Male Victims of Sexual Assault

In discussions of sexual assault it is rarely acknowledged that men are often victims of sexual abuse. Male victims feel that the violence and humiliation suffered during a sexual attack threatens their personal and physical integrity, as do female victims, yet there are also differences in the male experience of sexual assault and the response to it. However, there has been little formal debate on the prevalence, characteristics, and consequences of male sexual assault. This important book opens the debate with reports from international experts in the field, including chapters on: homophobia and the cultural and historical background and attitudes to male sexual assault; sexual assault of male children and adolescents and of men in institutional settings; the trauma suffered by survivors of male rape and by men as co-survivors of female rape; and the treatment and legal recourse available to victims. The book brings together existing data, theoretical perspectives, and implications for future practice and policy.