THE HIGH RATE of early school leaving among teenage rape victims has been highlighted by new research findings.
The study reveals that of 18 students between the ages of 15-17 who went to the Mayo Rape Crisis Centre after being raped, 17 dropped out of school early.
A report will be published in the autumn from the Oireachtas study entitled Underachievement at Second Level – The Way Forward, but preliminary findings estimate that the national incidence of rape in the 15-18 age bracket in 2007 (the last available figures) was 373 with 362 of these cases occurring in the 15-17 age group.
Fine Gael Education and Science spokeswoman, Senator Fidelma Healy Eames, who is rapporteur on the report, says: “These figures are chilling, that’s almost one girl a day in the 15-17 age group who was raped during her secondary schooling. Our research shows that rape, where it happens, is a major cause of early school leaving.”
Senator Healy Eames, who is working on the study with co-researcher, Dr Jude Cosgrave of St Patrick’s Educational Research Centre, stresses that how the school responds is critical.
“In one case where we were fortunate that a victim of rape spoke to us, the school handled the whole incident very poorly. While the rape took place outside the school, they appeared to believe the boy more than the girl.
“Only when the girl got a conviction did the school believe her, but by then she had left school.
“She had lost her friends and felt she had no choice but to move out of the area,” she explained.
Executive director of Rape Crisis Network, Fiona Neary, said the impact of sexual violence on the lives of young women – not just in terms of their education – cannot be underestimated.
The Network is collecting data on this age group and will be producing a report later this year.
While some younger victims drop out of school, others become high achievers in an effort to block out the trauma of sexual abuse.
Those who are in contact with the rape crisis centres nationwide report intrusive traumatic symptoms which interfere with their education and socialisation, explained Ms Neary.
She says: “We are very concerned about the lack of services for this age group. They are exploring their sexuality and relationships for the first time, learning their alcohol limits and what they are like as social beings outside the family.
“They are being targeted by sexual predators in their communities who are older, wiser and have been around the block a couple of times, who realise that they are vulnerable to being manipulated and exploited.”
