Male Victims Of Sexual Assault Research Articles

Male Victims’ Acknowledgement of Sexual Assault and Their Help-Seeking Process. A Qualitative Study

An increasing number of studies have investigated the distinct challenges faced by male victims of sexual assault. However, there is a lack of research focusing on how they perceive their sexual victimization experience and their help-seeking behavior. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of cisgender men who had been sexually assaulted in adulthood and their subsequent help-seeking processes within a Danish context. Our findings underscore the crucial importance of acknowledging the sexual assault, which entails a multifaceted process that intertwines with the help-seeking behavior. This process is influenced by various factors, including gender norms, disclosing the assault, and the impact of assault-related symptoms. The role of male rape myths and masculinity is discussed. Our research offers valuable insights into male victims’ experiences and emphasizes the need to raise awareness and to promote a gender-inclusive view on sexual assault.

Male Sexual Abuse

Abstract Male victims of sexual abuse are often overlooked and marginalized. We seek to understand current literature surrounding male sexual assault victims with the ultimate goal of exploring the role of nursing in providing physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional care to the patient. We reviewed current literature, using keywords, including sexual assault/abuse, male sexual assault/abuse, male victims, female-perpetrated sexual assault, mental health, male survivors of sexual assault/abuse, and mental health of sexual assault/abuse survivors. Studies show that approximately one in six men is sexually abused in their lifetime, and the abuse often occurs before the age of 18 years (1in6, 2020). Male victims are less likely to report sexual abuse. Behavioral-specific questions may help identify this patient population to provide trauma-informed care. Nurses must be trained to identify, treat, and care for male sexual abuse victims. Any adverse events experienced in childhood must be appropriately addressed to prevent late effects in adulthood.

Description of the Psychological Dynamics of Male Victims of Sexual Abuse (Case Study of Pedophilia among Children in Makassar City)

Pedophilia is a sexual disorder that involves sexual attraction towards children. Pedophilia is committed by adults against children. This study aims to find out how the psychological dynamics of male victims of pedophilia are described and what are the impacts of pedophile victims. The respondents of this study were adult men (victims of pedophilia). This study uses qualitative methods with semi-structured interview techniques. Research data techniques using driven data analysis. The results of the data show that the victim would not be aware of expressing it directly. This was motivated by the victim's age and knowledge of sexuality. Sexual abuse will affect the victim's life in the next development. The impact felt by the victim is that the respondent experiences psychological sexual pathological disorders such as post-incident trauma, and deviations in appetite. Other psychological changes felt by respondents such as withdrawing from the environment, changes in sexual orientation, to negative feelings and thoughts about oneself. The negative impact of understanding on children can be suppressed through support from the social environment and also partners. The results of this study are expected to contribute in the form of references, information, data, about the psychological dynamics of male victims of pedophilia.

Male Victims of Sexual Abuse: Impact and Resilience Processes, a Qualitative Study.

The increasing prevalence of sexual abuse calls for exceptional awareness of its multidimensional impact on the mental, sexual, and social wellbeing of male adults. This study aims to deepen the overall understanding of sexual abuse consequences; to highlight some common resilience factors; and to strengthen therapeutic and social support. In this qualitative research, we conducted seven semi-structured interviews with male victims of sexual violence. The data were analysed with the interpretative phenomenological analysis. They shed light on the great suffering linked to sexual violence, and on seven themes which are seemingly pillars of resilience: bond to others, bond to the body, making sense of things, expression, rediscovering oneself, institutions, and finally, learning and commitment. The exploration of these themes reveals several avenues for adjusting care, most of which imply the importance of raising awareness so that spaces receiving the victims' word can emerge.

Male Victims of Sexual Assault: A Review of the Literature.

