Seeking Support: The Voice of Young Men Who Have Experienced Sexual Harm During Their Life Course

IF 2.6 3区心理学 Q1 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY

Journal of Interpersonal Violence Pub Date : 2024-12-27 DOI:10.1177/08862605241308297

Tess Patterson, Linda Hobbs, Gareth J. Treharne, Louise Dixon, Alannah Corson Keogh, Melanie Beres

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Abstract

The sexual abuse and assault of boys and men is not uncommon, and seeking support is useful in reducing negative outcomes. However, male survivors are less likely than women to seek support. Gendered norms and myths persist with several gender-specific barriers to seeking support existing for men. The present study is guided by three research questions: (1) What are men’s support needs in relation to their experience of sexual harm? (2) What are men’s experiences of seeking support in relation to their experience of sexual harm? (3) What are the barriers that hinder men from seeking support? Interviews were conducted with 14 men (19–37 years old) attending one of two universities in New Zealand, who had experienced sexual harm. The interviews included a discussion of the men’s experiences of seeking support and were conducted as part of two broader projects. The young men experienced a complex and multifaceted journey in seeking support and described a range of informal and formal avenues that they had reached out to. Three prominent needs were highlighted: (1) increased awareness of male survivors, (2) a need for clarity around formal support services, and (3) a need for a diverse range of support modalities. The men described a variety of barriers encountered, including individual-level barriers such as difficulties in recognizing their experiences as sexual harm, a reluctance to acknowledge a need for support, preconceived notions about what seeking help might be like, as well as several overarching social and contextual influences such as living situations, cultural norms, religious beliefs, and family dynamics. These findings underscore the need for a holistic approach to supporting male survivors that addresses gender norms and myths about male survivors, acknowledges the diversity among male survivors, and addresses both individual-level and broader systemic barriers to support seeking by young men who have experienced sexual harm.

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寻求支持：在生命历程中经历过性伤害的年轻男性的声音

对男孩和男人的性虐待和性侵犯并不罕见，寻求支持有助于减少负面结果。然而，男性幸存者寻求帮助的可能性比女性要小。性别规范和神话仍然存在，男性在寻求支持方面存在一些性别障碍。本研究以三个研究问题为指导：(1)男性在性伤害经历方面的支持需求是什么？(2)男性寻求支持的经历与他们遭受性伤害的经历有什么关系？(3)阻碍男性寻求帮助的障碍是什么？对新西兰两所大学之一的14名男性（19-37岁）进行了访谈，他们都曾遭受过性伤害。访谈包括讨论男性寻求支持的经历，并作为两个更广泛项目的一部分进行。这些年轻人在寻求支持的过程中经历了一个复杂而多方面的过程，并描述了他们接触过的一系列正式和非正式渠道。他们强调了三个突出的需求：(1)提高对男性幸存者的认识；(2)需要明确正式的支持服务；(3)需要多样化的支持方式。这些男性描述了他们遇到的各种障碍，包括个人层面的障碍，如难以认识到他们的性伤害经历，不愿意承认需要支持，对寻求帮助可能是什么样的先入为主的观念，以及一些主要的社会和背景影响，如生活状况、文化规范、宗教信仰和家庭动态。这些发现强调，需要采取一种全面的方法来支持男性幸存者，解决关于男性幸存者的性别规范和神话，承认男性幸存者的多样性，并解决个人层面和更广泛的系统性障碍，以帮助经历过性伤害的年轻男性寻求支持。

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来源期刊

Journal of Interpersonal Violence Multiple-

CiteScore

6.20

自引率

12.00%

发文量

375

期刊介绍： The Journal of Interpersonal Violence is devoted to the study and treatment of victims and perpetrators of interpersonal violence. It provides a forum of discussion of the concerns and activities of professionals and researchers working in domestic violence, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault, physical child abuse, and violent crime. With its dual focus on victims and victimizers, the journal will publish material that addresses the causes, effects, treatment, and prevention of all types of violence. JIV only publishes reports on individual studies in which the scientific method is applied to the study of some aspect of interpersonal violence. Research may use qualitative or quantitative methods. JIV does not publish reviews of research, individual case studies, or the conceptual analysis of some aspect of interpersonal violence. Outcome data for program or intervention evaluations must include a comparison or control group.