1. Key Findings
Psychological violence was the most prevalent form of gender-based violence with 15% of respondents experiencing it in the last five years.
Significantly more female respondents experienced psychological and sexual violence than male respondents.
Of respondents who had experienced psychological violence, nearly half reported experiencing psychological violence at home (49%) with 33% experiencing it in a public outdoor space and 32% at work.
Significantly more female than male respondents thought it would be quite or very difficult to access help and support (males 28%; females 36%).
Most respondents reported feeling safe online (85%) while nearly all respondents reported feeling safe at home (99%).
Significantly more male respondents (68%) felt safe after dark in a park or open space compared with female respondents (27%).
Significantly more male than female respondents felt always safe both during the day and after dark.
1. Background
Gender-based violence is a global issue and a serious violation of human rights, often leaving lasting physical, psychological and social consequences for victims. The United Nations defines violence against women and girls as: “Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.”
The Executive Office (TEO) leads efforts to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls in Northern Ireland and published a Strategic Framework and Delivery Plan in September 2024. Since 2022, TEO has funded a gender-based violence module within the Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) survey. This report draws on data from the 2024 NILT survey to strengthen the evidence base on gender-based violence - particularly violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland. Further details on the survey methodology and variables used in this publication are provided in the technical notes.
2. Personal Experience of Gender-Based Violence
Gender-based violence is a pervasive issue that can impact individuals from all walks of life. To gauge the extent of this issue in Northern Ireland, the NILT 2024 questionnaire sought to gather insights from respondents regarding their personal encounters with gender-based violence. However, it is important to recognise that the interpretation of gender-based violence is different among individuals, and it is possible that this survey has not captured all forms of such violence that individuals may have experienced.
Respondents were provided with the following definition of
gender-based violence:
“Gender-based violence is violence
directed against a person because of that person’s gender, or violence
that affects people of a particular gender disproportionately. It does
not only relate to physical assaults but also includes words and actions
that can cause someone to feel afraid, anxious or humiliated.”
Respondents were then asked: “Based on this definition,
and regardless of your gender, have you personally experienced any of
the following in the last five years?”
Response options: (Please tick all that apply)
- Physical violence (e.g. Being beaten, slapped, pushed, kicked, choked, restrained, a weapon or any other force being used against you in a way that causes harm)
- Sexual Violence ((e.g. Being forced or coerced into having sex against your will or into sexual practices or acts you didn’t want to engage in, including unwanted attempted sex and sexual acts, or being choked or restrained)
- Psychological violence (e.g. Being insulted, stalked, harassed, threatened, humiliated, denigrated or controlled against your will)
- Economic violence (e.g. Someone controlling your finances and spending and other resources against your will)
- Online violence (e.g. receiving threats online or via social media, online trolling, or being sent or being asked for intimate images against your will)
- Other types of violence (please write in)
- None of these
- Don’t know
2.1 Experience of gender-based violence in the last five years
Figure 1 illustrates that psychological violence was the most
commonly experienced form of violence in the past five years by all
respondents (15%). Online violence affected 8% of respondents during the
same period, while a similar proportion reported experiencing physical
violence (7%). Sexual violence was reported by 5% of respondents, and
economic violence by 4%. Additionally, 1% of participants indicated they
had experienced other types of violence.
Figure 1. Reported gender-based violence in last five years (All respondents)
2.1.1 Experience of gender-based violence in the last five years, by sex
Figure 2 shows a significantly higher proportion of females than
males reported experiencing psychological violence (males: 10%; females;
18%) and sexual violence (males: 3%; females; 8%) in the last five
years.
Figure 2. Reported gender-based violence in last five years (By sex)
2.2 Experience of Gender-based violence in the last five years over time
There were no significant differences in experience of gender-based violence between 2023 and 2024. Psychological violence was experienced by 15% of respondents in 2024, similar to the percentage from 2023 (13%). Statistical comparisons between 2022 and 2024 are not possible as the answer categories for this question differed slightly.
This is the only question in the 2024 gender-based violence module
that has appeared in previous NILT surveys, making it the sole item for
which trend data is available.
Figure 3. Experience of Gender-based violence in the last five years by year (2022–2024)
Physical violence and online violence had identical figures for
both 2022 and 2023. As a result, in figure 3, the line for physical
violence is hidden behind the line for online violence.
2.3 Respondents who have experienced one or more forms of violence in the last five years
The majority of respondents (79%) reported experiencing none of these
forms of violence in the last five years. One form of violence was
reported by approximately one in eight (12%), while 5% experienced two
forms. Three forms were reported by 3%, and 2% experienced four or five
forms of violence.
