The effects of sexual assault on men: a survey of 22 victims

Victim Sexual Arousal During Nonconsensual Sex: A Scoping Review

Sexual arousal in male and female victims during nonconsensual sex is an understudied phenomenon with many potential psychological, clinical, and legal implications for survivors. The aim of this scoping review was to assess the literature to determine whether we could estimate the frequency and circumstances of physiological sexual arousal (e.g., erection, lubrication, ejaculation, orgasm) among victims during nonconsensual sex. Six reference database and hand searches led to the screening of 13,894 articles and other reports. Eight articles and one book published between 1977 and 2019 included relevant data from 136 male survivors and 250 female survivors. Results confirmed that physiological sexual arousal (only genital responses were mentioned) can occur in both male and female victims during nonconsensual sex. The frequency of these responses could not be determined because of the widely different methodologies used. In addition, it was not possible to determine the circumstances in which victim sexual arousal was more likely to occur although some were inferred. The results of the scoping review highlight that physiological sexual arousal during nonconsensual sex does occur for victims but has not been studied systematically. There is a clear need to properly assess the type, circumstances, consequences, and frequency of sexual arousal during nonconsensual sex in large and diverse populations of male and female survivors.

Male Victims of Sexual Assault: A Review of the Literature

Compared to female rape victims, the literature addressing male rape victims remains a growing area of interest for counselors and scholars. This article aims to review the growing literature on male sexual assault victims. Specifically, the review will examine the literature on male victims of sexual assault in nine sections: (a) an overview of male sexual assault, (b) male rape myths, (c) prevalence, (d) responses to male victimization, (e) populations and perpetrators of male victimization, (f) risk factors, (g) reporting, (h) the impact of sexual assault on men, (i) help-seeking, and (j) implications for counseling. Empirical studies, case reports, and books are included in the review.

Prevalence of Sexual Victimization Among Female and Male College Students: A Methodological Note With Data

This study provides insight on how sample recruitment methods may affect reported rates of sexual victimization on college campuses. The study compares sexual victimization rates among students who complete surveys after initial requests with those who complete them only after multiple reminders. Using probability sampling methods, undergraduate students from 12 universities were invited to complete a survey on campus violence; initial invitations were followed with up to five reminders. Women (n = 1,008) and men (n = 344) who completed surveys were categorized as early, middle, or late responders based on the number of reminders required to convert them from non-responders to responders. About 24.2% of women and 15.6% of men reported sexual victimization in the previous two months. In initial analyses, female early and late responders did not differ on sexual victimization, but males did. Male late responders reported higher rates of sexual victimization than early responders. In sensitivity analyses that re-defined early and late responders, women who were early responders reported more sexual victimization than women who were late responders, while men who were early responders reported less sexual victimization than men who were late responders. These findings suggest that researchers may underestimate sexual victimization rates for male college students unless multiple attempts are made to solicit their participation. Researchers are encouraged to utilize multiple reminders to increase research participation.

A Phenomenological Case Study of Blind Male Masseuses Experiencing Sexual Assault: Implication for Nursing Practice

BACKGROUND: Having experience of sexual assault may bring a great impact on the lives of blind male masseuses. However, a deep understanding of the consequences is currently still not largely explored. AIM: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of sexual assault and the consequences of sexual assaults incidents which occurred in the lives of blind male masseuses. METHODS: This study used a phenomenological case study design. Interviews were conducted with nine blind male masseuses who had experienced sexual assault while carrying out their profession in Semarang city, Indonesia. The data were analyzed using Giorgi analysis. RESULTS: The experience of being sexually assaulted disrupts almost all of the participants’ lives for a relatively long period of time, and even it is still felt at the present. To release and reduce the fear and trauma caused by sexual assault, the participants consciously drew themselves closer to God as the main thing to do. A prayer to God to be protected from being the victim of sexual assault is a participant’s devotion while carrying out their worship ritual. Talking to other blind masseuses also helps them to find the solutions needed to rebuild their lives. However, the participants tend to feel ashamed and reluctant to convey how such sexual assault has affected their lives to present time. CONCLUSION: Even though the participants have adapted and rebuilt their lives, the residue of sexual assault impact is still felt and remains for a long time. Self-protection training and assistive devices for blind masseuses to prevent the recurrence of sexual assault are significantly important and should be considered to be implemented by nurses.

