Exploring the stigma around sexual abuse endured by men.

Male sexual assault is severely underreported as the victims fear that their sexual orientation might be questioned, or they might be perceived as less of a man after the disclosure. Many men don’t report out of fear of being labeled as weak for not being able to fight their predator. McElvaney’s 2013 review of disclosure studies showed that a large number of adults who were victims of childhood sexual abuse had never disclosed their experiences.

Gender codes permit the role of victimhood to females, which makes it more socially acceptable for women to name abuse and, therefore, more likely to disclose it. However, many abused men themselves may not label the acts of violence against them as abuse. To break the stigma and minimization of male sexual abuse, we have to deconstruct traditional gender stereotypes. Link to full article here.