Figure 4. Experience of one or more forms of gender-based violence (All respondents)
2.3.1 Respondents who have experienced one or more forms of violence in the last five years, by sex
In the last five years, a significantly higher proportion of males
reported experiencing no forms of violence (82%), compared with 76% of
females. One form of violence was experienced by 11% of males and 12% of
females. Two forms of violence were reported by 4% of males and 6% of
females.
Figure 5. Experience of one or more forms of gender-based violence (By sex)
3. Location of Gender-based violence
Understanding where gender-based violence occurs is crucial for identifying patterns and informing prevention strategies. The NILT 2024 questionnaire asked respondents about the settings in which they experienced such violence, aiming to provide insight into whether these incidents happened in private spaces, public areas, or online. It is important to note that perceptions of what constitutes a particular location may vary among individuals, and some experiences may not have been fully captured by the survey.
Respondents who experienced physical, sexual, psychological or other types of violence were asked: “Thinking of the violence type you experienced, where did the violence take place?”
Response options: (Please select all that apply)
- In my own home
- In someone else’s home
- At school, college or university
- At work
- In a sports club/gym
- In a public building, e.g. a leisure centre
- In a bus or train station
- In a café, restaurant, pub, club, disco
- In a shop/shopping centre
- In a public outdoor space
- Online
- Somewhere else
- I don’t know
- Prefer not to say
3.1 Location of psychological gender-based violence in the last five years
Analysis is only presented for respondents who reported experiencing psychological violence, as the number of respondents for other types of violence was too small to allow meaningful analysis.
Among respondents who experienced psychological gender-based violence
in the last five years, the most common location was in their own home
(49%). Public outdoor spaces (33%) and workplaces (32%) were the next
most frequent locations. Almost a quarter reported experiencing
psychological violence in someone else’s home (24%), with the same
proportion encountering it at school, college, or university. Just over
a fifth of respondents experienced psychological violence online (21%),
while just under one in five reported incidents in a café, restaurant,
pubs, clubs, or discos (18%) and, 16% experienced such violence in a bus
or train station.
Figure 6. Experience of psychological gender-based violence by location
4. Ease of access to help and support for victims of Gender-based violence
Access to help and support is a critical factor in addressing gender-based violence. This section examines respondents’ perceptions of how easy or difficult it would be to obtain the assistance they need.
Respondents were asked: “How easy or difficult do you think it would be to get help and support if you were a victim of gender-based violence?”
Response options: Please select one answer
- Very easy
- Quite easy
- Neither easy nor difficult
- Quite difficult
- Very difficult
- I don’t know
- Prefer not to say
4.1 Respondents views on ease of access to help and support if they were a victim of gender-based violence
More than a quarter of respondents (27%) thought it would be very or
quite easy to access help and support if they were a victim of
gender-based violence. A third of respondents (32%) said they would find
it quite or very difficult, while 21% thought it would be neither easy
nor difficult. The remaining 20% were unsure how easy or difficult it
would be to get help and support.
Figure 7. Ease of Access to Support for Victims (All respondents)
4.1.1 Respondents who would find it difficult or easy to get help and support if they were a victim of gender-based violence, by sex
More male respondents believed it would be very or quite easy to
access help and support if they were a victim of gender-based violence
compared with female respondents (males 30%; females 24%). Conversely,
significantly more female respondents thought it would be quite or very
difficult to access help and support than males (males 28%; females
36%).
Figure 8. Ease of Access to Support for Victims (By
sex)
5. Feeling safe online
As part of the gender-based violence module, respondents were asked about safety online. Recognising that gender-based violence can occur in digital spaces, this data will provide insight into respondents’ perceptions of online safety.
Respondents were asked: “Do you feel safe online?”
Response options: Please select one answer
- Always safe
- Mostly safe
- Mostly unsafe
- Always unsafe
- I am never online/I don’t use the internet
- I don’t know
- Prefer not to say
5.1 Respondents reporting whether or not they feel safe online
Most respondents felt mostly safe online (70%), while 15% reported
feeling always safe. One in ten reported feeling mostly and always
unsafe (10%), the remaining 5% selected one of the other options: “I am
never online,” “I don’t use the internet,” or “Don’t know.”
Figure 9. Feeling safe online (All respondents)
5.1.1 Respondents reporting on online safety, by sex
A significantly higher proportion of males reported always feeling
safe compared to females (males: 20%, females: 10%). A significantly
higher proportion of females reported feeling mostly safe compared to
males (males: 65%, females: 74%). The remaining 5% selected one of the
other options: “I am never online,” “I don’t use the internet,” or
“Don’t know.”