"Men Cannot Be Raped": Correlates of Male Rape Myth Acceptance

Despite the increased attention surrounding rape and sexual assault, research on male victims remains limited, particularly concerning the adherence to rape myths. Rape myths, which are false beliefs that are widely accepted, contribute to the justification and normalization of sexual violence by offenders and focus on the actions and behavior of victims while minimizing the harm. Addressing the gaps in the research, the present study examines how demographics, personal experiences with rape (i.e., being or knowing a survivor), and belief systems relate to rape myth adherence for male victims. The sample consisted of 1,220 adults in the United States who completed an online survey via Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). The number of myths endorsed ranged from 0 to 21 with a mean of 4.1 (SD = 4.7). In the final model of the hierarchical regression, results indicate rape myth acceptance was positively associated with individuals who were male, older, and more likely to believe males falsely report rapes to law enforcement at a high rate. Of the gender and sexuality attitudinal scales, individuals who adhered to female rape myths, held negative attitudes toward homosexuals, accepted traditional sexual double standards, and believed in traditional social gender roles were more likely to adhere to male rape myths. Findings demonstrate that rape myths operate similarly for male and female victims. Sexual assault programming and interventions need to address that males can be victims of sexual violence and the myths associated with male victimization in addition to generally challenging the adverse belief systems that serve as the foundation for rape myths generally.

"I Feel Permanently Traumatized By It": Physical and Emotional Impacts Reported by Men Forced to Penetrate Women in the United Kingdom

This article reports findings from the first empirical study in the United Kingdom on forced-to-penetrate cases, where a man is forced to penetrate a woman either orally, vaginally, or anally with his penis and without his consent. Using an online survey, data were collected in relation to the physical and emotional impacts experienced by 154 men following their most recent forced-to-penetrate experience. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through the use of closed and open-ended survey questions, where participants were asked about the context and circumstances of their most recent experience and whether they had suffered any physical injuries. A unipolar scale was used to measure the emotional impact on participants, with an open-ended follow-up question gathering qualitative data. The majority of participants did not report suffering physical injuries, but those that did suffered injuries to their genitalia and upper bodies. Participants most frequently indicated that their most recent forced-to-penetrate experience had had a severe negative emotional impact on them. Negative emotional impacts disclosed by participants were complex, ranging from anxiety and depression, to self-harm and suicidal thoughts and attempts. Quantitative analysis highlighted that when certain variables were present, participants more frequently reported physical injuries, as well as higher average levels of emotional harm. The findings from the study challenge existing understandings of masculinity and rigid sex and gender roles, which assume that men will always consent to sexual activity with a woman and that they cannot or do not experience emotional or physical harms at the hands of a woman. The findings are also considered in relation their implications for law and legal discourse, where evidence of harm is used as a justification for the criminalisation of certain behaviors and the severity of the legal response through sentencing.

Development and validation of the Male Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (MRMAS)

Despite growing recognition of male-on-male rape and its related myths, research in this area has been held back by the lack of a reliable and comprehensive measure or scale. The present work utilises a large and diverse participant sample over two studies (Study 1 N = 510, Study 2 N = 527) to validate a new Male Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (MRMAS), measuring myths falling under six principle themes: masculinity, sexuality, pleasure, perpetrators, context, and effect. Analysis suggested a two-factor scale, with ‘Blame’ and ‘Minimisation/Exoneration’ sub-scales. Both the overall scale and sub-scales demonstrate excellent reliability and construct validity, and are thus proposed as tools to enable the proliferation of future research on male rape myth acceptance, both in general and specialist populations, in an attempt to improve the experiences of male rape victims.

