“They destroyed my life because I do not feel like a man anymore”: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Men's lived experiences of rape victimization

Abstract

Over the past three decades, rape victimization has been regarded as a women-only issue, with men regarded as the only offenders. This has resulted in a narrow-focused approach in addressing this scourge where men who could be primary victims are marginalized. This marginalization has also occurred in research, resulting in the paucity of literature on men's experiences of rape victimization in South Africa and globally. The main aim of the study was to explore, analyze and interpret men's lived experiences of rape victimization and the meaning they attached to such experiences. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis research design was used to collect and analyze data from a purposive sample of 11 participants, using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The findings of the study revealed eight superordinate themes and related subordinate themes as follows: unexpected overpowering experience, forceful sexual violations, rape as torture, intense emotions attached to being raped, rape as a permanent emotional scar, negative perceptions of self, rape as something being taken away, and rape as divine punishment. The findings highlight the experiences and meanings which men attach to being raped, thus demonstrating the need to develop men-specific post-rape care management guidelines to support and care for men who are rape victims.