Male Sexual Assault

Facts About Male Sexual Assault

• Sexual violence can and does happen to men.
• Men and boys are sexually assaulted and molested every day in the United States.
• Male sexual assault has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of either the victim or the offender. Rape is a crime motivated by a need to control, humiliate, and harm. It is not about an expression of sexuality
• Men and boys who have been sexually assaulted may have the same emotions and feelings as others who have been sexually assaulted but may experience additional challenges because of societal attitudes and beliefs about sexual violence and masculinity.
• Males sexually assaulted or abused by other males does not change a person’s sexual orientation.
• Counseling can be helpful with dealing with the emotional effects of sexual assault.
• Victim advocacy can help identify resources and reporting options in a confidential and compassionate manner.
• No matter the situation, the victim of sexual assault is not to be blamed for the choice another person made to commit the violation.

Dealing with Emotions

If you are the victim/survivor of sexual violence, you may be experiencing a range of emotions and feelings. Some common feelings and emotions may be, but not limited to, are:

• Denial
• Self-blame
• Shame
• Helplessness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Anger
• Fear
• Guilt
• Mood Swings
• Loneliness
• Social Withdrawl
• Flashbacks
• Nightmares
• Numbness
• Dislike of sex
• Difficulty with intimacy

These feelings and emotions can impact a man’s overall well-being. His sense of self may change as his “reality” has been disrupted.

He may withdraw from interpersonal relationships and feel completely alone. He may begin to question his overall identity of masculinity and feel that he is less of a man after the assault. Heterosexual men assaulted by other men may further question their sexual orientation and fear that the assault will somehow affect their sexual orientation and intimate relationships.

Relationships with others may be disrupted as the emotional turmoil unfolds and continues. Anger may lead to hostility toward others. Overwhelming emotions may lead to social isolation.

It is not only important, but it is okay to seek help. Dealing with the array of emotions and feelings experienced after an assault is difficult, but one does not have to deal with this alone.

Getting Help

It is not only important, but it is okay to seek help. Dealing with the array of emotions and feelings experienced after an assault is difficult, but one does not have to deal with this alone.

Some common stereotypes and myths about male sexual assault include:

• Men cannot be raped.
• Only gay men are raped.
• Men should be able to fight off any attack.
• Only men in prison get raped.
• Men don’t rape other men unless they are homosexual. Only gay men sexually abuse boys or rape other men.
• Men are not sexually assaulted by women.
• Men shouldn’t express emotions.
• Men enjoy all sex, so any sex (forced or not) is enjoyable
• Boys and men are less affected than girls and women when sexually abused.
• Boys who have been sexually abused are more likely to become perpetrators of sexual abuse when they grow up.
• When a heterosexual man is raped by another man, he is likely to become homosexual.