Person- and Incident-Level Predictors of Blame, Disclosure, and Reporting to Authorities in Rape Scenarios

Rapes perpetrated during college are both common and underreported. Research highlights that several person- and incident-level factors relating to gender and sexuality may diminish reporting, by themselves and as they pertain to attributions of blame for the assault. In this study, male and female college students (N = 916) read vignettes describing a rape perpetrated by a man against a woman, a man against a man, or a woman against a man. Participants rated the blameworthiness of both perpetrator and victim and rated the likelihood that they would disclose the rape to social ties or health services or report it to authorities if they were in the victim's position. We found that male gender and heterosexual orientation predicted higher victim blame, lower perpetrator blame, and lower likelihood of disclosure, although relative endorsement of masculine gender ideology seemed to be driving these associations, as well as predicted lower likelihood of reporting to authorities. Controlling for other factors, vignettes portraying a woman raping a man led to a lower likelihood of disclosing or reporting the assault, compared with a male-on-female rape. We also found that the effects of female-on-male rape and traditional masculine ideologies tied to rape disclosure partially by decreasing blame to the perpetrator, which itself carried a unique influence on decisions to report. Our findings overall indicate that factors related to gender, sexuality, and blame have myriad influences and may contribute to low rates of disclosing rape to important outlets.

"They destroyed my life because I do not feel like a man anymore": An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Men's lived experiences of rape victimization

Over the past three decades, rape victimization has been regarded as a women-only issue, with men regarded as the only offenders. This has resulted in a narrow-focused approach in addressing this scourge where men who could be primary victims are marginalized. This marginalization has also occurred in research, resulting in the paucity of literature on men's experiences of rape victimization in South Africa and globally. The main aim of the study was to explore, analyze and interpret men's lived experiences of rape victimization and the meaning they attached to such experiences. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis research design was used to collect and analyze data from a purposive sample of 11 participants, using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The findings of the study revealed eight superordinate themes and related subordinate themes as follows: unexpected overpowering experience, forceful sexual violations, rape as torture, intense emotions attached to being raped, rape as a permanent emotional scar, negative perceptions of self, rape as something being taken away, and rape as divine punishment. The findings highlight the experiences and meanings which men attach to being raped, thus demonstrating the need to develop men-specific post-rape care management guidelines to support and care for men who are rape victims.

Alcohol Expectancy, Drinking Behavior, and Sexual Victimization Among Female and Male College Students

College students have high rates of heavy drinking, and this dangerous behavior is strongly linked to sexual victimization. Although research has examined risk factors for sexual assault, few studies have simultaneously studied the various pathways through which risks may affect sexual assault and how these pathways may be uniquely different among females and males. As such, the current study uses path analyses to examine whether alcohol expectancies mediate the relationship between social factors (e.g., hooking up, amount friends drink) and drinking behavior and experiencing sexual victimization, and whether drinking behavior mediates the relationship between alcohol expectancies and sexual victimization among a college sample of 704 males and females from a large Midwestern university. For both females and males, sexual victimization was positively associated with child sexual abuse, hooking up more often, and heavier drinking, whereas greater alcohol expectancies were associated with sexual victimization only for females. Several mediating pathways were found for both females and males. Gender comparisons revealed that some of the pathways to sexual victimization such as hooking up, amount friends drink, and housing type operated differently for females and males.

Police responses to, and attitudes towards, male rape

This article critically examines how the police respond to, and deal with, male rape victims. It also explores male rape victims’ experiences of the police. This is an issue that has been hugely overlooked in the growing literature on the treatment of sexual offences in the criminal justice system; that is, the treatment of adult male sexual assault and male rape complainants by police officers. To fill this gap in the literature, this article will explore findings from empirical studies of police attitudes alongside an increasing amount of research that has examined the experiences of male rape victims. This article also explores social attitudes to male rape victims and the different ways wherein such attitudes influence the police responses to male rape victims. Moreover, this article recognises three barriers to the recognition of male rape: police statistics; the under-reporting of male rape; and the masculine police subculture and policing homosexuality. Finally, the article concludes by considering potential strategies for improving the treatment of male rape victims in England and Wales.

The sexual victimization of men in America: new data challenge old assumptions

We assessed 12-month prevalence and incidence data on sexual victimization in 5 federal surveys that the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted independently in 2010 through 2012. We used these data to examine the prevailing assumption that men rarely experience sexual victimization. We concluded that federal surveys detect a high prevalence of sexual victimization among men-in many circumstances similar to the prevalence found among women. We identified factors that perpetuate misperceptions about men's sexual victimization: reliance on traditional gender stereotypes, outdated and inconsistent definitions, and methodological sampling biases that exclude inmates. We recommend changes that move beyond regressive gender assumptions, which can harm both women and men.

