaigh i gcaidreamh tiomanta ar bhonn fadtéarmach, fostaithe, ag tuilleamh airgid mhóir, agus tar éis freastal ar ollscoil ná mar a bheadh sé seo go léir dóibh siúd nach raibh foréigean gnéasach ina saolta acu riamh. I gcásanna áirithe, bhí ag éirí níos fearr le marthanóirí an fhoréigin ghnéasaigh i gcomparáid leo siúd nach raibh foréigean gnéasach ina saolta acu riamh.  Léirionn na fionnachtana seo go bhfuil marthanóirí an fhoréigin ghnéasaigh, cé go bhfuileadar ag maireachtaint le héifeachtaí meabharshláinte a gcuid tráma, thar a bheith buanseasmhach.”
 
Dúirt an Dr Frédérique Vallières, Stiúrthóir ar Lárionad na Tríonóide do Shláinte Dhomhanda agus comhphríomhfhiosraitheoir an staidéir: 
“Thugamar na difríochtaí ollmhóra i rátaí an fhoréigin ghnéasaigh idir fir agus mná faoi deara, sa chaoi gur tháinig sé chun solais go raibh sé i bhfad níos dóchúla go mbeadh eispéireas de fhoréigean gnéasach ag mná ná mar a bheadh sé i gcás na bhfear. Tá sé fíor-thábhachtach na figiúirí seo a chur in iúl inniu, ar Lá Idirnáisiúnta na Náisiún Aontaithe um Dhíothú an Fhoréigin in Aghaidh na mBan.”
D’fhiosraigh taighdeoirí chomh maith an raibh sé níos dóchúla go mbeadh fadhbanna meabhairshláinte agus deacrachtaí le linn a saoil ag daoine a d’fhulaing foréigean gnéasach.
 
Dúirt Noeline Blackwell, POF ar Ionad Éigeandála um Éigniú Bhaile Átha Cliath:
 
“Soiléiríonn na fionnachtana seo na héifeachtaí meabhairshláinte nimhneacha de fhoréigean gnéasach agus an gá le rochtain ar seirbhísí meabhairshláinte do mharthanóirí an fhoréigin ghnéasaigh a mhéadú.”
Is riachtanach an rud é go mbeadh seirbhísí meabhairshláinte a bhfuil fáil orthu mar chuid lárnach de chláracha freagartha ar fhoréigean gnéasach chun gur féidir linn é seo a bhaint amach. Tagann an fhionnachtain thaighde go bhfuil an-bhuanseasmhacht i marthanóirí go mór leis an taithí atá againn ar a gcuid láidreachta.”