Figure 10. Feeling safe online (By sex)
6. Feeling safe at home
Respondents were asked whether they feel safe at home. Recognising that gender-based violence can occur anywhere, this data will provide insight into respondents’ perceptions of safety in their own homes.
Respondents were asked: “Do you feel safe at home?”
Response options: Please select one answer
- Always safe
- Mostly safe
- Mostly unsafe
- Always unsafe
- I don’t know
- Prefer not to say
6.1 Respondents reporting on whether or not they feel safe at home
The majority of respondents reported feeling always safe at home
(62%), with 37% feeling mostly safe; 1% of respondents indicated they
felt unsafe at home.
Figure 11. Feeling safe at home (All respondents)
6.1.1 Respondents reporting on whether or not they feel safe at home, by sex
Among male respondents almost two thirds reported feeling always safe
at home (64%), with 35% feeling mostly safe. For female respondents, 60%
felt always safe, 39% mostly safe, and 1% reported feeling unsafe at
home.
Figure 12. Feeling safe at home (By sex)
7. Feeling safe during the day
Respondents were asked whether they feel safe on their own during the day in various locations. Recognising that gender-based violence can occur at any time or place, this data will provide insight into respondents’ perceptions of safety in various public places. As experience of safety may differ between daylight and after dark the sample was split randomly. Half of respondents were asked about perceived safety during the day and the other half were asked about perceived safety after dark.
Respondents were divided randomly into two groups. The first half of respondents were asked: “Thinking of your personal safety, how safe or unsafe would you feel in the following places on your own during the day …”
Locations:
- Walking in a quiet street close to your home
- Walking in a public busy space such as a high street or train station
- Walking in a park or other open space
- Using public transport in or around your local area
Response options: Please select one answer
- Always safe
- Mostly safe
- Mostly unsafe
- Always unsafe
- I don’t know
- Prefer not to say
7.1 Respondents reporting whether or not they feel safe on their own during the day
During the day, the highest proportion of respondents felt always
safe walking on their own in a quiet street near their home (55%). The
location where the highest proportion of respondents felt unsafe or were
unsure about their safety while walking on their own during the day was
in a park or open space (9%).
Figure 13. Feeling safe during the day (All respondents)
7.1.1 Respondents reporting whether or not they feel safe on their own during the day, by sex
Significantly more male respondents reported feeling always and
mostly safe walking on their own during the day in all listed locations
than female respondents. The largest difference was observed in parks or
other open spaces, where 98% of men felt always safe compared to 84% of
women.
Figure 14. Feeling safe (always or mostly) during the day (By sex)
8. Feeling safe after dark
As part of the gender-based violence module, respondents were asked whether they feel safe on their own after dark in various locations. Recognising that gender-based violence can occur at any time or place, this data will provide insight into respondents’ perceptions of safety in various public places after dark.
Respondents were divided randomly into two groups. The second half of respondents were asked: “Thinking of your personal safety, how safe or unsafe would you feel in the following places on your own after dark …”
Locations:
- Walking in a quiet street close to your home
- Walking in a public busy space such as a high street or train station
- Walking in a park or other open space
- Using public transport in or around your local area
Response options: Please select one answer
- Always safe
- Mostly safe
- Mostly unsafe
- Always unsafe
- I don’t know
- Prefer not to say
8.1 Respondents reporting whether or not they feel safe on their own after dark in the following places
After dark, the highest proportion of respondents felt always safe
walking on their own after dark on a quiet street near their home (25%).
The location where the highest proportion of respondents felt always
unsafe after dark was in a park or open space (17%).
Figure 15. Percentage feeling safe after dark (All respondents)
8.1.1 Respondents reporting on whether or not they feel safe after dark in the following places, by sex
Male respondents were significantly more likely than female respondents to feel always safe after dark in all of the places listed. Males were also significantly more likely than female respondents to feel mostly safe after dark in a park or other open space or while using public transport.
The largest difference was observed in parks or other open spaces,
where 68% of men reported feeling always safe compared with 27% of
women.
Figure 16. Feeling safe (always or mostly) after dark (By sex)
8.2 Comparisons between during the day and after dark
There were significant differences in feelings of safety during the day compared to after dark across all locations. Respondents were more likely to feel always safe during the day than after dark on a quiet street near their home, in a busy public space such as a high street or train station, in a park or other open space, and when using public transport alone.
