Traditionally, sexual abuse of males has not been an issue of priority among politicians or researchers. When addressed, focus is often on context or harmful effects of the abuse. This article is based on the idea of reality as socially constructed, examining possible ways for sexually abused males to come to terms with their experiences. The emphasis is on accessible discursive resources on “the abused male” and how cultural stereotypes of manliness influence and limit individual and societal constructions. An important key to reconstruction of abuse history and selfhood lies in acceptance of the idea of men as suppressed. Sexually abused males tend to feel marginalized and different. However, when given the opportunity, they offer alternative discourses of manliness with the potential for bringing sexually abused males out of the shadows, assisting them in better understanding, dealing with, and explaining their experiences to themselves and others. This article brings out the importance of a gender-sensitive approach to working politically as well as directly with men who have been sexually abused. The horizon of understanding in professional social work needs to include attention to stereotypical constructions of manliness that reject men's experiences of being “victims.”
Alford, S.F. (1997). What evil means to us. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
2.
Billig, M. (1991). Ideology and opinions: Studies in rhetorical psychology . London: SAGE Publications.
3.
Bourdieu, P., & Wacquant, L. (1992). An invitation to reflexive sociology. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
4.
Bruner, J. (2003). Making stories: Law, literature, life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
5.
Buber, M. (1965/1998). The knowledge of man: Selected essays. New York: Humanity Books .
6.
Carlson, E.S. (2006). The hidden prevalence of male sexual assault during war: Observations on blunt trauma to the male genitals. The British Journal of Criminology, 46(1), 16-25.
7.
Chamberlayne, P., Bornat, J., & Wengraf, T. (2000). Introduction: the biographical turn. In P. Chamberlayne, J. Bornat , & T. Wengraf (Eds.), The turn to biographical methods in social science: Comparative issues and examples (pp. 1-30). London: Routledge .
8.
Connell, R.W. (1995). Masculinities. Los Angeles : SAGE Publications.
Coxell, A., & King, M.B. (2000). Behind locked doors: Sexual assault of men in custodial environments. In G. C. New Mezey & M. B. King (Eds.), Male victims of sexual assault (2nd ed.). York, UK: Oxford University Press.
11.
Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln, Y.S. (2000). Foreword, methods of collecting and analyzing empirical material. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 633-643). London: SAGE Publications.
12.
Dimmock, P. (1990, August). Myths about male victims [hand-out]. Minneapolis, MN: The Treatment of Male Sexual Abuse Victims Workshop.
13.
Donaldson, D. (1990). Rape of males. In W. R. Dynes (Ed.), Encyclopedia of homosexuality (pp. 1094-1098). New York: Garland.
14.
Edley, N. (2001). Analysing masculinity: Interpretative repertoires, ideological dilemmas and subject positions. In M. Wetherell, S. Taylor, & S. J. Yates (Eds.), Discourse as data. A guide for analysis (pp. 189-228). London: The Open University/SAGE Publications.
15.
Edley, N., & Wetherell, M. (1997). Jockeying for position: the construction of masculine identities. Discourse and Society, 8(2), 203-217.
16.
Gartner, R.B. (1999). Betrayed as boys: Psychodynamic treatment of sexually abused men. London: Guilford.
17.
Gartner, R.B. (2005). Beyond betrayal: Taking charge of your life after boyhood sexual abuse. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
18.
Gonsiorek, J.C. (1994). Assessment of and treatment planning and individual psychotherapy for sexually abused adolescent males. In J. C. Gonsiorek, W. H. Bera, & D. LeTouaneau (Eds.), Male sexual abuse: A trilogy of intervention strategies (pp. 3-109). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
19.
Gubrium, J.F., & Holstein, J.A. (2000). Interpretive practice. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 487-508). London: SAGE Publications.
20.
Harvey, M.R., Mishler, E.G., Koenen, K., & Harney, P.A. (2000). In the aftermath of sexual abuse: Making and remaking in narratives of trauma and recovery. Narrative Inquiry, 10(2), 291-311.
21.