Sexual assault as a crime against young people

Evidence based on almost 300,000 sexual assaults from the National Incident-Based Reporting System showed that the modal age of victims was 15 years, regardless of the age of the offender, the gender of the offender, or the gender of the victim. We suggest that adolescents have the highest risk of victimization because of their sexual attractiveness, vulnerability, and exposure to motivated offenders. As a result of these factors, sexual assault is as much an offense against young people as it is against women. The sexual attractiveness of young people also has implications for the age of offenders. Older men have much higher rates of offending than one would expect, given the age-desistance relationship. Thus, we found that older men have much higher rates of sexual assault than physical assault. Finally, evidence suggested that homosexual men were at least as likely as heterosexual men to commit sexual assault. The pattern suggests that the tendency for sexual assaults to involve male offenders and female victims reflects male sexuality rather than attitudes toward women.

Men victim of sexual assault of concern into the first Emergency Medical Unit for Victims of Assaults in France

Although it accounts for only a small part of activity in the field of victimology, the provision of support for male victims of sexual assault is regularly discussed in the literature. Authors, English-speaking for the most part, all agree that this phenomenon has been largely underestimated, owing to the stigmatization victims suffer after the facts have been disclosed. The same authors agree that this type of assault is far from being inconsequential, from both a physical and a psychological perspective. The following retrospective and descriptive study, conducted at the Bordeaux CHU (Bordeaux University Hospital), aims to draw a comparison between the distinctive characteristics of male sexual assault victims treated at the CAUVA (Centre d'Accueil en Urgence des Victimes d'Agression - Emergency Medical Unit for Victims of Assaults) on the one hand, and, on the other hand, those identified in the existing scientific literature. The victims are predominantly young men, unconnected with their attackers, and more often than not the attacks take place on the public highway. Forensic treatment is provided within the seven days following the assault, which raises the question of the assessment of infection risks, including HIV transmission. Most of the time, the victims will not undergo a full psychological appraisal, though authors are unanimous that such assaults do indeed have heavy repercussions. Improving our services for such victims will require suitable training for staff, covering initial reception, general assessment and the drafting of the forensic medical report, as well as encouragement to lodge a complaint. This process should give priority to multidisciplinary centers, especially dedicated to shelter-providing, information, counseling and victim support. This will also entail information and awareness campaigns for the general population, and the homosexual community in particular. Finally, we should not be afraid to envisage an investigation into this subject at an international level.

Examining the relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, victim blame, homophobia, gender roles, and ambivalent sexism

The relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, attitudes toward gay men, a series of gender role and sexism measures, victim blame and assault severity were investigated. It was predicted that men would display more negative, stereotypical attitudes than women and that male rape myth endorsement would be related to, and predicted by, the other attitude and attribution scales. Respondents comprised 323 undergraduates (146 males and 177 females) from a large University in the Northwest of England. Results broadly conformed to predictions, with men generally more negative than women, and male rape myth acceptance significantly related to female rape myth acceptance, negative attitudes about gay men, gender role attitudes, and victim blame. Furthermore, male rape myth acceptance was predicted by female rape myth acceptance, gender attitudes, and victim blame. Methodological issues and implications for future work and those working with victims are discussed.

Undergraduate students' attributions of depicted adult-adolescent and adolescent-adolescent sexual interactions

The grayest areas of defining child sexual abuse appear to involve the age and sex of the individuals involved, resulting in a potential for different attributions regarding child sexual abuse across individuals. As a result, this study examines the responses of 262 male and female college student participants after viewing a series of hypothetical sexual abuse vignettes that depicted a 15-year-old victim that neither resisted nor encouraged the advances of a 15-, 25-, or 35-year-old perpetrator's actions. Gender roles and sexual attitudes were examined as potentially important covariates. Using a series of analyses of covariance, female participants gave more pro-victim ratings than male participants, and younger perpetrators were viewed less negatively than older perpetrators. Gender roles and sexual attitudes served as significant covariates. These findings emphasized the need to educate individuals about child sexual abuse and unwanted sexual contact involving individuals under the age of consent.

Male sexual assault and rape: who seeks counseling?

