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Prevalence and consequences of adult sexual assault of men: Review of empirical findings and state of the literature
Abstract
Male victims of adult sexual assault (ASA) are understudied as compared with female victims. Further, commonly-held myths about sexual assault suggest that men cannot be victims or that, if men are victims, they are relatively physically and emotionally unharmed by sexual assault. The goal of this paper was to systematically review the empirical literature on ASA among men to evaluate the veracity of these myths. This paper also sought to examine the methodological quality of the body of research in this area, identify limitations and gaps in the current literature, and suggest directions for future research. Eighty-seven relevant studies were identified through a systematic review of the literature. The reported prevalence of men's sexual aggression varied widely depending on the methods used and the population studied; some populations (e.g., veterans, prison inmates, and gay and bisexual men) reported higher rates of ASA than men in the general population. Few studies have systematically examined the consequences of male ASA; however, those that have suggest that ASA can have notable adverse physical and psychological consequences for some men.
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“Rape myths that men cannot be raped or that strong men can defend themselves and cannot be forced to have sex against their will can prevent male victims from reporting or even acknowledging that they have been abused (Depraetere et al., 2018; Peterson et al., 2011; Walfield, 2018).”
From Safe schools for teens: Preventing sexual abuse of urban poor teens, proof-of-concept study-improving teachers'and students'knowledge, skills and attitudes (2020) · cites this paper as Peterson et al., 2011
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Metadata
- Authors
- Peterson, Z. D., Voller, E. K., Polusny, M. A., & Murdoch, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Missouri–St. Louis (US)
- Minneapolis VA Medical Center (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Corresponding author
- Peterson, Zoë D.
- Venue
- Clinical Psychology Review
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-02
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-24
- ISSN
- 0272-7358 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2053574351
- Cited by
- 277
- References
- 123
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 4.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Clinical Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Keywords
- adult sexual assault, male victims, prevalence, sexual aggression, veterans, prisoners, gay and bisexual men, methodological quality
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Humans, Male, Men, Sex Offenses, Prevalence, Crime Victims
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