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Mon 17 Mar, 2003 11:08 am
Male sexual assault more common than thought: study
Last Updated: 2003-03-17 10:00:09 -0400 (Reuters Health)
LONDON (Reuters) - Sexual assaults on men are more common than previously thought but victims often do not report them for fear of being considered weak or gay, psychologists said on Saturday.
In a survey of 158 men attending a sexual health clinic in north London, 21 (13.3 percent) admitted they had been sexually assaulted, but only six had reported the attack.
Other studies have suggested the percentage who bother to report rapes was closer to just three.
"We found rates of assault were higher than in other published research," said Erasmo Tacconelli of St. Ann's Sexual Health Centre.
He told a meeting of the British Psychological Society that men, as well as women, are forced into having unwanted sexual contact but few services are provided to help them deal with the assault.
Half of the 21 men had been assaulted before the age of 16 and 15 suffered from anxiety, depression and long-term relationship difficulties because of what happened to them.
Only two reported the assault to the police. Two others told their doctor, one confided in a friend and another in a family member. None of the men had received counselling.
"There should be a lot more awareness of where sex can be used abusively," said Tacconelli, who conducted the research with colleagues.
"All forms of sexual problems need more airing," he added. "A lot of people didn't report the attack for fear of being seen as gay or weak."
About 500 psychologists are attending the three-day meeting in the southern coastal city of Bournemouth.
Sexual assault is often a part of behavior of the schoolyard bullies. Unlike girls, boys being forced to deliver oral sex to their offenders tend to conceal this. It is not uncommon at all. I personally know several people that studied in the same high school with me 25-26 years ago and were coerced by straight bullies to doing such a thing. Teenagers that coerce their age peers or younger kids to be engaged in such homosexual activities usually are not gays themselves, they use it for ultimate humiliation of their victims.
It isn't only sexual assault. Many men have been physically abused by their wives, but are reluctant to admit it. I think that is because men, in our society, are supposed to be "strong", and not to show anything that might be perceived as weakness on their part.
I think that it is to be commended that sexual assaults on men are now being recognized. In the past, men had to bare this burden alone.
The scandal in the Catholic Church did much to expose the whole concept of sexual assault on men, and helped those who had been abused to come forward, after holding in a secret your years, maybe decades!
I knew women in my life that assaulted their husbands. One of them even stabbed and almost killed her husband. Keep in mind that these were not my friends and were just people I met through other people. Any kind of assault is horrifying to me and is inexcusable. If men are assaulted, they need to speak up even if it's a woman that has assaulted them.
Phoenix:
Did you mean "bear this burden"? Interesting slip.
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