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This article is provided for Public Access by the National Center for PTSD and was retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/men-sexual-trauma.asp.
At least 10% of men in our country have suffered from trauma asa result of sexual assault. Like women, men who experience sexualassault may suffer from depression, PTSD, and other emotionalproblems as a result. However, because men and women have differentlife experiences due to their different gender roles, emotionalsymptoms following trauma can look different in men than they do inwomen.
Those who sexually assault men or boys differ in a number ofways from those who assault only females.
Boys are more likely than girls to be sexually abused bystrangers or by authority figures in organizations such as schools,the church, or athletics programs.
Those who sexually assault males usually choose young men andmale adolescents (the average age is 17 years old) as their victimsand are more likely to assault many victims, compared to those whosexually assault females.
Perpetrators often assault young males in isolated areas wherehelp is not readily available. For instance, a perpetrator whoassaults males may pick up a teenage hitchhiker on a remote road orfind some other way to isolate his intended victim.
As is true about those who assault and sexually abuse women andgirls, most perpetrators of males are men. Specifically, men areperpetrators in about 86% of male victimization cases.
Despite popular belief that only gay men would sexually assaultmen or boys, most male perpetrators identify themselves asheterosexuals and often have consensual sexual relationships withwomen.
Particularly when the assailant is a woman, the impact of sexualassault upon men may be downplayed by professionals and the public.However, men who have early sexual experiences with adults reportproblems in various areas at a much higher rate than those who donot.
Men and boys who have beensexually assaulted are more likely to suffer from PTSD, otheranxiety disorders, and depression than those who have never beenabused sexually.
Men who have been sexually assaultedhave a high incidence of alcohol and drug use. For example, theprobability for alcohol problems in adulthood is about 80% for menwho have experienced sexual abuse, as compared to 11% for men whohave never been sexually abused.
One study revealed that a percentage ofboys who suffer from encopresis (bowel incontinence) had beensexually abused.
Exposure to sexual trauma canlead to risk-taking behavior during adolescence, such as runningaway and other delinquent behaviors. Having been sexually assaultedalso makes boys more likely to engage in behaviors that put them atrisk for contracting HIV (such as having sex without usingcondoms).
Because of their experience of sexual assault, some men attemptto prove their masculinity by becoming hyper-masculine. Forexample, some men deal with their experience of sexual assault byhaving multiple female sexual partners or engaging in dangerous”macho” behaviors to prove their masculinity. Parents of boys whohave been sexually abused may inadvertently encourage thisprocess.
Men who acknowledge their assault may have to struggle withfeeling ignored and invalidated by others who do not recognize thatmen can also be victimized.
Because of ignorance and myths about sexual abuse, men sometimesfear that the sexual assault by another man will cause them tobecome gay. This belief is false. Sexual assault does not causesomeone to have a particular sexual orientation.
Because of these various gender-related issues, men are morelikely than women to feel ashamed of the assault, to not talk aboutit, and to not seek help from professionals.
Another myth that male victims of sexual assault face is theassumption that they will become abusers themselves. For instance,they may have heard that survivors of sexual abuse tend to repeatthe cycle of abuse by abusing children themselves. Some researchhas shown that men who were sexually abused by men during theirchildhood have a greater number of sexual thoughts and fantasiesabout sexual contact with male children and adolescents. However,it is important to know that most male victims of child sexual abuse do not become sex offenders.
Furthermore, many male perpetrators do not have a history ofchild sexual abuse. Rather, sexual offenders more often grew up infamilies where they suffered from several other forms of abuse,such as physical and emotional. Men who assault others also havedifficulty with empathy, and thus put their own needs above theneeds of their victims.
It is important for men who have been sexually assaulted tounderstand the connection between sexual assault andhyper-masculine, aggressive, and self-destructive behavior. Throughtherapy, men often learn to resist myths about what a “real man” isand adopt a more realistic model for safe and rewarding living.
It is important for men who have been sexually assaulted and whoare confused about their sexual orientation to confront misleadingsocietal ideas about sexual assault and homosexuality.
Men who have been assaulted often feel stigmatized, which can bethe most damaging aspect of the assault. It is important for men todiscuss the assault with a caring and unbiased support person,whether that person is a friend, clergyman, or clinician. However,it is vital that this person be knowledgeable about sexual assaultand men.
A local rape crisis center may be able to refer men tomental-health practitioners who are well-informed about the needsof male sexual assault victims.
There is a bias in our culture against viewing the sexualassault of boys and men as prevalent and abusive. Because of thisbias, there is a belief that boys and men do not experience abuseand do not suffer from the same negative impact that girls andwomen do. However, research shows that at least 10% of boys and menare sexually assaulted and that boys and men can suffer profoundlyfrom the experience. Because so few people have information aboutmale sexual assault, men often suffer from a sense of beingdifferent, which can make it more difficult for men to seek help. If you are a man who has been assaulted and you suffer from anyof these difficulties, please seek help from a mental-healthprofessional who has expertise working with men who have beensexually assaulted.
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