A Particular Case of the Possible

Abstract

Much of the literature on sexual abuse of males tends to emphasize the harmful effects of the abuse. ‘Deviants’ from assumed causal assessments do not seem to attract equal attention. Some abused males apparently manage remarkably well, even with a considerable amount of supposed risk factors in their history. This article explores how a man in his fifties appears to have managed to handle and make sense of highly complicated and difficult lived-through experiences during youth, including four years of sexual abuse. He is one of 15 men interviewed as part of a qualitative research project on sexually abused males. His story contains some surprising features and illustrates many aspects of sexual abuse otherwise dispersed throughout the entire research data. The article points in the direction of overcoming problems and hindrances, describes one possible solution, and hopefully contributes to the base of ‘non-tragic’ knowledge in the field of sexual abuse of males.

Against the wind: Male victimization and the ideal of manliness

“…This particularly applies in respect of abused men. This point is supported by experience from my own research and therapeutic work as well as descriptions in the mass media and reactions from external persons (Andersen, 2005(Andersen, , 2008b. The field of sexual abuse is constructed as an arena for 'others', unusual and special.…”

“…The point here is that a man is unable to be an abuse victim, irrespective of the sex of the abuser (Lew, 2004). The victim position is, so to speak, occupied or feminized (Andersen, 2005; Mendel, 1995). Sexual assault against men 6 exemplifies the Janus face of the male ideal.…”