Sexual Assault of
Males
What Is It?
The sexual assault of a male is
forcing a man or boy into sexual acts. Sexual assault may involve touching,
fondling, contact between the mouth and either the victim's or the abuser's
private parts (genital area), and putting body parts or other objects inside the
victim's body. Sexual assault is an act that is done to the victim or that the
victim is forced to do with someone else. Every state has laws against sexual
assault, whether the victim is male or female.
Who Commits Male Rape?
Most perpetrators of male rape
(those who commit the crime) are male. But men and boys can be victimized by
females, too. Some victims are hurt by strangers. But most are assaulted by
someone they know: family, friends, romantic partners, acquaintances, or dates.
How Do Rapists Control
Victims?
Rapists don't always use physical
force or weapons to commit the crime. They may threaten to hurt victims or
someone they care about if victims do not cooperate. They may isolate them (take
them to a place where there are no other people who might help victims). Or they
may give the victims alcohol or drugs so they have trouble protecting
themselves.
How Does Sexual Assault Affect Male
Victims?
Victims react to the crime in many
different ways. They may not tell anyone about what happened. They may be
ashamed or afraid of what people might think. Or they may blame themselves or
think they should have been able to protect themselves. They may think the
police might not believe them or take the assault seriously.
Some male sexual assault victims
are concerned because they had a physical response or arousal during the attack.
This does not mean that they enjoyed what happened or wanted to be attacked.
Sexual assault is forced on the victim without his
consent.
Some victims wonder why the rapist
chose them. Both straight and gay men may fear they were targeted because the
rapist thought they were gay. They may not know that sexual assault often has
little to do with the sexual orientation of the rapist or the victim. Rapists
may choose victims simply because they are available, without concern for sexual
orientation, gender, or age.
If You Are a
Victim
How You May Feel: You may feel angry, anxious,
scared, or depressed. You may feel guilty or ashamed and not want to talk to
anyone. You may find you have trouble sleeping or eating-or that you want to
sleep and eat all the time. You might have flashbacks of the assault or have a
hard time concentrating. Or you may have none of these
feelings.
Common Injuries: You may have bruises, cuts, and
soreness in your genital area or any part of your body that the rapist had
contact with. You may feel nauseated.
Or you may have no physical
injuries, as far as you can tell. However, you may have been exposed to sexually
transmitted diseases that might surface later on.
Decisions
to Consider:
·
Medical Care: Will you seek medical care to treat your injuries and be
tested and treated for sexually transmitted diseases? You may want to seek such
help, even if you decide not to report the crime.
·
Counseling: Will you deal with your feelings privately or seek the help
of a trained professional? Counseling can help you cope with the emotional and
physical impact of the crime and regain a sense of control over your life.
·
Reporting the
Crime: Will you report the crime? If you
decide to file a report, timing is important. The sooner police know about the
crime, the more quickly physical evidence can be found. If the police request a
forensic exam (sometimes called
a rape kit), the exam can be done as soon as possible to collect
any physical evidence.
Resources
The best way to find out about
these options is to talk to a crime victim advocate. The National Crime Victim
Helpline (1-800-FYI-CALL) advocates can help you
think through these decisions and refer you to resources in your area where you
can get more help. Helpline services are free and confidential.
National Crime Victim Helpline
1-800-FYI-CALL
(1-800-394-2255)
1-800-211-7996
TTY
8:30 am – 8:30 pm EST
weekdays
Or visit: Help for Crime Victims: www.ncvc.org/victimassistance
All rights reserved.
Copyright
© 2008 by the
National
Center
for Victims of
Crime. This information may be freely distributed, provided that it is
distributed free of charge, reprinted in its entirety, and includes this
copyright
notice.