Holter, . G. (1999). Men's studies in Norway—A research overview. Oslo : Norges Forskningsråd.
22.
Holter, . G. (2003). Can men do it? TemaNord2003:510Copenhagen : Nordic Council of Ministers.
23.
Human Rights Watch. (2001). No escape: Male rape in U.S. prisons. New York: Author.
24.
Isely, P.J. (1997). Child sexual abuse and the CatholicChurch: A historical and contemporary review. Pastoral Psychology, 45(4), 277-299.
25.
Jones, I.H. (2000). Cultural and historical aspects of male sexual assault. In G. C. New Mezey & M. B. King (Eds.), Male victims of sexual assault (2nd ed., pp. 113-124). York, UK: Oxford University Press.
26.
Kimmel, M.S. (2000). The gendered society. New York : Oxford University Press.
27.
Kvale, S. (1996). Inter views: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. London: SAGE Publications.
28.
Kvale, S. (2006). Dominance through interviews and dialogues. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(3), 480-500.
29.
Lew, M. (2004). Victims no longer: The classic guide for men recovering from sexual child abuse (2nd ed.). New York: Quill, Harper Collins.
30.
Lisak, D. (1993). Men as victims: Challenging cultural myths. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 6(4), 577-580.
31.
Lisak, D. (1995). Integrating a critique of gender in the treatment of male survivors of childhood abuse. Psychotherapy, 32(2), 258-269.
32.
Lisak, D. (1998). Confronting and treating emphatic disconnection in violent men. In S. P. William & F. L. Ronald (Eds.), New psychotherapy for men (pp. 214-36). New York: John Wiley.
33.
Mendel, M.P. (1995). The male survivor: The impact of sexual abuse . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Mosse, G.L. (1996). The image of man: The creation of modern masculinity . New York: Oxford University Press .
36.
Pennebaker, J.W. (2000). Telling stories: The health benefits of narrative . Literature and Medicine, 19(1), 3-18.
37.
Pollack, W.S., & Levant R.F. (1998). Introduction: Treating men in the 21st century . In S. P. William & F. L. Ronald (Eds.), New psychotherapy for men (pp. 1-10). New York: John Wiley .
38.
Potter, J. (1996). Discourse analysis and constructionist approaches: Theoretical background. In J. T. E. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of qualitative research methods for psychology and the social science (pp. 125-140). Leicester, UK: BPS.
39.
Potter, J., & Wetherell, M. (1987). Discourse and social psychology: Beyond attitudes and behaviour. London: SAGE Publications.
40.
Potter, J., Wetherell, M., Gill, R., & Edvards, D. (1990). Discourse: Noun, verb or social practice? Philosophical Psychology, 3(2), 205-217.
41.
Price, M. (1997). Knowing and not knowing: Paradox in the construction of historical narratives. In R. B. Gartner (Ed.), Memories of sexual betrayal: Truth, fantasy, repression, and dissociation (pp. 129-148). London: Jason Aronson.
42.
Sepler, F. (1990). Victim advocacy and young male victims of sexual abuse: An evolutionary model. In M. Hunter (Ed.), The sexually abused male: Vol. I. Prevalence, impact, and treatment (pp. 73-85). Lexington, MA: Lexington.
43.
Taylor, S. (2001). Locating and conducting discourse analytic research . In M. Wetherell, S. Taylor, & S. J. Yates (Eds.), Discourse as data: A guide for analysis (pp. 5-48). London : Sage/The Open University.
44.
Ungar, M. (2003). Qualitative contributions to resilience research . Qualitative Social Work, 2(1), 85-102.
45.
Vetlesen, A.J. (2001). Det er ofrene som skammer seg. Et essay om ondskap og skam [It is the victims who are ashamed. an essay on malice and shame] . In T. Wyller (Ed.), Skam: Perspektiver på skam, ære og skamløshet i det moderne [Shame: Perspectives on shame, sense of honor, and shamelessness in modern times] (pp. 103-140). Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.
46.
Wengraf, T. (2001). Qualitative research interviewing: Biographic narrative and semi-structured methods. London: SAGE Publications.
