Sexual assault disturbs men and women equally
Men are often looked at only as perpetrators of sexual assaults. But what happens to those men who become victims of such assaults? These men feel just as emotionally traumatised and depressed as women do, reveals new research.
Sexual assault is unwanted sexual contact—including rape—and is a traumatising event linked to numerous mental health consequences associated with negative outcomes such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, fear, anxiety, alcohol dependence, use of illicit substances, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide.
While there is extensive research on the collateral consequences experienced by females, almost no re- search exists on how sexual violence affects adult, nonincarcerated males or how it affects them as compared to females.
The new findings, published in the journal Women and 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, while women are more likely to respond with depression and sadness.
However, the researchers found that all victims of sexual assault, irrespective of the gender had higher depression scores than individuals who have had not experienced sexual assault in their lifetime. IANS