scholarly journals Male Rape Myths: Understanding and Explaining Social Attitudes Surrounding Male Rape

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliraza Javaid
Keyword(s):  
Rape Myths ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Male Rape ◽  
Theoretical Paper ◽  
To Come ◽  
Male Rape Myths

<p>This paper provides a critical review of the literature surrounding male rape, aimed at exploring how male rape myths shape society’s responses and attitudes to male victims of rape and integrates the literature from a theory driven perspective. In doing so, this theoretical paper reveals information relating to the barriers to recognition of male rape. These barriers are male rape myths that prevent male rape victims from coming forward and seeking the support that they merit. There has been a lack of research on male rape myths, although some research has documented such myths to be present in practice. These myths could be harmful because they may influence societies’ opinions of male rape victims, so this could affect the treatment and responses toward such victims. To understand and explain such myths so some attempt can be made at eradicating them, this paper will explore common male rape myths that seem to be prevalent in Western society. This paper will examine male rape myths in the areas of media, incarcerated settings, and the wider community, focusing on England and Wales, UK. This is important to do to recognise which myths are harmful and are facilitating the under-reporting of male rape. This paper will help raise awareness of male rape myths and not only attempt to tackle them, but also encourage male rape victims to come forward to report and seek the help that they merit. It will also address the gaps in the literature and areas ripe for research, so further empirical research can be conducted on male rape, highlighting ideas for future research and providing guidance in areas most needed in research on male rape. </p>

Masculinities, sexualities and identities: Understanding HIV positive and HIV negative male rape victims

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliraza Javaid
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Hegemonic Masculinity ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Male Rape ◽  
Psychological Suffering ◽  
Male Rape Myths

This empirical article focuses on how HIV intersects with male rape, and how the virus challenges and weakens male rape victims’ sense of masculinity. Drawing on hegemonic masculinity to elucidate the different ways in which men as victims of rape cope with their disease, the article argues that male victims handle the effects of rape themselves to keep their masculinity intact. Drawing on interviews with HIV positive and non-HIV positive male rape victims ( N = 15), it is argued that male victims of rape not only often struggle to manage their HIV status in a social sphere, but also may suffer contradictions in relation to embodying hegemonic masculinity. In addition to such struggles, male rape victims sometimes attract victim blaming attitudes, such as ‘he asked for it’, indicating that male rape victims are blamed for both contracting HIV and for being raped. HIV positive and non-HIV positive male rape victims question their masculinity while stigma develops through social relations with other people, particularly other men. Male rape myths are present in western society. This article seeks to open up a dialogue surrounding the salient issues associated with male rape, including HIV and male rape myths, while attempting to eliminate such harmful myths. It is important to tackle male rape myths because they can contribute to the underreporting of male rape and can compound male rape victims’ reluctance to seek help for their HIV, emotional and psychological suffering.

Acceptance of male rape myths among college men and women

Sex Roles ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 85-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Struckman-Johnson ◽  
David Struckman-Johnson
Keyword(s):  
College Men ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Male Rape ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Male Rape Myths

Real men can't get raped: an examination of gendered rape myths and sexual assault among undergraduates

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina L. Reitz-Krueger ◽  
Sadie J. Mummert ◽  
Sara M. Troupe
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Relative Neglect ◽  
Male Rape Myths

Purpose While awareness of sexual assaults on college campuses has increased, the majority of efforts to address it are focused on female victims. The relative neglect of male victims may be due in part to problematic rape myths that suggest men cannot be sexually assaulted, especially by women. The purpose of this paper is to compare rates of different types of sexual assault between male and female undergraduates, and explore the relationship between acceptance of traditional rape myths focused on female victims, and rape myths surrounding male victims. Design/methodology/approach Students at a mid-sized university in Pennsylvania (n=526) answered an online questionnaire about their own experiences of sexual assault since coming to college, as well as their endorsement of male and female rape myths. Findings While women experienced more sexual assault overall, men were just as likely to have experienced rape (i.e. forced penetration) or attempted rape. Acceptance of male and female rape myths was significantly correlated and men were more likely than women to endorse both. Participants were also more likely to endorse female than male rape myths. Research limitations/implications By analyzing sexual assaults in terms of distinct behaviors instead of one composite score, the authors can get a more nuanced picture of how men and women experience assault. Practical implications Campus-based efforts to address sexual assault need to be aware that male students also experience assault and that myths surrounding men as victims may impede their ability to access services. Originality/value This paper contributes to our knowledge of a relatively understudied topic: undergraduate male victims of sexual assault.

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

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.

Male Rape Myths

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 600-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine M. Chapleau ◽  
Debra L. Oswald ◽  
Brenda L. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Rape Myths ◽  
Male Rape ◽  
Male Rape Myths

Judgments About Male Victims of Sexual Assault by Women: A 35-Year Replication Study

2022 ◽  
pp. 088626052110629
Author(s):  
Emma K. PeConga ◽  
Jacqueline E. Spector ◽  
Ronald E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Male Victim ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Generational Changes ◽  
Male Cohort ◽  
Gender Pattern ◽  
Male Rape Myths ◽  
Victim Gender

Sexual assault of men by women has received increasing attention in recent years, as has research on rape myths about male victims. This study is a cross-generational replication of a 1984 study of college students’ judgments about male and female victims in a scenario involving a sexual assault carried out by male or female assailants. The 1984 data ( n = 172) were compared with those of a 2019 cohort ( n = 372) in a 2 (participant gender) x 2 (assailant gender) x 2 (victim gender) x 2 (cohort) factorial design to assess potential generational changes in perceptions of victims. Judgments by male participants of male victims of assaults carried out by women changed notably over time. The 2019 male cohort was less likely to judge that the victim initiated or encouraged the incident (40% in 1984 compared with 15% in 2019) and derived pleasure from it (47.4% in 1984 compared with 5.8% in 2019). In contrast, the 2019 female cohort was more likely to attribute victim encouragement (26.9% compared with 4.3% in 1984) and pleasure to the male victim (25% in 2019 compared with 5% in 1984). A similar gender pattern occurred in judgments of how stressful the event was for the male victim. Analysis of the 2019 data revealed that overall, despite scientific and cultural shifts that have occurred over the past three decades, participants continued to judge the male victim of assault by a female to have been more encouraging and to have experienced more pleasure and less stress than in any other assailant/victim gender combination. Results are discussed in relation to gendered stereotypical beliefs and male rape myths, as well as possible sensitization to power differentials inspired by the #MeToo movement. We emphasize the need for greater awareness and empirical attention to abuse that runs counter to preconceived notions about sexual victimization.

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