Children abused by family 'more vulnerable'
People who are sexually assaulted by a family member as a child are more vulnerable to such attacks in adulthood, it was claimed today.
One in 10 survivors of child sexual abuse using Rape Crisis Centre (RCC) services nationwide reported being assaulted in their adult years.
Of those who were victims both as children and adults, more than 50% of the child abuse cases involved family members, according to a report from Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI).
RCNI executive director Fiona Neary said: "With these figures we know more about how childhood sexual abuse by a family member in particular increases a person's vulnerability to further sexual violence.
"Children who are sexually abused by a family member are more likely to be repeatedly victimised in adulthood than those children abused outside the family.
"For those subjected to sexual violence both as children and as adults, 56% of perpetrators of the child sexual abuse were family members.
"This is a higher percentage than that for survivors sexually abused as children and not as adults. In those instances, the perpetrator was a family member 47% of the time," she said.
The RCNI said the isolation and vulnerability felt by those who were abused by family members leads them to be susceptible to sexual predators later in their lives.
"While the reasons why those sexually abused within the family find it so difficult to tell anyone are complex, these findings challenge Irish society to examine how our attitudes to the family may add to the burden of silence a victim of sexual violence carries in Irish society," Ms Neary said.
The report revealed that 1,626 people sought counselling in 14 RCCs across the country in 2006, 87% of whom were women.
Most were aged between 30 and 39 years, at 29%, while 26% were between the age of 24 and 29.
It also revealed 67% of adult sexual abuse knew their attacker.
In addition the report found that 47 pregnancies after rape were recorded and just over 14% of people reported their abuse to gardaí.
RCNI said 52% of sexual abuse victims had revealed details of their experiences to someone else.
RCNI services support coordinator Dr Susan Miner said: "We know that the sooner the silence is broken, the more positive the response of society, professionals, family and friends, the sooner support is sought the less negative the impact on the rest of someone's life.
"Age is a significant factor. Younger people seek support earlier than older people.
"This may be indicative of changing societal attitudes towards sexual violence," she said.