This work rests on responses from 219 male sexual assault and rape victims who self-reported their victimization in the 1994-1996 Violence and Threats of Violence Against Women and Men in the United States survey. The authors expected that men who reported being severely assaulted would be more likely than others to seek counseling. They defined severely assaulted as having been penetrated, assaulted with a weapon, threatened, self-reported sustaining physical injuries, sought medical care, and/or reported the assault to the police. However, in their logistic model that explores who sought counseling, only one variable was significant. The odds of seeking counseling for men who reported being penetrated had significantly lower odds of seeking counseling all else equal.

Prevalence and consequences of adult sexual assault of men: review of empirical findings and state of the literature

Male victims of adult sexual assault (ASA) are understudied as compared with female victims. Further, commonly-held myths about sexual assault suggest that men cannot be victims or that, if men are victims, they are relatively physically and emotionally unharmed by sexual assault. The goal of this paper was to systematically review the empirical literature on ASA among men to evaluate the veracity of these myths. This paper also sought to examine the methodological quality of the body of research in this area, identify limitations and gaps in the current literature, and suggest directions for future research. Eighty-seven relevant studies were identified through a systematic review of the literature. The reported prevalence of men's sexual aggression varied widely depending on the methods used and the population studied; some populations (e.g., veterans, prison inmates, and gay and bisexual men) reported higher rates of ASA than men in the general population. Few studies have systematically examined the consequences of male ASA; however, those that have suggest that ASA can have notable adverse physical and psychological consequences for some men.

Adverse health outcomes, perpetrator characteristics, and sexual violence victimization among U.S. adult males

In the United States, an estimated three million men are victims of sexual violence each year, yet the majority of existing studies have evaluated the consequences and characteristics of victimization among women alone. The result has been a gap in the existing literature examining the physical and psychological consequences of sexual assault among men. The main objective of this study was to identify health outcomes, risk behaviors, and perpetrator/victim relationship characteristics among men who have experienced an attempted or completed sexual assault using data from the sexual violence module of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. A total of 59,511 male respondents participated in the sexual violence module, and the majority of participants were White (73.7%), between the ages of 35 to 44 years (19.8%), married (69.0%), graduated from college (34.6%), and had an annual household income of more than US$50,000 (49.9%). Stratified multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to test the associations between victimization and health outcomes and risk behaviors controlling for age, marital status, race/ethnicity, income, education, and other potential confounders. Results of these analyses suggest important associations between health and sexual violence victimization. Specifically, men who reported unwanted attempted intercourse and attempted and completed intercourse were more likely to report poor mental health, poor life satisfaction, activity limitations, and lower emotional and social support. The current study extends knowledge of consequences of male sexual violence by considering characteristics of sexual assault and by identifying associations between victimization and a broad range of health indicators.

Male rape myths: the role of gender, violence, and sexism

This study investigates the structure of Struckman-Johnson and Struckman-Johnson's Male Rape Myth Scale, examines gender differences in rape myth acceptance, and explores the underlying ideologies that facilitate male rape myth acceptance. A three-factor model, with rape myths regarding Trauma, Blame, and Denial as separate subscales, is the best fitting solution. However, the results indicate that additional scale development and validity tests are necessary. In exploratory analyses, men are more accepting of male rape myths than are women. Benevolent sexism toward men and acceptance of interpersonal violence are strong predictors of male rape myth acceptance for both men and women. Thus, the attitudes that facilitate rape myth acceptance against men appear to be similar to those that facilitate rape myth acceptance against women. Suggestions for future scale development are outlined and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Effects of Perpetrator Gender and Victim Sexuality on Blame Toward Male Victims of Sexual Assault

Most researchers who have investigated attributions of blame toward victims in sexual-assault depictions have considered only female victims of male perpetrators. Few researchers have investigated the effects of perpetrator gender or victim sexual orientation on blame attributions toward male victims. The present authors investigated those two variables. Participants were 161 undergraduates at a British university in social science courses, each of whom read one scenario of a set in which perpetrator gender and victim sexual orientation were varied between subjects, and who completed a questionnaire measuring their blame toward the victim and the perpetrator. The present results showed that male participants blamed the victim more if a person of the gender that he was normally attracted to assaulted him. Male participants also regarded the female perpetrator in more favorable terms than they did the male perpetrator regardless of the victim's sexual orientation. The authors discussed the present results in relation to gender role stereotypes.