Compared to female rape victims, the literature addressing male rape victims remains a growing area of interest for counselors and scholars. This article aims to review the growing literature on male sexual assault victims. Specifically, the review will examine the literature on male victims of sexual assault in nine sections: (a) an overview of male sexual assault, (b) male rape myths, (c) prevalence, (d) responses to male victimization, (e) populations and perpetrators of male victimization, (f) risk factors, (g) reporting, (h) the impact of sexual assault on men, (i) help-seeking, and (j) implications for counseling. Empirical studies, case reports, and books are included in the review.

Unacknowledged and missed cases of sexual victimization: A comparison of responses to broad versusbehaviorally specific questions.

From the beginning of systematic research on sexual victimization, it has been recognized that a substantial proportion of women report nonconsensual sexual experiences meeting the defining criteria of rape in response to behaviorally specific items, but do not acknowledge their experience as rape in response to broad questions about whether they have ever been raped. Recent studies suggest that rates of unacknowledged rape may be as high or even higher among men than among women. This study examined rates of unacknowledged female and male victims of rape and sexual assault by comparing responses to behaviorally specific items of the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S) with responses to broad questions using the labels of sexual assault and rape (SARA) in 593 participants (303 women) in Germany. As predicted, more women and men were classified as rape victims based on behaviorally specific items than on the basis of the broad rape item. The rates of unacknowledged rape were about 60% for women and 75% for men. The gender difference was not significant. Against our prediction, no significant differences in acknowledgement of sexual assault were found in relation to coercive strategy and victim-perpetrator relationship. Few cases of rape and sexual assault identified by the SARA items were missed by the behaviorally specific questions. The implications for establishing prevalence rates of rape and sexual assault and for comparing victims and nonvictims in terms of vulnerability factors and outcomes of sexual victimization are discussed.

Judgments About Male Victims of Sexual Assault by Women: A 35-Year Replication Study.

Sexual assault of men by women has received increasing attention in recent years, as has research on rape myths about male victims. This study is a cross-generational replication of a 1984 study of college students' judgments about male and female victims in a scenario involving a sexual assault carried out by male or female assailants. The 1984 data (n = 172) were compared with those of a 2019 cohort (n = 372) in a 2 (participant gender) x 2 (assailant gender) x 2 (victim gender) x 2 (cohort) factorial design to assess potential generational changes in perceptions of victims. Judgments by male participants of male victims of assaults carried out by women changed notably over time. The 2019 male cohort was less likely to judge that the victim initiated or encouraged the incident (40% in 1984 compared with 15% in 2019) and derived pleasure from it (47.4% in 1984 compared with 5.8% in 2019). In contrast, the 2019 female cohort was more likely to attribute victim encouragement (26.9% compared with 4.3% in 1984) and pleasure to the male victim (25% in 2019 compared with 5% in 1984). A similar gender pattern occurred in judgments of how stressful the event was for the male victim. Analysis of the 2019 data revealed that overall, despite scientific and cultural shifts that have occurred over the past three decades, participants continued to judge the male victim of assault by a female to have been more encouraging and to have experienced more pleasure and less stress than in any other assailant/victim gender combination. Results are discussed in relation to gendered stereotypical beliefs and male rape myths, as well as possible sensitization to power differentials inspired by the #MeToo movement. We emphasize the need for greater awareness and empirical attention to abuse that runs counter to preconceived notions about sexual victimization.

Water Disappearing into Water: Healing Male Victims of Sexual Violence

This research paper presents key aspects of the experiences of Chinese male people who identify as sexual assault victims. The paper will also focus on the impacts of their experiences on their livelihoods. Using aspects of law, sex education, and psychological counseling as a lens, the report refers to domestic and foreign sexual assault reports and related policies and documents to explore the potential reasons for an observed lack of support for male victims of sexual assault. It then interprets and synthesizes the results and provides potential solutions. For a period of twenty years, data were collected from multiple sources, including books, journals, and online media. It is worth noting that cases of rape and defilement among men are less likely to be reported than cases involving women. Despite this, male victims of sexual assault are not uncommon, but society, for various reasons, evades the issue. The fact that male sexual violence is not adequately acknowledged and addressed by Chinese society not only affects those who identify as having lived experiences of sexual violence but also leads to larger social problems, such as alienation of oneself from society and dysfunctional social structures. It is, therefore, imperative to find solutions that address the needs of these men. This article proposes action in three areas: to adjust the legal scope of rape and the identification of individuals who need help; to improve the quality of sexual education with regards to its content, deliverance, and accessibility; and to strengthen and regulate professional counseling services, and providing access to competent psychological services through the Chinese health insurance system.