Figure 17. Comparing perceived safety during the day vs night (All respondents)
9. Technical Notes
9.1 Methods
The NILT Survey is an annual survey run by Access Research Knowledge (ARK). ARK is a social policy hub, established in 2000 by researchers at Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast. Every year, ARK administer the survey to a nationally representative sample of adults, aged 18 years or over, living in Northern Ireland.
In 2024, a total of 1,204 adults completed the NILT survey, which was administered online. 1,024 respondents completed (at least one of) the six questions on gender-based violence. The gender-based violence section of the survey, which is the focus of this publication, was introduced by the following paragraph:
“The next few questions are about gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is violence directed against a person because of that person’s gender, or violence that affects people of a particular gender disproportionately. It does not only relate to physical assaults but also includes words and actions that can cause someone to feel afraid, anxious or humiliated.”
None of these and Don’t know response options were not analysed for the experience of violence question. To establish the number and percentage of respondents who had no experiences of gender-based violence, the number of different types of violent experiences that respondents had reported (physical, sexual, psychological, economic, online, other types of violence) were considered, with those who selected none of the six types of violence being categorised as not having experienced gender-based violence.
Analysis for location of violence is only presented for respondents who reported experiencing psychological violence, as the number of respondents for other types of violence was too small to allow meaningful analysis.
None of the questions were compulsory and respondents were free to
skip any or all of them. Throughout and at the end of the module
respondents were provided with the option to access a dedicated website
offering support resources should they experience any discomfort or
concern after completing the questions.
Questions were asked in the following areas of gender-based violence:
Do you feel safe at home?
- In a quiet street close to your home
- In a public busy space (high street/train station)
- In a park or other open space
- Using public transport in or around your local area
- In a quiet street close to your home
- In a public busy space (high street/train station)
- In a park or other open space
- Using public transport in or around your local area
- Physical violence
- Sexual violence
- Psychological violence
- Economic violence
- Online violence
- Other types of violence
- In my own home
- In someone else’s home
- At school, college or university
- At work
- In a sports club/gym
- In a public building (e.g., leisure centre)
- In a bus or train station
- In a café, restaurant, pub, club, disco
- In a shop/shopping centre
- In a public outdoor space
- Online
- Somewhere else
In the questionnaire, the personal experience questions were asked at the end of the gender-based violence section.
This publication presents findings for the overall sample and broken down by sex. Within the accompanying data tables there are findings for the overall sample, broken down by (where numbers are high enough to allow reliable statistical analysis to be carried out) by the following demographic variables:
Sex: Statistics are presented for males and females
Age: Statistics are presented for the following age categories - 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+, where necessary, categories with low numbers are merged; 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50+
Religion: Statistics are presented for Catholics; Protestants and other Christians; and respondents with No/Other religion
Disability: Statistics are presented for respondents with and without disabilities
More information about coding of the variables is presented in Section 9.3 Variable coding. Please note that percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
9.2 Sample
The 2024 NILT survey used a stratified systematic random sample of addresses selected from the Postcode Address File (PAF). The PAF is considered the most up-to-date and comprehensive list of addresses available in the UK. PO boxes, and where possible, non-residential addresses, and businesses were removed following the extraction of postcodes. A total of 8,000 addresses, stratified proportionately by District Council area, were selected and received an invitation letter. Each letter sent to the selected addresses clearly stated that the survey should be completed by one adult (aged 18 or over) in the household, and that if there were two or more adults then the adult with the next birthday should complete the survey. The majority (98%) of the total surveys achieved were completed using Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI), while 2% were completed using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). Of the 8,000 addresses, 1,199 completed the survey.The gender-based violence module of the survey was completed by 1,024 respondents (these respondents completed at least one question from the module).
9.3 Variable coding
Demographic variables:
Sex
Respondents were asked: “How would you describe yourself?” The response options were: Male, Female, In another way and Don’t know, Prefer not to say. The analyses by sex in this report include respondents who identified as Male or Female. The numbers in the remaining response categories were too small to enable production of meaningful and reliable statistics and they were therefore excluded from the analyses that focused on sex.
Age
The following age categories were derived from respondents’ self-reported age: 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+. Where necessary, categories with low numbers were merged.
Religion
Respondents were asked: “Do you regard yourself as belonging to any particular religion? If yes, which?” The response options were:
No religion, Catholic, Church of Ireland/Anglican/Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Free Presbyterian, Brethren, United Reform Church (URC)/Congregational, Pentecostal, Church of Scotland, Elim Pentecostal, Reformed Presbyterian, Non-subscribing Presbyterian, Salvation Army, Church of Nazarene, Jehovah’s Witness, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), Other Protestant, Other Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Islam/Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Other, Don’t know.