Effects of male rape on psychological functioning

BACKGROUND

Since the 1970s there has been a wealth of literature on the effects of rape on women. However, the study of the effects of male rape is still in its infancy. The aim of this study was investigate the psychological functioning of 40 British male rape survivors, and compare their level of functioning with that of a matched control group.

METHODS

Participants, recruited through national advertising in the British press, completed a series of questionnaires, measuring psychological functioning, assumptions about the world, self-esteem, and (survivors only) PTSD-related intrusion and avoidance.

RESULTS

The male rape group had much poorer psychological functioning than the controls, lower self-worth, and lower self-esteem. Most survivors reported high levels of intrusive thoughts and avoidance in relation to the assault. Logistic regression showed that lack of treatment after the assault predicted suicide attempts.

CONCLUSIONS

Results are discussed in relation to treatment issues for male rape survivors.

Effects of rape on men: a descriptive analysis

Previous studies of the effects of rape on men have focused mainly on clinical populations. This study extended current research by investigating the effects of rape on a non-clinical sample of men recruited from the general population by media advertising. A total of 40 male rape victims were asked to provide details of their assaults, levels of psychological disturbance, long-term effects, and reporting issues. Results revealed that most assaults had been carried out using physical or violent force, in a variety of different circumstances. All of the victims reported some form of psychological disturbance as a result of being raped. Long-term effects included anxiety, depression, increased feelings of anger and vulnerability, loss of self-image, emotional distancing, self-blame, and self-harming behaviors. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research in the area and perceptions of rape.

Stranger and acquaintance sexual assault of adult males

This study examined victim and assault characteristics and the nature and extent of coercion, violence, and physical injuries among adult male victims of sexual assaults. Client records of three groups presenting to a sexual assault care center were included: males assaulted by a stranger (n = 64), males assaulted by an acquaintance (n = 81), and females assaulted by an acquaintance (n = 106). Study results revealed that male victims of sexual assault tended to be young, single men who reported high rates of vulnerabilities such as homelessness and physical, psychiatric, and cognitive disabilities. Male stranger assailant victims were more likely to experience assaults involving weapons and physical violence. Injuries sustained by victims and services delivered at the sexual assault care center were similar for both male and female clients. The results of this study reveal new information about violence in male sexual assaults and the vulnerability of the male victims.

Sexual assault of men: American research supports studies from the UK

Incident reports and prevalence research on sexual assault, conducted in the United States, indicate that men may be at greater risk from sexual victimization than previously realized. These studies support the efforts of mental health professionals in the United Kingdom who have argued that sexual assault of men is an underreported crime which can result in significant biopsychosocial dysfunction. Given the increasing evidence that men are victims of sex crimes, future research studies on the prevalence of sexual assault should include adult males in their samples.

Same-sex rape of male college students

Rape of men by other men is a widely neglected yet increasingly recognized form of sexual assault. Information on same-sex rape involving men is frequently absent in campus rape education and prevention programming because the general public and popular culture have traditionally viewed rape in a context of violence against women. Available medical and psychological literature indicates the need for expanded prevention, treatment, and research dealing with men who rape other men. Several initiatives in the areas of curriculum infusion, support, services, training, and public policy for addressing same-sex rape of men in campus communities are offered.

The prevalence of sexual assault in a genitourinary medicine clinic: service implications

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of sexual assault amongst patients attending a department of genitourinary medicine and to investigate the circumstances of the assault.

SETTING AND SUBJECTS

The Department of Genitourinary Medicine (GUM), St. Mary's Hospital, London. All patients attending the walk-in GUM Clinic over a fixed time period were invited to take part in the study.

METHODS

Patients were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire designed by the investigators.

RESULTS

351 (209 women, 142 male) usable questionnaires were returned of 370 distributed. Seventy five persons (21.4%) reported sexual assault: 59 (28.2%) women and 16 (11.3%) men. The incident occurred more than three months before presentation in the majority of persons studied (93%). Twenty one per cent reported the assault to the police, and 34% attended for medical screening. For those who did attend for medical screening, 61% informed their doctor of the assault. The main reason for non-reporting to police and medical staff was "a wish to forget". Counselling was sought by 24% after the sexual assault.

