Gender-tailored interventions are urgently required for the treatment needs of boys and men who have experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA).
Researchers from Orygen, the University of Melbourne and the University of British Columbia have published a review paper titled ‘Childhood sexual abuse in boys and men: The case for gender-sensitive intervention’ in prestigious journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.
Boys and men experience the negative impacts of CSA to the same, and sometimes greater, extent as girls and women. It is estimated that almost 1 in 10 (8 per cent) boys have experienced CSA.
Unfortunately, boys and men are less likely to disclose their CSA experience. When they do, it takes longer for them to disclose compared to girls and women. One study found that men wait on average 21 years to disclose childhood sexual abuse. This delay prevents them accessing mental health support.
Reticence to disclose CSA can be due to many reasons, and the topic of CSA among males remains a social taboo. Fear of not being believed and masculinity-related barriers prevent boys and men disclosing CSA, and subsequently accessing help. Barriers include significant shame, self-blame and implications related to manhood.
Compounding this, men were less likely than women to be screened for exposure to CSA when accessing mental health services, especially by male health professionals.
“Because of the unique challenges faced by men and boys, it is reasonable to expect that the prevalence of CSA among boys and men is underestimated,” said Orygen Associate Professor Simon Rice.
While current estimates suggest that girls are at greater risk of experiencing CSA compared to boys, the review indicates that all individuals exposed to a CSA experience will have an elevated risk of mental ill-health. Boys and men however are more likely to use substances, are more likely to suppress emotions and/or express their distress through anger and risk-taking, and there is strong evidence of relationship between CSA and suicide attempts.
“We could not find a single study describing interventions solely focused on boys and men exposed to CSA. Research on tailored intervention approaches to better support boys and men exposed to CSA is urgently needed,” Associate Professor Rice said.
“A good start would be increasing the focus on this under-researched issue. With a greater focus, we can develop gender-tailored treatments for boys and men. We want to reduce the barriers to disclosure and help-seeking among boys and men who have experienced CSA.”