The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has warned that the trivialisation of sexual violence has become more “normalised” in recent years. 

The organisation has published new research that two in five young men believe that rape victims are partly to blame if they have drunk alcohol or taken drugs. 

It also found that one in five people there are a “lot” of false rape allegations. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, DRCC CEO Rachel Morrogh said the rise of the ‘Manosphere’ has now become “part of the problem”. 

“I think that the hand wringing that we're seeing politically now around the ‘Manosphere’ and what's already happened online is probably a decade too late,” she said. 

“So, something that maybe through very tough regulation earlier on could have stopped some of this harm from seeping into the real world, it is everywhere now, it's an everyday occurrence. 

“I think to just regulate online would be a blind response because women and girls are saying that what originated online, they're experiencing now in their daily lives.”

Ms Morrogh continued that she was especially concerned by the impact of ‘Manosphere’ content online. 

While 85% of Irish society wants more recognition of sexual violence among men, that figure falls to 75% among young men. 

“These are men, young boys who've gone through the new SPHE programme as well,” she said. 

“So, you'd be hoping that the things that we're already doing are having some effect, some effect, but that's not what we're seeing in the research.”

Overall, Ms Morrogh fears there much more trivialisation of sexual violence than there was even in the recent past. 

“It's more normalised now,” she said. 

“Some of these attitudes that we're talking about today, if they were spoken out loud even five years ago, I think there would be a different response than there is today.”

Anyone impacted by sexual violence can contact the DRCC's Freephone 24-hour National Helpline on 1800 77 8888

Main image: Gardaí. Picture by: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie.