Theorising vulnerability and male sexual victimisation

This UK study is about perceptions and constructions of male rape among police officers and agency practitioners. This paper seeks to particularly understand and explain the relationship between vulnerability and male sexual victimisation in the UK. It employs gender and sexualities frameworks to elucidate the connection between vulnerability and male rape, offering primary data (N = 70). The data consist of police officers and voluntary agency practitioners. I aim to make sense of male rape discourse through the participants’ voices since they intimately serve male rape victims/offenders on a one-to-one basis. Because of the lack of male rape research specifically looking at this nuanced area that I seek to explore, this paper will attempt to open up a dialogue regarding male rape not only in an academic context but also in a policy and practice context. This paper also offers suggestions for policy and practice to better deal with male rape victims and to tackle gender inequality and injustice both in a social and criminal justice context. Ultimately, I argue that male rape is often mistakenly considered as a ‘homosexual issue’, so gay and bisexual men who have been raped are regarded as unmasculine or, in other words, not ‘real’ men. Myths and misconceptions of male rape have serious implications for the way societies, the criminal justice system and the voluntary sector view and treat these victims.

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Canadians Who Care: Social Networks and Informal Caregiving Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Older Adults in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.1177/0091415019864603 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 91 (3) ◽

pp. 299-316

Author(s):

Mariam Ismail ◽

Nicole G. Hammond ◽

Kimberley Wilson ◽

Arne Stinchcombe

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Population Aging ◽

Gay And Bisexual Men ◽

National Study ◽

Bisexual Men ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

And Bisexual ◽

Provision Of Care ◽

Care Support

Canada is experiencing population aging and evidence on the provision of care is based on data collected from majority populations. This analysis compared social networks and patterns of care provision between heterosexual and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Canadians between the age of 45 and 85 years. Data were drawn from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a large national study of health and aging. The results from analysis of baseline data showed that LGB participants were less likely to have children and reported seeing their friends more recently than heterosexual participants. Gay and bisexual men were more likely to provide care support in comparison to heterosexual men. LGB participants were more likely to provide care to friends. The results highlight the importance of considering distinct social networks in the development of policy and practice approaches to support a diverse aging population.

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Can’t Hear or Won’t Hear: Gender, Sexualities and Reporting Male Rape

interalia: a journal of queer studies ◽

10.51897/interalia/fgbq1083 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 31-53

Author(s):

Aliraza Javaid

Keyword(s):

Police Officers ◽

Justice System ◽

Third Sector ◽

Primary Data ◽

Rape Victims ◽

Male Victims ◽

Male Rape ◽

The Third ◽

Voluntary Agency ◽

Gender Theories

Drawing on heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity, this paper seeks to unravel the issue of the underreporting of male rape to the police and to the third sector. Critically examining the issue of male sexual victimisation will provide a fuller understanding of it within the police and third sector context. Underpinned by gender theories and concepts and the framework of heteronormativity, I argue that male victims of rape are reticent to engage with the police and voluntary agency practitioners because of hostile, sexist and homophobic reactions, attitudes, and appraisal, particularly from other men in these agencies within England to police masculinities and sexualities. I draw on primary data of police officers and voluntary agency practitioners (n = 70) to illustrate the ways wherein gender and sexualities norms and beliefs affect and shape their understanding and view of men as victims of rape. The data suggests that, when male rape victims report their rape, they are susceptible to a ‘fag discourse’, whereby the police and voluntary agency practitioners are likely to perpetuate language to suggest that the victims are not ‘real’ men, intensifying their reluctance to report and to engage with the criminal justice system. Thus, the police and voluntary agency practitioners’, particularly male workers, masculinities are strengthened through emasculating male rape victims.

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LGBT, Muslim, and Heterosexism: The Experiences of Muslim Gay in Indonesia

Wawasan Jurnal Ilmiah Agama dan Sosial Budaya ◽

10.15575/jw.v5i1.8067 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 1-19

Author(s):

Anan Bahrul Khoir

Keyword(s):

Minority Stress ◽

Gay And Bisexual Men ◽

Psychological Services ◽

Self Control ◽

Primary Data ◽

Bisexual Men ◽

Stress Theory ◽

Positive Reinterpretation ◽

And Bisexual ◽

And Migration

Muslim gay and bisexual men have been facing various challenges when living in a homophobic and heterosexist society in Indonesia. However, the study of strategies they utilised to manage those homophobic attitudes, such as discrimination, prejudice, and stigma, of their sexual minority status is limited. Therefore, drawing on minority stress theory, this study explores the life experiences of Muslim gay or bisexual men in Indonesia, by focusing on the problems they faced and the strategies they used to address those issues. All participants aged between 20 and 27 years old, have self-identified as gay or bisexual men, Muslims or ex-Muslims, and have been living in Indonesia. The primary data collection was a semi-structured qualitative interview. The data were recorded and transcribed verbatim according to the research questions from a snowball sample of seven participants. The data were then analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that all the participants experienced sexual and religious related problems because of living in a homophobic society. These obstacles came in many forms, such as rejection, feelings of isolation and loneliness, and concerns. However, they employed strategies to solve problems, such as self-acceptance, self-control, positive reinterpretation, seeking social support, concealing, conversion, and migration. This study recommends those who support sexual minorities to help and support them in various ways, such as providing psychological services and counsellings.

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The Unknown Victims: Hegemonic Masculinity, Masculinities, and Male Sexual Victimisation

Sociological Research Online ◽

10.5153/sro.4155 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 28-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Aliraza Javaid

Keyword(s):

Police Officers ◽

Hegemonic Masculinity ◽

Rape Victims ◽

Male Rape ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Gender Expectations ◽

Male Sexual Assault ◽

Gender Hierarchy ◽

Masculinity Crisis ◽

Voluntary Agencies

This paper adopts the theoretical framework of hegemonic masculinity to elucidate and make sense of male sexual victimisation. Critically evaluating the empirical data, which comprises of police officers and practitioners in voluntary agencies (N = 70), that this paper offers, I argue that gender expectations, hegemonic masculinities and sexism prevail in societies, state and voluntary agencies. It has been found that, because male rape victims embody subordinate masculinities, they are marginalised as ‘abnormal’ and ‘deviant’. They are, in other words, classified as the ‘other’ for challenging and contradicting hegemonic masculinity, disrupting the gender order of men. Consequently, male sexual victimisation is not taken seriously in services, policy and practice, whilst the victims of this crime type are relegated in the gender hierarchy. As a result, male rape victims suffer a ‘masculinity crisis’ in the context of male rape. This paper attempts to open up a dialogue regarding male rape and male sexual assault, to challenge hegemonic masculinity, and to bring male rape ‘out of the closet’.

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