Adult male victims of female-perpetrated sexual violence: Australian social media responses, myths and flipped expectations

In the era of #metoo, conversations regarding rape and sexual violence have received increased attention in mainstream media, giving voice to some of the many victims impacted by sexual assault. Despite the significant social upheaval this movement has given credence to, male victims of female-perpetrated sexual assault remain largely absent from Australian media. Adherence to strict representations of masculinity and femininity, often reinforced on social media, has resulted in cultural omission and problematic characterisations of both offenders and victims. International research has examined socially-constructed, gendered perceptions; however, Australian literature remains limited. This study examined what factors influence perceptions of male victims of female-perpetrated sexual violence, evaluated through Christie’s (1986) Ideal Victim/Offender framework. This mixed-method study analysed social media users’ comments on incidents of female-perpetrated sexual assault on men, presented in 28 Facebook posts, across 13 popular Australian newspapers. The findings identified a tendency of users to question victims’ masculinity, downplay harms experienced by male victims, or deny victimisation entirely. Furthermore, women were typecast as ‘fragile nurturers’ who did not have the capacity to offend, rejecting the possibility of male victims. Conclusions highlight the need for further Australian-based research and practical support, as male victims are more than simply an online myth.

Male Victims at a Dutch Sexual Assault Center: A Comparison to Female Victims inCharacteristics and Service Use.

Recently, there has been an increase in referrals of male victims of sexual assault to interdisciplinary sexual assault centers (SACs). Still, there is limited research on the characteristics of men who refer or are referred to SACs and the services they need. To facilitate the medical, forensic, and psychological treatment in SACs, a better understanding of male victims is indispensable.The first aim of the study was to analyze the victim and assault characteristics of male victims at a Dutch SAC, and to compare them to those of female victims. The second aim was to analyze and compare SAC service use between male and female victims.The victim characteristics, assault characteristics, and service use of 34 male victims and 633 female victims were collected in a Dutch SAC. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to analyze differences between male and female victims.No differences between males and females in victim or assault characteristics were found. Most victims received medical and psychological care, with no differences between male and female victims. Female victims were more likely to have contact with the police, but no differences in reporting or forensic medical examinations between males and females were found.These findings indicate that SACs can and do provide equal services to male and female victims, and that the current services are suitable for male victims as well. However, a focus on educating and advising male victims about police involvement is advisable.

What Little We Know: Peer-Reviewed Articles on the Impact of United States Military Culture on Male Victims of Military Sexual Trauma

Conduct a narrative review study to identify, evaluate, and summarize pertinent published literature on the influence of U.S. military culture on male victims of military sexual assault (MSA) and military sexual trauma (MST). Various aspects of military culture have been shown to contribute significantly to barriers of reporting, prevention, and social support for male service members who have experienced MST and MSA in the U.S. military forces. A variety of U.S. military cultural factors associated with barriers to reporting MST/MSA among male military service members and veterans were assessed and identified in this narrative review. Overall study findings suggest that increasing research on the impact of military culture and male MST and MSA is imperative in the effort to reduce and prevent sexual violence within the U.S. military armed forces. Various aspects of the U.S. military culture play a significant role in the influence of sexual assault occurrences that take place within U.S. military service units. Supporting evidence suggests that the U.S. military culture impacts the overall severity of barriers to reporting sexual assault and/or trauma among male military service members and veterans.

Male victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence: A steadily increasing phenomenon.

