The Anti-Male & Female-Harmlessness Bias of Sexual Abuse Reporting & Prevention:

How Stereotypes Shortchange Boy Victims
& Children Sexually Assaulted by Females
By Laurie A. Couture, M.Ed, LMHC  © 2001-2003

Beginning in the 1960's, the issue of the sexual assault of females was passionately brought to the awareness of the public and to the health care system by feminists. However, since then, equal public awareness and concern for the issues of the Sexual Abuse of Boys and Female Perpetration of Sexual Assault have curiously maintained a very low profile, even now during the socially conscious decades of the 1990's and the new millennium. This fact has remained, despite decades of documented victim reports by sexually assaulted males and victims sexually assaulted by females.

Why Discuss this Problem?

  • Because it Happens: At least 1 in 5 boys will experience sexual assault by the age of 18. Victim reports by male victims indicate that large numbers of males have been sexually assaulted by females- especially those with histories of rape!
  • Because it is Overlooked in our society by educational institutions, the health and mental health system, by researchers, by human right's advocates, by rape crisis centers, by law enforcement and by the general public
  • Because it Raises Awareness and Breaks the Silence
  • Because by Protecting Only Girls, Society Is Failing to Protect All Children
  • Because by Raising Awareness of only Male Perpetration, Female Perpetrators Have Easier Access to Potential Victims: In The book From Victim to Offender (Briggs, 1995), a female perpetrator discusses social factors that made it easy for her to sexually assault her sons, and how law enforcement agencies attempted to minimize the abuse when she confessed to her acts.
  • Because We Hope to Achieve Equality and Human Rights For All In this Society: There is much talk of wanting equality, yet by denying or covering up the truth about sexual abuse, our ideals become poisoned with hypocrisy and double standards

Researchers Knew About This Problem for at least 25 Years!
Interestingly, as early as 1978, with the release of Susan Forward and Craig Buck's book, Betrayal of Innocence, literature was beginning to come onto the scene addressing male sexual victimization and female perpetration. In early 1984, Newsweek magazine did a feature on the sexual assault of children (May 14, 1984, pp. 30-36). It is interesting to note that the 1984 article mentioned a clear gender bias and "double standard" in identifying victims and perpetrators.

Since 1984, we have learned that the trauma of sexual abuse of children is more prevalent than previously believed. However, the current understanding of the sexual assault of boys and female perpetration of sexual assault has made little progress since 1984. Current mention of the problem of female perpetration, if mentioned at all in sexual assault literature, reflects that there has been little push for understanding since the out-dated, 1984 article: While current statistics for percentage of female victims have been adjusted to reflect new understanding, the presumed statistics for female perpetration are the exact same in today's literature as they were in the 1984 article! In addition,  if one attends any workshop on sexual assault, visits any rape crisis center, reads any general information on sexual assault or is a client at nearly any health care or mental health clinic, he or she will encounter stereotypical propaganda that brands "she" as victim and "he" as perpetrator. Despite so many advances in human rights issues in a socially progressive society, concern for and awareness of male victims in 2003 sadly looks as outdated as it does in that 1984 article!

Why The Bias?
Some major factors contributing to this gender bias in the reporting and prevention of sexual assault include:

  • Male socialization
  • Society's denial of the sexual assault of males/female preparation
  • Underreporting of the victimization of boys/acts of perpetration by females: Crime statistics reflect this.
  • Gender of the perpetrator and age of the victim: The gender of the perpetrator and the age of the victim may influence the level of concern a victim is given, and how seriously the abuse is viewed.
  • Misunderstanding of the types of psychological and behavioral symptoms that are unique to male victims: A male's manifestation of trauma and depressive symptoms are not generally the same as female's. Males tend to act out and display aggression and numbness in response to depression and trauma.
  • Nature of the assault: The nature and severity of the assault may bear heavily on how it is perceived by "helpers".
  • Physiological reactions and perceived "willingness" of victim:  Men can and do maintain erections in circumstances in which they feel frightened or emotionally threatened. Sometimes victims may experience arousal during an assault, which is a natural, physiological reaction of the sex organs, not an indication of fault!
  • Messages in the media: How are female and male victims portrayed?
  • Messages from the community: What messages does community informational literature send about sexual assault? Do rape crisis centers and their posters use gender-biased pronouns? Do they state that they help all victims? Do they portray a diversity of victims? Do they offer support groups/services only to women and girls? Do they convey an anti-male flavor?
  • Messages from the entertainment industry: How are typical sexual assault scenarios portrayed? Many movies treat the sexual assault or "seduction" of underage boys by older women as a positive experience rather than as an act of sexual exploitation by a grown adult on a minor.

How Advocates and Crisis Workers Can Help Victims

  • Understand that a boy can and may be a victim of sexual assault
  • Don't assume that a male is always the perpetrator of sexual assault!
  • Be understanding, empathic, and willing to listen
  • Recognize the behavioral and psychological symptoms unique to male victims
  • Do not assume that the child victim is not affected by the abuse
  • Do not blame ANY child for abuse! Remember: The adult, regardless of gender of victim and perpetrator, is ALWAYS responsible and at fault for sexual abuse!
  • Remember: NO MEANS NO regardless of gender!
  • Point out to victims society's biased media campaigns
  • Help boys find resources for males
  • Do not treat non-stereotypical victimizations as of less importance or as less serious than those involving a typical female victim and male perpetrator
  • Empathize with the unique obstacles to opening up about sexual assault that boys and victims of female perpetration face

How Everyone Can Help End this Bias so that ALL Children Are Protected

  • If you are in a class or at a training that uses the "pronoun bias", speak up!
  • If you are in a class or at a training that uses only stereotypical teaching scenarios, suggest some involving male victims or female perpetrators so that ALL children will be protected
  • If you hear people using only stereotypical references to sexual assault victims, point out that ALL children are at risk and that women and older girls sexually assault children, too.
  • Take note of how the media portrays stories. Be alert to movies, TV shows, news reports and books and how the abuse of boys/female perpetrated abuse is viewed in comparison to the abuse of girls/male perpetrated abuse
  • If you read an educational book that speaks in stereotypical terms, write a letter to the author

Resources

 

 

Note: Note: All writing and artwork on this site © 1999 - 2004 by Laurie A. Couture, M.Ed, LMHC, and must be properly cited. You must ask permission if you intend to copy, distribute or use any portion of this information in written form beyond citations.