View the Sexual Harassment and Assault Happen to Males Too Power Topic

What’s Ahead

• Who are the victims?
• Who are the abusers?
• What is the prevalence of educator abuse?
• How are male and female sexual abuse and assault different?
• What is male sexual abuse, assault, and sexual harassment?
• Where does sexual abuse occur?
• What is hazing?
• Emotions and behaviors male survivors experience
• Social myths male survivors face
• Where male survivors can get help
• Continuing education in a supportive environment
• Discussion topics
• Dive deeper

Overview

In this presentation, “males” refers to children, adolescents, and adults — including cisgender heterosexual males, gay males, trans males, and gender-nonconforming people who identify as male.

This is a long presentation and may require two sessions to complete. You may wish to move quickly through the material and return for a second session.

We highly recommend watching Christopher Routenberg-Evans’s talk (6 minutes).

Who Are the Victims?

What do we know about sexual harassment and abuse of males?

• Sexual assault before age 16
  • At least 1 in 6 males experience physical sexual assault by age 16.
  • When non-contact abuse is included (such as exposure or pornography), the rate increases to 1 in 5.
• Average age of first abuse
  • The average age is 10 years old.
• Age range of first abuse
  • From infancy through late adolescence.

• Most research data focuses on heterosexual males.
• Transgender and nonbinary adolescents are twice as likely to experience sexual violence as their cisgender peers (see GLSEN’s 2021 National School Climate Survey ).
• Given these statistics, it is likely that at least one male friend you know has been sexually abused by age 16.

Who Are the Abusers?

• Male abusers
  • An estimated 50–75% of abusers are other males who identify as heterosexual.
  • Most know the victim but are not related.
  • Research shows gender-nonconforming people are less likely to commit sexual assault (see Trans Teens Less Likely to Commit Acts of Sexual Violence ).
  • Other abusers may include family members, peers, authority figures, or strangers.
• Female abuse of males
  • Rates are difficult to determine due to underreporting and cultural framing as “sexual initiation.”
  • See More female teachers caught having sex with students .

Prevalence of Educator Abuse

• At least 10% of students experience sexual harassment or assault by school employees before graduation.
• Learn more in A Case Study of K–12 School Employee Sexual Misconduct .
• Optional viewing: Pledge of Silence: Sex Abuse and Cover-Up in America’s Schools (22 minutes).

How Male and Female Sexual Assault Differ

According to the National Center for PTSD :

• Male victims are more often targeted by strangers or authority figures.
• Perpetrators of male assault are more likely to assault multiple victims.
• Most perpetrators of male sexual assault are heterosexual men.
• Assaults often occur in isolated locations where help is not readily available.

What Is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• Sexual gestures
• Sexual sounds
• Verbal statements of a sexual nature
• Sexual bullying
• Exposing genitals or breasts
• Exposing someone to pornography
• Sending sexual images
• Sextortion
• Disparaging remarks about sexuality or orientation
• And more

See also: Sexual Harassment Defined and Its Impact and What Is Sextortion? .

Primary Source

AZ Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence