Male sexual assault: Men feel traumatised, just like women

We usually hear troubling stories of women who have suffered sexual assault. However, contrary to popular perception, this is a burning problem faced by men as well.

The new findings, published in the journal Women & Criminal Justice, challenge a sociological theory that explains that men are more likely to respond to sexual assault with anger and by engaging in criminal activity. The study involved a sample size of 11,860 adults in the US, 5,922 men and 5,938 women, obtained from the National Violence Against Women Survey’s database.

The researchers found that all victims of sexual assault had higher depression scores than individuals who have had not experienced sexual assault in their lifetime.

Men make up about 38% of sexual assault and rape incidents reported, and those in the military are particularly vulnerable and more unlikely to report an assault.

The researchers suspect that it is possible that men may even experience depression more than women because they do not have the social outlets and support systems available to women, and therefore may wind up internalising their feelings and emotions.“We must bring attention to an issue that impacts men equally, especially if we know that their negative emotional responses are treatable,” said Lisa Dario, Assistant Professor at Florida Atlantic University in the US.