The response options were grouped as follows:
Catholic: Catholic
Protestant and other Christian: Church of Ireland/Anglican/Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Free Presbyterian, Brethren, United Reform Church (URC)/Congregational, Pentecostal, Church of Scotland, Elim Pentecostal, Reformed Presbyterian, Non-subscribing Presbyterian, Salvation Army, Church of Nazarene, Jehovah’s Witness, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), Other Protestant, Other Christian
No/Other religion: No religion, Hindu, Jewish, Islam/Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Other.
Don’t know response options were coded as missing. Respondents who identified their religion as different from Catholic; or Protestant and other Christian; were grouped together, as numbers in each of the other religions were too small for a meaningful analysis. To avoid excluding respondents with all other religions (due to small numbers), they were grouped with respondents with No religion.
Disability
In NILT 2024, respondents were asked: “Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more?” The response options were: Yes, No. Respondents who selected ‘Yes’ were subsequently asked: “Does your condition or illness / do any of your conditions or illnesses reduce your ability to carry out day-to-day activities? The response options were: Yes a lot, Yes a little, No not at all. Respondents who selected ‘Yes a lot’ or ‘Yes a little’ were categorised as having disabilities. Those who selected ‘No not at all’ and those who answered No to the first question, were categorised as not having disabilities.
Other demographic variables considered were ethnicity and sexual orientation; however, they were not included in the analyses, due to low numbers in the categories other than ‘white’ and other than ‘heterosexual’.
9.4 Statistics
When interpreting the findings in this publication, please note the following:
All data for this publication came from the NILT 2024 survey, which is run annually by ARK.
Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
All analyses were weighted by age, sex and location, based on the Northern Ireland Census data 2021. The weighting variable was provided by ARK and the weighting method applied was the Random Iterative Method. This makes the data representative of the general population in Northern Ireland.
Reported data are raw numbers and weighted percentages.
Due to missing values, the total number of respondents varies from question to question. This number is reported in the accompanying data tables. Missing values were due to respondents refusing to answer the question or accidentally omitting it.
To protect anonymity, and in line with good practice, statistical disclosure control is applied to the presented statistics. This applies largely to demographic breakdowns. In case of cell counts of less than (<) 5, demographic categories or response options were merged and/or cell numbers and percentages suppressed.
Comparison of percentages should be considered with caution when base numbers (the number of valid responses to a particular question) are small. For the purposes of this report, a base number is considered small if it is less than 100. To enable comparison, base numbers are included in the accompanying data tables.
Significant difference refers to statistical significance between two groups. If two groups are significantly different from each other, it means that the difference between the two groups is unlikely to have occurred by chance. All tests were conducted at .05 significance level. This means that if a difference between two groups is reported as significant, there is less than (<) 5% chance that the result was due to chance.
Tests of significant differences (Z tests) were conducted where appropriate. Each test compared two groups. Four variables were of particular interest: sex (male, female), religion (Catholics, Protestant and other Christian, No/Other religion), and disability (with disabilities, without disabilities). Statistically significant results are reported for the most relevant response categories.
The NILT dataset is available online: ARK NILT datasets
The NILT questionnaire is available online: ARK NILT Questionnaire
Reader information
Purpose: To provide statistics on gender-based violence, which will inform the ongoing work on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls within TEO.
Date of Publication: 5 December 2025
Coverage: Northern Ireland
Frequency: Annual publication
Theme: Gender-based violence
Reporting period: Data are from September 2024 – November 2024
Statistical quality: Information detailed in this publication has been quality assured prior to release. The Background Quality Report is available online.
Target audience: The Executive Office (TEO), other government departments, members of gender-based violence interest groups, educational professionals, academics, media and the public.
Web page: The Executive Office
Copyright: This publication is Crown copyright and may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium. Acknowledgement should be given for any material used, and the title of the publication specified.
Feedback: Feedback on the report is welcome. Please fill in our readership survey or contact us using the details provided below.
Official statistics: Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact teostatisticsresearch@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
Code of Practice: This report has been produced in accordance with the principles of trustworthiness, quality and value outlined in the Code of Practice for Statistics. The data sources used are robust and known to collect data in accordance with best practice, and the presentation of the data in the report is thoroughly quality assured. The report is needed to provide further information on experiences of and attitudes of adults in Northern Ireland on ending violence against women and girls.
Contact Details
Published by: Statistics and Research Branch, Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency
Lead Statistician: Irene Hanna
Telephone: 028 90 28215