Male Victims of Sexual Abuse

Male victims of sexual abuse constitute an extremely under-identified, under-served and frequently misunderstood population. Prevalence rates for males ranged from 3% - 29% (as cited in Barnett et al., 1997, p. 76¹).

Though sexual abuse is under-reported by both males and females, males are in a unique position. They are far less likely to disclose sexual abuse due to the issues identified in the table below.

Why Males Don't Disclose

A cultural bias maintains that males cannot be victims. Males are expected to be confident, knowledgeable, and aggressive. To be a victim means one is an inadequate male.   If the boy's body has responded sexually, he feels he is somehow responsible for the sexual abuse.   Male victims of sexual abuse struggle with issues of homosexuality as most offenders are male. Their homophobia plus their confusion and fear encourage silence. Not to mention the social stigma attached to homosexuality.   If a boy receives money for sex, he is less likely to be perceived as a victim.   If a boy has a homosexual orientation, he is often blamed for the "seduction" of the older male, instead of being acknowledged as a legitimate victim of sexual abuse.   Molestation by an older female is often viewed positively as a kind of "initiation rite" into manhood. Cultural pressure encourages participation while denying feelings.   Male victims of sexual abuse, more than female victims, may fear loss of freedom and independence if the sexual abuse should be made public.   Fear of reprisals from the offender plays a role in under-reporting.   When boys are victimized, they tend to be blamed more for their abuse and are viewed as less in need of care and support.   Boys fear negative judgment by family and friends.   Embarrassment and/or confusion prevent male victims of sexual abuse from disclosing.

Some Statistics on Male Victims of Sexual Abuse:

  Within the past few years, North American researchers have found that one out of six boys is a victim of sexual abuse (Dorais, 2002, p. 16²).

  Researchers surveyed 1,213 grade 6 - 8 students at Toronto area schools on whether they had been a victim of unwanted sex behaviours in the previous 6 weeks: 22% of males reported having been victimized (Blackwell, 2002³).

  Canadian estimates have shown that there are close to five million male victims of sexual abuse, most of which are unwanted sexual touching (Matthews, 1996, p. 15⁴).

  In a Los Angeles Times poll conducted in 1990 with 2,626 men and women over 18 years of age, Finkelhor and Associates (1990⁵) discovered that 16% of the men recalled a history of sexual abuse. The median age for these male victims was 9.9 years of age (as cited in Wiehe, 1998, p. 21⁶).

  According to Dorais (2002, p. 17⁷) two trends are evident in the existing statistics on male victims of sexual abuse:
  ¤  the more recent the research, the higher the incidence of abuse
  ¤  with growing awareness, more men seem willing to disclose

  In one study of 30 male victims of sexual abuse, the average age at the first time of abuse was 8 years, 4 months (Dorais, 2002, p. 184⁸).

  32% of (or an estimated 4,519) child sexual abuse investigations conducted with Social Services Agencies in Canada in 1998 involved males. 16% of these investigations involved boys in the 4 - 7 age group (Trocme et al., 2001, p. 65⁹).

If you're a kid and you've been traumatized by abuse, check out never_ever_your_fault.htm The website is a refreshing approach to help you with self-esteem and accountability issues.

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Sexual Abuse Victims pages on this site:

Sexual Abuse Victims	Male Victims
Female Victims	Victims with Disability
Sexual Abuse Disclosures

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Sexual Abuse pages on this site:

Sexual Abuse	Sexual Abuse Victims
Sexual Abuse Definition	Male Victims
Sexual Abuse Signs	Female Victims
Sexual Abuse Effects	Victims with Disability
Sexual Abuse Statistics	Sexual Abuse Disclosures

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Child abuse information pages on this site:

Abuse Headlines	History of Abuse
Sexual Abuse Signs	Child Abuse Stats
Sexual Abuse Effects	Emotional Abuse
Sexual Abuse Stats	Emotional Abuse Types
Sexual Abuse Victims	Emotional Abuse Signs
Male Victims	Emotional Abuse Effects
Female Victims	Bullying
Victims w/ Disability	Emotional Abuse Stats
Sexual Abuse Disclosures	Physical Abuse
Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Signs
Male Sex Offenders	Abuse & Discipline
Female Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Effects
Child Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Stats
Adolescent Sex Offenders	Child Neglect
Incestuous Sex Offenders	Child Neglect Signs
Internet Sex Offenders	Child Neglect Effects
Child Abuse Law	Child Neglect Stats
Age of Majority	Poverty & Neglect
Duty to Report	Sexual Abuse
Abuse Intervention	Sexual Abuse Defined
Abuse Prevention

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References

Male Victims of Sexual Abuse

1 Barnett, O., Miller, P., & Perrin, R. (1997). Family violence across the life span. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.

2 Dorais, M. (2002). Don't tell: The sexual abuse of boys. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press.

3 Blackwell, T. (2002, May). Academics see sex crimes in schoolyard. The National Post.

4 Matthews, F. (1996). The invisible boy: Revisioning the victimization of male children and teens. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence.

5 Finkelhor, D., Hotaling, G., Lewis, I., & Smith, C. (1990). Sexual abuse in a national survey of adult men and women: Prevalence , characteristics, and risk factors. Child Abuse & Neglect, 14(1), 19-28.

6 Wiehe, V. (1998). Understanding family violence: Treating and preventing partner, child, sibling and elder abuse. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.

7 & 8 Dorais, M. (2002). Don't tell: The sexual abuse of boys. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press.

9 Trocme, N. & MacLauren, B. et al. (2001). Canadian incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect: Final report. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Health Canada.

Back to Child Abuse Effects Homepage from this Male Victims of Sexual Abuse page

Last revised August 8, 2007