Sexual violence: INED shows how men are victims too, often at a very young age

Author: Lucie Wicky

Sexual violence against males, still an under-documented issue, mainly occurs during childhood and is generally committed by men known to their victims. In the latest issue of Population & Societies, Lucie Wicky, who completed her thesis at INED, uses data from the VIRAGE survey on violence and gender relations to analyse this type of abuse. Whether through family, school, or leisure activities, the perpetrators are usually people the victims know well and who hold a position of authority over them. This study provides specific details on the contexts, perpetrators, and repercussions of this violence.

Abuse mainly occurs in childhood
The VIRAGE survey reveals that 1.4% of men report having experienced sexual violence in the form of rape or sexual assault during their lifetime. Of these men, 80% were assaulted as minors, many under the age of 14 and a third of them under the age of 10. Unlike women, who are more exposed at adult ages, the sexual violence experienced by men is usually limited to a shorter period of their lifetime.

Perpetrators are male and familiar
In 83% of cases, the abusers are men. In the reported cases, more than 4 in 10 victims were assaulted by a member of their close family social circle, of which 16% were abused by a family member. The abuse is usually committed by a single person, but one-third of victims report multiple male perpetrators. While at younger ages abuse usually takes place within the family or close family social circle, in adolescence it is more likely to occur in a school environment, during leisure activities, or within a male friendship group.

Serious acts of violence, and perceived as such
Nearly half of men who have suffered violence from a family member report being raped, often on a recurrent basis. Almost two-thirds of male victims considered the sexual violence they experienced to be serious and traumatizing, irrespective of the legal category of the acts in question.

Victims frequently experience other types of violence too
Nearly 30% of men who experienced sexual violence were also exposed to other forms of violence, including psychological and physical violence. These additional forms of violence are particularly common within the close family social circle, where the relationship of “trust” and authority between the perpetrator and the child plays a key role in maintaining the latter’s silence.

The need for acknowledgement
While male victims have increasingly come forward over recent years, social gender norms along with relationships of domination, particularly linked with sex and age, remain barriers to reporting. The interviews reveal that boys who spoke out as children were often ignored, including within their close family social circle. It is only as adults that their reports have been taken more seriously. Acknowledging the existence of these acts of violence in childhood is essential if we are to prevent them and deal with their consequences.