Violence perpetrated on male victims is a phenomenon that is currently underestimated by both national and international scientific communities, since males are historically (and stereotypically) considered the perpetrators rather than the victims of violence. As a consequence, the available literature lacks data which would allow a better understanding of this issue and its presenting features. We undertook a retrospective analysis of 231 medical files of male victims of violence over a five-year-period (2014-2018) at the Soccorso Violenza Sessuale e Domestica Centre in Milan, Italy. The sample included 112 victims of sexual violence and 119 victims of domestic violence, most of whom were younger than 18 years of age. The main aim of this study was to describe the presentations of male victims of violence in order to understand the phenomenon better, increase awareness of the issue and enable improved health-care management. The need to pay more attention to this vulnerable part of the population is mandatory in health-care services, and it includes: the provision of management guidelines, training to attending physicians and a supportive service to male survivors. Understanding which risk factors are related to male abuse can help with the development of programmes that identify, prevent and minimise violence - this being especially useful for primary-care clinicians. This is the first Italian study to deal with domestic and sexual violence involving male victims.

I was like a kid full of revenge: self-reported reasons for sexual offending by men who were sexually abused as children

ABSTRACT It is widely acknowledged that the rate of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) reported by men who sexually offend is elevated relative to the general population. The idea of a “sexually abused-sexual abuser” (SA-SA) cycle is one possible explanation for the relationship between CSA and subsequent sexual offending. The current study explored why sexually abused men went on to sexually offend, through qualitative interviews with 41 SA-SAs attending a community treatment programme in New Zealand. Most of them gave externalising reasons for offending (including anger and revenge towards others, and deviant arousal). There was an even split between those who did/did not see a relationship between their own victimisation and their offending. Of those who perceived this connection, sexualisation, externalisation, and normalisation were themes underlying their motivation to offend. The implications for the treatment of male victims of sexual abuse are discussed.

Male Victims of Sexual Assault and Their Recovery Phases

Male Victims of Sexual Assault and Their Recovery Phases

Expendables for Whom: Terry Crews and the Erasure of Black Male Victims of Sexual Assault and Rape

The sexual assault of Terry Crews by Adam Venit raises all sorts of questions about the nature of sexual violence and our reluctance to see Black men as victims of sexual assault in the United States. Despite a history of Black men and boys being raped by White men and women, there is no effort to connect the centuries-long record of sexual violence against Black males to the sexual victimization of Black men and boys currently. This article analyzes the language, history, and stereotypes deployed in our understanding of Terry Crews’s victimization, even those he uses to describe himself, to better situate and describe the vulnerability of Black men and boys to sexual violence in the United States.

All Survivors Have the Right to Heal: A #Metoomen Content Analysis

ABSTRACTWhile similarities exist between male and female survivors of sexual assault, unique barriers often prohibit males from speaking out about their experiences. The me too hashtag was created in an effort to end rape culture. Shortly after the me too hashtag began gaining popularity on social media sites, the me too men hashtag surfaced as men were not receiving recognition for their experiences of sexual assault. This study involved a content analysis of 379 public tweets that used the me too men hashtag. The current study provides a greater understanding and awareness of male sexual assault victims’ experiences on social media. Implications for both clinical work and future research are presented.

Mock Jurors' Perceptions of Sexual Assault on a University Campus.

The purpose of this study was to examine how defendant gender, victim gender, location of sexual assault (professor's office vs. fraternity party), and whether the defendant was intoxicated influenced mock jurors' decisions in a sexual assault case. Mock jurors (N = 503) read a mock trial transcript depicting an alleged sexual assault and were asked to render a dichotomous verdict, continuous guilt rating, and rate their perceptions of the victim and defendant. There was no influence on mock jurors' dichotomous verdicts. However, the presence of intoxication did influence continuous guilt ratings; intoxicated defendants elicited higher guilt ratings compared to sober defendants. Whether the defendant was intoxicated and the location of the crime were found to impact mock jurors' perceptions of the defendant (e.g., believability, credibility); whereas the gender of the defendant affected the perceived control the defendant had over the situation. Victim gender was found to impact mock jurors perceptions of the victim, such that female victims were perceived more favorably than male victims; this may support the idea that male victims of sexual assault are generally perceived more negatively than female victims. These results, and more, are discussed in terms of the current study and the larger implications.

