The Misconceptions around Male Sexual Abuse

In this episode of HJ Talks About Abuse podcast, Alan Collins and Feleena Grosvenor explore the misconceptions surrounding male sexual abuse.

An article was recently posted by the BBC regarding Willie Armstrong from the 'Red Hot Chilli Pipers', where he described treatment of men wearing kilts and it addressed some of the misconceptions.

The article refers to incidents of “upskirting” which was made an offence in the UK last year after campaigning by Gina Martin. The article focused on women committing this crime and the perception that men are not sexually abused by women – that the acts are somehow not criminal because it is a female against a male rather than a male against a male or male against a female.

This is something that has been seen over the years in films and television, such when a female teacher sexually assaults a male student. This, for example, is the premise to 2012 film “That’s My Boy” staring Adam Sandler.

Survivors UK is a male rape and sexual abuse charity and it often attempts to dispel the common myths surrounding male sexual assault. The reality is that these myths can make it more difficult for a survivor. It increases their isolation and maintains the stigma which could belittle the trauma of their experience.

A particularly harmful myth is that “erection or ejaculation during a sexual abuse means you wanted it or consented to it”.

This is something which we have seen on many occasions in our work. The response does not indicate anything about your sexual orientation or imply the survivor wanted or enjoyed the assault. Some perpetrators use erection and ejaculation to increase their feeling or control over the survivor and to discourage them from disclosing the abuse. They use the myth to their benefit.

For more information on this subject we direct you to the Survivors UK website.

We encourage anyone who has concerns about sexual abuse to get in touch with Alan Collins or Feleena Grosvenor.