DRCC Study: High Levels of Victim Blaming Among Young Irish Men

Victim-Blaming Attitudes Among Young Men

When looking at the survey respondents as a whole, 15 per cent of adults think that an individual who suffers rape while under the influence of drugs or alcohol holds at least partial accountability. Among men under 25, however, that figure climbs sharply to 37 per cent, while it stands at 25 per cent for women under 25. Conversely, 88 per cent of the surveyed adults share the view that a perpetrator under the influence should face the exact same level of accountability as one who is sober.

Sceptical views regarding sexual assault are considerably more common among young men than across the wider population. Nearly half of men aged 18 to 24 (48 per cent) believe there are “a lot” of false rape allegations made in Ireland, compared with 19 per cent of adults overall. Additionally, 40 per cent of young men think rape and sexual violence are exaggerated by the media, compared to 15 per cent across the general public.

Proof thresholds demanded by young men are also notably higher than national averages. A third of men under 25 (34 per cent) state that a rape allegation should not be believed unless there is a guilty verdict in court, compared to 12 per cent of adults overall. Furthermore, 31 per cent of young men say an assault should not be believed unless it has been reported to the Gardaí, compared to 12 per cent overall. Fourteen per cent of young men say they would doubt someone who reported being raped while drunk.

Barriers to Reporting and Public Trust

For the second year running, fear of not being believed remains the biggest barrier the public identifies to survivors seeking support, cited by 82 per cent of adults in the DRCC findings. Other reported barriers include a lack of trust in support services at 63 per cent and fear of stigma at 62 per cent.

Confidence in public institutions remains low. Just 22 per cent of adults—amounting to less than one in every four—feel that survivors of sexual violence and rape receive fair treatment from the Irish legal system. Meanwhile, less than half of the population (43 per cent) thinks Ireland is a country where victims can speak openly about what happened to them, a figure that drops to 38 per cent among women.

These attitudes carry direct consequences for survivors. Out of all individuals who have gone through a rape experience, a mere 17 per cent informed the Gardaí, 22 per cent sought out medical care, and 28 per cent pursued counseling or alternative assistance. Approximately two in five respondents (41 per cent) confided only in a friend or family member, and nearly one in five (19 per cent) told no one at all.

Institutional Response and Next Steps

Rachel Morrogh, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, described the findings regarding young men as the most striking element of the research, emphasising that lasting attitudes are shaped early in life. Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Morrogh noted that a failure to regulate online spaces has allowed harmful narratives to be amplified and pushed toward young men at a significant societal cost.

To address these challenges, the DRCC plans to launch a new pilot programme next year aimed at engaging with young men on the concept of positive masculinity. The initiative seeks to collaborate with young men to understand the root causes of their opinions and develop interventions that foster a worldview less harmful to women and girls.

The DRCC operates a 24-hour national helpline at 1800 778888 for anyone affected by sexual violence.