Almost half of young men believe there are ‘a lot’ of false rape allegations, DRCC says

A NEW SURVEY from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) reveals that 48% of men under 25 believe there are “a lot” of false rape allegations, compared with 19% of adults overall.

The survey found “significant differences” in attitudes towards sexual violence between young men and the rest of the population. 

The DRCC said “sceptical and victim-blaming attitudes” are evident across the population, regardless of age or gender, but among men under 25 they are far more common.

The percentage of men under 25 who believe a person who is raped while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is at least partially responsible is well over double (37%) that of the rest of the population (15%).

The survey also found that these attitudes have direct consequences for survivors. For the second year running, fear of not being believed is the single biggest barrier the public identifies to survivors seeking support, cited by almost 80% of adults.

Among those who have experienced rape, only 17% reported it to the gardaí, 22% sought medical treatment and 28% sought counselling or other support, while almost one in five told no one at all.

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DRCC chief executive Rachel Morrogh said the gaps between men’s attitudes toward sexual violence based on age are widening.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Morrogh said: “What’s really struck us in the research is the very stark difference between young men and the rest of the population.”

“Young men are up to five times more likely to hold negative attitudes than older [male] age groups,” she said. 

Morrogh believes one of the reasons these attitudes are common among young men is because when looking for leadership, they are finding people who are “peddling a harmful narrative”.

“I think that many of these views were allowed to be amplified and pushed at young men because regulation of online spaces hasn’t come close to keeping pace with the speed of technology, and that is at a great cost to society as a whole, but particularly to young men and young people, and we see this come through in the survey results today,” she said.

Morrogh said that criticising young men isn’t going to change their attitudes; instead, she said young men need to be engaged.

“We need to listen to their concerns, involve them in the conversation, and help them understand the realities of sexual violence without making them feel blamed or accused,” she said.