Male sexual assaults in the Paris, France area: An observational study over 8 years

BackgroundMale sexual assaults were long ignored, possibly because of the myth acceptance that a man can only be the perpetrator of sexual assaults. It is increasingly admitted that all males can be victims of rape. We described the characteristics of a series of male adolescent and adult victims of sexual assault who had a forensic medical examination. MethodsWe conducted an observational study over 8 years. ResultsWe included 98 male patients aged 15 years and older (range 15–66, median 25) at the time of a reported sexual assault. Assailants were known by the victim in 59 cases (60%). Forty-four patients (45%) had physical or mental vulnerability. Anal penetration was reported in 49 cases (50%). Genital examination showed abnormalities compatible with traumatic injuries in 23 cases (24%). Psychological symptoms were found in 81 victims (83%), including shame (39, 40%) and anxiety (38, 39%). Of 98 victims, sperm could be detected in 6 cases (6%) (anal, 4; oral, 1; skin, 1). Male victims were more frequently disabled or vulnerable than female victims examined in the same centre (45% vs. 13%, p<0.001). At the one-month follow-up consultation, psychological symptoms, including sleep disorders and fear, were observed in most patients and the proportions of physical and psychological complaints were similar among male and female victims. ConclusionMale victims of sexual assault experienced high level of psychological trauma and felt more ashamed than women, which suggests that sexual assaults should be considered as severe among men as among women.

Real men can't get raped: an examination of gendered rape myths and sexual assault among undergraduates

PurposeWhile awareness of sexual assaults on college campuses has increased, the majority of efforts to address it are focused on female victims. The relative neglect of male victims may be due in part to problematic rape myths that suggest men cannot be sexually assaulted, especially by women. The purpose of this paper is to compare rates of different types of sexual assault between male and female undergraduates, and explore the relationship between acceptance of traditional rape myths focused on female victims, and rape myths surrounding male victims.Design/methodology/approachStudents at a mid-sized university in Pennsylvania (n=526) answered an online questionnaire about their own experiences of sexual assault since coming to college, as well as their endorsement of male and female rape myths.FindingsWhile women experienced more sexual assault overall, men were just as likely to have experienced rape (i.e. forced penetration) or attempted rape. Acceptance of male and female rape myths was significantly correlated and men were more likely than women to endorse both. Participants were also more likely to endorse female than male rape myths.Research limitations/implicationsBy analyzing sexual assaults in terms of distinct behaviors instead of one composite score, the authors can get a more nuanced picture of how men and women experience assault.Practical implicationsCampus-based efforts to address sexual assault need to be aware that male students also experience assault and that myths surrounding men as victims may impede their ability to access services.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to our knowledge of a relatively understudied topic: undergraduate male victims of sexual assault.

The Place of Culture and Religion in Patterns of Disclosure and Reporting Sexual Abuse of Males: A Case Study of Ultra Orthodox Male Victims

ABSTRACTThis article deals with reporting patterns of sexual abuse in males in a religious-cultural context through a case study of ultra-Orthodox Jewish (Haredi) men who were young victims of sexual abuse. The study is based on in-depth interviews with 40 Haredi men. The results indicate that sexual abuse involving ultra-Orthodox boys was and is underreported. Moreover, the results indicate that even when such incidents were reported, the avenues for disclosure were parents, educational-religious figures, and friends. It was also found that silencing in matters related to sexuality, viewing sexual abuse in boys as a serious sin and taboo, and encouraging blind obedience—all of which characterize Haredi society—were factors in the underreporting. The results also show a strong tendency to cover up incidents of sexual abuse on an individual level, on a family level, and at the community level. The findings indicate a linkage between the religious and cultural background of male victims of sexual abuse and their reporting patterns.