An in-depth New York Times article describes the stigma associated with sexual assault perpetrated against men and reports that 3 percent of men have been raped and 1 in 6 men “experienced unwanted sexual contact of some kind as minors.” The article is written in the context of the federal government’s recent expansion of the definition of rape to include assaults on men and boys.
But for many men, the subject is so discomfiting that it is rarely discussed — virtually taboo, experts say, because of societal notions about masculinity and the idea that men are invulnerable and can take care of themselves.
“We have a cultural blind spot about this,” said David Lisak, a clinical psychologist who has done research on interpersonal violence and sexual abuse and is a founding board member of 1in6, an organization that offers information and services to men who had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences as children.
What do you think? Is there a “cultural blind spot” on assault against men? Does our definition of masculinity affect how male survivors are treated or the services they seek?
