This comes to me by way of survivor road.
Research has found that 1 in 6 men had sexually abusive experiences before age 18. A
A 2005 study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, on San Diego Kaiser Permanente HMO members, reported that 16% of males were sexually abused by the age of 18.
Males who have such experiences are less likely to disclose them than are females.
Only 16% of men with documented histories of sexual abuse (by social service agencies, which means it was very serious) considered themselves to have been sexually abused, compared to 64% of women with documented histories in the same study.
Men who have been sexually abused as children are at risk for serious emotional illness.
“Most studies show that the long-term effects of sexual abuse can be quite damaging for both males and females. One large study, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, found that the sexual abuse of boys was more likely to involve penetration of some kind, which is associated with greater psychological harm.
The harm caused by sexual abuse mostly depends on things not determined by gender, including: the abuser’s identity, the duration of the abuse, whether the child told anyone at the time, and if so, whether the child was believed and helped.
Many boys suffer harm because adults who could believe them and help are reluctant, or refuse, to acknowledge what happened and the harm it caused. This increases the harm, especially the shame felt by boys and men, and leads many to believe they have to “tough it out” on their own. And that, of course, makes it harder to seek needed help in the midst of the abuse, or even years later when help is still needed.” (See How Unwanted or Abusive Sexual Experiences Can Cause Problems and How Being Male Can Make It Hard to Heal.)
Reblogged this on my child within.
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Thank you for re-blogging this. I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier…it wound up in my spam folder but didn’t show up in it until today…
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No worries at all! 🙂 thanks for stopping by
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Thank you…:)
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Reblogged this on Looking for the Light and commented:
Sexual abuse of men and boys need a light focused on the reality. Let’s start talking about, looking out for and don’t be afraid to speak up. Thank you Robert for continuing to Advocate for sexual assault and mental illness.
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Reblogged this on SURVIVORS BLOG HERE.
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Hi friend
Can I reblog to my site? This is a great post, this conversation needs to start.
🙂
M
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No need to ask…absolutely!
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Common curtesy. Thanks. 🙂
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NP…:)
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Reblogged this on Gentle Kindness .
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Thank you for the reblog…
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You are welcome. This is a very important issue that needs awareness. It is harder for men to speak about this and so many men just suffer and keep the secrets to themselves for their entire lives, which causes terrible psychological effects on them.
Very good post. I was glad to pass it along.
Annie ❤
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Thanks…yes it is an important issue and you’re right…
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Anyone who abuse children should be dragged out into the street and shot.
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I don’t know…locking someone up for his entire life seems more fitting.
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I agree but I do mean that. Children are our future and if certain adults who like to abuse them, I tend to have a zero tolerance attitude.
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When I consider the suffering their selfishness causes I have to agree with you.
But I include anyone who participates in making decisions that are fundamentally damaging to the life of any child.
This includes people who ‘don’t want to be guilt tripped’ about not paying taxes….
One would think from listening to the ravenous selfishness of some adults that the very worst thing you can do in the United States is cause someone to feel guilty about being a selfish prick.
There is a difference between feeling guilty about nothing and doing things that are fundamentally evil while needing to be treated like a perfumed gift from God…
Anyone who makes a decision that leaves a child hungry, battered or dead should be dragged through the gutters by chains.
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Anyone who had to experience sexual abuse as a child is a survivor in my book… Myself included…
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Oh yes…I agree.
For many of us it is the same as surviving a series of attempted homicides.
Treatment is about getting past survival and into living. I’ve survived for most of my life, but I don’t think I really began to thrive until I accepted that it happened and decided to heal.
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