Containing and Resisting Masculinity: Narratives of Renegotiation Among Resilient Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.

Abstract

Male childhood sexual abuse survivors face the same social pressures as other men to live up to the tenets of masculinity. However, they contend with a disjuncture between cultural definitions of manhood and the discordant experience of sexual victimization. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 resilient men varying in age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. The authors analyzed the men's narratives concerning male role socialization for toughness, stoicism, and aggressive sexuality, as well as the impact of childhood sexual abuse. Results indicate that in their paths toward recovery, the participants repeatedly described both containing and resisting traditional masculine roles and made conscious choices not to become perpetrators. The importance of raising awareness about masculinity myths in clinical interventions is discussed.

A gale force wind: Meaning making by male survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

“…Compounding their experiences of sexual abuse, gay/bisexual participants related experiences of harassment and harsh discipline as a result of their sexual orientation, the worst of which was often perpetrated by their fathers (and sometimes older brothers) who they interpreted as particularly invested in raising a masculine and "tough" son (Kia-Keating et al, 2005). Some of the gay and bisexual men in the sample were harassed around their sexual interests and some felt they were abused because their perpetrator-in these cases, always their fathers-sensed or believed they were gay even when quite young; a few wondered if being abused by a male pushed them to become gay.…”

“…As scientific literature and the popular media make clear, men in American culture are socialized to be emotionally stoic and invulnerable, forceful and aggressive, preoccupied with sex and sexuality, economic providers, and protectors of home and family (Mahalik, Good, & Englar-Carlson, 2003;Rasheed & Rasheed, 1999). As Kia-Keating et al (2005) delineate and others have described (e.g., Addis & Mahalik, 2003;Lew, 2004), these pressures make it much harder for them to acknowledge their victimization, gain support for themselves, enter therapy for assistance, or develop a framework of meaning around their abuse.…”

“…In spite of the paucity of data, there is strong reason to believe that gender socialization influences how males construct meaning from their abuse (Gartner, 1999(Gartner, , 2005Kia-Keating, Grossman, Sorsoli, & Epstein, 2005;Lisak, Hopper, & Song, 1996). As scientific literature and the popular media make clear, men in American culture are socialized to be emotionally stoic and invulnerable, forceful and aggressive, preoccupied with sex and sexuality, economic providers, and protectors of home and family (Mahalik, Good, & Englar-Carlson, 2003;Rasheed & Rasheed, 1999).…”

The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

“…In addition, Kia-Keating, Grossman, Soroli, and Epstein (2005) found that when males are sexually abused there is an underlying assumption, in our society, that they should have been strong enough to fight off the abuse. The authors further explained that due to the notion that men should be able to defend themselves against sexual abuse, those that do not manage to escape it, in some underlying way must have consented, and therefore their sexual orientation is sometimes put into question.…”

Male Survivor Perceptions of Seeking Support: Hermeneutic Analysis of a Cluster Case Study

“…The admission of problems can be interpreted as incompetence and seeking support from others construed as simulating a feminine personality trait (Garfield, Isacco, & Rogers, 2008). Males, as western culture emphasizes, are supposed to be able to protect themselves Easton, Saltzman, & Willis, 2014;Holmes, 2007;Kia-Keating et al, 2005). Even more undermining of seeking support, is the gender stereotype of males as sexually aggressive.…”