Effects of Sexual Assaults on Men: Physical, Mental and Sexual Consequences

Abstract

Research addressing the sexual assault of men is a fairly recent development in the medical, health care, psychological and sociological literature. Research in both community and institutionalized populations has focused on documenting the existence of this phenomenon and establishing prevalence or incidence rates, however, understandings of effects on male victims lag behind those regarding women. Only recently have the consequences of sexual assault victimization for men been thoroughly addressed. This review summarizes the research literature concerning the physical, mental health, and sexual consequences of sexual assault victimization for men. The literature suggests a range of possible/occasional consequences, but no well-established patterns of injuries, psychological/emotional reactions or sexual responses/adjustments for male sexual assault victims.

Male sexual assault survivors: lessons for UK services

“…A wide and complex array of long-term negative effects on psychological functioning (e.g., anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anger, hostility, generalized vulnerability, stigma, shame, guilt, embarrassment and self-blaming); behavior (e.g., self-harming, substance abuse, and employment problems); the ability to maintain close personal relationships (e.g., intimacy, trust and attachment difficulties, emotional withdrawal, parenting problems, sexual dysfunction and/or heightened promiscuity); and general self-image (e.g. low self-esteem, perceived changes to one's gender identity, sexual orientation and/or sense of masculinity) (e.g., Bullock & Beckson, 2011;Coxell & King, 2010;Peterson et al, 2011;Tewksbury, 2007;Vearnals & Campbell, 2001;Walker et al, 2005a;. The term "complex trauma" is now frequently used to encompass the wide range Societal expectations about male gender role and the concept of male (hetero)sexuality impacts significantly on men's understanding of their own sexual victimization (Davies, Walker, Archer & Pollard, 2010;Javaid, 2016b;Lowe & Balfour, 2015).…”

Sex offenses at Protestant Christian churches : a typology and examination using social disorganization theory.

“…Although supported in some prior research on victims of rape/sexual assault in wider society, this finding is in contrast to the John Jay College (2004) report on Catholic sexual abuse that found boys were the most likely of victims. However, the difference apparent in the present data may be due to disclosure issues since female victims are more likely than male victims of sexual violence to disclose their victimization (Brochman, 1991;Finkelhor, 2008;Tewksbury, 2007a;Walwrath et al, 2003).…”

“…Despite this significant difference between the two sexes, this may be an issue related to the disclosure of such abuse and not the actual prevalence. This issue is because girls are generally more likely to disclose their sexual abuse than boys (Brochman, 1991;Finkelhor, 2008;Tewksbury, 2007a;Walwrath, Ybarra, & Holden, 2003).…”

“…Moreover, males are less likely than females to disclose their sexual victimization, resulting in an even further lack of understanding of the actual prevalence of male sexual victimization (Brochman, 1991;Finkelhor, 2008;Tewksbury, 2007a;Walrath et al, 2003). This lack of disclosure of one's sexual victimization is crucial.…”

Same-sex child molestation within the Boy Scouts of America initiation and termination in victim narratives.

“…When children are victims of sexual violence, the impact of victimization is recognized as a significant individual and social problem (Hanson et al, 1993). In the case of male victims of sexual abuse, they frequently displayed aggressive and disruptive behaviors in an effort to overcome the powerlessness and shame they had sustained as a result of their unwanted victimization and subsequent trauma (Hepburn, 1995;Scarce, 2001;Tewksbury, 2007;Weiss, 2010).…”