CONCLUSIONS

A past history of sexual assault is common amongst GUM clinic attenders, more often disclosed amongst women. Reporting both to police and medical services is low. Clinicians need to be sensitive to the fact that a significant proportion of patients attending GUM services may have been sexually assaulted either in the present or the past and the impact that this may have on health care usage. GUM clinics maybe ideally placed to provide medical and psychological support to these individuals.

Prior sexual assault reported by male attenders at a department of genitourinary medicine

One-hundred-and-fifty male patients who attended the department of genitourinary medicine (GUM) completed a questionnaire which enquired into a past history of sexual assault and asked certain details about the assault and various sequelae of such an experience. Twenty-one men gave a history of sexual assault, 11 of whom had been abused before the age of 16, 7 afterwards and 3 in both age groups. Victims of such an assault were more likely to be homosexual or bisexual than heterosexual. The substantial majority i.e. 104 (81%) of the 129 patients who had not been assaulted in the past had been brought up by both natural parents. However, of the 21 males who reported a history of previous sexual abuse only 11 (52%) had been raised by both natural parents alone and 9 of the remaining 10 who divulged such information had been brought up in other circumstances. The association between not being raised entirely by both natural parents and a history of previous sexual assault was significant (P < 0.01). Overall, physical contact of a sexual nature was the most commonly reported type of abuse, followed by anal and then by oral penetration. All of the perpetrators of assault were male except in one instance. Only 3 cases of assault were reported to the police or other agencies. Those who had been abused as minors were more likely to acknowledge subsequent psychological difficulties and to have obtained professional counselling. This problem is a significant one which goes largely undetected in GUM departments and elsewhere.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Gay men as victims of nonconsensual sex

Incidents of nonconsensual sexual activity among 930 homosexually active men living in England and Wales are analyzed. Of these men, 27.6% said they had been sexually assaulted or had sex against their will at some point in their lives; one third had been forced into sexual activity (usually anal intercourse) by men with whom they had previously had, or were currently having, consensual sexual activity. The contention that male rape is usually committed by heterosexually identified men, primarily as an expression of power and control, is not supported. Recognition that gay men rape other gay men is needed, both by the gay community and support services for victims.

Psychiatric morbidity in bus crews following violent assault: a follow-up study

In a prospective study 22 bus crews who were victims of physical assault were assessed using standardized psychiatric instruments, followed up for 18 months and compared to a non-assaulted control group drawn from the same bus garage. At initial assessment the assaulted group, compared to the controls showed a significant increase in psychiatric impairment and distress (as measured by the GHQ-30 and IES respectively), with 23% of assault victims developing post-traumatic stress disorder as defined by DSM-III-R. At follow-up, while high levels of both psychiatric impairment and distress persisted there was evidence that they may be separate phenomena.

Sexual assault on men

Epidemiological data in 13 cases of sexual assault on men who attended a sexual assault referral centre are presented. All the assailants were male. The sexual orientation of the victims was predominantly heterosexual (7 of 13), 3 considered themselves to be homosexual and 3 were confused about their sexual orientation. The average age at the time of assault was 21.6 years. The most common form of assault was anal intercourse which occurred in 8 cases, followed by forced oral penetration which occurred in 6 cases. The proportion of known:unknown assailants (8:5) shows similar characteristics to those seen in female rape, use of weapons and multiple assailants were more common in assault on men. Seven men (54%) developed psychological problems following assault, and this was their main reason for presentation to the centre.

Adult male victims of sexual assault: an underdiagnosed condition

The records of 28 male victims of sexual assault were analysed retrospectively. The mean age at time of assault was 21.7 years and the mean number of assailants was 2.8. Sixteen victims (57%) reported skin or mucosal damage and 25 (89%) sustained penetrative anal intercourse. The threat of transmission of HIV was used by the assailant in 16 cases and sexually transmitted diseases, presumed consequent upon the attack, were found in 5 (18%). These observations suggest that male victims of sexual assault may be at particular risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and that efforts should be made to encourage them to come forward for help.