The effects of two different symmetric tilt grain boundaries (GBs), Σ13[001](230) GB and Σ17[001](140) GB, on displacement cascade processes in tungsten were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. By quantifying the number of interstitials and vacancies surviving after irradiation with the kinetic energy of primary knock-on atom energies of 1, 3 and 5 keV, respectively, in these simulations, it is found that the GBs have dual nature for radiation-induced defects: They absorb interstitials while leaving more vacancies to survive in the grains. The net effect is that the number of total surviving defects in the GB system is not always less than that in the single crystal. These defect behaviors are understood by quantitatively analyzing the recovery fraction of irradiation-induced defects, the time to reach steady state and the mobility of vacancies and interstitials. It is also found that the Σ17 GB is a more effective sink of radiation-induced point defects than the Σ13 GB. One of the main reasons is that the Σ17 GB has a higher GB energy.