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ForwardSession Eight - Sexual Victimization of Men and Boys and Its Outcomes
September 18, 2026
Session Eight - Sexual Victimization of Men and Boys and Its Outcomes
Content Level: Advanced
Session Description
Despite the growing awareness of the sexual abuse and sexual assaults of boys and men, there continues to be a lack understanding of the impact of these violations, which are often minimized, denied or overlooked. In this session, we will explore the impact of male-to-male sexual assault on the survivor, in terms of gender narrative, coping with the abuse, sexual identity and masculinity, and reporting to police. How do self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt, embarrassment) impact mental health in male survivors? What sorts of interventions and responses were found to be helpful to a group of male survivors? Given that men are less likely to report a history of childhood sexual abuse, sometimes not even recognizing their experiences as abuse, it is necessary to gear interventions specifically to boys and men, with mental health professionals being sensitive to issues of gender and sexual identity.
Despite the growing awareness of the sexual abuse and sexual assaults of boys and men, there continues to be a lack understanding of the impact of these violations, which are often minimized, denied or overlooked. In this session, we will explore the impact of male-to-male sexual assault on the survivor, in terms of gender narrative, coping with the abuse, sexual identity and masculinity, and reporting to police. How do self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt, embarrassment) impact mental health in male survivors? What sorts of interventions and responses were found to be helpful to a group of male survivors? Given that men are less likely to report a history of childhood sexual abuse, sometimes not even recognizing their experiences as abuse, it is necessary to gear interventions specifically to boys and men, with mental health professionals being sensitive to issues of gender and sexual identity.
Readings
- Widanaralalage, B. K., Hine, B. A., Murphy, A. D., & Murji, K. (2022). “I didn’t feel I was a victim”: A phenomenological analysis of the experiences of male-on-male survivors of rape and sexual abuse. Victims & Offenders, 17(8), 1147–1172. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2022.2046839
- Drewitt-Smith, L., & Marczak, M. (2023). Men’s experiences of self-conscious emotions following childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 32(6), 674–693. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2023.2210627
- Easton, S. D., & Parchment, T. M. (2021). “The whole wall fell apart, and I felt free for the first time”: Men’s perceptions of helpful responses during discussion of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 112, 104922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104922
- 4. O’Gorman, K., Pilkington, V., Seidler, Z., Oliffe, J. L., Peters, W., Bendall, S., & Rice, S. M. (2024). Childhood sexual abuse in boys and men: The case for gender-sensitive interventions. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 16(Suppl. 1), S181–S189. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001605
Timed Outline
30 minutes: Discussion of Reading 1
30 minutes: Discussion of Reading 2
30 minutes: Discussion of Reading 3
30 minutes: Discussion of Reading 4
30 minutes: Discussion of Readings 1-4 as applied to disguised clinical case material
30 minutes: Discussion of Reading 2
30 minutes: Discussion of Reading 3
30 minutes: Discussion of Reading 4
30 minutes: Discussion of Readings 1-4 as applied to disguised clinical case material
Learning Objectives
After the completion of this class, participants will be able to:
- Identify four themes that emerge as outcomes of the experiences of sexual abuse and/or assault on men, by men
- Discuss the experiences of the self-conscious emotions after childhood sexual abuse of boys and three phenomenological/existential themes that emerge for male survivors
- Explain the perceptions of helpful responses during disclosure of male survivors of childhood abuse
- Discuss the literature on male sexual abuse survivors, and the need for interventions keyed to their specific gender-sensitive experiences
Available Credit
- 2.50 APAThe International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- 2.50 ASWB ACEThe International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2024 – 08/20/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 2.50 continuing education credits.
- 2.50 ISSTD Certificate ProgramThis program is eligible for 2.50 credits in the ISSTD Certificate Program. No certificate of completion is generated for this type of credit.