A Qualitative Investigation of Service Providers’ Experiences Supporting Raped and Sexually Abused Men

Abstract

Substantial gaps remain in our understanding of the risks and barriers that exist for men affected by rape and sexual abuse. The present research utilized semi-structured interviews with 12 service providers from specialist organizations in the United Kingdom. An interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed three superordinate themes: (a) survivors’ needs for agency, safety, and control as functions of their masculinity; (b) the impact of rape myths and their challenge to therapeutic intervention; and (c) survivors’ expectations around reporting and the police. The role of masculinity and social stigma permeated participants’ accounts, with negative stereotypes and male rape myths influencing reporting, access to services, and survivors’ coping mechanisms. Results are discussed in relation to current service provision within the United Kingdom, and avenues for improvement are suggested.

‘We don’t talk about that around here’: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of South Asian men’s experiences of sexual violence in the UK

“…Questions and con ict around self-protections and duty towards potential future victims resonated with the accounts of many male rape survivors (2), emphasising the disempowerment felt by survivors in pursuing justice. While entering the criminal justice system often represent a gateway to specialist support (65), frustration and regret reported by participants re ected evidence of institutional betrayal trauma (66) often reported by service organisation who support men with lived experiences of abuse (50). On accessing professional support, stigma previously highlighted within South Asian communities on mental health inevitably constituted a barrier for survivors in this study, who struggled to balance familial pressures, cultural values and mental health needs.…”

“…The ndings of this study highlight how familial pressures and expectations create barriers for disclosure in South Asian communities as survivors fear being seen and treated as failures from their families. It is important to note how decisions around disclosure often come with deep self-evaluative emotions, including guilt, shame, and self-blame (2) which have been linked with decreasing the likelihood of survivors accessing appropriate care (50). More broadly, suppression of trauma symptoms is associated with poorer mental health outcomes (51), thus highlighting how self-censoring that is informed by established cultural dynamics leaves male survivors in South Asian communities feeling more vulnerable.…”

“…In line with this research, strict prohibitions on open discussions of sexuality meant many survivors struggled to disclose their experiences and access support (58). Feelings of shame and stigma are known to hinder male rape survivors from recognising their victimization as such (2,50). Similarly, masculine expectations around masculine resilience and stoicism (59, 60) meant that mental health needs were often dismissed or stigmatized.…”

The role of the dark triad and emotion regulation in women’ sexual coercion: a social information processing perspective

“…In the field of sexual coercion research, it is common to focus on men as perpetrators and women as victims (Trottier et al , 2021; Widanaralalage et al , 2023). Prevalence rates can vary from 20% to 35% for women’s sexual victimisation and from 29% to 59% for men’s sexual perpetration (Trottier et al , 2021).…”

A qualitative exploration of the psychological needs of women survivors of rape in Iran

“…Further, recognizing rape as a violation of health and human rights necessitates attention and understanding of the needs of the survivors, based on which professional services are provided [ 13 ]. According to Widanaralalage et al, service providers’ experiences indicated that the role of masculinity and social stigma permeated participants’ accounts, with negative stereotypes and male rape myths influencing reporting, access to services, and survivors’ coping mechanisms [ 14 ]. Also, research has shown that 90% of rape survivors will be deprived of optimal services in the absence of structured care that can meet the needs of this population; thus, investigating and understanding the experiences and needs of survivors of rape is a prerequisite to providing them with high-quality services [ 15 ].…”